Talking Shit And Taking Credit

It is rather typical of conservatives to complain about a given situation and do little to nothing to either improve it or offer alternatives. The Economic Stimulus was a classic example. From Texas governor Rick Perry to Sarah Palin and now Bobby Jindal, conservative Republicans lambasted the stimulus at every turn and then, as if they had no issue with it, were ready with their hands out when the money started coming in.

But Bobby Jindal has a slightly different, but equally pathetic, way to make an Obama idea that is working look like his own.

Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has been touring his home state of Louisiana for what he calls a “Louisiana Working” tour to promote “jobs, jobs and jobs. That must be our No. 1 priority.” On the tour, Jindal is giving stump speeches decrying “Washington, D.C. and other officials” for seeking to “spend more money” during an economic downturn.

Indeed, on Monday, Jindal declared the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to be a failure, calling it a “stimulus that has not stimulated.” In local Louisiana newspapers, Jindal touted his administration’s intent to “not run things here in Louisiana the way they do in Washington.”

As he travels to each community, Jindal has been gaining many positive headlines by sponsoring press events where he gives out jumbo-sized checks to towns and parishes. Below is a picture compilation of checks Jindal has presented to Louisiana communities such as Lafayette, Terrebonne Parish, St. Landry Parish, and Vernon Parish.

The only problem is that millions and millions of dollars that accompany the gimmicky "giant check" ( complete with Bobby Jindals name on it ) are from the Stimulus that Jindal claims is an abject failure.

...Jindal presented Lafayette with yet another jumbo-sized check that contained at least $2,125,584 in Recovery Act funds. Though the money came from spending policies authorized by the Recovery Act, Jindal did not appear to credit the Recovery Act at all.

More from Think Progress

With Open Arms

In another example of the GOP allowing racism at part of their party's ideological base, Audra Shay was re-elected as the chairman of the Young Republicans National Federation.



You may remember her from her Facebook controversy when she responded positively to a blatantly racist comment directed toward president Obama.

Katherine Miller of Lexington, KY ( a voting member in the Young Republican delegation ) had this to say:

Elections bring a lot of emotion out of people....this controversy really is not the decisive factor for the majority of people voting here. There are so many important issues we are considering. It really has been played up a little bigger than it really is."

So, by Miller's own words, racism is not a decisive factor to the Young Republicans.

But the initial Facebook kerfuffle was followed by another, as reported on The Daily Beast:

*In October 2008, in the wake of news that an effigy of Sarah Palin was being hung outside an affluent Hollywood home as an offensive Halloween decoration, Shay replied, returning to the “LOL” style that she employed after the “coons” comment: “What no ‘Obama in a noose? Come on now, its just freedome [sic] of speech, no one in Atlanta would take that wrong! Lol.”

She picked up the thread again the next morning with a clarification and a new insight. “Apparently I could not spell last night. I am wondering if the guys with the Palin noose would care if we had a bunch of homosexuals in a noose.”

* Posting and endorsing a conspiracy-theory video that attempts to prove that Obama believes he can only “ensure his own salvation” and “fate” if he helps African Americans above whites, complete with Barnum-esque captions (“LISTEN AS HE ATTACKS WHITE PEOPLE”).

* Numerous posts in which Shay says that President Obama is “anti-American” and has “disdain of this country"

And this is a woman that was backed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal.

The further fractioning of the GOP ( in all its various forms and faces ) is not helped at all by recent scandalous behavior of their elected officals. Furthermore, the divisive rhetoric coming out of right-wing talk radio are pushing racially charged memes as acceptable forms of socio-political discourse.

As an aside, it is not just blacks in America that are having to deal with racism and threats. Fringe conservative groups like The Minutemen are being encouraged to murder women and children that are attempting to enter into America.

Certainly, these same people that are showing acceptance of not just intolerance but abject hatred to the point of praying for the death of those of alternate ethnicity will try to play victim by saying their rights to free speech are being infringed upon. Of course, we are all allowed to free speech, but no matter your statements, the right for others to respond to that ( and the response will vary dependant upon the statements made ) is in place just as much.

The Horror

I was thinking about Glenn Beck's doom-scenerio of scientist creating the "Master Race" now that Obama has lifted Bush's ban on stem-cell research when I came across this pic from Driftglass.

And why stop there?

Think about it, now every conservative Republican can have their own piece of Limbaugh-ass to kiss any time of day.

Oh, Dear God!

Just another example of the concerted effort - initially orchestrated by Rham, Beglia, and Carvell - to make Rush look like a man that can hide his most precious ( read: gimmick-of-the-moment ) assets.......in his ass.



I'm expecting my daily fax from the White House as to what I'm supposed to talk about today. Be on the look-out for yours.

John Stewart Takes On Republican Governors

Enjoy.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Clusterf#@k to the Poor House - GOP Govs at Odds

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

Here's something to ponder.

Why are they taking such issue with "unemployment insurance" money? I may be wrong, but the keystone in unemployment money in Kentucky is that it will only work for 6 months and that's predicated on the fact that you are actively looking for a job.

Jindal's Rebuttal To Barack Obama

I've been watching this over and over today.

I can get past Jindal's hamfisted delivery. Not everyone is a great public speaker. It's a fact.

Take another look.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Jindal's rhetoric is, well, just that - rhetoric.

There is honestly nothing within this rebuttal that hasn't already been spoken, en masse, by Republican of all stripes. Jindal even falls prey to the debunked memes that are being used to oppose the Stimulus Package.

The Governor throws out the oft used "empower Americans" bit that really doesn't address the issue. It's as if just by saying to someone "you're empowered" is going to make the difference.

Where are the jobs going to come from?

How do you convince someone that their hard work will be rewarded?

From energy independance, to healthcare, protecting our country from further attacks, on down to the tried and trusted "Democrats want government to tell you what to do" bit. It was style, no substance.

Jindal continually used the word "principles". While words and phrases around taxation and spending and innovation were use in conjunction with "principles", it seemed to be a rebuttal based more on abstract, conservative, theory rather than a solid plan of any sort.

Style Vs. Substance: Rush's Jindal Moment

If you're looking for a really good clip of Rush Limbaugh in full on twitchy-flesh mode, this one is for you.



I'll pass over the obvious here - Limbaugh saying that he "knows" Obama and that he "knows" that everything Obama said last night was a lie. He never once told his audience what these alleged "lies" were. And he won't.

And I'll even pass on what can only be described as Rush's near dieafication of Jindal:

It should come as no surprise that Limbaugh would try desperately to shield Jindal from any criticism. Limbaugh repeatedly refers to the Louisiana governor as the “next Ronald Reagan.” During his Feb. 28, 2008 radio show, Limbaugh explained that Jindal is among the small group of conservative leaders with the “guts to articulate” right-wing “Rushism” principles.

Limbaugh's reactionary seizure and salivating cry that "style" won't able to save America - that only "conservativism" will. He places himself in this lofty position that he alone knows what to do, knows Obama's true motives, and can give you the direction that you should go in in order to make this country better.

These are all abstracts. Limbaugh is sucessful because of how he delivers his information. He's not successful because he knows anything. It's all "style", not substance.

And, as a nice coda to the video, check out the poorly constructed ad for the Scott McClellan book that is apparently meant to be funny. I only guessing that's what its intention was.

Racheal's Reaction

Racheal Maddow is one of those unique voices in the media that is not only honest, not just intelligent, connects with her audience in such a way that evokes a trust that most other anchors lack.

Here she responds to Jindal's rebuttal to the President.

Oh, God! Is This The Story Of The Day?

Nevermind Jindal's freakishly stiff delivery or subjectmatter that falls flat just moments after starting.

This is what all the hype is about today:



That's right, someone on a hot mic says "Oh, God".

My response is "so what"?

Jeff Emanuel @ REDSTATE dives headlong into the realm of the paranoid-delusional and claims that Jindal is being maligned because he is a "minority". And he seems more than sure that it was Olbermann that muttered the offensive phrase:

You see, President Obama is supposed to be the only minority who is allowed to address — and inspire — the American people (not to mention the fact that Jindal’s politics are all wrong, making him the worst possible kind of minority).

Listen to the clip below and you’ll hear Keith Olbermann mutter “Oh, God,” as Jindal walks out to give his response to Obama’s fake State of the Union address.

I'll pass on discussing Emanuel's pathetic and unblushginly ignorant statement on race relations. It's to be expected from people of his particular ideological bent.

My question is this - who really cares what this unknown person said while their mic was on?

No one is going to deny that it was convenient that it was spoken as Jindal appeared on screen. But, after seeing and hearing what he had to say, no one can deny it's lackluster appeal.

Just take a look at what some of the Fox"News" crew had to say:

BRIT HUME: “The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal’s greatest oratorical moment.”

NINA EASTON: “The delivery was not exactly terrific.”

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: “Jindal didn’t have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He’s in a Reagan-esque league. … [Jindal] tried the best he could.”

JUAN WILLIAMS: “It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.”

Even though all the conservative chatter about who said this and what it might me is more than just sad, it's to be expected.

Considering that Jindal essentially fell right on his face with the Republican Response, what other approach would you expect the right-wing prattle heads to take?

More from Think Progress.

Candidacy Vs. Needs Of Constituancy

As opportunists go, Louisana Governor Bobby Jindal is shaping-up to be one of the best this year.

Congresswoman Debbie Asserman-Schultz takes Jindal to task over his statements that he would pass on accepting unemployment from the Economc Stimulus:

As the congressman representing parts of Lousiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Jindal actively sought assistance from the federal government. Yesterday on MSNBC’s Countdown, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) called the Republican Party a “heartless and insensitive organization” and criticized Jindal for rejecting the unemployment funds. Jindal, she noted, was singing a different tune about unemployment aid when Katrina hit his district:

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: This is a guy, who while I served with him in Congress, voted for that [unemployment] assistance twice, and is certainly willing to take funding from the federal when people are out of a job and out of their home as a result of a hurricane, but not willing to take that assistance when his constituents are out of a job and out of a home as a result of this economic crisis. I’m not sure what the difference is. A crisis is a crisis.

Goernor Jindal is apparently forsaking the population of the state he was tasked with representing in favour of not only a failed ideology, but of beginning his campaign for the Presidency.

The "I'm Not Running" Excuse

I'm reminded of a scene with Glen Close and Tom Cruise in Robert Redfords fantastic ( yet widely panned ) Lions For Lambs where, when pressed by Close and prefaced by Redford's character as to Cruise's true motivations, he insists that he is "not running for President".

Enter Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal:

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Gov. Bobby Jindal traveled Friday to Iowa, a state that is pivotal to a presidential campaign, in a trip that has heightened speculation that Jindal is planning a presidential bid in 2012.

But Jindal said the speculation is misplaced. He said he's running for re-election and has no plans to seek the White House.

"The most important thing for me is to be the best governor for the state of Louisiana," the governor said in an interview. "If the people of Louisiana will allow me, I'm going to serve for two terms.

"I'm not running for president."

From wwltv.com

Considering that Iowa and Louisiana don't have anything to do with one another, it's a far assumption that Jindal is doing a little pre-2012 research into just what his chances may be.

I'm not entirely certain how well he will play with the other candidates that

However, his appearance as a person of deep, religious perspective could either be seen as a bonus or a hinderance, depending on whether or not you think being an exorcism enthusiast counts:

As others noted during his 2003 and 2007 gubernatorial campaigns (see update), in an essay Jindal wrote in 1994 for the New Oxford Review, a serious right-wing Catholic journal, Jindal narrated a bizarre story of a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group of college friends. And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer.

It's interesting to see the rampant speculation from the hardline-conservatives over who is going to run in 2012. It would seem that they should be focused on not having a repeat performance of this election. Still, there are plenty of people foaming at the mouth that Palin actually stands a chance.

One has to consider the fascination that so many within the Republican Right have with Bobby Jindal. Perhaps they are operating under the notion that he is their version of Barack Obama. Perhaps.

Regardless of whom it is that will be running four years from now, one would think that conservative Republicans would be more worried about how their party is governing now.

The Wort Person In The World

I've been a fan of Keith Olbermann since his days at Sportcenter. He and Chris Berman provided me with not only sports highlights, but laughs as well.

His show Countdown on MSNBC has been part of my nightly routine for as long as it's been on. This is in part due to Keith's particular style of presentation, his ability to present an issue in more of a straight-forward manner than others on in his timeslot, and that wit, sarcasm, and satirical flare that he commanded while at ESPN.

Sure, he has his detractors - and there are many. But if there is one thing that these people don't have, it is the ability to at least pretend that they are human.

Olbermann has a segement that appears in the last quarter of the show called "The Worst Persons In The World". If there is no other reason that anyone should watch the show, this should be it. Of course, Keith himself has addressed the fact that there are far worse people in the world than those he points out each night. The purpose of the segment is to, in essence, hold those accountable for the idiotic things that they either say or do. His book, of the same title, addresses this fact better than I can.

So, each day i'll present the previous night's Top 3 here for your enjoyment.