Happy Hour Discurso

Today's opining on the public discourse.

What an abundance of inanity we have today. I hardly know where to begin. So much stupid, so little time.

Since we won't have Bush to kick around forever, let's start there. You might recall that the Obama's are staying in a hotel because Blair House was supposedly booked. It probably won't shock you to learn that the truth is something rather different:

After weeks of speculation, the mystery guest that trumps the President-elect and his family has finally been revealed. The White House offered the house to John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia who is set to receive a Medal of Freedom. Instead of arranging other accommodations for Howard’s one-night stay, the Bush administration told the Obama family to stay in a hotel for two weeks. (Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who are also receiving the Medal of Freedom, opted to find other accommodations.)

Last night on MSNBC’s “Countdown,” Bloomberg journalist Margaret Carlson revealed that when the White House turned down Obama’s request in early December, it had not yet even invited Howard to stay at the Blair House:

I reported…on December 11 and 12 that there were no foreign dignitaries booked into Blair House during that period of time. … I have the feeling they asked him [Howard] to come and stay so that there might be some plausible reason for not letting the Obamas stay there.

She also pointed out that Blair House has “119 rooms with 35 bathrooms. Howard wouldn’t even have to share a sink with the Obamas.”

Is there anything, anything in the entire world, that Bush doesn't lie about?

I didn't think so.

John McCain thinks that what the Cons are lacking is another fake grassroots organization:

For all of the systemic and institutional problems facing the right, a lack of organizations isn't one of them. It's hard to keep track of them all, between the conservative think tanks, activist groups, religious right outfits, conferences, publications, party committees, publishing houses, and political action committees.

And yet, John McCain believes there's room for more group. He sent out a letter to his email list this morning with a new pitch:

[snip]

So to continue the movement, I have decided to launch a new grassroots organization called Country First. [...]

Country First will allow us to strengthen our Party, better define our Republican ideals and message, recruit and back strong, dedicated candidates and continue our efforts to bring real reform to government by always putting our country and the noble ideals she stands for first.

I don't mean to kick a guy when he's down, but this is pretty weak.

First, by no reasonable definition can the McCain campaign be described as having started a "movement." There may be some clamoring for conservative leadership among activists on the right, but no one is seriously looking to McCain to fill the void.

Second, now isn't exactly a good time to start a new "grassroots organization." The national economy is abysmal, the far-right base is dispirited, and other conservative grassroots organizations are closing their doors.

And third, it's not entirely clear that Country First is going to be a genuine "grassroots organization" at all. CNN notes that the "group" is actually just another political action committee, probably little more than a vehicle to promote McCain's re-election in 2010.

I'm sure Daily Kos and MoveOn are shaking in their boots. Oh, yes. Putz.

You remember the dramarama over the oil drilling ban last summer, right? The little histrionic fit the Cons threw, all the crap they gave Dems for going on vacation, etc. etc.? You remember Rep. Cliff Sterns was one of the screamers?

Turns out he's not at all interested in sacrificing pleasure for work. Hard to believe, I know:

Now, however, Stearns’s dedication to “the people’s business” seems to be flagging. Yesterday, in a letter to Speaker Pelosi, Stearns requested that the House reschedule its Thursday and Friday votes so that he can attend the BCS National Championship Game between that University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma. Stearns wrote:

As you may be aware, on Thursday January 8, the University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma will play for the national football championship. Members of the Florida and Oklahoma delegations have expressed interest in attending the game as the congressional schedule allows. However, votes are currently scheduled to continue into Thursday night and Friday afternoon. We ask that you move these votes to either Wednesday and/or Thursday morning to allow Members to attend this historic game.

That's right. There's no opportunity for grandstanding, so he'd rather go watch a football game instead. What a dumbshit.

Speaking of dumbshits:

Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher ("Joe the Plumber") hasn't had too much to do since the election, and it's not as if he's been missed. He popped up about a month ago to bash John McCain.

Now, it appears the unlicensed plumber/campaign prop, looking for a 16th minute of fame, has a new gig lined up.

Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporter's notebook.

The Ohio man who became a household name during the presidential campaign says he is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site pjtv.com.

Samuel J. Wurzelbacher (WUR'-zuhl-bah-kur) says he'll spend 10 days covering the fighting.

Wurzelbacher isn't a journalist, has no background in reporting, and has no background in foreign policy. His most substantive thought on the Middle East was his stated belief on the campaign trail that Barack Obama would mean "death to Israel," lunacy that even Fox News was uncomfortable with.

And yet, PJTV.com, a project of Pajamas Media, thinks Wurzelbacher is a great choice to be a correspondent to cover a war in Israel.

You know what? There's enough trauma in Gaza without inflicting Joe the Plumber on these poor people. Isn't there something in the Geneva Conventions prohibiting that kind of treatment?

For an epic consistency fail, let us turn now to Sen. Grassley and the sturm und drang over the Eric Holder nomination:

In a conference call this morning, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) continued the assault, saying that “it’s not going to be a smooth confirmation” for Holder. He evoked Holder’s very tenuous ties to embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich as reason to be suspicious of the nominee:

GRASSLEY: It signals that it’s not going to be a smooth confirmation. It doesn’t signal that he may not be confirmed. … [H]e was a counsel or at least Governor Blagojevich had sought to have him involved with something with race tracks in Illinois and casinos, I think. And so we’re trying to get freedom of information on that because we need to know what the relationship is with Governor Blagojevich. And I don’t say that in denigrating in any way except Governor Blagojevich’s recent troubles raises questions with anybody that’s had a relationship with him. … [I]t’s not going to be smooth sailing.

Ironically, just minutes before asserting that “anybody that’s had a relationship” with Blagojevich “raises questions,” Grassley insisted that the Senate must seat Blagojevich-appointed Roland Burris. “He’s got a perfect right to have that seat,” Grassley said.

These lackwits aren't even trying anymore.

Maybe their taking their cues from Dick "Lie Like a Rug" Cheney:

In an interview with CBS Radio today, Vice President Cheney claimed that he never “exceeded” his role as Vice President over the past eight years. It’s an “urban legend,” he insisted:

Nearing the end of eight years as Vice President, Dick Cheney bluntly dismissed the frequent suggestion that he was the one calling the shots in the White House. “It’s an urban legend,” he said. “It never happened.” […]

“This whole notion that somehow I exceeded my authority here, was usurping his authority, was simply not true.” Cheney said “there was never any question about who was in charge: it was George Bush and that’s how we operated.”

OMFG. Are you fucking kidding me?

Just in case you need a refresher, ThinkProgress thoughtfully provided a list of all the ways Cheney has overstepped his authority as VP. And this, my darlings, is why we should never ever take Cons seriously. Of course, most of you knew that already.