Rionn Fears Malechem's Blog

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Ridge Says Plane Bombing Suspect Doesn't 'Deserve' Criminal Trial -- But Shoe Bomber Did? (VIDEO) by Jillian Rayfield

2009-12-30T15:41:56Z

Unless the assertion is that Tom Ridge planned 9/11 in order to increase the federal bureaucracy enough for him to get an appointment. I don't want to position myself as a big Ridge defender, but I'd have to see more evidence.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Franken Challenges Thune: 'We're Not Entitled to Our Own Facts' by Ben Craw

2009-12-15T20:45:51Z

I might be ten years off. I can't remember if the 1970s or the 1980s were the 'me' decade.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Franken Challenges Thune: 'We're Not Entitled to Our Own Facts' by Ben Craw

2009-12-15T20:39:40Z

Remember Franken's bit in 1990 on SNL,after he'd left the regular cast? He said that "The 1980s, were the Me decade, but the 1990s are the me decade, me, Al Franken." I think maybe the 2010s will be the Al Franken decade.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on The Daily Show's 'You're Not Helping,' Starring Harry Reid and Tom Coburn]]> by Ben Craw

2009-12-10T16:27:16Z

It's odd how TPM has started promoting clips from the Daily Show every day. I don't know if it's just a passing enthusiasm from a staff member, or a deal they've set up.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on ACORN Report Finds No Illegal Conduct by Zachary Roth

2009-12-08T22:13:28Z

I watched the first 22 seconds of the Figgelhorn video -- it doesn't seem germane; indeed, it seems like a promotion, which is a violation of the terms of use.

I felt this story should have had some response from the videographer.

Also, it's not clear how ACORN's investigator could have seen that the audio was lain over when this was not reported widely when it was first being promoted. I suspected the video was carefully edited, but that audio was replaced? What's my media filter for if not to tell me exactly that sort of thing?

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Fox News Anchor: If Government Won't Pay For Abortions, Won't We Have More 'Low-income Babies?' by Jillian Rayfield

2009-12-07T22:59:57Z

It moves, but there's always a line.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Fox News Anchor: If Government Won't Pay For Abortions, Won't We Have More 'Low-income Babies?' by Jillian Rayfield

2009-12-07T22:58:51Z

Yes, that Freakonomics statistic is exactly what I thought of when David Kurtz asked "Does that sort of crude cost-benefit analysis enter into anyone's thinking." Well, yes. I think pro-choicers use the legal availability of abortion's negative impact on poverty and crime to support abortion rights, and having the government pay for the procedure does make it more available.

Kate Obenshain, whose hair disturbs me, says that poor women will continue to pay for their own abortions. I've no idea how much abortions cost, but I'd wager that a substantial number of babies were born because the parents couldn't come up with the fee.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Perino: No Terrorists Attacked America On Bush's Watch by Ben Frumin

2009-11-25T21:18:46Z

0:35 I don't know, all of their "thinking" that goes into it.

It seems rash to be reflexively anti-thinking. And is that the same Stuart Varney TPM was calling a former CNN talking head earlier? I guess that he's a current 'Fox Business News' talking head answers the question why he's acting crazy.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Ingraham: Pelosi Did Everything But 'Sell Her Own Body' To Pass Health Care Reform by Ben Frumin

2009-11-10T21:45:49Z

I hear you, but ignoring these voices is what put Bush in office. I think. I don't know that the connection is really understood, but my feeling -- and I think it's widely shared -- is that simply ignoring public figures that spoke nonsense worked out poorly.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Poll Begs Question: Is Extremism Mainstream? by Eric Kleefeld

2009-09-24T12:26:12Z

I personally believe that the Bush 43 Administration did what it could to create an favorable atmosphere for a large scale terrorist attack, but didn't have a hand in planning it. I was of the opinion that this was as far Right as people got -- I'm surprised to hear the view that this is a fringe view; about a seventh of people believe it, and about a seventh of people follow the news. It's probably the same seventh. Since I don't think going to war in the Middle East was the main intention, and I still don't feel like I understand the President's role in the administration, I might have answered 'no' to the poll question.

There are plenty of folk to the Left of me, who think the Bush Administration colluded with or even organized the attackers. But, I understand the range of opinion as being from LIHOP ('let it happen on purpose') to MIHOP ('made it happen on purpose.') I'm really shocked that 86 % of poll respondents express doubt about this.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Eyewitness Tells Of Finger-Biting At Health Rally by Ben Frumin

2009-09-03T17:44:47Z

You don't. What?

Rionn Fears Malechem recommended Corrective by Josh Marshall

2009-08-24T01:05:49Z

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on "The Commission Has Been Road-Blocked": Republicans' War On The FEC by Pete Martin and Zachary Roth

2009-07-01T13:35:21Z

Yeah... weird, right? You'd think they'd at least pursue Mr. Soros. It does make them seem like they have these very, very bad principles, but that never turns out to be the case on closer examination.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Exotic Argentine Open Thread by Andrew Golis

2009-06-24T15:29:46Z

There are also really good chocolate chip cookies.
http://www.brooklyncompany.com.ar/homeingles.html

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Accused Far-Right Killer Has Bizarre, Troubled Past by Zachary Roth

2009-06-17T14:17:04Z

Yeah, that's laugh out loud funny. Especially since that's the core of opposition to the MinuteMen.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on One Year Ago: The Bill Clinton 'Scumbag' Scoop by Greg Mitchell

2009-06-04T12:47:27Z

No, it wasn't a big story then. I clicked into this story because I was puzzled someone would even mention it.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on The Odd Pulitzers by Matthew Cooper

2009-04-21T12:51:55Z

To be fair, most of the coverage of the financial crisis was between 6 and 15 years too late. Like policy, reportage is much less helpful once a crisis comes to a head. And the election coverage last year continued to be poisoned by the urge to make major party candidates seem palatable.

The eligibility of online media was announced no later than December 8th...
http://malechem.blogspot.com/2008/12/im-now-eligible-for-pulitzer.html

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on FutureGen 'Clean Coal' Earmark Removed From Stimulus by Elana Schor

2009-02-12T18:45:50Z

When the thugs were interfering with the 2000 recount in Florida, I stayed at work rather than flying down there. I thought the rule of law would take care of itself. That's a decision I still rue.

Rionn Fears Malechem recommended Oberstar: Mass Transit Got the Shaft to Make Room For Tax Cuts by Elana Schor

2009-01-21T22:48:44Z

Rionn Fears Malechem recommended Warren Panel: Treasury Eroding Confidence It Seeks To Restore by Zachary Roth

2009-01-09T17:19:55Z

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Coleman: I'm Going To Court by Eric Kleefeld

2009-01-06T21:26:52Z

Read 'Al Gore' for 'Norm Coleman' and pretend it's 2000. You'll get a warm, happy glow.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on In Private Memo, RNC Chief Concedes That GOP Is Bereft Of Ideas, Vows Change Of Direction by Greg Sargent

2008-12-19T23:43:36Z

I know with NAFTA, Don't Ask/Don't Tell, the Defense of Marriage Act, workfare and so forth it can be confusing, but Clinton was a Democrat.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Legislating Early Voting and Universal Registration Create Partisan Rifts]]> by Kate Klonick

2008-11-10T13:52:34Z

Hey, about national registration. I think maybe states should have more rights. I look at an issue like Fair Marriage, and I see the Defense of Marriage Act, allowing states to ignore one another's marriages. If marriage was federal, would same-sex couples be allowed to marry anywhere?

It seems states can learn from one another and create civil freedoms, but making things federal just tunes national policy to the current ideologues.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Palin On Democrats: "Do They Think The Terrorists ... Are The Good Guys?" by Greg Sargent

2008-11-03T19:41:14Z

How much did you think about John Kerry two days after the 2004 election? I think he said something last year and I was surprised to hear he still existed, much less that he was still in the Senate.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Now is the time to withdraw corporate political personhood by Tankard2

2008-10-27T02:18:03Z

As the Bush impeachment was the ruler by which we judged the 110th Congress, this should be our metric for the 111th.

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Talking Points Memo Supports Ralph Nader by truthseeker77

2008-10-23T17:41:58Z

Seriously? Why Nader? I worked on his campaigns in 1996 and 2000, when he claimed to be all about building the Green Party. Then in 2004, he cobbles together some coalition that doesn't even included us, and I think in 2008 he's dispensed with party membership altogether.

As a standard bearer for Greens in local races, Nader made a lot of sense. But, what's he up to now?

Rionn Fears Malechem Commented on Right-Wing Pundit On Voter Fraud Claim: Never Mind]]> by Zachary Roth

2008-10-21T21:16:37Z

So... if you ever want to assert I exist, please don't link to my white pages listing. I can imagine people calling Duran Duran from your post, and I'd rather that didn't happen to me.