“The taser. Use the taser!”

(quoting Beavis …)

No doubt University of Florida police went overboard tasering a student who commandeered the mic at a town hall forum.

Still, I sorta enjoyed watching this spoiled brat suffer. The downside — we’ll have to endure his time in the media spotlight.

Conspiratorial lefties are already rallying behind Andrew Meyer’s cause (note the accompanying anti-Semitic rant, a staple of today’s privileged radicals).

Clearly, the cops should be disciplined, if not fired. But let’s resist blanket declarations — removing disruptive protesters from a Congressional hearing, for one, is not an assault on free spech.

There are plenty of troubling examples, however, like the couple ejected from a Bush rally for wearing anti-Bush T-shirts. And “free speech zones” popularized by the major political parties are blatantly unconstitutional.

UPDATE: Alleged feminist Naomi Wolf — who famously advised Al Gore to wear more Earth tones — just published a ridiculous screed in which she called the tasering “a shocking moment for society.”

It is an iconic turning point and it will be remembered as the moment at which America either fought back or yielded. This violence against a student is different from violence against protesters in the anti-war movement of 30 years ago because of the power the president has now to imprison innocent U.S. citizens for months in isolation. And because, as I have explained elsewhere, we are not now in a situation in which ‘the pendulum’ can easily swing back. That taser was directed at the body of a young man, but it is we ourselves, and our Constitution, who received the full force of the shock.

And the martrydom of Andrew Meyer begins.

For those inclined to grant Wolf some credibility, remember she posed for a glamour shot on the jacket of her book — “The Beauty Myth — that attacked media exploitation of women.

(via griftdrift)

Today’s must-read

Hold your nose as you peruse the 22 most corrupt members of Congress, compiled by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The list includes a presidential candidate (Duncan Hunter), a leading Democrat (John Murtha) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Georgia congressman David Scott also made the cut. Here’s betting all four will be re-elected.

Influence for dollars

Glad to see John Edwards call out Hillary’s campaign for its barely legal and grossly unethical fundraising practices:

In its most direct attack on Hillary Rodham Clinton, the campaign of Democratic presidential contender John Edwards on Tuesday denounced a fundraising luncheon that included sessions for Clinton donors with members of Congress who have expertise in homeland security.

“Today’s Clinton fundraising event is a ‘poster child’ for what is wrong with Washington and what should never happen again with a candidate running for the highest office in the land,” Edwards’ senior adviser Joe Trippi said in a letter to supporters.

And who are these donors? Lobbyists, mostly.

In response, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said, “Increasingly negative attacks against other Democrats aren’t going to end the war, deliver universal health care or turn John Edwards’ flagging campaign around.”

Typical Hillary — accuse those with legitimate questions of making illegitimate attacks. How long can she continue playing the victim card? (Answer: as long as she’s in politics.)

The case against non-discrimination

The fundamentalist hens from Concerned Women for America are so firmly opposed to the “Employment Non-Discrimination Act” that they got a man to speak for them:

Finally, the bill legalizes sexual harassment. It states that “denial of access” to workplace facilities such as restrooms and dressing rooms based on gender is only allowed for “shared shower or dressing facilities in which being seen fully unclothed is unavoidable.” This means that female employees would have to endure both systematic sexual harassment and a hostile work environment by being forced to share bathroom facilities with any male employee who got his jollies from wearing a dress.

But other than that, ENDA’s great! In fact, it may not go far enough. I mean, while we’re at it, shouldn’t we include protections for people based on “species identity?” If a man gets in touch with his inner horse and wants to run in the Kentucky Derby, let’s force Churchill Downs to make it happen. It makes as much sense.

Those beastiality inferences never get old.

Fannie Flagg better check her cholesterol

It’s been a bad year for “Match Game” alumni. Charles Nelson Reilly passed away in May. Now Brett Somers has died.

Her bawdy bon mots will be missed. I loved watching “Match Game” as a child; I felt like I had been invited to sit at the adult’s table, even if the double entendres were over my head. It probably would’ve helped to have been drunk, like Somers and the rest of the panelists always seemed to be.

Here’s how Somers described the show:

“You’d get six people who are not smart, don’t know what they’re doing, put them on a panel, and find two contestants off the street, and ask them dopey questions.”

Have a cocktail on us, Brett. And tell Charles hello.

(Watch the dynamic duo in action here.)

Headline du jour

The accent transplant: Brain surgery leaves Yorkshire boy speaking like the Queen

“The taser. Use the taser!”

(quoting Beavis …)

No doubt University of Florida police went overboard tasering a student who commandeered the mic at a town hall forum.

Still, I sorta enjoyed watching this spoiled brat suffer. The downside — we’ll have to endure his time in the media spotlight.

Conspiratorial lefties are already rallying behind Andrew Meyer’s cause (note the accompanying anti-Semitic rant, a staple of today’s privileged radicals).

Clearly, the cops should be disciplined, if not fired. But let’s resist blanket declarations — removing disruptive protesters from a Congressional hearing, for one, is not an assault on free spech.

There are plenty of troubling examples, however, like the couple ejected from a Bush rally for wearing anti-Bush T-shirts. And "free speech zones" popularized by the major political parties are blatantly unconstitutional.

UPDATE: Alleged feminist Naomi Wolf — who famously advised Al Gore to wear more Earth tones — just published a ridiculous screed in which she called the tasering "a shocking moment for society."

It is an iconic turning point and it will be remembered as the moment at which America either fought back or yielded. This violence against a student is different from violence against protesters in the anti-war movement of 30 years ago because of the power the president has now to imprison innocent U.S. citizens for months in isolation. And because, as I have explained elsewhere, we are not now in a situation in which ‘the pendulum’ can easily swing back. That taser was directed at the body of a young man, but it is we ourselves, and our Constitution, who received the full force of the shock.

And the martrydom of Andrew Meyer begins.

For those inclined to grant Wolf some credibility, remember she posed for a glamour shot on the jacket of her book — "The Beauty Myth — that attacked media exploitation of women.

(via griftdrift)

V for Victory

The moderates in Palestine published this cartoon marking the recent anniversary of the terrorist attacks:

Today’s must-read

Hold your nose as you peruse the 22 most corrupt members of Congress, compiled by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The list includes a presidential candidate (Duncan Hunter), a leading Democrat (John Murtha) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Georgia congressman David Scott also made the cut. Here’s betting all four will be re-elected.

Influence for dollars

Glad to see John Edwards call out Hillary’s campaign for its barely legal and grossly unethical fundraising practices:

In its most direct attack on Hillary Rodham Clinton, the campaign of Democratic presidential contender John Edwards on Tuesday denounced a fundraising luncheon that included sessions for Clinton donors with members of Congress who have expertise in homeland security.

“Today’s Clinton fundraising event is a ‘poster child’ for what is wrong with Washington and what should never happen again with a candidate running for the highest office in the land,” Edwards’ senior adviser Joe Trippi said in a letter to supporters.

And who are these donors? Lobbyists, mostly.

In response, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said, “Increasingly negative attacks against other Democrats aren’t going to end the war, deliver universal health care or turn John Edwards’ flagging campaign around.”

Typical Hillary — accuse those with legitimate questions of making illegitimate attacks. How long can she continue playing the victim card? (Answer: as long as she’s in politics.)

The case against non-discrimination

The fundamentalist hens from Concerned Women for America are so firmly opposed to the “Employment Non-Discrimination Act” that they got a man to speak for them:

Finally, the bill legalizes sexual harassment. It states that “denial of access” to workplace facilities such as restrooms and dressing rooms based on gender is only allowed for “shared shower or dressing facilities in which being seen fully unclothed is unavoidable.” This means that female employees would have to endure both systematic sexual harassment and a hostile work environment by being forced to share bathroom facilities with any male employee who got his jollies from wearing a dress.

But other than that, ENDA’s great! In fact, it may not go far enough. I mean, while we’re at it, shouldn’t we include protections for people based on “species identity?” If a man gets in touch with his inner horse and wants to run in the Kentucky Derby, let’s force Churchill Downs to make it happen. It makes as much sense.

Those beastiality inferences never get old.

Fannie Flagg better check her cholesterol

It’s been a bad year for “Match Game” alumni. Charles Nelson Reilly passed away in May. Now Brett Somers has died.

Her bawdy bon mots will be missed. I loved watching “Match Game” as a child; I felt like I had been invited to sit at the adult’s table, even if the double entendres were over my head. It probably would’ve helped to have been drunk, like Somers and the rest of the panelists always seemed to be.

Here’s how Somers described the show:

“You’d get six people who are not smart, don’t know what they’re doing, put them on a panel, and find two contestants off the street, and ask them dopey questions.”

Have a cocktail on us, Brett. And tell Charles hello.

(Watch the dynamic duo in action here.)

Headline du jour

The accent transplant: Brain surgery leaves Yorkshire boy speaking like the Queen

V for Victory

The moderates in Palestine published this cartoon marking the recent anniversary of the terrorist attacks:

Comedienne

She may lack the comedic chops of Jessica Alba, but there’s no shame in being Mel Brooks’ muse.

The late Madeline Kahn never rushed a laugh, nor did she cave to vanity. That makes her an all-timer, as demonstrated in the following clips:

“Oh sweet mystery of life at last I’ve found you!”

“Goddammit I’m tired!”

“Jeans? You’re wearing jeans? I bet they’re tight.”

It’s called timing.

Channeling Pat Nixon (flash forward four minutes).