With 2012 just a month away, the president is clearly feeling the pressure from his Republican challengers… no, no, not to develop a more compelling policy agenda to win the American people’s support; don’t be ridiculous.

What I mean is that with all the media attention on the mind-boggling farce known as the GOP nomination contest, President Obama must want equal time in terms of folks making fun of him, too.

I suppose timing has a lot to do with it. With the Thanksgiving holiday closing in, and recognizing that they were not in a supermarket freezer or otherwise dinner-table bound, a bunch of gobblers (in suspiciously human form) decided this week was an excellent moment to show off what turkeys they are.

News. Analysis. Passionately taking a stand. Flair and style. Where else are you going to find the combination of independent media and kick-ass activism that is FDL? No matter who the writer and no matter what the subject, FDL makes you think — and that’s why you come, and keep coming back.

FDL isn’t in anyone’s Veal Pen, and we don’t get big checks from George Soros, someone’s trust fund, corporate PR accounts, or anyone’s campaign coffers.

Instead, we have members. If you are one, thanks; if you haven’t become one already, now is the time.

Shorter White House:

“I am trading your social safety net cow for the promise of some magic beans that I will plant when I am re-elected which, by the way, David Plouffe assures me is totally gonna happen now. You can thank me later.”

Last month, Paul Krugman noted that the battle in Wisconsin is not about the state budget, but about power. Against a political reality that is dominated by Those With Big Money, Krugman calls for “institutions that can act as counterweights.”

Perhaps I could interest him — or you — in joining Firedoglake,

Timothy Geithner doesn’t like Elizabeth Warren, she is mean to him. Who, then, can we get to head up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

Have a great Fourth.

Loathe ‘em or hate ‘em, you have to admire BP’s plucky determination to find positives in any situation.

BATON ROUGE — British Petroleum, whose Deepwater Horizon crude oil extraction facility has historically done so much to liberate America from a debilitating reliance upon petroleum products provided by swarthy, untrustworthy foreigners, today announced its decision to sue Louisiana-based brown pelicans in federal court for the theft of valuable company assets. “Many people have seen [...]

At present we have an inefficient federal legislative branch with members chosen on the basis of geography and population. What is needed is a bold refashioning of government — a constitutional amendment to replace our present gridlocked mess with a far more elegant and effective system based on the proven efficiencies and priorities of The Market.