Not a lot of time for commentary today as I want to get these posted before taping because it hasn’t been working out well when I try to do them after.

First clip features the Whitest Guy On MSNBC (he just had his name legally changed to that) trying to tell Herman Cain that he’s just not black enough. And then Mr. Cain layeth down the smack…

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

Second clip chronicles Andrew Breitbart’s trip through the Occupy L.A. hippies. I’ve been told all week that there’s no Big Labor involvement in this, um, movement. That would explain the moron with the SEIU ID badge stalking Breitbart.

I still don’t like hippies. Just putting that out there…

I’m in Manhattan for the New York Underground Comedy Festival the next few days. Long time fans know I don’t exit the bunker for live shows as much as I used to so here’s a chance to see if I know how to function in public.

Wednesday, 08/18/10:

9:00 PM “Politics Left, Right, Wrong”
Cornelia St. Cafe (29 Cornelia St.)

10:30 PM “Slaphouse Radio Show”
Bleecker St. Theater (45 Bleecker St)

Thursday, 08/19/10:

Comedy Think Tank
Gotham Comedy Club (downstairs) 208 W. 23rd St.

I’ll post any other appearances that come up as soon as I find out about them. Hope to see some of you!

The actual headline:

When in Buffalo, Obama orders wings

A press corps that never wondered aloud why a man who wanted to be president hung out with commie radicals displays unhealthy obsessives tendencies regarding The Lightbringer’s gastronomic goings-on.

That flushing sound you hear is the MSM getting rid of its responsible application of First Amendment responsibilities.

Next up from CNN: Two-ply or four-ply in the White House bathrooms?

I would say kazillions but President Obama might think it’s an actual number and try to work it into the next budget.

Here’s the deal, kids: after a year of being deeply involved in the Tea Party movement and following the psychotic disconnect that’s been parading as news coverage and commentary regarding it, I’m finally getting as angry as they’ve been saying I am.

Referring to the Left’s ongoing unhinged responses to Tea Party people as a “psychotic disconnect” is actually the last olive branch that I have to use. By letting them play the insanity card I’m giving them an out from being exposed as pathological liars.

Let’s be honest, I’m not exactly known as the calmest voice in any discussion. There’s even video of me from one early tea party where I’m quite animated. I was exhausted and the sound system was awful so I was yelling loud enough for the people in back to hear me. Not my finest moment but it also doesn’t define all of the other work I’ve been doing for the past year. Unless you’re narrow minded, of course.

Which brings me to the Left.

My frustration is this: how do we explain to the various blowhards on the Left that they are the embodiment of everything they keep accusing us of being? Finding the answer to this question has become my new mission.

Make no mistake about this: the Left (all, not just the fringe) side of American politics owns intolerance. They may not have exclusive rights but they’re far and away the majority shareholders. This isn’t speculation on my part. I’m a conservative who has been in the entertainment industry almost my entire adult life. I spent three years living in Maxine Waters’ district and I’ve been living in Henry Waxman’s for five. I know whence I speak.

Last Thursday, I spent an entire day co-hosting a tea party event in my hometown, Tucson, AZ. My co-host was James T. Harris, an African-American (he actually prefers “an American of African descent”). The crowd was so extraordinarily mellow that I began casting an eye about to see if someone was dealing weed at the back of the crowd. As with all protests, there were some really stupid signs but none that were racist or violent. The whole affair was so pleasant that I was emotional and sincere during my closing remarks. Anyone who knows me knows that borders on surreal.

After returning to Los Angeles I spent the weekend watching coverage and reading about Tea Party anger and racism. Ninety-nine percent of it, of course, coming from people who have never been within a short flight of a Tea Party or in the same room with someone who disagreed with them politically.

Then Bubba closed his zipper and opened his mouth.

When former President Clinton resurrected his whining about anti-government sentiment and the Oklahoma City bombing and weakly attempting to tie it to the Tea Party people, I began to approach a level of pissed off-edness that could almost lend some isolated credence to the crap coming from the Left.

Despite the robotic cool of President Obama, the American left is in a permanent state of hysteria at the moment and understandably so. They’ve been employing what used to be their most powerful weapon, repetition of a lie in the media until the lie sticks, for over a year against the Tea Party movement and it hasn’t worked. A decades-old model of suppressing dissent has been rendered impotent in an age where access to information increases every day. Predictably, Fairness Doctrine lust has been heating up lately. Since it won’t be enough to shut down talk radio, the FCC has been trying an end-around to increase its regulatory powers over Internet access under the guise of “net neutrality”.

The hysteria has been manifesting itself in some almost amusingly ironic ways. Endless parades of white people are whining about the number of, um, white people at the Tea Parties (see this week’s “Kruiser Control” for more on this). After a day where the only violent outbursts came from lefty infiltrators, the MSM continues to express concern about the “tone” of dissent on the right. This is the same MSM, of course, that was tone deaf during the entire Bush era. Lance Baxter called Freedom Works to accuse them of being stupid and was, let’s see, stupid enough to leave his phone number and end up losing his job. (naturally, Baxter is going the victim route and threatening to sue Freedom Works because he’s an unmitigated moron) It’s as if these people are staring into mirrors (see: actual violence at left-wing protests) and bitching about what they see but, in classic leftist fashion, assigning the blame elsewhere.

This contentiousness is easily broken down.

We oppose them on policy, they oppose our right to an opinion. That, quite simply, is un-American. President Obama himself has dismissively responded to dissent by saying, “That’s what elections are for.” Actually, Mr. President, the Constitution doesn’t assign free speech to a certain day of the year. We’re allowed to complain about our government (Hear me, Bubba?) whenever we want.

Modern American Democrats and progressives are terrified of anyone who disagrees with them. Yes, terrified. It’s the only explanation for the relentless virulence and lying about the Tea Party movement. Why, I can’t be sure and I won’t speak for them (another difference between me and them). This fear of differing opinions has been a hallmark of the post-Vietnam era Left, however.

If I had to guess about the reason for it I would have to look at the nature of most left-wing policy these days. It’s mostly emotional and not logical. When we peer too closely at the economic realities of something like health care reform and see inconsistencies it takes away from the warm gooeyness of it all. One of the president’s biggest selling points for it was that Medicare and Medicaid needed to be fixed. So, the government’s last attempt at “helping” is now so screwed up that it absolutely has to jump in and help again? Can I get a “WTF”?!?!?

That’s how we got to where we are.

Now, if I say, “I don’t think there’s a big historical record of government involvement introducing savings or efficiency,” they say, “You’re a racist!”

Then they’ll claim to be tolerant and open-minded while calling me a Nazi.

Surely somebody on the Left is going to get this sooner or later, right?

Or are they all Lance Baxters?

Finally, they all just got along.

Let’s begin by acknowledging that any kind of animal cruelty is vile. This being SCOTUS, however, means it’s not really about the particular subject but the underlying Constitutionality.

As Ed says, the fact that all but one were on board with this is stunning in the era where the court is as split as the country.

In the modern era, SCOTUS presupposes that we’ll know pornography when we see it but free speech has always seemed a bit more nebulous. The First Amendment tends to be thought of by the citizens as both restrictive (church/state issues) and generous (free speech issues). What caught my eye here is that Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the majority about free speech in terms of restricting the federal government.

“The First Amendment itself reflects a judgment by the American people that the benefits of its restrictions on the Government outweigh the costs. Our Constitution forecloses any attempt to revise that judgment simply on the basis that some speech is not worth it.”

I’m no Constitution wonk but I did find any reference regarding governmental restriction refreshing at a time when the reach of the government is growing as if it’s on steroids. I’m pretty sure an FBI guy sneaks in and sleeps under my bed at night, me being a right wing subversive and all. Hey-who told you I was paranoid?!?!?

Ed also correctly points out that sickos who abuse animals should be dealt with locally. And fiercely.

And let us film it.

This was supposed to be a one post affair. But after a round of posts by some co-bloggers (links here at Blue Collar Muse) and some attention from Hot Air, it was obvious that someone in David Smith’s office had their panties very much in a wad.

Perhaps we didn’t fly under the radar because I emailed Smith’s office a link to my post. Hey, I’m a giver. Maybe he’s got someone trolling the blogs for him. (Taxpayer money? It’s a legit question.) Whatever the case, this comment began showing up on almost all of the blog posts on the subject.

Either folks are not aware of this situation in it’s entirety or they have been duped and greatly mislead by a haphazard attempt to create an ulterior story to save someones ass. I would highly discourage folks from carrying through with this direction anymore than they already have. Very soon more light will be shed on this situation in Maricopa County etc.

There are folks on the inside of this preparing objectives etc, hell there are even folks within Thomas’s own office that are planning to assist with what is really going on behind those doors. This has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Bloggers, bloggers rights and or the 1st Amendment. ZERO..NOTHING.

There may in fact be argument to the accusations and or methodology etc…hell there rightly is with anything. However, don’t fall into the pre-conceived trap being set. People have already made huge mistakes online regarding this issue, those mistakes may seem small on onset however they multiply in severity daily. Should this continue beyond this point just how in the hell would you expect folks that know better NOT to publicly disseminate not only this but the half-ass ‘plan of attack’ coming out of Thomas’s own office? (which they weren’t even bright enough to mask properly as they so feverishly spoke of doing…and yep someone’s singing like a pigeon about that as well)

Don’t buy into this complete horse-shit. This has already gotten way out of hand as far as folks running with incorrect material etc.

Soon Thomas and some of his folks will get the trial experience they lack . . . too bad for them it will be as defendants.

Hewitt might indeed pick it up for those drooling for him to do so . . . of course I’m sure he will pick up the truth very shortly after.

Those of us who wrote about this today were concerned with the all-too-Soviet note that Smith’s office sent out. We weren’t much caught up in the intricacies of the spat between the county attorney and the county manager, which the commenter doesn’t seem to understand.

It seems we weren’t the only ones who found the whole business off-putting.

Making matters curiouser and curiouser, it turns out that our troll with the cryptic rant comment is a GOP type from the east with heavy ties to John McCain. I won’t mention his name…yet. However, I’m not a big fan of anyone telling me what I should or should not write about, especially in a chickens**t, anonymous manner. That’s the kind of behavior I expect from unhinged lefties, it doubly irritates me when someone who is supposed to be working on my side of the aisle pulls that crap. My response is usually, um, less than pleasant.

The emotional nature of his response does open up more questions about what manner of sore spots were hit with the various posts today. If David Smith has nothing to hide perhaps he should keep his (presumably) hired dogs on a shorter leash so they don’t leave new piles of stink for the neighbors to investigate.

All good things must come to an end.

Looks like the White House decided to stop its feud with Fox News while CNN and MSNBC still have a dozen or so viewers to split between them.

From Mediaite:

Mediaite has confirmed a meeting between Fox News and the White House took place today, and an FNC spokesperson emphasized it was private.

Details of the meeting and terms of any agreement are still emerging, but we hear the meeting was to come to a “truce” between both sides – a point first reported by FishbowlDC.

Mediaite hears the meeting was between FNC Senior Vice President Michael Clemente and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in Gibbs’ office at the White House. Clemente then met with the FNC D.C. bureau.

After all the vitriol, I can hardly wait to see how Gibbsie “Uh…um…uh”s his way around this one.

Honestly, this story has been the most pleasant alternative to the never ending, never interesting health care debate and I’m going to miss it.

Time to let Crazy Joe Biden off leash for a while.

Come on, guys, it’s Halloween week.

(UPDATE: The story keeps gaining national traction. Both Instapundit & Hot Air have posts about it now.)

Hey, they keep telling us we need to act more like Democrats, right?

Some disturbing heavy-handed, speech squashing thuggish garbage is going on in Maricopa County in my native state of Arizona.

It seems that the county Board of Supervisors is loaded with a bunch of the “screw principles and spend all the money” Republicans we’ve all come to know and loathe these past few election cycles.

More details from Blue Collar Muse:

At issue are relationships members of the County Attorney’s office have with the media, including a few bloggers. Not all the media, however, just those beating up on the Maricopa County Supervisors County Manager’s office. Seems the Board of Supervisors has been feuding with other state departments for some time, including messing with Maricopa County’s best known government employee, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Not only that, the same Supes squeezing the County Attorney employees have a really bad track record when it comes to things like character and integrity. The gaggle of liberal GOP Supes and the lone Dem in their midst have been accused of “wasteful spending, power grabs and criminal investigations” and there’s even a Twitter account, CorruptAZSupes.

The dispute with the County Attorney’s office got so bad the County Supervisors fired the County Attorney as their legal representative. And now the County Manager, David Smith, has decided to divert attention from his own side’s misbehaving by brow beating those pesky bloggers and their friends.

Smith sent a letter to the County Attorney’s office demanding to know who had relationships with bloggers – or else! They even specifically demand to know about activity that might have taken place on an employee’s personal time and their personal computers! Specifically named in the letter is Michael Scerbo, the County Attorney PIO, who is SUPPOSED to be in touch with the media! While there are some traditional media outlets mentioned, blogs are specifically targeted. The Sonoran Alliance, The Cactus Alliance and Intellectual Conservative Arizona are all named in the letter as being eeeeeeevil bloggers that bad County Attorney employees shouldn’t have anything to do with.

Sound familiar? It’s not that what they’re doing is scummy, it’s that those bastard bloggers are pointing it out! In their free time, nonetheless! What do these cretins think this is, America or something?!?!? Oh wait…

This shoot-the-messenger ploy is all the rage these days.

Here’s a portion of the letter that Comrade Smith sent out (via Warner Todd Huston):

Have you, whether under your name, some form of pseudonym, or anonymously, ever posted a blog, note or other communication on the internet concerning Maricopa County, any of its affiliated constituents (as defined in the Ethical Rules)?

Within the last six months, have you communicated with any person, site or entity listed below concerning the entities of individuals set forth in question 1 (a list of persons and blogs follows)

It’s bad enough when we have to battle the people who are supposed to be opposed to us. It’s far worse when those within our own ranks are virtually indistinguishable from the opposition.

David Smith is not only an enemy of free speech, he’s also a public official, so you can contact him. Here’s the info:

Call him. Email him. Explain the First Amendment to him.

Thus endeth my umpteenth blog post in the past week where I bash people in my own party. So much for President Face Time’s “they do what they’re told” theory.

But then he tends to be wrong about everything.

Mr. President, you’re embarrassing the friendlies now.

There’s only one thing dumber than picking a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel — picking a fight with people who don’t even have to buy ink. The Obama administration’s war on Fox News is dumb on multiple levels. It makes the White House look weak, unable to take Harry Truman’s advice and just deal with the heat. It makes the White House look small, dragged down to the level of Glenn Beck. It makes the White House look childish and petty at best, and it has a distinct Nixonian — Agnewesque? — aroma at worst. It is a self-defeating trifecta: it distracts attention from the Obama administration’s substantive message; it serves to help Fox, not punish it, by driving up ratings; and it deprives the White House, to the extent it refuses to provide administration officials to appear on the cable network, of access to an audience that is, in fact, broader than hard-core Obama haters.

I’ve been making the Nixon comparison since WAY before he was elected. The thin-skinned paranoia similarities are stunning. Throw in the pettiness and they’re sci-fi twins from different eras.

The president said he isn’t losing any sleep over this tantrum of his and that’s understandable once you realize that he’s also not losing any sleep over Afghanistan, unemployment or the plight of small business people either.

Bet that Nobel speech is stressing his ass out, though.

Hey: priorities.

Sure, it’s legitimate — and standard practice — to dispense access and coveted interviews to favored reporters and news outlets. So is subtly doing the opposite: letting a reporter who’s filed a tough story know that he or she is in the doghouse by leaking a scoop to a competitor. The Bush administration routinely briefed conservative columnists before a big presidential speech; the Obama White House tends to call in ideological sympathizers. This is the way the game is played.

Where the White House has gone way overboard is in its decision to treat Fox as an outright enemy and to go public with the assault. Imagine the outcry if the Bush administration had pulled a similar hissy fit with MSNBC. “Opinion journalism masquerading as news,”

Exactly. Imagine if anyone other than President Free Pass was taking this leak on the First Amendment.

Imagine if any other administration was weighing in during the broadcasts of “news” outlets that have most of their questions fed to their anchors from a rectum.

Yes, imagine.

And if all that imagining doesn’t disturb you in the slightest, stay away from electricity and sharp things for a while.

But remain a registered Democrat. You’re exactly what they’re looking for.

Much to their chagrin, the Obama message makers haven’t been able to put the clamps on foreign media yet.

Ms. Gutmann trots out some curiously older examples of the plunge off the left edge of sanity by the LA Times and CBS but didn’t provide any of the six hundred million or so she could have pulled from MSNBC or even CNN since last January. Naturally, the New York Times has become such an embarrassing tabloid that it doesn’t bear much examination in these discussions any more.

She does make a point about the first part of the problem in U.S. journalism.

Everyone has a point of view. People tend to go into journalism precisely because they have strong feelings about issues. What else attracts them? It’s certainly not the money. And if they don’t have strong opinions, they certainly develop them over time. We are not, and not supposed to be, stenographers.

Good reporters take account of their biases and attempt to be fair to the other side. But fairness starts with acknowledging one’s own bias. The alarming thing about Dunn and Axelrod is that they don’t understand they start with political preferences. Apparently, their views are the only acceptable ones; anything else is somehow “other”, in a different dimension, something to be marginalised as “Republican propaganda.”

Reporters today don’t begin by acknowledging a personal bias. They’ve deluded themselves into believing that they are not only impartial but that any personal feelings which happen to creep in are representative of the majority of Americans. One of the reasons that it’s more interesting to read British newspapers is that they don’t play this little game of make-believe.

The other aspect of what’s going on with this administration and any contrary opinions expressed in public is that we are dealing with perhaps the most sensitive and extraordinarily thin-skinned president in history. As I said in my previous post, it’s always about him and it always has to be positive.

Don’t for a second think that the orders to coordinate an effort against Fox News aren’t coming from the top down.

Take a breath and imagine for moment the stunning waste of resources that would have been involved if President Bush had spent his eight years in office trying to officially silence his detractors in the press.

Contrast that with a president who can’t make up his mind about supporting troops in Afghanistan but can direct an offensive against the one American news outlet that doesn’t drop to its knees and drool when he walks into a room.

He’s pathetic.

Hot Air has a post today that makes the case that the war against Fox News is about keeping the friendlies safe from any flak about not reporting real news stories. If Van Jones and ACORN are only being spoken of negatively on Fox News then it’s not really news, right?

True, Fox News has a rightward tilt but that doesn’t mean everything they report on is irresponsible. What’s irresponsible is the the President of the United States perpetuating that lie.

If Fox News covers a story that MSNBC, CNN, et al refuse to look at because they’ve abandoned all journalistic principles, it’s not being biased, it’s being the only outlet doing the job.

In a not-too-distant journalistic past in America, both the Van Jones and ACORN stories would have blown wide open in a heartbeat because reporters had integrity and self-respect. Both of those traits have to be checked at the door for any reporter who wants access to this president.

Why? Because the smartest administration ever has been an endless parade of highly dubious decision making and appointments and they’re terrified of scrutiny.

So they are engaged in message control and an assault on the First Amendment.

And most of the press is shutting up about it.