So let's clear up a few things up.

First off Hillary Clinton did not get sick in a vacuum.

Courtesy of People: 

The illness that sickened Hillary Clinton with pneumonia and caused her to have to be escorted away from September 11 ceremonies in New York on Sunday also struck down several members of her campaign team at Clinton headquarters in Brooklyn, PEOPLE has learned. 

 "Everyone's been sick," a campaign source tells PEOPLE. 

At the end of August, two weeks before Clinton was diagnosed with pneumonia, a debilitating bug was making the rounds among staff at her headquarters and campaign aides who travel with Clinton, a source tells PEOPLE. 

Secondly Hillary is not the first presidential candidate to campaign with pneumonia.

Courtesy of Garnet News:  

Hillary Clinton is not the only candidate to experience this illness. In 2004 John Kerry also developed “walking pneumonia.” 

From an email he wrote to the New York Times in 2008, “I remember on the bus in Iowa, my staff thought I’d broken a rib from coughing because my walking pneumonia was so bad.”

Do you remember how the press freaked out about Kerry's illness, and claimed that campaign was over and he needed to be replaced at the top of the ticket?

No you don't. And that it because John Kerry was a man, and Hillary is held to a completely different and unfair standard.

You can deny it if you want, but the evidence is overwhelming.

And speaking of different standards: 

For 18 months, Republican strategists, political pundits, reporters and Americans who follow them have been pursuing Hillary Clinton’s personal email habits, and no evidence of a crime has been found. But now they at least have the skills and interest to focus on a much larger and deeper email conspiracy, one involving war, lies, a private server run by the Republican Party and contempt of Congress citations—all of it still unsolved and unpunished. 

Clinton’s email habits look positively transparent when compared with the subpoena-dodging, email-hiding, private-server-using George W. Bush administration. Between 2003 and 2009, the Bush White House “lost” 22 million emails. This correspondence included millions of emails written during the darkest period in America’s recent history, when the Bush administration was ginning up support for what turned out to be a disastrous war in Iraq with false claims that the country possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and, later, when it was firing U.S. attorneys for political reasons. 

Like Clinton, the Bush White House used a private email server—its was owned by the Republican National Committee. And the Bush administration failed to store its emails, as required by law, and then refused to comply with a congressional subpoena seeking some of those emails.

So was the Bush administration the focus of numerous Congressional investigations,  culminating with the former president being called to testify as to why he and his staff destroyed evidence and defied the law?

No.

Why not?

Because they are Republicans and fuck you, that's why not!

Remember Republicans do not believe in accountability unless it has to do with the Democrats. And that goes triple if their first name is "Hillary."

President Obama secures release of American pastor. Bristol Palin aka Nancy French thanks "God," suggests that prayer was what REALLY did it.

Pastor Saeed Abedini

Courtesy of Brancy's blog:  

Praise the Lord! I woke up to the best news this morning. American Pastor Saeed Abedini was just released from the Iranian prison where he had been arrested and held for his Christian faith for over three years! 

Readers of this blog have followed his horrible situation since September of 2013 when I first found out about this travesty of justice. Since then, I’ve posted about this American who’d been jailed for his faith many many times. I honestly wondered if I’d ever get to write this post I’m doing now. 

But, finally, he’s out.

Yes, finally he is out.

But it had NOTHING to do with a superstitious belief in prayer, because while these idiots were on their knees doing nothing of any consequence, our President was getting shit done!

Courtesy of CNN: 

Iran has freed four U.S. prisoners as part of a prisoner swap, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Marine veteran Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, senior U.S. administration officials said Saturday, confirming reports first published in Iranian media. 

A fifth man -- described as a recently detained student named Matthew Trevithick -- was separately released, U.S. officials said. 

The announcement comes on a day when the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, announced Iran is in compliance with a July deal to restrict its nuclear program. 

As a result, at least some international economic sanctions against Iran were lifted. As part of the deal, Iran agreed to release of Rezaian, Hekmati, Abedini and a fourth detainee identified by U.S. officials as Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari in exchange for the release of seven Iranians held by the United States for sanctions violations, the officials confirmed.

That's right these prisoners were released as a direct result of the Iranian nuclear deal that President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated in the face of harsh criticisms, and even attempts to block it, by the Republicans.

God did not get these men released, this guy did.

No seriously don't thank me. Just doing my job.

And the hits just keep on coming.

boom. IAEA verifies that Iran completed its side of the nuke deal Statement: pic.twitter.com/B3SOQH91Ni

— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) January 16, 2016

You see THAT is how problems are solved and peace is achieved.

Remember when George W. Bush said that he consulted his heavenly father before making decisions?

Remember the devastating terrorist attack and two stupid wars that resulted from that advice?

Well THIS President clearly spends less time on his knees and more time using his intellect and consulting with advisers who actually know what in the hell they are talking about.

My advice to Nancy French/Bristol Palin, her employer/mother, and all of the dimwits who listen to them, is get up off of their knees and start sending thanks to the deity who REALLY saved the day.

That's right, our savior Barack Hussein Obama.

As per agreement Iran hands over its uranium to Russia, rendering it incapable of making nuclear weapons. And yes, this is Obama's fault.

Courtesy of UPI: 

For the first time in nearly a decade, Iran doesn't have the materials needed to make a nuclear weapon -- even if it wanted to. 

U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced Monday that a Russian container ship has hauled away almost all of Iran's low-enriched uranium -- the fuel required to build nuclear warheads and atomic bombs. The handover fulfills one of the biggest provisions of the July accord struck between Tehran and a U.S.-led coalition known as 5+1. 

"One of the most significant steps Iran has taken toward fulfilling its commitments occurred today, when a ship departed Iran for Russia carrying over 25,000 pounds of low-enriched uranium materials," Kerry said in a statement. "I remain so proud of our team in achieving what was truly one of our most important accomplishments of 2015 -- ensuring that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful going forward." 

Tehran has long said it's had strictly peaceful intentions with its nuclear program but was willing to make the agreement and cede to atomic oversight to make that purpose clear to the international community in exchange for desperately-needed economic relief.

Of course the conservatives will find a hundred things wrong with this deal but the fact that Iran has done this, and that it has been verified by inspectors, is unprecedented.

And it just removes one more boogeyman that the Republicans can use to scare the American people into voting for them.

Which, by the way, is perhaps the main reason they are so adamantly against his deal.

Hypocritical outrage image of the day.

Remember kids, you can only crap on military heroes, when they are Democratic military heroes.

Jeb Bush is outraged (Outraged I say!) over Donald Trump's disrespect for John McCain's military service. Seemed less so when it was John Kerry being disrespected.

Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans - particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) July 18, 2015

So as you can see Jebbie is livid that "The Donald" would suggest that John McCain should not be considered a hero because he was a POW during the Vietnam War.

And that should be admirable.

Except for the fact that Jebbie sent this letter to the men calling into question the heroism that earned John Kerry's a Silver Star during the same war.

So to be clear, it is outrageous that people would dismiss John McCain's heroism over the fact that he was captured by the enemy, but suggesting that John Kerry did not earn his medals while fighting for his country is perfectly reasonable.

Did I get that right?

(H/T to Crooks and Liars.)

Story of the day: Historic nuclear deal struck with Iran.

Secretary of State John Kerry with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Courtesy of NBC News:  

Iran and world powers capped a decade-long dispute by reaching a historic deal early Tuesday for Tehran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions. 

The Islamic republic has been negotiating with the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China for years, with diplomats most recently extending numerous deadlines in hopes of arriving at a workable and comprehensive plan. 

President Barack Obama said the deal with Tehran ensures that "every pathway to a nuclear weapon" had been cut off. 

"We have stopped the spread of nuclear weapons in this region," he said in an early-morning statement which — in a rare move — was carried on Iranian television.

Joe Biden called the Affordable Care Act a "big fucking deal."

Well this is a really, REALLY big fucking deal!

Of course Israel and Saudi Arabia are vocally speaking out against this deal, and insisting that Iran will never honor any agreement. But that is to be expected.

However there is language in the agreement that the sanctions now removed will "snap back" if Iran defies any of the provisions and that would put them back to square one, with very little hope of negotiating anything new for decades afterward.

It is also worth noting that America and Iran did not reach this deal on their own. They were joined by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the European Union.

Which means that if Iran tries to pull anything underhanded they will have destroyed their relationship with just about every potential ally they could possibly have in the world.

I don't care how arrogant you might be, pissing off the entire world and turning them against you is never the smart thing to do.

Man that Obama legacy thing is looking more impressive every day.

Iran, the EU, and US reach historic framework agreement on nuclear program. Update!

Secretary of State John Kerry with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Courtesy of USA Today: 

Iran and six world powers reached a historic agreement Thursday on a broad framework for resolving their long-standing dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which has left the Islamic nation economically isolated. 

"Today we have taken a decisive step. We have reached solutions on key parameters for a comprehensive future nuclear deal," said European Union Foreign Affairs Minister Federica Mogherini, in formally announcing the deal in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

She said Iran would not produce weapons grade fuel and that international monitors will have enhanced access to Iran's nuclear facilities. 

She also said that sanctions would be "terminated" but did not specify the timetable, which has been a key sticking point of the negotiations. Iran had pushed to lift them immediately, while the United States wants most of them in place until Iran follows through on terms of the deal.The precise timing will be determined as the negotiators work out a final agreement scheduled for completion in June. 

President Obama called the deal an "historic understanding" that was "a long time coming." 

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, he said it "shuts down" Iran's path to a bomb using enriched uranium. 

"This deal was not based on trust," the president said. "It was based on unprecedented verification."

Of course this does not mean that this framework is set in stone, and it is contingent on reaching an actual agreement by June 30th. However this is a great first positive step.

Under this new framework, Iran would shut down more than two-thirds of its installed centrifuges capable of producing uranium that could be used to build a bomb, dismantle a reactor that could produce plutonium, and accept intrusive verification from inspectors.

No doubt Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to take a giant dump all over this, as will his sycophants in the Republican party, but that does not mean it is not a good deal or that President Obama is naive.

Simply put I would trust him to make a deal with Iran, over every single Republican in the country.

Update: Don't believe the hype that America gave away everything and Iran gave little, it is not true. 

Here is a copy (PDF) of the actual framework. Take a look for yourself.

Secretary of State Kerry in response to criticism directed toward the Obama Administration from Dick Cheney: “Any advice from him really has no meaning to me."

Courtesy of The Hill:  

Secretary of State John Kerry late Thursday dismissed former Vice President Dick Cheney's comments knocking the Obama administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal plan. 

“Any advice from him really has no meaning to me with respect to what we’re doing today,” Kerry said on PBS Newshour. 

Kerry said he’s not surprised Cheney would say something “negative” and “wrong.” “Dick Cheney was completely wrong about Iraq, and we are still struggling with the aftermath of what Dick Cheney and his crew thought was the right policy: To go in and start a war of choice for the wrong reasons. And they turned topsy-turvy the entire region with respect to Sunni and Shia and the relationships there,” Kerry said. 

The Bush administration, Kerry said, was “deeply, deeply wrong” in the policy it pursued. 

This needs to be repeated by members of the administration, Democrats, and journalists, over and over again.

Just the fact that Dick Cheney is still out free, and allowed to criticize this administration's handling of the two wars that he helped start, is a slap in the face to every veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the families of the soldiers who died fighting for a lie.

P.S. You can watch the entire interview with Gwen Ifill here.

Secretary of State John Kerry will comply with House GOP subpoena to testify about Benghazi.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday indicated he would comply with a House GOP subpoena to testify about Benghazi and other questions from the new select committee appointed by House Speaker John Boehner. 

But in his first comments on the topic since renewed attention to it began in the last week, Kerry batted away the inquiry into the September 2012 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi as a “partisan” effort that won’t bring forward anything that isn’t already known. 

“I think this sort of speaks for itself, frankly,” Kerry said at a press conference at the State Department he held with European Union High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton, following a day of meetings. “We have had more than 50 briefings, there have been in the double digits of hearings and we’ve released 25,000 documents.”

Such a monumental waste of time and tax payer dollars.

I hope Kerry embarrasses the crap out of the House Republicans over this on national television.

Personally I think that the country should demand that the Republicans in Congress pay the American people back for all of the money they have wasted investigating this non-scandal.

Chris Wallace of Fox News pissed that White House has shunned him for the second week in a row. Aww!

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

Last week, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace was peeved that National Security Advisor Susan Rice appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, but not on his show — perhaps, he suggested, due to the fact that he would have asked her the “tough questions” about Benghazi. 

This week, it was John Kerry who left Wallace hanging, as the Secretary of State appeared on Meet the Press, This Week With George Stephanopoulos, and Face the Nation to discuss Russia’s invasion of the Crimean peninsula — but skipped Wallace’s show. 

“For the record, we invited Secretary of State Kerry to join us today,” Wallace said, “but although the White House put him out on all the other Sunday shows*, they declined to make him available to us, or you.” 

Wallace then pivoted right to House Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa (R-CA), who spent the entire next segment discussing last summer’s IRS investigation.

So first Wallace bitches that he can't get the White House to take he and his network seriously, and the next he engages in a conversation with a well known Republican attack dog about a made up controversy.

Yeah I have NO sympathy for this guy. None.

Sarah Palin pimps her daughter's ghostwritten blog, and kisses up to Billy Graham and the ghost of Ronald Reagan, all in the service of increasing her Christian bonafides.

Courtesy of Sister Sarah Simpleton's Facebook page:

Please read Billy Graham’s impassioned plea to the new president of Iran imploring the release of the imprisoned pastor Saeed Abedini. Bristol has been covering Saeed’s story for a long time on her blog. We are all so grateful to Rev. Graham for taking out this full-page ad in the New York Times to bring light to this terrible injustice. 

President Obama, please act on this by using your position to appeal for Saeed’s release. We often ask ourselves, “What would Reagan do?” Well, in the 1980s, President Reagan worked behind the scenes to appeal to the Soviets for the release of Russian Christian dissidents who wanted to emigrate, and because of Reagan’s quiet work in the background, these Christians were finally allowed to leave the former Soviet Union. Reagan used the exceptional position of POTUS to appeal for justice, and it worked. Now we need our current president to appeal to Iran's new president for the release of this imprisoned Christian. 

Kudos to Rev. Graham for taking action today. I have so much respect for him. As my dad wrote about in his book, Billy Graham was the man who led my mom to Christ years ago, which resulted in the rest of the family becoming Christians in the 70s.

 - Sarah Palin

Okay, well first I think that Sarah Palin has quite a pair of wrinkly balls to ask President Obama to do ANYTHING after she has been lying about him and attacking him for having the temerity to beat her and her grandfather lo those many years ago.

Putting that aside I would imagine that there are all kinds of diplomatic measures being taken in order to gain his release (Including Secretary of State John Kerry's numerous attempts.) as well as the two other Americans being held, just like there are for Kenneth Bae currently being held in North Korea, who for some reason does not garner the same outcry for his release from Graham and Palin as does Saeed even thought Bae is also a Christian missionary.

I think it is admirable that Graham or ANYBODY advocate for the release of prisoners, though I would personally not make their religion the primary reason for my advocacy. After all there are numerous Muslims being held as political prisoners in Iran, and numerous North Koreans being held in prisons for the same reasons, and yet no outraged demands appear to be forthcoming on their behalf.

By the way it appears that the main reason Palin and Bristol are jumping on this bandwagon is because it has become a cause celebre, with numerous Christian leaders and others who are joining in to call for his release. This includes of course Ted Cruz, who, like Palin, knows a good public relations stunt when he sees one.

There is something very unsettling about certain religious types caring only of their own, and having little compassion for those of a differing faith.

Are not human beings worthy of the same rights as every other human being? Or is there a religious litmus test to determine those worthy of compassion and those deemed unworthy?

Having said that I also fervently hope that Saeed Abedini will soon be granted his freedom.  As well as the prisoners currently held in Gitmo, those serving time in American prisons for minor drug offenses, and those locked away in prisons around the world for speaking out against tyranny and in favor of human rights.

After all they are fellow human beings. And in the absence of serious criminal behavior all human beings deserve to be free. 

Christian or not.

Jon Stewart rakes Fox News over the coals for their attacks on the President over the Syria/Russia compromise.

Click image to play video.

“If we caught Charlie Manson, who gives a sh*t who gets the collar?” Stewart asked. “And I get that Fox opposes a Syria peace plan because its motus operandi is to foment dissent in the form of a relentless and irrational contrarianism to Barack Obama and all things Democratic to advance its ultimate objective of creating a deliberately misinformed body politic whose fear, anger, mistrust and discontent is the manna upon which it sustains its parasitic succubus-like existence.”

Well said.

By the way my only  bitch about Stewart's defense of Obama is that he buys into the whole "John Kerry gaffe allowed Putin to ride in and save the day" meme.

That is NOT what happened!

(H/T to Raw Story.)

Insignificant Sarah Palin now growling and snapping at the heels of Secretary of State John Kerry.

Palin aims and fires her Facebook torpedoes at John Kerry and his boat..

Courtesy of the ghostwritten Facebook page of a has been:

Must I Repeat? Quit Making Things Up! Outrageous. (I always like how the queen of deception and obfuscation tells other people not to make things up.)

Once again the cover-up is worse than the “crime.” Secretary of State John Kerry WAS on his boat while Egypt fell into turmoil resulting in an overthrow of its new government ruled by the Muslim Brotherhood that the Obama Administration had so recently supported and may still support. (That, however, we do not know because President Obama's absolutely dithering foreign policies, his "leading from behind," and his benign statements on the Muslim Brotherhood make no sense to sensible people.) 

(Now HOW John Kerry could have prevented the overthrow of Morsi by the Egyptian people I have no idea. What does Palin suggest? That Kerry had put troops in there to stand against the will of the Egyptian people and the military? The Secretary of State has no such power, and no such right.)

The State Department categorically denied Kerry was on his boat. Yet CBS had pictures to prove it. Goodness. There is no need to lie, even on such a "little" thing as the location of a government leader during a military confrontation happening in real time. (Benghazi? Ring a bell? (Still gnawing on that Benghazi bone Sister Sarah?)There still isn't anyone in the media who'll find out where our Commander-in-Chief was that night.) Come on, Obama Administration! It's no big darn deal that Kerry was on his boat! We expect, and deserve, to assume that our highest ranking public servants to whom We the People have given the most responsibility are always working – even when they're clearing their heads and breathing in some fresh air on a yacht, or sweating away stress on a basketball court, or yukking it up with pals on the fairway... let's trust they're always preparing for the proverbial 3:00 AM phone call. 

Now sadly Palin is right that Kerry was on his boat in Nantucket celebrating the 4th of July with his family, and that when originally asked his people denied that. They have since released this statement: 

“While he was briefly on his boat on Wednesday, Secretary Kerry worked around the clock all day including participating in the president’s meeting with his national security council," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, according to Politico.

This rather unflattering picture was also taken of Kerry which makes him appear to be an Inspector Clouseau-like figure, bumbling around while Egypt burns.

Of course this is the same attack used against the President when things happen during a vacation, even though we know that people at this level of responsibly are NEVER really on vacation, and are constantly being briefed about breaking news all around the world.

But blood in the water, regardless of how minimal, is still blood in the water, so shark-like Palin goes in for the "kill."

Being on his boat isn't the issue. Blatantly deceiving the American people is the issue. (Yes the American people have lost all faith in government because somebody did not know John Kerry was on his boat.)

Our government, yet again, either had no idea where the boss was, or worse yet, they lied to us. (Oops-a-daisy. Correction. In Obamaspeak, we were told the "least untruthful statement.") Our government directed its swift-ly boat changing denials to what one can only surmise is their perception of who we are: a nation of sheep – heads down, grazing away, gullible, ignorant, and undeserving of truth. (Did you see what she did here? Using the term "swift-ly" she gets to not so subtly bring up a connection between this incident and the swift boat attacks against Kerry in the 2004 election.)

Confronted with photographic evidence, the State Department merely tossed the public a handful of hay today in its tepid effort to kinda-sorta explain the whole thing away. Something about, well, yeah, so the evidence contradicted all their public claims, but… eh, no harm, no foul. And like good herder dogs, with calm authority to avoid commotion, the bureaucrats barked the suggestion that we all just move along now. (So the media are sheep I take it. Again, so subtle! What is "calm authority to avoid commotion" by the way?)

No. You move along, little doggie. (That's "dogies" and refers to cattle, NOT puppies. Moron!) Enough is enough. It's unacceptable. Remember, the nation's Mama Grizzlies don't just rise up to swat away threats to protect the next generation. They also school, scold, and signal to teach a lesson. (And bitch at the President, and get fake breastessess so people will stop ignoring them, and put their children on reality shows to get them to shut up, and have people write their Facebook posts for them. There, fixed for ya!) One lesson taught all children is if you lie on the little things, you'll lie on the big things. (Only MOST parents use proper grammar when teaching their children not to lie.)

George Orwell wrote of a time when citizens could no longer trust big government, and by wearing down the citizenry through doublespeak and lies a tired country finally retreated to its dark and depressing demise. (Hi RAM!)

America, we shall not go there! Why? Because if we know from our nation's forefathers that weariness is not in our blood! It's not in our DNA to retreat. Have faith that there are enough patriots in our exceptional nation willing to fight together for what is right. Proof of this is all the families still encouraging and supporting their loved ones who choose U.S. military service. (Yep, she's suggesting military action in Egypt alright.) And proof of a unified commitment to defend our republic is what the independent tea party movement is all about. (Does she mean the same Tea Party started by the Koch brothers and tobacco companies?) Disregard the constant criticism, mocking, and flagrant lies about this diverse, proud movement that still spew from big government cheerleaders and their lapdogs in the media. (I'm a lap dog?) Despite harassment and intimidation, commonsense conservatives are rising up again to get a better view of what is ahead. They are identifying threats to our Constitution and our children's future. (That is why virtually the ONLY laws that the Tea Party backed politicians have tried to pass since coming into power are laws that restrict a woman's control over her own body. You know, for the kids.) The permanent political class angrily bemoans this because they know our diverse working class – those who make the world go 'round – can shake off the slumber, unify, and effectively encourage others to come out of a 2012 hibernation and demand accountability at the 2014 ballot box. It's there we prove the average, everyday American's ferocious strength when exercising that beautiful belief in loyalty only to a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Until then, we mustn't have the fighting instinct of sheep. Pay attention, do your own homework on candidates and political machines, turn off media that would disrespect you by continuing to deceive, and keep the faith. (This is the point where I imagine Palin jumping up and down on her skinny legs shaking her fake pom poms at the computer screen. "Sis boom bah, rah rah rah, rick'em rack'em ruck'em, get out there and really f...ight'em!")

While celebrating America's glorious Independence this week, be secure in knowing that there are more of us who support men and women ready and willing to fight on our behalf for freedom and truth than those who would continually deceive us. (In other words Track's warrior body is ready for action. Not for actual combat of course, because bullets hurt and all.) Thank God. And thank a Vet.

State Department: say you're sorry and don't ever do this again. CBS News: thank you for doing your job on this issue. (Did Palin just give a shout out to the "Lamestream media?" Oh the horrors!)


 Happy 4th of July weekend, America. 

- Sarah Palin

Well I have to hand it to RAM she was in rare form here.  There was red, white, and blue enthusiasm, an incredibly overblown attack on a politician who has probably never spent more than five minutes thinking about Sarah Palin, and a call to get more of our fellow American killed in yet another war of choice that probably sent a thrill up the atrophied legs of the scooter bound Tea party faithful and a chill down the spine of every young soldier hoping that finally the twelve years of constant war are coming to an end.

This is why only the grownups are supposed to make policy decisions, and NOT the lunatic fringe.

Decisions, by the way, that they can undoubtedly make both on land, or on a boat.

With Scott Brown out Massachusetts Republicans are so deperate they are thinking of recruiting Romney. No, not that loser Mitt, they want his wife or son.

"What you're not even going to ask me? Well I would have said no anyhow...probably."

Courtesy of the Boston Herald:

Massachusetts Republicans are desperately scrambling to find a strong Senate candidate to replace Scott Brown, with some even trying to persuade Mitt Romney’s wife or son to jump into the race to avert another electoral disaster. 

The former GOP senator’s decision to stay out of the June 25 special election surprised and angered some Republican leaders, who said it will make it much harder to beat a Democratic opponent without Brown on the ballot. 

“I’ve had several people call me and ask about Ann Romney,” Ron Kaufman, a longtime friend and aide to the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 presidential candidate nominee, told the Herald.

You know I don't usually like to encourage Republicans as a rule but I would like to give my full throated endorsement to this idea.

Please, oh please, oh please let one of the Romney's run for this seat. I would LOVE to see another one of them get crushed by a Democrat, while Ann bitches about how lucky "you people" are that another member of her precious family has deigned to sully themselves by seeking political office, for the "good of the country."

But if I may make ONE suggestion, instead of Ann or Tagg being drafted as the candidate, can we have Josh Romney instead?

He just seems to have the laser like focus that one expects from a robot from Dimension X a candidate for the Senate.

Okay seriously, does he ever even blink?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returns to work. Finds protective head gear waiting for her.

Courtesy of CNN:  

Hillary Clinton went back to work as secretary of state this morning and was greeted by colleagues showing off their sense of humor. 

First off, we got the official State Department photo of her hosting the weekly meeting of assistant secretaries of state. All very appropriate. 

But then came word from spokeswoman Victoria Nuland that there had been some teasing too. 

Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides handed Clinton a box, saying, "As you know, Washington is a contact sport." 

"Inside was a football helmet with a State Department seal, lots of good padding and also a football jersey that said Clinton on the back and on the front it says #112 which symbolizes the number of countries she visited as secretary of state," Nuland said. 

"She loved it. She thought it was cool. But then being Hillary Clinton she wanted to get right to business."

Nice to have Hillary back on her feet.

John Kerry is going to have some very large shoes to fill, since Hillary has been a very energetic and seemingly tireless Secretary of State.

One hundred and twelve countries in four years? Boy, leave it to a woman to raise the bar to unreasonable heights.

What's with you damn overachievers?

I think I know why the Democrats are not worried about Scott Brown getting elected to John Kerry's Senate seat.

Courtesy of Boston.com:  

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy confirmed Saturday that his Connecticut-based brother, Ted Kennedy Jr., is considering running for the Massachusetts Senate seat that will become vacant if U.S. Sen. John Kerry is confirmed as the next secretary of state. 

Patrick Kennedy told The Associated Press that his 51-year-old brother has been receiving calls from their late father’s former colleagues and friends, including former Connecticut Gov. Lowell Weicker Jr., urging him to consider running in the anticipated special election. 

Patrick Kennedy said he expects his brother could announce a decision before Tuesday, which is Christmas.

Okay let's face it, NO WAY is Scott Brown going to beat Ted Kennedy's son in Massachusetts. No way!

This is not for certain yet, but I have to believe that for it to have been leaked by Patrick Kennedy it is all but a done deal.

Gee I wonder how John McCain and Lindsey Graham feel about their efforts to vilify Susan Rice now?

Senior adminstration official confirms that John Kerry WILL be nominated for Secretary of State.

Courtesy of CNN:

President Barack Obama on Friday will nominate Sen. John Kerry, the former presidential candidate who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to be the next secretary of state, a senior administration official told CNN. 

The senior senator from Massachusetts is noted for the experience, gravitas and relationship-building skills that could help him succeed Hillary Clinton, the outgoing top U.S. diplomat. 

Kerry has traveled the globe on behalf of the Obama administration to mend frayed relationships. Most notably, he traveled to Pakistan after a series of incidents, including the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, that had set relations back. 

He has support from Republicans as well as Democrats. The nomination will be sent to the Senate for confirmation. 

You know I hate to second guess the President, because he is so often many moves ahead of all of us, but I have to say that I just really HATE even the perception that the President lost his fight to nominate Susan Rice for this position.

In my current mood I would have relished a knock down drag out fight for that confirmation ,and i have little doubt the President would have won and come out looking stronger for it.

Yes I think John Kerry will do a fine job, but just the fact that John McCain and Lindsey Graham want him in this position bothers me to no end.

Well it looks like John McCain got his way. John Kerry to be named Secretary of State.

Courtesy of ABC News:

Sources tell ABC News that President Obama has decided that he will nominate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to be secretary of state. 

For a variety of reasons including the finalization of the process, other pending Cabinet decisions, and — more immediately — the national reaction to the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the news will not be announced in the next few days.

I am sure that Senator Kerry is more than capable of doing the job, but I am certainly not happy that the Republicans walk away from this feeling like winners after the hatchet job they did on Susan Rice.

And here I thought John McCain might get tired of doing things to harm America after inflicting Sarah Palin on the country.

Too bad I don't believe in hell, because I would certainly like to think he had a special place all reserved for him there.

Susan Rice withdraws her name for Secretary of State.

Courtesy of NBC:  

Embattled U.N. envoy Susan Rice is dropping out of the running to be the next secretary of state after months of criticism over her Benghazi comments, she told NBC News on Thursday. 

“If nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly – to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities,” Rice wrote in a letter to President Obama, saying she’s saddened by the partisan politics surrounding her prospects. 

“That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country...Therefore, I respectfully request that you no longer consider my candidacy at this time,” she wrote in the letter obtained by NBC News.

Can I just say that this is total BULLSHIT?

The conservatives blew the fact that Rice was the one that had to go on the Sunday talk shows to deliver the unclassified Benghazi talking points WAY out of proportion simply to damage her chances to be named as Secretary Clinton's replacement. That was clear to everybody!

And they obviously did that to clear the way for Senator John Kerry, open up his Senate seat, and then run Scott Brown in 2014, since HE just had both his lunch money and his Senate seat to the incredible Elizabeth Warren.

There is a lot of talk about whether this was orchestrated between Rice and the White House to avoid a confirmation battle, while also not having the President look like he was backing down. I tend to believe it was since the President had this statement ready only minutes after Rice withdrew her name:

Today, I spoke to Ambassador Susan Rice, and accepted her decision to remove her name from consideration for Secretary of State. For two decades, Susan has proven to be an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant. As my Ambassador to the United Nations, she plays an indispensable role in advancing America’s interests. Already, she has secured international support for sanctions against Iran and North Korea, worked to protect the people of Libya, helped achieve an independent South Sudan, stood up for Israel’s security and legitimacy, and served as an advocate for UN reform and the human rights of all people. I am grateful that Susan will continue to serve as our Ambassador at the United Nations and a key member of my cabinet and national security team, carrying her work forward on all of these and other issues. I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend. While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first. The American people can be proud to have a public servant of her caliber and character representing our country. 

Okay look I understand the politics behind this and recognize that the President has to choose his battles wisely but if it were up to me I would have put Rice and taken this fight to the mat!

The Republicans are testing the President's mettle right now and he needs to represent if he wants them to take him seriously.

However I recognize that I am a hot head and the President is the chess master so maybe he has this thing worked out several moves ahead of he Republicans and will knock their legs out from under them in the coming weeks.

I certainly hope so.

I also hope that. IF John Kerry gets this appointment, the Republicans run pretty boy Scott Brown for his seat so that we can kick his loser ass TWICE!

P.S. Keep an eye out for Susan Rice in the future, I don't believe we have heard the last from her.

The best reporting on the Republican attacks on Susan Rice is being done by Rachel Maddow. Don't take my word for it, watch it for yourself.

I do have to do a mea culpa. Yesterday I posted another video of Rachel's show dealing with this issue, in whihc I said the following:  

I had already been convinced that this desire to get their hands on John Kerry's Senate seat had to be the underlying reason for this bizarre fake outrage over the talking points that Susan Rice shared on those Sunday morning news shows right after the Benghazi attacks.

Which is true, except at the time I wrote that I could not exactly rememeber where I FIRST heard of this explanation for the Republican's bizarre fixation on this seemingly inconsequential flub by Susan Rice.

Somebody in the comments section, then reminded me that Lawrence O'Donnell had been one of the first, if not THE first, people to put two and two together.  That is of course absolutely correct, and once my memory was jogged I have to admit it was indeed on the "Last Word" that I was fist made aware of this blatant political gamesmanship.

So huge hat tip to LD, for seeing through the BS yet again. Lawrence has an uncanny gift for seeing through the obfuscation better than just about anyone in the business, AND unlike some of the more reserved MSNBC hosts he never holds back from calling people out.

However having said that I STILL think that Rachel is knocking out of the park right now, and she remains my go to person on this issue.