MBryant's Comments (477)

“I don't see the point (for the product or the actresses in question) in applying so much makeup and hair color to a celebrity to the point that they don't look like themselves anymore... Kate Beckinsale is recognizable in the red dress, as for the other three pictures, any of a thousand less expensive models could have done the shoot to the same effect. And they look like plastic toy "objects" in all four shots - not interesting people I'd like to get to know better by sharing an interesting drink.”

“DeMint said, "a couple days later, after he raised a few million dollars off of it, I was thinking 'why didn't I say that?'" - these are "Conservative Principles"? If saying something irresponsible that you have to apologise for raises a couple million - it's definitely worth doing...”

“Go Jerry. Jerry Brown is one of the truly great public servants..­..”

“I see nothing inconsistent with Ms Couric safely having a great time and being an apparently passionate mature woman and still being a professional and reliable source of news.

I do feel a little sullied myself at taking this opporunity provided by Huffpo to view these apparently private photos.”

“Just as Iraq was Bush's war, Afghanistan is rapidly becoming Obama's war. And with it's newly declared status as the second most corrupt country in the world and our popularity increasingly iffy there, Obama may find in a year he has as many troops, as many deaths, and as little justification as W. did.”

“It may be that - on the whole - Catholic lay worshippers remain the most spiritual of Christians - less distracted by artificial social struggles and more interested in gratitude, forgiveness, charity - fundamental spiritual values.

However the Catholic professional leadership - with it's hit and run bishops, lying about pedophiles, hush money and political threats proves every day that it is not a spiritual organization at all.. but a bunch of gangsters.”

“The change in Dobbs (as reported in the story) is representative of what's wrong with CNN - and it doesn't have anything to do with his shift to the right. It is his shift from reporting to opinion. CNN used to do news - video - reporting - facts. Now the CNN lineup is one opiniated yakker after another. And they don't even have strong opinions..­.

I'm a lib, but the reason FOX beats CNN is three fold:
1) they actual report more news - more video
2) their commentators are not mealy-mouthed - you may disagree with them, but they don't waste a lot of time waffling and qualifying
3) babes

Dobbs seems like he's right of CNN and more moderate than most of the FOX guys, but he's lost being a newsman. CNN is now not enough Bernard Shaw and Harry Reasoner and a way to much Larry King and Larry King Jr. - Anderson Cooper. Seem concerned - soft pedal the interview - don't cover the hard stuff. Be likable and noncontreversial.”

“I used to think Huckabee was that rare thing - a reasonable conservative - a populist Buckley. But then he became a TV host for FOX. Now he's spent - a presidential victory just ain't happening for anyone who has been on TV today.

Back in 2008 - the G.O.P. seemed to have everything they wanted in Huckabee - real conservative credibility (not fake like Bush/Ashcroft), executive - outsider experience, a likable, reasonable guy - a "preacher"­/conservat­ive version of Bill Clinton. But lately Republicans have seemed a bit self destructive and so for reasons that I don't understand they rejected Huckabee in favor of anyone but Huckabee and wound up with mavericky John McCain - who has always been a poor campaigner and risk taker - someone who is not personally conservative and not reliably Republican. And, of course, McCain lost the election by just plain being beaten by a better candidate and a better team.

But then Huck went on TV and on TV - like all of the FOX guys trying to get ratings he has said a lot of stupid stuff that doesn't pass candidate muster and all that stupid stuff will come back to haunt him.

He's sunk.”

“Sorry Joe, this is so much smoke. Fairness is impossible.

It's ALWAYS ABOUT INCOME REDISTRIBUTION. There are other things that government does, but among the thigns it does is help determine who gets poorer and who gets richer....”

“We should recapitalize the banks into a new exchange - not the NYSE - which is like the over the counter exchange - a more patient - slow moving market. We should provide tax incentive on these instruments that will reward people for staying with them long term - more like bonds than stocks (even though they represent equity) - essentially like retirement programs. And we should enhance regulation and transperancy.

We can't put the local ownership or commercial vs. savings vs. real estate vs. broker geniees back in their bottles. But we can reward and require patient responsible management of banks.”

“According to 538.com - Lieberman is out of step with Conn. voters on this - who favor a public option 60% to 40% and he probably knows he has no chance in 2014. He can't get either party's nomination and he won't win the general election this time either.

So Joe's strategy is one of two options
- soak up all the lameduck influence and cashola he can from his Conn. Corporate backers.
and/or
- setup a run for President in 2012 as his swan song. If the G.O.P. nominates a charismatic social Conservative (i.e. Palin, Huckabee, etc..) then a former major ticket running mate, the most prominent Jewish politician in America and an established centrist (right of center) spoiler could mix things up...

Not what I'd like to see, but it could happen...”

“I don't know that much about Newsome, but Jerry is one of the great public servants and California will be lucky to have him back in the Governor's office.”

“Hutchison running against Perry is just another case of Republican self-destruction. The office of governor in Texas is just not that big a deal and these two pieces of FURNITURE are going to squander their party's money running against each other. So Perry positions himself as more "mavericky conservative" and gets Palin's endorsement and Hutchison is more "establishment conservative" and gets Cheney's. Who cares about the difference between these two inert characters? But because they are the most famous politicians in the state, they'll spend millions.

Meanwhile.­.. Hutchison leaves the senate and Houston mayor Bill White - a former Dem Party State Chairman and a real, effective campaigner and politician is left a clear path to the senate.

I'm a Dem and happy to see this, but if the G.O.P. had leadership, they would have taken Hutchison behind the woodshed and dispelled this foolishness of hers long ago. Blue is the only winner in this, it doesn't matter who wins....”

“Republicans and their nominees..­.

2008: it seemed like they could use a reasonable sounding guy with real conservative Christian credibility and executive branch experience of significance and some national name identity. And they had that guy in Mike Huckabee and then when he actually looked like he might win they panicked and went for "anyone but Huck" and wound up with McCain - a terrible candidate and campaigner who did everything wrong (especially Palin).

Huckabee went on Fox and toasted himself. He's said too much and has marginalized himself as a second rate OReilly and is useless as a candidate. Jindal has said too much too. Some G.O.P. governors and Senators have recent scandals (Sanford, Nevada Gov., Ensign, etc..) and the usual suspects: Guiliani and Thompson look really tired. Huntsman and Crist have gone most of the way over to the other side and couldn't get through a primary process. So I guess we have Pawlenty (who they probably should pick) and Palin (who they probably will pick, but shouldn't)

Bud don't try to get logical about it... they'll probably get some crazy result again ... and yet.. it will be closer than is logical... You know they want to nominate her.. they should just go ahead and do it... Meghan McCain in 2012!...”

“This is a very old story going back to the 70s. Most serious stock analysts know that companies can prop up earnings for years if they want if they have a really good quarter they'll delay the earnings to even them out so that they can make future quarters look better and look like a "trend".. CFOs will sell buildings, accrue earnings, delay expenses through contractors and holding companies use hedges to manipulate the reported numbers and only very experienced financial forensics can go through the filed statements and figure any of it out....

Here's an analogy...­. you are given a horrifying gothic story of zombies, monsters and dismemberment (your financials) - you can still find words and letters here and there to make a ransom note like report of "Have a nice day"....(y­our quarterly earnings report)... It's all in the editing .. you can't delay the bad news forever.. but good book doctors can delay it for months and years...”

“Hopefully not being insensitve to this missing girl's family or accusing anyone of fraud, but isn't this the same "missing white girl syndrome" sort of story that Arianna has decried - for example in the balloon boy coverage? How much of this is because she is attractive?

Don't people go missing everyday? Elders in particular go missing all the time. Is HuffPo going to give this coverage to 70 year old hispanic gentlemen missing in along the border? How much of this is helping and how much of this is sensationalism?

Youth and good looks are a good thing - they "rule" in entertainment. But do we want to drive our whole culture - police protection, etc.. by them?”

“I saw a story indicating that African elephants may be extinct in as few as fifteen years due to poaching and environmental factors. Alarming - considering they have long lifespans.

Will their American political counterparts last any longer?

There will be no one party system in America - however I think if a new party arises it will likely be on the left - from those who think the Dems have become too centrist. This could result in a three party system for awhile with a centrist Dem party, a revived Green party (or whatever), and a declining Christian Conservati­ve/Republi­can party. I think Specter could turn out to be a bellwether of the Dems going to the middle.

Obama certainly has not turned out to be the liberal champion that Rush and Glenn Beck claim he is.”

“Rush is about my age. I have witnessed direct racism in my life, and if Rush has any senstivity I know he has too. The idea that I, a white male - have been the victim of some sort of reverse discrimination is so ludicrous as to be laughable. So affirmative action or political correctness have entered into a decision that may have denied Rush or myself an opportunity. There are so many times, so many subtle events, so many opportunities we have had - simply because we are white and male that others were denied.

Rush could use to count his blessings a bit. There is abundance and sharing is a pleasure. It is a pleasure of mine that my children, now in their late teens have witnessed so much less direct racism and that we have made such progress. The day when racism is gone could be a reality - there could be a promised land out there.”

“Ted is right. CNN seems astonished that they finish behind FOX in the ratings. But since CNN spun off the headline news channel. FOX actually runs more news and film than they do. For CNN it's all talk and opinion - all the time. On FOX, you and I may disklike their political slant, but you in between OReilly and his silly conservative ranters - you get good looking women and more news updates with more film. On CNN you get one dour, concerned, psuedo journalist after another boringly telling you what they think...”

“Perry was elected on a platform of being a consistent successor to George W. and the two represent the most lethal governors of the last century in any state, Texas is now the capital punishment capital of the world. Bush went on to lead us into an unecessary war in Iraq which resulted in the unecessary deaths of ttens of thousands of Iraquis and thousands of Americans. It isn't just that he belives the deaths of others are a reasonable way to solve problems: the Iraq war and the death penalty don't solve anything. It's that Bush and Perry like the power of being able to control the deaths of others. "I'm the one who is strong enough to do what needs to be done (even if it doesn't need doing)" ... Chuck Norris nation...”

“Before Reagan, conservatives were the pragmatists, Democrats the dreamers. Conservatives worried about money and security, Dems wanted to go to the moon and get everyone a vote and security in their elder years.

Today it is Republican party that is filled with dreamers - Sarah Palin waxing poetic (not so well) about Denali, Mark Sanford going on about her "beautiful soul". And while Obama tries to explain to a real fourth grader why some people hate him, Glenn Beck cries over a forty year old Madison Avenue fantasy of a fourth grader.

But the romantic dreams of the conservatives are not about what can be, but what was for some Americans. They believe that the idyllic time that many middle class white Americans enjoyed in the fifties and early sixties was the American dream... even though that brief period - fifty years ago was never proven sustainable and not shared by all. My full commentson this here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=121440381273

But beware, becuase for these folks this dream is so important they are willing to give our capitalism and democracy away to corporate fedualistic fascism, give our rights away, bankrupt us, and make America belive it's greatest days are behind and not ahead. That we are diminished and incompetent.

Or maybe they think Beck and Palin are just good "cover"...”

“These guys are obviously leaving Alaska. Whether Sarah Palin's fame is 15 months or 15 years, it is very hard to fully exploit it living so far from media centers. She's had to cancel speaking engagements before and you know she is planning a barrage of appearances in the next several months to build book sales. If she's on the road peddling books until Christmas - Todd will be home now with the kids. Or they may just move now so she can be home more... in either case they are based in New York, Washington, L.A. or some very nearby rural location (Pennslyvania?) early in 2010.”

“This is described as a "partisan firestorm" and I think you are contributing by projecting a lot of partisan generalizations on this.

Why would this union have given money to a politician who disagreed with their existence and everything they stand for? Doesn't that rather reflect on their wise use of their money? These donations were in the past, it seems rather to me that Rep. Kirk at one time was more moderate and seemed worthy of investment by this organization and now has become more partisan and finds himself oppposed to them.

And obviously the right has no corner on kneejerk partisan generalizations and divisive speech.”

“hmmm... I'm a dem and I think people are being a bit weird about ACORN, but

if a politician takes donations from an organization like a union and then says something supportive of them or votes in agreement with them in a way that disagrees with us it's corruption!

but if a politician takes donations froma an organization like a unoin and then says something critical of them or votes against them in a way that disagrees with us it's .. ungrateful!

I guess only very wealthy people - or people who agree with Huffpo readers all the time can serve in government without being corrupt or ungrateful­...”

“Wilson on Sanford: time to move on...

Actually these guys have both had a taste of the national press and celebrity culture and if we did move on they'd start to miss it .. and they'd have to do something else bone-headed to bring it back.”