The angry and unhinged Tea Party folks will gather in Nashville for a convention next week, full of piss and vinegar.
Having an unusually loose grip on reality, the TP people can be counted upon to make outlandish claims about almost everything and scream really loudly.
Unsurprisingly, planning for the Nashville convention isn't going well. Some of the True Believers are fighting with other True Believers. Meanwhile, some of the Tea Party Stars are bailing out. Example: Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann, one of the silliest of the GOP extremists.
Sticking with the plan: half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
NPR has an interesting report on the Tea Party's many problems. The story, in print and audio, can be found here.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A Tribute to the People's Historian, Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn, radical historian, died this week. Zinn was the author of A People's History of the United States, a book that dared to tell the story of the nation by looking at ordinary people and the grassroots, not the high and mighty.
Just think: A scholar who told the story of the U.S. from the point of view of working folks and outsiders.
Celebrating the little guy—what a concept. You might even call it democratic. Read the tribute from Mother Jones here.
Just think: A scholar who told the story of the U.S. from the point of view of working folks and outsiders.
Celebrating the little guy—what a concept. You might even call it democratic. Read the tribute from Mother Jones here.
Colin Firth Glows in Tom Ford's 'A Single Man'
Speaking of drama (see previous post about August: Osage County), we also made it out to Tulsa's art house theater, Circle Cinema, for A Single Man, the directorial debut of clothing designer Tom Ford.
In a sentence, A Single Man is about the day in the life of a gay English professor after the death of his partner in Los Angeles in 1962. British actor Colin Firth stars; his performance is lovely and carefully controlled. It's little wonder that he won Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for this role.
The movie is visually seductive, too, with Firth and co-star Julianne Moore as lonely souls longing for meaning and feeling among the wreckage of their lives.
We didn't know Tom Ford or his clothes before this movie, but based on his stellar direction of this film, we'd like to know more about his clothes. We also hope he makes more movies.
A link to the Circle Cinema is here.
In a sentence, A Single Man is about the day in the life of a gay English professor after the death of his partner in Los Angeles in 1962. British actor Colin Firth stars; his performance is lovely and carefully controlled. It's little wonder that he won Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for this role.
The movie is visually seductive, too, with Firth and co-star Julianne Moore as lonely souls longing for meaning and feeling among the wreckage of their lives.
We didn't know Tom Ford or his clothes before this movie, but based on his stellar direction of this film, we'd like to know more about his clothes. We also hope he makes more movies.
A link to the Circle Cinema is here.
Still Time to See the Tulsa PAC Drama 'August: Osage County'
We braved the snow and ice Friday night to attend the Tulsa PAC performance of August: Osage County, the powerful and funny family drama by Oklahoma native Tracy Letts.
The play was worth the white-knuckle drive.
The fictional Pawhuska family is by turns terrifying and hilarious, giving audiences a range of powerful issues and ideas to consider. Among other themes, Letts is concerned with questions about the meaning of family, love, loyalty, and truth.
In short, there's enough emotion and human frailty here to keep even the skeptical playgoers entertained and challenged, which is no small achievement.
The play continues tonight and Sunday, with two shows. And if you're lucky, the roads will be much improved.
Note: The play is "no holds barred," which means that those audience members with genteel Oklahoma ears may be offended by some of the language.
The play was worth the white-knuckle drive.
The fictional Pawhuska family is by turns terrifying and hilarious, giving audiences a range of powerful issues and ideas to consider. Among other themes, Letts is concerned with questions about the meaning of family, love, loyalty, and truth.
In short, there's enough emotion and human frailty here to keep even the skeptical playgoers entertained and challenged, which is no small achievement.
The play continues tonight and Sunday, with two shows. And if you're lucky, the roads will be much improved.
Note: The play is "no holds barred," which means that those audience members with genteel Oklahoma ears may be offended by some of the language.
Mother Jones Magazine Takes Down WashPo's Tea Party Story
Those hilariously odd Tea Party folks keep fooling the press and public—some of the time. The latest victim: A reporter at the Washington Post who should know better.
As Mother Jones magazine has noted, a recent WaPo story quoted one Tea Party leader who isn't actually much of a leader at all.
Nope. In fact, he's a proud racist, so hateful that even the Tea Party folks are trying to distance themselves from the man.
The Post played along, unwilling or unable to sort out the truth. Read about it here.
As Mother Jones magazine has noted, a recent WaPo story quoted one Tea Party leader who isn't actually much of a leader at all.
Nope. In fact, he's a proud racist, so hateful that even the Tea Party folks are trying to distance themselves from the man.
The Post played along, unwilling or unable to sort out the truth. Read about it here.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Palin's Popularity Takes a Drubbing in Alaska
She is the former half-term governor of the 49th state, but Sarah Palin is taking a beating in the Tundra State.
Talking Points Memo has the results of a new Alaska poll, and Palin's support is fading. The numbers are here.
Talking Points Memo has the results of a new Alaska poll, and Palin's support is fading. The numbers are here.
Oops! GOP Charges that the Stimulus Didn't Work Prove to be Wrong
The Republican naysayers and their allies have been saying it for months. The stimulus package was a big mistake. It didn't work, they kept saying.
Except that it did, as a former McCain adviser admitted today. Details here.
Except that it did, as a former McCain adviser admitted today. Details here.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Union School Board Stands Up for Free Expression; Keeps Book in Library
AltTulsa likes to read. We like ideas. We love books. We believe reading and books are good for adults and children, even when the ideas are different or—heaven forbid!—controversial.
That's why we were pleased to see a Tulsa-area school board stand up for a children's book that included some same-sex couples.
Oh no! You mean there are actual gay people in the world? Even in the Sooner state? Well, yes.
Read the Tulsa World story here.
That's why we were pleased to see a Tulsa-area school board stand up for a children's book that included some same-sex couples.
Oh no! You mean there are actual gay people in the world? Even in the Sooner state? Well, yes.
Read the Tulsa World story here.
The Embarrassing Sen. Jim Inhofe, Part 148
Sen. Jim Inhofe is nobody's idea of a statesman. If he has a civil bone in his body, he's kept it well hidden for years.
So it is no surprise that the former Tulsa mayor (sad, we know…) plays political games whenever he can. Speaking to KRMG about the president's State of the Union speech, for instance, Inhofe didn't bother to think about the president's policies in a serious way.
Instead, he offered a hack attack, arguing that Obama is a really good liar. That's Inhofe's idea of leadership, apparently. As we said, Inhofe is not a statesman, or even a thoughtful politician. This the guy, after all, who brought Dick "Chicken Hawk" Cheney to Tulsa for a fundraiser.
The link, with revealing audio from KRMG, is here.
So it is no surprise that the former Tulsa mayor (sad, we know…) plays political games whenever he can. Speaking to KRMG about the president's State of the Union speech, for instance, Inhofe didn't bother to think about the president's policies in a serious way.
Instead, he offered a hack attack, arguing that Obama is a really good liar. That's Inhofe's idea of leadership, apparently. As we said, Inhofe is not a statesman, or even a thoughtful politician. This the guy, after all, who brought Dick "Chicken Hawk" Cheney to Tulsa for a fundraiser.
The link, with revealing audio from KRMG, is here.
On Fox News: Rudy's Complaint about Obama Turns Out to be Wrong
The GOP attack machine wasted no time in going after President Obama last night—even making up "facts" about the Obama's speech.
Example: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed that the president never even said the word "war" in his State of the Union speech.
Let's go to the videotape, shall we? Oops! It shows that the president used the word "war" seven— count 'em, seven—times.
Giuliani was wrong, like a lot of the wingbags the Right. From what we can tell, some of these folks would rather score political points than tell the truth.
Check out the facts here.
Reclusive 'Catcher in the Rye' Author J.D. Salinger Has Died
J. D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author of Catcher in the Rye, has died at his home in New Hampshire. He was 91.
Read the AP story here.
Read the AP story here.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Dick Armey Wrong Again: Tea Party NOT More Popular Than the GOP
Good ole Dick Armey, conservative activist and former Republican leader in the U.S. House, is blowing smoke again.
Armey, one of the principal windbags behind the Tea Party movement, made this statement the other day: "Right now the Tea Party polls higher than the Republicans and the Democrats."
Only one minor problem here: It's a lie.
PolitiFact has checked out Armey's statement. It's wrong.
As PolitiFact put it, "the pollsters who conducted the survey say it's not accurate to say that the party is more popular than Democrats or Republicans."
Armey, one of the principal windbags behind the Tea Party movement, made this statement the other day: "Right now the Tea Party polls higher than the Republicans and the Democrats."
Only one minor problem here: It's a lie.
PolitiFact has checked out Armey's statement. It's wrong.
As PolitiFact put it, "the pollsters who conducted the survey say it's not accurate to say that the party is more popular than Democrats or Republicans."
Monday, January 25, 2010
Going Carless in Tulsa: A Bold Experiment, Especially in January
In a city once known as as the Oil Capital of the World, doing without an automobile is brave. Very brave. Especially in January.
That's why we want to recommend a Tulsa blog called, appropriately enough, Carless in Tulsa. It's an experiment on what it's like to go without wheels in a very car-oriented city.
The writers are Kristin and Nate, brave folks indeed. Check out their blog here.
(Hat tip to blogger Michael Bates of Batesline.)
That's why we want to recommend a Tulsa blog called, appropriately enough, Carless in Tulsa. It's an experiment on what it's like to go without wheels in a very car-oriented city.
The writers are Kristin and Nate, brave folks indeed. Check out their blog here.
(Hat tip to blogger Michael Bates of Batesline.)
GOP Thinking: South Carolina Republican Compares the Poor to 'Stray Animals'
AltTulsa loves those South Carolina conservatives. The state that produced Dixiecrat Strom Thurman and the Appalachian Trail hiker (ha!) Gov. Mark Sanford has no shortage of grandstanding blowhards.
The most recent example is Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, a candidate for governor who—in a burst of candor—complained about (what else?) poor people. Turns out, he says, that they breed! (Who knew?)
From The State in Columbia:
The most recent example is Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, a candidate for governor who—in a burst of candor—complained about (what else?) poor people. Turns out, he says, that they breed! (Who knew?)
From The State in Columbia:
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer has compared giving people government assistance to "feeding stray animals."
Bauer, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor, made his remarks during a town hall meeting in Fountain Inn that included state lawmakers and about 115 residents.To be fair, he has tried to explain what he now says he really meant.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
WaPost Writer Blasts Supreme Court's Corporate Money Decision
You may have heard about last week's Supreme Court decision (a 5-4 vote) striking down bans on corporate money in election campaigns.
The reason this decision is getting a lot of bad press is because it seems to tilt the playing field in electoral politics to corporations, which have big money and the will to spend it to get what they want from favored politicians—and punish those who won't play ball with corporate power.
Writing in the Washington Post, Ruth Marcus has blasted the decision, taking apart its numerous errors. Here's the opening paragraph:
The reason this decision is getting a lot of bad press is because it seems to tilt the playing field in electoral politics to corporations, which have big money and the will to spend it to get what they want from favored politicians—and punish those who won't play ball with corporate power.
Writing in the Washington Post, Ruth Marcus has blasted the decision, taking apart its numerous errors. Here's the opening paragraph:
In opening the floodgates for corporate money in election campaigns, the Supreme Court did not simply engage in a brazen power grab. It did so in an opinion stunning in its intellectual dishonesty.A link to the entire column is on our Twitter feed on the right.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)