BREAKING: We're off on a mission of national import!

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015

Also, Gail Collins knows script:
We've been called away from our desks on a mission of national import. No posts are expected today.

In our absence, please accept this required script-read from the high columnist Collins:
COLLINS (4/16/15): Hillary Clinton is off and running and thinking about you all the time, everyday American. Right now she’s probably in her van, someplace on the Interstate highway system, wondering how you’re doing.

[...]

But what does it all mean for you? How are you going to come up with an opinion about a campaign where the first-day highlight was taken off the security camera at an Ohio Chipotle? Plus, when it comes to issues, she’s been a little ... vague.
In accordance with hard pundit law, they’ve all been required to say it.

Along those lines, have you heard that absolutely nothing has worked in the nation’s public schools? That assertion is mandated too.

59 comments:

  1. Whether implicit or explicit, a candidate ought to tell the voters, 'I want to be President, because..." The "because" might be "to be the first black President" or "to fix the mess Bush left" or "to continue Reagan's effective policies" or "to end the Korean War".

    For Hillary, the answer seems to be, "because it's my turn."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From David in Cal, last of the stalwart Bob Somerby readers to use a name, everything is what it "seems." That seems a fitting tribute to the results "your Howler" deserves.

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    2. 2016 GOP CandidateApril 17, 2015 at 4:33 PM

      Truth in advertising, Part 2:

      "I want to be President, because ... I want to abolish all taxes or constraints on rich people and their companies and lobbying efforts, by any and all means necessary and no matter how harmful it may be to the country and its future."

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    3. "For Hillary, the answer seems to be, "because it's my turn." "

      Really? Because I have not heard her say that. Maybe you are a mindreader?

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    4. GOP candidate: "...to facilitate above all else the Golden Rule- he with the gold makes all the rules." Democracy? Not so much.

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    5. GOP candidate: "....and because...freedom."

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  2. This link illustrates Bob's point. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/04/compare_and_contrast_same_tv_reporter_approaches_hillary_clinton_and_marco_rubio.html

    The reporter approaches Rubio more pleasantly than he approaches Hillary. And, Hillary handles the exchange badly.

    As I recall W gave the reporters doughnuts or candy or something. Anyhow, he made a particular effort to win the reporters over. In this one exchange, at least, Hillary does the opposite.

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    1. It's funny. When a republican attacks "the media" he or she is applauded by the same people that have been abused. GW was an expert at insulting reporters and then having them slobber all over themselves in abject fawning coverage. Chris Christie stops just short of hitting assertive reporters over the head with a baseball bat, and is lauded for his no nonsense straight talk. A surefire way to throw red meat to the republican base is to abuse the media.

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    2. "This link illustrates Bob's point."

      Sure doesn't say much about "Bob's point" then and would lend support to claims that he is a pseudo-lib.

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    3. Yes. Hillary just wasn't cool with TMZ DC. Of course, this is what TMZ Dc is all about:

      http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_bbf4n445/

      Marco was smart to answer the questions from that "reporter" from TMZ. And here is the story they ran from it:

      http://www.tmz.com/2015/04/14/marco-rubio-republican-presidential-race-edm-nikki-minaj-tmz-tv/

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  3. From the 6/27/07 Boston Globe:

    The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt Romney climbed behind the wheel to begin the annual 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario.
    As with most ventures in his life, he had left little to chance, mapping out the route and planning each stop. The destination for this journey in the summer of 1983 was his parents' cottage on the Canadian shores of Lake Huron. Romney would be returning to the place of his most cherished childhood memories.
    Even for someone who had always idolized his father, the similarities between his path in life and the one George Romney had cut before him were remarkable. Husband to his high school sweetheart, father to a brood of young children, bishop of his local Mormon church, and businessman on the threshold of life-altering success.
    If anything, 36-year-old Mitt, who had just been tapped to lead a new venture capital firm, was on track to achieve more at a younger age than his famously overachieving father.
    His father had known poverty as a child, Mitt only privilege. His father had succeeded without a college degree while Mitt was launched with the finest educational pedigree. Given all his advantages, Mitt seemed restless to make his mark sooner.
    Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack. He'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.
    Then Romney put his boys on notice: He would be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it.
    The ride was largely what you'd expect with five brothers, ages 13 and under, packed into a wagon they called the ''white whale.''
    As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.
    As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management.

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    1. Obviously he did not put Seamus on notice.

      If the boys had behaved like Seamus when nature called, would Romney have displayed his emotion-free crisis management and merely pulled into a gas station and hosed them off?

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    2. "He'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog."

      Of course the dog might have been more comfortable riding in the car with the family but...

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  4. "No posts are expected today."

    Bob today.

    "This afternoon: Two “journalistic” attempts to examine the relevant data."

    Bob yesterday, engaging in a Maddowesque tease on which he failed to deliver.

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    1. Marshall WhittmannApril 17, 2015 at 4:35 PM

      "No posts are expected today."

      He even hedges on that.

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    2. You never know when the New York Times Editorial Board will reinvent facts! Bob stands watch for us so we don't have to think of all the implications on our own.

      Like, when they said "During his service in the United States Congress, Al Gore took the initiative in creating the Internet."

      Did you know some rubes are dumb enough to read that kind of crap from Emperor Rosenthalicus and infer Al Gore invented the damn thing?

      And then some mentally ill person who is excessively literal will argue the Times only said he took the initiative in creating it, which is not the same thing as "inventing" it.

      Fortunately our tribe has Bob to chastise us out of our lazy dislikeable stupidity. Otherwise the subhumans in the press would lead us around thinking it was the other tribe which is not human.

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    3. Good Lord, what a wasteland of pointless, self-satisfied smart-assery this comment section is.

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    4. Pretty well fits the post, doncha think?

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  5. Doesn't the High Columnist Collins work for King Rosenthal, who was last seen "tugging his nether regions as he preened and postured." Or does she serve Andrew Rosenthalicus, whose title we cannot remember because Bob hasn't told us whether it is Consul, Praetor, or Emperor.

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  6. The Daily Show had a hilarious take on Hillary's introductory campaign ad. Highly recommended.

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    1. Jon Stewart has the rape in Panama City on his hands. Saw it on Hannity. Hannity said Stewart had his head too far up Obama's ass to notice.

      Didn't read about that here in Howlerland.

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  7. Tonight Bill Maher called Hillary a hawk three times and suggested she adopt a tough-on-welfare-recipients campaign plank to attract blue collar voters (a group she won in 2008 without being mean-spirited). That's no way to put a Democrat in the White House, so I have to wonder who he is working for.

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    1. Sec. Clinton needs to stress family values, like two parent households in New Hampshire. It is what is needed to stop crime and close the gap.

      http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150417/NEWS03/150419214

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    2. Hillary Clinton wrote a book about families and kids, called "It Takes a Village." You might read it sometime.

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    3. I read "Dear Socks, Dear Buddy."

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    4. Regarding Dear Socks, Dear Buddy, the first book that I read by the former First Lady was "It Takes A Village" which was politically brilliant as well as astute, practical and forward reaching.

      This book however is absolutely wonderful, a real treasure, and shows yet again that Hilary Rodham-Clinton has very much a charming and engaging way of being able to communicate with young people. Not being a young person though I still bought the book, for myself - and I don't regret it one little bit.

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    5. The book is dated, as today’s kids likely have never heard of Socks and Buddy, but it’s cute and educational. I enjoyed it, and I think kids will too.

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    6. In addition, this book will bring attention to the importance of treating animals with love and respect(Hint, hint Mr. Romney) Five meows, five barks and five stars for this great holiday release.

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    7. Socks & Buddy are used in a great way by the First Lady to help children understand the importance of writing and how parents can get their children involved in learning how to write. Mrs. Clinton gives wonderful tips to parents to get their children microtargeted. One idea is to ask your children to play waiter and take your mealtime order or for parents to write a postcard everyday on there Business trips so that the children become engaged by writing. The pictures in the book take you in but the letters from the children and Mrs Clinton's insights make it worth VOTING FOR HER!!!

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    8. @ 1:58
      That's the book HRC threw at Bill during a tantrum about Monica back in 1998. This resulted in profuse bleeding from his W.C. Field's proboscis.

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    9. @ 11:35

      It's the job of a comedian to put a Dem in the White House? What happened to their primary job of mining comedic gold regardless of what party the object of the exercise is affiliated with?

      BTW: You no doubt will recoil in horror at SNL's lampooning of HRC.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXdNYXMQoy8

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    10. Nobody watches SNL any more.

      Maher donated $1 million to Obama, presumably because he is a liberal. Now he seems to prefer to torpedo the likely Democrat nominee. It is fair to ask what's going on with him, not as a comedian but as someone seriously involved in politics.

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    11. I bet more people watch SNL than read TDH. Shucks, I bet the On Air Cast of SNL is larger than the readership of TDH.

      That doesn't mean some of the readers, many perhaps, don't have levels of esteem they associate with the blog author.

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    12. @ 8:59

      Presumably Maher is a lib? He is as liberal as Jon Stewart and the cast and producer of SNL. While lampooning Obama is considered an act of heresy by liberal comics no matter how much his actions cry out for ridicule, HRC does not enjoy the same status. Why? HRC's connections to the 1%, Wall Street, foreign donors, hedge fund bankers (Chelsea is married to one), and her addiction to private servers.

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    13. Plus mention of her name creates hemmorrhoidal outbreaks on total assholes.

      @11:47 being a "perfect example."

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    14. We finally found the affliction which causes cicero to pucker.

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    15. Re: cicero - Welcome to the MRC Internship Program home! Our demanding and challenging internships will provide you with the hands-on experience you need to make it in the fast-paced world of media and public policy.

      Delete
    16. @ 5:04

      You mean to say you have a team of liberal proctologists assisting you? Have you considered approaching Sarah Silverman for help. She never misses an opportunity to make an ass of herself.

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3041553/Comic-feminist-campaigner-Sarah-Silverman-caught-LYING-time-paid-just-10-dollars-gig-man-paid-60-make-point-gender-pay-gap.html

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    17. @6:55

      Welcome to the MRC Internship Program home! Our demanding and challenging internships will provide you with the hands-on experience you need to make it in the fast-paced world of media and public policy.

      Delete
  8. In honor of Krugman's Friday Night Music, the concept. A little culture to balance out all the anger and negativity.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmKICTstVEo

    Live (rock) music at it's best.

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  9. Gail Collins should cover real Clinton news.

    http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hillary-clintons-big-benefactor-has-trade-links-with-iran/ar-AAbeuxF

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    1. That's not news. It is the latest smear attempt.

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    2. This guy very likely would not have given the Clinton Foundation that money if Hillary Clinton was not a likely presidential candidate and Democratic nominee. There are a lot of long running, well established charitable organizations he might give money to and the Clinton Foundation has gotten bad press about being disorganized.

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    3. As I said, the latest smear.

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    4. Whats her answer to it? Honest question.

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    5. She doesn't have to answer. It is a charitable family foundation at arm's length doing good work in the world. It would be hard to find any donor who couldn't be portrayed negatively. This is trumped up to throw dirt. It has no substance but people think if they keep raising these complaints something will stick, they'll tarnish her a bit.

      The direct money she got from Wall Street in 2008 was a lot more problematic, but I agree with the people who cannot imagine her comprising anything important just because someone donated to her campaign, much less the family charity. She's pragmatic, not corrupt.

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    6. "I agree with the people who cannot imagine her comprising anything important just because someone donated to her campaign . . ."

      Sure. Because you like Hillary. And supporters of Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, et al, "cannot imagine" any of them compromising anything important just because someone donated to their campaigns.

      Wake up and smell the coffee. Why do you think "big money" is a problem? What do you think this big donors are buying? Or do you really think they are giving away their millions out of altruism and philanthropy?

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    7. Bill O' give his money away out of altruism and philanthropy.

      http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bill-oreilly-white-privilege-suppression

      I certainly hope Bob Somerby does a full post on this when he gets back.

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    8. Wake up and welcome to the 21st century.

      We live in times where mega-billionaires can say the following quite openly with no shame or embarrassment:

      "Marco Rubio will have the resources necessary to run a first-class campaign, that’s already been determined," said billionaire Florida auto dealer Norman Braman, a former Jeb Bush supporter who is now one of Rubio's highest-silhouette donors.

      Annandale Capital founder George Seay, who is hosting a Rubio fundraiser with the moneyed Dallas elite at his 7,000-square-foot, seven-bath home on Tuesday, said: "Marco has had zero trouble raising money."

      At least seven other Rubio mega donors say their candidate has already received monetary commitments in excess of the $40 million he will likely need to battle through a presidential primary season that will feature a crowd of seasoned Republican candidates with strong financial backing.

      Rubio’s whirlwind money-raising comes after a network of Senator Ted Cruz super PACs raked in $31 million following Cruz's announcement in March that he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination.

      The breakneck pace of the 2016 fundraising, most notably characterized by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's reputed aim to raise $100 million, is emblematic of how much the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision unleashed an era of unfettered political spending by for-profit corporations and the rich, altering the financial calculus of campaigns.

      At a time when a band of billionaires can single-handedly bankroll the politician of their choice through a super PAC, in some ways it's never been easier to raise money, signaling a phase that campaign-finance reformers fear will further concentrate political power in the hands of the deep-pocketed few.

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/18/us-usa-election-rubio-idUSKBN0N82N520150418



      “We now conclude that independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (Citizens United)

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  10. I have the impression that Jeb Bush's deciding to run for president has made reporters very uncomfortable. These 2 families really would like to pass the presidency back and forth between them forever. How to challenge it and yet still allow either a Bush or a Clinton to be elected?

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    1. What two families? I don't believe the Rodham family has ever had any presidents.

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    2. True, and Bill isn't really much of a Clinton either.

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    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    5. On a narrow technical basis your comment @ 8:45 may well be true.

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    6. @mm

      Why besmirch a perfect record?

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    7. @cicero - Welcome to the MRC Internship Program home! Our demanding and challenging internships will provide you with the hands-on experience you need to make it in the fast-paced world of media and public policy.

      Delete
  11. I usually find Gail Collins' comments both humorous and in line with my attitudes/beliefs about social reality. So that means that she's not perfect. But make it an effort to read her columns and usually find her an entertaining read. I am not exactly sure what and why the howler howls about in her.

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    1. With Howlerman, one offense makes everything else you do into another.

      "We’ll admit that we’re unbalanced on the subject of Collins. We still think her column of late October 1999 included the most heartless jibe we’ve ever seen from a member of her guild." Howlerman "Defender of All things Al" 1/9/2014

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