• February 12, 2012
  • Why good morning, America! “Retail sales plunged by the largest amount on record in October. …Retail sales fell by 2.8 percent last month, surpassing the old mark of a 2.65 percent drop in November 2001 in the wake of the terrorist attacks that year.” [WP]
  • The auto industry bailout doesn’t look like it will get through during a lame-duck session of Congress. [NYT]
  • Hillary Clinton is high on Obama’s list for Secretary of State, meaning John Kerry will be a loser again. [Politico]
  • Democrats are getting slaphappy again over the possibility of 60 seats and a “filibuster-proof” majority in the Senate. They just have to defeat a convicted felon, a Confederate colonel, and, uh, Norm Coleman. [Politico]
  • Bill Ayers talks to Good Morning America, bombs Diane Sawyer. [ABC News]
  • Wonkette welfare queens Sara K. Smith and Ken Layne both take day off; Jim Newell forced to wake up early and write constantly for like 20,000 hours. [Ron Paul Forums]

{ 55 comments }

Keram2 November 14, 2008 at 9:11 am

Newell has a sad.

wheelie November 14, 2008 at 9:16 am

Well now you know what morning looks like. Why not take a picture as an aide memoire for years to come?

El Bombastico November 14, 2008 at 9:17 am

Uh… isn’t that what interns are for?

shanemcgowan November 14, 2008 at 9:18 am

Maybe the new president can appoint Saxby Chambliss as Ambasador to Dis.

grendel November 14, 2008 at 9:18 am

I would feel bad for you Jim, except you linked to the Ron Paul forums, which is a crime against God and man. Especially man. Especially me.

OffTheRecord November 14, 2008 at 9:20 am

Just write the Peggy Noonan post and then find something Ron Paul related for us to attack. We will entertain ourselves for the rest of the day.

Just kidding. Plz write many posts. My job is boring.

Jim Newell November 14, 2008 at 9:20 am

[re=176658]El Bombastico[/re]: Intern Juli is taking my usual place today, which is “the person who strolls in around 2:30 to write a few posts.”

wheelie November 14, 2008 at 9:20 am

Hiring old Clinton cronies is bad enough.
But hiring an old Clinton crone is taking things too far.

Tommy Says Soooo November 14, 2008 at 9:20 am

Bah, the Democrats can learn all they need to know about “filibuster-proof” from Mrs Tommy’s panties.

NotNotLickingToads November 14, 2008 at 9:21 am

Now that you’re running the place, it’s time to move on to a natural extension of Paultardism and tackle the pressing subject of the conspiracy theorists who are pretty sure that this whole “global recession” thing is coordinated by the Rothschilds/Bilderberg Group, and that the only way to get back to it is to return to living out of covered wagons, hunting and protecting ourselves from outsiders in neighboring counties with solid gold-standard muskets.

Servo November 14, 2008 at 9:22 am

I seemed to have correctly assumed that Hillary bargained for a cabinet post with her DNC delegates.

CivicHoliday November 14, 2008 at 9:22 am

[re=176655]Keram2[/re]: beat me. but you forgot to write in correct lolspeak.

And can we PLEASE try to keep the influence of the CLINTONS to a minimum in this administration, please? For chrissakes, I voted for the unicorn for a REASON in the primaries!!

Terry November 14, 2008 at 9:22 am

I don’t understand why Hillary would WANT to be Sec of State. She’s become rather powerful in the Senate and can get reelected indefintely. The Secretary of State, with Condi and Powell as models, is ignored by the President. The chief duty of Sec of State is to travel and pose with foreign dignitaries in matching wing chairs.

CivicHoliday November 14, 2008 at 9:24 am

[re=176670]Terry[/re]: She’s probably excited about living through a fake Bosnian sniper attack again

Naked Bunny with a Whip November 14, 2008 at 9:27 am

I assume you roped Josh into writing 15 Cartoon Violence posts?

Advocatus_Diaboli November 14, 2008 at 9:27 am

[re=176670]Terry[/re]: oh, how I miss Princess Sparkle Pony’s Condi Watch.

Tommy Says Soooo November 14, 2008 at 9:28 am

[re=176670]Terry[/re]: She’s fourth in line to succeed as SoS. I’d rather eat scrambled eggs off Carla Bruni’s, ahem, plates than deal with farmtards in upstate New York about juniper berry subsidies.

WadISay November 14, 2008 at 9:28 am

I understand that Obama wants strict assurances that any auto industry bailout money won’t be used to buy Chevy Silverado ads on Wonkette.

Hound November 14, 2008 at 9:30 am

Finally, Diane Sawyer gets what she deserves!

Ted Perino November 14, 2008 at 9:32 am

Does Ayres seem like a grumpy left-wing Cheney? I almost hear him clearing his throat: “Eh, henggh. Kids today just don’t know throw a revolution.”

And, point of clarification. I’ve listened to the tape of Hils in Bosnia: “Eek! Sniper…oh, I thought you said SPIDER.”

Tommy Says Soooo November 14, 2008 at 9:34 am

Since when is “court-ordered squeegeeing of hoboes” considered a “day off” in these parts?

OffTheRecord November 14, 2008 at 9:35 am

[re=176676]Tommy Says Soooo[/re]: So that means Obama, Biden, and Pelosi should all watch their backs. And the person in charge of changing Robert Byrd’s diapers should watch his back for him.

WadISay November 14, 2008 at 9:35 am

[re=176670]Terry[/re]: If Hillary takes the job to prevent John Kerry from getting it, as far as I’m concerned she can have the thanks of a grateful nation.

Terry November 14, 2008 at 9:36 am

[re=176675]Advocatus_Diaboli[/re]:

Princess Sparklepony is alive, well, and still fabulous.
http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/

Tommy says noooo:
I didn’t look at it that way. But still, the Senate is job security. You can stay working there long after you’ve gone senile.

ihasasad November 14, 2008 at 9:36 am

Whatsit called when you’ve been put on trial and the government asks to dismiss the trial and then Sarah Palin puts you on trial again?
And, is there a distinction between our Great Nation and our government?
Thank you in advance for any clarification or funnyz you provide.

Crow T. Robot November 14, 2008 at 9:37 am

Yeah, seriously, the Ron Paul Forums–jesus god, could it be less like the Penthouse Forums on the 1970′s?–now there was some fun reading–particularly if you were underage, like I was.

If I’m going to enter someone’s consensus un-reality, can’t it at least be full of teenage sisters who drop by my house to offer me their anal virginity?

I mean, seriously, armed revolution & Obama’s real birth certificate.

Those people are sharp as fucking tacks, I tell you what.

Rush November 14, 2008 at 9:39 am

“The auto industry bailout doesn’t look like it will get through during a lame-duck session of Congress”

Arent all sessions of Congress “lame-duck” or “lame-plumber”

Meaux November 14, 2008 at 9:40 am

That means no alt text today. Now I has a sad. Jim Newell, please give us alt text!

Neilist November 14, 2008 at 9:43 am

BILL AYERS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE!

bluetom00 November 14, 2008 at 9:45 am

Norm Coleman = Fire Marshall Bill. Think about it.

WadISay November 14, 2008 at 9:49 am

[re=176664]Jim Newell[/re]: Whoever does the Peggy Noonan analysis today has his/her hands full; she’s in full flutter mode. I vaguely remember the columns she did 8 years ago at this time, swooning about “the deep bond developing between George Bush and the American people”, and how great he threw out the first pitch of the baseball season. Somebody should tie each one of those Valentines to a baseball bat and club her repeatedly and hard with it.

magic titty November 14, 2008 at 9:50 am

[re=176662]grendel[/re]: To be fair, I got the email addresses of all the FoxNews dickbags from a Ron Paul forum, so it’s not a complete buttfuck over there.

Tommy Says Soooo November 14, 2008 at 9:52 am

[re=176694]bluetom00[/re]: What gives with Minnesota Republican women? Norm’s wife is hot, Pawlenty’s wife is hot, even Nutso Bachman is hot in a Cougar Backyard Receptacle way.

magic titty November 14, 2008 at 9:52 am

[re=176668]Servo[/re]: I thought that was clear and obvious. The Clinton’s have ‘quid pro quo’ tattooed on their testicles.

norbizness November 14, 2008 at 9:54 am

Apparently the rise of homemade Sarah Palin Halloween costumes artificially depressed this potentially $3 trillion seasonal industry.

Tommy Says Soooo November 14, 2008 at 9:55 am

[re=176684]Terry[/re]: Plus Hopey makes the deal to pick the new New York senator. Someone, preferably black, who can scare Schumer in STFU.

ForTheTurnstiles November 14, 2008 at 9:56 am

HRC will not be Secretary of State. It won’t happen.

She won’t put up with the vetting. Specifically, Bill won’t. You think he’s just going to cough up the financial records (his own, the Clinton Library, &c)? It won’t happen.

It’s a mercy fuck of an interview. And it could be cover for some kind of negotiations re: HRC’s debt to Mark Penn and that Iowa grocery store she shafted.

sezme November 14, 2008 at 10:02 am

Barack is playing Lucy to Hillary’s Charlie Brown. This time I really will let you kick that football…

Ted Perino November 14, 2008 at 10:05 am

[re=176703]Tommy Says Soooo[/re]: Before considering wear-and-tear on body parts from RBA (Repetitive Breeding Activity), I even got a little perky looking at La Jeune Fille de Juneau. It’s when the sound is turned on that I run away shrieking.

NotNotLickingToads November 14, 2008 at 10:08 am

[re=176686]Crow T. Robot[/re]: Except for instead of making shit up about the time they got into a menage-a-trois with two female kung-fu experts after a night at the disco, they’re making shit up about the sexiness of a return to pre-civil war government.

Naked Bunny with a Whip November 14, 2008 at 10:24 am

two female kung-fu experts after a night at the disco

That really happened! I swear!

WadISay November 14, 2008 at 10:28 am

[re=176703]Tommy Says Soooo[/re]: To lose the MN Republican lady woody, I submit the lady at 0:55 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLlIigHg1v0

glamourdammerung November 14, 2008 at 10:32 am

[re=176711]ForTheTurnstiles[/re]: I was thinking the same thing about the vetting.

Dreamer November 14, 2008 at 10:33 am

Jim I am worried about your fixation with Ron Paul and his imbeciles – it is more than ridicule. You might be in need of a support group.

Dreamer November 14, 2008 at 10:37 am

[re=176665]wheelie[/re]: I was hoping for a Clinton free administration but clearly Allah does not love me.

pondscum November 14, 2008 at 10:52 am

What happened to Bill Richardson as SoS?

magic titty November 14, 2008 at 10:59 am

[re=176800]pondscum[/re]: No es bueno.

xergunit November 14, 2008 at 11:11 am

Out of the three titles mentioned (“a convicted felon, a Confederate colonel, and, uh, Norm Coleman”), Norm Coleman is the most terrifying.

phildeaux November 14, 2008 at 11:14 am

Layne’s taking the day off — something smells fishy. Did he start that fire in Santa Barbara?

norbizness November 14, 2008 at 11:36 am

Pondscum: He made a gaffe by asking Michelle Obama to sit on his face and to tell him that she loved him.

Mustang November 14, 2008 at 11:46 am

I’ll bet a bag of peppercorn ranch Sunchips that J. Crew is bucking that retail trend.

elcapitan November 14, 2008 at 12:19 pm

Saying John Kerry will be a loser again implies that he stopped being a loser earlier.

eatsshootsleaves November 14, 2008 at 1:30 pm

I say let Clinton have Secretary of State. Andrew Sullivan actually has a good reason for this:

For my part, I think making her secretary of state is an inspired idea.

Obama has to offer something to Clinton. She’s his main threat now and rightly regards part of his victory her doing. The primaries helped him. Left to fester in the Senate, Clinton will plot against the president if he doesn’t actively seek her support and engagement and “spread the political wealth” of his mandate.

It is a senior enough position not to be fobbed off; it really does take advantage of the Clinton name abroad; it could even put Bill to good use and keep him out of mischief; and Obama has kept telling us that his cabinet model is “Team Of Rivals.” Giving Hillary that kind of position is straight out of Lincoln.

Unlike the vice-presidency, a secretary of state has real constitutionally-designated things to do. From Clinton’s point of view, it would be a natural position from which to run to succeed Obama in 2016 (or to make an inside push to oust him in 2012). The emergence of Max Baucus as the front senator for healthcare seems to me a sign that Obama might have already been signaling this maneuver. If Clinton isn’t the lead player on healthcare, what is she going to do?

So here’s hoping he offers and she accepts. It’s an elegant and shrewd move; both public spirited and yet coldly calculating at the same time. Pure Obama.

Basically, if she’s part of the administration, it will be harder for her to fuck Obama over! Plus, if I was a leader from a foreign country, I would NOT want Kerry to come and visit me, I don’t know about you. And Bill Richardson would probably feel Angela Merkel up.

Borat November 14, 2008 at 2:44 pm

[re=176664]Jim Newell[/re]: You say “strolls in” – you mean you actually have an office?

Seriously? Nobody who is anybody has an office anymore, we just pay Starbucks.

Borat November 14, 2008 at 2:47 pm

[re=177111]eatsshootsleaves[/re]: I’m with you (and my super secret boyfriend forever andrew s.). I never liked Hillz, but she’s actually make a good Secretary. I think she’d actually be able to kick Kim Jong Il in the nuts and vodka drink Medvedev under the table. Not sure about Judo with Putin though – that guy is FIT.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: