John Cleese — The Night Before Christmas. Ho, ho, ho, NORAD is tracking Santa.

Hello, fellow FDLers. For my virgin diary, I would just like to share something that got my attention this morning when I turned on my trusty community radio radio station for my daily fix of Amy Goodman: From DemocracyNow! Dec. 24, 2009 SEN. HARRY REID: What we will do is ensure consumers have more choices [...]

As we enter a new decade (let the geeks fight about when it really starts), a none-too-fond farewell to the Bush Era.

The 5% “Botax” on medical cosmetic procedures like lip-plumping injectibles was deflated on the Senate floor, replaced with a 10% fake bake shakedown that had GOP Senators turning all shades of red.

Merry Xmas to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who got their credit limits upped considerably once the stock markets closed for the holiday. Also, their executives, whose strict “pay for performance” packages must make some GS-13 elves green with envy this Xmas Eve.

America’s stocking got a little leaner today, as our indebtedness increased astronomically. But since it’s being sold elsewhere as a boon for “poor people” and not a banker bailout, that’s fine.

One of the crowning ironies of the swarms of reflexive Obamapologists attacking FDL for working with conservatives like Grover Norquist concerning the details of Rahm Emanuel’s Freddie Mac stewardship as reported by the Chicago Tribune is that they didn’t raise so much as a peep of protest when the ACLU, CAF and PFAW worked with the guy.

So, you get to choose. You can give this a pass, bend logic like a pretzel, scream like a banshee and defend Rahm Emanuel, or you can say “enough” — this is just wrong.

Join us at the Seminal

In the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Reinhardt found the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) clearly unconstitutional and, because it discriminates against protected classes. Judge Kozinski entered another Order this week further blistering the Obama Administration and all but instructing Karen Golinski to sue the federal government for benefits denied her family.

It seems scandalous that these cases were necessary, since the Obama Administration ran hard on relief to the GLBT community and protection and equal protection of their rights; why are they hiding behind the DOMA they once scorned?

I think what we’re seeing is a breakdown of the progressive online community into those who are willing to overlook extreme financial malfeasance if “our guys” are the ones doing it, and those who don’t want to be part of “our guys” if that’s the price. Count me in with the latter group, because the hypocrisy of the former is what led to the Bush dead-enders and their irrational embrace of George Bush beyond limit. A small cabal who can only interpret things through personalities is going to lose the rest of the country pretty quickly, because most people actually believe that these continuous bailouts are part of the “enormous problems” we are struggling with.

Obama is saying that the government is delivering on “the promise of real, meaningful reform.” Yes, according to Obama, the country is near the end of the health care reform battle. BarbinMD at Daily Kos takes issue with this characterization: “This bill won’t be the end all, it will be the first step. Let’s not let them forget that.” I’m not sure what BarbinMD thinks this bill is a first step toward, but she’s right to say it isn’t the end.