News Roundup for 12/10/10

Today's hero

-Headline of the Day-
"Bernie Sanders Filibuster: Senator Stalls Tax Cut Deal."

Hey, he's not screwing around here. We're talking about a real filibuster. Not that pansy Republican filibuster, where they just ask for 60 votes, then go sip martinis with lobbyists. No, a real, live filibuster, where some guy starts talking and simply will not stop. I've had a C-Span tab running in the background all day and I've been listening to this like it's the radio. The Socialist -- that's right, an honest-to-goodness Socialist -- has been talking for somewhere around five hours as of this writing (3:00 CST) and he's not just reading out of the phonebook, he's making rational arguments. It is awesome!

The Vermont Senator's been playing a procedural tag team with Sens. Sherrod Brown and Mary Landrieu, but it's been like 98% Bernie. When he needs a break, he gives them the floor and, when he's ready to go again, they give it back.

"How can I get by on one house?" Nick Wing reports Sanders asking. "I need five houses, ten houses! I need three jet planes to take me all over the world! Sorry, American people. We've got the money, we've got the power, we've got the lobbyists here and on Wall Street. Tough luck. That's the world, get used to it. Rich get richer. Middle class shrinks."

This is principle. This is courage. This is commitment. This is just entirely too great. Twitter's abuzz and Google Buzz is atwitter.

Make Republicans do it this way and that "the Senate needs 60 votes to get something done" meme will die overnight. Those guys are too lazy to do this. (Huffington Post, with video)


-State Dept. declares Fox News "not journalism"-
Everyone's trying to figure out some way to argue that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange isn't a journalist. See, if they do that, then they can charge him with espionage... except they probably can't, because he's basically just repeating stuff people have told him, really. But never mind that, Julian Assange is not a journalist and is, therefore, a spy! There are really only two possibilities.

So the State Department has come up with an interesting argument. "Mr. Assange obviously has a particular political objective behind his activities, and I think that, among other things, disqualifies him as being considered a journalist," says State Dept. Assistant Secretary Philip Rowley.

You've got to wonder if Phil's ever seen Fox News. Just sayin'. If Fox isn't journalism, then obviously they're a bunch of spies. Remember, there are only two possibilities. (Raw Story)


-Bonus HotD-
"DeMint Wants Tax Deal To Reduce The Deficit And Permanently Extend The Bush Tax Cuts."

The Republican War on Math continues. (Think Progress)