I’m loath to mention John Podhoretz’s column at the Post. All the weak jokery, metaphor torturing and general brown-nosery might put you off your morning tea and scones. And that’s just in the bit I write.
What might happen if you were actually to read Mr Pod’s random concatenation of claptrap and bunkum – all of it sprinkled liberally with sparkles of pure dumb – doesn’t bear thinking about.
As such, I shall be judicious in my quoting and restrict myself to this, which did make me laugh.
That little exchange turned Romney into a different kind of debater last night. He spent much of the evening angry, and his anger galvanized him — particularly when Rick Perry said it was the “height of hypocrisy” for Romney to have attacked Perry on illegal immigration when he had hired illegals to do yard work on his property.
Romney spoke a fascinatingly revealing sentence in explaining the matter: “So we went to the company and we said, look, you can’t have any illegals working on our property. ‘I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake. We can’t have illegals!’”
That looks like one of those moments when politicians reveal how hollow they are in their ambitions, but it played differently for Romney — oddly, it made him seem more human, nervous about making mistakes and making a bad impression.
I think you misspelled “like a hypocritical, pandering, self-entitled, narky blowhard” at the end of that last sentence, John boy.
[Cross-posted at Sarah, Proud and Tall.]
Corner Stone
Ahhh, Open Thread goodness at last.
Green to Blue Pipeline
“Facing U.S. budget cuts, the industry that makes drones, radar equipment, and sensors for use in Iraq and Afghanistan is looking to sell them at home to police, border patrol, and others.”
First they try it out “over there” then they bring it back onshore.
Morzer
Mitt Romney really is alarmingly convincing in the role of Secret Reptile Overlord.
Nutella
Hey, look, there’s that 27% number again.
handy
@Corner Stone:
WHOCOODANODE?!
tjmn
Thank you for taking one for the team, SPT. I do enjoy my scone in the morning.
tjmn
Thank you for taking one for the team, SPT. I do enjoy my scone in the morning.
Morzer
@Nutella:
Ah, but for Republicans 27% is really just a typing error for 72%. And if you don’t understand that, you’re just mixing apples and oranges.
Corner Stone
And it was mentioned on Art Douche’s thread by Anoninomouse but thought this was awesome also:
Bank of America Deathwatch: Moves Risky Derivatives from Holding Company to Taxpayer-Backstopped Depository
“Bank of America Corp. (BAC), hit by a credit downgrade last month, has moved derivatives from its Merrill Lynch unit to a subsidiary flush with insured deposits, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation…”
A little shifty shifty, a little ipso chango, and Presto! No bad debt!
scav
Anybody else get a whiff of the Stars and Bars from the elephant walking on flag postage stamp from (S)Tampa Bay?
Corner Stone
And I got this one from the Not-So Silent Killa GG:
Two Awlaki teenage relatives killed in Yemen attack: family
“Yemeni officials said on Saturday about 24 people, including a son and a brother of Anwar al-Awlaki, were killed in an air strike on an al Qaeda hideout near the town of Azzan in the southern Shabwa province.”
Among the 24 were a 16yr old son of The Man Too Evil to Charge, and a 17yr old relative. The 16yr old was an American.
But of course, they were killed near an AQ “hideout”, so it’s all good in the hood.
Ben Cisco
Brilliant.
__
@scav: The GOTP is all about the NeoConfederacy; they’re becoming more blatant about it by the second.
Han's Big Snark Solo
I’m going to repost my comment from an earlier thread here:
That Perry attacked Romney for hiring illegals to do yard work is outrageous! In case Perry didn’t notice the Republicans in the Texas legislature, just a few months ago, proposed a “stiff” new immigration law that would fine companies up to a $10,000 fine for hiring illegals, unless, of course, those illegals were doing household or yard work.
The rational the Texas GOP gave for the massive loophole:
Also too, is Romney trying to look like an entitled blue blood, never worked a day in his life, vampire squid or what? His complaint boils down to, “It is so hard to find good help. Why don’t people realize how hard it is to be super-wealthy? Being rich is so hard people like me shouldn’t have to pay taxes. Sigh…”
Jonathan
I in no way endorse Romney or what he said, but I don’t think that particular response was all that bad, essentially, he said, “Be sure to do my lawn on the up and up, I’m running for President here…”
It’s a lawn care company, how much can you really vet a lawn care company?
I bet Obama would say the same thing, though he would be more eloquent saying it in a debate.
It would have been ballsy if he had something like “If you’re going to use any illegal’s to mow my lawn, I want to be sure you’re paying them a fair wage” …I would’ve been impressed by that.
Villago Delenda Est
OvenMitt is a prime example of a privileged asshole whose head would look much better on a pike than on his 737 runway shoulders.
That goes for his spawn, as well, who show their love of country by bravely campaigning for their sire instead of taking the easy way out in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Samara Morgan
Mitt can’t win, Sarah.
25% of the white voter electorate is less inclined to vote for a mormon, and 63% of those will not vote for Romney.
the GOP base is 50% evangelical.
that means 63% of the republican white voter evangelical base that dislikes mormons WONT VOTE FOR ROMNEY.
i think its kindof a problem….for the GOP, non?
piratedan
as a lone voice in the wilderness…here’s what the Congressional Progressive Caucus is proposing….
http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=79§iontree=5,79
also, too
“The trouble with quotes on the internet are that it’s hard to determine if they are genuine.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
Villago Delenda Est
@Samara Morgan:
Yet, this time last cycle, the wingtards were screaming and pouting and otherwise carrying on that John McCain was utterly unacceptable as the nominee.
The natural serfs will fall into line once the decision is made in Tampa.
Sloegin
An anagram for “the Republican debates” spells out “enchilada butt beepers”.
That is all.
Dan
I don’t know how apt the McCain/Romney comparisons are. The base may have been equally uncomfortable with both, but McCain was well-liked by the general electorate and had an (undeserved) reputation as an honest straight-shooter. Romeny is pereceived to be generically “electable”, but he’s regarded as a phoney by the base and the general electorate alike.
tkogrumpy
This four year old quote is a nothing burger.
Sarah Proud and Tall
@Sloegin:
I’d make that a new Category if I didn’t know that Cole would then sneak into my room while I slept and put Tunch on my head.
Sarah Proud and Tall
@Samara Morgan:
I hope you’re right. He’s the kind of slick booby I fear might win the whole lot in a brainfart election year.
I prefer my Republican Presidential Candidates to be kooky and unelectable.
Sarah Proud and Tall
@tkogrumpy:
Marge Albrechtson said exactly that to me this morning.
Marge, is that you? I thought they took away your internet privileges after you FedEx-ed three squirrels to Mrs Gingrich.
Morzer
@Sarah Proud and Tall:
I’m Marge Albrechtson and so is my wife!
cat
An article about OWS germation on Naked Capitalism.
Zifnab
Embrace your hatred. STRIKE ME DOWN! And your journey to the dark side will be complete. Bwhahahahaha!
Sarah Proud and Tall
@Morzer:
You have my sympathy.
Paul in KY
@Sarah Proud and Tall: If he’s the nominee, I will certainly be mentioning the Mormon angle to any Republican voter I perceive to be extremely religious (in a Southern Baptist kinda way).
Morzer
@Sarah Proud and Tall:
Not needed. We have double the self-love and twice the mutual loathing – the key components of a successful 1% marriage.
ruemara
I have a question. Is it odd to ask an HR department for feedback if they never even called you for an interview? I know what to do for those post-interview questions but I’m wondering if this gives out a creepy stalker vibe. Of course, I’d rather just boil their rabbits but, I was hoping for something more constructive and less satisfying.
Brachiator
No, it just revealed his venality, and made him look as tricky as old Tricky Dick Nixon.
@Paul in KY:
I think he should be asked about his “special” underwear, “Mormon boxers or Mormon briefs?”
lamh34
Politics aside, I really do love this couple. They remind me of a lot of Black “marrieds” I know. Actually, scrap that, they remind me of a lot of non-Black “marrieds” I know too.
PDA; Obamas flirt at military event
And with all the articles of late about Marriage and the Black community, it warms my heart to see them
trollhattan
@Villago Delenda Est:
This. Obama hatred shall cement the entire fractious wingnuttosphere into one giant, squirming ball of Mittens Love. After all, they have a Mooselum to fire.
Corner Stone
@ruemara:
Do you mean you submitted a resume but weren’t asked to come in? Did they do a pre-phone interview or anything?
Because if they had no contact with you then there’s no reason to ask them for feedback. It won’t help you in any way.
Paul in KY
@Brachiator: How many holes have been embroidered in them. That might be classified.
Paul in KY
@Corner Stone: Maybe feedback on why they didn’t call you in in the first place?
Corner Stone
@Paul in KY:
If it wasn’t in the call back pile they won’t remember.
FlipYrWhig
@ruemara: I agree with Corner Stone. I don’t know what information you’d get out of it, or how any information you did get out of it would be useful for the future.
Turgidson
In other news, in case it slipped anyone’s mind, Joe Lieberman is still an asshole (and a dipshit):
This is in regard to the component of the American Jobs Act that would create or restore teacher and firefighter jobs. Which is financed by a surtax on filthy rich people, of course.
Can’t that contemptible piece of shit just go home early? I can’t wait until he’s gone.
rikryah
Mittens is a piece of plastic. it just oozes from his every pore
ruemara
@FlipYrWhig:
fucking closure on why. You guys aren’t where I am. I’d like to know why experience and skill isn’t on the call back pile. I’d like to know if I was even seen. It’s just making me rage and I’d like an explanation, no I’d like an HR professional to speak to their process. But I won’t get it.
castellan
@ruemara: One of the greatest changes I ever made to my resume was to modify the cover letter. Smack in the middle of the cover letter I added a short list of bullet points — things that I felt were so important that I couldn’t wait for the HR folks to read my resume to get the info.
This did two things: (1) It provided an obvious place for them to look when they first checked it over. I created healthy margins on both the right and left sides and set the list of five or six elements apart from other paragraphs. It really drew they eye to it. And, (2) it gave me a chance to mention my strengths that just happened to match their job listing. Need someone with database experience? Check! That’s one, or maybe even two bullet points. Need someone who knows several programming/scripting languages? Check, plus I improved X by implementing Y.
Your first goal is to get from the “no call” pile into the “call” pile. Resumes all look alike. Set yours out with a cover letter if you can. Don’t ramble, and include something that is easy for HR types to focus on, because they don’t actually want to read the cover letter at first. Remember that you’re marketing yourself.
Stay positive. With my changed cover letter, I found that the number of calls I got went up dramatically. Hopefully, it’ll work for you too.
EDIT: ruemara, I feel your frustration. HR types don’t actually care. They are trying to get through the day doing as little as possible. Help them out. Give them easy pointers to your strongest assets. Use their laziness in your favor. Good luck.
sistermoon
Actually, he said it was “the HEITH of hypocrisy”.
These people are ignorant clowns.
FlipYrWhig
@ruemara: That’s what I meant, though — they’re not going to give you anything you can use. They’re not going to give you an explanation. They’ll just, at best, say that they were looking for a particular skill set and that other candidates fit the profile better. They’ll double-speak you until you get off the phone, because that’s their role.
I didn’t mean that you were wrong to be aggravated. It sucks. For six months I thought this would be the last year at this job, which I like, and I was miserable. There but for the grace of, etc.
ruemara
I’ve done everything you’ve listed there, castellan. And I fit their skill set exactly. It’s been over a decade since I’ve made 20k in a year, my car has been sitting in my driveway for months, each month my remainder from my paycheck is smaller and there’s never any good news. This is just yet another time that this has happened and I am completely devastated because in 10 years, nothing is getting better.
Julia Grey
Or so they say now.
If we take them at their word, however, it still only means that, at worst, Romney’s got 16% of his conservative white voter base to concentrate on bringing around, right?
And in the opposite corner….who?
Big. Bad. OBAMA.
I don’t see Romney having any problem at all with his white conservative constituency. Mormon or not, at least he’s not BOOGEDY BOOGEDY.
As SPT said
DFH no.6
matoko is wrong about this.
Romney’s Mormonism is an obstacle, yes. But less of one than his RINO status with the far right base (very much like McCain before him).
Won’t matter, in the end. Neither are deal-breakers in the primaries (and wouldn’t matter a whit in the general – in fact, his “RINO-ness” would help there).
Romney will win the Republican nomination (long before Tampa, methinks). Sure, they’d rather have someone else, that’s obvious. But among the available choices he’s the fascists’ best hope in opposing the hated Kenyan Muslim Usurper, and they will come around.
Thus, Obama will have one hell of a fight in the general. You know, that thing about the economy.
And this time, the roles are reversed – Obama’s the status quo, and the fascist candidate’s the “change agent”. Hammering that message home non-stop will be job one for our sterling media.
Anyone really think Obama has this in the bag?
Frankensteinbeck
@DFH no.6:
Pretty much, yes. He’s a highly charismatic president very popular with his base AND with moderate swing voters, and the electoral patterns that said 2010 would go hard for the GOP say that Obama will murder his GOP challenger.
Whether or not I think the odds are heavily in his favor, I think we should fight tooth and claw to see that he wins and every Democrat candidate wins.
As for Romney, I think what is lost in this debate is that voter enthusiasm is only all or nothing for each individual voter. Anything that reduces Republican voter enthusiasm will reduce Republican voter turnout. ‘How much’ is a question to put to statisticians, but voter enthusiasm is generally acknowledged as one of the most powerful factors in elections. A GOP that is asking the question of if they should hold their nose and vote for a Mormon who’s not raving psycho they were promised is a good thing for us. A difference of 1 or 2 percentage points in voter turnout would be a great help.
jefft452
@DFH no.6:
“Anyone really think Obama has this in the bag?”
I do
“…the fascist candidate’s the “change agent”. Hammering that message home non-stop will be job one for our sterling media.”
Let them hammer away, Today Romney whined that Obama wasn’t letting the banks throw people out of their homes fast enough
The talking heads will think that this is the kind of “straight talk” that our center right nation has been waiting for, just like they gushed over Ryan’s and Simpson/Bowel’s kill SS and Medicare plans
Their poropaganda machine is vastly out of touch – Im more worried about voter suppression
5x5
@ruemara:
No. You already didn’t get the job, and you might as well find out why. Most likely you’ll get a non-answer, but you may also make an impression. As long as you don’t make them uncomfortable, HR people love to talk.
Even if you call to say “thanks, please keep me in mind for the future” — it makes a good impression.
Good luck!
castellan
@ruemara: Not sure if you’re still checking this, but send me an email at [email protected] and let me know what you’re looking for. I’ll see if there are any openings in my workplace and will email you. We have development, IT, and consultant positions currently open.
Paul in KY
@5×5: Good advice. Probably can’t hurt to give them a call & politely ask for any pointers (that will give them a little ego stroke).