That’s right: Today’s the day we honor the anniversary of what is almost certainly the most important event in our nation’s history — the birth of Geraldo Rivera!
Yes, millions of pounds of fireworks will be shot off in neo-orgasmic celeration of the nativity of the guy who best embodies American journalism as it is practiced today. The myriad frankfurters cooking on America’s grills will enable budding newsies to practice their Republican interview techniques, and the accompanying beans will, a few hours after consumption, effectively simulate the atmosphere created by elite journalists like Geraldo.
The King of Schlock has had his ups and downs over the years, but he’s always managed to keep raking in a fat paycheck – at least until his latest FOX show got cut for crappy ratings. Still, he was capable of good work on occasion; his Rivera Live on MSNBC helped keep me sane from 1997 through 2001, even though it seemed to this viewer at home that any remotely female guest could send him into a mental tailspin; it’s even been rumored that whenever he had Ann Coulter on and his line of questioning was getting too uncomfy for her, all Ann had to do to distract him was pull a Sharon Stone and flash him a glimpse of whatever resided beneath her leather skirt, thus flattering his elderly libido and hitting the ‘reset’ button on his brain at the same time.
Happy Rivera Day, everyone! Enjoy your franks (and cocktail weenies) and beans, Beltway journos!
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But, underpants?
It’s also Ron Kovic’s birthday.
Ha, ha! But really, that’s a mental image I could have done without. :)
Have a safe and happy 4th, everyone.
Hmmmmmm, how’s Geraldo epic quest for Al Capone’s safe going? Just wondering.
Maybe that safe is where Cheney keeps his heart.
Is everyone enjoying Rivera Day today?
motherlowman @ 1
Underpants, like taxes, are for the little people.
I was watching a video over at TPM of the spinmaster at WH talking about how the WH wanted to “get to the bottom” of the Plame outing. What I noticed was that they said often, “If a crime was committed. . .” and “If classified material was leaked. . .”
Perhaps this was their shell game all along. Bush insta-declassified, so no “classified” was leaked, ergo, no crime was committed.
Phoenix Woman @ 7
I’m quite sure she wears no underpants – would ruin the lines of lovely cocktail dress that she has been wearing for the last 3 or 4 years.
raven @ 2
Thanks, Raven. And Semper fi, Ron, whereever you are!
interesting version of Born in the USA for your enjoyment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..mp;search=
greenwarrior @ 11
Thanks, Greenie. Man, 12-string AND slide. Amazing.
Twain @ 9
But, but, she’s more of a man than any liberal! She said so herself.
It is very sad that his career went in this direction. I remember his fantastic expose of the NY State mental health system at the beginning of his career. I thought he would be a great journalist. I wonder what happened?
I am not the biggest fan but he totally chalked up some serious points with his aggressive “you are so full of shit” tyraid on oreilly. Loved every minute of it and Geraldo was totally right.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RFZB7dKJk5c
Phoenix Woman @ 7
Public service announcement: please, if possible, contribute to FDL so that it won’t be in arrears as it tries to get to the bottom of one political imbroglio after another. :)
Geraldo is gay!?
Snort! Too funny. So true that journalism has become more Geraldo-like in the past few years. Actually, at least Geraldo did some reporting – he never struck me as a stenographer, like so many in the DC circuit these days.
I must take offense at the Ann Coulter info. Dear lord, I was just about to make lunch for myself. I think you’ve ruined my appetite. Huh – maybe you’re onto something… a new diet craze (imagine Coulter flashing her crotch at Geraldo… that’ll be sure to be a more effective appetite suppresant than anything on the market!)
Cheers, all. Off to do some work, then party.
I guess she has a real p*ssy and needs to let us all know it.
a very cool story and woman from iowa :
http://www.desmoinesregister.c…..amp;lead=1
Geraldo’s nose never has looked quite right since that skinhead whacked him in the face with a chair.
I love the fight Jerry Rivers had with Bill-o.
landofthefree @ 18
Are you trying to put me off my quiche, too?
Mary McCurnin @ 22
Sorry P Luv, Did’t see your comment with utube-ie-ness.
Well. I just came in from shaking out the ark. Even it was under water. It’s July 4th in Central Texas and it’s W_E_T. And getter wetter.
Youthinkleft celebrates the Declaration of Independence. More important they demonstrate the grievances then, are almost the same as now: rule by tyranny.
I posted this morning about the article by the neo-con Gerson. Gerson celebrates lies. I did not realize that Gerson is part of the Libby Coverup as well.
Today Gerson cites Martin Luther King, “You may take my life,” [Martin Luther] King said, “but you can’t take my right to life. You may take liberty from me, but you can’t take my right to liberty.”
But Gerson is a racist who worked in a maladministration of racists. The have worked against every part of the legacy of Martin Luther King, including “vote caging”.
Gerson also says “In America we respect, defend and obey the Constitution — but we change it when it is inconsistent with our ideals. Those ideals are defined by the Declaration of Independence.”
It is obscene for Gerson to repeat the words of Martin Luther King. He has not earned that privilege. It is even more obscene for Gerson to pretend to defend our Constitution. Gerson himself has done as much as anyone to destroy our rule of law.
Gerson was part of the White House Iraq Group. Gerson spread the lies about Nuclear weapons in Iraq to Judy Miller. TPMmuckraker and Justin Rood even show that Gerson was part of the Libby/Yellowcake conspiracy.
————————–
“He was, in fact, the only speechwriter in the White House Iraq Group (WHIG), created to sell the idea of invading Iraq to the U.S. public. He was responsible for nearly every misleading statement that came out of the administration — at least the ones that sounded good.”
“Perhaps the most alarming episode from Gerson’s history is the infamous “sixteen words” in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address, which alleged Iraq had sought to buy uranium from Niger. Gerson signed off on the speech even after the CIA had warned him that the allegation was false; when the truth came out he neglected to produce evidence showing he had been cautioned; and he stood by while others took the fall.’
Can someone please get word to Geraldo that the mustache has to go!
Happy Bill Moore’s Birthday too. He’s not famous and he died way too young. However, he was my friend and he didn’t help create Ann Coulter.
pwrlght @ 27
It is a rather unappetizing specimen of facial hair.
linda @ 20
Oh wow. She is groovy. And that’s exactly what every single one of us should do every day.
Imagine 60 to 70 percent of this country stepping out to the curb to hold a sign protesting the war for just one day.
And then every day, until it ends.
Awesome.
TRex @ 21
The first and only time I’ve seen a skinhead in the performance of a public service. There must be other examples, but…
Fern @ 29
Maybe we should offer a bounty for it.
Yeah, and a bounty for John Bolton’s equally disgusting cowcatcher.
Nickie is 25 today. Happy Nichole Birthday. Hopefully it is dryer in North Texas than it is here. (Thanks for shaking out the ark, Greenwarrior.)
uurrghhh! how could you show Rivera’s ugly mug on a national holiday especially after dealing with the misery of the Libby ruling? have you no shame?
This post led me to my own list of July 4th birthdays:
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Rube Goldberg
Mitch Miller
Neil Simon
Michael Milken
Koko
OT but this is so batshit crazy I had to share. From The National Review Online.
As you read imagine that it appeared in a respectable Egyptian journal and the topic was Americans:
“Because They Like It, That’s Why [Michael Ledeen]
From an email, clear thinking for what lies ahead:
The real question remains “Why at all?” and the status of these would-be murderers as privileged post-graduates debunks the usual Lefty nostrums about terrorism arising inexorably from the poverty, oppression and “disenfranchisement” of the globe’s Darwinian short-bus. The answer lies more plainly in a memorable line of a memorable character. In 1971’s “Dirty Harry” the city of San Francisco is being terrorized by the rampant Scorpio serial killer. Clint Eastwood is in classic formulaic dialogue with the big shots down at City Hall who just don’t understand what they’re dealing with. Eastwood says “You’re crazy if you think you’ve heard the last of this guy. He’s gonna kill again” and the archetypal skeptical D.A. character responds “How do you know?” (A little imagination here to invoke the Eastwood signature voice enhances the flavor of the closing fastball). “Because he likes it” answers Dirty Harry.
It doesn’t matter a whit if these manqué human bonfires are doctors, shepherds, bureaucrats or street vendors – this is what they do, and they do it because they like it. They are fanatics, subsumed in a crippling theology that fosters self-hatred and murder. Their economic conditions are irrelevant. The Left doesn’t get this of course because Marxist materialism denies belief systems altogether, so they therefore must assume that all human behavior is derived from economic determinism. Tell that to Dr. Kill-dare.
These monsters wish to inflict as much pain and death on as many innocents as they can because… because they’re evil and they’re crazy.
[Mod: edited to remove sentence about advocacy of mass killing which could be taken out of context]
Koko! My oldest daughter and her first boyfriend used to make fun of my youngest daughter and called her Koko. Children are nasty sometimes.
Ah, the lord works in mysterious ways. How could Geraldo’s birth be celebrated the same day as the Freedom of Scooter Libby?
Koko is one of my all time favorite people (or better than people?)
TRex @ 21
Thank you, TRex, for the spew!
OMFG, I had forgotten about that *cough* fine piece of “quality” TV.
Koko for President!
Howdy again. I am back. Boston Legal DVD on the TV and a relaxed afternoon ahead.
I don’t even know where to start with the National Review article. Sort of makes me want to barf. So many wicked assumptions and distortions.
“The Left doesn’t get this of course because Marxist materialism denies belief systems altogether, so they therefore must assume that all human behavior is derived from economic determinism.”-Talk about generalizations. What is wrong with these god fearing, lovers of Jeebus anyway?
Marxist materialism??? Ain’t that sort of a contradiction?
Phoenix Woman @ 12
If you like 12 string and slide (on the same instrument) look up some old Dave “Snaker” Ray of the once well known (amongst guitarists anyway) Minnesota Blues Mafia with “Spider” John Koerner and Tony “Little Sun” Glover and Geoff Muldaur – The Blues Project, – before the band of the same name……..on Elektra, if I remember correctly.
I wish I could have a nice talk right now with Koko.
Exile!!!! thanks for the Blues Project mention and Koerner and Muldaur esp … good memories!
I still miss the Elektra sampler from … I think it was 68? with so many great blues folks!
Happy 4th
I’ve gotten way behind on my threads here, trying to get my house sold. (If it sells, I’ll have money to donate to FDL!)
So please excuse this off topic question. Has the conviction of Victor Rita been a discussion at FDL yet? Here’s a great link:
Same crime, same sentence, but he’s in jail.
For all Koko fans, I have a special message from markfromireland – who is in Iraq at the moment but sends the following link to all:
mfi’s Koko Treat
TJ @ 47
Saw that last night on Huff Po. Great comparison.
Woops, it’s the headline. Needless to say, the link I discovered it at wasn’t as obvious.
Mary McCurnin @ 42
Put this statement next to oxymoron in the dictionary and you have a clear definition.
Mary McCurnin @ 5
Maybe that safe is where Cheney keeps his heart.
Kinda begs the question – what is the proper vessel for storage of a non-existent item?
Louis Armstrong was born on 7/4…his is a birthday to celebrate!!
Happy Bush Freedom Day!!
He is going down…
RockPaperScizzors @ 4
They found it a couple of years ago. It was holding the alien astronauts, Saddam’s WMDs, several shelves of carefully preserved cow testicles, and the plans for the WTC demolition.
Where was it? In Bermuda, of course!
TJ @ 46
I read that at rawstory – I like the part where Bush Administration filed a friend of the court brief advocating that 33 months for perjury and obstruction of justice was a fitting punishment.
hmmm
Victor Rita maybe you should have given more money to Bush’s campaign verses just serving 25 years in the military.
Or maybe both Libby and Rita should go to jail. You know because they broke the law.
Mary McCurnin @ 44
Mary – check the link in #47 … you will enjoy!
Libby gets a pass – to keep quiet
Now we know what President Bush really meant when he said in 2003, as an investigation into the disclosure of a CIA operative began, that if anyone in his administration “has violated (the) law, the person will be taken care of.”
jayt @ 51
Kinda begs the question – what is the proper vessel for storage of a non-existent item?
A Schroedinger’s box? You’ll never know if it exists or not until you open it.
Phoenix Woman @ 10
Last time I saw him was in a book store in Hermosa Beach, CA. This was a couple of years back and he seemed to be doing ok.
QuakerGirl @ 51
That part isn’t that bad “Marxist Materialism” is an established philosophical concept. Marx believed that the material rather that the spiritual determines history. Thus pay attention to means of production, capital etc. His argument that “liberals” are such blinded followers of strict Marxist Materialism that they can’t possibly understand humans of other cultures is a bit much however.
for more
http://www.marxist.com/History…..ialism.htm
Robert Earl Keen, Hey Baby It’s the 4th of July
The GOP always accuses Democrats of being racist or anti-Catholic when we oppose their crazy right-wing judicial nominees for being, well, crazy and right-wing. We need to call Bush racist for overruling the sentence of a conservative African-American judge, specifically using the word “excessive” against the Preznit as coded racist terminology.
I don’t like using their tactics, and Bush being a racist is nothing new, but there’s an opening here. Why would he use the word excessive to describe the sentence handed down by Judge Reggie Walton? Is he saying that Judge Walton is incompetent to evaluate the crimes Scooter committed because he’s black? I think so.
Bush has overruled the sentencing decision of a conservative African American judge — just another example of Bush’s contempt for black Americans.
Happy 4th pups.
linda @ 20
Thank you for linking to that story! I love how the woman has no fear and keeps at it every day. She reads lots of books from the library and watches cable tv; doesn’t have internet. Yet she seems to know lots more than the average person. (She refers to the Plame betrayal as treason). She is wonderful! 78 years young, grandchildren/great-grandchildren.Church every Sunday. But– she and her husband start every morning by swearing at Bush!
Says she will be out there today with her sign unless it rains. More like her please. Godspeed.
Happy birthday to George “the Boss” Steinbrenner.
As for Mitch Miller, the similarities between our names, and my total lack of talent for singing made him the bane of my youthful life due to “Sing along with Mitch” teasing. But the man did invent Karioke.
Someone wrote in a comment over at Kos that they heard that Waxman may want to use Fitz as a “special investigator or prosecutor” now that he’s free. Anyone hear something like that???
Oh my. Oh MY!
Ten minutes ago I sat crying—literally crying, viewing Keith Olberman’s commentary from yesterday.
And then I come along here, and had to bust out laughing.
Bad lady, bad.
But thanks for it.
Just mosey on, folks, just an ageing ex-Amí sitting in Europe and wondering how everything he got taught got RAPED and TWISTED, and turned into pure senseless GREED, and became meaningless, and most folks just sat by and let it happen.
Sleep well nowadays? I sure don’t, because the ‘fun’ thing is, it affects everyone world-wide. And then you all wonder why we get grouchy.
Tja..
And that is not so funny.
LS @ 66
No, but I do like the idea!
Mary and others – Materialism in the philosophy world is the world of matter as opposed to idealism, or the world of the mind. Materialism is about reality, which is the world where us “lefties” here at the Lake live, unlike the Ledeens of the world who live in a lala land of their own making. Marxist materialism is one of the ways of describing the world. Back in my grad school days I was a material feminist.
TeddySanFran @ 62
Do you think that Judge Walton still considers himself a REP? I would like to think that a lot of people who once considered themselves REP have left this deranged, corrupt, criminal organization.
For as much as Victoria Toesuck likes to go on about how she worked with Barry Goldwater – if Goldwater were alive today – would he still be a REP?
LS @ 66
Wouldn’t Fitzgerald have to leave his job as US Attorney in IL to work as a special investigator for Congress?
If Goldwater were alive today he would be seen as a dirty hippie by the insane right wing of his former party.
pwrlght @ 71
Fitzgerald, like other employees of the DoJ cannot ‘volunteer’ to come on over and testify to Congress, but he would respond to a subpoena.
Hint, hint, yoo hoo Congress?? Anybody out there who can get this to the right people on Judiciary?
OT
California activists open “impeachment center”
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0704.html
Gnome de Plume @ 69
I need to return to school. Or get a really good reading list together. My brain is in a constant state of expansion here at FDL. I am a pup ever learning. :):>:}:P
wrb @ 59
Very interesting. Thank you for the link. I take it Marxist Materialism and Historical Materialism are one and the same? When I read Marx I understood that materialism was a driving force necessary for survival. In Capitalism, materialism seems to be in excess, beyond necessity.
When Adam Smith describes sitting a rich man at a table there is only so much food he can consume and if he sits a poor man at the same table he consumes approximately the same amount. Marxist materialism needs to be defined. Same word but different concept, or degree. Your thoughts….
You had me at “Geraldo”…
…but then you lost me with the Ann Coulter does Sharon Stone thing.
Yeuicht!
Oh, good heavens! Is he still around? He’s been on the air for, what?, maybe forty years and has yet to say anything intelligent. Ack.
jayt @ 52
Kinda begs the question – what is the proper vessel for storage of a non-existent item?
Ah but the Koschei the Deathless folk tale would explain why he just doesn’t pop off on his own. Since he keeps his (completely unused) heart in a box and hidden.
Constant Reader @ 78
He slapped Billo around pretty good recently.
Tug @ 77
Maybe it should be Ann Coulter does Britney Spears thing. Some how when Sharon Stone does it that makes me want to do it. Sort of. Or at least make a movie pretending to do it.
Mary McCurnin @ 74
Does that mean an idealist is not a materialist? Can the person draw from both without being schizophrenic?
Rayne @ 32
Now, c’mon, let’s not have any ’stache discrimination. ;})
O/T
Need a good argument in favor of universal health care?
Here’s one:
(h/t to Thom. Jefferson)
Call me crazy but to me the right to life includes the right to health. Governments are instituted to secure this right. That means keeping the environment healthy. It means keeping our food supply safe. It means regulating the drug industry and the medical community. And yes, it means universal, single source, not-for-profit health insurance. And since you just called me crazy, let me just add that it means parity for mental health protection.
“… and tell ’em Big Mitch sent ya!”
QuakerGirl @ 82
A multidimensional thinker can draw from many competing sources and use the ideas in a way that is life affirming, strong and peaceful.
QuakerGirl @ 76
Yes, one and the same. Marx wrote about Historical Materialism, calling it Marxist Materialism just locates authorship.
My thoughts would be, I suppose that “Materialism” as informally used is close to greed– the unalloyed desire for material things. Formal historical materialism is a bit more neutral-: the material is fundamental, with food and some degree of culture you can’t develop spiritually.
Personally, I’m quite comfortable accepting Marx’s arguments as to the importance of the material while also finding most satisfaction in the the spiratual, music art etc.
The writer’s idea seems to be that modern liberals are such materalist fundamentalists (we think starving or having those whith whom they identify blown up might make people grouchy, and so perhap improvements should be considered) that we can’t see anything beyond the bean count. He needs to put down his tracts and get outside more.
Lookie.
Its me on the itsourhealthcare.org tour last week. Who is that rather robust guy in the background? And who is that little old lady at the podium? Oh. me.
QuakerGirl @ 82
Absolutely
New Christy up above
At least when Sharon Stone does the Sharon Stone thing, one has a good idea what they will see. Mann Coulter doing the Sharon Stone thing, who knows?
Honestly,
During the Clinton years Geraldo was my Olbermann. Then something happened and we lost him. I mean he got “different”.
I remember toward the end that he discussed occasionally something about “addictions”. My thoughts and prayers are with him for what he brought me during those difficult years. I have assumed that perhaps something got the better of him for awhile. I still remember toensing on his show, Coulter, but back then he used to make mincemeat of their arguements.
Haven’t thought of him in years.
I was watching KKK at the Clinton School of Public Service at the U of Arkansas today, and I am convinced he is enfatuated with Hillary Clinton.
On that note, it is my firm belief that the Boomer generation, with exceptions obviously, are made up of two groups of people (excluding the ladies, and I don’t intend to demean their role, but dealing only with the guys fits in to the analogy): The Billy Clintons, John Kerrys, Ted Kennedys, Al Gores and others who were cool, handsome, smoked some grass, partied, got laid AN AWFUL LOT, and pretty much got their say from the 60’s, fought and won many battles during the 80’s and owned the 90s. I’ll call them the Cool Guys.
The other group of guys, The Nerds, are made up of KKK, Tom Delay, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich and others who were losers, not so bright, did not do drugs, did NOT SCORE WITH THE LADIES, have terrible sex, or in Rush’s case, only with 14 year old Dom. Rep. girls, and got their asses handed to them by the Cool Guys in DC and in the culture wars. They bided their time, fought dirty, lied, cheated and stole, found someone who was on the fringe of the Cool Guys, propped him up, stole a couple of elections and now have run this country’s principals into the ground. They aren’t “Republicans”, because most who consider themselves republicans are tired of these guys–Hell, H.W. fired Rove, for cryin’ out loud.
It is the Revenge of the Nerds. I applaud the Cool Guys–I think they have done a helluva job, but for every hero there must be a villain. It is time to rid the political stage of both sides and start over. Give them their gold watches and bid adieu. It is time to get rid of them, and their arch enemies, the Cool Guys, out of DC and move in some fresh blood.
Edwards or Obama for President–Evan Biah for Vice President.
RenB @ 67
Glad I could help, Ren.
Katie Jensen @ 91
I’m with you on all you wrote above. I’d watch his show, then talk to my pals who didn’t have cable — telling them what was discussed, and they’d be surprised by the info they weren’t getting on the networkd news.
I won’t even trash him for his Al Capone show. I still enjoyed it, even though it came up empty. It was fun, and we *did* find out what was in there.
9/11 touched Geraldo very personally and made him militant and supportive of Bush’s war lust, but seeing him on O’Reilly’s show made me think he may be coming back to his senses. Somewhat.
In other music news, it’s also the birthday of John Waite (”I Ain’t Missin’ You” was his most memorable hit, and it was recently re-recorded as a duet with JW and Alison Kraus). Always liked the tune; I plan to sing it very loudly as BushCo leaves office.
theExile @ 90
Perhaps there will be a superimposed angry face there…like in Terry Gilliam’s old cutout animations for Python. Smut, smut, smut! I’ve had enough of this. Get ‘er off the telly.