Harmony & Me

On Whom the Rain Comes Down

2010-10-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sixteen eclectic tracks for this rainy October Sunday. The set includes classic tracks from the Smiths, Eric Clapton and Earth, Wind and Fire, as well as new material from Elton John & Leon Russell, Blue Six, and Pete Yorn.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
Shameless - Groove Armada (feat. Bryan Ferry)
Hey Ahab - Elton John & Leon Russell
I Can't Stand It - Eric Clapton
Sing a Song - Earth, Wind, and Fire
Suzy & Jeffrey - Blondie
Going Through the Motions - Aimee Mann
Hello - Antigone Rising
She's a Rainbow - The Rolling Stones
Keep Me In Mind - The Bamboos
1975 - Incognito (feat. Joy Rose)
Rainy Days and Mondays - The Carpenters
Stronger Than - Pete Yorn
Sooner or Later - Fleetwood Mac
Luxury - Blue Six
...From Africa - Electric Conversation

Me & My Arrow

2010-10-17T11:16:00.001-07:00

Twenty-one tracks for your October Sunday, running the gamut from Florence + the Machine and Ladyhawke, to Morcheeba and the Avett Brothers. Classics from Harry Nilsson and Led Zeppelin round things out, as well as a lost gem from Mitch Ryder and Marianne Faithful.

Click play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + the Machine
Big Wave - Jenny and Johnny
Dance With Me - M.E.G.
Me and My Arrow - Harry Nilsson
Blood Like Lemonade - Morcheeba
L.I.E. - N'dambi
Electric Feel - MGMT
Wake Up Everybody - John Legend & the Roots
Can't Help This Feeling - The Herbaliser
Like Any Woman Would - Patti Scialfa
My Old School - Steely Dan
Winds of Change - Fleetwood Mac
Murder In the City (Live) - The Avett Brothers
Excuses - Minus the Bear
Tomorrow Is a Long Time - Nickel Creek
Goodbye - Emmylou Harris
Lotta Love - Nicolette Larson
A Thrill's a Thrill - Mitch Ryder/Marianne Faithful
Dusk 'till Dawn - Ladyhawke
Going to California - Led Zeppelin
Trust in Me - Etta James

Bubble Gum Pop Parade

2010-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

The schmalz from your past, presented in bright, shiny Technicolor!

Playlist:

I Just Want to Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb
Billy, Don't Be a Hero - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
Sugar, Sugar - The Archies
Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree - Tony Orlando and Dawn
Keep On Singing - Helen Reddy
Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks
Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
Lonely Nights (Angel Face) - Captain & Tennille
You Don't Have to Be a Star - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
Shake 'um Up - The Sylvers
Kiss On My List - Daryl Hall and John Oates
Give It Up - KC
Boom Boom Boom - Paul Lekakis
Kokomo - Beach Boys
Blue - Eiffel 65
Bye Bye Bye - NSync
Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake

Again, Autumn

2010-10-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks off, the Sunday playlist returns with a mix that is pitch perfect for these early October autumn days. Set includes material from the Avett Brothers, !!!, Bob Mould, Broken Bells, and a stunningly gorgeous acapella version of "Yesterday" from the Sylvers.

Click play and enjoy...

Playlist:

When I Drink - The Avett Brothers
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Even Judas Gave Jesus a Kiss - !!!
The Breach - Bob Mould
Saturday Sun - Crowded House
Clear Skies - Keane
October - Broken Bells
The Trip to Pirate's Cove - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Just for Tonight - Groove Armada
Another Day - Jamie Lidell
Choo Choo Cha Cha - Rinky Dinks
Come See About Me - The Supremes
Yesterday - The Sylvers
Lay Me Down - Crosby & Nash

Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley

2010-09-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

Seventeen tracks for your mid-September. Set includes material from Florence & the Machine, the Cult, Bottle of Justus, and the New Pornographers.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Something Big - The Mick Fleetwood Band
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Raise It Up - Florence & the Machine
Wave Goodbye - Bottle of Justus
Love in a Trash Can - The Raveonettes
Brand New Cadillac - The Clash
Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley - Robert Palmer
Sweet Talk - The New Pornographers
Save Me, San Francisco - Train
I'm Sorry Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Anymore - Bob Mould
Another Runaway - Ladyhawke
The High Road - Broken Bells
You Can Dance - Bryan Ferry
California - Phantom Planet
Eden Is Burning - John Mellencamp
On a High - Duncan Sheik
Time Is Running Out - Steve Winwood

Dirty Little Secret

2010-08-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Fourteen tracks for these late summer days. Set includes Robbie Williams, Deee-Lite, 54 Seconds, as well as classics from Stereo MCs, Jean Knight, and Dusty Springfield.

Click play and enjoy...

Playlist:

The Only One I Know - Robbie Williams
Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
Picnic in the Summertime - Deee Lite
Big Wave - Jenny and Johnny
Dirty Little Secret - 54 Seconds
The Trip to Pirate's Cove - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Wake Up Everybody - John Legend & the Roots (w/Common and Melanie Fiona)
Fade Up - Shawn Lee
Valerie - Amy Winehouse
Kissed It - Macy Gray w/ Velvet Revolver
Bailamos - Fergie
Connected - Stereo MCs
You Can Dance - Bryan Ferry
Spooky - Dusty Springfield

Save Some Time to Dream

2010-08-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Twelve tracks for your mid-August Sunday. Set includes brand new material from Bryan Ferry, Ben Folds, and Jenny & Johnny; plus classics from Marvin Gaye, Bob Mould and a beautiful track from Toni Collette.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

From Above - Ben Folds & Nick Hornby
Big Wave - Jenny & Johnny
Solitary Gun - Rogue Wave
In the Sun - She & Him
You Can Dance - Bryan Ferry
Shelter Me - Bob Mould
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly & the Family Stone
Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
Lowdown - Incognito (feat. Chaka Khan & Mario Biondi)
I'll Remember You - Grayson Hugh
Save Some Time to Dream - John Mellencamp
Beautiful Awkward Pictures - Toni Collette

In Praise of the Sun

2010-08-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist is heavy on the dance/electronic side of the musical spectrum, and includes hot tracks from Janelle Monáe, Plaisir de France, Essential Groovers, and the brand new singles from Kylie Minogue and Donna Summer.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Dance or Die - Janelle Monáe
The Way You Love Me - Colton Ford
Disco Jalousie - Plaisir de France
Gorgeous - Idina Menzel
Get Outta My Way (Mat Zo Remix) - Kylie Minogue
That Funky Saxx - Essential Groovers
Sirens of the Sea (Sonorous Remix) - OceanLab
The Flood (Danny Kirsch Remix) - Kate Melua
Dreams - Deep Dish
Sirènes de la Fête - Brazilian Girls
To Paris, With Love - Donna Summer
Feel the Love (Greg Wilson Remix) - Rocha
Rock and a Hard Place - Supreme Beings of Leisure

Fool's Paradise

2010-08-08T10:27:00.001-07:00

New releases and modern classics highlight this week's playlist of fourteen hand-picked tracks. Set includes excellent remakes of the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back" (from Sheryl Crow) and Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes' "Wake Up Everybody" (by John Legend and the Roots), plus new material from Arcade Fire, the Candles, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and a new solo single from Killers front-man Brandon Flowers. Classics from Harry Nilsson, Doves, and Morcheeba round things out.

Click play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Wake Up Everybody - John Legend & the Roots (w/ Common & Melanie Fiona)
I Want You Back - Sheryl Crow
Fool's Paradise - The Sylvers
I.O.I.O. - Bee Gees
Waiting for the Truth - The Candles
On Main Street - Los Lobos
The Trip to Pirate's Cove - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
County Fair - John Mellencamp
Snowden - Doves
Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
The Sea - Morcheeba
Today - Zero 7

Breakout

2010-08-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist is all over the map. We begin with one of the hottest tracks of the summer, Janelle Monáe's "Dance or Die" which leads into Sia's excellent take on Madonna's "Oh Father." Incognito come in later with another remake, Boz Scaggs' "Lowdown," which features Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi. Rounding out the set is new material from Caravan Palace, Blue Six, and Buff Roshi.

Click play, sit back, and enjoy.

Playlist:

Dance or Die - Janelle Monáe
Oh Father - Sia
Star Scat - Caravan Palace
Fire With Fire (Digital Dog Remix) - Scissor Sisters
Alice - Moby
Sympathy for the Devil (The Neptunes Remix) - Rolling Stones
Saturday Sun - Crowded House
Lowdown - Incognito (w/ Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi)
Tonight Let's All Make Love In London - Buff Roshi
You Used to Rock - Blue Six
Crimson - Morcheeba
Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin' - Mayer Hawthorne
Hourglass Song (Unlived, Part 2) - Phil Putnam
Surrender - Cheyenne Jackson
Breakout - Bee Gees

I Heart California

2010-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

A selection of fourteen eclectic tracks sent your way from the Left Coast. Set includes new material from Admiral Radley, Stereophonics, Sia, and Crowded House; as well as classic tunes from Robbie Williams, Bob Mould, and the Beastie Boys.

Click play and enjoy...

Playlist:

I Heart California - Admiral Radley
Saturday Sun - Crowded House
Life and Times - Bob Mould
If I Had You - Adam Lambert
Dance or Die - Janelle Monáe
You've Changed - Sia
My Time - Minus the Bear
Jesus In a Camper Van - Robbie Williams
She's Alright - Stereophonics
Breakout - Bee Gees
The Rat Cage - Beastie Boys
How Do You Do? - Mouth & MacNeal
Summertime - Nina Simone
Boo Hoo - Skye Edwards

This Town

2010-07-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Fifteen subdued tracks for this July Sunday. Set begins with a beautiful track from Austin-based 54 Seconds (featuring haunting lead vocals by Spencer Gibb, the son of Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees), then moves on with new material from the Roots, Broken Bells and Keane. Also included: Jamiroquai, Weekend Players, and two tracks from the gorgeous Idina Menzel.

Playlist:

Ben's Letter - 54 Seconds
The Fire - The Roots (w/ John Legend)
The Ghost Inside - Broken Bells
Clear Skies - Keane
Undeniable - Mat Kearney
Shameless - Groove Armada (w/ Bryan Ferry)
Easier Said Than Done - Morcheeba
Jericho - Weekend Players
The Jaunt - The Poets of Rhythm
This Town - Frank Sinatra
The Life of the Party - Idina Menzel
Stillness In Time - Jamiroquai
Lose That Girl - Saint Etienne
K+D+B - The Chemical Brothers
Dance With Me - M.E.G.
No Day But Today - Idina Menzel

Separate and Equal Station

2010-07-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

A gi-normous 4th of July mega-playlist provides the soundtrack to this gorgeous summertime weekend. Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Hella Good - No Doubt
Stand Back - Stevie Nicks
California - Phantom Planet
I Can't Get Next to You - Annie Lennox
Tough at the Top - EZ Rollers
Honey - Moby
Bailamos - Fergie
World of the Plastic Beach - Gorillaz (w/ Snoop Dogg)
Summer Madness - Kool and the Gang
Lowdown - Boz Scaggs
Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan
Saturday In the Park - Chicago
Waterfalls - TLC
The Fire - The Roots w/ John Legend
Undeniable - Mat Kearney
Cat People - David Bowie
Rumbleseat - John Mellencamp
The Crush of Love - Joe Satriani
Rev It Up - Jerry Harrison
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Love In a Trash Can - The Raveonettes
Kids - Robbie Williams / Kylie Minogue
To Love Somebody - Bee Gees
Rome Wasn't Built In a Day - Morcheeba
You Know How to Love Me - Phyllis Hyman
The Way You Love Me - Colton Ford
Music & Wine - Blue Six
Don't Stop, Get Off - The Sylvers
Nutbush City Limits - Ike and Tina Turner
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - Susan Tedeschi
Back Home - Bottle of Justus
Summer Angel - Minus the Bear
Right Here, Right Now - Fatboy Slim
Give the Drummer Some - Nickodemus
Summer In the City - Quincy Jones
Maybe So, Maybe No - Mayer Hawthorne
Something Big - The Mick Fleetwood Band
Kissed It - Macy Gray w/ Velvet Revolver

Proud

2010-06-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Eighteen tracks provide the soundtrack for your Pride celebration. Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Holiday - Madonna
One More Minute - Saint Tropez
The Boss - Diana Ross
Mahogany (Do You Know) - The Sylvers
Rumour Has It - Donna Summer
In the Bush - Musique
Believe - Cher
Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
Music Sounds Better With You - Stardust
No More Tears - Barbra Streisand / Donna Summer
Disco Queen - Paul Jabara
Star Love - Cheryl Lynn
Fire Night Dance - Peter Jacques Band
Midnight Love Affair - Carol Douglas
Woman - Barrabas
Honeybee - Gloria Gaynor
Fire Island - Village People
Go West - Pet Shop Boys

A Night at Big Chicks

2010-06-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist is a "rerun" of sorts. Originally put together about a year ago, I re-post this weekend in memory of my dear friend Geoff Hulet (1969 - 2010), front and center in the picture above, who was unexpectedly taken from us this past week. The set is a celebration of those heady days of yester-year when Geoff, Gil, Todd, Justin, Cindy, and I would spend Fridays nights hanging out at Michelle Fire's Big Chicks in Chicago.

Press the play button below and enjoy...

Playlist:

Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth
Stupid Girl - Garbage
Intergalatic - Beastie Boys
Ray of Light - Madonna
Scream - Michael Jackson / Janet Jackson
Fast Love - George Michael
Praise You - Fat Boy Slim
Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Jungle Boogie - Kool and the Gang
Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Space Cowboy - Jamiroquai
You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gees
The Love I Lost - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

Emotionally Slutty

2010-06-06T10:05:00.001-07:00

Brent, Gil, Duane and I are heading out this Sunday to catch up on the latest shenanigans of Carrie, Samantha and the rest of the girls. In celebration, I present this week's playlist.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Manhattan - Ella Fitzgerald
Get This Party Started - P!nk
Sexbomb - Tom Jones
More, More, More - Andrea True Connection
The Music's No Good Without You - Cher
Native New Yorker - Odyssey
Love Hangover - Diana Ross
Love Foolosophy - Jamiroquai
Tits on the Radio - Scissor Sisters
I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan
I Can't Get Next to You - Annie Lennox
In These Shoes? - Bette Midler
Downtown - Petula Clark
By Your Side - Sade
Our Day Will Come - Julie London
Moon River - Henry Mancini

Summer Ale

2010-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer here in the U.S. The weather is warming up quickly, school is ending, vacation plans are being made. I am sure many of you will be lighting up the grill in celebration. Here are fourteen tracks to provide part of the soundtrack for this summer day.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Tough at the Top - EZ Rollers
Rev It Up - Jerry Harrison
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan
Evil Ways - Rusted Root
Do It Any Way You Wanna - People's Choice
Stomp - The Brothers Johnson
Give the Drummer Some - Nickodemus
Trout - Neneh Cherry / Michael Stipe
Clap Your Hands - Sia
Heard It On the Radio - The Bird and the Bee
California - Phantom Planet
The Breach - Bob Mould
Roll With It - Steve Winwood

Carry Me On My Way

2010-05-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist begins with the brand new single from Morcheeba (with lead singer Skye Edwards rejoining the group after a rather dramatic split in 2004). Also included: New material from Minus the Bear, Keane, and Groove Armada; and classics from Boz Scaggs, Fleetwood Mac, and James Taylor.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Even Though - Morcheeba
Excuses - Minus the Bear
JoJo - Boz Scaggs
Lucky - Jason Mraz w/ Colbie Caillat
Winds of Change - Fleetwood Mac
Waiting For That Day - George Michael
Just for Tonight - Groove Armada w/ Jess Larrabee
Did You See Me Coming? - Pet Shop Boys
Your Love - Keane
More Than This - Phil Putnam
Waiting For Your Love - Toto
Love - Erykah Badu
Tomorrow - Lisa Shaw
Black Sands - Bonobo
Carry Me On My Way - James Taylor
What Are You Like? - Indigo Girls
Sweet Virginia - The Rolling Stones

San Francisco Days

2010-05-17T06:30:00.001-07:00

Brent and I decided to get up and catch the Bay to Breakers event yesterday, thus the reason this playlist is a day late. We start things off with a tribute to the late, great Lena Horne, before breaking out into some serious rock, pop, and R&B that is sure to get the blood pumping this Monday morning.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

You Won't Forget Me - Lena Horne
Brand New Cadillac - The Clash
Galvanize - The Chemical Brothers
I See You Baby - Groove Armada
Clap Your Hands - Sia
Clear Skies - Keane
Rough Boys - Pete Townshend
Black and White Town - Doves
Summer Angel - Minus the Bear
Save Me, San Francisco - Train
Hella Good - No Doubt
Free Style - The Sylvers
L.I.E. - N'dambi
Like Any Woman Would - Patti Scialfa
The Sea - Morcheeba
All In Forms - Bonobo

Obama's Job Approval Still Strong

2010-05-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

As the Daily Dish says, it's time for a "reality check."

Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval:

Approve 51%
Disapprove 42%

Cornerstone

2010-05-15T14:44:00.001-07:00

The President's weekly address:

Big Gay Album Alert

2010-05-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

This single is scheduled for release next month. The album, "Aphrodite," for July 5th. Boys, bears, and otters...I present the brand new song from that venerable diva of divas...

Kylie Minogue

A Groove That Makes You Wanna Move Real Smooth

2010-05-14T16:13:00.001-07:00

Number one this week, 34 years ago...

"Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers

The Black Jail

2010-05-14T16:12:00.001-07:00

What the fuck is this?!?

End-of-the-Week Levity

2010-05-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

Glenn Beck has Nazi Tourette's!

Best Lewis Black commentary EVER...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Back in Black - Glenn Beck's Nazi Tourette's

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

A Methadone for Overseas Oil Addiction

2010-05-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

Chris Matthew places are huge chunk of the blame for the oil spill fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico with Dick Cheney:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And Lisa Margonelli examines the Gulf oil travesty:

...we may determine that business as usual doesn't work for offshore drilling - which leaves us unable to count on the 40 percent of domestic oil production we were expecting to get from the offshore industry in the next ten years. Rereading what's been written about offshore oil drilling over the last few years, it's obvious it was thought to be the methadone for our overseas oil addiction. Now what?

An entire ocean is being destroyed at an alarming daily rate, yet there are still those who insist offshore oil drilling is the way to go, including the President of the United States. It seems it's up to congress to stop this shit. And they'll have to do it before November when the Drill Baby Drill Republican Fascists are bound to pick up seats.

Four things need to happen at this point: 1) BP needs to get out of the way and let someone who knows how to deal with this take over the task of stopping the gushing oil; 2) BP needs to pay for every last fuckin' dime of the clean up and repair (If it bankrupts them, so be it. If anything ever prompted a company to go broke, it's this fiasco.); 3) Executives from BP and their drill partners, including Haliburton, need to be charged for the criminal aspect of this and serve very long prison sentences; 4) President Obama and every last off shore drilling advocate needs to rethink their position on this. Americans of every political persuasion need to make sure off shore drilling is stopped.

"Nick Clegg will be at my side."

2010-05-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Two political parties, representing opposite ends of the political spectrum, unite to form a coalition government in an effort to bring their country back from the precipice.

And a moment of levity from the two former rivals...

The Republican Party here in America would do well to study this coalition agreement. Of course, only time will tell if the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats can govern together. But good on them for trying, for it is the only way Great Britain will be able to dig its way out of the wreckage it finds itself buried under after two years of Labour governance under Gordon Brown.

We may never know if such a hybrid political coalition will work here in the United States. Barack Obama offered an olive branch to the Republican opposition the night of his election in 2008, making the case for an "all hands on deck" situation in order to attack the dire straits our country found itself in after eight years of reckless incompetence by George W. Bush. The Republicans, however, have taken the low road, throwing down road blocks at every turn as the President and his administration try to dig us out of the mess.

Granted, last week's British election gave the winning party only 36% of the vote in a three-way race, and none of the parties a majority in the House of Commons, thus requiring some sort of coalition. In contrast, American voters gave the Democratic ticket a solid 53% of the national vote here in 2008, and handed the party rock solid majorities in both houses of congress. Obama's overtures to the Republicans were, quite simply, a patriotic attempt to work together to keep the U.S. from financial ruin.

Alas, it wasn't to be. American conservatives are nothing like the British conservatives. In fact, the word "conservative" shouldn't be applied to the tea-baggers who make up the base of the current Republican Party. "Fascist" and "irresponsible" are the only word to describe them.

Andrew Sullivan:

Cameron should be an example here. [The U.S.] need[s] to make stiff entitlement and defense cuts - but we must also raise some taxes. The debate should not be whether but how - and I agree...that tax simplification should be the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. It's time to end the supply-side craziness, the tea-party looniness and the ideological fixity of Bush-Cheney economics. Obama needs bipartisan support to do the conservative and responsible thing. Which means that the real war for this country's future must be waged within the GOP. I fear, alas, that war is already being lost in the thickets of Southern populism. So the damage that today's Republican party can still do to America's future remains as real as the wreckage it has already accomplished.

In the mean time, I'll be watching the Cameron-Clegg coalition with great interest. And hoping beyond hope that these two young leaders can rescue their beloved country from the precipice.

Prime Minister David Cameron

2010-05-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

A very dramatic turn of events in Britain on Wednesday. Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister after it became evident the Liberal Democratic Party was not interested in forming a coalition government with his Labour Party following last week's general election loss, an election that resulted in a hung parliament. Instead, Nick Clegg, leader of the Lib-Dems, opted to form that coalition with the Conservative Party and their leader, David Cameron. Brown presented to the Queen this evening and announced his resignation, followed in short order by a Cameron visit to the Queen, who asked Cameron and his Conservatives to form a new government.

Kiran Stacey followed events as they happened:

4.15pm: We start this live blog with the news that the Evening Standard is reporting that Gordon Brown will quit tonight after talks between Labour and the Lib Dems fell apart earlier today. There has been a growing feeling today that the talks were unlikely to go anywhere, not least because of the number of Labour MPs and former MPs coming out against them.

5.47pm: Sky is now following the Evening Standard in saying that Gordon Brown will go tonight. There had been some suggestion that he might leave it until tomorrow, but Sky is now convinced otherwise.

6.05pm: We are hearing that Gordon Brown is sitting in Downing Street waiting to resign. He’s waiting for the nod from David Cameron that he can form a government. Cameron is waiting in turn for the nod from the Lib Dems. So once more, all eyes on Nick Clegg and his party.

7.11pm: The lectern is outside Number 10. A statement is expected shortly.

7.16pm: Brown’s staff are coming out of Number 11.

7.17pm: [Announcement of resignation.] Brown is out. Says he said he would do all he could to ensure a strong stable and principled govt was formed.

7.19pm: His resignation as Labour leader takes effect immediately. He has thanked British troops, now he is thanking Sarah and his sons.

7.19pm: Brown says he loved the job not for its title and glory but for its potential to do good.

7.21pm: The four family members are holding hands as they climb into the car to take them to Buckingham Palace to let the Queen know he is stepping down.

7.42pm: Brown is now leaving the Palace. That didn’t take long.

7.48pm: Poor old Gordon got caught in the traffic as he left Buckingham Palace. No outriders to clear the roads, as he’s no longer PM.

8.04pm: David Cameron is on his way to see the Queen. We still don’t know what kind of administration he will lead, which seems like a strange way round.

8.08pm: David and Samantha Cameron have arrived at the palace and gone in to see the Queen.

8.31pm: Cameron has been in with the queen for over 20 minutes now. I wonder what they are talking about.

8.33pm: Steve Hilton, Andy Coulson and other Cameron aides are gathered outside Number 10, grinning and waiting to get in. Meanwhile Cameron has left the palace. Unlike when he arrived, and unlike when Brown left, he has a police motorcade.

8.43pm: Cameron arrived at Number 10. He is walking very slowly, soaking it all up.

8.46pm: Cameron walks very slowly into Number 10 to the applause of staff. He gave a brief speech outside, which was a curious mix up uplifting and downbeat messages. He has given no indication of what his government might look like, but did mention Nick Clegg in his speech, almost referring to him as a co-leader.

8.46pm: Cameron: “This is going to be hard and difficult work.”

9.27pm: Sky is reporting these cabinet appointments: Vincent Cable will be chief secretary to the Treasury, David Laws will be education secretary, Andrew Lansley will be health secretary and William Hague will be foreign secretary. The BBC says Nick Clegg will be deputy prime minister.

10.03pm: Prime Minister - David Cameron
Secretary of State for Defence - Liam Fox
Deputy Prime Minister - Nick Clegg
Chancellor of the Exchequer - George Osborne
Chief Secretary to the Treasury - Vince Cable
Foreign Secretary - William Hague
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families - David Laws
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - Philip Hammond (unconfirmed)
Secretary of State for Health - Andrew Lansley

10.38pm: Nick Clegg will be deputy PM, says Associated Press. They say they have it confirmed by the Tories. Sky reports five cabinet positions for the Lib Dems [in the Cameron cabinet].

On Kagan

2010-05-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

It amazed me, really, how fast my fellow compatriots on the left formed their circular firing squad over President Obama's nomination yesterday of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Whining and moaning that she wasn't liberal enough, they've taken to the airwaves and the internet to call her unqualified and too centrist, crying foul and accusing the President of being disloyal to his liberal base.

Sigh.

Once again it's obvious the left weren't paying attention during the 2008 campaign:

When I think about the kinds of judges who are needed today, it goes back to the point I was making about common sense and pragmatism as opposed to ideology. I think that Justice Souter, who was a Republican appointee, Justice Breyer, a Democratic appointee, are very sensible judges. They take a look at the facts and they try to figure out: How does the Constitution apply to these facts? They believe in fidelity to the text of the Constitution, but they also think you have to look at what is going on around you and not just ignore real life.

That, I think is the kind of justice that I’m looking for — somebody who respects the law, doesn’t think that they should be making law, but also has a sense of what’s happening in the real world and recognizes that one of the roles of the courts is to protect people who don’t have a voice.

-Barack Obama, on the campaign trail, in October 2008.

I understand how disheartening it can be when the President's aim on certain issues doesn't have a leftward tilt. I've been there myself with him on a few occasions. But I always check myself, if only slightly, when I remember that the man campaigned as a center-left moderate.

On Afghanistan, he did what he said he was going to do. On health care, he did what he said he was going to do. And on the Supreme Court, with both Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan...again...he did what he said he was going to do.

Come on, people! With an exception or two (every candidate, even far lefties, will have an exception or two), her resume looks solid:

1986 – Receives a Juris Doctor professional degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
1987 – Serves as judicial clerk for Abner J. Mikva, U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit.
1988 – Serves as judicial clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall (THURGOOD MARSHALL!!) of the U.S. Supreme Court.
1995 – Begins service to President Bill Clinton as Associate White House Counsel and Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy.
1999 – Nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
2003 – Appointed first female dean of Harvard Law School.
2009 – Becomes the first woman to hold the position of Solicitor General of the U.S.

Do I think she'll vote my way on every issue that goes before the Court? Of course not. I wouldn't expect that of any nominee, left, center, or right. But this I do know: unlike Republican presidents who have put up incompetents (Clarence Thomas, Harriet Miers) and called them the best qualified, I trust Barack Obama, a constitutional lawyer, to weigh the facts, study his options, and then make the best decision he can make.

If I were president I may have chosen someone else for this seat. But I am not the president. And from everything I've read about Ms. Kagan, and based on what was said on this issue during the 2008 election campaign, I believe President Obama made a damn good choice.

Passing the Point of No Return?

2010-05-10T04:15:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day:

Our parents were “The Greatest Generation,” and they earned that title by making enormous sacrifices and investments to build us a world of abundance. My generation, “The Baby Boomers,” turned out to be what the writer Kurt Andersen called “The Grasshopper Generation.” We’ve eaten through all that abundance like hungry locusts.

...[The U.S. government will] have to figure out how to raise some taxes to increase revenues, while cutting other taxes to stimulate growth; they’ll have to cut some services to save money, while investing in new infrastructure to grow economic capacity. We have got to use every dollar wisely now. Because we’ve eaten through our reserves...

-NY Times columnist Tom Friedman, telling like it is (as always).

I am beginning to wonder if anyone on Capitol Hill will have the cajones to make the tough, necessary decisions before things move past the point of no return. And even if Congress acts, is it already too late?

Is Obama Caving?

2010-05-10T04:01:00.000-07:00

From TPM:

[Attorney General Eric] Holder said on Meet the Press that the Administration wants to work with Congress to make the public safety exception to Miranda -- in which information from questioning before reading the Miranda warning can be admitted in court, in certain situations in which public safety is a concern - "more flexible."

As TPMmuckraker reported Friday, experts believe the Administration is already pioneering a robust use of the public safety exception to Miranda. In the case of Faisal Shahzad, the man who allegedly tried to set off a crude bomb in Times Square, FBI agents reportedly questioned him for three or four hours before reading him his rights.

The Obama administration's record on arresting, questioning and trying terrorism suspects should be commended. Their track record is stellar compared to the incompetent law-breakers of the Bush team. So this decision to make Miranda "more flexible" is quite perplexing.

Mr. President, you're a constitutional scholar. Explain to me, please, how you see such an approach holding up in a court of law?

Rolando Negrin's Shortcomings

2010-05-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

From TPM:

Rolando Negrin, a TSA employee at Miami International Airport, was arrested for aggravated battery after he attacked a colleague, in response to coworkers poking fun at the size of his penis during a body-scanning machine training session.

Poor guy. Not only does he have a nubbin, but now the entire country knows about it.

OK, people...there's nothing to see here

2010-05-10T03:58:00.000-07:00

I was out to dinner with friends during a long weekend away in Santa Barbara last week when the Times Square car bomb attempt went down, but we were back early enough to catch some of the White House Correspondent's dinner. None of us heard about New York until the next morning.

Frank Rich:

Here’s the time line from last Saturday. At 6:30 p.m. the abandoned Nissan Pathfinder was found smoking in Times Square. Relevant public officials marooned at the correspondents dinner in Washington quickly got word. Over the next hour and a half, several news organizations spread it as well while Times Square was evacuated. To clear the Broadway theater district at curtain time on Saturday night isn’t like emptying a high school; it’s a virtual military operation. By 8 p.m., the crossroads of the world looked like a ghost town, yet if you tuned in to a cable news network, it wasn’t news. No one seemed to know or to care. On MSNBC, which I was watching, it didn’t even merit a mention on a crawl.

Apparently little short of King Kong climbing up 30 Rock could have grabbed the network’s attention. When MSNBC did take a brief break from the dinner for news updates at 9:30, Times Square didn’t make the cut. Whether this was due to ignorance, ineptitude or an unwillingness to play party pooper is a distinction without a difference. Real-time coverage of Leno bombing (since when is that news?) mattered more than any actual bombs. Only as the dinner wound down, at 10:54, did MSNBC at last muster a “breaking news” bulletin about the Times Square story that had in fact been breaking for hours. Even then, we were told that NBC News couldn’t independently confirm the facts MSNBC was recycling from Reuters.

CNN and Faux News were just as guilty.

Pathetic.

NBC: It Will Be Kagan

2010-05-09T19:58:00.001-07:00

NBC News is reporting tonight that President Obama will announce tomorrow that he intends to nominate Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court of the United States.

More tomorrow when/if the announcement is made.

For Renée

2010-05-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

...from her son.

Enjoying Betty's Muffin

2010-05-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Heh!

The Blue That Runs Through It

2010-05-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist includes new material from Minus the Bear, Stereophonics, the New Pornographers, and James Taylor & Carole King; as well as classics from War, Saint Etienne, and Mouth & MacNeal.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Low Rider - War
My Time - Minus the Bear
She's Alright - Stereophonics
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk - The New Pornographers
The High Road - Broken Bells
On a High - Duncan Sheik
Lose That Girl - Saint Etienne
Rome Wasn't Built In a Day - Morcheeba
Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach - Gorillaz w/Snoop Dog
Mmm Hmm - Flying Lotus, feat. Thundercat
Candy - Paolo Nutini
Smakewater Jack (Live) - James Taylor & Carole King
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
How Do You Do? - Mouth and MacNeal

All Right Wing Homophobes Are Homos

2010-05-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Another one ~~sucks the cock~~ bites the dust...

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Revisiting Health Care

2010-05-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

The President's weekly address...

Short Break

2010-05-04T06:22:00.001-07:00

Back after the weekend.

Scarborough: AZ Immigration Law "Un-American"

2010-04-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

If the Republicans really want to put up a strong challenge to President Obama's re-election bid in 2012, they would nominate this guy.

Alas, he's too moderate for today's Fascist Republicans.

At 16 Months

2010-04-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Mark Halperin, on the presidency of Barack Obama at the sixteen month mark:

Obama acted decisively to stop the world from going into economic depression, after inheriting a mess from his predecessor. Quibble all you wish about the dimensions of the stimulus law or the administration of the TARP or the Detroit bailout, but the actions taken were professionally handled, apparently necessary, and, so far, constructive. Strikingly underrated by the Washington press corps are Obama's gains on education policy, including a willingness to confront the education establishment on standards for both teachers and students. Overseas, Obama has snagged an arms reduction deal with Russia, managed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq exactly as he promised, eliminated numerous terrorist leaders through an aggressive targeting operation, and laid the groundwork for dealing with Iran and, perhaps, North Korea.

In the months ahead, the President will likely pass a financial regulation overhaul (despite this weekend's snags); manage the confirmation of a second Supreme Court nominee with relatively little commotion; announce the reduction of the American troop level in Iraq; showcase the under-covered gains on education reform; take advantage of the improving economy to tout his stimulus efforts; and sharpen his "Obama-Biden future versus Bush-Cheney past" argument to help stave off massive Democratic losses in November.

Even I get a bit restless with the President every now and then. But then I realize that my frustration really isn't with him, but rather with the Senate Majority Leader for being so hapless, or with myself for forgetting that Obama ran as a centrist Democrat during the campaign.

There is still a long way to go between now and November's mid-term elections, and an eternity before the 2012 presidential election. But right now, barring any massive screw up or unforeseen event that could cripple him, and whether or not he wins a second term, Barack Obama is on track to become one of the better presidents of the last 60 years.

"A hand job will clean your garage"

2010-04-26T05:26:00.000-07:00

Bill Maher calls out the tea-bagging fascists for the hypocritical fuck-wads that they are...

Beth Rocks

2010-04-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Beth is running to help cure Kennedy's Disease. I know this recession is reeking havoc on everyone's finances, but if you can find a few bucks to throw her way, please do. She's a stellar friend, and Brent and I are extremely proud of her. She is THISCLOSE to reaching her goal of $3,800.00. Anything you can spare (five bucks, ten, fitty) will help her get there.

Her blog and donation page are here.

Santa Monica Dream

2010-04-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's another gorgeous day here in California. These seventeen songs provide the perfect soundtrack to help you enjoy it. Set includes tracks from Idina Menzel, Phantom Planet, Raul Midon, the Avett Brothers, Blue Öyster Cult, Phil Putnam, and a collaboration between David Byrne, Fatboy Slim, and Sharon Jones.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

California - Phantom Planet
Picnic in the Summertime - Deee Lite
Pick Somebody Up - Raul Midon
Electric Feel - MGMT
Vogue - Madonna
Dancing Together - David Byrne & Fatboy Slim (feat. Sharon Jones)
Valleys of Neptune - Jimi Hendrix
Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
Santa Monica Dream - Angus & Julia Stone
No Day But Today (Live from Soundstage) - Idina Menzel
The Perfect Space - The Avett Brothers
Antarctica - The Weepies
I'm No Prize - Phil Putnam
Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly and the Family Stone
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
Drunk Girls - LCD Soundsystem
Man Machine - Robbie Williams

Cue the Weekend

2010-04-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Meet Kevin Keller

2010-04-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Archie enters the 21st century.

On Financial Reform

2010-04-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

Eugene Robinson:

After the meltdown and the bailout, many Americans -- perhaps most Americans -- are inclined to see Wall Street as predatory and all-devouring. Striding into the lion's den and calling the beast to heel, as President Obama did Thursday, was a move without a downside.

Obama's tone was not that of a sword-wielding avenger - he doesn't do fire and brimstone - but of a stern parent explaining to party-hearty teenagers why their driving privileges are being curtailed.

Paul Krugman:

Remember the 1987 movie “Wall Street,” in which Gordon Gekko declared: Greed is good? By today’s standards, Gekko was a piker. In the years leading up to the 2008 crisis, the financial industry accounted for a third of total domestic profits — about twice its share two decades earlier.

These profits were justified, we were told, because the industry was doing great things for the economy. It was channeling capital to productive uses; it was spreading risk; it was enhancing financial stability. None of those were true. Capital was channeled not to job-creating innovators, but into an unsustainable housing bubble; and when the housing bubble burst, the supposedly stable financial system imploded, with the worst global slump since the Great Depression as collateral damage.

So what should be done? As I said, I support the reform proposals of the Obama administration and its Congressional allies. Among other things, it would be a shame to see the antireform campaign by Republican leaders — a campaign marked by breathtaking dishonesty and hypocrisy — succeed.

But these reforms should be only the first step. We also need to cut finance down to size. An intriguing proposal is about to be unveiled from, of all places, the International Monetary Fund. In a leaked paper prepared for a meeting this weekend, the fund calls for a Financial Activity Tax — yes, FAT — levied on financial-industry profits and remuneration.

Such a tax, the fund argues, could “mitigate excessive risk-taking.” It could also “tend to reduce the size of the financial sector,” which the fund presents as a good thing.

The liberal in me wants the government to go further. The big banks should have been broken up at the beginning of the crisis, and derivative trading should be banned all together. But I'm not an economist. In fact, give me a dollar to invest and I'll more than likely get a return of about negative fifty cents.

"Go Fuck Yourselves"

2010-04-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

The Fascists at Fox try to take on Jon Stewart...and fail miserably.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Bernie Goldberg Fires Back

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Hogwash!

2010-04-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

Give any one of these fascist imbeciles an 8th grade Constitution exam and they would fail.

Let's call a spade a spade, shall we? These people are psychotic. They refuse to accept the reality that their taxes are lower than they have ever been, that the economy is on the road to recovery thanks in large part to the stimulus bill of 2009, and that our global reputation is in repair. Let's call a spade a spade. These people are apoplectic over the fact that a Democrat is president. And the fact that he is black has put them all in the proverbial straight jacket.

Hump Day Humor

2010-04-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is f*ckin' CLASSIC...

Disgusting and Beyond Vile

2010-04-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd see the day where I would be in agreement with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, but yesterday was that day. In an 8 to 1 decision (Really, Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, and Stevens!?), the court struck down a federal law banning photos, videos and other depictions of animal cruelty, saying it violated the First Amendment right of free speech.

The videos in question included women in spiked heels crushing chicks and kittens with those heels, as well as dog fighting videos, among other "speech."

Two things: 1. Such animal cruelty is against the law in most places. How can the court reasonably assert that videotaping such criminal acts is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution? 2. What next? Constitutional protections for snuff videos that show human beings killing each other?

This overwhelming decision by the court will forever confound me.

And credit where it is due. From Alito's dissent:

The animals used in crush videos are living creatures that experience excruciating pain. Our society has long banned such cruelty, which is illegal throughout the country.

Good on ya, Justice Alito!

Nail Biter in the U.K.

2010-04-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

Note: This post lists polling results from Monday. Apparently the graphic above changes automatically with each new set of figures.

The coming British election is turning into a real nail biter, with the three major political parties within four points of each other: Conservatives at 31%, the Liberal-Democrats at 29%, and the ruling Labour Party at 27%. Translating that to seats in Parliament, Conservatives would come out on top with about 310 seats, Labour 251, and the Lib-Dems at 59 (smaller third parties would win about 30). A majority being 326 seats, that would mean an election resulting in a hung parliament.

In order for a government to be seated, a coalition would need to be formed in which several parties join together and chose a prime minister. If the final election results reflect current polling, Labour would probably retain control by forming a coalition government with the Liberal-Democrats.

It wouldn't be the best place from which to govern, but they would control the government until another election is called. (If the May 6 election results in a hung parliament, my guess would be another election in a year or so.)

I don't know that much about politics in the U.K., but my hope from ten time zones away is that David Cameron and his Conservative Party pull this out. Unlike the Republicans here in the U.S., the British Conservatives don't give in to Fascist tendencies. While their monetary policy leaves much to be desired, they are pro-gay, pro-green (Cameron rides a bike to work on most days), and pro-health care. And word has it that Cameron has the potential to be Britain's version of Barack Obama: A young leader of the opposition who is ready to change the political paradigm following 13 years of rule by the majority party.

Election night there will be mighty interesting.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Twelve perfect tracks for this gorgeous spring Sunday. Set includes Ladyhawke, Saint Etienne, Sister Sledge, Groove Armada, and Club 8.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Cat & Mouse - Nikki & Rich
Another Runaway - Ladyhawke
Crazy (2005 Remix) - Seal
Lose That Girl - Saint Etienne
Maybe So, Maybe No - Mayer Hawthorne
Thinking of You - Sister Sledge
Shameless - Groove Armada (feat. Bryan Ferry)
Spring Came, Rain Fell - Club 8
Rich Girl - Daryl Hall and John Oates
I Can't Go For That - The Bird and the Bee
Georgy Porgy - Toto
The World Is a Beat - N'dambi

The Lying Tea-Bagger Party

2010-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Rachel Maddow calls them out on their lies...

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...and on the terrorists in their ranks...

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Ronald Reagan Day?

2010-04-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Uhhh...hell no!

Look, I know his sunny optimism healed a wounded country torn apart by Vietnam and quite unhappy with the hapless leadership of his predecessor. But when all is said and done, Reagan rates in the mid to upper-mid tier of U.S. presidents. Yes, he made Americans feel patriotic again; yes, he realigned American politics for a generation; yes, he restored our global image, much tattered following Vietnam and Iran; but he also put in place fiscal policies that eventually led us to the abyss we staring into just last year.

And for that alone, President Reagan should be denied his own "day" in California.

From DailyKos:

A whole day dedicated to commemorating Reagan's accomplishments? Like ruining California schools? Turning ketchup into a vegetable? Skyrocketing the national debt? Inspiring god-awful Tom Clancy novels?

Sigh!

Federal Budget Deficit Down

2010-04-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

First there was the news that the economy created 180,000 net jobs last month, and now this:

The federal deficit is running significantly lower than it did last year, with the budget gap for the first half of fiscal 2010 down 8 percent. Officials attributed the results to higher tax revenue from increased employment, and to lower spending than projected on bailing out the financial system. If the trend continues for the rest of the year the 2010 deficit will be about $300 billion less than the administration's projection two months ago.

If you think these job creation and federal deficit numbers would have been the reality under a Republican administration, well, then I have a patch of Russian land off the coast of Alaska I'd like to sell you.

The Best President Since FDR ?

2010-04-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

On foreign policy, President Obama's stewardship is beyond reproach. Keith Olbermann discusses this week's nuclear summit with Steve Clemons...

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And the politics of the summit's achievements with presidential historian Michael Beschloss...

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The Un-Bush

2010-04-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day:

The most important thing that distinguishes him from many other people (I won't name anyone by name) is that he's a thinker. He thinks when he speaks.

-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, not so subtly comparing US President Barack Obama to former president George W. Bush, at yesterday's nuclear summit in Washington, DC.

The Un-Cheney

2010-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is why Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate. It truly is one of the president's best decisions.

Little Miss Chloe

2010-04-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a good Monday morning...

Another Stewart Slap-Down

2010-04-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

Yet again, he takes on the lying fascists over at Fox.

"He Did It"

2010-04-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

From Frank Rich's column in Sunday's NY Times:

"I was right 70 percent of the time, but I was wrong 30 percent of the time," said Alan Greenspan as he testified last week on Capitol Hill. Greenspan — a k a the Oracle during his 18-year-plus tenure as Fed chairman — could not have more vividly illustrated how and why geniuses of his stature were out to lunch while Wall Street imploded. No doubt he applied his full brain power to that 70-30 calculation. But the big picture eludes him. If the captain of the Titanic followed the Greenspan model, he could claim he was on course at least 70 percent of the time too.

The entire 27 year period from 1981 to 2008 was an illusion built on a shaky philosophy of massive debt and balance sheet trickery. Even I, a complete imbecile on matters of economics, thought our government's economic experts (in both parties) were steering us toward the path of complete ruin.

And here we are.

And there they are. Still.

Mr. President, it's time to shake things up.

Dimanche Pluvieux

2010-04-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Twelve tracks for this rainy San Francisco Sunday. Set includes new material from the Bamboos, Gotan Project, and Peter Wolf with Neko Case; and classics from Ike & Tina Turner, Texas, and Francis Cabrel.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

Keep Me In Mind - The Bamboos
Nobody Jones - N'dambi
When I'm With You - M.E.G.
The Green Fields of Summer - Peter Wolf & Neko Case
Saint - Texas
La Gloria - Gotan Project
Give It Back - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
California - Phantom Planet
Sexy Ida - Ike & Tina Turner
Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight & the Pips
L'edition Spéciale - Francis Cabrel
Clair de Lune - Julian Bream

Dixie Carter, 1939 - 2010

2010-04-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

The legendary actress passed away Saturday morning. She was 70.

There are few shows in the history of television that provided me with more joy than the first few seasons of "Designing Women." This is probably the most remembered Carter clip, among many...

Another classic in which Carter's Julia Sugarbaker slams the Sarah Palins of the day...

Ain't Nothin' But a Party (Disco, Damn It! Vol. 4)

2010-04-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

I'll post the regular Sunday playlist tomorrow, but here is a special spring bonus edition of "Disco, Damn It!" Celebrating the notorious Fire Island tea dances of the 1970s, the set includes dance classics from the Ritchie Family, France Joli, the Temptations, and Gloria Gaynor.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

It's Good for the Soul - Salsoul Orchestra
Life Is Music - The Ritchie Family
Law of the Land - The Temptations
Superman - Herbie Mann
Disco Village - J. Elliott Group
Ain't Nothin' But a Party - The Sylvers
Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
The Joy of You - Paul Mauriat Plus
Honeybee - Gloria Gaynor
Walking On Music - The Peter Jacques Band
Perfect Love Affair - Constellation Orchestra
Rumor Has It - Donna Summer
Don't Stop Dancing - France Joli
Harmony - Suzi Lane

On Justice Stevens

2010-04-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

John Paul Stevens, one of the more intelligent Supreme Court justices, will be sorely missed. Among his key opinions is this one:

In Bush v. Gore, the 2000 decision that handed the presidency to George W. Bush: “Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year’s presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the nation’s confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law.”

The President will nominate Stevens' replacement sometime in the next few weeks. Seeing that his party will likely lose Senate seats this November, Mr. Obama should use this opportunity to nominate a jurist of Stevens' liberal philosophy. Pushing a centrist consensus nominee through wouldn't be wise, as the court needs a solid leftist to take on the radical right wing fascists currently on the court.

There is a 60% to 70% chance that Obama will have one more vacancy to fill before the end of his first term, as I believe Ruth Bader Ginsburg may be the next to retire. He'll need a centrist consensus candidate at that point, so why not shoot for the stars this time out?

The Bitchiest Bitch Whore of Them All

2010-04-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

The half-wit former half-term governor of Alaska really just needs to go away.

Polish President Dies In Plane Crash

2010-04-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Devastating news out of Russia:

A plane carrying the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, his wife, their political advisers, leaders of all four branches of the military and the head of the central bank crashed in a heavy fog in western Russia on Saturday morning, killing everyone aboard.

A tragedy of monumental proportions in Eastern Europe. Thoughts with the citizens of Poland and the families of those who perished.

Bitch Slap

2010-04-09T06:31:00.001-07:00

Let's face it, if the Fascist-Republican tea-baggers have their way, Sarah Palin will be their nominee for president in 2012. Should that be the case, the current president gives a preview of that campaign...

Friday Brain Break

2010-04-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

I mean, really, how can you not like the guy?

Beyond Bush/Cheney?

2010-04-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

Unless there is something I am missing, this goes against everything President Obama stands for. A former Constitutional professor, he has to know in his heart of hearts that this is beyond unlawful. And it's enough for me, a staunch Obama defender (even when I disagree with him), to contemplate withdrawing support.

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Make no mistake: If the President goes down this path then he is no better than the Bush team on matters of terrorism; and if this shit continues, if the administration really is ordering the killing of American citizens, then I might have serious reservations about an Obama vote in 2012. Unlike health care or budgetary matters, this is not an issue you can on which you can compromise, and the President knows it. I don't care what his national security team is telling him, I don't care what intelligence he is seeing as president that he didn't see as a candidate...this flies in the face of our Constitution. And if THIS president sees fit to soil that document as the Bush team did, then America as we know it is truly done.

Repairing Our Global Image

2010-04-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

One healthy step at a time.

Maverick

2010-04-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart brilliantly skewers John McCain.

Was Anyone Listening in 2008?

2010-04-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

From Frank Rich's Sunday column in the New York Times:

...the Obama we see now is generally consistent with the one he presented in the 2008 campaign. Many, if not all, of the positions that have angered liberals since he entered the White House line up with his positions then, including his stubborn and futile faith in the prospect of bipartisanship in Washington.

When the 2008 Obama called Afghanistan an essential war and vowed to take out terrorist havens in Pakistan, he wasn’t just posturing to prove he was as hawkish as Hillary Clinton — which is what some chose to hear. Though he nominally supported a public option as a plank of health care reform, it was not a high priority and he rarely mentioned it, according to a review of his campaign speeches, interviews and debates by Sam Stein of The Huffington Post. Obama never said anything to suggest that he was interested in economic interventionism as bold as, say, the potential nationalization of failing banks. He was unambiguous in his professed opposition to same-sex marriage and largely silent on gun control. And as Jake Tapper of ABC News chronicled last week, Obama had even opened the door to offshore oil drilling in the weeks before Election Day.

Count me among those who can become a bit discombobulated when the President doesn't go the distance on issues I feel need solid liberal leadership. But, unlike progressives to my left (and I count myself among the more liberal progressives), I know that my problems with Mr. Obama on such issues are just that...MY problems.

I was actually listening during the 2008 campaign. And, as Rich notes above, President Obama is governing as the left-leaning centrist he ran as. So, even on those days when I bitch and moan about half-measures and bone-headed decisions, I do not instantly hold back my support. As I have said before, no president is going to make any American happy with their leadership 100% of the time.

So, unless they want to see "President Romney" or "President Gingrich" three years down the road, my fellow progressives will need to come around. You don't have to follow Obama blindly; indeed he insists that you criticize him when you feel it is warranted. But to hold back your support when the alternative is an uber-fascist government led by Fox News would be a bit much, don't you think?

Elections Called In Britain

2010-04-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met with Queen Elizabeth II earlier today to request the dissolution of Parliament and then promptly called for a national election to take place on May 6.

Brown's Labour Party, in power since 1997, are behind in recent polling, which shows the Conservative Party, led by David Cameron, ready to take power should they win a majority of the seats in the House of Commons next month. However, British law dictates a general election no more than five years from the previous contest, and voters last went to the polls in May of 2005.

Side note: The U.S. would do well to study this election model. One month to campaign vs. the tiresome two-year, reality-TV-esque campaign we go through lately? Americans of all political stripes would love it.

The Unofficial Sunday Brunch Mix

2010-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Fourteen tracks for your Easter Sunday...

Playlist:

Catalina Kiss - Acoustic Alchemy
Lowdown - Boz Scaggs
Chicago Song - David Sanborn
Who Needs Forever? (Thievery Corporation Remix) - Astrud Gilberto
Music & Wine - Blue Six
Undress Me Now - Morcheeba
What It Feels Like For a Girl - Madonna
The Sound of Water - Brad Mehldau & Pat Metheny
Savoir Faire - Chic
Postales - Federico Aubele
Golden Girl - Al Jarreau
Ain't Nobody - Rufus, feat. Chaka Khan
Heard It On the Radio - The Bird and the Bee
Southern California - Brian Wilson

The Jobs Report

2010-04-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Another encouraging sign that we are pulling out of the Great Recession: 165,000 jobs were created last month. While that is a nice step in the right direction, the unemployment rate remains stuck at 9.7%. With 8 million jobs lost since late 2007, job creation will need to double or triple last month's number in order to bring that percentage down.

That said, it looks like the Obama team can get it done. The graph below shows job creation under Bush in red vs. Obama in blue. I'd say the American people made the right decision in 2008, wouldn't you?

I See Stupid People

2010-04-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

More tea-bagger foto fun here.

Busier Than a One-Legged Man...

2010-04-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

...in a butt kickin' contest. I've been in Seattle this week and working horribly long days. Thus the reason for my lack of posts. Back in full force after the weekend.

Obama OKs Off-Shore Drilling

2010-03-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

I am really pressed for time this morning, so the only comment I have time for is...

Are you fucking kidding me!!??

The disappointment weighs heavy, Mr. President.

Mid-Week Brain Break

2010-03-31T03:30:00.000-07:00

This one will make you grin from ear to ear and put a pep in your step...

A Republican For Bikes & Against Cars

2010-03-30T04:06:00.001-07:00

Who could have predicted that it would be one of President Obama's Republican cabinet members, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, that would become one its more progressive officers?

Two weeks ago, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood climbed on a table and told a group of bike advocates that federal transportation planners were finished raising the almighty auto above cyclists and walkers.

"I’ve been all over America, and where I’ve been in America I’ve been very proud to talk about the fact that people do want alternatives," he said. "They want out of their cars, they want out of congestion, they want to live in livable neighborhoods and livable communities ... You've got a partner in Ray LaHood."

He followed up on his blog: "Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized."

'atta boy!

The President: Last Week vs This Week

2010-03-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

What the President of the United States achieved last week:

- Signed health care legislation that covers 30 million more Americans;
- Put a solid student loans reform package in place, thus allowing millions of additional Americans to get a college education;
- Worked with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear warheads in the world;
- Made some recess appointments to key government posts for positions that were being blocked by Republican senators for no other reason than to block them;
- Flew to Afghanistan to meet with U.S. troops and the Afghan president.

Yet, since last week the President's approval rating has dropped from 51% to 46%. While I believe a large majority of Americans will eventually appreciate and approve of the health care bill passed last week, they are wondering when congress and the White House will focus, at least publicly, on the unemployment crisis with the same full-on gusto.

As I said last week, the only way the President can use his new found momentum to his advantage would be to focus on jobs, jobs, and jobs. Climate change, education, and the other important issues of our day should be tackled behind the scenes by the appropriate cabinet officials. But if he is to spare his party a devestating mid-term election result this November, the President, in using his bully pulpit, needs focus solely on the jobs situation. He needs to showcase for the American voting public that his only focus right now is their lot in life.

Such focus could be a win-win for the Democrats: Americans would appreciate that the administration and congress are at least trying everything they can to rectify the stubbornly high unemployment rate; and voters would see Republicans for the obstructionists they are, as the fascists among the GOP ranks would more than likely block every jobs initiative the Democrats put forward.

Barring a miraculous economic turn around between now and November, the Democrats are still likely to lose seats in congress. That's just the nature of the beast (Republicans lost 25 House seats in Reagan's first mid-term election). But I sincerely believe if President Obama and the current congress put all of their efforts into job creation, even if only a few jobs are generated, it could mean the difference between a 40+ seat loss in the House (if they do nothing) and a 10 to 20 seat loss (if they spend every minute between now and November tackling unemployment).

So, again Mr. President, the only three words out of your mouth for the next several months should be "jobs," "jobs," and "jobs."

Poseidon Has His Day

2010-03-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist begins with a brand new track from the Bird and the Bee's latest CD, "Interpreting the Masters, Volume 1 (A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates)" - their take on "I Can't Go For That" is simply sublime. A 1979 single from the "masters" themselves follows. Also included this week: the Ramones, Wilco, the Runaways, Material Issue, Johnny Cash, Bob Mould, Luna, and the Indigo Girls.

Press PLAY and enjoy...

Playlist:

I Can't Go For That - The Bird and the Bee
Wait For Me - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Care of Cell 44 - The Zombies
You Never Know - Wilco
I Just Want to Have Something to Do - The Ramones
Cherry Bomb - The Runaways
Memphis Blues Again - Bob Dylan
Valerie Loves Me - Material Issue
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
Unjustified - Simon Webbe
California - Luna
The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash
Help! - The Beatles
Heels of the Wind - Elton John
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - Florence + the Machine
Life and Times - Bob Mould
Fleet of Hope (Poseidon Has His Day) - Indigo Girls
Poseidon, God of the Sea - Klaus Badelt

Honoring the Great Liberal Lion

2010-03-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

As they prepared to pass the final fixes to last week's health reform bill, the United States Senate honored the late great liberal lion, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, for his tireless work on the issue with a moment of silence. This will put a lump in your throat; you could hear a pin drop in that chamber.

It starts at the 1:52 mark...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Truth Comes Out

2010-03-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

So, has this been the issue the entire time?

Slowly Making 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Obsolete

2010-03-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Defense Secretary Robert Gates will announce Thursday that the Defense Department will relax enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" rules that prevent gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military, a decision that officials described as a temporary measure until Congress can take permanent action.

The military will no longer investigate the sexual orientation of service members based on anonymous complaints, will restrict testimony from third parties and will require high-ranking officers to review all cases, sources familiar with the changes said.

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder discusses the move here.

California's #1 Cash Crop

2010-03-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

In November, California voters will decide whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana:

Secretary of State Debra Bowen certified that the petitions seeking to place the question on the ballot had more than...the minimum number needed to qualify.

If approved, the initiative would allow those 21 years and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, enough to roll several marijuana cigarettes. Residents also could cultivate the plant in limited quantities.

Marijuana is California's #1 cash crop, it's WAY safer than alcohol, yet it remains illegal.

I'll be very interested to see how this initiative polls. In the mean time, those advocating legalization can count on my YES vote!

Disgusting and Beyond Vile

2010-03-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

From TPM:

The right-wing protest movement that amped up during the final debate over the health care reform bill in the House has stepped up another notch.

Rep. Bart Stupak (Democrat-MI) received a drawing of a noose faxed to his congressional office; and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (Democrat-SC) told CNN that his office had received a fax that depicted a noose.

Another Democratic member of congress had their office window smashed; yet another had the gas line at their home slashed.

This is beyond vile, and carries shades of the hate and threats spewed at McCain/Palin rallies during the 2008 presidential campaign.

If any Democratic member of congress is attacked and injured or killed, the Republican Party and their fascist tea-bagging base will be entirely to blame.

What the President Needs to Do

2010-03-24T18:42:00.001-07:00

Since taking office on January 20, 2009, President Obama has yet to address the nation from the Oval Office. By contrast, President Reagan spoke from there at least three or four times during his first 15 months as president, mainly in an effort to get Americans behind his economic program. Oh, Mr. Obama has addressed the nation by way of press conferences and weekly radio/internet speeches, but the majesty of the Oval Office carries a certain weight that the President would do well to flaunt right about now.

With the wind at his back following the passage of health insurance reform, Obama has regained enough political capital to make the case for two of the most important issues to Americans today: Banking reform and jobs.

Now that health care is a done deal (save the fixes that are making their way through the Senate), President Obama and both houses of congress should focus on those two issues every day, all day, seven days a week. Americans want to know that their government officials are doing everything they can to put our nation's job market back on steady footing, and that the banks that hold their money will never again be allowed to play the games they played from 1981 to 2008.

And the best way to put these issues front and center would be for the President of the United States to lay out his plans on those two issues in a speech from the Oval Office.

Now, if he does it he needs to go all in. On these issues half measures won't do. He needs to ignore the Republicans and offer up a rock solid jobs bill worth about $50 billion (if not more), as well as a major finanical bill that seriously regulates how the banks handle the hard-earned money we Americans keep there. He needs to explain, in basic terms, that while the Great Recession may be over officially, the jobs market seems to be stuck in a rut, and that a giant infusion of cash for highway and other infrastructure jobs could be the spark that gets things moving again. As for banking reform, I doubt most Americans would disagree that the banks need some serious slapping around.

So, Mr. President...I know there is still alot on your plate, and that education reform and climate change are issues very near and dear to your heart. But with mid-terms right around the corner and Americans keeping an eye on that unemployment rate, YOUR focus for the next several months needs to be on these two issues - at least publicly. Let the appropriate cabinet officers do the heavy lifting on the other domestic issues until after the elections.

For now, the first two words out of your mouth when you get up in the morning and the last two words out of your mouth when you go to bed at night should be "jobs" and "banking."

And you should say those words several times during a major prime time speech from the Oval Office.

The Party of No Relevancy

2010-03-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

In one of his more important commentaries, Keith Olbermann tries to pull the Republican Party back from their high speed drive toward the proverbial cliff...

I have said it previously: Despite all their denials, these Fascist-Republican tea-baggers are indeed racist, homophobic bigots, hateful of Americans - and of America. Their collective nervous breakdown has taken place not just because the President is a Democrat (although, that has a lot to do with it - they think their fellow Republicans should control the White House permanently); not because both houses of congress are in Democratic hands...no...they are apoplectic over the fact that the President of the United States is black.

Thankfully, these whack jobs are a dying breed. Despite all the media coverage they manage to steal, their numbers are relatively small, and within a decade their relevance will be nil.

But boy, would I love to see their reactions when, in about 2024 or so, Americans vote a half Mexican, half African-American, male-to-female transgender lesbian as president!

Happy Birthday, Sista Girl!

2010-03-22T05:50:00.001-07:00

The Morning After

2010-03-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

In the end, this is a huge deal. Various American governments - from Teddy Roosevelt at the turn of the 20th century, to his distant cousin Franklin Roosevelt in the 30s and 40s, to Harry Truman, Richard Nixon and on to Bill Clinton - have all tried, and failed, to overhaul our health care industry. While this bill is imperfect in many ways, it is a major step in the right direction.

For my compatriots on the left who think this bill wasn't worth the blood, sweat and tears, I offer this argument...

Perhaps our sites were set too high. In a perfect world a single-payer program - or even a public option - were preferred, but they were never do-able politically. As votes in the Senate last year proved, conservative Democrats were willing to vote with the Republican minority to filibuster such language. We would need a super-duper majority of 65 or 70 Democrats that included at least 60 liberal-progressives to pass any sort of Canadian or British style health care plan. Unfortunately, electing such a politically liberal Senate, even in 2010, isn't in the cards.

As for the President, he did all he could to push things along. Yes, major compromises were made. Yes, the process took way too long. But the reality is the reality - Mr. Obama has bigger fish to fry: A financial sector in dire straits, a jobs market that is stubborn in its lack of job creation, two wars that need to be wrapped up. Thus, the President needed to retain at least a little bit of his political capital. To be sure, he spent a tremendous amount of it on this legislation. But there is still some left. And we need him to succeed in keeping the ship of state on a steady course.

More reactions on health care from around the "inter-web"...

Steve Clemons:

Anyone watching the health care debate unfold this past year couldn't help but note that it had the feel of a badly run, badly managed sports season in which the President's team nonetheless is going to end up holding the trophy cup.

Josh Marshall:

The US has had several runs with major pieces of social legislation. And the record is that they don't get repealed. They're expanded and become embedded in the national political economy.

Once Health Care [becomes law]; the middle class will like it. And there will be no repealing or doing away with it. And its success will create a new generation of Democrats.

Hard fought victories don't deplete political capital; they build it. And political wins themselves often have a catalyzing effect that shapes political opinion far more than we realize.

Make no mistake, it's a genuinely historic moment, a realization that only now seems to be dawning on people.

Andrew Sullivan:

Yes, in the end, he got all House votes he needed. Yes, he worked our last nerve to get there. But, yes, too, this is an important victory - the first true bloodied, grueling revelation that his persistence, another critical Obama quality, finally paid off in the presidency. He could have given up weeks ago, as the punditry advised (because they seem to have no grasp of substance and mere addiction to hour-to-hour political plays). But he refused. That took courage. And relentlessness.

The narrative will be about his persistence and his grit, rather than his near-divinity and his authority. And suddenly it will appear — lo! — as if this lone figure has not just rescued the US economy from the abyss, but also passed the biggest piece of social legislation in decades.

The public will merely notice that the guy can come back and fight. Even when they don’t always agree with such a figure on the issues, they can admire him.

Again, the real parallel is Ronald Reagan.

People forget how unpopular Reagan was at the same point in his presidency — and passing [Reagan's] big tax cut was legislatively a lot easier than reforming a health sector the size of the British economy. But like Obama he persisted and, with luck and learning, aimed very high.

Obama has bet that this is his destiny. He is extremely cautious from day to day, staggeringly flexible on tactics, but not at all modest when you look at the big picture.

He still wants to rebuild the American economy from the ground up, re-regulate Wall Street, withdraw from Iraq, win in Afghanistan, get universal health insurance and achieve a two-state solution in Israel/Palestine in his first term. That’s all. And although you can see many small failures on the way, and agonising slowness as well, you can also see he hasn’t dropped his determination to achieve it all.

Christina Bellantoni:

House Democrats celebrated a major victory late last night after they passed a sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system while simultaneously approving a package of fixes to the measure. But it's not the law of the land, not yet. What happens next is both simple in that there's one major vote left. But it's a bit complicated, since President Obama actually will sign one bill and then wait for the Senate to pass the other.

The House approved the Senate bill last night, warts and all. Those warts - a tax on high-end insurance plans, several special deals made for members of the Senate on Medicaid and abortion language that pro-life Democrats in the House weren't comfortable with - are removed [in a second] measure...which also passed the House last night.

In order for these fixes to pass without threat of a filibuster in the Senate, the President has to sign the first bill into law. Then the Senate can begin debating on the changes the House passed in the second bill. Complicated? A little. But it's generally how government works, only this time it's getting a lot of media attention due to the enormity of the bill.

And finally, one more time, Andrew Sullivan:

"MEEP, MEEP!"

Starring Road Runner as Barack Obama, and Wyle E. Coyote as the congressional Republicans...

It Is Done

2010-03-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

The late, great liberal lion would be beaming...

HEALTH CARE REFORM PASSES

2010-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

After 100 years, through nineteen presidents (including two Roosevelts and two Bushes), and countless attempts by over 50 congresses, the United States House of Representatives tonight passed Senate legislation that will overhaul the American health care system and lead to near-universal coverage. The vote was 219 to 212. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law by Tuesday.

More later, but this is indeed a stupendous moment in the history of our nation. The bill doesn't go as far as many would like - there's still a lot of ground to cover - but this is a tremendous first step.

A hearty shout out to my congresswoman, the Speaker of the House herself, Nancy Pelosi. It took a while, but well done.

Edge of the Universe

2010-03-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

This week's playlist is all over the map. It includes new material from Gorillaz (featuring Snoop Dogg), Barrio Jazz Gang, and Erykah Badu; classics from Marvin Gaye and Talk Talk; as well as a rare classical piece from Elton John.

Press play and enjoy...

Playlist:

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE PLASTIC BEACH
Gorillaz (featuring Snoop Dog & the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)

HEAVY LOVE AFFAIR
Marvin Gaye

1,000 MILES
Blake Lewis

LIFE'S WHAT YOU MAKE IT
Talk Talk

AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT
John Cougar

OPEN HEARTS AND DOORS
Antigone Rising

SLEEP
Azure Ray

NUDE LOOK
Barrio Jazz Gang

WINDOW SEAT
Erykah Badu

I SAVED THE WORLD TODAY
Eurythmics

GOT IT MADE
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE
Bee Gees

HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
The Bird and the Bee

CARLA/ETUDE
Elton John

ROAD TO PERDITION
Thomas Newman

The House Votes on Health Care

2010-03-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

The House of Representatives has been called into session and the vote should take place sometime this afternoon (PT). It looks like the Democrats have the votes to pass it, and word is President Obama will sign the bill at the White House this evening.

My hopes are high...very high...yet guarded at the same time.

While we wait for the outcome, a couple of essays for your Sunday:

Josh Marshall weighs the political landscape for the Democrats if health care legislation passes:

If the bill passes, and should the worse befall the Dems and they wake up on November 3rd having lost both houses of Congress, they can look back on all the work in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 cycles and say, it wasn't wasted and it wasn't for nothing. This bill will be by far the most significant piece of social legislation in almost 50 years and will achieve, albeit imperfectly, something progressives have been trying to achieve for going on a century. If the Dems lose their majorities in November, they'll be able to say: we worked this hard, we built these majorities, and this is what we did with it.

...But I suspect the effect for the Democrats of actual passing this legislation will be considerably more positive than people realize.

Ron Brownstein discusses the President's approach to this issue and how, despite the disappointment of progressives, passage of a bill will help chart a new course for the United States:

Win or lose, Obama has pursued health care reform as tenaciously as any president has pursued any domestic initiative in decades. Health care has now been his presidency's central domestic focus for a full year. That's about as long as it took to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, originally introduced by John F. Kennedy and driven home by Lyndon Johnson. Rarely since World War II has a president devoted so much time, at so much political cost, to shouldering a single priority through Congress. It's reasonable to debate whether Obama should have invested so heavily in health care. But it's difficult to quibble with Emanuel's assessment that once the president placed that bet, "He has shown fortitude, stamina, and strength."

The health care struggle suggests that Obama views changing that trajectory [of the nation] as the ultimate measure of a presidency's success. His aim is to establish a long-term political direction - one centered on a more activist government that shapes and polices the market to strengthen the foundation for sustainable, broadly shared growth. Everything else - the legislative tactics, even most individual policies - is negotiable. He wants to chart the course for the supertanker, not to steer it around each wave or decide which crates are loaded into its hull.

Fascist Confederate Fuckwads

2010-03-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

These tea-bagger fascists have really crossed the line, calling Rep. John Lewis (Democrat-GA) a "nigger" and Rep. Barney Frank (Democrat-MA) a "faggot" during health care protests on Capitol Hill yesterday.

Their patron saint, Ronald Reagan, must be rolling over in his grave.

Why the Health Care Bill MUST Pass

2010-03-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

Paul Krugman nails it:

As it happens, Reuters published an investigative report this week that powerfully illustrates the vileness of our current system. The report concerns the insurer Fortis, now part of Assurant Health, which turns out to have had a systematic policy of revoking its clients’ policies when they got sick. In particular, according to the Reuters report, it targeted every single policyholder who contracted H.I.V., looking for any excuse, no matter how flimsy, for cancellation. In the case that brought all this to light, Assurant Health used an obviously misdated handwritten note by a nurse, who wrote “2001” instead of “2002,” to claim that the infection was a pre-existing condition that the client had failed to declare, and revoked his policy.

Beyond that, this is a story that could happen only in America. In every other advanced nation, insurance coverage is available to everyone regardless of medical history. Our system is unique in its cruelty.

And one more thing: employment-based health insurance, which is already regulated in a way that mostly prevents this kind of abuse, is unraveling. Less than half of workers at small businesses were covered last year...

So what’s the answer? Americans overwhelmingly favor guaranteeing coverage to those with pre-existing conditions — but you can’t do that without pursuing broad-based reform. To make insurance affordable, you have to keep currently healthy people in the risk pool, which means requiring that everyone or almost everyone buy coverage. You can’t do that without financial aid to lower-income Americans so that they can pay the premiums. So you end up with a tripartite policy: elimination of medical discrimination, mandated coverage, and premium subsidies.

Or to put it another way, you end up with something like the health care plan Mitt Romney introduced in Massachusetts in 2006, and the very similar plan the House either will or won’t pass in the next few days. Comprehensive reform is the only way forward.

Can you imagine a better reform? Sure. If Harry Truman had managed to add health care to Social Security back in 1947, we’d have a better, cheaper system than the one whose fate now hangs in the balance. But an ideal plan isn’t on the table. And what is on the table, ready to go, is legislation that is fiscally responsible, takes major steps toward dealing with rising health care costs, and would make us a better, fairer, more decent nation.

All it will take to make this happen is for a handful of on-the-fence House members to do the right thing.

In a perfect world in which I ruled over the President and the congress, the insurance companies would be shut down and a universal health care system put in place. But the political realities of 2010 don't allow for such a proposal. However, the political realities of 2010, for the first time in our nation's history, could very well lead to a much-needed, flawed, but preferable health care overhaul.

I will repeat what I've been saying for months: If this bill goes down to defeat at the hands of a few House progressives, then health care reform is off the table for at least another generation; and any progressive Democrat who votes "no" under such a circumstance should lose their seat.