Rapturous Irony

Charlie Sykes on his show this morning talked about Harold Camping, the preacher man who had incorrectly predicted the rapture for last weekend (starting around the 22 minute mark):

"Obviously, there are people out there that are able to convince their followers, who live within their bubble, that they know something.....There are people that believe all sorts of crazy things....If you believe something as a religious matter of faith or ideology, then it doesn't matter what the facts are, it doesn't matter what happened, because you're always going to believe it, you're always going to fit it into your overall theory."

Kind of explains talk radio, doesn't it?

Sykes earlier: "My evidence...absolutely none."

Even Twitter Knows About Pat-troll McIlheran

From the esteemed and impeccable Emily Mills (note: the feed reads from bottom up, so the lower entry came first):

click on picture to embiggen

Celebrating Six Years of Fred Dooley

It's. Been. Six. Long. Years.

“Deep South Fred,” as we on the left fondly call him, has been an unquenchable source of material. So, thirsting for more, I thought it might be fun to pay tribute, sort of. Since life and other stuff tends to get in the way, I have highlighted only those that made an impression upon me during my own five plus years of blogging. Without further ado, I give you … Fred, at his finest.

No tribute to Fred would be fitting without saying something about his blog, and what he claimed it would stand for … Real Debate, hence the name. Unfortunately for Fred, he kept getting in the way of real debate. Way back then, Fred advertised his blog this way:

Too often in today’s political landscape discourse is kept among those who agree. This is not a blog to promote that. We discuss ideas here, we ask that you keep your tone in check and respect those who are willing to share.

This didn’t last long. Fred has never been one to take criticism gently or gracefully. Fred's skin is so thin you can see his organs (missing two, the heart and that gray thing). Nor were his fellow travelers on the right much better. Veiled threats and racist comments the norm. Comments from leftys in opposition to something Fred had posted were often labeled “hate left” or they simply disappeared, especially if the facts portrayed did not fit Fred’s template for what was real. But, that’s not really that unusual for bloggers. Many feel ownership of their blog more strongly than others. It’s just that Fred tends to be more extreme than others.

For example, not too long ago Fred “broke the news” that the Obama campaign was violating Wisconsin election law with a campaign flyer that stated the following:

“No proof of residence? You can still register to vote if you bring an eligible voter from your municipality who shows proof of residence and affirms that you live at your address.”

Fred jumped on that (I know, hard to imagine him lifting himself) and wrote: “Sorry folks, they made that up. Here is a link to the State of Wisconsin Elections Board rules, nowhere does showing up to register with someone to vouch for you come into play. This flyer was paid or (sic) by the Democratic Party so they are obviously complicit in encouraging people to break election law. Why do Democrats keep trying to cheat? Why won’t any of the major media call them on it?

“Can you imagine the outroar if Republicans were passing fraudulent information about Wisconsin election law? Hell, they are after AG Van Hollen for daring to ask the accountability board to follow the freaking law.

The unethical Democratic Party is at it again, and they’ll continue to get away with it until enough people raise hell about this problem.”

Oh man, the horror! Fred had the Dems by the balls and even the nationally known blog, Redstate, leaped into the fray linking to Fred’s post. He was so proud.

Problem was (unfortunately for Fred, and Redstate) none of what he reported was true. In fact, Wisconsin election law stated exactly what was stated on the campaign flyer. Fred just hadn’t looked closely enough.

Most people would have admitted their mea culpa and proffered an apology. Not Fred. Instead, he zapped the post, in the process leaving Redstate with a broken link in their story. Fred has written numerous times about the inability of lefty bloggers to fail to see the hypocrisy. His view tends to be a bit myopic.

More recently, Fred discovered the joys of Twitter. Twitting away mercilessly one day he got caught by Dan Bice of the Milwauykee Journal Sentinel:

“Got my stimulus package in the mail today. It contained watermelon seeds, cornbread mix, and ten coupons to KFC.”

In Fred’s defense, this was not an original tweet. It was from an e-mail that was circulating the Intertubes. However, when called on it by Bice, Fred’s response was legendary.

Bice wrote: In an e-mail today, Dooley said he took the tweet from somebody else and re-posted it on his page. In addition, he said he did all this shortly after having gall bladder the surgery and while he was still under the influence of painkillers and anesthesia.

“In that state I didn’t notice any racial connotations. I’m from the deep south and to me that’s not a racial thing, it is a southern thing. If I had not been under the effects of anesthesia I would have likely noticed that could have been taken the wrong way and would have passed on it.”

Really? I've heard Fred speak. There's not a hint of South in his delivery. He also does the South a disservice by assuming his racial shortcomings are universal down there. Fred did state he would avoid tweeting under the influence in the future. He may be more careful tweeting, but otherwise, he's not kept his word.

There is so much more material available for anyone with the time, or the history in dealing with Fred. By the way, any personal anecdotes are welcome on the comment section.

One last thing from me and then a final sally forth by Mr. Humor, John Foust.

I wrote a post during the presidential election about Bill Ayers. At the same time, Fred was creating a list of lefty bloggers who had failed to write quickly enough about the travails of then Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. In jest, I suggested I was upset that I had not been included in the list. Fred corrected that ommission by singling me out for instead writing a “defense” of Ayers.

I pointed out to Fred in an e-mail that the post was in no way a defense of Ayers (I had previously been banned from his site). I wrote that I had been commenting on Ayer’s op-ed in the New York Times. And, I admitted that I agreed with Ayer’s assessment that the guilt-by-association tactics of the right regarding some closer connection with Obama was dishonest. That’s not a defense, its agreement with a point he made. In fact, I further wrote that I was troubled by some of Ayer’s explanations for illegal actions he took.

For Fred, though, this wasn’t enough. His reply was classic Fred.

Yes Tim when you attack those who would dare to bring him up you are defending.

Yes, but Fred, that’s not … never mind.

Anyway, in conclusion, here is that quote from John Foust that captures the darkness that is Fred Dooley.

“Too often in today’s political landscape discourse is kept among those who agree. This is not a blog to promote that. We discuss ideas here, we ask that you keep your tone in check and respect those who are willing to share. Entire posts and their comments will be tossed down the memory hole when we really screw up. Hatred and character assassination are heartily approved when they’re directed at anyone who disagrees with me, but I’ll zap anything that points out I’m easily fooled”



cross-posted at The Other Side of My Mouth

Walker-union clash sells newspapers

Journal Sentinel circulation is up slightly, due, the paper says, to the Packers' success and Scott Walker's war on unions.

Recount, anyone?

Alberta Darling Snubs Local Businesses

This morning, on the Charlie Sykes Incite show (which was mercifully without Sykes, who was no doubt enjoying some union-won time off), Alberta Darling repeatedly complained about the people's boycott of Johnsonville products, as well as Coors, Angel Soft and all the other companies that chose to support the anti-worker, anti-middle class, and anti-freedom Scott Walker.

Darling repeatedly stated that not buying Wisconsin made products was wrong and told people to buy some Johnsonville brats and Coors beer.

Perhaps some intrepid reporter should ask Darling what she has against buying from local companies.

Klement's also makes very tasty brats which are made right here in Milwaukee and don't have the same taint as the corrupt Johnsonville leaders permeating everything about them and their ties to WMC.

And Coors isn't even made in Wisconsin. It's merged partner, Miller, is still made here, but even then, they moved their headquarters out of Milwaukee County and into Illinois. So why in heavens is she saying that we should buy a beer brewed in Colorado and headquartered in Chicago, even while she's saying how we need to buy locally?

If Darling was really pro-Wisconsin, she would have recommended something like Sprecher, the brewery that is wholly right here in Glendale.

To recap, Alberta Darling, who is supposed to be the state senator for the Milwaukee area, in an effort to bash the working class people of all of Wisconsin, is telling people to buy brats made in Sheboygan and beer brewed in Colorado, instead of supporting local companies.

Is it any wonder why people are finding her to be clueless and in desperate need of  having to leave her office?

And as an extra dose of the cognitive dissonance from the right wing, neocon Fred Dooley, worried about a non-existent plan to sticker up grocery stores, goes out to show them union thugs by shopping at Pick'N'Save, which is a union shop. Thanks for supporting your local union members, Fred!

Cross posted at Cog Dis.

*Sniff, Sniff*. Do You Smell Smoke?

The other day, we pointed the gentle reader to Illy-T's* play by play as Patrick McIlheran gets victimized in a flame war with the second in command of the news room, George Stanley.  The flaming of McIlheran was about a German study claiming that BPA was safe.

Looks like the ensuing lull was not a cease fire, but merely Stanley loading up the big flamethrower:

Four authors of a new report concluding that bisphenol A is safe have ties to companies and groups that benefit from the controversial chemical.

The report was written by the Advisory Committee to the German Society for Toxicology, the country's national association of toxicologists.

Poor Paddy won't be able to sit for a week the way his ass is getting burned.

*Illy-T's coverage was so masterful, even the real media noticed it.

It's Hard To Be A Conservative: Part One Gazillion

Pity poor Charlie Sykes and company.

They are expending considerable amounts of time and energy and selective outrage day in and day out to convince people that it is an outrage to spend a couple of millions of dollars to ensure the integrity of the voting process.

At the same time, Sykes and friends will have to explain why it's a good idea to spend even more than the recount to ensure that whole sections of the populace have their voting rights impeded and to ensure the loss of integrity of the voting process.

It truly is a wonder how they can still look at themselves in the mirror.

McIlheran's Pants Are On Fire

No, not in the PolitiFact sense of the term. That's left for Charlie Sykes.

McIlhernan's burning sensation is the one that comes from having a senior editor of your newspaper publicly slap you down.

The source of this and some other fun observations would be the Illusory One.

Mayday! Solidarity March

The Biggest Shtick In The State

Monday morning, Charlie Sykes spent part of his squawk show trying to take credit for the Prosser "mandate" of a victory. (Note to Charlie: 0.49% is far from a mandate. It's more like a mistake.)

Illy-T does the yeoman's work of breaking down just what influence Sykes might have had on the race:

What is sad, though, is Sykes's mincing triumphalism, because what he doesn't tell you is that if his special theory has validity, then the dissembling shouter managed to impede Justice Prosser's progress in almost every single one of the Wisconsin counties he mentions, by:

Milwaukee: 11 points
Racine: 6 points
Waukesha: 8 points
Washington: 5 points
Ozaukee: 9 points
Dodge: 11 points
Fond Du Lac: 11 points
Jefferson: 10 points
Walworth: 4 points

That's how much Prosser conceded, between the general election on April 5 and the primary election on February 15, which is when Sykes commenced his 50K-watt campaign of ludicrous propagandas

Can you imagine that? If the election was even just a week longer, Sykes might have managed to give the race to JoAnne Kloppenburg.

Sykes' delusions of grandeur isn't anything new though.  When she was still an overt political player, Jessica McBride had the same syndrome.

Vicki McThugga

Vicki McKenna loves to attack working men and women by referring to anyone who stands up for democracy or for basic rights as "union thugs."  It has become the favorite bogeyman of the right wing squawking class.

Of course, the rest of us know that there is not one grain of truth in it, since tens of thousands of people can show up to make their voices heard and not one person gets arrested.

However, the same can't be said for squawk radio hosts.  For example, there is the infamous ticket given to Charlie "Light my fuse" Sykes.  But it turns out, he's not the only scofflaw on the Wisconsin airwaves.

There is also Vicki Pyzysnki, or as you may know her, Vicki McKenna.  It appears that Ms. McKenna was arrested and charged with two counts of disorderly conduct for being "verbally and physically combative" at a Badgers game at Camp Randall.  Reports indicate that she also resisted arrest. Yes, alcohol was involved.

The charges were eventually dropped due to deferred prosecution.

Perhaps the most interesting thing though is this part of the story of her arrest:

The booking record noted her tattoos: ``Wolf on back, snake on chest.''

Source of picture: Sly

Just What Did Happen To The Republicans? (NSFW)

Charlie's Double Standard On Double Standards

Last week, Charlie Sykes made a brash statement trying to play up the controversial election for the Supreme Court.  He claimed that:

"They put in as much money as they will ever be able to. They will never again, in Wisconsin, be able to mobilize a 3-to-1 money advantage."

On Sunday, PolitiFact decided to take a look at those claims. Unsurprisingly, they found him to be a flat out liar* and gave him the woeful "Pants on Fire" rating, his second one.**

Needless to say, the sniveling Sykes got his undies in a bundle about being burned again. He's been ranting for two days now, including attacking the PolitiFact reporters not just once, but twice.

In the first launch, aided by his fellow Bradley Foundation beneficiary, Christian "Atomic Pantload" Schneider, is all in a tither that PolitiFact didn't offer enough proof.  They do this in spite of the fact that while PolitiFact actually cites their sources, Sykes' source was an "unidentified 'political observer'" who Sykes also identified as being pro-Prosser.  When given a chance to be clearer on his source(s) of information, Sykes refused to respond.

In his second attack, Sykes then pulled the classic conservative ploy of moving the goal posts. Instead of whining about the sources of information, since the reporters had many and Sykes none, he chooses instead to attack on a whole different subject.  Instead of talking about Sykes' provably-false statement, Sykes chose to whine and tantrum about whether they ever look at other talk show hosts.  Apparently, Sykes is an adherent to the phrase "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit."

What it boils down to his Sykes got caught with his burning pants down around his ankles. When he was asked to support his BS claims, he should have just told the truth like he did the first time:

"My evidence? ....absolutely none"

*He was also lying about the supposed imminent end to the unions.

**It amazes me that even though his pants have been on fire twice now, none of the crap he puts in his hair has caught flame.

Sykes' Cognitive Dissonance

It's got to be hard to be Charlie Sykes.

All this week, he's been trying to argue that JoAnne Kloppenburg would be a bad Supreme Court Justice because as a prosecutor, she has been doing her job and enforcing the laws as they are written, working equally well for both Republican and Democratic Attorney Generals.  Then he would turn around, sometimes in the same breath, argue that she would be a bad Supreme Court Justice because she would be some sort of activist judge that would not follow any laws.

McIlheran: In Defense Of Witch Hunts

Professor William Cronon is a history professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  He is also a blogger who wrote an eye-opening piece on how the Koch Brothers and their ilk are funding and controlling this recent assault that we have seen in recent weeks, not only on the working people of Wisconsin, but all across the country.

Within days, the Wisconsin GOP came down like a gang of locust, making a very specific open records request.  It was obvious by their choice of words to search for that their only concern was to throw a wide fishing net in their expedition in hope of finding some stray tidbit that they could conflate and use in an effort to discredit his good name.

Patrick McIlheran, resident GOP spokesman at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (motto: Have you unsubscribed yet?) tries a pathetic attempt to justify the GOP's witch hunt (emphasis mine):

Schneider points out something else: The left has freaked, loudly enough to shake some conservatives, because the Wisconsin Republican Party ran a freedom of information request on Cronon's UW e-mail account. Was the professor using the equipment provided by taxpayers to play politics? Inquiring minds are curious, but the left behaves as if to request the records was itself some kind of suppression of the professor's free thought.

The question for McIlheran is this: On what grounds do you suspect that Professor Cronon was using the government's computer to write his blog?

Having some experience myself with what Cronon is currently going through, I have to wonder.

Is it based on some baseless and artificially created "proof" as the right is wont to rely on, since the truth and reality rarely supports their positions?

Or is it because they so often don't do the ethical thing that they naturally presume no one else does either?

Or is Charlie Sykes their director of research?

As McIlerhan would say: Inquiring minds are curious...