Cher is not only promoting a new movie, but she is the recent recipient of a Lifetime Achievement for Glamour‘s Women of the Year. Designer Bob Mackie said of her: “She’s an original, unique. There’s nobody quite like her. There have been others who have tried, but it doesn’t work. She is just herself.”

Yes, she is.

(H/T TheBlaze)

Limbaugh blamed Obama for the new measures, pointing out that the president could end them right now by calling a press conference and announcing that “the fondling stops now.” The host then read a new “Obama version” of the Miranda Rights with some slight differences (basically he added the word “fondle” a lot). He ended up the bit by asking where all the Pro-Choice “keep you hands off my body!” types are.

Really, however you feel about the new measures, you have to admit that it’s giving us at least one priceless quote per day. And if we have to give up some rights to get that, well, then that’s just a necessary kick in the ol’ teabag.

(via Breitbart.tv)

Lance Baxter

Who is Tabitha, and why is Lance Baxter flashing her picture as Matt Kibbe’s object of lust?

“Tabitha” is Tabitha Hale, director of interactive media at Freedomworks. While she does have an online presence, especially on Twitter, she’s not really an “out front” person at Freedomworks. Taking shots at her isn’t really the same as mocking Kibbe, or pun-friendly founder Dick Armey.

Despite my complete disagreement with just about everything she says, Tabitha Hale is also a friend of mine. She is incredibly hard-working, smart as a whip, and tough as nails. She probably got an exasperated laugh out of this spot.

It says a lot about Baxter that he’s willing to dig so deep to launch such a crass attack on Hale, namely that this has become more about bitterness over the way Freedomworks helped Geico find out about his actions, than any grievances with the Tea Party. It completely undercuts any legitimate points he might have made.

Hale was also part of Right Wing News’ conservative new media spank bank earlier this summer, which, for my money, was as sexist as Baxter’s crack, but at least they meant it in a nice way.

First, Kos delivers his brief, but strong, opinion of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, followed by his take on the “teabagger” question.

His response was to post a video featuring voicemails he received in the wake of the incident, along with photos of some of the Tea Party’s greatest protest sign hits. The voicemails aren’t very revealing, so I guess the idea is that the photos are intended to rebut the protestations of the callers.

Despite Baxter’s nod to political correctness by saying “mentally retarded” instead of “retard,” he’s not really entitled to the moral high ground here. The voicemail he left for Freedomworks, who have made a concerted effort to keep the ugliness out of their events, was childish wiseassery, nothing more. Also, note to Lance and the rest of the left: the term “tea-bagger” has outlived its usefulness, and now serves only to buttress the Tea Party’s sense of persecution. It was clever for 5 minutes, but to the rest of the world, it just seems douche-y now.

However, publishing his phone number and going after his job were disproportionate and dirty actions. Additionally, the Tea Party’s effort at cleansing its image is undermined by their refusal to admit there was ever a problem, something Baxter’s litany of “isolated incidents” underscores. Aside from our old pal Dale Robertson, the rest of these folks seemed pretty welcome at their Tea Parties, and they continue to deal with the ugliness on Capitol Hill by calling civil rights hero John Lewis a liar.

This doubling-down is not likely to help Baxter much. Perhaps he’s counting on goodwill from fellow Hollywood Tea Party opponents to get him through this, but as Freedomworks has already demonstrated, the Tea Party has ample time and energy to devote to getting him fired again.

Using a clip from last night’s speech from World Net Daily’s Joseph Farah — “We recently took a guy with no birth certificate,” he said to huge laughs and applause — the Fox reporter announced that a news conference would be held this afternoon from Tea Party groups not represented at the weekend’s festivities, denouncing talk of Obama’s birth certificate.

But according to Hot Air, the disagreement already manifested itself at the convention in a heated exchange between Farah and another top online conservative, Andrew Breitbart. In a report for the Washington Independent, Breitbart is quoted as telling Farah that Obama’s birth certificate is “not a winning issue” and that “elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts were all won not on birther, but on substance.”

The Fox segment, too, mentions substance: “fiscal discipline, upholding the constitution and common sense conservatism.” Then, Fox’s Carl Cameron interviews a man in full Revolutionary War garb, complete with an accent, about the pervasive idea that Tea Partiers are insane. This portion of the segment is about three minutes long and demonstrates the “sense of humor” of the convention. There’s also jewelry!

Check out the clip below:

Of course, just yesterday we wondered about Media Matters’ selective reporting of Tancredo’s speech — in which they noted his anti-Obama words, but not his anti-John McCain portions of the speech. Maddow, however, sharpens the point of her critique, zeroing in on what she sees as the xenophobic aspects of Tancredo’s Tea Party debut. The white hoods joke, though? Maybe a bit much. Judge for yourself in the clip below:

Host/moderator Andy Borowitz set the tone for the evening with ten minutes of stand-up comedy at the top of the event. It sent the message that this wasn’t going to be the same old discussion evaluating the president’s first year in office. It was a night with more laughs than sharp critique. And that’s just what the crowd was looking for on the night of the president’s State of the Union address.

Borowitz first invited Trillin to join him on the stage so Trillin could share his essay titled “Anticipating the Inauguration of Barack Obama.” While whimsical in its design, the poem helped remind audience members just how excited the nation was at the start of the president’s term. But rather than engage in a discussion about the disappointment and disillusionment now attached to Obama, this panel chose to emphasize his strengths and achievements over the course of his first year.

It was only Janeane Garofalo who showed her emotions – and passion – on her sleeve (her best quality). Jonathan Alter and Jeffrey Toobin came to Obama’s defense when the criticism mounted – such as when Garofalo charged Obama still seeks bipartisanship while his enemies intend to destroy him, something Alter rejected as a lesson the president learned nearly a year ago after the fight for the stimulus bill. Alter was the resident expert on timelines and facts as he has just completed a book about Obama’s first year in office.

Toobin commented that Obama’s life should have been easier this year as he came in with 58 Senate democrats behind him. He pointed out that 30 years ago Republicans weren’t as far right-wing as they are today and they negotiated deals with regularity but today are “against everything.” Trillin was quick to point out that since Obama took office, his opposition made it their mission to derail all of his efforts.

Everyone agreed that Obama made mistakes and that some mishaps occurred over the year. But they wanted a break for at least one night from having to think about the serious issues that plague the world. Instead, they entertained each other and the audience with the lighter side of the debate.

What They Said
“Here we have a president who only escalated one war and he gets the Nobel Peace Prize. Think about how low the bar was set by President Bush.”
- Jeffrey Toobin makes us wonder what escalating no wars would earn

“We’ve been more successful at convincing Sunni warlords than we have at Republican senators.”
- Andy Borowitz is happy that the “Sunni Awakening” didn’t have the option to filibuster

“It bothers me when people call the teabaggers populists. They’re not populists. They’re Foxulists.”
- Jonathan Alter says tea baggers only watch the “most trusted” network

“Who would want to be the President of the United States, though?”
- Janeane Garofalo thinks there’s something wrong with the position these days

“The problem with Hillary is she’s not good with meter, and [Obama’s] not good with rhyme”
- Calvin Trillin sees every person through the lens of poetic possibility and gives us an idea for a “Perfect Strangers” like sitcom

“The Republican party is dying. The Republican party is only succeeding because Obama hasn’t succeeded yet.”
- Jeffrey Toobin wants the Democrats to regain control over public opinion

What We Thought

• Alter quoted Stephen Colbert and Trillin cited “The Daily Show” at different points. It’s clear that not only are these comedy shows here to stay, they’ll continue to impact the political sphere for a long time.
• The panel spent a good portion of the discussion talking about filibusters and their influence on the passage of bills. What was once a last resort used by desperate southern senators is now part of the landscape of American government.

PANEL RULES!
Some audience behavior seems to repeat itself panel after panel. We’ll be updating a running list of “PANEL RULES!” that will help ensure that you are not the dweeb of the Panel Nerds.

Panel Nerds don’t like…Tangent Makers
We didn’t like tangents when they were opposite over adjacent angles, and we sure as heck don’t have patience for them now. This panel was about evaluating how Obama fared in his first year. That should be open-ended enough as the panelists covered the gamut – foreign, domestic, social justice issues. Whether Rahm Emanuel will run for mayor of Chicago is not of interest to the audience. Thankfully, Borowitz fielded the question himself assuring the asker with a confident “No” before moving on to the next pertinent question.

Olbermann has managed a pretty neat trick here. You probably won’t hear any conservative addressing the specific points Keith brings up, and he knows it. A quick examination of the possible defenses demonstrates why. Here are Olbermann’s proofs:

Irresponsible – Brown swore at a high school assembly and announced to America that his daughters are “available.” On the second count, even Glenn Beck (perhaps overstating) thought that was kinda creepy.

The first one is a tad misleading, but really in a way that’s kind to Brown. He didn’t just launch into profanity, he was actually reading quotes from a Facebook page contributed by the kids at the school so he could “call them out,” even identifying them by name. “You can hammer me, but I can’t call you out on it?” Brown said.

Even better than that, he wasn’t invited to the school to speak, he invited himself when he heard that a teacher had discussed Brown’s stance on gay marriage (against, but favors civil unions) with students. So, he didn’t go off on a bunch of high school kids, he was just speaking truth to…power? Quoting the profanities was dumb either way.

Point: Olbermann.

Homophobic – Brown said, of an opponent in 2001, that two women having a baby was “not normal.” Also once favored an amendment to the state constitution to ban gay marriage.  Does that make him homophobic? Well, to the extent that it’s even a liability to be an anti-gay Republican, let’s give Brown the benefit of the doubt and say he has grown since then. Formerly homophobic, currently engaged in principled support of opposite marriage. Point: Still to Olbermann, because somebody scrubbed this from Brown’s Wikipedia page.

Racist - Brown questioned the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s parentage. Now, Keith’s interpretation is one way you could go with this, that because Obama is black, Brown assumes he was born out of wedlock until proven otherwise. On the other hand, Brown could just have some kind of weird contempt for the President’s late mother. Let’s give this point to Brown. He’s a mother-hater, not a racist.

Also possible is that Brown isn’t racist or mom-ist, and was simply playing to a segment of his audience whom he thought would enjoy thinking of the President as a bastard. That would make him a liar and a coward.

Reactionary – Olbermann gives the dictionary definition here, but I don’t think anyone’s really going to argue this too fiercely. Again, not a liability for a Republican. Point: Olbermann.

Ex Nude Model – True, although he hides his bits and pieces. But it’s OK, because he’s a dude. I’m tempted to give Keith 2 points for not doing a Sarah Palin overreach and calling him a porn star. Point: Olbermann.

Sexist – Again with his abnormal 2001 opponent! Referred to her as having “alleged family responsibilities.” I think this actually supports the homophobia more, but I also think his “They’re available” comment qualifies here. These aren’t the strongest points, and Brown needs to score here, so I’ll give this one to Brown. Point: Brown. He’s not sexist, just hostile to gay families and says weird shit about his daughters under pressure.

Tea-bagging – He’s busted by my colleague, Sam Stein, having a Tea Party fundraiser earlier this month. Some might object to the term “tea-bagging,” but since the folks at the Oxford Dictionary know what he’s talking about, Keith gets this one. Point: Olbermann.

Supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees – Keith’s talking about the incident where a supporter shouted “Shove a curling iron up (Martha Coakley’s) butt!” and Brown appeared to approve of the remark. He later told reporters that he hadn’t heard it, and that it was “inappropriate” and that he would have “said something” had he heard it. You can question the strength of his repudiation, or its sincerity, but he did make it. Point: Brown.

So, to review, Keith didn’t actually prove that Brown is a racist or a misogynist, but the problem here is that in order to defend Brown, you still kinda have to trash him. Much easier to call Keith a liar, accuse him of playing some kind of “card,” and high-five your buddies for calling him “Keith Olberdouche” or something.

Carlson revisits the term later in the show, but here’s the exchange with Vanden Heuvel:

In terms of pure, practical politics, I’m going to have to side with Carlson here. Despite the self-inflicted nature of the “tea-bagger” wound, and the fun everyone has had using it (and inventing it), the joke is now on the collective, non-tea-bagging us.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not believe, for a second, that these folks were ignorant of the one and only definition of “tea-bagging” prior to MSNBC’s turnabout. I believe that they were happy to espouse the image of their movement forcing their metaphoric tea-bags into the mouths of the Democrats, and only cried about it when the filthy imagery boomeranged on them. I give them credit for more intelligence than Rachel Maddow does.

As such, I wouldn’t quarrel with liberals who think that the Tea Party movement “deserves” this treatment, although I’d hope they would use discretion around the children who are often present at these protests.

However, even if you grant the entire liberal narrative on “tea-bagging,” that they’re idiotic stooges being exploited by the same people who put them in the fix that has them so angry, the liberal response to them has been, and continues to be, deadly to their own political fortunes. Vanden Heuvel’s response is emblematic of this smug, dismissive, and mocking attitude.

Liberals, and many in the media, have been pointing out how stupid the Tea Party movement is for almost a year now, myself included. It’s media coming-out was in a rant by CNBC’s Rick Santelli in which he derided “loser” homeowners on a Chicago trading floor while being cheered on by douchebag traders. There is no logical reason why this should have caught on, at least to the extent that it did in the  media.

Simply pointing that out, however, is obviously not enough. They’re still here, and they’re helping to widen the enthusiasm gap going into the 2010 elections. Performances like Katrina’s might make the Kos crowd stand up and cheer, but it isn’t going to get soft Dems out to the polls this Tuesday, or in November. For conservatives like Carlson, “tea-bagger” is here to stay. It’s practically in the dictionary, and only with the “clean” definition. This kind of protest will make Tucker a hero to the right, and fuel enthusiasm for opposition to the President.

The lesson here is that it’s not enough to be clever, or right, or better. “Firefly” got canceled halfway through its 1st season, and “According to Jim” stayed on the air for nine years.

The Democrats need their own version of the “tea-baggers,” an energized group to push back against the opposition that has formed around things like Sarah Palin‘s “death panels.” If they have to endure being called “salad-tossers” or “pearl-necklace-wearers” for their trouble, so be it. It’s a fair trade.

“Both Steele and Palin claim to be devotees of the tea party movement. ‘I’m a tea partier, I’m a town-haller, I’m a grass-roots-er’ is how Steele put it in a recent radio interview, wet-kissing a market he hopes will buy his book. Palin has far more grandiose ambitions.”

– Frank Rich, in today’s New York Times op-ed “The Great Tea Party Rip-Off,” about how a grassroots movement is being exploited, not only by politicians seeking election, but by companies, marketers and lobbyists.

Frank goes on to question Palin’s contract as “speaker for the first Tea Party Convention,” for which she will be paid a reported $120,000. (A little more than appearing on InTouch!)

Rich argues: “[T]he tea party movement is being exploited — and not just by marketers, lobbyists, political consultants and corporate interests but by the Republican Party, as exemplified by Palin and Steele, its most prominent leaders.”

The entire Tea Party Convention is a profit-seeking affair charging $560 a ticket — plus the cost of a room at the Opryland Hotel. Among the convention’s eight listed sponsors is Tea Party Emporium, which gives as its contact address 444 Madison Avenue in New York, also home to the high-fashion brand Burberry. This emporium’s Web site offers a bejeweled tea bag at $89.99 for those furious at “a government hell bent on the largest redistribution of wealth in history.” This is almost as shameless as Glenn Beck, whose own tea party profiteering has included hawking gold coins merchandised by a sponsor of his radio show.

Last week a prominent right-wing blogger, Erick Erickson of RedState.com, finally figured out that the Tea Party Convention “smells scammy,” likening it to one of those Nigerian e-mails promising untold millions.

Read the rest of “The Great Tea Party Rip-Off” here.

Here’s Tapper’s exchange with Gibbs:

Voight, an outspoken (if not rabid), critic of President Obama, has starred in a over 70 movies and TV shows. Since Gibbs said he was sure that what he was thinking would get him in trouble, I took a shot in the dark:

And here, I was hoping he’d hum a few bars of “Dueling Banjos.”

I guess I’ll take his word for it, although I’d hate to think what kind of “Midnight Cowboy” joke he could have made.

He also asked me if my questions were in order of importance. For the record, I don’t believe that this was a declaration of war on Mediaite.

Rachel Maddow took some time on her show to vet a number of yesterday’s highlights, including Rep. John Boehner’s constitutional misstep, as well as taking a peek into the past statements of rally goers like Mark Levin who recently described Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor as “Ruth Bader Ginsburg plus about 50 pounds.”

Last Wednesday Obama made the unusual move of calling a joint session of Congress, once again occupying the airwaves (sans FOX), to once again pitch his health care plan and hopefully clear up some misconceptions about what it does and does not consist of. It was by most people’s measure a fantastic speech…and yet it was mostly lost amidst all the ongoing hubub over Joe Wilson‘s “You Lie” outburst.

On Saturday, Obama sought to follow up Wednesday’s address with a health care plan rally in Minneapolis. Saturday was also known to some 70,000 rambunctious sign-wavers as 9/12, and it was that outburst of sign wavers, marching around Washington, who dominated both the cablers and the next-day coverage.

Being nothing if not persistent, Obama appeared this Sunday 60 Minutes for a second time in six months (video below) to talk to Steve Kroft about…the health care plan. 60 Minutes airs at 7pm ET, which last night put it somewhere between Serena Williams’ outburst at Saturday’s U.S. Open and Kanye West‘s Taylor Swift-directed outburst at the VMA’s. The President really just needs everyone — everyone — to shut the hell up for seven days so he can get his point across!

There is a chance Obama will have another shot at the headline ring. Rumors abound he is set to appear on tonight’s debut of The Jay Leno Show…with special guest Kanye West. Perhaps the Prez can get a few outburst notes from the master. Outbursts have appeared to paid off for everyone else.

President Obama Talks Health Care on 60 Minutes

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