Associated Press
Rockefeller Center in New York
It's likely to be a pretty slow news day, so readers should expect a very light posting schedule today and tomorrow. That said, there will be some fresh content later this morning, and I'll be around in case there's breaking news of interest.
Whether you're celebrating the holidays or just enjoying some time off, have a great one.
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The Speaker’s Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the House
No Republican was stirring, not even to grouse.
The tea bags were hung, by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Fox News, would give them more Air.
And Boehner was nestled, all snug in his bed,
As visions of GOPACs, danced in his head.
When up on the roof top, there rose such a clatter
The middle-class asked, “What the heck is the matter?”
“My taxes go up, your performance goes down,
Did you run for the Congress, or only to clown?”
“Tax breaks for wealthy, and guns for the nuts
Now you’ve left all the Middle, in one of your ruts.”
To all this he listened, then turned as he spoke,
“I’ll say no words, N.R.A. to provoke.
Their votes are more precious..more precious than gold,
This all will blow over, when the bodies are cold.
On Cantor, O’Connell, on Donner and Blitzen!
60 votes in the Senate, we sure now ain’t fix’en.
Put guns in the churches, and guns in the schools
That’ll sure keep those brats, awake on their stools.
Teachers with guns and a 30 round clip
Half the power of God, right there on the hip.”
“Be off now!”, he said,“From my rest you are keeping
I’ll leave it for others, to do all the weeping.”
Up on the roof top, Santa said not a word
He left him no presents, just flipped him the bird.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
That was so beautiful. I am weeping tears of beauty.
That was absolutely hysterical. And, true. Great post. Please send that to all the Republicans in the House and Senate.
:) Happy Holidays to all...
"From off the roof top, there flew a scared duck"
It calls for song: WE SAW THREE SHIPS ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING
If you're taking advantage of the holiday and looking for something heartwarming to do, go visit a store that has lay-away and pay the balance for someone. Pay cash, see if there are toys or clothes, if you have an extra $20 give it to the person that helps you. It's a good thing to do.
Merry Christmas Shooter
Very nice idea but aren't you kinda assuming all liberals have spare funds for philanthropy? This one, alas, does not; this year, for the first time in my 62 years, I am giving ZERO Christmas presents, seriously, ZERO! Plus today is my only child's 40th birthday and all he's getting from me is a heartfelt hug and a card. Poverty sucks.
But honestly I do hope people follow your suggestion. Happy Festivus, rich people!
Merry Christmas Shooter! You can also go to your local grocery store and buy a bag of food for the poor.
Great idea Annie Oakley... I will get dressed and head over to The Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood right away. Plenty of toys on layaway there...
Not that I don't like the sentiment but isn't that well.. Socialism? Shooter, were you recently visited by 3 spirits?
Snaps to Lebowsky for something I'd say.
As the ghost of Christmas future shows the Koch brothers, and the last seven Republicans still waiting to migrate to the Cayman Islands, 99% of America had the best Christmas ever. While we wait, I wish all of you a very merry Christmas.
My favorite holiday of the season has already passed. It's the Winter Solstice, and I treasure it for the utterly non-mystical reason that it marks when the days stop getting shorter.
Axial tilt: the reason for the season!
Yes! The Solstices seem to be the only calm, quiet, and peaceful observances left in our culture. Mother Nature provides us with quarterly benchmarks where we can touch our own kindness, revive our own spirits, and then return to our current loud and abusive culture with a little more understanding. Happy AxT to you, too!
Yet another pagan celebration hijacked by Christianity.
Then a Happy Festivus to you, Day! Let the the Airing of Greivances begin!
just-john, personally i hold out for the vernal equinox as a favorite but happy solstice to you and all.
The winter solstice celebration was not so much hijacked as it was merged together into a vast montage of elements whose repetition has been faithful for millenia. What is remarkable is how resilient each little element has been despite radically different theologies, governments and cultures. The bows of holly from Roman times are still there, the rebith of a holy son Horus whose godly father-in-the-sky Osiris- they are is still there. Saturnalia's figure of Saturn, depicted with a scythe nowadays appears as Father time with the same symbols of scythe and timepiece in New years illustrations. During the "blank slate" beginning time of death and rebirth of the Solstice, in Roman tradition all class differences were suspended and slaves and lords were expected to treat each other equally. This principle was also found in the Northern Wassail traditions where rowdy brigands of lower classes would appear at homes singing and demanding food and presents with a generosity that only those of higher classes could normally expect. So this relaxation of class boundaries is not a recent Dickensian proto socialist idea but is a direct echo of Saturnalia. The rampant sexual and alcoholic excess of the Christmas office party would be exceptionally familiar not just to the Roman, but the participants in raucous Egyptian bacchanal celebrations on the solstice commemorating the impregnation of fertile Isis, with the expectation of bountiful new harvests to come. In the Roman period, the cult of Isis morphed into the virtual deification of Mary and is today seen in Marianism- the mother-of-god thing a lot of Catholics go in for. That statue of Mary you see at the Christmas Mass? There she is- Isis still gazing at us.
So all of it- the commercialization, the booze, the sex, the holy child, the ghostly reaper- the godly mother- the whole crazy mix of it has been retained, extending back not just to Roman, but Egyptian antiquity.
North Korea is joining in the grand old Western tradition of complaining about its neighbor's Christmas decorations.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/south-korea-border-christmas-tower_n_2358523.html
Well to be fair have the 100' tall inflatable nativity scene was a bit over the top...
did jean shepherds Christmas story glorify guns
the problem with BB Guns is the same problem that people have with real guns, responsibility
http://blogs.mcall.com/parents/2010/07/are-bb-guns-safe-for-kids.html
And bullying. Ironic, how they are so closely linked these days.
Who took the picture? That's beautiful!
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/create-28th-amendment-gun-ownership-privilege/tRJtD6L7?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
Please sign this petition to the White House and share
Clarify Firearm Access - it is no longer a right, but a privilege.
'Tis the season for Republican hypocrisy-
Professed Mormon and Utah Senator Mike Crapo arrested for drunk driving in Virginia.
opps, not Utah - Idaho - lots of Mormons in Idaho as well....
To all my fellow Maddow Blog followers
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May you be surrounded by all the things
that bring Christmas cheer."
Right back at you... Have a great Holiday season...
I don't know if this is the right place to leave this, but here it goes. I became a die hard fan of your show during the last election cycle. I'm a 55 year old white Police officer with almost 30 years driving a patrol car. My views on guns reflect those of Fareed Zakaria. http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-19/opinions/35929057_1_gun-violence-gun-ownership-tough-gun-laws
I hope you saw his show on Sunday, because his "My Take" segment made me jump out of my seat and cheer!. Best wishes to you and your family!
What is the holiday schedule for The Rachel Maddow Show for this week?
Do you know now if there will be nay days without new shows?
I hope everyone had a wonderful festivus.
I recently watched the movie, Coneheads and was dumbfounded when I noticed that Beldar Conehead's gait is precisely the same as Mitt Romney. The only difference between the pair is that one is a parody and the other is an alien pretending to be human...
Wait, one is from Remulak the other...
Merry Christmas to all Rachel fans and cliff dwellers
There is beer... I doubt the Mittster treats six packs that way...
FINALLY - someone figured out Mitt's gait. Thank you! It's been driving me mad for months now. Not that I have to care anymore - thankfully!!!
Someone on this blog (was it Messerley?) once described Mitt Romney's walk as "princess steps." What an apt description! I couldn't help but notice it and chuckle every time I saw him going somewhere after that. Thanks for the image.
And Merry Christmas or however you celebrate this season to everyone who hangs out here. Cheers!
Why is it the Conehead movie is so expensive at Amazon?
Looks like TRMS would have had a good view of Tuba Christmas on the ice rink.
Here's how that event looks in Montmartre, where it's called Tubas de Noël:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151304557409581&set=oa.393714480712287&type=1&relevant_count=3&ref=nf
I really like you my blog friends even the ones not on my friends list. Anyway, happy holidays, happy solstice, Merry Christmas to you all.
And to you, newsblog903!
Why is no one outraged by Christianity's usurping and attacking Saturnalia?
Because outrage does not last -- it eventually devolves into bemused disgust.
I imagine Saturnalia usurped an earlier festival as well. It is cold and dark this time of the year, so we need to exchange gifts, drink, and sing to a tree.
Funny thing is, Christmas is not even the central event of the Christian religious year, which would be Easter. (Which supplanted Passover, which supplanted something else...)
David Koch Now Taking Aim at Hurricane Sandy Victims
Lee Fang on December 22, 2012 - 2:35 AM ET
Billionaire David Koch’s prime political organization, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), having failed in its $125 million quest to oust President Barack Obama, is now aiming at a slightly less sophisticated political target: victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy was the second most costly in American history, leaving 100 lives lost, over $50 billion in devastation and tens of thousands of damaged or destroyed homes. Legislative efforts to help those who survived Hurricane Sandy’s wrath will reach a major stumbling block.
Earlier this week, AFP, which is chaired by Koch and believed to be financed by several other plutocrats from the New York City region, released a letter warning members of Congress not to vote for the proposed federal aid package for victims of the storm that swept New Jersey, New York City and much of the surrounding area in October. An announcement on the group’s website says that the vote next week for the Sandy aid package will be a “key vote”—meaning senators who support sending money for reconstruction could face an avalanche of attack ads in their next election. Already, opposition to the bill is growing, although it passed one procedural hurdle last night.
.......................................
Koch’s top deputy in New Jersey, a surly gentleman named Steve Lonegan, who heads the local AFP state chapter, called the aid package a “disgrace.” “This is not a federal government responsibility,” Lonegan told reporters. “We need to suck it up and be responsible for taking care of ourselves.”
http://www.thenation.com/blog/171906/david-koch-now-taking-aim-hurricane-sandy-victims#
During the late Roman Republic an opportunistic investor named Crassus organized his own fire department in Rome. At the time, most of Rome was comprised of close-packed wooden buildings, and a single house fire could wipe out an entire section of the city.
When a fire broke out, Crassus would send his fire crew to the blaze and have them wait. While they waited and the fire grew, Crassus and his agents would haggle with the surrounding property owners to buy their buildings at dirt cheap prices. Once Crassus owned the neighboring buildings he would have his crew put out the fire.
Crassus became the wealthiest man in Rome. He later joined with Julius Caesar and Pompey to subvert the Roman Republic.
I wonder if the Koch brothers are interested in buying up real estate along the New York and New Jersey coasts? Lack of aid to the current owners would really help them get the lowest possible price. Also, don't the Koch brothers have an interest in politics?
What's astounding is, go Google "The Cornerstone Speech", given in 1861 by Alexander Stephens, Traitor #2 in the Confederacy. His "economics" is the exact same system being advocated here by AFP.
These bastards never change.
Merry Christmas to ALL, Please No Drinking and Driving, DO Not leave Lighted Candles Unattened, Basement Fire's Suck, Be Safe, Enjoy your family.
This morning, three houses burned down in Webster, NY. Firefighters who responded to the blaze were shot at by a local gun nut, who killed two of the firefighters and wounded two others. The gun nut was later found dead of another gunshot wound (unknown whether or not it was self-inflicted). Because of the shooting, the police had to evacuate the neighborhood while all three houses burned down to their foundations.
Story here.
Shade Tail, I saw that, As a 1st responder, SCENE SAFE is Top priority Before any action is to be taken by Rescue, Fire. That is the job of the Police. Have been in situation's that started to turn ugly with Police on scene, had to stop what WE where doing to let Police handle thing's. SAD
just read the update. self-inflicted to the shooter. six houses burned. two wounded firefighters in guarded condition.
question, again, for the guns-for-all crowd - why not national, uniform laws that might have kept the gun out of the hands of a convicted murderer? he apparently served 17 years for killing his 90+ year old grandmother with a hammer.
question, again, for the god-botherers - why, just why? and, how would more guns help?
Dunno if any old Associated Press hands follow this thread, but now that I've escaped journalism for the ministry, my heart is warmed each XMas Eve and New Year's Eve with memories of toiling late at night in the newsroom and enjoying the ringing of the bells of the teletype machines in a (usually unsuccessful) attempt to play Christmas carols ... and elaborate designs of Christmas trees and other images, using Xs and Os across the page (figured out by far smarter people than me, with much too much time on their hands.) Merry Christmas!
Thanks to you Steve Benen for all your hard work laying it out for all to see, and another wonderful(?) year in politics! Have a safe and warm holiday fellow posters and remember to drink responsibly, whatever the Hell that is supposed to mean..
Yes, happy holidays to everyone. May you and your loved ones find some peace and contentment.
Obstruction continues to be the first order of business for Republicans. The fact that Boehner even attempted to negotiate a deal enraged the Tea Party.
From the Birthers, the Truthers, Trump and Sununu, the purpose of the GOP is solely to make the President of the United States look bad--nothing deeper, more profound or in any way more patriotic than that. No matter how bad things get for the middle class. No matter how painful for ordinary Americans.
They are so blinded by hate and bitterness that their rhetoric and actions make no sense. They are insuring everyone's taxes go up in order to protect the 1 percent from having their taxes go up? And how can we ever trust Boehner again? Who actually speaks with authority for this incoherent rabble of warring religious factions? They never intended to govern, even if they had the knowhow. These feeble-minded vandals have just come to burn the place down.
This holiday season Republicans rejected the President's plan, rejected their own plan, McConnell filibustered himself, the Tea Party threw another tantrum, Boehner could not count (much less acquire) votes, and then Boehner sent everyone home for the Holidays.
History will record the last four years as the most shameful time in a proud GOP history. In a time of national crisis, their only vision, their only hope, is to engineer the failure of America's first Black President and the country that saw fit to place him in office.
I completely agree. The GOP seems determined to let the country go to ruin and blame it all on everyone else. We're going off the the fiscal "edge of the mountain" (since Rachel doesn't like that other word) and it's their obstructionist tactics that are taking us there. But they'll blame the Dems.
I hope someone will challenge the place of violent games and movies in the gun control conversation. The right and news anchors on all of the channels - MSNBC included - seem to accept that it's a valid conversation point, but the issue isn't stopping violence; it's stopping lethal violence, and lethality is all about weapons.
but...but...but...that would be journalism.