Ted Haggard - Media Whore Again!

Just when you think a tired story has thankfully disappeared from the media radar, here it comes again! Ted Haggard, former evangelical preacher and media whore is making a joint appearance with his wife in court. Not just any court though, but TV's "Divorce Court"!

Appropriately the show will air April 1, and these two April Fools will be discussing how Ted's "struggle with homosexuality" has made their marriage stronger. Funny place to do it on a show about divorce?

According to Huffington Post:

The couple will be paid an undisclosed amount for the interview, the latest in a
series of public appearances that started in January when Ted Haggard began
promoting an HBO documentary about his time in exile.

Come out Ted! We have all had enough of your tortured existence in the media. Let your wife go and find a nice twink to settle down with. Give us all a rest!

Michael Steele - Open Mouth, Insert Foot!

Seems Michael Steele just can't quit talking. The beleagured GOP party figure-head is back on the airwaves and he charasticly makes another gaff. This time he misquotes the First Ammendment to the Constitution. You know the one about freedom of the press, religion and freedom to assemble?

Well on Bill Bennett's radio show today he agreed with a caller who said that trying to tax Wall Street Bailout recipients was against the first ammendment, "the first amendment…specifically states that a law cannot be passed to specifically target a person or a group of people.”

Well actually that's way off the mark. Perhaps he was referring to Article I of the U.S. Constitution which bans bills of attainder. Or perhaps he was just carried away with the moment. Either way, he continues to be an easy target for those who want him gone.

City Council Members Call For Judge Lander To Resign

When I hear calls for Judge C. Victor Lander to resign I am awestruck. He has been accused of using racially charged language when he praised District Attorney Craig Watkins. Judge Lander said, "black folks have been cleaning up white folks' messes for hundreds of years."

Truer words have rarely been spoken and though they were intended as a dose of irony, some have taken it without a grin. Lander is an African-American judge who as been on the bench for 12 years and with that time has come a lot of wisdom and a good understanding of irony. Apparently, some on the city council live in an "irony free zone".

I sincerely hope the judge stays put. As for the city council? Well maybe they should lighten up and understand that there is a lot of truth behind the remark Judge Lander said.

US Signs UN Gay Rights Declaration

It's about time! The US will finally signed the UN declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality. Obama is doing what Bush refused to do and brings us into accord with 27 European Union members as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries.

When the United States the supposed beacon of freedom in the world is one of the last to sign this declaration, it's pretty sad. I am grateful that President Obama is bringing us into the 21st Century!

AIG Bonus Contract Exposed!

God bless Barney Frank and Andrew Cuomo! They have rooted out the rats at AIG and exposed their shenanigans to daylight.

The bonuses paid as "retention bonuses" are nothing of the sort. Eleven (11) of the people receiving them no longer work for AIG which I believe would be the opposite of retention.

According to Cuomo's office the following details were revealed when the contracts were examined:

• The top recipient received more than $6.4 million;
• The top seven bonus recipients received more than $4 million each;
• The top ten bonus recipients received a combined $42 million;
• 22 individuals received bonuses of $2 million or more, and combined they
  received more than $72 million;
• 73 individuals received bonuses of $1 million or more; and
• Eleven of the individuals who received "retention" bonuses of $1 million
  or more are no longer working at AIG, including one who received $4.6
  million;
  
  Again, these payments were all made to individuals in the subsidiary whose performance
  led to crushing losses and the near failure of AIG. Thus, last week, AIG made more than 73
  millionaires in the unit which lost so much money that it brought the firm to its knees, forcing taxpayer bailout. Something is deeply wrong with this outcome. I hope the Committee will
  address it head on.
  
  We have also now obtained the contracts under which AIG decided to make these
  payments. The contracts shockingly contain a provision that required most individuals' bonuses to be 100% of their 2007 bonuses. Thus, in the Spring of last year, AIG chose to lock in bonuses for 2008 at 2007 levels despite obvious signs that 2008 performance would be disastrous in comparison to the year before. My Office has thus begun to closely examine the circumstances under which the plan was created.
  

More details are available including a scan of the letter from the New York Attorney General are available on Huffington Post.

Oy! Danny Boy. Happy St. Paddy's Day

Pope Says Condoms Don't Prevent AIDS - Say What?

Pope Benedict XVI is doing his part to help spread the HIV virus. He boldly proclaimed on his way to Africa that "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms...on the contrary, it increases the problem."

The Vatican apparently is living in the fantasy world that the GOP inhabits when they push abstinence only sex education and watch the pregnancy rate and STD rates rise. I suspect the pope feels that by admitting that condoms can indeed stop the spread of the disease he would in some way undermine the church's stand on procreation. Whatever his reason it is a strange position for the man who claims the right as the "Vicker of Christ" to take. He would rather see people infected and die than use any method of birth control. That is a really odd "sanctity of life" argument.

The spread of AIDS is not just an African problem. In a recent study, our nation's capital has an astounding infection rate of 3% of the population. That is 2% higher than the official benchmark at which a disease becomes a "generalized and severe" epidemic. In Africa things are even worse and one would think the sanctity of preserving life would trump the idology of condeming condom use, but I guess I am just not pious enough to get it.

Alan Livingston - Creator of Bozo Dies

My friend, the late Larry Harmon, used to bristle at the name Alan Livingston. Livingston was the man who created Bozo the Clown for Capitol Records back in 1946. Larry was the man who rescued Bozo from obscurity and turned the red haired clown into a national brand long after the 78rmp records of Bozo at the Circus had joined the landfills.

Today comes news that Alan Livingston has died at age 91. Alan outlived Larry by about 7 months. Both men were part of a childhood tradition for millions of Americans. Though the creator and chief evangelist for Bozo are gone, Bozo still lives on. I suspect that someday the venerable clown will make a comeback.

Steele Will Limit His Media Exposure...Forever?

The long slow descent of Michael Steele continues. Word comes now that he will curtail his media appearances for a while...meaning he will quietly fade away.

The Washington Post says that Steele will take some time off from his media appearance to work on the "nuts and bolts" of the party. I suspect nest will be his taking time away to "spend more time with his family". That is GOP doublespeak for getting canned!

Steele has made one gaff after another with the "base" of the Republican Party. I suspect most are not happy to see a diverse face on the GOP. The base of the party knows what it is and Steele is not even close.

The illusion that the GOP is a "big Tent" faded a log time ago and to try to continue that by adding a few minorities in places of prominence is a side show, not the main event.

Harlow Cuadra Guilty!

Never heard of Harlow Cuadra? Welcome to the club.

Gay porn star, Cuadra was convicted of murdering Bryan Kocis, 44, at Kocis' Dallas Township home in January 2007. That is Dallas Township, Pennsylvania, not Texas.

Apparently Mr. Cuadra decided to kill Bryan Kocis as a business decision. Seems Kocis was a rival adult star and because he wanted to work with adult gay film actor Sean Lockhart, who was a contract actor for Kocis' company, Cobra Video.

Strange times these.

Dow Closes Up Again!

The Dow closed up again today for the third straight day - 7,233.98 up 53.92!

That's a ray of hope in the doom and gloom that has overtaken Wall Street. Glad to see it. I have to wonder if it isn't a result of Jim Cramer being rendered impotent last night on the Daily Show?

Jon Stewart Eviscerates Cramer - Best TV Interview In Years

I just watched Jon Stewart eviscerate Jim Cramer on his show live and face to face and Cramer doesn't even know he is being destroyed. Stewart is mad as hell and echos the feelings of the country. He exposes Cramer's illegal trading ion the tape of him describing his techniques as a hedge fund manager and then proceeds to indict the whole financial broadcast industry.

Stewart is doing what the press should have done all along with these financial liars. This is a program worthy of an Emmy as an example of great journalism.

When he asks Cramer who he is responsible to. His assessment that the networks have been irresponsible and facilitated the wild swings in the market. He reminds Cramer who pleads innocent that as a reporter, he should investigate the statements that companies and executives make with impunity. Stewart has asked the real question of the decade and that is when did journalism stop seeking the truth and started just reprinting press releases?

Watch the whole uncensored interview here.

Michael Steele Angers The Base Again!

Watching Michael Steele as he continues his slow death spiral as head of the RNC is not very much fun. It's no secret his decline started when he angered Rush Limbaugh, the real leader of the GOP, and now he's gone and directly attacked the base.

In an interview with GQ, Steele said unequivocally that he believed in a woman's right to choose when it came to abortion.

GQ: Are you saying you think women have the right to choose abortion?

STEELE: Yeah. I mean, again, I think that’s an individual choice.

And now after a firestorm of criticism, he is recanting. Now he states that he supports overturning Roe v. Wade and has always been pro-life.

Steele is caught in a trap. He is a very smart guy, but he is not ready for the careful dance that is part of leading a party with as hard-boiled a base as the Republicans. His inability to tread the thin line between reality and idology is his downfall and I expect his resignation to "spend more time with his family" in a week or so.

Chicago GOP Chair Caught With Prostitutes! But Wait, There's More!

Sometimes real life is much better than fiction. Even the writers of Desperate Housewives couldn't top this juicy tidbit.

Cook County Republican Chairman Gary Skoien, (thank God it's a Republican this time) was beaten by his wife. Now spousal abuse is never a good thing and I condemn it, but you have to admit, this one might bring a grin to you. Seems, according to police reports, Mr. Skoien was caught by his wife in his children's playroom with two prostitutes!

Nice move, bringing home a couple of working girls and having a tryst in the kids playroom! Apparently Mrs. Skoien was not amused and the diminutive woman, 5-foot-4-inches and 110-pounds, picked up an electric guitar and began walloping her husband for his indiscretion.

The police report says she also beat him with her fists, but how could you follow the scene with the electric guitar?

Mrs. Skoien spent two nights in jail before being released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. I suspect after a jury hears this, and stops laughing, they might acquit her.

Another Thought About Jim Cramer

I rarely post twice about a subject, but I just watched the Jim Cramer clip again where he discusses with glee how he and other hedge fund gurus manipulate the market. Not only is it illegal, but he is proud of his crime. Amazing!

It's time the whole wall street system gets a good shakedown. Scumbags like Cramer are gaming the system like Enron did the energy trading market. Hell, Las Vegas is a safer bet than the markets with folks like Cramer in positions of power.

The SEC needs to get it's teeth back.

War On Rich, Who Is The Enemy?

Newsweek has a really insightful column on what has been widely billed as the "War on the Rich". That alleged war is not being waged by the middle class or Washington, but by greedy rich people themselves. It's an enlightening read.

For almost every one of the current economic problems faced by banks or investment firms Newsweek's Daniel Gross traces the root cause...and it is often the same people experiencing the crisis.

Bristol Palin & Levi Johnston Call Off Wedding - More Alaskan Drama!

I suspect that nobody believed the "engagement" that was announced at the GOP convention between Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston. That shotgun wedding announcement was meant to appease the base and preserve what little virtue the Palin family might have left.

Today comes word that the engagement is "off". Is anyone really surprised?

Now Sarah and her family go back to the trailer park drama that is their life. Do my words sound tinged with schadenfreude? A little, yes. I feel so ashamed...yeah, that's it, ashamed!

Jim Cramer Admits To Illegal Activities - Market Manipulation

Pretty shocking footage. Cramer, the wacky stock guru admitting to illegal practices while trading.

GOP Descends Into "Race War"

The Republican "race war" is heating up. I call it a race war because it centers on Michael Steele, the token minority seated as GOP chairman to put a more inclusive face on the party. That hasn't set well with the party loyalists, old white men.

Now former member of a Whites Only club, South Carolina GOP leader Katon Dawson is pushing hard for the "no confidence" vote on Steele. No surprise since Dawson was once considered a front runner for the post of GOP Chair.

Time for me to sit back and watch the carnage!

Cramer Flails While Stewart Giggles

Jim Cramer, the loudmouth wild man of financial analysis is looking worse and worse. What started as a simple bit on the Daily Show has become a feud, and a hilarious one at that.

Jon Stewart has lampooned Cramer for his extremely bad advice to "buy Bear Stearns", a statement that Cramer first denied. Stewart and his staff then browsed through the archive and found numerous clips of Cramer touting Bear Stearns as a good deal just days before its colapse.

Cramer instead of just rolling with the punches began a furious campaign to deny any mistakes on every NBC talk show he could get on. That was a fatal mistaken because the more he squawked, the more foolish The Daily Show made him look.

What started as a comedy bit has become a one-sided war. Cramer furiously fighting while Steward sits on the sidelines and throws spit-balls. Trying to fight a comedian, especially one who has a battery of video tape to support his comedy is futile, and that's what makes this so funny.

Here's the latest salvo in the "war":

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

Basic Cable Personality Clash Skirmish '09

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