News Roundup for 4/21/09

History's greatest monster

-Headline of the day-
"Why the GOP is devouring one book."

Let's make this one a quiz. Is it:


A. Because that's about all they can handle in any given year.

B. Because this one takes a real long time to burn.

C. Because it's revisionist horseshit.


If you guessed "C," you're right -- although, to tell the truth, I would've accepted "A."

Turns out that Republicans are taking to Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man like ants to a glob of gum on the sidewalk. Why? Because it argues that FDR's New Deal might have been the worst thing ever.

According to the report, the book "looks at the Great Depression with particular sympathy upon the plight of those who were burdened with supporting the 'weak members of society' during the New Deal and endeavors to give a voice to those 'forgotten men.'" When you paint people unemployed by depression as "weak members of society," you know you're heading straight for any GOPer's heart -- for people who don't believe in evolution, they're big fans of social Darwinism.

You can tell the worth of the book by who are giving it rave reviews. For instance, Iowa Rep. Steve King said, "I think it's conclusive when you read the book... that the New Deal was actually a bad deal, and today we have a president who believes that the New Deal was a good deal, and would have been a far better deal if FDR would have spent a lot more money." For the record, Steve King is certifiably insane.

Said Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), "[I]t had good pictures when you get to the middle."

No really, he did. (Politico)


-A Republican fad comes back-
Kansas Rep. Rep. Todd Tiahrt has become the latest GOP member to apologize to Rush Limbaugh. After telling the Kansas City Star that Limbaugh was "just an entertainer" and not really the leader of the Republican party, Tiahrt had to apologize to the leader of the Republican party.

"The congressman believes Rush is a great leader of the conservative movement in America -- not a party leader responsible for election losses," says Tiarht spokesperson Sam Sackett. "Nothing the congressman said diminished the role Rush has played and continues to play in the conservative movement."

Tiarht joins Georgia's Phil Gingrey, South Carolina's Mark Sanford, New York congressional candidate Jim Tedisco, and the guy pretending to lead the party -- RNC Chairman Michael Steele -- in apologizing to Rush Limbaugh.

Kids these days and their crazy fads... I can't say I approve, though. Kissing Rush's ass is like using drugs -- you're messing around with crack. (Washington Monthly)


-Bonus HotD-
"Bush Memos Suggest Abuse Isn’t Torture If a Doctor Is There."

Meet Dr. Payne, Ph.D. Torturology. (ProPublica)