And the Nay's have it...and Savage talks of some birthright? What?

Well, actually I'm referring to Ney, not 'nay'.

Former Republican congressman Bob Ney of Ohio has been sentenced to 2 and 1/2 years in prison for his involvement in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

This former public official enjoys long walks on the beach, starry nights, conversation and exchanging political favors for golf trips, sporting event tickets, gifts and campaign donations. He also loves to get letters, which will come in handy during his prison term.

Of course, taking a page out of Mel Gibson's now-popular playbook, he blamed alcoholism (do you have to be drunk to like golf?) and will most likely enter a prison alcohol rehabilitation program, as recommeded by the judge.

And in other news of right-wing corruption....

Right-wing talk-show hatemonger Michael "Angry-man" Savage says that civil rights are taking away the birthright of heterosexual, Christian, white males. Unfortunately for the heterosexual, Christian, white males, he never says what exactly the 'birthright' is, and he never explained why they haven't been missing it.

Here's the exact quote from the January 15, 2007 edition of The Savage Nation:

"But basically, if you're talking about a day like today, Martin Luther
King Junior Day, and you're gonna understand what civil rights has become,
the con it's become in this country. It's a whole industry; it's a racket.
It's a racket that is used to exploit primarily heterosexual, Christian,
white males' birthright and steal from them what is their birthright and
give it to people who didn't qualify for it."

Why does anyone still listen to this guy?

Rush to judgement (pun intended)

I just wasted 10 minutes of my life that I will never get back.

Rush Limbaugh spent 10 minutes of his radio show (and I use 'show' very loosely) attacking Senator Barack Obama because of...........(I know, what could it be? must be serious right? scandal, maybe? something just off-the-wall crazy, right?).......smoking.

Apparently, Obama smokes. He has a vice, and somehow that makes Limbaugh think (and I use 'think' loosely) that someone will have to make smoking "cool" - which would go against the "liberal anti-smoking people"....blah blah blah, rant rant rant, spin spin lie.

What is really sad is the fact that in a day of page scandals, mistresses, weapons of mass destruction, outing CIA officers, hangings, surges and lobbyists, the only thing Limbaugh and his ilk can attack is smoking.

In a day where the current president has done cocaine in his lifetime, along with the keg-stands and driving drunk into some bushes (shrubbery, not other family members) before being elected (read: chosen by the Supreme Court in 2000), I think that smoking is pretty low on the list of offenses for elected office.

And who the hell is Rush Limbaugh to talk about a vice? Hey, Limbaugh, at least Obama's not out doctor-shopping for his fix.

War on Terror going badly? Apparently so...

From Newsweek, Jan. 22, 2007 edition:

"Crumpton [the outgoing State Department terror coordinator] told Newsweek that a worldwide surge in Islamic radicalism has worsened recently, increasing the number of potential terrorists and setting back U.S. efforts in the terror war. 'Certainly, we haven't made any progress,' said Crumpton. 'In fact, we've lost ground.' He cites Iraq as a factor; the war has fueled resentment against the United States."

I think I know the answer to this, but.....

...is Bill O'Reilly losing it?

Seriously? Meltdown, maybe?

After saying that NBC had no conservatives "across the board," forgetting about, oh, say, Joe Scarborough or Tucker Carlson, O'Reilly interviews NBC's Andrea Mitchell, supposedly about her book, and he jumps on her about where the diversity is at NBC.

Now, if you ignore the sheer lunacy and irony of his statement - after all, where the hell is "diversity" at Fox News? - it makes him look crazy, like Keith Olbermann is just getting so far under his skin that he can't control himself anymore. (Go Keith!)

Newsweek's Jonathan Alter recently appeared on MSNBC's Tucker (with Tucker Carlson, sans bow tie), and he said that O'Reilly is basically helping MSNBC by going after Olbermann, similar to the situation where he tried to sue Al Franken...guess who got publicity for that? Hmmm? "Al Franken," you say? I knew you would get that one!

Alter went on to say that O'Reilly was like a "blimp...in one of those parades. He's so full of himself. He's so inflated, it's coming out of his ears. He's so full of it that they can't possibly, you know, bring him down to earth."

I could'nt have said it better myself.

Joe Scarborough vs. Bill O'Reilly

"Let's get it on!"

So Bill O' has gone on another "liberal media" tirade accusing NBC of moving to the left for business reasons...blah...blah...blah, and like most of what comes out of Bill's mouth, it is more "spin" for his ironically-titled "no-spin zone."

Bill accused everyone (i.e. 'everyone') at NBC of being liberal, using an exchange between NBC's David Gregory and ex-Fox News/current White House press secretary Tony Snow as evidence; Bill also used the fact that an NBC called the execution of Saddam Hussein a PR nightmare.

Joe Scarborough of MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" took issue with that - especially since he is a conservative. The ex-congressman says he has always been against "exploding deficits," "wreckless spending," "military adventurism" and "turning Congress into the type of swamp that we Republicans have turned it into over the past six years."

Scarborough added, "That doesn't make me liberal, that makes me conservative. That may make you, though, a suck-up, if you defend the Republicans that have done that to this country and to our party over the past six years."

Interesting to note that Snow apologized to NBC's Gregory for using the term 'partisan.' Not that O'Reilly was worried about accuracy or anything.

Another funny note is how Scarborough said of O'Reilly, "...he's angry at Keith Olbermann. He can't attack Keith Olbermann on the air anymore --"

Your turn, O'Reilly. Time to start spinning.

God tells Pat Robertson that Sean Hannity is hiding WMDs in Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an

Well....kinda.

The January 2 edition of Hannity and Colmes had Sean Hannity saying, during a discussion of Saddam Hussein's execution, "I believe there were WMDs. I believe they were moved."

The evidence he was using to back up his opinion, coincidentally, was also moved, and are now hiding with the WMDs in an undisclosed location. However, Donald Rumsfeld knows where the WMDs and Sean Hannity's evidence are - "in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."

And of course, now that we know the Fox News version of the "truth" of WMDs, what would make the beginning of 2007 more complete than predictions by the Sister Cleo of the Christian Right - Pat Robertson.

His 2007 predictions include "very serious terrorist attacks," "chaos" and "mass killing" (although not nuclear - or even 'nucular' - as the Lord did not tell him that.)

Let's see...add to that "much more disaster," "the Israeli people...will surrender their birthright in favor of...illusory peace with the Palestinians" and "earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes - volcanic eruption..." ....and erectile dysfunction. Ok, maybe not that last one.

Pat Robertson's predictions are nothing to scoff at...

Here are some of his 2006 predictions so you can see how accurate he really is:

"President Bush is going to strengthen." (Oops, screwed the pooch on that one.)

"The fall elections will be inconclusive, but the outcome of the war and the success of the economy will leave the Republicans in charge." (Damn. That's a big one. Especially with today being the swearing in of the Democratically-controlled Congress.)

"Another liberal judge is going to retire - step down from the [Supreme] Court. We'll have another opening there." (Doh!)

"The war in Iraq is going to come to a successful conclusion. We'll begin withdrawing troops before the end of this year." (What is all this talk about a surge in troop levels?)

Apparently, Robertson was right about a couple of things - the Likud party in Israel losing the parliamentary election and Judge Samuel Alito, Jr. being confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Hey, 2 out of many isn't bad, right.

I'm currently taking down Robertson's Superbowl predictions, so place your bets here.

And in a bit of interesting news, Keith Ellison, the newly-elected congressman from Minnesota who happens to be Muslim, will use the Qur'an in his private swearing-in ceremony - but not just any Qur'an. The specific one he will use formerly belonged to Thomas Jefferson - yes, Judge(mental) Roy Moore, one of the founding fathers you always speak of.

Of course, ignorance abounds as proven by Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia. Goode warned his constituents that if we do not solve the immigration problem, there will be more Muslims like Ellison in Congress.

Ellison, however, is a native of Detroit, hence, not an immigrant, proving once and for all that Virgil Goode is ignorant, pathetic and touches himself at night causing the baby Jesus to cry.

Also, a little immigrant-problem factoid for Congressman Goode - most Mexicans are Catholic, not Muslim. Oh, but to you, the facts don't matter.

What's that? Huh? Montgomery has a budget, you say?

Apparently we do.

The Montgomery City Council finally passed a budget for 2007, even though the fiscal year already began months ago. It passed with a 5-4 vote (haven't we seen a lot of those lately?).

Now we're just waiting on the lawsuits....not that Janet May pays attention to legal opinions.

(Ps - instead of always having a "more info" section at the bottom, I've started putting links in the story....sometimes.)

"So this is the new year....."

Figured I would use a line from Death Cab For Cutie's song "The New Year" to title this first post of 2007....why not, right?

Anyway, be sure to check out the Capital City Free Press for "Off the record with Joseph O. Patton (and Josh Carples): Resolutions for Everyone." We decided to collaborate on new years resolutions - not for ourselves - but for people like the President, Hillary, Bill O, the University of Alabama, Democrats, the Alabama Legislature, Governor Bob Riley, Mayor Bobby Bright and the City of Montgomery.

Also, my new article - "A new year, a new direction...maybe" is up. In it, I ponder the question, "So was Bush really on a "listening tour," or was he merely "doctor shopping?"

And we ended 2006 saying goodbye to President Gerald Ford, Godfather of Soul James Brown, and Dictator/Murderer/Tyrant Saddam Hussein....and in 2007, two funeral ceremonies and one hanging can be viewed online.