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

Miserable old man strikes out in desperation to save birthright:

Specter Switches Parties. Is he switching because he is disgusted by the republican plan to stymie any decent legislation by threatening filibusters in the senate? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Um, no. Seems that Mr. Magic Bullet Theory was concerned that righwing nutjob Pat Toomey might hand him his ass in the republican primary. Does this sound familiar? Yeah, I'm looking at you, Joe Lieberman (Independent asshole, CT).

Meanwhile, many people are high fiving each other over Specter's switch, but put me in the "what the fuck?" camp. Why? Read this: PA Gov. Rendell Promised Specter He’d Be “Unopposed” In Dem Primary. According to Greg Sargent, writing at The Plum Line: In a way, labor may be left kind of high and dry in this deal: If Specter had stayed a Republican and lost a GOP primary, the victor, right-wing Pat Toomey, would likely have been defeated by the eventual Dem candidate — who likely would have been a real Democrat, friend of labor, and EFCA backer. So labor could end up getting shafted here.

Remember that Rendell, with Chuck Schumer, squelched any attempt by real progressives to run for the PA senate seat eventually lost by Rick Santorum by throwing money and support behind that asshole Bob Casey, Jr. This just cements for me that the democratic leadership no more wants true progressives in office than the fucking republicans.

You haven't even spent the first $850 billion, bitch, and now you want more?

Pelosi says $150 billion second stimulus plan needed. Oh, I get it, put the requests together and you have a cool trillion. That is, no one wanted to vote for a trillion dollar bailout, but $700 billion...$850 billion...that's doable. Yes, I hate them all.

You didn't have to be a fucking mind reader to know this:

Paulson says won't stay at Treasury past January. So what will he be doing next year? Paulson states: "I look forward to doing other things next year," Paulson said on NBC television's "Meet the Press" program.

You know, some gardening, a bus trip with the missus, talking a walk around Wall Street to collect on the favors he gave to his banking masters this year, nothing special.

I would normally say that this--

Bush to raise 'deep concerns' about China's human rights--takes big brass balls, but that would only be the case if the person making the assertion wasn't so goddamned stupid and detached. Hope he gets food poisoning when he's visiting Beijing for the Olympics and has to watch the opening ceremonies while crouching on a toilet.

Break out your handkerchiefs:

Robert Novak retiring after brain tumor diagnosis. Blah, blah, blah...dire...blah, blah. My first thought upon seeing the headline was that the tumor story is a ruse to screw the homeless guy he hit with his 'vette out of a proper settlement. Probably not, but it would seem like typical neocon/Opus Dei asshole behavior. Whatever. He's not long for this world and that is a good thing. No, I won't wish him well. Novak was a useful tool for the neocons who wanted to see if they can make the U.S. into a banana republic. Well, they came close (or did they succeed...I'm not really sure). My only hope is that he has his Lee Atwater moment and there is nobody there to hear it. I believe that would be fitting.

A leopard never changes his spots:

[Noted douchebag Robert] Novak cited after hitting [and running] pedestrian. Man, I hate Politico, but they had the story, so here goes: Syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak was cited by police after he hit a pedestrian with his black Corvette in downtown Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning. [Ed: His Camarro must have been in the shop.]

A Politico reporter saw Novak in the front of a police car with a citation in his hand; a WJLA-TV crew and reporter saw Novak as well. The pedestrian, a 66-year-old male, was hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital with minor injuries according to DC Fire and EMS. Novak was later released by police and drove away from the scene.

“I didn’t know I hit him. I feel terrible,” a shaken Novak told reporters from Politico and WJLA as he was returning to his car. "He's not dead, that's the main thing." Novak said he was a block away from 18th and K St. NW, where the accident happened, when a bicyclist stopped him and said, "You hit someone." He said he was cited for failing to yield the right of way. [Ed: He should have been cited for a hit-and-run, see below.]

[The bicyclist who witnessed the event stated that] [a]s he traveled east on K. Street, crossing 18th, Bono said a "black Corvette convertible with top closed plowed into the guy. The guy is sort of splayed onto the windshield.”

Bono said the pedestrian, who was crossing the street on a "Walk" signal and was in the crosswalk, rolled off the windshield and then Novak made a right into the service lane of K Street. “The car is speeding away. What’s going through my mind is, you just can’t hit a pedestrian and drive away,” Bono said.

strong>What’s going through my mind is, you just can’t hit a pedestrian and drive away...” That is a true fact, Mr. Bono, unless, of course, you are a republican. So, why wasn't Bob Novak charged with a hit-and-run?

Link via Atrios.

Update: Ruh-roh, Novak may have a real problem on his hands: A Source: Novak's Victim Worse Than First Thought. According to the local ABC News station: The pedestrian who was struck by prominent Washington columnist and commentator Robert Novak is in worse shape than first thought, a hospital source tells ABC 7 News.

The victim, a 66-year-old man, appeared somewhat incoherent, said the source who had seen the victim. The man appeared to have casts on his neck and back. The victim was X-rayed and a surgical team plans to evaluate him, the source said.

At the minimum, Novak's looking at a huge lawsuit. Given the bicyclist's statement (and he's a partner at a DC law firm), it sounds like Novak committed a hit and run. That's a crime. Just saying.

If you click the link, you'll see a poll on whether you believe Novak's version of the facts.  The vote is close.  Feel free to participate. 

Thanks to Mr. Slice for the update link.

Then why is impeachment still off the table?

House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure.' Because you are a complete failure too, Nancy. And you worked with Steny Hoyer and others to permanently scar our constitution to cover your complicit ass. Pot, meet kettle.

I wonder if we can put a "DNR" on his resume:

Greenspan sees more than 50 percent chance of U.S. recession. Hey, Alan, would have been great if you saw recession on the horizon, say, back when you were encouraging Americans to "save money" by getting adjustable rate mortgages, you filthy motherfucking scumbag.

In a just world, the U.S. debt would be reduced by letting Americans (and others) pay $5 (or Euros!) to give this nasty piece of shit a good swift kick. Hell, I'm in for $50.

Hillary loses 400 lbs. of ugly fat in only one day:

Mark Penn Resigns From Clinton Camp. Too bad that Hilary didn't do this, say, a year ago. Then again, I think it is fair to say that you can judge a candidate by the people he or she picks as advisers, and let's just say that Hillary's choice was telling. Good riddance to corrupt trash. I hope Penn can't get another democratic campaign gig ever--the republicans can have this second-rate Karl Rove.

Alan Greenspan, criminal:

Greenspan sees many casualties from crisis. Bet Alan isn't a casualty. He probably made a fucking bundle shorting companies holding worthless paper collateralized with bullshit mortgages. The rest of us? Oh, we will pay for Wall Street greed as Greenspan and his friends blow their piles on buckets of viagra and $5,000 hookers.

And I did not read Greenspan's piece in the Financial Times, but I'll bet he forgets to mention how he encouraged Americans to opt for adjustable-rate mortgages over fixed-rate mortgages because they could save some money in the early years since the introductory interest rates were so low. Filthy, disgusting, corrupt whore.