August monday (yawn) oddems: rush & paris; bustin' rhymes for jesus; turkel smirks; joe blobs; virtues czars; and the torrid touch of your sandwich

~ What do Rush Limbaugh and Paris Hilton share? (besides disdain for the common man?) You'd be right if you guessed bad press. You were also correct if you said the same image guru to do cosmetic surgery on their public faces. The NY Post's Page Six notes that Paris has been volunteering at Children's Hospital, and is being photographed holding babies and bopping around in one-piece bathing suits, Mary Janes and Peter Pan collars instead of "picking at her bikini bottoms on the beach," or using up boyfriends like Q-tips. Why? She's hired Rush's spin doctor Michael Sitrick and his crisis management team, Sitrick & Co. Big Pants has had some success by hiring Sitrick to put lipstick on his public persona caused by his drug problems, 3 marriages, high profile flatulence, and the revelations about his sex tourism in the Dominican Republic last year.          
                        (Photo: Paris and rent-a-baby).

~ We're loving The Big Story, Tony Miner's new one-hour newscast weeknights, 6-7p on KIRO. Long form news is already a winner in our market: note (as we're sure have KIRO programmers) the popularity of NPR. Miner pulls in news from newsmakers who appeared on the daypart talk shows which provides follow-ups to the day's short form sound bites and gives the show the feel of exclusivity. But it also is the basis for our only crotchit: we're hearing more Dori Monson (The No.1 Talk Host In Seattle) than we signed on for. After all, he dominates the KIRO soundscape with his 3 midday hours, interminable Seahawks commentary, and his infernal around-the-clock endorsements. We know he's a big, big star (he said so) but all-Dori-all-day makes us crave the taste of gun oil.

Yo! Whuddup Gee? Who Ya worshipin'? Christian Rapper Granny Eloise busts a rhyme for Jesus.

~ What's a "turkel smirk" you ask? Turns out it's code for "circle jerk," over at Sound Politics, Seattle's token Republican blog. Coding potentially offensive terms thus is how contributor Eric Earling protects his priggish readers' tender and repressed sensibilities. We like Eric- he performs fewer "joe blob's" than some of the other "crying packs of wit" who write over there- we still can't understand why Republicans always have to be such "gas bowls." 

~Whatta line-up! a runway full of role models will show up for the Family Research Counsel and Focus On the Family's big October "values" do called the Values Voter Washington Briefing. Values-ridden speakers include Bill O'Reilly, who reportedly paid $20 million to a former producer for her lawsuit to go away after he told her in a recorded phone call that he wanted to rub her privates with a Middle Eastern sandwich; Dr. Bill Bennett; the "virtues czar," and gambling addict who lost millions in Las Vegas while publically opposing gambling; the sullied Rabbi Daniel Lapin, whose disgraced non-profit Toward Tradition was used by Jack Abramoff to launder money; the thrice-married Newt Gingrich who engineered the impeachment of Bill Clinton while carrying on an extramarital affair with a young assistant whom he'd later leave his wife to marry. If you're considering going to this event- we'd advise leaving your kids at home.

Comments

[nevets]

Anyone notice if B'lam is starting to feel depressed and giving stuff away? When one starts to "crave the taste of gun oil", one might be actually crying out for help. And is Eliose one of the "Raging Grannys"?

[sarge]

Bl'am may be crying for help, or at least just crying. I know where he is coming from. Maybe we should start a Dori Monson listener support group to prevent any further personal tragedies around his incessant blathering.

[mark]

Let us hope that Whori's incessant shilling won't drive Bla'M to firearm fellatio.

I have heard fewer people on air that are more full of crap than FRC's Tony Perkins. Last year Hardball's Chris Matthews had him pinned on WMD's in Iraq- Tony said that Mossad agents had the proof. Chris asked who- let's talk to these guys! Tony folded. I wish Chris would have gutted him like the bottomfeeder he (Tony) is.

[Fremont]

Obviously, nev', you have no idea who the left-leaning Raging Grannies are...

[Joe]

So Steve Scher ends Weekday by saying, in rather a strange (puzzled and frustrated?) tone, that "Ken Vincent abruptly quit last Friday" and then launches into the usual "he did this and that and we'll miss him". As soon as I can I jump to Blatherwatch looking for the real scoop and find.... nothing?

[wutitiz]

There is nothing more tedious and played out than cries of hypocrisy against the O'Reilly's, Bennetts, and Gingrich'es (all big gov't conservatives, BTW who should be loved, not hated, by libs). There's no shortage of hypocrisy on either side. The biggest hypocrite of all was Bill Clinton, who signed into law in 1994 changes that allowed investigation of prior sexual behavior in sex harassment cases, then cried 'witchhunt' when Starr used it against him. Since the law was a moneymaking tool for the Dem's biggest contributors, the trial lawyers, they never sought to repeal it, just to attack Starr for using it.
And what is it with the lib obsession w/ the sex lives of opponents. Clinton and maybe Barney Frank are the only top Dems I can think of who have been hounded over sex. The list of conservatives who have been hounded is interminable: Clarence Thomas, Gingrich, Livingston, Packwood, Hyde, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, etc. There are double and triple layers of hypocrisy here.
Hyprocrisy charges are a dime a dozen. They end up as pointless, since both sides always are subject to them in abundance.

[sparky]

And which party is boinkin' congressional pages? Which party invites Jeff-Boi Gannon to the White House numerous times? Which party is supported by clergy who cannot come out of the closet?

We don't care about people's sex lives until they stand up and say that we all should live our lives by a high moral code, when they can't even keep it in their pants. We don't care about their sex lives until they point the finger at Bill Clinton--who did a terrible thing and lied about it--while poking their mistresses, or even cheat on their mistresses with another mistress ( Guiliani).
We don't care about their sex lives until they try to pass legislation that determines how people live their personal lives in private.

Please, no lectures from the Right on morality. It makes us giggle.

[nevets]

Thats Coiler making you giggle Sparky.

[sparky]

Oh you caught me again Steven.

[wutitiz]

Sparky: Re "we don't care about their sex lives until they try to pas legislation that determines how people live their personal lives in private." Does that include the Seattle mayor & city council, who have turned hooker stings & stings on topless dance clubs into something of a cottage industry? And in turn all the Seattle libs who put them into office? I knew several of the Ricks dancers who were busted in a major sting by SPD last December. They weren't giggling about it. Like I said, plenty of hypocrisy on both sides.

[sparky]

I thought prostitution was against the law..and what does that have to do with what I wrote?

[wutitiz]

Yes, against the law, i.e. legislation, specifically, 'legislation that determines how people live their personal lives in private.'

I don't get it Sparky. Surely you don't mean that you object to those who 'try to pass legislation' but once it's passed and being enforced, you don't have a problem.

[sparky]

Hey, if you want to hang out at the Boom Boom room with yer gal pals, its fine with me. Really.

[nevets]

"Boom Boom room" Sounds like our Sparky is very familiar with strip clubs.

[joanie for nevetS]

wutitiz: There is nothing more tedious and played out than cries of hypocrisy against the O'Reilly's, Bennetts, and Gingrich'es (all big gov't conservatives, BTW who should be loved, not hated, by libs). There's no shortage of hypocrisy on either side. The biggest hypocrite of all was Bill Clinton. . . .

What's up with you? Nothing is more tedious than the continuing cry of hypocrisy against a former president who's been out of office for seven years and who was impeached for a little office play with a woman at the age of consent.

And other than Clinton, you named not one other Dem.

And as for Seattle PD's and the mayor's prudish little gotchas, well, as Sparky said, there are laws about that sort of thing . . . change 'em if you don't like them. I know a lot of liberals that would be working with you even if you are a conservative.

And big gov? Yes, if for corporations and the top 1% income . . . so, now we know that conservatives like big gov as long as it subsidizes the rich. Haven't we always known that about Republicans? It is always about money . . .

[joanie]

sorry, nevets, not for you - forgot to change back my name.

[J]

One should worry more about the religious, fanatical likes of the evangacrazies: Dobson,Bauer,Colson,Blackwell,
Weyrich,Perkins,Baehr, and
Judge Robert Bork, Phyllis Schlafly, Ollie North, they are all very good friends with another evangacrazy, Eric Prince who started Blackwater, the first private mercenary company for hire in this country. If you want to learn about Blackwater and its Christian background get the book, Blackwater....it will provide an indepth look at a company ready to take over for some of our US military ops. Maybe sooner than later since Bush/Cheney are destroying our military with their war for oil. Combine a mercenary army with a heavy,heavy dose of religion and this country will look like Iran.....

[nevets]

Thats ok Joanie. And being an American citizen is all I want to be to answer your previous question on another thread. Our Constitution and Country may not be perfect and has had many bad moments in its 200+ years but nothing compares to what the Nazis did during the 30's and early 40's under a cruel and inhumane mentally ill guy named Hitler.

[nevets]

And how many years will we have to wait for that to happen J? 5, 10, 25? War for oil, thats a Randi bit right. Leave that crap on AA will it belongs.

[J]

nevets, Read the book,
American Theocracy "Oil,God,and Debt" by Kevin Phillips, the author help create the Sunbelt States in politics,and he was a republican strategist for over 35 years, very close to Reagan and knows the old GOP inside out and is showing how religion, politics and oil don't mix and is tearing this country apart for future generations. Then read Blackwater.
Someday, its possible blogs like these will dissappear, maybe 5, 10, or even 25 years and most of us will still be around. As for AA
I practice my 12 steps every day and KIRO is included in those steps along with other progressive blogs.........

[joanie]

Jeffrey Scahill(skahill?) right? Steven, you ought to read it. I don't understand why you diss Randi when don't know if she's right or wrong. Is that the American way that you believe in? No responsibility to know the facts?

Steven, I just don't get that. Screw Randi . . . you can find the facts other places. Do you care about them? Instead of attacking J, why not show him how he is wrong? Can you?

Finally, would you take up arms against your own countrymen if your commander in chief dictated you to?

[joanie]

I'm going to link Amazon for you . . . check out the book: "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army"

At least click on the link . . . you never know. :)

[joanie]

Steven, if you go to Amazon, click on the book and read the introduction. You have nothing to lose. I'd like to know what you think.

[J]

I also have great respect for John Dean,
(Nixon's legal Counsel) his book, Conservatives without a Conscience
talks about the Goldwater Republicans who didnt give a rats
patootee about what went on in the bedroom and he believed in limited government, but then religion started creepin into the GOP and here we are today a nation twisted apart by theocons and neocons. This country was formed by libs ,progressive minded people, Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Washington Mason, Payne, not loyalists to the king, other wise the Union Jack would still be a flyin and we'd be singing God Save the King and just a thought, didn't people flee Britain because of religious persecution a way way back? Oh and I didnt feel attacked, I chuckle for I didnt think it would provoke such a response, since Im just a girl....

[joanie]

Ah, nice to have another intellectually savvy woman on the board.

[J]

Ditto! ;-)

[Steve J.]

The biggest hypocrite of all was Bill Clinton, who signed into law in 1994 changes that allowed investigation of prior sexual behavior in sex harassment cases, then cried 'witchhunt' when Starr used it against him.

Starr was hired to investigate Whitewater. The Pillsbury Report of 12/1995 vindicated the Clintons.

[joanie]

Over $40 million for a Pillsbury Report? Another expensive goodie from the conservative bakery.

[Steve J.]

Joanie,

The Pillsbury Report cost $4 million.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/infocus/whitewater/rtc.html

[joanie]

Thanks Steve J. I guess I don't know what the Pillsbury Report is - I thought you were joking and calling Starr the Pillsbury Doughboy. The figure I quoted came from here: "Starr commenced his investigation of Whitewater and related matters in August 1994. Since then, he has spent $39.2 million probing Whitewater and President Clinton's affair with Lewinsky. Before Starr's appointment, a special counsel appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno had spent $6 million on a probe of Whitewater."

I wasn't able to link the CNN report from your address. Can you hot link it? Thanks.

[mada]

nevets, get back in bed. I am getting cold, dear.

madA

[Steve J.]

Joanie, here's the URL:

http://tinyurl.com/22c3hz

[OnYawn]

Goodbye duffman & good riddance!

[wutitiz]

Joanie: Yes, the charge of hypocrisy against Clinton is tedious. That was my whole point and why I brought it up as an example. So thanks, I think, for your agreement. Perhaps I wasn't as clear as I should have been.

Your suggestion that if I don't like the law, change it, misses the point. My point is that for the progressive city of Seattle to do this is hypocrisy. Also, there is nothing in the law that requires police to run the thousands of sex stings per year that they do. No one who supports this, and evidently most Seattlites do, has any business complaining about Comstocks on the right. Just asking for a little consistency of thought.

I don't live in Seattle, but in any case, these sex laws aren't going anywhere. Several years ago a Tom Carr-backed prostitution crackdown ordinance came before the council. It passed 8-1, if I remember. (It may have been 8-0, with McIver abstaining).

[wutitiz]

Steve J: Starr also investigated the Paula Jones case. Clinton settled with Jones for $800,000. Not that this matters--I only wanted to mention that Clinton signed into law the rules of evidence permitting fishing expeditions in harassment cases (that was how Monica got pulled into the case).

[nevets]

Joanie, I think the book is nothing but a liberaly biased work with a lot of un-named sources and narrowly based facts to sell a book. Not something I would waste my time reading let alone spending my money on. Next time I go to Barnes and Noble I'll check it out a bit to see if I am right. But after reading 40 or so reviews for the book at Amazon I think I hit the nail on the head.

[nevets]

Also Joanie, are you talking about a "Civil War" like with Lincoln or something along the lines of what Randi said that Nixon did during the Kent State shootings?

[Barnes and Noble floor manager]

WE do not allow skinflints or 'ne'er- do-wells' to come by our stores "checking it out a bit". If you don't have the frogskins to purchase one of our products, please move along to the public library.

[Duffman]

Hate to disappoint you (& others) onyawn but last nite's post that I was selling my business and moving to Ecuador was yet another imposter. This apparently got recognized as such and removed and I thank you for that. So just calm down there onyawn and quit your celebrating. :o)

[nevets]

Then why have all them nice comfortable chairs?

[sparky]

Hey Floor Manager, dont send your ne'er do wells to my library! Those who do not put things away will have it marked against them.

[nevets]

Subject: A little terrorist humor

European Heighten Threat Levels

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist
threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to
"Peeved". Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz began in 1940 and tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance". The last time the British issued "A Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful
Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

[joanie]

Steven: what Randi said that Nixon did during the Kent State shootings?

Can you link where she said that? Are you sure she said that or did someone tell you she said that? Actually, I don't know much about her saying that or what really happened even.

What do you know about it?

Civil War? I haven't heard of any states that want to secede. Have you? But, I sure have read, heard and seen newscasts about Bush issuing hundreds more executive orders than any other president. I did read that Bush recently gave himself even more power: "New presidential directive gives Bush dictatorial power"

So, you trust that he won't use it. Right? Or is it okay with you that he uses it any way he wishes?

I think you are very trusting, Steven. Our country is falling down around us and yet you trust the man who is ultimately responsible to command and govern wisely. I just don't get it. Sorry.

[coiler]

Is the Randi Rhodes thing still being brought up? yawwnn!

[joanie]

Well, they can't knock the message so they have to shoot the messenger. What d'ya do?

[nevets]

Yeah Joanie, I read about that awhile back after hearing Randi spread the fear about it. But did you know this was just an update to what Clinton had in place and many other Presidents before him to ensure the Continuity in Government in case of a catastophic event. And yes Randi did say that. It was around the anniversary of the shootings. I don't make things up like Sparky does.

[nevets]

Oh, I didnt say there was a Civil War around the corner, I was just asking you to clarify your question.

[nevets]

Joanie says,

"Our country is falling down around us and yet you trust the man who is ultimately responsible to command and govern wisely."

You say this but yet you are not in Canada. Why?

[joanie]

"Cause I'm tough, just like you. Maybe tougher. And more cantankerous definitely. :)

[joanie]

Then, Steven, why does it say "...literally gives the White House unprecedented dictatorial power over the government and the country, bypassing the US Congress and obliterating the separation of powers."

"Unprecedented" means nothing similar before . . .

Where did you read that it was just continuing protocol? I hope you answer, Steven.