The wingnuts flip out in comments.

Dare suggest that producing energy consuming meat such as cattle could be harming the planet? Save the planet, eat less meat apparently is a latte-drinking tree-hugging sandal-wearing Nazicommiesocialistic idea.

Dare attack Palin, the hope of the GOP base?

Palin, Limbaugh, Beck … now it’s Republicans seeing the downside. Some moderate conservatives see danger in the vociferous right, especially among broadcast pot-stirrers. They want to advance the GOP by changing the tone.

Arguing if one would vote for a military man in 2012 or not...

Proving Krugman right in the comments thread of his article: The Politics of Spite.

But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation’s two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they’re against it — whether or not it’s good for America.

To be sure, while celebrating America’s rebuff by the Olympic Committee was puerile, it didn’t do any real harm. But the same principle of spite has determined Republican positions on more serious matters, with potentially serious consequences — in particular, in the debate over health care reform.

I can remember when Democrats and Republicans had very civil discussions over the ways to run the government. We needed both sides to balance each other out, to keep both sides in check, to keep us open to new ideas but also to keep us on an even keel.

Not any longer. To quote Krugman again:

The only difference now is that the G.O.P. is in a weaker position, having lost control not just of Congress but, to a large extent, of the terms of debate. The public no longer buys conservative ideology the way it used to; the old attacks on Big Government and paeans to the magic of the marketplace have lost their resonance. Yet conservatives retain their belief that they, and only they, should govern.

The result has been a cynical, ends-justify-the-means approach. Hastening the day when the rightful governing party returns to power is all that matters, so the G.O.P. will seize any club at hand with which to beat the current administration.

It’s an ugly picture. But it’s the truth. And it’s a truth anyone trying to find solutions to America’s real problems has to understand.

Update: Criticizing Justice Sotomayor ... just because.

Wouldn't that take out the entire New Testament?

Conservative Bible Project Cuts Out Liberal Passages

This means

It's time for the top ten conservative idiots!

And we wonder why Iran feels hostile.....

On Fox News Sunday today, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suggested that military action against Iran -- while a "last resort" -- is a possibility, and perhaps an eventual necessity.

Shorter Graham: Screw diplomacy and the Obama administration! We want Iran to be cowering on its knees before our clearly God given might! (Ignore the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan...)

When you're crabby and you know it

Read Phila of Bouphonia's Friday hope post.

Cats

Face cheers as nose is cut off

Conservatives cheer as Chicago is not being chosen for the Olympics. THAT will show'im!


What is wrong with these people?

Diplomacy! What an amazing new invention!

Actually talking to people!

Glenn Greenwald's headline:

Iran: More accomplished in one day of negotiations than in 8 years of threats

In some undisclosed secure location, Cheney is twirling his mustaches in frustration. The war with Iran is getting further and further from his grasp....

Diaper Dave!

What they intended all along

...in the case of the "sick," "creepy" second-graders signing up for duty in the "Hitler Youth," predictably, after much breathless snooping, the name of the offending elementary school was indentified and its phone number was posted online. And just as predictably, threats of violence began to pour in.

According to a Fox News online report:

The tension at B. Bernice Young Elementary School escalated to such a degree Thursday that the school was placed temporarily on lockdown after its principal received death threats over a YouTube video that showed nearly 20 children being taught songs lauding the president, though back-to-school night events continuing as planned Thursday night at the school.

Ironically, the Fox report was quickly scrubbed, and any mention of looming right-wing mob violence was edited out of the news story. Editors at Fox News can erase all the unseemly mentions of death threats they want, but when right-wing mobs online are whipped into a frenzy and sent out to attack private citizens, they always leave a mark.

They are egging the nutcases on, urging wingnut gun owners to take on the government, begging somebody to do something dramatic.

It's a given that some poor slob somewhere will do something ugly and deadly.

Then the Right Wing Smear Machine will run away, just as they did after Dr. Tiller was murdered. They will declare their hands are clean. They will pretend to be horrified by what has happened. They will shed crocodile tears while picking out their next target and starting the whole process over again.

It's what they do.