The Party of Love, Making Its Voice Heard

Looks like the American Right has apparently decided to turn itself into exactly the kind of angry, strident, hysterically paranoid fringe that they once accused the Left of being.

Billy Mays Won't Be Selling Health Insurance Any More. Does This Seem Right To You?

iCan pulls Billy Mays commercial:

TMZ reports that "Today (Aug. 13) is the last day you'll be seeing the late, great Billy Mays endorse health insurance -- the company behind one of the legendary pitchman's most recent commercials has officially pulled the spot off the air. . . For the record, the company did get the OK from the family to continue running Billy's ad -- and Billy's son also made the following point on his Twitter page, "When actors die, their movies continue to play, right?"

But here's the problem: Would a company selling a health insurance product really want it's pitchman to be a guy who recently died at the age of 50, with the autopsy report suggesting that cocaine was a factor? That's the problem.

Well, shoot. I'm going to miss calling out "Dead Man Yelling!" every time a Mays ad comes on the air.

The Party of Love Returns

Man Holding 'Death to Obama' Sign Investigated by Secret Service

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (Aug. 13) -- The Secret Service is investigating a man who authorities said held a sign reading "Death to Obama" outside a town hall meeting on health-care reform in western Maryland.
The sign also read, "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids," referring to the first name of President Barack Obama's wife, said Washington County Sheriff's Capt. Peter Lazich.

But don't you see? it's okay to hold a sign calling for the murder of not only the President, but his wife and kids, because SOMEONE MADE A JOKE ABOUT BRISTOL PALIN!

Anyone remember any protester from ACORN or Code Pink or any allegedly "leftist" group during the Bush Administration holding up signs saying "Death to Laura and the Twins?" Anyone recall any "Death to Cindy and Megan McCain" signs?

Anyone? Anyone?

Vaya Con Dios

Guitar legend Les Paul dies at age 94

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Les Paul, the guitarist and inventor who changed the course of music with the electric guitar and multitrack recording and had a string of hits, many with wife Mary Ford, died on Thursday. He was 94.

According to Gibson Guitar, Paul died of complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital. His family and friends were by his side.

There's some argument over who actually "invented" the electric guitar; Leo Fender and, of all people, Merle Travis have also claimed credit. But I think it's safe to say that without Les Paul's inventive genius, we would not have Rock and Roll, at least not rock as we know it.

Thanks, Les. R.I.P.

Next Season on "Law and Order"

Brazil TV Host Wallace Souza in Murder Probe

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Aug. 11) - In one murder after another, the "Canal Livre" crime TV show had an uncanny knack for being first on the scene, gathering graphic footage of the victim.
Too uncanny, say police, who are investigating the show's host, state legislator Wallace Souza, on suspicion of commissioning at least five of the murders to boost his ratings and prove his claim that Brazil's Amazon region is awash in violent crime. Police also have accused Souza of drug trafficking...

The killings of competing drug traffickers... "appear to have been committed to get rid of his rivals and increase the audience of the TV show."

Of course, for all I know this may have already BEEN an episode of Law and Order...

Sarah Palin Is Lying

Former Governor Palin:

The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

FACT CHECK No death panel in health care bill:

Nothing in the legislation would carry out such a bleak vision. The provision that has caused the uproar would instead authorize Medicare to pay doctors for counseling patients about end-of-life care, if the patient wishes. Here are some questions and answers on the controversy:

Q: Does the health care legislation bill promote "mercy killing," or euthanasia?

A: No.

More at the link.

Let us repeat: there is nothing whatsoever in this bill or in any health care bill currently being considered that can even be interpreted to create any sort of "death panel" or any mechanism that assesses a person's "level of productivity in society" to determine if they get medical care.

When people talk about the current political climate, they often bemoan the lack of "civility" in discourse,. In fact, Governor Palin herself, after her outrageous falsehood, has called for more "civility" in the health care debate.

But con artists like Caribou Barbie exploit good people's natural reluctance to call a lie a lie in order to run their con game. They know that nice people hate to go up to someone, even someone telling the most egregious lie, and go "you know what? You're lying." They depend on it.

Well, I'm not a nice person. And I'll come right out and say it:

Sarah Palin is lying. She is lying to try to scare people away from health care reform. She is lying becuase, if she told the actual truth about health care reform, she knows people would probably support it. She cannot win the debate with the truth, so she lies. She lies shamelessly and in such a way as to insult the intelligence of Americans. And, after moaning and whining about people talking about her family, she holds up her Down's syndrome baby like a bloody shirt because she thinks it'll make people all teary eyed and more reluctant to call her on her bullshit.

This is such a transparent lie that it shows her utter contempt for her supporters. She's treating you like rubes. Like marks. Like sheep who can be herded into the shearing pen and fleeced at leisure. She thinks you're all too stupid to question her.

And this is the person being touted as the GOP's next Presidential candidate? She is despicable.