Monthly Archive for December, 2009

Twas the night before Crispmøøse
and all through the høøse
not a creature was stirring
not even a Goobie

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Snag soon would be there

The rashers were nestled all snug in the packs
While visions of snorkels porked in their heads
And Geenie in her kerchief, and I in my trackies
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap

When out in the sink there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter
Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash
Torpedoed sink lettuce and tossed in the trash

The melon of ghost, a pale orange glow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh and 8 tiny møøses

With a brittle old driver, quick with a “cobag!”
I knew in a moment that it must be St. Snag
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came
And he swore and he shouted and cursed them by name
“Now Boubon, now Whiskey, now Entrails, now Poutine,
Now Rump Roast, now Tire Iron, now Scotch, now Gin!

If we were to continue there would be too much ass and not enough time to wish all a peaceful night. Merry Crispmøøse to all the Goobies of all ages!

People that are pundits for a living are likely to be asshats, even if they seem like likable 20-something pattable heads.

I thought some of the gang would appreciate this bit from Glennzilla on Ezra Powdered Sugar Klein:

While reading various articles to write this, I came across this amazingly revealing post from Ezra Klein, written on June 8, 2009, about the public option:

Most observers now think that some form of public plan will survive in the final bill. The question is what form of [public] plan? . . . . For most of you, this is the big one. The inclusion of a strong public insurance option has become, for most observers I know, the single most recognizable marker for victory. If the public plan exists, liberals have won. If it’s eliminated, or neutered, then conservatives have triumphed.

Back in June — when most people, according to Klein, believed the final bill would have a public option — the progressive consensus was that the existence of the public option would single-handedly determine whether progressives won or lost (Klein himself wasn’t necessarily adopting that view, only saying that “most of you” have done so). Yet now that the bill will have not merely a “neutered” public option, but no public option at all, the exact opposite decree is issued by the progressive establishment: this public-option-free health care bill is the single greatest achievement since LBJ or, perhaps, even FDR, rendering all progressive opposition to it immoral and insane (see here for a perfect example of this shift). What accounts for that reversal?

Glenn is using the rhetorically cobaggishness of Klein to one up him on the rhetorical leverage gambit. There is the desire for everyone to call bluffs, because most liberal foes of the HCR bill I think would be on the side of getting something better instead. This ignores the inherent asymmetry of the situation. It is easier to destroy than to create. Without the ability to get something better with the coalition you have, one side will always have more leverage, and that is the side of the bad guys. So what are we gonna do without that leverage? Pretend we have it, or move forward and keep fighting?

Impending new baby- very, very much feel like it will be this week, possibly Friday. Pitchfork Cobaggery Watch and Ombudsmanry in posts below, Seitz gives Pitchfork a loaded gun at Song of the Day, and GC stabs me in the back at Celebrity Dream Cameo, featuring real life celebrity readers of this web log.