A Guest Post on Dick Cheney's New Heart

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 Guest poster ,I. Mangrey,  has a sharp tongue and a good imagination. Here he offers up a sardonic vision of what might have gone on during Cheney's heart transplant surgery along with his own observations on Dick Cheney, the man and the myth. Hint: Mangrey is NOT a big Dick Cheney fan.

Dick Cheney, who recently cancelled a trip to our northern neighbor saying Canada was too dangerous, is now recovering after receiving a heart transplant. First there’s the matter of The Second Butcher of Baghdad saying that Canada’s dangerous. Canada? I can’t even remember the last time Canada shot someone in the face. I’m pretty sure that Canada thinks Cheney is too dangerous so I doubt they have any regrets.

Then there’s the matter of one of the most horrific figures in American political history taking what must have been a perfectly good heart that could have gone to someone more deserving like Rick Perry who has lots of available space between his ears for any of a number of objects, or the artificially animated Mitt Romney who would be able to use the heart indefinitely as he “lives” out his years entertaining Americans by running for president over and over and over, or maybe a homeless person who could use a pick-me-up.

In any event, doctors worked diligently to perform what is now a fairly common procedure. Except in this case it was not nearly so routine. In almost all cases to date, the surgery was performed to replace a damaged heart, but in Cheney’s case the doctors were greeted with something of a surprise when they entered the chest cavity of one of America’s most recent war criminals. The lead surgeon at the Halliburton Medical Center mused,

 “I can’t say some of us didn’t have our suspicions going in, but we treated it as something of a joke. I don’t think any of us actually expected there would really be no heart in there. I mean many people are referred to as heartless, but even I always assumed this was just a derisive figure of speech, or by Cheney’s standards a term of endearment. As a doctor/mercenary you kind of assume that the human organism is incapable of survival without such a vital organ. In most cases you would be right. But it turns out that in Mr. Cheney’s case his body managed to survive on sheer willpower and a deep-seated hatred of mankind.”

They say Cheney had an untold number of heart attacks starting at age 37. If it is indeed true that he had a heart, it would seem that that heart knew early on that Cheney should be stopped before doing any real damage. The presence of a heart in that, by-all-appearances-human form, does stretch the imagination, but I suppose the possibility exists despite the inability of his current surgeons to detect one.

 Maybe since this heart doesn’t know Cheney personally it won’t start attacking him immediately. Perhaps since The Dark Shadow is - as far as we can tell - retired, this poor hijacked heart will allow him to live out the rest of his nights.


I. Mangrey reporting.
Thanks for listening. Responsible comment (and spare parts) invited.
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Ian Murphy Can Haz Political Campaign

The name Ian Murphy may not immediately ring a bell, but I bet you remember the Buffalo Beast editor who pranked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker  last month by pretending to be David H. Koch and getting Walker to reveal his union-busting agenda in what he thought was a private phone call..

 Guess who the prankster was--yup it was Ian Murphy, bon vivant, political gadfly and gonzo journalist.  I love this guy, so though I am not in his district and not even in New York State, I am thrilled that he is running for Congress.

And here comes the best part.  Murphy is running on the Green Party ticket in a special election to fill the spot of   tah dah ( you are gonna LUV this) Chris Lee aka the Craig's List adulterer. Remember him?  He's the Republican Congressman who was trolling Craig;s list for dates and sending out bare chested photos and resigned when his wife and the media found out. You gotta love those Republican " strong family values" types.

Murphy is not soft on the issues.  Here's a bit of his platform, straight from his website  For more information plus the complete campaign platform go to  Murphy Can Has Congress and look around.  You won't be sorry, oh and you can make a donation or volunteer your time there as well.

 Craigslist Transsexuals

I am pro-Craigslist transsexuals. Unlike your last Congressman, however, I am not a terrible hypocrite. And unlike my Republican opponent, I am not a discriminating jerk.

 Tax Billionaires

The divide between the haves and the have-nots hasn’t been this wide since the Great Depression. The middle class is being ripped off and lied to. Crooks on Wall Street receive bailouts and bonuses, for stealing your money. People are working harder than ever, for less and less. This pisses me off. It should piss you off, too.
When I’m elected to Congress, I’ll fight to shift the tax burden away from the middle class and the small business owners of the 26^th district. It’s time the U.S. had a sane, progressive income tax and corporate tax structure.
When Warren Buffett’s secretary pays more income tax than he does, you know something ain’t quite right.

 Adorable Puppies

I am pro-adorable puppies. When I’m elected to Congress, and if you’re good, I might get you one.

If you llive in New York State's 26th Congressional District, don't forget to get out and vote on May 24th for Ian Murphy--a laid back dude seeking votes, and maybe more.  If you don't live in Murphy's District, you might want to support him anyway, just to say thank you.  At the very least, you could follow him on Twitter

Sarah Palin Wins MIsinformer of the Year Award

The folks at Media Matters have given  the second annual Glenn Beck Honorary Award for Excellence in Misinformation to ( drum roll please) Sarah Palin-- the woman who with such personal magnetism and style has so blurred the boundaries between truth and falsehood that she has brought misinformation to a new, never before achieved  level.

Working closely with Glenn Beck and Fox News, the Killah from Wasilla has managed to scare and confuse more Americans than any other public figure this year, using both distortions and outright lies.  Her " death panel" rumor during the run up to the Health Care Reform vote was a master-stroke that perfectly exemplifies her style and finesse.

Let's hear it for the former governor of Alaska  and Misinformer of the Year, Sarah "youbetcha"  Palin.

H/T  to  Crooks and Liers   and  The Fifth Column

Is the United States Becoming A Banana Republic?

Senator Bernie Sanders lives in Vermont but has New York City in his soul and he tells it like it is.On the floor of the Senate,he recently gave the facts and figures that outline an ugly recipe for class warfare.

Sarah Palin and the right wing nut jobs like Beck and Limbaugh stir the pot for their own reasons.  However,as Jesus said: " they know not what they do."

We all know that the American middle class is losing ground, the poor are growing in number and the richest 1% of Americans are just getting richer. According to Sanders, One percent of the people earned 23% of the income last year ( think Wall Street bonuses) which is more than the total earned by the bottom fifty percent.  Keep that up and you have a perfect recipe for revolution.

The problem is what to do about it. Republicans and Democrats are busy squabbling  while most Americans are just trying to figure out what happened and who to blame. Bernie Sanders sounds a warning bell. Are we becoming a banana republic without the bananas?

Watch the video and give it some thought.

The Morning After Cartoon

I am not a happy camper this morning.  The good news, from my point of view,  is that Democrats held the Senate.  The not so good news is that Democrats lost the House.  We all know that the economy is the problem.We all agree that Congress is corrupt and government is broken. We dis-agree on how to fix it.

At least a few of the real whackos did not get elected, which tells me there is at least some sanity out there. Now, let us see what the new Congress will do..

 I'm not convinced that it makes any difference whether Republicans or Democrats are in the saddle in Congress. Both sides of the aisle have been bought and sold by fat cats and corporate interests for years.. For the average Joe, who can't get a loan or a job and who is worried about having to sleep in his car, it is still and always " all about the economy, stupid"

It's the morning after and I've got a hangover. Let's see what changes now in Washington and what remains the same.

cartoon source

Don't Stay Home. Get Out and Vote

source: www.salon.com

Listen up my fellow Americans. Did you know that historically, only  four out of ten registered voters vote in mid-term elections ?  It's true, and this year since lots of people are disappointed, the figures are set to look even worse.

The young voters who made such a difference in 2008 don't seem to be engaged in 2010.  The left is feeling let down and disgusted by an administration that has not, in their view, gone far enough. .Independents are frustrated and angry at the ongoing partisan wrangling and gridlock in Washington, and the rest of us are sick of the mud slinging and media hype.Times are tough, jobs are scarce and  people are scared and cranky.

In contrast to this deflated feeling, the extreme right is riding high, energized by the billions poured into the tea party movement by conservative moneyed interests for their own reasons and the media hype being used to manipulate the masses. Frightened people are buying the crap that is being handed out and think winning back the Congress for the Republican Party( that's the party of NO) will change things.  It won't, but they don't know that and I, for one, hope they never find out.

The bottom line is that people don't think things are getting better-- but here's the thing.  The Obama Administration actually averted the worse financial disaster since the Great Depression and things are getting better-- just not very fast.  It's hard to campaign on the fact that things would have been worse if they had not been in power, but it's true.

Do you really want to let the folks who got us into this mess get back in the saddle by becoming the majority in Congress?  Do you really want big corporations and lobbyists to have even MORE power than they do? Do you really want insurance companies to be able to continue to raise your healthcare premiums while denying you healthcare? If your answer is NO--then you have a moral obligation to let your voice be heard through your vote.

This year in 32 states you don't even have to wait for election day.  You can take advantage of early voting and do it at your convenience.  There are senatorial races, congressional races and important gubinitorial races that are really really important.

Your vote is needed.  So no matter how disappointed you feel, or how busy you are,don't stay home.  Get out and vote.

Political Quote of The Day

Don't know what her politics are, but her handwriting needs a little work. 

The sign, however, carries a powerful message. The text is hard to read, scrawled as it is on a piece of brown cardboard box, but here's what it says: 

"Politicians are like condoms. They give you a sense of security while you are getting screwed. "

Ahhh that is deep, very deep, dontchathink? Stop laughing-- this is serious :-)

A tip of the hat to White Trash Politics for this one.Click on the link to read the original post

Rush Limbaugh Thinks the Icelandic Volcano Is Armageddon

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Can you believe it?  Rush Limbaugh inferred on his radio show yesterday that the plume of smoke spreading over Europe from Iceland and grounding air traffic ( principally keeping President Obama from attending a State funeral in Poland) might be divine punishment for the passage of the Obama Health Care Bill.  I swear it's true The guy is totally nuts.Here's the quote:

"You know, a couple of days after the health care bill had been signed into law Obama ran around all over the country saying, “Hey, you know, I’m looking around. The earth hadn’t opened up. There’s no Armageddon out there. The birds are still chirping.” I think the earth has opened up. God may have replied. This volcano in Iceland has grounded more airplanes — airspace has more affected — than even after 9/11 because of this plume, because of this ash cloud over Northern and Western Europe. At the Paris airport they’re telling people to head to the train station to catch trains out of France, and when people get to the train station they’re telling people, “There aren’t any seats until at least April 22nd,” basically a week from now. It’s got everybody in a shutdown. Earth has opened up. I don’t know whether it’s a rebirth or Armageddon. Hopefully it’s a rebirth, God speaking."

Rush, honey........Get a grip!!! It's time to lay off the OxyContin. Everything isn't about you, sugarplum.  Everything isn't even about Obama,or American politics. Sometimes things happen in Iceland that are about the geology of Iceland. This may not be so good for the airlines, but Armageddon it's not. So just relax and try not to appear too whacko or they just might cart you off to rehab.

Link to the original post on Think Progress

Busy Week in the Big Apple for Obama

It's a busy week in the Big Apple for President Obama. You have to admire his guts and his willingness to take on the issues. Today and tomorrow he is going to be busy non stop at the United Nations. In the evenings he'll be at official social events and at night he'll be resting his tired Presidential head in the Presidential suite at the Waldorf Astoria

This morning he got right to work. He addressed the special one-day climate change conference being held at the UN before tomorrow's opening of the General Assembly. This afternoon he will meet with a dizzying array of world leaders and focus on nuclear dis-armament and world peace. Well, good luck is all I can say.

Tomorrow, President Obama will address the General Assembly. He will also chair the meeting of the Security Council -- the first sitting American President ever to do so. There should be lots of shmooze time not to mention tons of photo ops.

Then on Thursday, it's good bye Big Apple and off to Pittsburgh for the meeting of the G20.

The airwaves and the internet are already abuzz with comment and speculation. Obama's speech on climate change this morning( see the video below) was an emphatic clarion call to action filled with beautiful glittering generalities, but short on specifics. In it he called not only on the developed world, but also on the developing nations like China and India to take a larger role in cleaning up the environment. A good move, I think. I'll be watching as tomorrow unfolds.

At the very least, President has now sent a message loud and clear, that unlike his predecessor, George W. Bush, he sees the United Nations as an important player on the world stage and a place where a real exchange of ideas is possible. So far it doesn't look like he is going to get anything going with the Israeli's and Palistinians, nor does it look like he will be able to pull any rabbits out of his hat when it comes to Iran and Afghanistan, but you never can tell.

Like they say in New York, " you gotta be in it to win it" and President Obama is signaling that as far as the United Nations is concerned, the USA is back in the game. It's a good start.

Note to Media: Leave Hillary Clinton Alone

I have spent the last two days watching this clip of a hot, tired, and out of sorts, Hillary Clinton snapping at a student during a "Q & A" in the Republic of Congo.

Now, I admit, it was not Hillary's finest hour, but please, talking TV heads, stop with the Cheshire Cat smiles and gleeful comments. You are taking entirely too much pleasure in painting Hillary as a hot tempered virago. It's making me and a lot of other women really angry.

The question really was insulting and I don't blame Hillary for being pissed and letting it show. She was absolutely right. Her husband is not the Secretary of State and this was an official, diplomatic visit. Yes, it would have been better if the hair and make up crew had done better by her, and if she had been wearing something other than a blue cotton pantsuit that looked like hospital scrubs. It would have been better yet if she hadn't been quite so tired, or perhaps suffering in the tropical heat.

All things being equal she could have framed a more diplomatic response, but that question pushed an emotional button that lies buried in the bosom of every married woman who has ever carved out a career outside the home. Even if she becomes a world famous brain surgeon or the CEO of a major corporation people will still ask her " what does your husband do" Rarely will they ask her husband, the same question. Working women still have to deal with the mommy track and the boys club every day and Hillary has had to put up with more than her share of it, since her husband is a charismatic ex President and larger than life personality-- not to mention a major league philanderer.

I didn't think Hillary was a great First Lady, but she was a smashing Senator, ran a great Presidential campaign, and has put her ego on hold to serve the current President brilliantly as Secretary of State. If she were male not female, nobody in Congo or anywhere else would have asked her about her spouse's opinion. I don't blame her for being defensive. I don't blame her for being angry. I'm a bit angry on her behalf myself.

If you are one of the few people on the planet who has not yet seen the clip, here it is. Have a look and then, please, leave Hillary Clinton alone and let her do her job.

Blogging the Birthers

Everybody is blogging the Birthers these days, So here's my two cents. A recent poll announced that 28% of Republicans believed Obama was not born in the United States and another 30% weren't sure. The fact that 58% of Republicans had doubts about something provable like where the President was born has a lot of people puzzled-- but not me.

I know only too well what makes people cling to the crazy idea that our President is not really one of us, is sinister, a fraud and a dangerous foreigner who is trying to destroy us. It's just good old fashioned American racism wearing a new set of clothes.

Once we elected an African American president, I knew it had to surface sometime and here it is. Not surprising that the strongest support for the Birther movement is in the south, where slavery once reigned supreme and where when I was a child there were separate but far from equal facilities for black and white Americans and where 40 years ago the marriage of Obama's mother and father would not have been legal or recognized. So great was the fear in those days, that Obama's father could have been lynched for simply walking down the street with a white woman let alone marrying her.

The Birther movement is nothing more than a new incarnation of a dark secret in our national past. Our founding fathers believed in liberty but owned slaves. Our original constitution counted every slave as three fifths of a man ( women didn't count for voting purposes at all in those days). We fought a bloody Civil War which pitted brother against brother to finally put an end to " the south's peculiar institution" 25% of the young male population of what was then the United States died in that war, but fear, racism and Jim Crow laws did not.

You can show the Birthers all the evidence you want-- legal affidavits and birth certificates and newspaper announcements and it will do no good. Their minds are made up. Do not confuse them with the facts. Their truth is made up of fear and guilt and downright paranoia. It is the sad legacy of slavery. Ironically it is the Birthers who are enslaved by their own distorted fearful notions of truth. The rest of us are moving forward behind a President who really is who we are: multi- cultural, multi-racial, and all American.