Monthly archives: May, 2009

Republicans Have 19 Times More Sex Scandals than Dems

Did you know that Republicans have 19 times more sex scandals than Democrats?

Carnal Nation tells the tale:

Using the highly unscientific (but fun) method of who has the most google hits Carnal Nation has determined that Republicans lead by far.  In fact no group we googled except the generic “us sex scandal” beat the Republicans whose total of 5.1 million hits was more than 19 times that of Democrats.

Click here for their complete results.

And I love the picture.


Live Blogging: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pittsburgh at Detroit

I’ll be live blogging during the first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  The Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Detroit Redwings.  The puck is about to drop.

I’m with Pittsburgh.

Detroit is playing aggressively, taking a few shots on goal, all stopped.

Osgood just stops an advance from Pittsburgh.

Detroit off sides at 18:27, play stops.

Pittsburgh needs to start playing the puck into their home area, not shooting all the way in.

This is not a friendly game.  Both teams very aggressive.

Another shot by Pittsburgh.  Osgood stops.

Pittsburgh has the puck at 13:55.

Pittsburgh is playing fierce hockey.  Even the neutral zone is not safe.

Detroit scores first goal.  Puck dribbled in from the back.

2:40 remaining in the first period.

Pittsburgh needs more control of the puck.  The first goal was lucky for Detroit, no doubt about that.

PITTSBURGH SCORES A REAL GOAL! Osgood flubs a shot from Malkin, puck dribbles out and Fetitenko slams it home.

Game tied.  End of first period.

INTERMISSION: NBC’s Pierre McGuire is so in love with Detroit it isn’t even funny.  The man takes every opportunity to talk up the Redwings over Pittsburgh.  Is he on the take?

Ready for the second period.  Shut up McGuire.

SECOND PERIOD ACTION

Puck out of play on a deflection, no penalty.

Slow play at in the first 2 minutes of the second period.  Teams sizing each other up.

There’s McGuire blabbing in his cozy seat between the two benches.  No helmet, though, so there’s still a chance…

Breakaway Malkin, but Osgood stops the shot.

Again, Penguins need to stop these damn shots from the blue line to behing the net, with no follow-up.

PITTSBURGH POWERPLAY

Detroit has cleared twice.  Pittsburgh needs to take a few shots now.

Detroit kills the powerplay.  Pittsburgh is doing too much thinking, not enough shooting.  But they’re playing excellent defense against Detroit.

PITTSBURGH POWERPLAY II

Pittsburgh needs to be aggressive on this powerplay.  A steal and shot by Detroit.  Detroit clears again with 1 minute left in the powerplay.

Powerplay ends.  Detroit back to full strength.  Pittsburgh keeps the puck in play.

Icing Detroit at 9:34.

The NHL Gamecenter has gone dark.  Good thing, too, because, you know, there’s a game and all.

DETROIT POWERPLAY I

Time for a short-handed Pittsburgh goal.  Two minutes.

Pittsburgh clears.

Both teams at full strength.

Pittsburgh shot saved by Osgood.  Hard shot, took some time for him to get control.  Pittsburgh is finally playing hungry.  Another shot on goal stopped by Osgood, but Pittsburgh’s getting closer.

Icing Pittsburgh.  Just over a minute left in the second period.  Game still tied.

Detroit scores with 57.4 seconds left.  Very aggressive play from Detroit.  Many, many shots on goal.

End of second period.  It’s close.  Detroit has the edge.  Pittsburgh needs to come out hungry.

In all honesty, Marc-Andre Fleury needs to step up.  He should have stopped both of Detroit’s goals.  They were not hard goals.

THIRD PERIOD PLAY

Icing call against Detroit.  Pens need to tie.

Fleury catches a shot.

Detroit scores again.  3-1.  Pittsburgh is getting sluggish, not paying attention.  That was a good goal.

Pittsburgh is NOT playing to the goal.  Too much fuss on the boards.  The game is NOT in the hits.

Close one on Osgood.  Pile-up in front of the net.  Puck lands on Osgood’s back and looks like Detroit players grab it, but no penalty.

Pittsburgh is spending too much time playing the boards and not enough time shooting at the net.  Puck won’t go in that way.

It’s time for Miroslav Satan to score.  Kid’s due.

Pittsburgh is simply unable to bring the puck into their own zone — or they’re not trying.  Just settling for those whimpy shots up the side, and those shots all go to Osgood.  Detroit enters their zone with a plan.

Let’s go, Pens.

Empty net.  Pens take some shots, but look sluggish.  Pens are trying to play a slow game, and Detroit is too fast.  Trouble is, Pittsburgh is fast too.  But not tonight.

Game over.  Detroit takes game one.


Illinois Civil Union Bill Moves to Third Reading

Senate Bill 1716 has moved to Third Reading, according to Illinois State Rep. Greg Harris.  The bill will establish Civil Unions in Illinois.  “Civil Union” means a legal relationship between 2 persons, of either the same or opposite sex, according to the bill.

According to the Illinois House Democrats web site, “Third reading” means the bill is read for a third and final time before the full chamber. After the sponsor explains the bill, members of the chamber can ask questions. When debate is completed, the chamber votes on the bill.

Turning Left will furnish updates as the bill continues to progress.


PA Newspaper Runs Ad Calling for Obama’s Assassination, Apologizes

A Pennsylvania newspaper ran an ad apparently calling for the assassination of President Barack Obama, according to Editor and Publisher:

The publisher of a Pennsylvania newspaper that ran a classified ad appearing to call for the assassination of President Barack Obama said it was “unfortunate” the ad made it into the paper. He also said it drew dozens of phone calls to the paper and a likely visit from federal officials.

Publisher John Elchert of the Times-Observer in Warren also told E&P the ad — slated to run for three days — was stopped after appearing once Thursday. “It is unfortunate that it got past our classified people,” he said. “My first call [Thursday] was to the police chief and I believe his protocol is to contact the Secret Service.”

The ad stated: “May Obama follow in the footsteps of Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley & Kennedy!” All four of those presidents, of course, were assassinated in office. Elchert said when the ad was taken, the staffer who took it “did not make the connection of what tied those presidents together.”

The paper ran an editor’s note Friday that stated:

“An errant classified ‘personal’ ad which appeared in Thursday’s Times Observer has drawn the attention of law enforcement officials.

“A person from Warren placed the ad, which apparently alludes to the wish that President Obama meet an untimely end by linking him with four assassinated presidents. The ad representative didn’t make the connection among the four other presidents mentioned and mistakenly allowed the ad to run.

“Upon realizing the mistake early Thursday morning, the ad was immediately discontinued and the identity of the person who placed the ad was turned over to Warren City Police as per newspaper policy. The local police department forwarded the information to federal authorities, as per department policy.

“The Times Observer apologizes for the oversight.”

Wow.

Did you ever think you’d have to use that stuff they taught you in American History?  Might be a good time to review.


A Message for Homophobes

This video is absolutely hilarious.

Warning to the faint of heart: the language is a bit explicit and rather direct.

Enjoy!


Mancow Expected Fight from Olbermann, Found Respect

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I admit I don’t know much about Mancow.

Although I live in the Chicagoland area, I’m not much into talk radio outside WCPT.  Having learned more about Mancow in recent days, I understand that some consider him very conservative.  He says he’s Libertarian.

I can tell you now that I have a ton of respect for him now.

Matthew Erich “Mancow” Muller agreed to be waterboarded, for real.  As we all know now, Mancow lasted less than six seconds.  In his appearance on tonight’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Mancow said the word “drowning” is not a strong enough description of what we call waterboarding.  Mancow, who did drown when he was young, said waterboarding is worse.

Amazing.

It seemed to me — and I could be wrong — that Mancow was expecting Olbermann to say something outrageous.  Indeed, if they had met on any other day, under any other circumstance, Mancow and Olbermann would both be in rare form, very animated, and, no doubt, entertaining.  But tonight, while they met as peers, Olbermann seemed genuinely awestruck with Muller.

Muller said he had chest pains for two days after this episode.  He said no one should have to go through this.

Watch the video above and make up your own mind.

Let’s grow away from waterboarding and torture as a nation and talk about real policy issues.

Mr. Erich “Mancow” Muller, sir, I take my hat off to you.  You did this nation a service. You did us all a service.


Obama Taps Sotomayor for Supreme Court

sonia-sotomayor-supreme-courtNumerous news sources are reporting that President Barack Obama has chosen federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. She will become the first Hispanic in history to wear the robes of a Supreme Court justice.

From the Sun-Times:

If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor, 54, would succeed retiring Justice David Souter. Two officials described Obama’s decision on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had been made.

Administration officials say Sotomayor would bring more judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice confirmed in the past 70 years. A formal announcement was expected at midmorning. Obama had said publicly he wanted a justice who combined intellect and empathy — the ability to understand the troubles of everyday Americans.

Turning Left will carry the president’s full statement when he announces Sotomayor’s appointment.


Susan Boyle’s ‘Memory’ Draws Cheers, Tears

Her voice a bit tentative at times, Susan Boyle finds her stride in ‘Memory’ from Cats, and lifts us up once again.

According to the Sun-Times, Telephone voters picked her as the best of the night’s eight performers, so she will sing again in the contest’s final on Saturday.

Enjoy the video.

Sing, Susan. Sing.


Penguins over Hurricanes, 6-2, Video Highlights

Enjoy video highlights from last night of the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Video courtesy NHL.COM.


Newt Gingrich Hates the Constitution and America

Newt Gingrich was never a successful politician.  As a talking head, he gets by.  After his failed Contract with America, Gingrich continued to point fingers, cough up empty theoretical neo-con rhetoric, and a bizarre plan to save America called American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF, or ass whiff, for short).

This morning, I watched Gingrich attempt to debate Sen. Dick Durbin on NBC’s Meet the Press.  David Gregory left every false claim by Gingrich go unchallenged.  We’ll leave that to our friends at Media Matters.

Here’s what I notice about Gingrich: the man hates the United States Constitution.

This week I started singing the Preamble to the Constitution, a la School House Rock.  Remember this?

Here it is:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Justice: the first value established.  Justice.

Gingrich wants to toss out justice, keep Gitmo, hold Prisoners of War forever, without trial, without charges. Gingrich wants the United States to continue to run gulags. The United States Constitution is too much for Gingrich, too fair.

Make no mistake, Newt Gingrich hates the United States Constition and the United States of America.  Newt Gingrich wants to continue the Bush-Cheney doctring of shredding the Constitution.

The Founding Fathers were not fools.  Gingrich is.