It's okay if you're a 'serious' journalist

After all the all the outraged howling about the White House "managing" the media when President Obama "broke protocol" and called on a lowly blogger at that presser, there's a marked absence of complaints about this cozy little gathering at the White House

Reporters from roughly 30 television networks, newspapers, magazines, and web sites celebrated the Fourth of July with Barack Obama at the White House last weekend. Why didn't you know that? Because they were sworn to secrecy.

... Gawker has learned that the White House gave tickets to virtually every major news organization that covers the president—the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, ABC News, NBC News, CNN, CBS News, and so on, about 30 in all.

The "reporters" were invited on the condition that they not blog, twitter or otherwise mention that they were there. Any coverage was limited to one lonely pool reporter who was apparently kept at bay in some corner until the President made his remarks. Indeed in the coverage the next day, Mike Allen of Politico deleted the reference to his having been sighted at the festivities.

Now you might have thought that the entitled ethics police of the press corp would have refused to attend unless they were free to put it on the record. I seem to recall when that was a major protocol honored in the industry. But I guess some protocols are more important than others. Apparently, only the ones that bruise the egos in the club of unearned privilege count.

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Then find a new a line of work

Dealing a blow to wingnut pharmacists in Washington State, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit lifted a lower court injunction, saying pharmacists had no grounds under freedom of religion to refuse to dispense the 'morning after' contraceptive Plan B.

The right to freely exercise one's religion "does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a valid and neutral law of general applicability," the 9th Circuit panel wrote.

"Any refusal to dispense -- regardless of whether it is motivated by religion, morals, conscience, ethics, discriminatory prejudices, or personal distaste for a patient -- violates the rules," the panel said.

The pharmacists are furious of course. "They said that the new regulations would force them to choose between keeping their jobs and heeding their religious objections to a medication they regard as a form of abortion." Cry me a river. Their job is to dispense legal medications as prescribed by physicians. If they want to drag their religion into their work, they should have gone into the clergy.

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Blood lines

Hmmm. Who else was it that was concerned about the purity of race? Oh yeah. Hitler. No wonder his name falls so easily from the wingnuts' lips. But of course, when it comes to power grabs -- GOPers are the masters.

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Q & A

Shorter Krugman: Why don't they ever put any dirty effin' hippies on the teevee?

Answer: Because being right about what's wrong is seriously bad for bizness.

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The Mysterious Miss Palin

I really don't want to talk about Palin, but it's like driving by a wreck on the highway. You don't really want to look, but you can't help yourself. Morbid curiousity wins every time. Besides, this post is really about her fan base. Thers uncovers a gem today. This quote really does deserve to be archived for history.

Her strength in this regard is obscured at the moment because that agenda and message is a mystery at present.

Priceless. And I went to her Facebook fan club page for the first time today. It moves fast but there's a treasure trove of hysterical research for future historians. Two of my favs that have probably disappeared by now:

David Missita: Dear Miss Governor Sarah, please know (as heart knowledge) that there are "more for you" that love you and are rooting for you, no matter what! I know I'm not the only one who loves you for who you are and what you stand for. You've got a way and style that is "UNIQUE" and that, scares the hell out of people! They realize they're messing with dynamite when they mess with you. Why else would anybody in a right mind attack you the way you've been treated? Why? Fear on their part. We stand behind you Sarah! We stand WITH you Sarah! We love and appreciate you GOVERNOR PALIN! Stand strong, you mighty woman.

Valerie Murden: I just had a vision...all of our forefathers who put their lives and families and blood on the line for this country...are standing up from beyond their graves and applauding Sarah.....she is well-backed and loved.....Go Sarah....

Never underestimate the capacity of people to adore complete strangers. It reminds me a debate I had a list serv years ago, about whether it was possible to honestly grieve over John Ritter's death.

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The power of pot

It says something about the revenue driving power of marijana when LA can support over 600 medical marijuana dispensaries. In contrast, San Francisco has only about 30. But that's because of regulations, not demand.

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Ten second activism

Haven't done a point and click activism in a while and this one is fun. Sign your name for a TV ad demanding a public option in the reform bill.

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Froomkin and Franken

Some good news for a change. Dan Froomkin has a new job. Glenzilla has the long form version, along with the context, while Froomkin posts a brief announcement.

I'm delighted to announce that starting later this month, I'll be taking on the duties of Washington Bureau Chief and Blogger for The Huffington Post. [...]

I look forward to working with all my new colleagues to hold the powerful accountable, expose corruption, explain how Washington really works -- and write about politics and government not as if it were just a game, but recognizing that it matters profoundly to every one of us.

Meanwhile, Minnesota's newest Senator, Al Franken was sworn in this afternoon, using former Senator Paul Wellstone's bible. I'm sure I don't need to spell out the symbolism in that. I suspect that somewhere in the cosmos, Wellstone's spirit is smiling as broadly as I am.

Update: Think Progress has video of the swearing in. The applause is just as I had imagined it.

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How very sad

I'm not watching the Michael Jackson funeral but see on Twitter that his father is hawking $50 t-shirts outside the Staples Center. Pathetic if it's true.

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The Palindrone

Light posting because I've been a bit ill for the last couple of days, but I'm following the news such as it is. And it's still all about Palin. Love how she calls press conferences to complain about press coverage. And the media comes running when she whistles. "National television camera crews flew out to Dillingham to take their turns interviewing her for 10 minutes that she allotted each, one at a time, on the beach." How very efficient. No sense in holding a group presser so she can get right back to slaying those salmon and progressing her values.

The biggest constant on the ever evolving list of reasons she quit is over the huge burden of defending ethics complaints. She says it's cost the state $2mil. "The state personnel board put its cost of dealing with the complaints at about $300,000 -- around two-thirds of which was in addressing the 'Troopergate' issue last fall." And Palin herself "initiated the personnel board investigation on 'Troopergate,' saying that the state Legislature's investigation of the matter was politicized and she was seeking the appropriate venue to deal with it."

She's blaming the ethics complaints on outside oppo researchers but most of them have been filed by state residents under the ethics reforms she pushed for herself. Not that it's shocking to see a GOPer unwilling to play by their own rules. And by the way, you think there's some rule that says a lame duck governor has to "milk the system?" I guess it would be crazy to let legal deal with the complaints and just do your job instead.

She decries the "double standard" of her critics saying no one criticized other pols who have left office before their terms expired. Of course, they all left for other, bigger, political positions. She left for a "different, more effective path" that apparently starts at the Bridge to Nowhere since she doesn't really know where that road is going.

Meanwhile, the snarkmeisters are out in force. TBogg nailed the Prima Donna of Wassilla with this clip and this is the best take on the Queen of the Iquitarod.

On a more serious note, Sully sums up the possibilities neatly.

Can we all be grown up for a minute and concede something very simple? There are three explanations for the latest circus act: either Sarah Palin is so crazy she actually believes that what she just did is good for her political career; she has decided that her future is as a celebreality star and she's pursuing the lucrative Coulter-style, long legs and fascist farrago strategy; or, a scandal of monumental proportions is about to hit.

I think that about covers it.

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Misreading Biden

There's a bit of stir over Biden's appearance yesterday on "This Week" with George Stephanopolous. This particular remark is "being widely interpreted" as giving a tacit green light to Israel to bomb Iran.

BIDEN: Look, Israel can determine for itself -- it's a sovereign nation -- what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else."

As I tweeted to Greg Mitchell, (gah - I can't believe I'm tweeting), I didn't read it that way at all. Not that anyone pays attention to me, but Juan Cole had the same take as I did.

So what Biden was really saying is that the Obama administration intends to engage Iran diplomatically, and that if anyone wants Iran attacked they will have to do it themselves. This is not a green light to the Israelis, who hardly need one. It is a tough message to the right wing of the Israel lobbies that the Obama administration is not going to launch any hostilities with Iran, even after the hard line power grab of three weeks ago.

Exactly. As I read it, keeping in mind Biden's unique style of speaking, he was saying, "How would we stop them?" I mean, I know we give them a ton of military aid, but no one could deny the politics of telling them what to do with it, are complicated.

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Shorter Katharine Weymouth

I'm very sorry we got caught hawking access. Next time we won't be so obvious in the wording of the invitations.

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A star is born

We had fireworks here last night. I'm happy to report I could see them from my house so I didn't have to make the trek to the mall. Didn't get any photos, but nature's fireworks are always the most impressive anyway. Here's a photo of a new galaxy in the making.


I never cease to be astounded by the progress we've made in mapping space. When I was young, I didn't expect to see such advances in my lifetime.

In other news, not about Sarah Palin, this is good. Rope, not dope. "Oregon’s House of Representatives voted Monday night to legalize the cultivation of hemp, becoming the sixth state to do so just this year." It's long past time that the erroneous conflation between industrial hemp and recreational cannabis be broken. [via]

Harking back to my post on WalMart embracing employer mandates for health care, I've discovered a credible motive. Eliminating the competition. That makes sense. James Joyner also notes that many of Walmart's employees are already covered by outside insurance. I assume that means Medicaid and family plans under the spouse's employer.

Americans have their private health care horror stories too. There are thousands of them collected here.

Harry Reid admits he's a total wimp and basically only cares about pushing bills that make him look good in his re-election campaign. I ask for the millionth time. Isn't there some way to mount a real primary challenge? Or at least replace him as majority leader with someone that might -- you know -- lead?

Why I don't bother to read Howard Kurtz.

SoBeale catches the ultimate statement on WaPo's fire sale. Hilarious.

I have the distinction of having been publicly harangued by Loudon Wainright at a small club for standing too close to the stage. Seriously, he made me move, because I was "scaring him." I laughed and told him not to worry, he's not that hot that I was rush him or anything, but I was pissed. The guy is weird, but I still like his music. The Krugman Blues.

Adding a new blog to the Atriot section. ErinPDX.

Atrios flags a great slideshow on America's new gilded age.

And Whiskey Ina gives great garden prOn.

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Yankee Doodle Dandy

This post is dedicated to the expired presidential aspirations of our "favorite" patrionut, Sarah Palin, who continues to suck up the news cycle. I'm already sick of the speculation but if you can't get enough, there's hours worth of reading at Memorandum. I'm waiting for in the indictments myself, before I have anything else to say. I don't really care how this latest bizarre attention whore affects her future plans.



Happy Independence Day. Hope you're all enjoying the holiday doing whatever it is you like to do best.

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Healthy debate

I'm breaking my pledge not to link to WaPo, because this is an important point. Assuming it's true, since it comes from the entitlement impaired Ceci, Obama wants us to stop targeting Blue Dogs and other corporate compromised Democrats.

President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation. [...]

"We shouldn't be focusing resources on each other," Obama opined in the call, according to three sources who participated in or listened to the conversation. "We ought to be focused on winning this debate."

Excuse me Mr. President, but these are the people who are blocking reform. Not us. If we don't target them for standing with the GOP and selling us out to their corporate overlords, what incentive do they have to do the right thing? This dump on the lefties so you can look non-partisan schtick is wearing a little thin.

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Deep thought

Where's the tea parties? And what I am supposed to do with all these crumpets?

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Stray thought

Palin says the "hell, yeah" sealed it. Does this mean the devil made her do it?

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Classic Palin

As I'm sure you've heard, Sarah Palin just resigned as governor of Alaska. I'm still pondering about possible reasons she did it but here's the video. Classic Palin. Rambling, nearly incoherent, tortured syntax.





And here's the full transcript of her remarks. I'm guessing something big is behind this. Considering her focus on the evil liberal media and the "frivolous ethics complaints" my first thought is something is about to break about that pipeline deal she put together. Bribes maybe?

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Resistance is futile

Just shoot me now. I signed up for Twitter. You can find me under the astoundingly orginal nym, libbyspencer. I can't believe the name was still available.

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