For those still harboring illusions...

Bill White, Commander, American National Socialist Party...

(Ron) Paul is a white nationalist of the Stormfront type who has always kept his racial views and his views about world Judaism quiet because of his political position.

It takes a Nazi to know...

From the "Go Newt, Go" file.

Matt Tabbai...

If Gingrich ends up winning the nomination, Obama will essentially be running against the political version of Gilbert Gottfried or raw garlic.

H/T Howie.

The truth, and nothing but the truth….

…so help Charles Pierce…

...there is nothing important about Willard Romney as a candidate that has changed at all. He is still an unprincipled opportunist, incapable of telling the truth about his own record, and utterly without conscience when it comes to lying about someone else.

Chart of the day.

Via AFL-CIO Now...

From the "Fun facts" file...

...via Tbogg...

Top ten states for divorce:

1. Oklahoma
2. Arkansas
3. Alaska
4. Alabama
5. Kentucky
6. Nevada
7. Mississippi
8. Georgia
9. Tennessee
10. Arizona

Quote of the day,

Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan...

"If you want to have a strong country, you have to make things."

Yep.

Once again...

...a random ten. I like the way those three 'town' tunes pop up in order...seems to make it mean something somehow...

Grayson Capps - Highway 42
Tom Paxton - Sully's Pail
Warren Zevon - Empty Hearted Town
Rick Nelson - Lonesome Town
Nancy Sinatra - Sugar Town
Dillard & Clark - Train Leaves Here This Morning
Buddy Holly - True Love Ways
Buffalo Springfield - Sit Down I Think I Love You
Chris Isaak - How's The World Treating You
Stephen Sills - Ballad Of Hollis Brown

On the other hand...

...go Newt go!



Obama
100.0% probability of winning
Mean of 416 electoral votes

Gingrich
0.0% probability of winning
Mean of 122 electoral votes

Fun facts.

Matt Osborne reminds us...

Newt Gingrich is the only Speaker of the House ever to be sanctioned in office.

Chart of the day.

Juan Cole got it here...


Feel any safer?

Hoocoodanode.

Newt's a liar.

From the "Me too" file.

Warren Buffett, whose straw is longer than yours or mine or yours and mine added up...

"I want a government that is responsive to the people who got the short straw in life.”

Me too.

Speech...

...or folk music?

Folk music. See ya' later...

Occupy the courts.

H/T Bluegal.

Once again...

...what digby said...

When the authorities find themselves groping a US Senator's crotch in public without any suspicion of criminal activity, something's gone wrong.

From the "Me too" file.

PZ Meyers...

I think we can safely say that no Republican should be allowed anywhere near the reins of government.

Ya' think? Me too, and not just because, as Dr. Meyers laments, "They're anti-science through and through," though Cthulhu knows that's reason enough.

Lest we forget...

The sports and entertainment headlines are full of noteworthy recent passages, but I can't let today pass without noticing the anniversary of the death of the greatest and, the damned war be damned, the most progressive President of my lifetime.

Your life is better today because Lyndon Baines Johnson served as President of the United States.

That's a fact.

Sunday funny.

Hat tip to Howie for the first thing that made me laugh today...

Word.

Kent Jones...

Soul music is not background music. It is not music to shop to. It is not music to eat dinner to. Soul music is not something that plays while a service representative gets back to you.

Soul music is Etta James.

Not just another...

...random ten, because there are twelve, and a couple of them aren't random at all. Here's the usual...

Harry Belafonte - Man Smart (Woman Smarter)
Jefferson Airplane - Triad
The Blues Brothers - Rubber Biscuit
Mother Love Bone - Come Bite The Apple
Wilco - I Must Be High
Gillian Welch - Pancho And Lefty
Dusty Springfield - Mama Said
The Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song
Muddy Waters - Rollin' Stone
Lucy Kaplansky - Ring Of Fire

...and here's a pair of memorial selections by two irreplacable R&B legends we lost this week...

Johnny Otis - Harlem Nocturne
Etta James - Tell Mama

R.I.P. Johnny & Etta.

Heh™.

Doghouse Riley...

SHORTER David Brooks: "Sure, Mitt Romney's character has been shaped by piratical capitalism and kooky theology. But only the good parts."

From the "Credit where it's due" file.

Sometimes progress is measured in baby steps. Jed Lewison, liveblogging yet another Republican debacle, erm, debate...

6:51 PM PT: So the crowd in this debate ... cheered adultery, lustily ... but that was an improvement, over cheering the death of the uninsured.

Inch by inch...OK, millimeter by millimeter...

Good question…

…from Tom Harper...

If Captain Francesco Schettino took Newt Gingrich's place on the campaign trail — could anyone tell the difference?

From the "Since you asked…" file.

mistermix wonders...

...isn’t taking an oath to uphold the constitution and then ignoring it basically treason?

Since you asked, you may call it treason. Me too. Republicans call it business as usual.

Of course, they're a pretty treasonous lot these days.

Is it any wonder that I keep saying that...

Three cheers…

…for the terrific trio from the 32nd Legislative District. Representatives Cindy Ryu and Ruth Kagi and Senator Maralyn Chase, have signed on to HB 2468 and its Senate companion, SB 6283, which would replace execution with life imprisonment without parole in our state. They're all likewise among the sponsors of SB 6239 and HB 2516, the legislation Governor Gregoire requested extending civil marriage rights to same sex couples.

In the House, Ruth and Cindy have joined the supporters of a pair of revenue-related bills, HB 2486, an income tax proposal, and HB 2563, creating a state capital gains tax. Our state can't move forward without revenue reform, and these are good, if only initial, steps forward.

I'm feeling particularly well represented in the Legislature this session.

From the "Me neither" file.

Jed Lewison, liveblogging the Republican debate...

I really don't care about anything that anyone not named Romney says ... unless they are directing their remarks to Romney.

Me neither.

Well, I don't mind if their remarks are directed against Romney, I suppose.

Something to ponder...

...on MLK Day. The legislation creating the federal holiday was signed by Ronald Reagan. Which, if any, of the current Republican candidates would sign that bill?

I'm down for none of 'em, but it'd never get through the current House anyway.

Enjoy the day, remember the reason, and if you're off and hereabouts, drop by the perfect tavern and say howdy.

As usual...

Sheryl Crow - Strong Enough
The Rolling Stones - Connection
Freddie Scott - Hey, Girl
The Who - My Generation
Mary McCaslin - My World Is Empty Without You
Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway
The Buckinghams - Don't You Care
The Beau Brummels - Just A Little
Otis Redding - I've Been Loving You Too Long
Robert Earl Keen - The Road Goes On And On

Nice sprinkling of 60s gems there. They all hold up well, too.

Good question...

...of the purely rhetorical variety, from Paul Krugman...

"I mean, is there anything at all in Romney's stump speech that's true?"

I'm pretty sure that what he actually means is "There is nothing at all in Romney's stump speech that's true," which, of course, is true.

It's true, really, of any Republican stump speech these days, which is another reason that...

Touché.

The most disappointing aspect of last year's liquor privatization initiative, I-1183, may have the nearly sole-source funding of Costco, making it the most openly acknowledged instance of a corporation outright purchasing a favorable state law via the initiative process.

Another disappointment for those of us who have supported liqour privatization for its economic development potential was the way the initiative limited licensees, serving Costco's business and political interests, by cutting out small grocers, wine shops and other possible outlets and denying consumers the benefits of increased access and market competition.

Raise a glass, then, to Rep. Sam Hunt (D-22), who's tossed this in the hopper...

AN ACT Relating to prohibiting the issuance of spirits retail licenses to certain membership organizations

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

The legislature finds that buying in bulk and in supersized packaging, a pattern of activity that is promoted and encouraged by membership organizations, increases abusive consumption. In order to protect the public interest, advance public safety, and prevent abusive consumption of spirits, the Washington state liquor control board is explicitly prohibited from issuing spirits retail licenses to certain membership organizations.

No spirits retail license may be issued to a grocery store licensee that is a membership organization that requires members to be at least eighteen years of age.

Heh™. Wonder if Costco will ask for a refund if it passes...

From the "'Twas ever thus..." file.

Via Fixer...

From the "Credit where it's due" file.

At least Arizona Governor Jan Brewer makes me feel better about Washington Governor Christine Gregoire.

Not great, mind you, but better.

Yep.

Anne Laurie...

Good news for Elizabeth Warren is good news!

Yes, it is. Always.

Good advice...

...from SteveM...

Stop trying to pretend that Republicans are rational, decent, sane, patriotic people.

Map of the day.

Darryl does the math, so we don't have to, and finds President Obama with a 95.8% proability of defeating Romney...


Feel better now?

From the "Since you asked…" file.

Kenneth P. Vogel inquires…

Where's the tea party?

Since you asked, Ken, you'll find it in the same dark corner of the right side of the Republican base it briefly crawled out of, though it never ventured far.

Fun fact...

...from John Aravosis...

In French, the words "myth" and "Mitt" are pronounced the same.

From the "Since you asked…" file.

George Packer wonders…

How many times and ways can you say that the Republican Party has descended into unreality and extremism before you lose your viewers and readers?

Since you asked, at least one more, I'm sure.

Hat tip to Steve Benen.

Good point...

...from Doghouse Riley...

In Fairness To Lawyers, Shakespeare Didn't Really Know Any Journalists.

...or Republicans.

No, I didn't forget...

...I just went to sleep a bit early, so here's a wake-up edition of the random ten...

The Byrds - Hickory Wind
Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost Of Tom Joad
The Flying Burrito Brothers - To Ramona
Roger Miller - (In The Summertime) You Don't Want My Love
Townes Van Zandt - Kathleen
Todd Snider - Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues
Buck Owens - Act Naturally
Country Joe & The Fish - Superbird
Wayne Kramer - Junkie Romance
Neil Young - Flags Of Freedom

Try as I might...

...it's hard to give Chris Gregoire much more than a half-hearted cheer for her lame duck conversion to support for marriage rights. I guess I should acknowledge that it's something more than a political caluculation, since it's pretty hard to imagine any political future for the Governor. Her apparent sincerity notwithstanding, though, and as important as the issue is to me, the move comes to late, I'm afraid, to rehabilitate a reputation marred by years of compromise and capitulation on a range of progressive concerns.

So yay, I guess, for knowing that a bill will get signed if it gets passed, but with Gregoire's political capital ledger now being recorded in red ink, I'm not sure what else her tardy support will do for the cause.

Heh™.

driftglass. Just go see.

Shorter Rick Santorum...

I didn't say what I said, I said what I say I said.

Longer here.

Regarding Iowa...

...Darryl calls it...

The real winner last night: Barack Obama. Really, he won both caucuses.

Won the post-game, too, with today's recess appointments.

Chart of the day.

Via Laura Clawson...



So just how much are them that got gonna get?

As the Iowa caucus attendees assemble...

...I'm preparing to go perform a public act of folk music. I'm struggling to find a tune appropriate to the occassion. If Paul pulls it out, I suppose "I Owe A Lot To Iowa Pot" might work.

If you're in the neighborhood, drop by the perfect tavern and see what comes out of the songbag.

Back later to review the Iowa outcome.

From the "Me too" file.

Sir Charles...

I despise Ron Paul because he is a right wing lunatic, a racist, a purveyor of outlandish one-world conspiracy theories, a man who advocates a deregulated economy in which corporate power would have virtually no checks on it, and a withered federal state that would cease to perform virtually all of its current social welfare and regulatory functions.

Me too.

Good question…

…from Myrddin...

Obama has now signed the NDAA with a rider to point out the rather obvious fact that Congress cannot grant unconstitutional powers to the President, let alone force him to exercise them.

People are telling me that this is some sort of epic cave on the theory that a future President might choose to go round imprisoning people without trial, in short behave just like Bush did. So what difference does signing the NDAA make?

Effectively, not much, I suppose.

There are some bad optics, but that's the way the Republicans designed the damn thing. Once again, evidence that we have a Congress problem, not a President problem.

Signs of the times.

Via Mike Lux...