Yes, I'm aware that it's supposed to be a blog no-no to make comparions between right-wing excesses and Nazi Germany, but as a media member and media junkie, with a side interest in the history of the holocaust, it seems a sin of ommission not to point out the paralells when Fox news pulls a propaganda whopper worthy of Goebbels, and as obvious as the nose on my face.

The backstory: Fox News channel, while still pulling in an overall audience just under that of CNN and MSNBC combined, had experienced a slower growth rate in viewership in the second quarter of 2008 (10%),  than both MSNBC and CNN's galloping growth rate of more than 50% each in viewers.

Although nearly all legitimate polls show Barack ahead of McCain (some by double digits) this (unscientific) bizarro-world AOL straw poll, has McCain over Obama by 62% to 38%!

http://news.aol.com/...

Touching, funny, progressive, arousing -- all apply to next Friday's show.

Banish War:
Music and Comedy for Peace
with Tom "Atom" English

Progressive songwriter and comedian Tom "Atom" English will premiere his one-man show, Banish War: Music and Comedy for Peace at the Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill St., Santa Monica; Fri., June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Songs from Atom’s new CD Banish War are intertwined with the story of his path to Conscientious Objector status during the Vietnam war, act as commentary on the futility of conflict ("When You Kill the Hater, You Multiply the Hate") and offer up examples of the politics that can lead to warfare ("Democrats are Stupid When They Don’t Vote, Republicans are Stupid When They Do.")

And a documentarian shall lead us . . .

If we must depend on Michael Moore to set our health care agenda, and spearhead policy on withdrawal from Iraq, then it would be no small surprise that another provocative documentarian, Morgan Spurlock, could find Bin Laden before the Bush administration.

That's what is creating the buzz around Spurlock's new film, the amusingly titled "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?"

'Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?,' is a compilation of more than 800 hours that Spurlock spent in Afghanistan and the Middle East hunting the world's most infamous terrorist. The huge buzz behind the movie is caused by vague hints that Spurlock actually may have found him.

As has been written about here and elsewhere, sometime back the rightwing came up with the insulting nickname "The Democrat Party."

Possibly because it made them giggle to hit the syllable "rat" when it was spewed on rant radio.

A Kos diarist today tried to return the favor by shortening their official name to the "Republics."

It's a step in the right direction, but I think the word "Republics" lends the party of selfishness too much gravitas.

I prefer "Republicant" as in:

Can't govern

Thank the election fairy, Larry Craig has just un-resigned!

It's as if Craig is feeding his secret desire to suck . . . um, elect Democrats, and scare those ungrateful fundies  -- for whom he's carried so much water -- as far away from the polls as possible.

http://www.americablog.com/...

At this moment, there are Republican politicians across country doing spit takes over their dinner news from Fox. (I only hope their families know the Heimlich maneuver.)

The MSM got a hard-on when they discovered that John Edwards had spent $400 on a haircut, and those pro reporters couldn't wait to share that gossipy tidbit with the world.

So, of course, all the major news sources are also breathlessly pounding out the story of Republican Mitt Romney's $300 investment in a makeover that includes foundation makeup and powder -- right?

Stacy Andrews, who made up Romney for Hidden Beauty, said he barely needs makeup.

"He's already tan," she said. "We basically put a drop of foundation on him ... and we powdered him a little bit."

Over at the wonderful Pandagon (www.pandagon.net) the equally wonderful Amanda Marcotte, fresh off the Edwards blogging brouhaha, has announced their first book club selection chosen by readers:
When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and Law in the United States, 1867-1973

Which was also my choice for first book, because the book represents more than just history for me: when I was a teenager abortion was a crime: and the choices that forced women to make was another crime.

In the past decade, I've waged a battle for my health care in what I've come to think of as The Health Insurance Wars.

Although I haven't been hospitalized since 1958:

I have been denied insurance by Blue Cross because I had the audacity to admit I -- horrors! -- required a drug prescribed by a doctor (which retailed for $20 a month, by the way.)

Radar makes some lovely, invidious comparisons between polls, and as it turns out, George W. Bush now has a lower approval ratings than fruitcake, Ryan Seacrest, or dogshit on your shoe:

http://radaronline.com/...

The argument against gay marriage in Canada is over, done, kaput.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/...

Hooray, and all that, but it begs the question: What the hell is wrong with us? If Canada can do it, why are we denying a basic civil right to our citizens?

I know what you're going to say: "But, our wingnuts are crazier than their wingnuts!"

A Democratic Congress may be the best means of getting our troops home, but in the meantime, while we celebrate, they're still serving under fire.

Which is why I recommend to you one of my favorite charities: anysoldier.com

http://anysoldier.com/...

on which you'll find the addresses of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan requesting stuff for their units: books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, toiletries, etc.

During these dark days when Republicans seem intent on dismantling the Magna Carta, as well as the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions, the least I can do to lighten the mood, is pass on some laughs at the expense of one of their own.

Slate (!) has dreamed up the George Allen Insult Generator: in which, no matter who you are (White, Black, Short, Fat, Woman, Arab, etc.) a cartoon George Allen will insult you, in the typically creative Allen fashion.

(And true to form, Allen has a bouquet of insults for every category -- you can keep coming back for more! Are you a woman? A few Allen hits: "Why, hello, twunt!" "Hi there, ho bag!" )

Blaming Bush for our problems is like blaming an accident on the chrome dog on the hood of the Mack Truck. - Rick Overton

As Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart prove nightly, satire is often the sharpest tool for combating, the slings and arrows of the not-so-sharp tools in this administration.

The Senate is investigating profiteering on oil and gas. The important questions are: 1. Which oil companies are raking in huge profits? And 2. How big contributors are they? - Will Durst

Laughing Liberally is a concerned group of hilarious dyed-in-the-wool lefty political comedians who are taking their progressive laughs on the road to Los Angeles, Sat., June 3; the YearlyKos Convention in Las Vegas, Thurs.-Fri., June 8-9; Boston, June 15-17 & 22-24 and possible future stops in other states all in aid of those of who need a laugh or two to get us through until the next election, indictment or impeachment.

Never watched him, never will. Afraid my eyeballs will sear, and I know of his evil only second-hand through the prism of Stephen Colbert's acid mimic. But I'm aware O'Reilly's influence has been pernicious, and so was happy to read that influence is rapidly waning in the 25-54 age group.

In a ratings dive that should concern both his advertisers and the Republican Party, Bill O'Reilly has lost over half his viewers in the 25-54 age demographic in the last eight months, from over one million viewers in that age group down to 415,000.

O'Reilly is apparently turning off the quick, and isn't making it up with a gain in the dying dinosaurs (a slag I may make with impunity, since I've aged out of the demographic myself).

O'Reilly still delivers to what is considered a "respectable" 2,102,000 million viewers but that, too, is his lowest overall viewership since July of 2004.

Anybody got Colbert's figures? Wouldn't be wonderfully ironic if O'Reilly's loss equalled Colbert's gain?

The big telecom companies have lobbied hard for a bill in the House that's designed to destroy the internet as we know it -- and your reps will be voting on it in two days.

From Common Cause:

Telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon have lobbied Congress for the right to control where you go on the Internet, how fast you get there, and how much you pay for the service. On Wednesday, the House Commerce Committee will be voting on the absurdly-named  COPE bill  (Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act).

But the only "promoting" and "enhancing" this bill does is for the cable, phone and media interests that have poured nearly  half a billion dollars into lobbying Congress over the past eight years to get the perks they so desire.

Please call your House member today. Ask your Representative to vote NO on the COPE bill: www.house.gov  
The vote is happening on Wednesday, April 26 so your calls are needed today.

The health insurance lobby is at it again -- and the Republicans would love to help them gut the coverage you get now, while forcing you to pay even more outrageous premiums.

Spread the Word - Health Care Protections You Could Lose
Stop S. 1955: the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act

If S.1955 is adopted, women and families could lose coverage for:

Contraceptives
Breast and cervical cancer screening
Maternity care
Osteoporosis screening
Direct access to ob/gyns
Emergency services
Mental health services
Well-child care
Blood lead screening
Colorectal cancer screenings
Preventive care and rehabilitation

Okay, if you were in on our left-coast blog of the opening ceremonies, you'll remember the rules: everything gay, gay, gay, gay is good (fabulous, as a matter of fact.)

We applaud the campy -- hell, since it's the closing ceremony, we'll even settle for cheap sentiment.

My only fear: the clown theme. Which will not only freak out those of you with the phobia, but makes me wonder if a clown theme can ever (or should) be fabulously gay, or campy.