What part of "filibuster-proof majority" does Harry Reid not understand?

Harry Reid Lashes Out at Republicans After Senate Sinks Medicare Measure

It's pretty awesome. Republicans have no power, and yet all the power:

Last week he accused Republicans of trying to kill health care reform, saying, "Republicans will do everything in their power to stop reform this time." When asked Tuesday why the Senate had not passed an extension of unemployment insurance benefits, Reid responded, "The word starts with an R.' Republicans. Republicans."

At some point one of his aides might want to explain to Reid that he doesn't need a single Republican vote to pass any of his dumb bills. But not today, I like us being all-powerful

And another one

Yet another ACORN video, with a very willing ACORN employee helping our happy hooker and pimp, has surfaced. A must, must see.

Pay up

Back in 2007, a Fox News story noted:

The Wall Street giants that received a financial lifeline from Washington may have no compunction about paying big bonuses to their dealmakers and traders. But their willingness to deliver “thank you” gifts to President Bush and the Republicans is another question altogether.

The left went ballistic, insisting that the money "lifeline" given to these firms was a loan and any "gift" made to the president or to Republican candidates was not only unseemly but practically illegal. They raged the money was not Bush's to give away and that bailing out his Wall Street buddies at the American taxpayer's expense deserved him no gifts.

Oh, wait, no, I got my dates all wrong. Actually what happened is the NY Times published an article today noting:

The Wall Street giants that received a financial lifeline from Washington may have no compunction about paying big bonuses to their dealmakers and traders. But their willingness to deliver “thank you” gifts to President Obama and the Democrats is another question altogether.

Like, with a straight face.

But lest you start worrying about that ungrateful Wall Street not contributing enough to Obama and the Democrats, the article goes on to tell you "in recent years, Democrats are raising far more from Wall Street executives than Republicans," and also that Obama will be in NY today for a big dollar fundraiser, each donor paying the $30,400 maximum and that "Four of the seven “co-chairs” listed on the invitation work in finance, and Democratic Party organizers say they expect that about a third of the attendees will come from the industry." Apparently that's not enough for the Times who sniffs that only about half a dozen will come from the bailed out firms. How completely ungrateful.

Ouchy

The Motley Fool takes on the Washington Redskins.

Conclusion:

As owner of the Redskins, Dan Snyder's a textbook example of how not to lead an organization. His tenure's all about excessive micromanagement, myopia, and thus far, unequivocal failure. As Fools, it is incumbent upon us to recognize these practices and avoid them as we walk down a road to financial success. Don't be like the 'Skins and Snyder, and please don't park your money with those who are.

Bill De Blasio is so racist

Rudy Giuliani, while campaigning for Mike Bloomberg (gag), told a group of Orthodox Jews:

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Mr. Giuliani said .... “This city could very easily be taken back in a very different direction — it could very easily be taken back to the way it was with the wrong political leadership.”

Incoming Public Advocate Bill De Blasio (we don't have elections in NYC, we have Democratic party coronations), calls the comment, what else, racist.

Now, everyone knows what NYC was before Giuliani. Everyone. Anywhere I went in the world, they had heard about what Giuliani did in NYC, how he cleaned up a failing, decrepit place and made it a world-class city again. So why does Bill De Blasio assume that the failures of pre-Giuliani NYC were the fault of minorities? How else could Giuliani's statement be read as racist? And, isn't De Blasio the actual racist for making his assumption? You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Adds, "duh"

White House criticism of Fox increasing ratings: Murdoch

Welcome to Britain, Geert Wilders

Geert Wilders, described as "far-right wing" by the British press, and actually banned from visiting Britain for a time, arrived in Britain to the protest above.

What makes him so radical?

Well, he makes statements such as "I have a problem with the Islamic ideology, the Islamic culture, because I feel that the more Islam we get in our societies, the less freedom we get."

The irony that those protesting his visit are saying the exact same thing seems to escape notice.

Song of the Day

"Piazza, New York Catcher" by Belle & Sebastian.

This is the best version of the song that I could find, and it's a fairly bad, live version:

This guy does a really excellent, clean, cover version:

Don't you all wish you were on twitter?

Last night, on twitter, I somehow became part of what Ben Smith called "a minor, major cultural moment."

You all know my feelings on Meghan McCain. To sum up, I think she's dumb as a doorbell and a terrible representative of any Republican ideal, even the ones where she and I share a position (her arguments are completely empty--her argument on gay marriage amounts to "don't hate", insulting those with a different opinion, which is the least effective way of changing peoples' minds) . As I've said before, I don't *hate* her, I just want her the hell off the national stage as the token "Republican". Her father is bad for the party and so is she. Both are just media pawns who give the right anti-Republican soundbite while getting to attach themselves to the Republican brand.

My friend Allahpundit, however, likes Meghan and has defended her against conservatives who don't on many occasions. To thank him for this, she's has insulted and mocked him in public several times, calling him creepy (thanks for the pic, dahlhalla) and, last night, likening him to Buffalo Bill of Silence of the Lambs:

"pretty much my image of @allahpundit is I am the chick from silence of the lambs and he is screaming at me in a hole 2 put lotion on my skin"

I don't "follow" her on twitter so when I started to see people repeating what she said about Allah, I got kind of pissed. It's one thing to be a jerk. It's another to be a jerk to someone who has been so good to you for so long.

I wrote to her: "you're really sick to shit on someone who defended you like @allahpundit did. Shows you like being treated bad." And added: "You'll get what you deserve, I imagine you already do."

About 45 minutes later, Jake Tapper, Sr White House Correspondent for ABC News, tweeted:

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot people? Leave @McCainBlogette alone. if she's not your cup of tea, move on. Yeesh. So foxtrot lame."

Then adding:

"am not taking issue with those who disagree with @McCainBlogette. but ppl are just foxtrot rude and foxtrot mean. it's foxtrot lame."

And

"and frankly -- it's cowardly."

I assumed he was talking to people like me, I had just criticized her. I had to ask people what foxtrot meant. What? I'm an immigrant!

I wrote back "I'll move on as soon as she is never again on my tv." And "How is cowardly? I'd say it all to her face."

Jake has somehow never heard of me, shocker I know, so he responded:

"you'd say it all to her face? you dont even use your full name in your tweets!"

It's true, I use Karolnyc because my old last name was 7 letters and my new last name has 9. Twitter has a 140 character limit and I don't want people cutting off my name when they retweet me.

Lots of people jumped to my defense explaining that I was not at all anonymous, including Greg Pollowitz and Patterico (thanks, guys). Jake Tapper ended our argument with "I'm not going to quarrel with a defender of @allahpundit." Oh yeah, because who we should be defending is the overexposed, undertalented and generally nutso daughter of a failed presidential candidate who is determined to spin her lineage into a career for herself. That's who needs our defending.

Anyway, turns out it's unlikely Jake was talking about criticizers like me, anyway. Apparently, shortly after she insulted Allahpundit she decided to post a photograph of herself at home which was about 80% boobs, 10% head and 10% the book she wanted to showcase. I post the pic after the jump, I don't consider it safe for work.

This photo was the one that got her a slew of comments. How surprising, right? A woman posts a photo of her breasts online and people have commentary! It's like the internet is a place where people can just willy nilly post opinions and seeing the breasts of someone half-way famous can make them all judgmental. Please, people, contain your shock. It looks like the comments that she got on this photo are the comments that Jake Tapper found so offensive and Meggers has now threatened to quit Twitter. The concept of simply not posting pictures of her breasts is not one she is familiar with.

So there you have it. Last night's minor major cultural moment. Don't all run out and get on twitter all at once now.

I don't think he's overtaking the Che shirt anytime soon

Evan Coyne Maloney looks at the rise and fall of using Obama's image in marketing in a telling ten minute video. Check it out.

What's the difference between football and dogfighting?

Malcolm Gladwell says not much. While reading this article it's hard not to marvel at the fact that dogfighting is illegal and reviled while football and boxing are legal and celebrated.

We don't want to distract CNN from fact-checking Saturday Night Live, of course

Mark Steyn wonders how exactly Rush Limbaugh should prove that he didn't say the racist comments wrongly attributed to him.

Why do people overshare online?

Maybe because they have no one to overshare with in real life. From an article on Facebook and divorce:

”It’s not like bitching about your ex-wife to your neighbor over the fence,” said Laura Merritt, “you just told 600 people, who might tell 600 people …” Find yourself a neighbor and a fence.

I am too!

The Washington Times editorial page is offended that while the White House has decided to wage war on Fox News, no one is waging war on them.

UPDATE: Tweet of the day.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Video of the day (scroll down to bottom vid).

Bumper sticker in Miami

Weekend

We're off to Miami for a little babymoon this weekend. If you've got Miami suggestions, leave them in the comment section. Have a great weekend!

No, seriously?

This has got to be some sort of joke.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize.

Hot Air notes Obama took office two weeks before the nomination deadline for the prize. And his only peace brokering, between a white cop and a black professor, happened well after that.

We all know the prize ceased to mean anything when they gave it to Yasser Arafat but still!

Even Obama was shocked saying "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve this" to which Michelle Malkin responded DING DING DING.

Ridiculous.

You must be some backward American if you don't get it

French Culture Minister admits to sexual tourism in Thailand with young boys. Also, condemns sexual tourism and pedophilia.

Who is voting for this guy?

Mike Bloomberg has reporters wear his campaign stickers at press conferences.

Because no one would put Courtney Love in charge of sanity

Dorian Davis has a humorous obituary for the so-called "public option".

Stop. The. Presses.

This is considered a shocking revelation, especially after all the recent articles saying women have sex to get men to do the dishes, relieve boredom etc.:

Why do women have sex?

For the same reasons men do, explain the authors of a groundbreaking new book that looks deep inside female desire

Contain your surprise.

Get off the stage. And take Meghan McCain with you.

I caught this ad, featuring Sarah Palin's daughter's ex-boyfriend, last night:

I'm not sure if it's more unbelieveable that this guy has managed to extend his 15 minutes of fame or that someone, somewhere, believes anyone will buy something hawked by him.

Pa-the-tic

CNN fact-checks Saturday Night Live.

The twitterverse is mocking this by pointing out all the other things on SNL which were possibly stretching the truth. A good click.

UPGRADE: Haha.

And no Jewish mother is going to like how skinny he looks

I had heard about the Gilad Shalit video, proving he is alive and reading a statement, but it's really different to hear about the video than to actually watch it. Click over and see him. Despite the fact that he's partially reading Palestinian propaganda, the people holding him come off as the animals which they are.

Friday, baby

We're celebrating one year since we got engaged (yes, we're still in the celebrate-everything phase) by going back to the scene of the engagement: Atlantic City.

I shared this on twitter and facebook so may as well mention it here too: The Chelsea Hotel in AC is offering a buy one night, get one night free offer using the code B1G1. It's a really nice hotel, rooftop heated pool, etc., definitely recommended.

Have a great weekend!

How awesome is this picture?

From ESPN.com:

Hat-tip IC.

Olympics=welfare

Chicago didn't get the games, even with Obama there, how embarrassing. But other than the fact that I don't like seeing the U.S. get dissed, no matter who is in charge, I definitely am happy with the decision and don't consider it "rooting against America" (as conservatives cheering this decision are being accused of already) to not want the games here.

I see the Olympic Games as a way to help decrepit, antiquated cities build up their infrastructures. It's more embarrassing to imagine that there are places in America, (Chicago!), that would need this type of reconstructing. Having been to Rio, it seems like the natural choice for the games. Super high crime, falling down buildings, straight out of the 1970's. They can use the help, I hope they get it.

Or else I'm going to have to say it again.

Obama: Iran must follow through on nuke promises

Not every liberal has lost their ever-loving mind over Polanski

Katha Pollitt rips him a new one.

Back soon

Busy few days, will try to do some blogging tonight.

Sidenote for NY'ers: this W Hotels sale is pretty awesome. I got some incredible sheets very, very cheap (also a dress, a vase and some other stuff but the sheets are the standout bargain). 400 thread count duvet covers are $25. Get there.