What They Said

I'm being served with a smorgasbord of utter delights tonight, and the least I can do is share the bounty with you lot. Besides that, I'm in no condition to wield the Smack-o-Matic to great effect just now, so I'm passing it on to those with more energy for the time being.

Salon's Juan Cole gets in the first resounding smack by asking, "What's the Difference between Palin and Muslim Fundamentalists? Lipstick."

John McCain announced that he was running for president to confront the "transcendent challenge" of the 21st century, "radical Islamic extremism," contrasting it with "stability, tolerance and democracy." But the values of his handpicked running mate, Sarah Palin, more resemble those of Muslim fundamentalists than they do those of the Founding Fathers. On censorship, the teaching of creationism in schools, reproductive rights, attributing government policy to God's will and climate change, Palin agrees with Hamas and Saudi Arabia rather than supporting tolerance and democratic precepts. What is the difference between Palin and a Muslim fundamentalist? Lipstick.

The article, believe it or not, gets better from there. I'm going to have to start asking Palin supporters when they started loving the Islamofascists. Heh.

McCain's explosive temperament gets a thorough paddling by Firedoglake's watertiger in "Hot Under the Peter Pan Collar:"

John McCain would like you to believe that he is the consummate warrior statesman, the man most qualified to be President since . . . EVAR! But in truth, John McCain is little more than a spoiled momma's boy with serious anger management issues.

The Smack-o-Matic gets to play naughty with Salon's Gary Kamiya exposing Sarah Palin as "The dominatrix:"

Right now, Palin has Democrats quaking in their boots -- and with good reason. But all hope isn't lost. For even if this election turns out to be a referendum on the national libido, Palin may scare off more voters than she attracts.

Because to anyone who isn't a true believer, Palin comes across not as a fantasy pinup, but as a dominatrix. And the S/M demographic isn't going to put the Republicans over the top in the swing states.

Those who don't understand the fiction of the American economy get a sharp rap on the knuckles from Hullaballoo's dday in "Free Market Capitalism:"

This is known as "capitalism." Not corporate Marxism. How dare you. And everyone knows that what we need is less government.

His tongue is planted so firmly in his cheek I fear he'll never extract it.

And finally, Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars nearly pulverizes the Smack-o-Matic with a blistering beating on "Idiotic Right Wing Rhetoric:"

I'm watching the Republican National Convention and Mike Huckabee starts blathering on about Obama's trip to Europe, saying that he's concerned that Obama might have brought back "European ideas." Statements like that ("San Francisco values") are the reason why I cannot ever identify myself with the right in this country. Time and time again they appeal to the dumbest and more ignorant among us.

European ideas? Our entire system of government is based on European ideas. Every single one of the primary intellectual influences that influenced the founding of this country - John Locke, Montesquieu, Algernon Sydney, etc - were Europeans. This kind of rhetoric is stupid, xenophobic bullshit, plain and simple. I can't stomach it. It makes me want to stand up and scream.

An extensive and supremely entertaining rundown of everything about the Republicons that makes Ed want to stand up and scream follows. We're all screaming with you, buddy.

As is the Smack-o-Matic, which has had a very busy night indeed.