The Truth about the Lies about ACORN

Rachel led off with the news that Bank of America (company motto: Yes, We Are Total Jerks. Good Luck Finding Someone Who Isn’t) is cutting off its work with ACORN, which as part of its work helped first-time home buyers not get screwed over and helped people avoid foreclosure.

This latest news followed last week’s Congressional de-funding legislation, and Rachel decided to take the trail back even farther than that – all the way to the U. S. Attorney scandal.

Just in case you needed another reason to be squicked out by Karl Rove.

This case brings up an interesting dilemma for American politics. ACORN does – as Rachel admits – have problems. Which doesn’t mean that this isn’t a hit job. When do we as a nation grow up enough to deal with gray areas?

GOP in Exile

Rachel brought us the first GOP in Exile “Where Are They Now?” segment, featuring everyone’s favorite not an actual plumber who is not really named Joe.

He’s helping a nation laugh conservatively, which apparently means conserving its laughs.

Joe has endorsed a new comic strip, “Microman USA“. If you’re finding “Mallard Fillmore” a little too riotously funny for morning reading, your prayers have been answered.

They Don’t Even Believe What They’re Saying

Rachel reported that Republicans are now posing as the stalwart defenders of Medicare, in spite of the fact that every Republican from Saint Reagan on down insisted that Medicare would turn us so Communist that we’d start standing in bread lines just for the sheer joy of it.

And Republican House members tried to spike Medicare this year.

Other than that, you really could not ask for more enthusiastic supporters.

Sham. Wow.

Got a spare $30? I bet you can’t think of a better way to spend it than to send some insane faxes that no one will ever read.

(Actually that does sound sort of fun, but this isn’t the free-form delight you’re thinking of. Rachel has an infomercial that will explain it all.)

Ms. Information

Rachel gave us positive proof that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is one of those people who tells an unfunny joke and then, if no one pulls him aside and specifically asks him to knock it off, keeps telling it again and again.

I bet holiday dinners with him are a treat.

On the other hand, if Berlusconi really works at it, maybe he can guest write a few strips for “Microman USA”.

Rachel also reminded the GOP and politicians in general why asking her to issue a correction when she has not been factually incorrect is a bad idea. Very bad. Yeowch.

Seriously, politicians. Do you really not have a learning curve on the asking-for-fake-corrections thing? True, I enjoy the results, but they must make for an uncomfortable office atmosphere for y’all the day after

U.N. Hinged

Mike Huckabee, who is getting less and less cute every second, wants to cut off the U.N. No, literally. He wants to cut it off of the North American land mass.

Madeline Albright, former Secretary of State and the author of Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box, dropped in to discuss why we might want to try talking to people as a part of our diplomatic efforts.

She also got Rachel to admit to finding jewelry interesting. Temporarily.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to look into setting up a number for receiving deranged faxes. Why should Congress be the only ones who get to see all crazy?