A look at ‘exploding’ bullets.

I agree that as long as social issues are at the forefront of the Republican party, they will have a hard time being successful. People, generally, seem more concerned about government largess, spending, economy, taxes, and such than they do about gay cooties and abortion. And they largely like being left alone. YMMV.

No, I’m not talking about the Obama administration. I’m talking about the TeeVee show V. I watched that show and had quite a few belly laughs over how it’s tied to some current events. Some spoilers so don’t read more if you don’t want to know.

But the leader of the aliens, Anna, is a charismatic speaker who people get really into. Some characters compared the devotion to the visitors to religion and messiah figures. Anna spoke of hope and change. The visitors offered universal health care to the people. And the press agreed to ask questions that would not portray the visitors in a negative light. I don’t know if the writers of the show did that on purpose but a lot of the things were rather similar to criticism of Obama and some things were definitely similar to Obama. I laughed.

Update and bump: Also, seriously, 29 spaceships enter the atmosphere and hover above major cities. And people don’t bug out? If giant space craft landed over Maryville, me, the wife, and the kids would be hitting the back forty with lots of guns, skinning bucks, running trot lines, and doing other things from Hank Jr. songs. I wouldn’t be hanging around to see what happened.

Update: From Bitter, similar thoughts at the Chicago Tribune.

Dave Kopel calls last night’s elections Another good night for the Second Amendment.

The Foundry:

Congress is actually using your tax dollars to pay social scientists to find ways they can avoid actually talking to their constituents while improving their chances of reelection.

Turns out all those lawmakers being investigated for ethics violations, it’s because we’re all racists.

The only race the Democrats won was the one where there wasn’t a Republican candidate.

McDonnell takes VA. The AP calls NJ for Christie.

I’m glad a non-republican and non-democrat candidate is reportedly doing well in an election in NY of all places. I guess maybe politicos could realize that the people just aren’t happy that all races boil down to one guy who sucks and one guy who sucks more.

Of course, with two Democrats in the race (though one was called a Republican), that makes this even more hopey changey. The supposed Republican dropped out and endorsed the Democrat. I guess even more than party over country is two-party system over anything. Since the two parties have spent considerable time rigging the game.

Not found in a feel-good law.

Obama administration evokes state secrets. Again. In the name of national security and all.

And more ‘transparency‘.

Ya know, on the few things I thought I’d like about Obama (open government, putting bills on line, etc.), he’s been an abject failure.

I’d have tried out for ATF director.

Hope and change:

More than 40% of President Obama’s top-level fundraisers have secured posts in his administration, from key executive branch jobs to diplomatic postings in countries such as France, Spain and the Bahamas, a USA TODAY analysis finds.

Twenty of the 47 fundraisers that Obama’s campaign identified as collecting more than $500,000 have been named to government positions, the analysis found.

And that’s from USA Today who, unusually, has some harsh words for the president. It’s like the new president smell has worn off or something.

Republican Congressman Jeff Flake regarding his vote against H.Res.784, a bill “honoring the 2560th anniversary of the birth of Confucius and recognizing his invaluable contributions to philosophy and social and political thought”:

He who spends time passing trivial legislation may find himself out of time to read healthcare bill

Well played, sir. Well played.

For serious:

On Friday, I’m taking part in a debate that will be broadcast on C-SPAN. Howard Dean and I will be crossing rhetorical swords with Dick Armey and John Kasich on the question “America’s Future: Can Capitalism Survive?” The event will be moderated by Joe Scarborough. I plan to make the point that what we have right now is not actually capitalism — it’s corporatism. It’s welfare for the rich. It’s the government picking winners and losers. It’s Wall Street having their taxpayer-funded cake and eating it too. It’s socialized losses and privatized gains.

Libertarianism at a high.

Some gun polls.

Justice department: black people are too stupid to know who to vote for unless we tell them.

Think we’ll see any accusations of racism here?

ACK: Tennessee is in for many years of Republican rule.

Good way to make a point.

Seems DVRs actually increase TeeVee viewership. But someone should tell them that people aren’t watching commercials.

Obama says he’ll end don’t ask don’t tell. But don’t ask when because he won’t tell you.

I really have nothing to say about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s so surreal I can’t even work up something snarky to say.

Senate hearing lead by Feingold to look at the constitutionality of Czars.

Props and photo-ops.

Via Bruce.

Kid’s pretty amazing:

CNN fact checks a Saturday Night Live skit. Are you fucking serious? How much further in the tank could they be?

So does Yahoo news.

Meanwhile, CNN hasn’t updated the recession watch page since 2008. What’s different?

Like I said of the Democrats just in 2006 (only I won’t use the retarded monkey line this time because some bonehead will call me a racist), just shut up. They’re doing everything for you. Keep your mouths shut until you decide you’re announcing in 2010 and the rest will take care of itself. People are paying attention. And not happy. So, just shut up. Because usually when you open your mouths, you say something stupid.

And if you win, you better live up to some requests people are making.

Michael on the Obama administration’s position on shield laws:

Boy, talk about alienating your base.

The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is all, like, buying books and stuff. See, Clinton was right to start yammering about it again.

Seen at Michael’s:

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) declared in a radio interview that same sex marriage is part of a socialist agenda to undermine “the foundations of individual rights and liberties.”

Yeah, they’re the ones doing that. It was totally the gays who passed roving wiretaps; mandated two flush toilets; made it a felony to import lobsters in bags and not boxes; eliminated my right to choose which light bulbs I can use; mandated that all my banking transactions be monitored; and said I needed a proctological exam to board an airplane. That was the gays alright and not boneheads whose names start with Rep.

There had to be some way to make that song good:

Paranoia about paranoiacs.

Obama administration says dismiss suit seeking benefits for same sex couples.

Harold Ford, Jr.:

However, the actions taken over the past year have led to real and justified fears that such unprecedented government intervention will become the norm — that the government will just keep growing, with no way to pay for the increased spending.

I’ll start respecting the office when those who hold it start respecting it and the constitution. Until then, they’re all rightfully subject to scorn and derision.

We just had a big media to-do about one politico calling another one a liar. And the story was about how rude that was. Not whether or not the president was lying or not.

George W. Bush:

Look, I know this probably sounds arrogant to say,” the president said, “but I redefined the Republican Party.

Redefined or set back substantially? Tuh may toe. Tuh mah toe.

Congrats for turning both parties into big government, nanny staters.

The house rules seem to limit speech and representation.

Heh.

Meanwhile, good for Barack Obama: The president does not believe that the criticism… is based on the color of his skin

I will: Coke CEO calls Obama a commie.

Jimmy Carter’s decline is rather sad to watch, actually. Poor guy.

Update: Zing: Dissent is the greatest form of racism.

The market sometimes knows:

the $60 billion or so given to G.M. and Chrysler is likely to prove a bad investment for taxpayers (which may explain why no one else was rushing to invest in these companies).

And, of course, it may have been illegal.