Here's How/Why Chris Christie Will Enter the Race

Despite his insistence to the contrary, I believe New Jersey Gov. Chris Chris is certain to enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination. And I'm sure it'll go something like this:

GOP Insiders: Gov. Christie, we want you to run. We need you to run. You must run. You're our only hope.

Christie: Guys, I'm flattered. I'm just a kid from Jersey and you're beggin' me
to run for president. I'm speechless. But I'm not your man.

GOP Insiders: Yes, you are.

Christie: Seriously, I'm not. Don't you read what I've been saying for months now? I don't want to run. I don't have any intention of running. I'm happy with the job I have.

GOP Insiders: But you're not going Sherman on us. You haven't said you won't run, nor be drafted to run, under any circumstances. Is that what you're now telling us?

Christie: Like I said, I'm not running. I'm not even qualified for the job. I'm not ready for the job!

GOP Insiders: That's precisely why you should run. Why you need to run. And why you'll win! It's time an 'outsider' fills this job. An everyman who just happens to also be a very successful governor of one of America's largest states. Chris, you're a lean, mean, straight-shootin' cost-cuttin', budget balancin' family-values guy who keeps income and property taxes low...and is funny too! Ok, maybe not so lean, but they'll love you just the same. You'll be the new guy they want to have a beer with. Kinda like a smart Bush. You'll appeal not just to conservatives, but independents and Reagan Democrats too. Not even Obama can score that hat trick!

Christie: Keep talkin'....

GOP Insiders: Forget about what you've said in the past. Everyone knows politicians go back on their word. You'll say you're running because of a love of country. That you've been called to serve. That you're being told that America needs you. That, get this, this is a totally selfless move on your part!

Christie: But I...I

GOP Insiders: You'll win, man! You'll be that kid from Jersey who becomes president...of the United friggin' States! Look us in the eye and tell us you really don't want that!

Christie: Well I....

GOP Insiders: C'mon, you don't think you can beat.......Palin?!

Christie: Of course I can. She's batshit crazy.

GOP Insiders: Bachmann?

Christie: Even crazier.

GOP Insiders: Ron Paul?

Christie: See above...

GOP Insiders: Herman Cain?

Christie: Ok, now you're just wasting my time. But, I do like pizza!

GOP Insiders: Gingrich?

Christie: More skeletons in his closet than in a college anatomy lab.

GOP Insiders: Pawlenty?

Christie: (yawns) Human Ambien.

GOP Insiders: Santorum?

Christie: He's even too right wing for me!

GOP Insiders: Romney?

Christie: You mean Mr. Mormon RomneyCare?

GOP Insiders: Perry?

Christie: C'mon, that rogue cowboy wants Texas to secede from the Union!

GOP Insiders: Huntsmann?

Christie: Who?

GOP Insiders: Exactly! That's what we're trying to tell you! You can kick these losers' asses all the way home from Iowa and New Hampshire!

Christie: You're right. This is the sorriest pack of hopefuls I've ever seen. You guys are making this sound easy.

GOP Insiders: That's because it is. Listen, there's plenty of time till Iowa. Seven months. We'll immediately ready the ground troops, line up the big donors, get Rush, Sean, Beck and O'Reilly on board and start making this happen just as soon as you say Oval Office!

Christie: What about Obama?

GOP Insiders: Seriously? Can you say 'unemployment and housing crisis'?

Christie: Can you say 'Osama bin Laden'?

GOP Insiders: Oh c'mon, Chris! Don't you know how dumb most Americans are? Bush convinced them that Saddam was responsible for 9/11, and Rudy tells 'em that there were no terrorist attacks on Bush's watch. You can't make this shit up! Don't worry, our guys will effectively spin that bin Laden was tracked and killed because of Bush's aggressive policies and tactics....the very same measures Obama and the fairy libs want to dismantle and put America at grave risk again. Hell, maybe we'll even bring old "Turd Blossom" Rove back to lead that charge.

Christie: You guys really do think we can do this.

GOP Insiders: We do. And we will. This is your chance Chris. We're talking the White House, dude! State dinners! Air Force One! The history books! It's all within your grasp, big man.

Christie: Wow. I gotta say, I do feel like the hot chick at the dance! Ok, I'm in! Say it....

GOP Insiders: Say what?

Christie: 'Mr. President'. I wanna hear it. Call me Mr. President...wanna hear how it sounds.

GOP Insiders: Well of course...Mr...Mr President!

Christie: Sweet...

Too Drunk to Remember, Not Too Drunk to Be Raped?

Two New York City police officers, Franklin Mata and Kenneth Moreno, were acquitted last week of rape charges brought on by a woman in 2009 who claimed they abused her while on patrol and she was highly intoxicated. The high profile case dominated the news for months. The officers were convicted of three counts of official misconduct for entering the woman's apartment. They were immediately fired by the Police Department and face up to a year in jail on each count when sentenced June 28th.

Afterwards, Moreno stood on the courtroom steps and said the woman, who's suing both cops and the city for $57 million, was "mistaken and confused," and that "she made the whole thing up." And over the weekend Moreno's wife Julia, in a colossal state of denial, expressed outrage at the accuser as well, saying she "should go to jail for this" and should "go to hell....From the beginning of time, this is what girls do -- young girls, inexperienced. They're not mature. They get drunk. They do these things and, you know, they want sympathy. In his case I believe she wanted sympathy from her friends because they threw her out of her own party."

Moreno's wife is obviously standing by her man regardless of how obvious his guilt. But she's angry at the wrong person. It was her husband who admittedly picked up the very drunk woman, took her to her apartment and then over the course of several hours re-entered her apartment three times, using her keys. He "flirted" with her, "snuggled" beside her in bed while she wore only a bra, kissed her head, and sang to her. What's more, there is a recording of a fake 911 call they made to justify returning to the apartment, and, the victim had later confronted Moreno outside his precinct while wearing a recording device. After insisting that nothing had happened, he then admitted that they "had sex" and that he had used a condom. And Ms. Moreno's angry at the victim? (By the way, she started dating Moreno when she was 18 and he was 33. I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that one...)

At the core of the defense was its claim that she was too drunk to be a credible witness, but it is precisely that state of debilitating intoxication that served as the very invitation for the officers to make their highly inappropriate and illegal entry into her apartment where she was supposedly just 'comforted' as opposed to raped. Furthermore, there was no DNA. But if she showered, or if he used a condom, that could explain the lack of physical evidence.

Moreno claimed that, as a recovering alcoholic, he was merely "counseling" her about her drinking. Did you ever watch MSNBC's "Predator" series? It investigates sexual predators as they find their underage victims (as young as 12) in online chat rooms and then travel--often driving for several hours--to meet them. Inevitably, once host Chris Hanson's sting operation nails them, they claim to be there to "mentor" these poor, vulnerable underage teens. It's crazy to think these guys want sex with children just because they engage in very graphic online chats and then show up at the door with alcohol, drugs and condoms, right?. Why is it that the bad guys are always "just there to talk?"

Are we as an intelligent society really expected to believe that Moreno simply lay aside her in her bed, innocently caressing her as he sang Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" gently in her ear? It's pretty safe and fair to assume that the officers' behavior was anything but altruistic given the highly unethical nature of their presence in the her apartment in the first place. And given this suspicious backdrop, it's easy to accept the accuser's account as the truth. Don't tell me a red-blooded adult male who makes repeated trips into a drunken young woman's apartment does this with the sole intent of taking care of her. If that were the case, and she was so sick that she required professional attention, he could've and should've called paramedics to the scene or driven her straight to a hospital. I'm sorry, but Moreno wasn't there to nurse or croon. It's very unfortunate that there was no physical evidence to conclusively prove what happened.

The verdict just reinforces the ugly truth about what women will face if they accuse a man of sexual assault, especially if they're drunk and the man is a cop and he'll conveniently claim that she was too wasted to remember anything or to be taken seriously.

Democrats Win NY's 26th. Does Gingrich Have it Right?

Imagine a Red Sox fan walking into a Bronx bar on game night and walking out an hour later having convinced the Yankees fans inside to root for the Sox. Pretty unthinkable, right? Well that's essentially what happened yesterday in New York's 26th Congressional District where the Democrat, Kathy Hochul, defeated her Republican opponent, Jane Corwin, in a special election in one of the state's most conservative bastions.

To give some perspective, the district, which spans from Rochester to Buffalo, has 27,000 more Republicans than Democrats, voted for John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008, and has had just three Democrats represent it in the last 150 years. The 26th is about as red as they come. In last Fall's midterm elections, the GOP incumbent, Chris Lee, won the district with 76% of the vote. The only problem for Lee was that a few months later he was caught in a cheesy shirtless pose on Craigslist trolling for babes. Gov. Andrew Cuomo then called for the special election to fill the randy Republican's seat.

Jump ahead to April when Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, released his controversial proposal to eliminate Medicare and replace it with a voucher system. While virtually all Republicans voted for it, most Americans are against the plan. So what Hochul shrewdly did up in Western New York was scare the bajeesus out of voters with: 'My opponent and her party will take away granny's Medicare and put her on the street with a tin cup.' And it worked, big time.

If Democrats were smart (I'm not so sure sometimes), they'd co-opt Hochul's strategy and aggressively run with it nationally all the way to November 2012. This is the absolute perfect bumper-sticker issue for them, and with it they could win many critical seats. The truth is, Americans dislike crafty politicians messin' with their large entitlement programs. And it ain't just granny and grandpappy that's pissed off. Voters, whether they're 20, 30 or 50, likely have several people in their families benefiting from Social Security and Medicare. What Ryan's plan did therefore was to commit political suicide for the Republican Party (sshhh...do you hear that sound? It's Ryan being pushed under the bus this morning by his conservative colleagues....)

So was Newt Gingrich right to come out strong two weekends ago on NBC's Meet the Press where he criticized Ryan's plan as "Right wing social engineering?" Well, the proof is in the puddin.' The Democrats' astounding victory Tuesday should not just give great pause to House Speaker John Boehner (OH), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and every other Republican (incumbent or hopeful), but should be an indication to Gingrich that maybe, just maybe, he's on the right side of a hot populist movement. My opinion? I'd say it's time to pull out that fork that so many stuck in him these past two weeks. It would be very foolish to count Newt out just yet. While he may have pissed off every Republican politician in Washington, his position seems to resonate among the majority of Republican voters. Call me crazy, but that's what matters on election day.

Some Tough Love for Dog Owners

Let me first say that I am the proud owner of the most adorable German Shepard/Rottweiler mix. Priscilla's 10-years-old (or the cutest 70-year-old, depending on your choice of math) and sweet as pie. Two years ago I had to put down my Yellow Lab Elvis Pawsley (yes, I guess that makes me Colonel Tom). I've had dogs my whole life, including Ralph and Barney. I'm a dog lover. What I don't love is most dog owners. Living in a big, densely populated city like New York requires a certain level of consideration for others, yet it is dog owners who are some of the biggest violators.

Dog owners are just like parents of small children. In fact to them, their dog is their child. Instead of playgrounds they go to dog parks and stand around with other dog owners and talk about their "kids" the same as parents do. They ask meaningless questions like "What's her name?" How old is she!? "Did ya get him from a breeder?," as if they really care. I mean, do they really care if Buster is 6 and hails from Beacon, NY? And they believe that we think everything their dog does is utterly fascinating, just as parents think everything their kid does is mind-numbingly interesting. "Hey, wasn't that awesome how my kid just punched your kid in the face!?" Um, not really....

But I really don't mind any of that behavior, no matter how odd it may be. What I do mind is when, outside of a dog run, owners act as if their dog can do anything it wants, anywhere it wants, and we're still supposed to think it's phenomenal. So to enlighten you dog owners who remain clueless as to how to behave amidst your fellow New Yorkers, here's a few tips:

1. Please don't let Oscar piss on the sidewalk three feet from my table at an outdoor cafe. I know your pooch's urine has an incredibly artistic yellowishness to it, and the muscle definition when he lifts his leg is Shwarzenegger-like, but I'm eating my freakin' lunch and don't want to see it. Any of it. Same goes for pooping. News flash: merely picking up your dog's crap doesn't mean you haven't left behind a nice little sidewalk souvenir for the rest of us. Walk past the cafe next time and then let your dog relieve himself.

2. Please curb your dog, or at least walk on the edge of the sidewalk closest to the street. It never ceases to amaze me how people walk down the middle of the sidewalk with their dog and then it urinates or poops right there as people almost step in it. The city's streets are filthy enough. We don't want animal waste on the bottom of our or our kids' shoes, on the wheels of our kids' strollers, shopping carts and bikes.

3. Please keep your dog on a leash. We all know you're the Dog Whisperer and deserve major props for training your dog to wander down Broadway untethered, but there's lots of little kids who are terrified of dogs. And besides, it's against the law.

4. Please be mindful of where your dog is going when you use one of those 20-foot extension leashes. I almost tripped and cracked my skull the other day when your little buddy's leash got wrapped around my legs when he was doing his sidewalk gymnastics.

5. I don't mind you bringing your dog to sit with you at any outdoor cafe. But, if he's gonna yap and scream like a toddler, then please leave. If I wanted to eat my pancakes while dogs bark their heads off I'd go to a kennel. News flash: your dog's not cute when he yelps non-stop. He's annoying.

6. I am not amused when your horny Dominique Strauss-Kahn of a beast mounts and humps my Priscilla. When you see that look on my dog's face like "This ain't consensual," that would be a great time to yank him off her.

Daniels Out. Time for Scarborough?

Back in September 2009 I wrote a piece on why MSNBC's Joe Scarborough would be a viable threat to President Obama in the 2012 election:

"Scarborough's been smartly playing the moderate card lately, which is not what we can say for some of the other 2012 "front-runners" like Palin, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee. These guys are so fringe in their ideology that they could never appeal to the all-important middle."

Those words ring even truer today as the pack of Republican hopefuls still primarily comprises either the most radical group of Tea Baggin' loons like Gingrich, Palin, and Michelle Bachmann or snoozers like Tim Pawlenty. Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Mitch Daniels are out of the race, leaving the supposed front-runner status to Mitt Romney. But he has several major obstacles to overcome, including his Mormon faith, his own ObamaCare-like program while Massachusetts governor, and the fact that he's already lost once before. And while the GOP is desperate to have "attractive" candidates like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsmann Jr. run, the ground clearly remains quite fertile for an outsider like Scarborough to toss his fleece into the ring.

The word on the street is that Huntsmann's the GOP's best bet. Also a Mormon, he was appointed by Obama and served as U.S. Ambassador to China from 2009 to April of this year. He's a fiscal conservative who backed Obama's economic stimulus, and has moderate views on civil unions, immigration and the environment. But the mountain he has to climb is quite steep. He has zero name recognition, lacks major charisma, worked for Obama and is seen by many in the party as too "liberal." As the Conservative Daily News wrote, "What did Jon Huntsman, Jr. forget, you ask? Simple, he forgot conservatism. Huntsman has mastered the art of pandering to his inner liberal. He maintains a sterling record in fiscal matters but has a nasty habit of straying from conservative principles."

This tepid support from the right to the current GOP pack should convince Scarborough that the party faithful is waiting for a skilled politician with personality and name-recognition to enter the race. Someone who is centrist enough to attract independents without offending the base, and tough enough to face an incumbent president whose popularity is growing.

When Did the Truth Become 'Gotcha' Journalism?

Tina Fey recently hosted Saturday Night Live and resurrected her brilliant impersonation of Sarah Palin in a 2012 Republican presidential debate skit in which The Wasilla Wonder incredulously declares "I just hope the lamestream media won’t twist my words by repeatin’ em verbatim."

SNL and Fey were of course spoofing the real Palin, who has made many such accusations of media foul-play, including over her most embarrassing encounter when famously asked by Katie Couric what books and magazines she reads. That interview was the beginning of the end for Palin's 2008 vice presidential bid.

And just this week, as his 2012 presidential candidacy appeared to be imploding, the real Newt Gingrich, when asked by Fox News' Greta Van Susteren about his $500,000 Tiffany credit card balance, refused to answer and claimed he won't play "gotcha games."

Gingrich also this week defended his disastrous "Meet the Press" interview Sunday morning--in which he attacked the GOP, Rep. Paul Ryan and his Medicare plan--by claiming "I didn't go in there quite hostile enough, because it didn't occur to me going in that you'd have a series of setups. This wasn't me randomly saying things. These were very deliberate efforts to pick fights." Poor Newt. He maintains he was blindsided by the very crafty David Gregory and had no idea what to expect from this liberal attack show. You'd think that after appearing on the program 35 times he'd know what he was walking into.

When the proverbial shit hit the fan and his campaign appeared to be detonating after just one week, Gingrich, after telling Van Susteren he "made a mistake" in attacking Ryan's plan, then arrogantly declared "on the record" that any ad that an opponent might use against him which includes his actual "Meet the Press" comments will therefore be a lie. Jon Stewart summed up Gingrich's convoluted philosophy this way: "If you quote me directly utilizing videotape of my comments in context, you're lying!"

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What is it with these Republicans and the truth? What exactly is "gotcha" about being held accountable for the idiotic things that come out of their mouths? We live in a digital age of 24/7 news coverage. Where anything and everything will end up on YouTube. But it's not the media that's responsible for making people like Palin, Gingrich, Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann and countless others look foolish. They do that all by themselves simply by speaking. To quote my late father Sol, the master of the malapropism, I say to these Republican dummies...If ya don't like the truth, get outta the kitchen.

Still Think Schwarzenegger's Not a Serial Groper?

He's a liar, a cheater, a home-wrecker and a predator. No, I'm not referring to the 1987 sci-fi action pic he starred in, but more likely a sexual predator. After the explosive revelation this week that former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a love-child with a household employee about 13 years ago, it should erase all doubt about whether he in fact was guilty, as accused in 2005, of groping many women over the course of his 30-year bodybuilding and acting career.

Schwarzenegger's newest bombshell is not much of a shock in political circles, especially those out west. Rumors of affairs and children swirled around him during the 2005 campaign against incumbent Gov. Gray Davis. But those rumors were quickly dwarfed by the groping scandal in which fifteen women came forward with allegations of sexual attacks against them at gyms, movie sets, production facilities and elsewhere. Schwarzenegger and his camp vociferously denied the charges, and his wife Maria Shriver went to bat for him as well in what many experts believe was a campaign-saving defense. He went on to win the election and served two terms until 2011 when Jerry Brown became governor again after first serving in that office from 1975-1983.

So here's what happened: somewhere around 1988 Arnold had sex with the worker, Mildred Baena, now 50, and she became pregnant with his baby. She recently left the job after serving twenty years with the family. The affair, pregnancy and eventual birth of their son was kept secret from Shriver--who was said to be pregnant with her son Christopher at the same time as Baena--and the rest of the family until Schwarzenegger's recent revelation. He and Shriver officially announced their separation last week after twenty-five years of marriage. Apparently, this tawdry episode was chief among the reasons for the split.

It's easy to feel sympathetic towards Shriver, who's clearly dealing with a highly emotional, humiliating public scandal. No one likes to see anyone suffer like that, and my heart goes out to her and her five children. But I also can't help feeling for those fifteen women who her husband allegedly molested. Women whose reputations were attacked and whose lives were forever changed by the man Shriver so loyally defended as they both sought even more fame and power than they already had. You can't tell me that on some very visceral level Shriver did not know of or at the very least suspect the sort of lewd behavior of which Arnold was likely guilty. I'm not at all saying she's responsible for this new love-child scandal, but she certainly helped feed the beast. What goes around comes around.

Donald Trump Announces He's Not Running for President and Will Be Going Back to Simply Annoying Business People

On April 15th I wrote: "But let's be very clear about one thing: Trump has absolutely no desire or intention of becoming president. His ego is too grandiose, and his appetite for money too rapacious, to forfeit the self-serving spoils of his capitalistic kingdom to serve the little people for a mere peon's wages while having to answer to anyone other than himself....So what Trump's campaign boils down to is a charade. It's a game he's playing, which is serving to feed that massive Id of his while affording him an even greater soapbox from which he can regurgitate his narrow-minded, inane bile."

With little fanfare and certainly to no surprise here, Trump on Monday officially announced that he will not be running for president. Here's a snippet from his press release:

"After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the presidency," Trump said in a statement. "This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. ... Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector."

Apparently, even he's grown tired of the self-aggrandizing hoax through which he's flung enough ignorant, racist bile to fill 100 KKK meetings. But to be sure, Trump got what he wanted: he was able to have the spotlight shine on him for months as he flirted with a possible candidacy and was able to spew all sorts of mania-driven garbage. But in the process he caused serious, irreversible harm to his political standing and overall reputation. It was simply delicious to watch him squirm in anger and humiliation at the recent White House Correspondents dinner. God bless you Seth Meyers.

Trump, who has the dubious distinction of making Charlie Sheen seem calm, cool and collected, attempted to take President Obama down through a relentless, race-baiting "birther" and "schooler" campaign designed to delegitimize him and his presidency. Had it not been for the killing of Osama bin Laden, who knows how far Trump's reprehensible charade would have gone. Timing is everything, right? With Obama's approval ratings nearing 60%, and with the release of his birth certificate which served to embarrass and prove Trump wrong, it would seem that only the business world, and those who watch "The Apprentice," will have to put up with his massive ego going forward. Thankfully, he's been run out of Washington and the nightly news...

Hey Newt, Can We ask You Sex Questions Under Oath?

Newt Gingrich took to his smart phone Wednesday with the following message on Twitter: "Today I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. You can watch my announcement here." He included a link to his website video message, thus becoming the first politician to use the 143-character medium to announce a run for the White House.

The 67-year-old serial philanderer apparently thinks that Tweeting makes him cool somehow, or that he hopes the audience it reaches is under the age of thirty and clueless as to his cheating, race-baiting ways....and will see him simply as a wise old grandfatherly Republican Party stalwart who still brags of family values despite his extra-marital affairs, kinky sex fantasies, married-man-stealing wife and multiple political corruption scandals.

When asked recently by Fox News host Chris Wallace whether or not he's a hypocrite for leading the 1990's charge to remove Bill Clinton from office over his marital transgressions at the same time he himself was having an affair, Gingrich's reply was that it wasn't about cheating per se but of lying under oath, which Clinton did about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Let's get this straight: Newt wasn't attacking/judging Clinton for cheating, but merely asked him about the cheating, which then boxed him into a humiliating corner over it, and then zapped him with legality when he lied about it under oath. Pretty convoluted justification, if I must say.

So now that Gingrich has announced his candidacy for president, I say he should agree to be held to the same standards as those he imposed on Clinton. He should be subjected to a hearing where he is sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...so help him god. A lie-detector test should follow. In both, he should be asked the following:

-how many times have you cheated on your first wife?
-how many times have you cheated on your second wife?
-have you cheated on your current wife, Callista?
-Is there anyone on your staff you'd like to have sex with?
-Have you ever had a homosexual fantasy or any kind of sexual encounter with a man?

Wouldn't we just love to see the answers. Whattya say, Newt? What's good for the goose is good for the Gingrich...

Gingrich to Portray his Serial Philandering as a Political Asset

So the man who crucified Bill Clinton over his cheating in the 1990's is about to announce that he will run for president despite having enough skeletons in his closet to fill a college anatomy lab. Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker who never met a vagina he didn't like, the man who said he's previously cheated out of patriotism, will officially announce his candidacy Wednesday, planning to turn a lifetime of tail-chasing into a political asset.

I for one am thrilled that Gingrich is running, as I promise to be on him like a Republican Congressman on a House page. We'll relentlessly hound him for cheating on and shamelessly dumping two ailing wives. For having an affair with his much older high school teacher and his 22-years younger aide. For asking wife #2, Marianne, to "tolerate" his tawdry affair with future wife #3 Callista in some sick, kinky open-marriage fantasy. We'll resurrect the 1982 House Banking scandal and his 22 bounced checks. We'll remind everyone of the 1984 and 1995 book scandals and dust off the GOPAC scandal and illegal use of non-profit funds for political purposes. We'll expose his family-values hypocrisy 'round the clock like a McDonald's drive-thru, and slap him so hard with his lewd past that he'll feel like he went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson.



Gingrich, who now wants America to forgive and forget his multiple selfish marital transgressions and political scandals, is re-casting himself as a God-fearing, devout Catholic pillar of family-values who intends to pimp out his trophy wife Callista as proof that his once-roving shmecky has also found God.

As he attempts to portray himself and Callista as some sort of modern-day wart-plagued Ozzie and Harriet, Gingrich is either very stupid or thinks we are. The man who over the last three years has helped lead the chorus of "Obama's a radical" is himself as radical as they come, and his wife intentionally had sex with another woman's husband; a very sick woman, no less. Not exactly presidential and First Lady material.

Gingrich's cavalier attitude and delusions of grandeur borders on the pathological. When Marianne once accused him of being a hypocrite because he was cheating on her with Callista while grandstanding on family values, Newt replied: "It doesn't matter what I do. People need to hear what I have to say. There's no one else who can say what I say. It doesn't matter what I live." Au contraire Romeo, I think you're soon gonna find out just how much it does matter how you've lived.

While Gingrich may suffer from a colossal case of short memory and hypocrisy, I suspect conservatives in general will laugh, even scoff, at his pathetic fantasy of occupying the White House. Redemption's a bitch, Newt.

9 Years, 234 Days Later: What bin Laden's Death Means to America

Make no mistake: the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is a monumental military and psychological victory for our great nation and for all Americans. It marks the end of the biggest criminal manhunt in history, presents us with an opportunity for unity, and to experience some sense of satisfaction as we continue to mourn the loss of 3000 victims and heal the still-open wounds.

Much has been said and written about the reaction here at home as news began to spread late Sunday evening that a Unites States mission led by Navy Seals killed bin Laden at his $1-million fortress/mansion in a suburb just 35 miles outside of Pakistan's capital (quite contrary to the belief these past ten years that he'd been desperately living like a hunted animal in a remote cave). Hundreds of people, largely college students and young people, immediately descended upon the White House, Times Square, Ground Zero and other locations throughout the country. While they rallied and cheered in jubilant celebration of the death of this monster, others have decried such revelry and likened it to the shameful dancing and glee that took place on the streets in middle eastern countries following the attacks ten years ago.

It's hard to make comparisons between then and now, as the deaths that were celebrated back in September 2001 were of innocent people, while bin Laden was a mass murderer who deserved to die. Additionally, it's unfair to judge anyone under these trying circumstances. Those who've lost loved ones to violence view life, and death, through a much different lens. It's easy to understand how victims of deadly crimes could desire vengeance and vindication. It's easy to understand their celebration over the death of those who kill. It's the biblical "eye for an eye." That other Americans who have indirectly been affected by the 9/11 attacks also joyously celebrate bin Laden's death is understandable as well.

To be sure, bin Laden and his actions forever changed the U.S landscape in so many ways. His impact can be felt in virtually every aspect of American life, from politics and finance to travel and homeland security. Since the 9/11 attacks, we've been forced to live in fear when we fly, board a train, stand in the subways. That the architect of this terror had half his face blown off is justice served to many. Like Hitler during the 1930's and 40's, bin Laden was responsible for mass death and atrocities, and was our #1 enemy. It's ok to cheer and celebrate his death. We killed our enemy before he could kill us. The joy is more like a collective sigh of relief that maybe this reign of terror, if not over, will abate somewhat. And if our great nation, which has been royally kicked in the ass since the 9/11 attacks--made worse by the worst financial crisis in over 80 years--has a brief opportunity to feel victorious and proud, what's wrong with that?

But it's also completely understandable to view such revelry as uncouth and un-American. Celebrating the death of anyone is not supposed to be something which causes elation and high-fives. We are supposed to be above that. Civility and the rule of law is what really makes America great. But things are very complicated in the post 9/11 world. Grief comes in many different flavors, and everyone experiences it differently. So we must understand and accept the myriad reactions to bin Laden's death without judgement, and at least agree that America and the world is a better place without him.

"The Motherf**ker with the Hair"

No, its not the new Broadway play starring Chris Rock and Bobby Cannevale. Rather, its the new horror show starring Mr. Dreadful Hair himself, Donald Trump.

The megalomaniac buffoon with the urine-colored mane, whose recent manic antics have made Charlie Sheen look sane (poetic, right?), took his Violent Torpedo of Bullshit Tour to Las Vegas Thursday and spoke before an audience of Tea Baggin' Troglodytes who cheered and applauded as His Royal Doucheness spewed more of his race-baiting rhetoric, this time about China:

"Listen you motherfuckers, we're gonna tax you 25%."

Nothing says White House like "motherfucker", right? Not that I thought for one minute that Trump was actually going to officially run for president, but it should now be clear, even to his most loyal batshit crazy supporters, that he's got about as much chance of announcing his candidacy as Sheen.

To be sure, what we've seen this week is a man whose ego is so boated, his head so massive, that it literally exploded in a fit of narcissistic mania. Trump's image and precious brand, let alone his business interests, will suffer as a result. I and others have called for a boycott of his TV show, casinos, hotels, condos and clothing line, and we're already starting to see the fallout from advertisers over his despicable vitriolic racist attacks on President Obama. Internet couponer Groupon announced it's pulling its ads from "The Celebrity Apprentice" website. I suspect, and hope, there'll be more to follow. Payback's a bitch.

Boycott Trump

As a big fat thank you for his relentless attacks on Barack Obama, for disrespecting the office of the presidency and for his despicable accusations regarding Obama's citizenship and college records, we should boycott anything and everything Donald Trump. It's time to send a clear message to this race-baiting, arrogant, self-aggrandizing fool that what he's been doing in his attempts to delegitimize Obama's presidency is not only irresponsible and reprehensible, but unpatriotic as well. For that there must be a price to pay. And what would hurt Trump most is a swift kick to his ego and his wallet.

So what I propose is this: if you've been offended by the unconscionable claims Mr. Dreadful Hair has made regarding Obama's birth certificate and his Columbia and Harvard degrees, stop watching Trump's reality show "The Apprentice." Let the show fail. Show him and NBC that it's not ok to do and say anything to attack our president, especially in such a manner intended to stoke the flames of hatred and racism.

Stop going to Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, which are listed here. There are plenty of other casinos which are owned and run by decent people who probably don't question Obama's citizenship or whether he's properly earned his degrees.

Stop buying Trump's Signature Collection clothing line. Do you really want the brand of ignorance and anti-Americanism stamped on your back now?

Stop staying at Trump Hotels in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Hawaii. There are so many respectable hotel chains who'd happily take your money while not claiming that President Obama's an illegal alien who cheated his way through college and grad school.

Take a stand, America, and let Donald Trump know that there are consequences to his shameful actions. Let's see how proud and honored we can really make him.

Obama Releases his Birth Certificate, and America Loses

April 27, 2011. Mark it down in your calendars as the day the racists and the crazies in America won. A day that should embarrass anyone with human decency and love of country. The day the office of the United States Presidency lost some of its respect and prestige. The day Barack Obama acquiesced to the radical Republican fringe lunatics and released his long-form birth certificate to conclusively prove his citizenship and hopefully put an end to the despicable campaign, led by Donald Trump, to deligitimize him.

It's a shame and a disgrace to our great nation that the Birther movement existed in the first place, as it is little more than a thinly veiled disguise for the obvious racism behind it. The ignorant, narrow-minded bigots fueling this campaign simply refuse to accept the outcome of the 2008 election; that there's a black family in the White House and a black man in the Oval Office. Anyone who thinks differently is incredibly naive and in denial. But what's more disheartening and quite frankly shocking than the movement itself is that Obama, while commanding three wars and battling a still-struggling economy, felt compelled to dignify these loons with the release of the document. If the president truly believes the Birthers will now be quieted, then, incredibly, he's the one in denial.

When asked in New Hampshire Wednesday about the release of Obama's long-form birth certificate (the short form is the official version in Hawaii and which the president released 2 1/2 years ago), Trump signaled that the controversy is far from over:

"I have done a great service to the American people...I'm really proud of myself. I was able to get something accomplished that no one else was able to get accomplished..." and that he still needs to "look at it" to determine if its genuine. Trump then ignored requests by reporters, including CNN's John King in a later interview, to review a copy of the document. He chose to sign autographs instead. And what's he so proud of, that he orchestrated a smear that was proven utterly unfounded?

To be sure, Trump does not want this conspiracy theory to go away, even when presented with the document which should have resulted in one simple response: 'Great, it''s over. Now let's move on to much more pressing matters facing the country today'...and followed by an apology. But that would mean he'd have to now start answering to voters, the media and his GOP counterparts in addressing Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, the Middle East crisis, the economy, jobs, housing, Medicare/Medicaid and other critical subjects instead of relentlessly and shamelessly attacking Obama while stoking the fires of hatred. Do you honestly think Trump's reprehensible rhetoric will now stop? If you do, I have a timeshare in Syria to sell you.

So what's next for Trump? Besides a likely continuance of this Birther crap, expect an amped-up attack on Obama's college credentials. And don't be surprised if Obama's Christianity comes into question again as well. No, Trump's scam won't end, because he simply can't be wrong. His outsize ego won't allow him that human quality. This narcissistic blowhard will continue to spin the release of the document as his victory, much in the same way the Bushies spun the absence of WMD in Iraq as proof that they once existed and were therefore obviously moved or destroyed.

I hate to say it, but on April 27, 2011 Donald Trump, the King of the Racist Crazies, won while Obama and America lost. While some will claim the opposite, the truth is, Trump succeeded in getting the President of the United States to respond to his outlandishly offensive accusations. The office should be above that.

I'd also say it's time to turn up the heat on Trump. Let's demand to see his his tax returns, college records and birth certificate. It's time we learn just how rich he really is, or not. I suspect that Fred Trump's kid, who was born on 3rd base and thinks he hit a triple, might not be as wealthy as he portrays himself. It's time for him to put up or shut up.

What Do Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen Have in Common?

Dear Mr Trump:
Have you gone mad? Your behavior lately is very disturbing. It seems as though your brain has crossed a very critical line between common decency and insanity. And it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between you and Charlie Sheen. You're the Manic Episode Twins.

Can we please have the old Donald Trump back? You know, the pompous, arrogant, showboating, self-promotion whore with the alien hair and ego so large that it makes you say things like "I would get beautiful women even if I had no money" (I'm still chuckling at that one). Where is the highly annoying but harmless buffoon who simply craves attention but is rational, intelligent, patriotic, pro-choice and a former supporter of many of President Obama's policies ? Where did that guy go?

What we have today instead is the new-and-not-improved Donald Trump who's barreling down the road to the White House at 120 MPH, crazy yellow hair flappin' in the wind, screaming all sorts of hyperbolic, irrational and despicable slurs out the window at the president.

First is was the Birther nonsense, with your shameful race-baiting attacks concerning Obama's citizenship. Though I never thought it possible, this
relentless campaign has made you even more of an unlikeable creep than ever before.

And now comes your latest missive, demanding to see Obama's Columbia and Harvard records because you have reason to believe (100% unfounded, of course) that there's some funny business with his degrees.

"I heard he was a terrible student, terrible," Trump said Monday in an Associated Press interview. "How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard? I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records...we don't know anything about this guy."

Really? We don't know anything about Barack Obama? Not from his two books detailing his character, philosophies and life? Not from his years at Columbia and Harvard, where he was the first black editor of the prestigious Law Review? Not from his years as a community organizer? A law professor? Or from his time in the Illinois State Senate? The U.S. Senate? President? Through his Nobel Peace Prize? Tell us, Mr. Dreadful Hair, what exactly do you not know about Barack Obama?

Trump, how could you steep so unfathomably low? Is your ego so bloated and your appetite for the spotlight so insatiable that you'll say anything to tear down and delegitimize Obama no matter how hurtful, untrue and disgusting your accusations? Don't you ever wonder why you get booed at Knicks games or when you walk down the street? I've personally witnessed that. A normal person would be embarrassed and humiliated. You don't seem to give a shit. It's like you have ice water running through your veins. You personify the mantra, 'there's no such thing as bad publicity.'

You are acting like a very bad, mean, nasty man. An insecure man with something to prove. A crazy man. Like Charlie Sheen crazy. Neither of you seems to know right from wrong these days, and you're both on very self-destructive paths.

Donald Trump Doesn't Know Reality From Reality TV

Donald Trump ought to be ashamed of himself. The apparent front runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination has given new birth to the wacko "Birther" movement and is reprehensibly stoking the flames of racism in America. The man who claims "I have a great relationship with the blacks" is doing everything in his power to piss off blacks as he despicably tries to tear down and delegitimize the only president they've ever had (and, just who are "the blacks" anyway? That he could even choose these words to make his point shows a supreme lack of judgment and perhaps something more telling).

By demanding at every turn to see Obama's birth certificate--despite his citizenship having been confirmed by Hawaii's Governor and other state officials countless times--Trump is playing a very dangerous race card and is masterfully avoiding having to talk about jobs, the economy and every other critical issue facing voters today. And not surprisingly, his reward for doing so is his leading position in the polls among all other GOP presidential hopefuls, including the supposed front-runner Mitt Romney.

But let's be very clear about one thing: Trump has absolutely no desire or intention of becoming president. His ego is too grandiose, and his appetite for money too rapacious, to forfeit the self-serving spoils of his capitalistic kingdom to serve the little people for a mere peon's wages while having to answer to anyone other than himself. No, public servant is not what Donald Trump aspires to on any conceivable level.

So what Trump's campaign boils down to is a charade. It's a game he's playing, which is serving to feed that massive Id of his while affording him an even greater soapbox from which he can regurgitate his narrow-minded, inane bile.

But this is no game. The 2012 election is very serious business, and Trump is making a mockery of it. The nation struggles to fight three wars and put 14-million people back to work while reducing its tremendous debt. But Trump's a one-trick pony. Obama's lineage is the only thing he'll talk about, and he'll figure out a way to dwell on it regardless of the question. Ask him 'what time it is' and he'll tell you 'it's time for Obama to show his birth certificate.'

Trump's personal attack on Obama has been relentless and full of sweeping accusations: "He's been a horrible president. I always said the worst president was Jimmy Carter. Guess what? Jimmy Carter goes to second place. Barack Obama has been the worst president ever. In the history of this country, Barack Obama is number one." Really? Worse than James Buchanan? Warren G. Harding? Richard M. Nixon? Perhaps what Trump really means, what he really wants to say, what he may deep down think a majority of Tea Baggers believe, is that Obama is not the worst president per se, but certainly the darkest. And that's precisely the lowest common denominator that he's playing to.

Trump is clearly a man who cannot distinguish reality TV from reality. He's a first-rate carnival barker who craves attention and injects himself into every public story possible. The New York Mets are in trouble? Trump announces he'll buy the team, only to disappear after the headlines do. Controversial Muslim Community Center near Ground Zero? Trump announces he'll buy the building, yet disappears again once the news fades. Tavern on the Green bankrupt? Trump briefly to the rescue again. Announcing his candidacy for president simply follows this narcissistic, exploitative pattern. And there's no human being with a more fitting name. The man is simply a self-aggrandising publicity addict who must out-trump even himself with each new disingenuous announcement. Trump sees a camera and microphone the way most men see a woman. It's what he lusts after.

Trump was recently asked if he'll show his financials. "When Obama shows his birth certificate," he snapped. Yet recently he bragged about his wealth and said he would show everything:"I look very much forward to showing my financials, because they are huge. Far bigger than anyone knows. Far bigger than anyone would understand." But perhaps those very financials aren't as impressive as he boasts, and to the contrary, might offer a glimpse into why there are multiple bankruptcies on his corporate resume. Just sayin'...



To be sure, what Trump wants and what Trump is getting from this illegitimate presidential flirtation is free press, for himself and for his empire, which he's vehemently denied doing despite his clear attempts at self-promotion: ..."The fact is, a lot of people in the polls don't vote for me, because they think I'm just having a good time. They think that I'm promoting "Celebrity Apprentice" which I'm absolutely not. And you just told me how good the ratings are in "Celebrity Apprentice." I don't need this...I am thinking of saying on the live finale of "The Apprentice" on May 22 that in a few days I will be making an announcement about my decision."

Of the sitting president he so shamelessly vilifies, Trump said: "I want him to do well. ... I love this country, but this country is going to hell. ... The world laughs at us. They won't be laughing if I'm elected president." Sorry Donald, they're already laughing at you, and you haven't even officially stepped into the ring yet.

Newsflash: What Comes Out of a Politician's Mouth is Not to Be Considered "Factual!"

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In a speech last week on the Senate floor as the deadline to avoid a government shutdown neared, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) argued the case for ending federal funding of Planned Parenthood:

"Everybody goes to clinics, to hospitals, to doctors, and so on. Some people go to Planned Parenthood. But you don’t have to go to Planned Parenthood to get your cholesterol or your blood pressure checked. If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that’s well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does."

The problem with Kyl's point is that it's entirely wrong. Abortions account for just 3% of Planned Parenthood's overall activities, most of which involve performing critical cancer screenings, HIV tests, family planning and general health care for millions of women. But what's 87 percentage points among friends, right?

When this fact was pointed out to Kyl, his office issued the most astonishing BS ever to hit DC: the Senator's 90% figure "was not intended to be a factual statement but rather to illustrate that Planned Parenthood, an organization that receives millions in taxpayer dollars, does subsidize abortions."

I'm not sure what's more unbelievable: that they're attempting to wave off this humiliating misstep this way, or that they're disingenuously continuing to claim that federal funds are used to pay for abortions at Planned Parenthood, or anywhere else for that matter. The Hyde Amendment of 1976 clearly prohibits such funding, and Republicans, especially Kyl, know that.

In the days since Kyl's now-infamous gaffe he's been criticized and mocked within political circles and the media. In Thursday's NY Times, columnist Gail Collins writes that Kyl's colossal error and then lame attempt to explain it will be the most significant thing he's remembered for after he retires next year. She might be right, much like future Hall of Famer Bill Buckner, the Golden Glove former first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, will forever be remembered for allowing the Mets' Mookie Wilson's grounder to pass through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. History can be a cruel mutha sometimes.

But here's the thing: is anyone really surprised by Kyl's remarks? By his gargantuan inaccuracy? By his whitewashing of it all? Given how the political landscape has been so duplicitously manicured for the past forty years or so, is it really that shocking that a politician would blatantly lie and then feebly attempt to cover it up? Honestly, what's all the fuss about?

Perhaps I'm just different from most folks. Maybe I just expect all politicians to lie and deny. So when they do, rather than be upset I'm actually happy...for they've not let me down.

An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton

Dear Madam Secretary:
I'm gonna cut right to the chase. Everyone knows you've always wanted to be president. You campaigned ferociously in 2008, and I faithfully supported you, as did 18-million other Democrats. In fact, you garnered more popular votes (48%) than your rival Barack Obama (47%), who beat you by amassing more delegates. So now you're faced with a huge dilemma: enter the 2012 race or wait until 2016. I think I speak for millions of Democrats in saying your time is now.

Democrats, especially the progressive Obamacons who were the president's most loyal supporters on his road to the White House, are extremely frustrated and angry with him and his administration. They were promised and expected "change you can believe in" and instead got "change that never came." They were told to "hope" and now they're being told how awesome it is that we have "the largest spending cuts in history" as if that is a fulfilled campaign promise. They thought they were buying a new model of Democratic leadership and were instead sold a used version of centrism and ideological abandonment. And now they want change, alright, and it's in the form of someone else.

For Democrats, it's no longer "change we can believe in," but "a candidate we can believe in." Democrats want someone who has a vision for America. Someone who knows what he or she believes in. Someone who is ready to fight like an animal to push that agenda through. Someone who isn't afraid of Republicans.

The world has changed drastically since 2008. Our nation's economy still struggles, as do the 14-million people who are unemployed. The global economy is no better. Oil and gas prices are at record levels, as is America's budget deficit. While corporate profits are sky high, consumer confidence is anemic. We're now embroiled in three wars, and there's unprecedented volatility in the Middle East and elsewhere. And now we have a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that seeks to decimate funding for Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Planned Parenthood, the Environmental Protection Agency, energy, the arts, education, scientific research, fuel efficiency, technology innovation and other critical programs and investments in our nation's future....while they preserve substantial subsidies to corporations and tax cuts for the rich. Now more than ever we need a president who can protect America's interests abroad while protecting the elderly, the children, the sick, the poor, the environment and culture here at home. We need a passionate, effective leader.

To be sure, many Democrats have lost faith in Obama's ability to be that leader. Campaign promise after campaign promise has been broken, and the president's decisions seem more designed to ensure his re-election--by making independents happy--than by delivering on his promises to those who put him in office the first time around. Even Republicans are surprised to see the supposed "most liberal president in history" embrace the center so comfortably. The only real thing this president seems to stand for is his own legacy. That's why he wasted a year of precious political capital on health care reform (in which he caved under pressure and abandoned its central element, the public option) instead of job growth and the economy, and is now bragging about budget cuts.

In the process, Obama's turned off those he will need most in 2012. Progressives. Seniors. Blacks. Young people. Gays. Teachers. Union workers. Artists. All those once-loyal Obamacons who gave their hearts, their souls, their money, their time and ran to the polls to give him the delegates he needed to occupy the Oval Office. Millions of them will run no more for Obama. They've grown dejected and disillusioned, as evidenced by the president's low approval ratings which average in the mid-40's. All of this could spell disaster for Obama, and the party, in 2012.

But they're not ready to give up hope just yet, Secretary Clinton. Not ready to give up on the Democratic Party. There's at least 18-million people out there who'd passionately support you yet again. And the truth is, there are many of those 17-million Obama voters who'd shift their votes to you in a heartbeat should you challenge him in next year's primaries. If you run, Democrats will run right behind you.

Secretary Clinton, fate is knocking on your door. Your time has come. And that time is 2012, not 2016. If a weakened Obama should lose to a Republican next year, and that incumbent Republican benefits from a strengthening economy and jobs market, 2016 may be a fait accompli for the GOP. That would mean 2020, when you'd be 72, would be your next real opportunity. While I think being the first woman president would be an amazing historical feat to accomplish--just as Obama became our first black president--I don't think being the oldest elected president is as appealing to you or to voters.

Your best shot at the White House is now. And it's when your party, and your country, need you most. I understand and appreciate that it's not customary for a top politician, especially such a high-profile cabinet member, to run against her party's sitting president. But this is about country. It's about doing what's right for Democrats and the agenda we so desperately need to protect from further erosion and Obama sell-outs. Hillary, America needs you. Please consider our urgent call for 2012. Thank you on behalf of Americans everywhere.

Andy Ostroy
Editor & Publisher
The Ostroy Report
New York, NY

The GOP's Pro-Abortion Stand

As evidenced by the budget showdown that took place last week in Washington, the Republican Party is doing everything in its power to ensure that there are more abortions than ever in the years to come. In its effort to slash billions in what it calls "government waste," the GOP's been fighting to end funding to Planned Parenthood on the duplicitous grounds that federal money should not be used to pay for the controversial procedure. What their fiery rhetoric doesn't include is the fact that no federal monies have been spent on abortions since the Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976 prohibiting such funding. So when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA) goes on television, as he did on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, and says that the fight over Planned Parenthood is because federal funds shouldn't be used for abortions, he's outright lying. This debate is not about abortion, but birth control. It's the Republicans' war on women.

The GOP's position makes absolutely no sense. For decades, conservatives have decried abortion, yet remain vehemently against sex education and family planning. They're steeped in religious ideology and insist on playing morality cop, sanctimoniously telling the rest of us what we should do with our bodies and in our bedrooms. MSNBC's Chris Matthews incredulously asked Friday night on his "Hardball" program, "How did they get on this bus?" The truth us, they never got off the bus. In fact, they were born on that bus. And no matter how deep of a political grave their values dogma historically digs them, they keep coming back to the hole. They simply can't help themselves. As Matthews said about the Planned Parenthood fight, "It's Schiavo-country," referring to the 1990's legal and Congressional battle over life-support which severely hurt the GOP and effectively killed the political careers of former GOP Senators Bill Frist and Rick Santorum.

To be sure, to end funding for Planned Parenthood is to stop providing critical health care to millions of needy women. Through 800 nationwide locations, the organization provides cancer screening, HIV and STD tests, contraceptives, education and empowerment. Planned Parenthood estimates it prevents over 620,000 unintended pregnancies and 220,000 abortions each year. Seventy-five percent of its clients are at or below the poverty line. Abortions account for just 3% of its overall activities.

But while rich Republican hypocrites rabidly strive to strip the poor and middle classes of their right to choose, they'll be the first to take little Muffy for an abortion the nanosecond there's a bun in the oven. And it'll continue to be justified with, "She's got too promising a life ahead of her to throw it away on a baby" and "It's the boy's fault."

It's a damned shame that in 2012 we're still arguing about abortion, and that funding for health care, family planning, education, the environment, seniors and the arts is considered "government waste." Congratulations 2010 voters. I hope you got what you wanted with your new Republican pals.

MSNBC's Morning "Dysfunctional" Joe

I am a big fan of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. The three main on-air personalities, host Joe Scarborough, Willie Geist and Mika Brzezinski, generally have engaging panelists as they cover, with humor, the ever-changing political landscape in a non-partisan manner. But there's something about the show that's been bugging me for a long time now, and that's how Brzezinski is treated, or shall I say mistreated.

The daughter of former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski is often demeaned, condescended to and bullied by the typically all-male panel, who summarily dismiss and disrespect her and her opinions as if she was a '50's suburban housewife. They mock her, interrupt her, talk over her, and even shout her down. The biggest brute of all is Scarborough, who orders her around like an intern and frequently looks at her with disdain, as if she's just uttered the most idiotic thing imaginable. And throughout all this Brzezinsky rolls her eyes, winces, frowns, pouts, gasps, sighs and smiles demurely as she tolerates this overtly chauvinistic behavior while desperately fighting to speak. That her producers likely also require her to flirt with them all, especially Scarborough, only serves to objectify and marginalize her even more.

Now don't get me wrong. I personally think Mika is terrific. She's a brilliant, accomplished 20-year news veteran with spot-on views and lots of integrity (as evidenced by her refusal in the 2007 video above to report on Paris Hilton). But her exasperated "boy's will be boys" girly-girl persona does an extreme disservice to her and to women news broadcasters everywhere. She either needs to grow some cajones and demand the respect and airtime she deserves or let her contract run out and get her own show somewhere. She's way too smart and talented to be subjected to this blatant sexism, and relegated to being Scarborough's bimbo.

Leaving Obama

If Michelle Manning's frustration and disappointment is any indication of what's in store for President Barack Obama in 2012, he may be in very serious trouble. Obama, who made his re-election bid official in a video message released Monday morning, is struggling to retain his most loyal supporters. And Michelle was one of his fiercest devotees.

Back in 2008, a very pregnant Michelle, who's little brother was fighting in Iraq, protested the war and rallied hard for Obama. She took part in out-of-state get-out-the-vote campaigns. She produced the above video at her own $8,000 expense. And she sent the maximum contribution allowed by law. She was one of those people who were ridiculed as Obamacons. She took the Kool-Aid pitcher right up to her face and guzzled until she was drunk on "Change We Can Believe In." No doubt about it, Michelle was hard-core.

And then something happened after the election. There was change, alright, but not the kind that Michelle, and millions like her, expected. The president they loved and fought for was letting them down. He hadn't ended the war, as promised. He escalated the war in Afghanistan. Dropped health care reform's public option. Didn't support gay marriage. Took forever to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Folded like a $2 lawn chair on repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. They grew angrier as he seemed to care more about placating Republicans than the die-hard progressives who put him in office. And now they're upset that he's gotten the United States embroiled in a third war, in Libya. For the Obamacons, this is not how "Hope" was supposed to look.

Michelle explains why she can no longer support and accept the inevitability of a second Obama term:

"I can't anymore. I worked too hard for him. I gave too much. I stood out in the freezing rain on Super Tuesday in Union Square holding a sign seven months pregnant begging for votes all day. I knocked on doors in Pennsylvania for two days begging for votes while I was nursing my new newborn baby, taking breaks to pump milk with a portable breast pump and a cooler in my car every three hours. I was a maxed out donor. I made two videos I put up on YouTube at my own production expense. He owes me. He needs to at least keep his promises, and he hasn't. I haven't wanted to say anything so as not to betray my party, but I am an American first, and a Democrat second, and keeping my mouth shut is wrong. We need another option in 2012. I'm afraid Mr. Obama is a one term president, and the sooner we recognize that and start working on Plan B, the better off we will be when the time comes. Pretending he's doing a good job isn't helping anyone, and I'm afraid the "give him time" grace period is over. It's reelection time already. I want another option."

To be sure, defections like Michelle's could be devastating to Obama's re-election bid. His approval rating continues to be stuck in the low-mid 40's, if you believe recent polls like Gallup. And half of those surveyed don't want him re-elected. Yet his advisers say that time is on his side. That the economy will improve enough to win over a majority of voters. That may be true. But the opposite may be true as well. Unemployment remains unacceptably high near 9%, and about 14-million Americans are still searching for work. The budget deficit is at a record high, and the economy, while recovering, isn't recovering fast enough. The military engagements in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya won't help him either. People are fed up. They're dissatisfied with the political system and the politicians who've failed them. The Michelles of the party gave their heart to a new lover. Someone who promised an entirely new kind of relationship. They put their trust and faith in Obama, and there's no mistaking that he broke those hearts.

Democrats should be scared. They should start praying that someone like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie doesn't enter the race. He 's wildly popular among moderates and independents, and many believe he'd trounce Obama. And while all eyes seem focused on human Ambien pills like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, don't be surprised to see a dark horse like Sen. Scott Brown (MA) toss his truck into the ring. He'd be quite the formidable opponent for Obama. Considering the aggressive, calculating and often ruthless campaign tactics of the GOP, 2012, for all of the reasons stated above, could be a truly horrible year for Obama.

Given this fertile landscape, would someone like Hillary Clinton recognize this reality, and opportunity, and run against her boss? One thing's for sure: Michelle Manning would drop Obama and throw her mighty weight around the Secretary of State in a nanosecond. And so would millions of others. Considering that Clinton actually won the popular vote in the 2008 Democrat primaries, is this such a far-fetched scenario? The conventional wisdom places Hillary atop the 2016 Democratic ticket. But, if Obama were to lose next year, her chances of toppling a potentially popular Republican incumbent in 2016, especially given a very likely, and strong, economic recovery these next few years, would be extremely diminished. As politically incorrect as it may seem, going head-to-head against Obama in 2012 may just be the strategically better bet for her.

Gingrich's Hypocritical Stand on Values

It's becoming painfully clear that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is so desperate either for attention or the Oval Office, or both, that he'll do and say anything to further his cause. A few months back he made outlandish, racist comments about President Obama's heritage and "Kenyan, anti-colonial" worldview. He's recently blamed his extramarital affairs on long work days and love of country. He's flip-flopped on the no-fly-zone in Libya. And this past weekend his sanctimonious, self-righteous arrogance was on full display in Iowa, where he preached morality to a bunch of preachers.

At the Rediscovering God in America gathering, Gingrich said he ranked values as the the top U.S. priority above the economy and national security.

"Some people may say we should stay away from values, stay away from social issues. I'm here to tell you that if you don't start with values, if you don't start by saying who we are as Americans. the rest of it doesn't matter."

Seriously, is he kidding? Here's a guy with a despicable record of cheating on his first two wives (when they were quite ill, no less) and cavorting around D.C. like a horny drunken sailor with a weekend pass, and he's lecturing us on morality? I'm not sure what I'm most incredulous of: that he has the balls to stand before a a group of clergymen and preach about values, or that they actually take him seriously.

The audacity of people like Gingrich to indiscriminately cheat and hurt people and then hide under the cloak of God or, more ludicrously, patriotism, is both astounding and reprehensible. Even Fox News' Chris Wallace said to Gingrich on his Sunday morning program that his excuses for his infidelity were "lame" and "hypocritical," especially given how Gingrich vehemently targeted Bill Clinton back in the 1990's over his marital indiscretions. "You love your country and you’re working hard and so you strayed. That wouldn’t work with my wife!," Wallace quipped sarcastically.

Wallace then asked Gingrich, more rhetorically than not, if he ever thought to himself back then about Clinton, "I’m living in a really glass house, maybe I shouldn’t be throwing stones?" Bravo Wallace. I knew there's a reason I liked this guy.

I'm convinced that there's something pathological to Gingrich's lying and delusional perceptions of self. He's ruthless and cunning and devoid of reality. He personifies the Richard Pryor character who says to his wife as he's literally caught in bed with another woman, "You gonna believe me or your lyin' eyes?" As for potential-candidate Gingrich, I suggest he heed his own words and "stay away from values." That's a giant skeleton-crammed closet door he'd be smart not to open.

What Young People Can Learn From UCLA Student Alexandra Wallace's Video Rant Against Asians

By now mostly everyone in America has seen or heard of the reprehensible and racist video a female UCLA student made recently in which she disparaged and mocked Asians.

The video, which was released on YouTube and targeted against Asian students following the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, not only has angered millions of people the world over, but it's raised the typical First Amendment questions, even prompting a NY Times editorial last week which both condemned it and defended it on free speech grounds. The student, Alexandra Wallace, has since issued an apology for her "inappropriate" behavior. "I cannot explain what possessed me to approach the subject as I did, and if I could undo it, I would," she said.

Wallace, who has since decided she will leave UCLA despite the school's decision not to discipline her, said she's leaving because of the "the harassment of my family, the publishing of my personal information, death threats and being ostracized from an entire community." All because she was trying to be "humorous," she said regretfully.

But Wallace's infamous video points to the bigger problem in our country today, and one which explains why she and countless others do irreparable damage to themselves and others with their humiliating, virally-spread diatribes. The answer is simple: young people today are so seduced by the power of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in giving them an outlet through which to share every dumb thought, ignorant rant and embarrassing photo. Give them a webcam and all hell can and will break loose. They're desperate-for-attention show-offs who want to be perceived as funny, cool and relevant. Instead, they appear stupid, foolish and irresponsible.

What's most troubling is that the Internet has created a generation of reckless cowboys and cowgirls. They post constantly, nonsensically and without any concern for the future. They never stop to think about those who might one day see their moronic rantings, photos and videos, i.e college admissions counselors, potential employers, future business associates. These days, when we can search Google and get an instant window into a person's entire public profile, this sort of behavior is very dangerous and can have lasting impact.

To be sure, Wallace has likely screwed herself out of further college opportunities, future jobs and probably lost some friends, her dignity and brought shame on herself and her family. All because that cigar-chompin' webcam was bellowing, 'Kid, I'm gonna make you a star!'

To be sure, kids will be kids, and they will do dumb things and actually need to be a little reckless and irresponsible. It's a part of growing up and learning how to eventually behave like adults. But the problem today is that, unlike a generation ago, when we could make our mistakes in relative private with only our close pals and family knowing it, the Internet creates a 24/7 worldwide stage where every misstep can be viewed by millions in a matter of seconds. Young people today live in a goldfish bowl, and when they fall, as Wallace has, it spirals out of control and there's no place to hide. The Internet is a very unforgiving place. Once you land there, there's no going back.

So I say to our nation's youth, be very careful about what you say, write and post on these sites. And that includes pictures. No future college admissions department or future employer will be impressed with your drunken pics and your filthy language. Rather, they'll want to see you as smart, mature and responsible. But if you must exercise your freedom of immature expression without having to worry about self-censorship, then at least minimize your risk by being less public. Change your Facebook and Twitter names so that your last name is not included, and therefore won't appear in Google searches. Also, don't use your Facebook email address on resumes or school and work applications. You can be searched that way as well. Create a separate email address just for "official" business. And for God's sake, the next time you to find the urge to act out foolishly on YouTube, grab a few friends and play Charades instead.

Is Hillary Planning a Run at Obama in 2012?

Call me a cynic, but I've never bought into the public love-fest between
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. I think their pairing was borne out of mutual need: For Obama, it was clearly all about, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." And for Hillary, taking the top diplomatic job would serve to repair her election-loss image and quickly make her appear presidential again. It was and is a marriage of convenience, and one that is likely full of residual contention and resentment from 2008.

Fueling speculation is the fact that last week Clinton abruptly announced that she would not serve in a second Obama administration. Is that because she intends to pursue a Clinton administration in 2012? Her announcement comes amid the violence and political turmoil in Libya in which the United States, Britain and France have begun a massive air strike, following the passage of a United Nations resolution authorizing a no-fly zone and the use of military force designed to end Col. Muammar Gaddafi's brutal repression of opposition protesters.

It was Clinton, not Obama, who's been front and center through this crisis, swiftly threatening Gaddafi with military action if he didn't stop the killing. To the contrary, the president's been criticized for not taking a strong enough stand against the Libyan dictator. To be sure, it was Hillary, not Obama, who had the bigger cajones. And that's no great surprise to this blogger, who wrote many pieces during the 2008 campaign that questioned Obama's inability to fight the tough fight, unlike his former rival.

It's no secret that Obama, the much heralded 'Agent of Change', has hugely disappointed those who euphorically supported him and whose mantra is now "change we can't believe in." Progressives and mainstream Democrats alike seethe over his move to the center and for failing to deliver on the issues on which he campaigned and were important to them, from the public option to repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and for caving to Republicans.

So with his base disenchanted, his approval rating hovering near 50, and the
economy and job growth still stuck in a painfully slow recovery, do these domestic challenges, especially when combined with questions over his handling of world crises, create fertile ground for Clinton to toss her pantsuit into the ring?

It's rare for a prominent member of a sitting president's party to challenge him in the primaries for the nomination. In fact, the last time it was done was 1968 when Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy took on a weakened, unpopular Lyndon B. Johnson. But the Clintons are not your typical deferential, passive politicians. If anyone could trade protocol for self-interest it's the uber-ambitious Hillary and her rock star hubby Bill. Both would like nothing more than to be back in the White House. And if for a second they smell Obama's vulnerability and a potential defeat by the GOP, don't be surprised if she pulls a McCarthy. It's a longshot, but these days in politics anything can and will happen. I can tell you one thing though: I've spoken to many Democrats who'd drop Obama and vote for Hillary in a heartbeat.

Michele Bachmann's First Official Campaign Speech?

Michele Bachmann. You know her, you love her, hell...some even want her to be president, for Pete's Sake. That she thinks slavery was abolished by John Quincy Adams and "our Founding Fathers" 89 years before it actually was, or that she thinks the Revolutionary War started in Concord, N.H., doesn't matter to her loyal groupies. To them she's the modern version of what a Republican candidate should look like. To the rest of us, she's the dumbed-down candidate for the Tea Party masses: arrogant, combative and woefully ignorant of history and world affairs. So what would her first major 2012 campaign speech look like once she officially announced her candidacy?:

"My Fellow Americans. As I stand before you today in the great city of Williamsburg, our nation's capital, I am as excited as ever about our future. When our Founding Fathers decided back in the 1600's to create America, the vision they had for the initial 22 states was to live as a free people. That is, free, heterosexual, church-loving people. When they used the word gay in the Constitution they meant happy, not fashionably stylish and catty. And, our great inspirational thinker Sarah Palin is right when she says that nowhere in the Constitution is there anything about this crazy liberal concoction called "Separation of Church and State." Our Founding Fathers were men of faith and they intended for God to be a major force in our lives. Why else would they have put "In God We Trust" on our Euros? Booyah!

In the 400 years since these great United States were created, we've come along way. And we can thank Republicans for that. We can thank Sam Quincy Adams for giving women the right to vote back in 1776...and for inventing beer. We can thank Ronald Reagan for defeating the Japanese and Hitler in World War I. We can thank George Wallace for abolishing slavery back in the 50's. We can thank George Bush--the young one not the smart one--for liberating Iran and finally making it the 51st state. And today is no different. It's Republicans who can and will proudly and successfully lead America into the 20th Century! It's the Tea Party who will bring greatness to the nation again! We need to take America back. Back from all these stinkin'...well....you know what I mean. As John F. Kennedy famously said, "Do unto to others before they do unto you."

Today America suffers. Its White House leadership is corrupt and bankrupt. Hussein Obama, who was born in Guam, raised in Tijuana and only got his GED, has no idea what it means to be an American. The great Newt Gingrich was right: Obama went to Kenya on a Safari and came back a radical community organizer. And no one is more patriotic than Newt, as evidenced by his willingness to work long hours and bang lots of chicks... all in the name of country. And make no mistake: Newt is a man of character. He married his mistresses. Thank you Newt...thank you! We all owe you a giant debt of gratitude. I'm sure it was very hard to cheat on your wives like that, but that's what being a Great American means! That's what love of country means. Those are exactly the kind of ideals and values the Tea Party stands for!

So today I set out on this journey to become the first women president of the United States! I will soon travel to Iowa and Austin, the two states to hold the first primaries...caucuses...or whatever the heck they're called. I promise to serve all people, not just Tea Party people. White people, rich people, very rich people, business people...did I mention White people already? We must make America free again! As Reagan famously said to the Russian president's wife at the NY Fashion Awards in 1966, "Mrs. Gorbachev, tear down that shawl!" I have no idea what that even means, but he was The Gipper...so it must be great!

My fellow Republicans, on October 31st you will go to the polls to elect your next nominee for president on the GOP ticket. I hope you will vote for me. I hope you will (at this point her aide whispers in her ear that New Gingrich has also just entered the race)....not vote for that cold, heartless, philandering, morally bankrupt New Gingrich! God bless you...and God bless America!"