Comment of the Day - Sarah Palin

"She' so confused. How do you call someone a hypocrite, who doesn't even know she's a hypocrite?"

- Joan Walsh, Editor-in-Chief, Salon.com

CELEBRATION! Watch Minnesota's Al Franken Sworn in as Senator!!

Senator Al Franken is now the 60th democratic senator from the great state of Minnesota! Change is here at last! Woo Hoo!!



"High Fives"

The South Carolina Legislative GOP CENSURES Mark Sanford!!

It's over, for now!

Back from his "vacation" with estranged wife Jenny not soulmate and their four boys, on Monday the South Carolina GOP executive committee, which represents most the state congressional members in the legislature decided to censure Gov. Mark Sanford for dereliction of duty in leaving the state without anyone knowing for five days.

The committee also had five options which were to either:

•"Ask the governor to resign

• Reprimand the governor in a formal, nonbinding resolution

• Do nothing

• Or support the governor"

The GOP decided to give a slap on the wrist. (So much for family values, huh?)

The scandal may be over, unless the Luv Gov decides to back to Argentina to be with his "soulmate."

"It's A Man's World"

We're DOOMED!: Come Join Glenn Beck's Book Club!!

Just kidding (I hope)!

Glenn Beck's at it again with his 'doom and gloom' right-wing mantra. This time the extreme right-wing message takes the form of fictional book, ala The DaVinci Code and Indiana Jones, by author James Rollins called The Doomsday Key.

In the interview, Rollins tells Glenn about St. Malachy's prophecy about 112 Popes before the end of the world. Well, gosh darn, Pope Benedict happens to be the 111th Pope!

Interesting note, James Rollins doesn't tell us how we are to try and save the world, except explain the dangers of GMOs (genetically modified foods). But, I'm sure the answer lies embedded in Rollins' book which cost just $27.99!

Perhaps something to forward to, before the end (I mean, or if Obama wins in 2012)..



"Happy Reading"

Ridiculous of Item of the Day: Bill O'Reilly Can't Understand Why Blacks Would Like Michael Jackson ?!

Oh, The Nimrod has done it again!

Taking his cue from fellow conservative Rep. Peter King (R) slamming Michael Jackson as a "pervert" and "child molester," Bill O'Reilly in his Culture Warriors segment, denegrated Jackson his transitioned 'ivory' skin color and his seemingly 'white' children. Bill really stepped in the dirt when he asserted that he didn't understand why blacks would continue to like Michael Jackson after his 'change'?

Well, if you grew up with somone embedded in the public eye for nearly 40 years, no matter what kind of body dysmorphic disorder, you would still at least appreciate his contributions to modern pop culture. And the children are innocent kids who lost their only known 'father and mother'-why would African-Americans be resentful of them?

Ever since Bill O'Reilly's dinner at soul food haven Sylvia's in Harlem (with Al Sharpton), O'Reilly seems to have a circuit loose when it comes to viewing blacks thinking logically the same way of mainstream culture.

Poor Bill, forever lost in the weeds on this culture issue..



"Lost In Translation"

Shocker! Vice President Biden Actually HONEST About the Economy!

On Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden gave an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos on This Week while visiting in Baghdad, Iraq, and in true "Joe Biden" style, the VP gave the honest truth on Afghanistan, Iraq, and sagging economy. In a shocker to Washington media, Joe did something almost obscene - he told truth as he (and the administration) experienced it.

Biden told Stephanopoulos that the Obama administration didn't see the extent of the economic collapse as they assumed office (way back) January 20th. How to steel the American economy not only out a economic ditch, but reset the Wall Street landscape which before the fall, had investors (literally) betting on an economic collapse is not easy. Many economic analysts say we're not out of the woods yet because Wall Street stock derivative markets hasn't been reined in and those markets still could create artificial market bubbles.

Needless to say, President Obama and Vice President Biden didn't create this mess, but in six months it hasn't the remaining Republicans and conservative media from attempting to rewrite history.

In times of great stress, perhaps more than hopeful rhetoric, we need honesty from our leaders.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for leading the way.



"It's Now Our Responsibility"

The Three Possible Types of ALIEN Life!

Hear Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku discussing possible alien life. In the future, will notion of aliens seem as archaic as the belief that the world is flat?

The answer may lie if whether the aliens choose to 'reveal' themselves to us or if we don't destroy ourselves first.

Listen..



"We Need Global Understanding"

Colin Powell vs. GOP Douchebags, Part XI : A New Hope!

Just of show the Dicks (Cheney) and the Rushs of America that the General would never be defeated, Gen. Colin Powell showed up on CNN's State of the Union to talk his moderate Republican viewpoint of the world. The surprisingly wide-ranging interview covered (again) Powell's reasoning behind endorsing Barack Obama, Limbaugh and Cheney attacks, the Sotomayor Supreme Court pick thru to national security, and the performance of the Obama administration.

Colin Powell also worried that (now) President Obama was taking on too many issues, perhaps too soon in his tenure. Not the view of an typical Obamacon (like me)!

I must admit this Sunday appearance by Gen. Powell was the first time I truly felt Colin Powell was portrayed as a political figure.

Would you like to join the General's army? As a Democrat, of course!



"For What's Best for the Country"

Gulp! Right-Wing Theory of Obama Health Care TOO MUCH - Even For Fox News!

Last week, Fox Business' Stuart Varney was on Your World with Neil Cavuto, interviewing a right-wing political activist, Floyd Brown, regarding Obamacare. Boy, did he get an earful. In fact, the rhetoric was so off the wall, you could tell the producers were trying to get Varney to end the interview with the incendiary Brown.

"Very close to a conspiracy theory."

The increasing awkward and warped conversation brings LOLs all around.

Is the GOP going krazy??

Maybe..



"Obama Trades On Fear"

A ROYAL Scandal!: The King of Pop vs. Rep. Peter King?!

Who knew these two were feuding?!

Yesterday, New York Rep. Peter King (R) of Long Island went on a tirade over media coverage of Michael Jackson (it is a bit obsessive), but then, the potential Republican Senate candidate went into a bizarre rant into the controversial child molestation allegations. Apparently, Mr. Crime and Law and Order knows he's guilty and that the singer is a "pervert" and "child molester."

While some people may agree with Rep. King's sentiments, Michael Jackson is dead after all and in the first charge, the singer settled and in the second, a California jury of his peers declared him "Not Guilty". You'd that, like a good Republican, Peter King would adhere to the rule of law be respectful of both California jury in the molestation case, but also of the deceased.

Instead of seemingly like an intelligent, methodical congressional leader for 2010, Rep. King comes off like a 1970s Archie Bunker.

Maybe the New York Senate 2010 race may not be a nail biter after all.



"He Was A Good Dancer Though"

NEW WEB ADDRESS!!!

I have a new web address!

http://www.tommyates.com
http://www.tommyates.com
http://www.tommyates.com

"Be there or be square"

Full Disclosure!: WaPo Publisher Katharine Weymouth APOLOGIZES to Readers!

Washington Post Publisher and CEO, Katharine Weymouth, apologized to the paper's readers in a letter printed on Sunday. Ms. Weymouth stated the flier was not approved and the event was never formalized; however, such a lobbyist parlor event mixing cable news media 'starlet' reporters, politicians, and lobbyists never should have been considered to begin with.

Such incestuous soirees already go on Washington and the resulting social cabal shuts regular people from national political conversation.

So, do I believe Ms. Weymouth's apology, "No."

Is the Washington Post leadership sorry they got caught, "Yes."

And since Katherine is the granddaughter of the Post's former Chairwoman and Publisher Katharine Graham she couldn't be rightfully fired by the Board of Directors (no, too humiliating).

Beltway shenanigans as usual.

That being said, here is "The Letter":

Dear Reader:

I want to apologize for a planned new venture that went off track and for any cause we may have given you to doubt our independence and integrity. A flier distributed last week suggested that we were selling access to power brokers in Washington through dinners that were to take place at my home. The flier was not approved by me or newsroom editors, and it did not accurately reflect what we had in mind. But let me be clear: The flier was not the only problem. Our mistake was to suggest that we would hold and participate in an off-the-record dinner with journalists and power brokers paid for by a sponsor. We will not organize such events. As publisher it is my job to ensure that we adhere to standards that are consistent with our integrity as a news organization. Last week, I let you, and the organization, down. The Washington Post remains committed, now and always, to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Nothing is more important to us than that, and nothing will shake that commitment.

So what happened? Like other media companies, The Post hosts conferences and live events that bring together journalists, government officials and other leaders for discussions of important topics. These events make news and inform their audiences. We had planned to extend this business to include smaller gatherings, a practice that has become common at other media companies.

From the outset, we laid down firm parameters to ensure that these events would be consistent with The Post's values. If the events were to be sponsored by other companies, everything would be at arm's length -- sponsors would have no control over the content of the discussions, and no special access to our journalists.

If our reporters were to participate, there would be no limits on what they could ask. They would have full access to participants and be able to use any information or ideas to further their knowledge and understanding of any issues under discussion. They would not be asked to invite other participants and would serve only as moderators.

When the flier promoting our first planned event to potential sponsors was released, it overstepped all these lines. Neither I nor anyone in our news department would have approved any event such as the flier described.

We have canceled the planned dinner. While I do believe there is a legitimate way to hold such events, to the extent that we hold events in the future, large or small, we will review the guidelines for them with The Post's top editors and make sure those guidelines are strictly followed. Further, any conferences or similar events The Post sponsors will be on the record.

We all make mistakes and hope to be forgiven for them. I apologize to our readers for the mistakes I made in this case.

We remain committed to you, our readers. We remain committed to the highest standards of integrity. And while we will continue to pursue new lines of business, we will never allow those new avenues to compromise our integrity.

In the meantime, I hope that we can continue to count you as a reader while we promise to continue to bring you the news as it develops, unbiased and with the best reporting and editing we can offer.

Yours respectfully,

Katharine Weymouth

Publisher and CEO, The Washington Post

"Just The Facts"