Motley Moose – Archive

As with automobiles, the new model year is out early in GOP 2012 presidential candidates. Advertising is flowing fast and furious to convince the buying public that Brushforward Styling and Birther Bumpers are All The Rage for 2012. Whether more than half of interested parties will sign on the dotted line after the salesman talks football with his manager (“I have to clear this Special Deal with my boss, you hang tight right here”) is an open question.

What do you think? Will the puppy eat the reconstituted beef gristle and pork snouts?

Consider this an olfactorialy offensive Open Thread.

A lot of arguments have been put forward against the current military intervention in Libya. While I understand the arguments of those who are sincere with their criticisms of the choices of the US President I believe that win or lose this action is the correct one to take at this time.

Our involvement in Libya is about Libya, but it also about the whole of the Arab Spring. What is at stake is the possible – just possible – attainment of every major liberal goal for millions upon millions of people. The ultimate success of the Arab Spring would do more for human rights in the world than all efforts towards that goal combined could possibly hope for.

Where is Eman al-Obeidy?

A successful Arab Spring could lead to an African Fall. The population of effectively sadistic oppressive regimes in the world could fall dramatically in a few short years. Coming decades could see vibrant cities and societies where the very idea today is seen as so absurd as to not even enter serious conversation. Continental swathes of land soaked with blood, suffering and injustice could be saved from perpetual grinding hopelessness.

If my country did not at least try do what we can to foster this fragile moment of hope I think I would consider joining the cynics who believe we have lost our value in the world.

…than subject myself or those I love to the visual and mental rigors that surely come with watching TLC’s soon to drop Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Here’s a taste:

It’s only thirty seconds worth. Be sure to swallow a couple of charcoal tablets afterwards, just in case.

Wake up, Moose! Come on. Stop sleeping. Summer’s lease hath all too short a date. It’ll be the mid terms soon. Time to shake that shaggy ass and get up off those dusty haunches. You’ll be needed come November. Just leave that grass alone (not mentioning anyone by name) and get up onto your hoofs!

Where are they now? Ou sont les neiges d’antan? Where are the snows of yesterday? Bushy Blasky and Prickly Allen? Where battling feminists JJC and Michelle? Where imagistic Kysen and empathetic Sricki? Where hot-hob Hubie and down-under Shaun? Where Gadfly and Btchakir and all my friends beside?

Ou sont les neiges d’antan?

OK. I get it. You’re tired. You’re bushwhacked. You fought to elect a democratic president and congress… and waddya get? Trouble. Compromise. Legislation. Grey zones. More legislation. Imperfection. Sell outs. Corporatists. Pragmatists. Idealists on a stick. In other words.. Politics.

To use more ponsy French: plus ca change.

But how to goad the somnolent beast out its slumber? What woke it up before? What made the Moose strut, run, and use its horns like a Spanish bull in frenzy?

Hmmm. I know. I remember the most commented diaries. So here we go. This has got everything that gets you going my Moosey Friends. Feminism. Palin. Sexism. Liberalism. And even a bit of I/P in the mix like a Tequila slammer with nitro, triple sec and glycerine.

Follow me below the fold if you dare.  

I want to draw you a picture.  The President of the United States is sitting across the table from the leader of the second most powerful country in the world.  An agreement of historic proportions is about to be made – or unmade.  The tension in the room is palpable, billions around the world hang on every nuance.  The future of the species hangs in the balance.

Then the President glances down.  He frowns, trying to focus on…

…the scribbled and sweat-smeared notes scrawled on the palm of his hand.

The world cringes as nuclear missiles fly.

A recent Paul Krugman column titled “Right-wing paranoia getting out of hand” has outraged wingnuts. It is doubtful this surprises anyone since wingnuttery outrage is the norm rather than the exception. The sad reality is that their outrage is usually misplaced.

A recent example of misplaced outrage was the absolutely over-the-top reaction to the announcement that President Obama planned on addressing students on the first day of school. The fact that other presidents have done the same meant nothing to the outraged Teabaggers. So what if St. Reagan did the same and made it into a political speech? That is certainly different than a black Muslim president who has an interest in education giving a speech to students.

Newsflash from Human Events doh’t com.  And, yes, that is the actual subject line of today’s Newsmax spam.

So glad to see the Far Right evolving.  Way to honor the office of the Governor of Alaska that you respected so deeply only a few months ago.

The Church of God – Sarah Palin’s church – explicitly does not.  

The Church of God issued the following statement after the infamous sign outside one of their churches in  Jonesville, SC this April read: “Obama Osama.  Hummmm… Are they Brothers?”

Elisabeth Hasselback, ‘Considered the last true “Survivor sweetheart” by many fans’ according to Reality TV World, introduced Sarah Palin in Tampa today.  Amidst accusations of sexism aimed at Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, and all it’s supporters, she embodied sexism in every fiber of her being.

The Anchorage Daily News has endorsed Barack Obama for president.  The paper acknowledges that after 50 years of statehood, Alaska for the first time has put forward a serious candidate for national office and calls Palin’s nomination for vice president “a signal event” in the state’s history.