Frist out!

In other politics news, it looks as though Bill "is that your cat?" Frist will not be running for governor of Tennessee.

Whew. Tennessee really dodged a bullet there. We've got enough problems down here without being subjected to a dangerous wingnut who wants you to think you can get AIDS from tears and believes he can magically diagnose people from watching a video.

OK, so yeah, the down side is that means we're probably staring down the barrel at having to spend an entire campaign season listening to the nasally spiels and squeals of this weasel -- for the uninitiated, that's the Tennessee 3rd District's own lying-under-oath, check-kiting coke whore, Zach Wamp. But on the other hand, Wamp's deranged word salads should provide for lots of entertainment in a long campaign.

Mitt Romney is a sociopath

I'm sorry. I wasn't going to say anything about the story, which I've been following for days. But it just won't go away. And it's making me sick. This guy shouldn't be allowed to have any more pets, and I'm a little worried about his children.

I guess Romney's sewn up the primary votes of Bill Frist and any other animal abusers in the Republican Party, though.

Governor Frist

I haven't been talking about politics much here lately. I mostly just needed to take a break after the intensity of the campaign, but I've also been trying to mellow out a bit when the topic swings around to politics -- to be a bit more thoughtful and a little less intense, perhaps. Today's news about how Bill Frist has his eye on the Tennessee governor's mansion (and, still, the White House) begs for commentary, though.

Now, I am a political progressive, so I'm not inclined toward having any appreciation for someone like Bill Frist, the former majority leader of what can be described, at best, as a do-nothing Senate, and part of an administration that I think will be remembered as this country's worst ever. He helped enable the worst foreign policy disaster in the history of our nation and his agenda in the Senate, which could have been tackling important issues like health care (supposedly his field) or protecting our troops on the frontline, instead focused cynically on meaningless wedge issues like gay marriage and guns.

But I am capable of a appreciating a good politician or a genuinely nice person, even if I don't agree with his or her politics. I never liked Ronald Reagan much, but I can see why some people do. And I have great admiration for Barber Conable, the Republican who represented my district in Western New York for most of my youth. I don't have a knee-jerk dislike of conservatives or Republicans -- some of whom are quite reasonable people (though I have to point out that they are being led by some pretty unsavory characters lately), some of whom are friends and family who I love dearly.

Anyway, that said, I have to confess that the people who like Bill Frist completely defy all sense of reason for me. They're the political version of crackheads. The guy has absolutely no decency and try as I might, I can find no sign of a redeeming quality in the man. He shamelessly attempted to use a brain-dead woman to advance his political agenda while claiming he could make a diagnosis based on the viewing of a video tape. He made a mockery of the rules meant to prevent conflicts of interest when he got regular updates on his supposedly blind trust. He screwed over the patients he claims to care for, so that he might shield Big Pharma from lawsuits. He's an inside trader who was named one of 2005's 13 most corrupt politicians by the CREW. He made a pathetic attempt to imply that AIDS can be transmitted through tears and sweat on national television, perpetuating the deliberate ignorance the more twisted members his party often use to advance their radical agenda. It just doesn't get any sleazier than Bill Frist. I honestly don't understand how anyone can stand to associate with him, much less promote his career in politics.

And if he somehow manages to buy, cheat or steal his way into Tennessee's governorship, I don't know what I'll do. I don't think I can overstate this: Bill Frist for Governor? Eeew.

UPDATE: To what I've said, smijer adds his own thoughts, which are always worth reading.

Chattanooga's Corker Makes the National News!

No, I don't mean Bob, but rather his daughter. A picture of her making out with another girl (which she put up on facebook -- didn't she get the memo about her dad running for the US Senate?!?) caught the eye of Wonkette (also see the Frist Boys), and now the girl-on-girl action is burning its way through the blogosphere. Bob must be so proud.

UPDATE: this story actually made mention in our conservative local paper (knock me over with a feather!)!

The Day of the Beast

It's 6/6/6 today. Do you have anything special planned? Appropriately enough, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (who recently indicated that he thinks banning gay marriage and flag burning are two of the nation’s most pressing priorities), plans to spend the day appeasing "the right wing sickos who are once again demanding that Bush and the GOP cater to their extremist conservative views." Let's hope that just as with his other attempts to pander to religious fanatics, this sleazefest proves to be yet another bellyflop. CNN's Bill Schneider seems to think that outcome is a distinct possibility:

The amendment supporters are running another risk. Ask Americans what issues they care about right now, and Iraq, the economy, immigration and gas prices top the list. That's what they want the Congress to debate.... This debate is unlikely to produce a result, except to reinforce the image of a Congress that's out of touch with the people's real concerns.

Frist BUSTED!

Yeah, the soon-to-be ex-senator and failed presidental contender was flayed by his own hometown paper (which is no small feat, as the paper is hardly liberal -- in fact, it's not even moderate).

Vaccine industry officials helped shape legislation behind the scenes that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist secretly amended into a bill to shield them from lawsuits, according to e-mails obtained by a public advocacy group.

Conspiring with big pharma to screw over the very patients he claims to care for? Oh, what a scumbag. And I thought his incompetent misdiagnosis Terri Schiavo in his effort to take advantage of a family's private nightmare for his own political gain was disgusting. Will "Dr." Bill Frist ever plumb the depths of his own shamelessness?

Frist here this Sunday

That's right. The insider trading, cat killing, not-so-blind truster, Terri Schiavo-using, brown people hatin', double bookkeeping, catchin' AIDS from tears dimwit and wannabe president, Bill Frist is speaking at UTC's commencement on Sunday. I expect security will be tighter than usual...

David Brooks

There is a chance that in the next few weeks, the G.O.P. will walk off a cliff on the subject of immigration. In the desperate effort to win back their base, Republican senators may follow Bill Frist and embrace a draconian enforcement-only immigration bill (which will lose them Florida and the Southwest for a generation).
[...]
Whether in Iraq or the barrio, history is not a prison. Culture shapes people, but cultures are changeable. Fortunately, there is a great Republican leader who understood the balance between culture and creed: Abraham Lincoln. In this spring of Republican discontent, his approach and governing method will make a good subject for a future column.

Read the whole thing here.

Corruption Before Security

George, George, George... tsk! tsk! The security of our ports is more important than whether or not your cronies get to cash in (hat tip to Jamison)! This one is going to get awfully ugly before it's over. Actually, if even Bill "Rubberstamp" Frist is against it, it already is ugly.

Another Busy Day

It was a beautiful, warm, sunny Saturday, so I painted the front of the house this afternoon. I've taken a quick look around the web for news this evening, and discovered that Ned Lamont is coming closer to challenging Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's primary, Bill Frist and Chris Matthews are still a couple of dicks, and if you haven't seen it yet, there's a great SOTU video that's been circulating for the past few days. It's hilarious (and if that's not enough and you need still more Bush impressions -- and Clinton, Pacino and Madden -- check out this video). More later... I'm tired...

Randomness

Is Lott on his way out? Could he give us a red state pickup? Or is this just his way of pushing the severely weakened Frist aside? Stay tuned...

It's hard to believe, but there actually is a politician out there who is more of a twisted sellout than Bill Frist! No word yet on whether or not Santorum kills kittens.

Closer to home, one of Tennessee's most humiliating citizens is back in the news. Jeff Miller is mad at the press because they reported a true story. Mind you, he admits that he had a girlfriend before his divorce. The supposedly christian, 120% heterosexual Miller does not deny the charges, he's just mad that he was caught (more here). Kinda like the crook in the White House, who isn't sorry that he broke the law, but is mad at the press for letting us citizens know about his transgressions.

Sandy over at hamdems is justifiably mad over Frist's latest moral failing. We can't possibly shake Frist quick enough. There's something that is horribly wrong with the very core of the guy -- perhaps his interest in cardiology was triggered by the realization that he only has a dark, cold, black void where his heart is supposed to be...

On the lighter side... for Angry Alien fans out there, there is now a 30-second Star Wars in the mix! Whee!

And finally (don't go here if you're at work, easily offended, or the kids are looking over your shoulder), why do we even bother with fiction when the truth is so strange?

Monday News Tidbits

They've been looking kinda sketchy for a while, but now it's official: Target is evil. Apparently their employees can refuse to wait on a customer for just about any kooky reason they can come up with. (If you happen to work at Target, I suggest you start refusing to sell fertility aids to religious fanatics because you have a moral problem with children being raised in hateful, intolerant familes.)

Bush is finally being exposed as the lying weasel that he is.

Immigration Pat thinks Bush is ruining the GOP. I think it goes much further than that. Dubya is ruining this country and is putting the entire world at risk -- he's screwing up the economy, environment, creating a breeding ground for terrorists, and failing to take the necessary steps to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of fanatics and nutjobs.

Get out your protest kit! Cheney will be at UTK tomorrow! Shudder.

Paul Krugman talks about health care coverage.

Bill O'Reilly has really gone off the deep end.

And Frank Rich asks what everyone's been wondering: where does Dubya get off claiming that we don't torture when his VP was, at that very time, trying to make sure that US government will continue to support our policy of torture?!? Sheesh -- it's starting to look like these guys aren't even trying to pretend they're not evil anymore.

Does Bill Frist still suffer from the delusion that he has a shot at the presidency?!? Gak. Give it up, Bill. Time to go home. We'll find something for you to do. Maybe you can restart your practice and diagnose more people you've never even met!

And finally: yet another reason to love John Cusask.

Bill, Bill, Bill...

You're such a disappointment. Tennessee deserves much better -- it's a good thing you're slinking away.

UPDATE: and as far as insider trading is concerned, he's not alone. Oh, those pesky ethics...

Did anyone notice how Bill Frist's pants just burst into flames?

Via Atrios:

Bill Frist can and should now be referred to in the press as "Senator Bill Frist, documented liar."

UPDATE: Thanks to egalia for this gem: "Bill Frist has this all upside down. He thought Terri Schiavo could see and his trust was blind." -- Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.)

UPDATE: Here's a timeline of the relevant events.

UPDATE: Yeah -- what TL said! ;-)

Martha Went To Prison For This

The only difference is that Martha wasn't pretending that her holdings were in a blind trust. Frist might have been the biggest sleazoid in Congress if it weren't for the fact that his competition in the Ethics Olympics includes Tom DeLay.

Ticketers and picketers

Heh.

Kooks run amuck in DC!

The president is pushing for a showdown over the fillibuster.

The president, who initiated the conflict by renominating judges whom Democrats had blocked during his first term and demanding new votes this year, is essentially guaranteeing a showdown that is as much about the power of the presidency as Democratic obstinacy, according to numerous government scholars.

I wonder why he doesn't just come out at say that he's out to shut down the Senate? And does Frist really think there enough people out there who want a frothing partisan attack dog in the White House to give him any delusions about a presidential run? And finally, what is up with our new AG? Has he gone off his meds?

At his news conference, Gonzales singled out for praise Owen, a Texas Supreme Court justice who is a target of Democratic filibuster efforts. While serving alongside Owen in 2000, Gonzales wrote an opinion criticizing her and two other dissenting judges for "an unconscionable act of judicial activism" in seeking to restrict a minor's right to an abortion.

"Judges disagree from time to time on particular issues," Gonzales said yesterday. "That doesn't in any way detract from my view that she would make a terrific judge on the 5th Circuit. I've never accused her of being an activist judge."

WWJD?

Yes, Pat Robertson is insane.

Pat Robertson's contradictory theology: God won't stop a tsunami -- but might respond to Gay Days with an earthquake

But we already knew that, didn't we?

Robertson's claims of the power of his prayers. For example, Robertson claims to have used the power of prayer to steer hurricanes away from his companies' Virginia Beach, Virginia headquarters. He took credit for steering the course in 1985 of Hurricane Gloria, which caused millions of dollars of destruction in many states along the east coast. He made a similar claim about another destructive storm, Hurricane Felix, in 1995.

Why should Pat Robertson be any different? There are plenty of these attention-seekers, supposedly men of God, who are perfectly willing to whore out Jesus for all sorts of sleazy purposes -- and the religious right eagerly gobbles it all up.

Yet the living Jesus always finds a way of getting past the money-changers, doesn't he? Every generation produces a Jesus to suit its own purposes. How fitting that in the Age of Information our broadcasters have marketed a Jesus so narrowly defined that he resembles little more than a lobbyist loitering outside Tom DeLay's office hoping for a few minutes of the great man's time.

Who will defend Jesus from these money-changers? Clearly, it won't be his favorite pimp, Bill Frist. Are there enough people who are even willing to try?

It is now clear there are some who will fight this religious war by any means necessary. So we will fight, but not the way they do. We must never lie or misrepresent the facts or the truth. We must not demonize or vilify those who are our opponents. We must claim that those who disagree with our judgments are still real people of faith. We must not fight the way they do, but fight we must. A great deal is at stake in this battle for the heart and soul of faith in America and for the nation's future itself. We will not allow faith to be put into the service of one political agenda.

This is a call for the rest of the churches to wake up. This is a call for people of faith everywhere to stand up and let their faith be heard. This is not a call to be just concerned, or just a little worried, or even just alarmed. This is a call for clear speech and courageous action. This is a call to take back our faith, and in the words of the prophet Micah, "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God."

Frist

There's no doubt that he sucks at being presbyterian, but is he insane?

Senate '06

More news from the upcoming Senate race (via Adam Groves) was in the Memphis Commercial Appeal today.

Vile said Ford may be the best-known name, for better and worse, even though he has not run statewide before. "Unfortunately, he's up at a time for this nomination when his uncle, the state senator (John Ford), is just making a fool of himself in more ways than one," he said.

There's a lot more -- go read Adam's take on the news and the article (which is also quoted after the jump).