The insanity goes both ways

Politico’s Ben Smith reminds us partisan delusion isn’t limited to just one party.

“How likely is it that people in the federal government either assisted in the 9/11 attacks or took no action to stop the attacks because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East?” the [2006] poll asked.

A full 22.6% of Democrats said it was “very likely.” Another 28.2% called it “somewhat likely.”

That is: More than half of Democrats, according to a neutral survey, said they believed Bush was complicit in the 9/11 terror attacks.

Two distinctions:

1. Accusing someone of murdering 2,752 innocents is much worse than lying about another’s birthplace.
2. None of the Democrats running for president in 2008 sought to appeal to the lunatic fringe by claiming Bush engineered the 9/11 attacks.
   

Noted & Quoted, right-wing smackdown edition

Gotta love Mike Huckabee’s retort after Glenn Beck called him a “progressive” for supporting Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity efforts. The two have been engaged in an escalating feud that has served Huckabee well.

This week Glenn Beck has taken to his radio show to attack me as a Progressive, which he has said is the same as a “cancer” and a “Nazi.” What did I do that apparently caused him to link me to a fatal disease and a form of government that murdered millions of innocent Jews? I had the audacity—not of hope—but the audacity to give respect to the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to address childhood obesity. I’m no fan of her husband’s policies for sure, but I have appreciated her efforts that Beck misrepresented—either out of ignorance or out of a deliberate attempt to distort them to create yet another “boogey man” hiding in the closet that he and only he can see. The First Lady’s approach is about personal responsibility—not the government literally taking candy from a baby’s mouth. He seems to fancy himself a prophet of sorts for his linking so many people and events together to describe a massive global conspiracy for pretty much everything.

Abramoff wing man touts Trump candidacy

Baby-faced influence peddler Ralph Reed, who secretly accepted payments from Jack Abramoff to lobby against Indian casino gambling, says he’s “intrigued” by Donald Trump’s candidacy.

That Reed remains relevant on the political scene speaks volumes. Corruption is not vice in Washington.

I know where I’ll be next Friday

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18 hours ago

‘Glee’ even more insufferable than I imagined

I’ve avoided “Glee” like chlamydia. As I understand it’s an inspirational musical featuring a slew of nonsensical celebrity cameos. Might as well be a buddy comedy starring Robin Williams and Adam Sandler, directed by Michael Bay.

But it’s even worse than I thought. Recently “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy ripped Kings of Leon after the once-interesting Nashville band denied the show’s request to use their music.

“They’re self-centred a*sholes, and they’re missing the big picture,” Murphy said. “They missed that a seven-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument.

“It’s like, OK, hate on arts education.”

You’ll recall that, before “Glee” dared a nation to dream, kids never aspired to become rock stars.