Vlogorrhea, With Jason And Ana (And Megan): Courting Backlash At Thanksgiving

It's the Thanksgiving Holiday, so let's vlog, why not? This week, Ana Marie and I had the especially good fortune to be joined by Megan Carpentier, blogger and Crappy Hourist from Jezebel.

On today's vlog, the three of us dig into the cross-section on the left who've been awash in complaint that President-elect Barack Obama's appointments and directives post-election had not passed the Progressive Politics Litmus Test. Were a raft of progressive appointments and the promise to put the Bush administration on trial really part of the rose garden we were promised? Does a return to sane, competent governance truly represent change? And did the three of us all feel a little silly after Obama put Melody Barnes -- bona fide "new blood" with impressive progressive credentials -- in charge of his domestic policy shop? Probably, actually! And, then, later, did the gratuitous pillorying of John Brennan make us feel vindicated? Again, probably! Anyway, one thing we can all agree on is that now we'll have liberal blogs, yelling at us for Christmas.

In the second part, we dig into the strange contention of Keith Olbermann that not voting for someone makes it easier to criticize them. And, finally, we honor the Thanksgiving holiday. Find out why Megan is grateful that Sarah Palin exists! And then, yell at us some more.

As always, we were assisted behind the scenes by the intrepid Liz Glover and the savvy Nikolas Schiller, who make these forays into video antics possible, and, indeed, plausible.

We are very serious about paying honor to all the laid-off journalists in a year-end piece. if your favorite writer got laid off or forced out of his job, or if your favorite magazine or newspaper hit the skids this year, drop us a line and let us know. Also: ask us questions, and yell at us. Email me here, and Ana Marie there.

Special cross promotion bonus: Megan Carpentier cooks, and serves animal testicles, for feminism.

[WATCH Part one.]

[WATCH Part two.]

Comments

[OtayPanky]

Clearly these folks did themselves proud on Turkey Day.

Other than that, nothing much going on here.

[kellygrrrl]

looking forward to letting go of my obsessive need to track every move my government is making.
looking forward to laughing with, not at, our President.

[larry278]

Have Michelle & Barack sought your advise on selecting a dog? Beware, if they do, they will have the Secret Service abduct your mutt. To prevent this, claim that your dog is a purebred spaniel born at the kennel where Nixon got Checkers. It's an ugly thing to say about a dog but you must do it for the dog's sake. WTF would want to live at the White House & be walked by the Secret Service?

[larry278]

These vlogs are Jason's response to watching Sun AM, talking head excesses every week to earn a living. Note the set & wardrobes, maybe the gestures & words too. This is subverive. Allah be praised.

[estevancarlos]

Ana Marie FTW. beautiful

[kellygrrrl]

and smart

[Zuzette]

Maybe a Truth & Reconciliation Commission would be a better, more Obama-ish way to go in dealing with the horrors of the Bush years. I'm guessing, though, that most of them would prefer to take their chances lawyering up in the legal maze than admitting to having done heinous things &/or attempting to shred, or in some cases succeeding in shredding, our constitutional rights. I don't like the idea of them getting away with this stuff, but what to do about that is SO complicated & SO potentially traumatizing for our country in the midst of everything else that needs resolution. Feh.
Love these blogs. Love Anna Marie's haircut.

[ListenPeople]

First time watching Vlogorrhea. Totally feeling you on the Olbermann comments. I agree with Jason about giving me a few boring weeks, months even. Also hoping for gov't that isn't funny (not funny haha but funny as in it smells). Nuff said.

[mcantwell]

Vlogorrhrea....that sounds like something I prefer not to do or catch. :)

[burndtdan]

re: prosecution for war crimes

You guys are missing the point. It isn't about catharsis, it's about legal and social precedent.

Nixon wiretapped, and was not held fully accountable. In his day, it was a huge deal. Today, the President does it thousands of times over, and it barely registers.

Kissinger commits war crimes. In his day, it was a big deal. Today, things of that nature barely register.

Today, Bush tortures, holds people in secret prisons, etc. Today, it is a big deal. Some of us are interested in learning from history and not repeating it. We want to KEEP it a big deal. But in order for that to happen, it needs to be treated like a big deal and made an example of.

Not to mention the goodwill it would earn us world wide to actually hold our own leadership accountable to the same laws we would hold them accountable to.

[DocWylie]

First, I just have to say you all write much better than you vlog, sorry honesty is just a habit.
Secondly I totally agree with burntvdan, that without accountability there is no deterrance.
If walking, talking and chewing gum are desirable and possible why must investigation and prosecution and accountability be left out of the mix.
Can anybody ever truly support a system they can never quite trust?
Sure there are things that must by necessity have higher immediate priority, but I think that regaining the moral high ground is absolutely KEY to our longterm global success.

[OutToLunch]

Yep, agree with Burndtdan and Doc - there's no way to just sweep the crimes and horror of the last 8 yrs under the rug in the spirit of "reconciliation." We're not talking about a couple of slightly shady crimes here.....And I say that as someone who never expected Obama to govern from the left and, for the most part, am pretty happy with his picks and his transition thus far.

And yes - Obama's got a full-plate at the mo'. Lots and lots of pressing stuff, for sure. Still, I don't see any way to NOT investigate the crimes of Bu$hCo, esp as we try and repair our image and our relationships around the world.

Investigations are a way to not only find out exactly what the hell they've been doing for 8 yrs, they're an integral part of healing our nation by holding them accountable as we reclaim *some* moral standing.

Besides, Republicans are always screaming about "personal responsibility" - it seems fitting that Bush, Cheney, Rove et al should finally have to take some....