I can't believe it's not a democracy!

Q: What do you call a closeted republican Lieutenant Governor when you are an adulterous republican Governor?

A: An insurance policy! Here's proof: Rebuke, not impeachment, for South Carolina governor.

Proof that only the good die young:

Evangelist Oral Roberts dies in Calif. at age 91. Gee, I wonder if a 900 foot tall Jesus was waiting for him at the pearly gates. Kidding. More likely Pinochet and Pol Pot welcomed him into hell. Oh well, at least he'll be warm.

But will anything come of this?

22 million missing Bush White House e-mails found. Because even if there is a smoking gun, I don't see Eric Holder doing a fucking thing to investigate the crimes of the Cheney administration. That said, this was interesting: Computer technicians have found 22 million missing White House e-mails from the administration of President George W. Bush and the Obama administration is searching for dozens more days' worth of potentially lost e-mail from the Bush years, according to two groups that filed suit over the failure by the Bush White House to install an electronic record keeping system.

Again, and if they find something explosive? Holder has already given that piece of shit Brad Schlozman a pass for lying to "lawmakers in sworn testimony about whether he politicized hiring decisions", so why should we expect anything else? Me, I expect nothing. Except to remain disgusted and appalled.

Because nothing says "it's Hanukkah!" like a pasty white old mormon singing about the festival of lights:

And yes, that is Senator Orrin Hatch. He wrote the lyrics. Feel free to send this to your jewish friends. God knows I did.

Earth to democratic leadership:

UK imposes 50% super-tax on banker's bonuses. Why can't we do this here? Because there is no fucking political will. There is a democratic majority in the house and senate and an alleged democrat in the White House, and yet an obvious revenue raiser that punishes the people who created the financial crisis is off the table. I can't wait until November 2010, because I think--and hope--that these losers get the message, finally.

I should add that I hope that the democrats maintain their majorities in the house and senate, but suffer some notable loses. And I hope those losses are blue dogs. If that happens, then Obama et al. might start to understand that we had better see some fucking change we can fucking believe in, or the only change will be that he'll be looking for a new job in January 2013. Not that he'll suffer. No doubt he'll make a cool $100 million like the Clintons. As for the rest of us...

A good start:

Bruno, Former Albany Leader, Convicted of Corruption. The New York Times reports: Joseph L. Bruno, the former Senate majority leader and a towering figure in state politics, was found guilty on Monday afternoon of failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts disguised as consulting fees from a businessman who sought grants and other help from the Legislature.

* * *

Mr. Bruno, 80, who was once the top Republican in New York and one of the state’s most powerful politicians, faces up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine on each felony count. He is sure to appeal, and the Supreme Court is preparing to review the controversial “theft of honest services” statute underlying his case.

One down, too many to count to go. And note that Eliot Spitzer knocked heads with Bruno. I wonder if he is celebrating tonight. And with whom?

Labour is reacting....will the democrats?

City bonuses under threat of windfall tax. The answer, sadly, is no. They won't even try.

Meanwhile, in the UK the government is trying to rein in the bankers:

Bankers told: join the real world on pay. The Guardian reports: The government ratcheted up the pressure on bankers after a succession of ministers accused the City of lining its pockets by planning to pay more than 5,000 executives bonuses worth over £1m.

As tensions escalated between the banks and Whitehall, ministers condemned the industry for paying huge bonuses at a time when the economy was still in recession and the taxpayer had committed more than £100bn to prevent banks from collapsing.

Maybe the revolution was a mistake. Just saying.

Shorter Bernanke: kill the middle class.

Bernanke Channels Willie Sutton In Assault On Social Security: 'That's Where The Money Is'. Huffington Post reports: In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee today, where he's seeking re-appointment as the Fed's chairman, Bernanke called for cutbacks in Medicare and Social Security even as unemployment rises and the middle class is endangered.

Citing legendary bank robber Willie Sutton, Bernanke said of the retirement and health care funds that are the legacy of the New Deal: "That's where the money is."

And Wall Street wants that money, stat. It's official, "they" won't be happy until the middle class (what's left of it) is poor and the poor are dead. Never mind the $10 billion plus being spent every fucking month in Iraq and Afghanistan (and we know that's going up, thanks Obama!), the hundreds of billions--no trillions--given to Wall Street, the trillions lost in revenue due to W's tax cuts. No, the problem is that we insist on getting a piddling social security monthly payment that we fucking paid for when we finally get to retire because corporations don't give pensions any more and our 401ks, if we have them, are in the shitter.

Honestly, what the fuck do we do? I don't have enough to move abroad, but if I did I would be looking for a new place to live. Hell, I already am looking, just in case an opportunity arises.

The end of Dubailand? God willing:

Towering follies: the Dubai architecture you couldn't make up. Proof that money doesn't buy you class or taste.