Bill O'Reilly's Head Must Be Exploding

[filkertom]

Congratulations, Senator Al Franken.

He was sworn in this morning, and assigned to the committees on Indian Affairs, Aging, HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions), and... Judiciary. With the Sotomayor hearings coming up, that should be really interesting.

Thoughts? Other political news of interest? It's not like there isn't any....

Comments

Found this

[capplor.livejournal.com]

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/bill-oreilly-sad-day-america-al-franken-no

If it makes Balls O'Falafel's head explode it must be a good thing.

Re: Found this

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

Why do I hear Jay Sherman's voice saying "Buy My Book!" over and over after watching that. ;)

Questions

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

I have very little in the way of news, but -- does anybody know anything about Alaska's lieutenant governor, who will be taking over from Sarah Palin? I heard someplace that he, too, has no plans on running for reelection, but there is still going to be a considerable period of time while he is more or less in charge. (And does Alaska have more like a "strong governor" or more like a "weak governor" set-up in their constitution? But I owe my brother a call anyway -- he is a sea captain on the Gulf of Alaska and lives in the country two hours south of Anchorage when he is on land -- and perhaps he will know more than many on your friends list.)

Nate

Re: Found this

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Gee! I don't know. Why DO you keep hearing that?

Couldn't be because Mr. Factor hisself was doing it could it?

Re: Questions

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

It's a very good question, and I know nothing about him. But I do know some of our friends here are from Alaska, so anything they could kick in would be very helpful. :)

Re: Found this

[alverant.livejournal.com]

Someone commented about doctors pics and bad editing. Is that true? (I can't watch Bull O'reily for long).

Re: Questions

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Used to be, my brother still is, he hasn't chimed in on the lt. Gov yet (to me) except to call him a wimp during the last election cycle when the repugs pretty much took over the state & wouldn't let him do his job.

Oh, my brother works FOR the state of AK, lives IN Juneau &, whereas he mostly does field work, reports in to his boss in the Capitol on a fairly regular basis. He really does know people up there or at least sees them in person with the shields down.

[sdelmonte]

If don't know if you have been following the travesty in New York's state senate. Today, someone at the Times realized it's so screwed up that if something were to happen to Gov. Patterson (who was lieutenant governor and is not allowed to appoint a new back-up under state law, Lord knows why), there wouldn't be anyone in line to take over. Since the senate majority leader would normally do that. And there is no majority, only a godawful tie and stalemate.

There are times when I cuss at the Congress, same as anyone. But right now, I have a certain degree of appreciation for how, by and large, Congress never quite descends to the level of New York state's legislature.

The Future

[tcgtrf.livejournal.com]

In my often-disputed opinion, I believe that the most accurate predictor of the future of America can be observed by watching the current state of affairs in California and New York State.

Not all bad, of course....a paralyzed government cannot steal from an individual, whether it be liberty, cash, or real estate. Those who believe that government is more beneficial than destructive, though, should study those two states closely to avoid their long string of errors.

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

Apparently it's not a new problem. From the musical 1776:

Lewis Morris: [as John Hancock is about to swat a fly] Mr. Secretary, New York abstains, courteously.
[Hancock raises his fly swatter at Morris, then draws back]
John Hancock: Mr. Morris,
[pause, then shouts]
John Hancock: WHAT IN HELL GOES ON IN NEW YORK?
Lewis Morris: I'm sorry Mr. President, but the simple fact is that our legislature has never sent us explicit instructions on anything!
John Hancock: NEVER?
[slams fly swatter onto his desk]
John Hancock: That's impossible!
Lewis Morris: Mr. President, have you ever been present at a meeting of the New York legislature?
[Hancock shakes his head "No"]
Lewis Morris: They speak very fast and very loud, and nobody listens to anybody else, with the result that nothing ever gets done.
[turns to the Congress as he returns to his seat]
Lewis Morris: I beg the Congress's pardon.
John Hancock: [grimly] My sympathies, Mr. Morris.

[rook543.livejournal.com]

I normally am not a fan of musicals, but really love 1776! I even catch myself humming 'Mr. Adams' from time to time...

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

Randall Terry's latest fuckery (http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/terry-launches-12-city-defeat-sotomayor-tour), complete with poster.

Clearly, anti-choice advocates are peaceful, reasonable people and the man who shot Dr. Tiller is just one lone nut. Who sends mail to other nuts (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_shooting). So not so much with the "lone."

Sorry, those stories kind of fed off one another. Here, have the NRA (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090707/ap_on_go_su_co/us_sotomayor_supreme_court;_ylt=AkTmRsCXu5POksgsPeRhX7tp24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTMwNWhicnBrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNzA3L3VzX3NvdG9tYXlvcl9zdXByZW1lX2NvdXJ0BHBvcwM4BHNlYwN5bl9wYWdpbmF0ZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3QEc2xrA25yYXJhaXNlc3Zlcg--) talking about their concerns re: Sotomayor. Because you don't want an impartial jurist for SCOTUS, you want an impartial jurist who favours your side, natch.

[ravenclaw-eric.livejournal.com]

My reaction to this whole thing was to the effect that Minnesota's a big state, and the Minnesota DFL's a major political grouping there...couldn't they have found someone with closer ties to the state to run?

I would have said that even if I was in his political quadrant, the which I am not. Or if I liked his stuff, which I haven't done since the classic days of Saturday Night Live. The stuff by him I've seen recently wasn't good comedy.

[liddle-oldman.livejournal.com]

I note that he has said that he'll be a good senator, and not a funny senator. We know he's smart. And we certainly know he's persistent!

I am encouraged.

[aylinn.livejournal.com]

yep, I'm an ex-NYer and every time I hear that clip, I mutter "and it hasn't changed much 200+ years later!"

I love his line later - "to Hell with NY, I'll sign that paper anyway."

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

There news coming out now about a woman who's been hit with a 227,000 dollar medical bill for a Vietnam veternan who recently died. Apparently the two were a couple and owned rental properties together. The state is saying that they have the right to collect his assets since he'd been on Medicaid.

But they support the troops you know, as long as they stay healthy and don't ever need medical care.

[strangething.livejournal.com]

Scott Bateman made the same joke about O'Reilly's head exploding. I do love that he drew Glenn Beck in a straight-jacket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKXklF3xfzU

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, I just finished watching Outfoxed, the 2004 documentary on Fox News, and by the halfway point, I was having to pause the DVD and walk away for a few moments because I was getting so wound up. That and I was starting to twitch like I was getting electroshock.

Yes, the thought of an O'Reilly/Scanners crossover is making me smile a lot right now...

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Plus ça change, plus c’est le même chose

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

Franken was born in Minnesota and just went to school and worked outside the state. I gather that he kept some ties to Minnesota in the interim -- had a home there or something, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

As for finding someone with closer ties to the state, well, let me quote from a New York Times article from last September 10th:

ST. PAUL (AP) — The comedian Al Franken won the Democratic nomination for Senate in Minnesota on Tuesday, setting up a showdown with the incumbent Republican senator, Norm Coleman.

Mr. Franken, who gained fame as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” easily beat six other candidates. . . .

With most precincts reporting, Mr. Franken had 65 percent of the vote to 29 percent for Ms. Lord Faris.

(Emphasis mine)

I'd say they made a pretty good choice in picking Franken to run. My guess is that those voting for Franken were looking back to the Paul Wellstone years; Franken is an unabashed Wellstone disciple and all indications are that's what kind of senator he'll be.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait.

Aren't BillO &Co. the same people who come in their pants every time they mention their lord god and savior, the bestest solid-gold President who ever lived ... that ACTOR, Ronald Reagan?

Yeah, he was a great, great man...as long as you weren't black, or a woman, or middle-class, or dying of AIDS, or a Marine stationed in Beirut...