Won't need to search in Pakistan this time

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So Vice President Biden made news today by telling House Democrats today that the teabaggers have "acted like terrorists" during the debt ceiling standoff. President North Star will probably give him a scolding for saying so, but what he really should be doing is setting up a secure conference call with SEAL Team 6. Maybe a nice black-helicopter tour of the Potomac for a few properly selected chiefs of think tanks and cable news operations would be just the thing to lower the temperature in the glistening swamp on a hill. JK LULZ!!!

Meanwhile,at the bottom of the TPM piece linked above, we learn that Republican National Committee (RNC) chair "Reince Priebus" has "tweeted" that VP Biden has "more than crossed a line today when he called fiscal conservatives 'terrorists'. I demand an apology." Haha! I hope Biden gives "Priebus" an apology by way of his posterior annular ring.

By the way, I never make fun of a person's name, but I'll make an exception here. What the fuck kind of name is "Reince Priebus" supposed to be? I mean, really? And I'll add to that rhetorical question the amusing discovery made awhile back by some unnamed wag: if you remove all the vowels from his name, you're left with RNC PR BS. If that's not evidence that witty time travelers from the future have modified our current timeline, then I'm a monkey's uncle and so are you.

Recommended atmospherics for the general's exit interview

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On the slim chance that President Obama decides to take my advice on how to handle the problem with his allegedly insubordinate General Officer, then he also may consider my serving suggestion for the exit interview.

The general's seat at the conference table should be reserved with one warm bottle of Bud Lite Lime, placed on a TGI Friday's coaster. Obama should arrive at the meeting 15 minutes late with an ice-cold 40, two fresh packs of Philip Morris Commanders, and a box of kitchen matches. Joe Biden should arrive at the meeting 15 minutes early with two fifths of Wild Irish Rose (no glass) so he can keep the general company until the boss is done chillin'.

Wise sayings

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A very special moose-droppings-themed "wise saying":

Obama and Biden were more civil to Sarah Palin than her own campaign staff.

Josh Marshall makes a funny

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Like so!

Pwn3d by Obama!!!

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I stayed up past midnight waiting for my email and it never came! Now I read on TPM that Obama has announced his selection of Biden via the email I never got!!! I yam disgustipated!

I'm also not that thrilled by the selection of Bankruptcy Joe, favorite son of the Credit Card State. As VP he would be too close to the presidential side of the legislative sausage factory for my liking, what with all his fancy banker lobbyist friends. But I suppose I'll come to the acceptance stage soon as Big Otis and all the pundits convince me that Biden is the sharpest knife in the block.

Note to Barack: I don't need your email message any more, so please conserve my electrons and put them to good use in defeating your opponents... you juicebag! I WANTED TO BE PART OF HISTORYYYYYY!

PS: I'm voting for McCain now, or better yet, staying home. Take that!

PPS: The "Credit Card State" was invented by Uncle Charlie.

Fact checking, NPR style

This morning NPR had a nice 'fact checking' round-table regarding the Democratic debate in Iowa last night. Economics correspondent Adam Davidson was asked to truth-squad a statement on Iran made by Joe Biden. Biden, who was rebutting some Clinton baloney about the recent non-binding Senate resolution demonizing Iran's Revolutionary Guard, said:

The moment that declaration was made, oil prices jumped over $18 a barrel.

Davidson wasn't buying it, being the economics correspondent that he is. Davidson:

I'd say this is the single most obviously untrue statement I heard in the debate.... Never in human history have oil prices spiked that high or anything like that.

Then Davidson swiftly supported his assertion by reminding listeners of the date of Republican Guard resolution, and presenting a brief summary of oil price movements immediately after the Senate resolution, deftly sending Biden scuttling for the cover of an MBNA mobile hospitality suite. Oh, wait a minute --- he didn't do that at all. Instead, evidently based mainly on his high respect for his own opinions, Davidson declared that the "generally accepted risk premium" added on top of the market price of oil accounting for "all the political tension in all the world is about 10 or 15 percent." And so, he concluded:

...the idea that one vote having to do with Iran at one moment would cause such a dramatic increase in prices is utterly unjustified.

I'm just a simple country editor, but I feel that an NPR fact check should make reference to some facts. This should have been a simple one to put to bed, too. But here I am, cranky as ever before bedtime, and I still don't know whether or not Biden's a big fibber about Iran. And the answer is not insignificant, either, issue-wise: if rattling sabers at Iran can affect oil prices or supplies, Matt and Stacey Merlot should be aware of that before committing to buy a bomb-Iran magnetic yellow ribbon for the Land Cruiser. (They might be able to get one at the NPR Gift Shop.)

This exciting public radio journalism circle-jerk format is so awesome that it deserves its very own special name: let's call it a "fuct check." They do it all the time.