Garrison Keillor: Americans' B.S. detectors off charts with Palin

[seafan]

Bravo, Mr. Keillor.


Americans' B.S. detectors off charts with Palin

By Garrison Keillor
October 11, 2008

We are a stalwart and stouthearted people, and never more so than in hard times. People weep in the dark and arise in the morning and go to work. The waves crash on your nest egg and a chunk is swept away and you put your salami sandwich in the brown bag and get on the bus. In Philly, a woman earns $10.30/hour to care for a man brought down by cystic fibrosis. She bathes and dresses him in the morning, brings him meals, puts him to bed at night. It's hard work lifting him and she has suffered a painful hernia that, because she can't afford health insurance, she can't get fixed, but she still goes to work because he'd be helpless without her. There are a lot of people like her. I know because I'm related to some of them.

Low dishonesty and craven cynicism sometimes win the day but not inevitably. The attempt to link Barack Obama to an old radical in his neighborhood has desperation and deceit written all over it. Meanwhile, stunning acts of heroism stand out, such as the fidelity of military lawyers assigned to defend detainees at Guantanamo Bay — uniformed officers faithful to their lawyerly duty to offer a vigorous defense even though it means exposing the injustice of military justice that is rigged for conviction and the mendacity of a commander in chief who commits war crimes.

.....

It was dishonest, cynical men who put forward a clueless young woman for national office, hoping to juice up the ticket, hoping she could skate through two months of chaperoned campaigning, but the truth emerges: The lady is talking freely about matters she has never thought about. The American people have an ear for B.S. They can tell when someone's mouth is moving and the clutch is not engaged. When she said, "One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let's commit ourselves just every day, American people, Joe Sixpack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again. Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars," people smelled gas.

Some Republicans adore her because they are pranksters at heart and love the consternation of grown-ups. The ne'er-do-well son of the old Republican family as president, the idea that you increase government revenue by cutting taxes, the idea that you cut social services and thereby drive the needy into the middle class, the idea that you overthrow a dictator with a show of force and achieve democracy at no cost to yourself — one stink bomb after another, and now Gov. Palin.
She is a chatty sportscaster who lacks the guile to conceal her vacuity, and she was John McCain's first major decision as nominee. This troubles independent voters, and now she is a major drag on his candidacy. She will get a nice book deal from Regnery and a new career making personal appearances for 40 grand a pop, and she'll become a trivia question, "What politician claimed foreign policy expertise based on being able to see Russia from her house?" And the rest of us will have to pull ourselves out of the swamp of Republican economics.

Your broker kept saying, "Stay with the portfolio, don't jump ship," and you felt a strong urge to dump the stocks and get into the money market where at least you're not going to lose your shirt, but you didn't do it and didn't do it, and now you're holding a big bag of brown bananas. Me, too. But at least I know enough not to believe desperate people who are talking trash. Anybody who got whacked last week and still thinks McCain-Palin is going to lead us out of the swamp and not into a war with Iran is beyond persuasion in the English language. They'll need to lose their homes and be out on the street in a cold hard rain before they connect the dots.

[AwakeAtLast]

1. K & R!

Keillor just gets better and better! Love it!

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Love Garrison.

They can tell when someone's mouth is moving and the clutch is not engaged. When she said, "One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let's commit ourselves just every day, American people, Joe Sixpack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again. Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars," people smelled gas.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[iamahaingttta]

44. I happen to agree with her there...

"Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars..."

That's right, lady!
NEVER AGAIN are we going to be take advantage of by PEOPLE LIKE YOU!

[Donailin]

62. He's a National Treasure

anyone who can put words together like this

Anyone who got whacked last week and still thinks McCain-Palin is going to lead us out of the swamp and not into a war with Iran is beyond persuasion in the English language.

gets on my top ten list of best people to quote.

And Prairie Home Companion is uploaded on my ipod every week or free. There are still some things to love about this country. :-)

[brer cat]

3. Always on target!

Love Keillor!

K&R and thanks for posting, seafan.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. K&R.

[jazzjunkysue]

5. They'll need to lose their homes and be out on the street in a cold hard rain before they connect th

the dots."

Wrong. They'll drown in ignorance before they'll question their own political choices.

[Festivito]

30. "...before they connect the dots." (If they ever do.)

They are the kind of people no one wants around. They found solace in the ranks of outwardly directed hate of a seemingly common foe.

They won't connect those dots because they can't, and still have some gathering together that has reason to draw them close.

[tosh]

47. Exactly.

[complain jane]

31. They'll blame it on the Dems when they do.

[pretzel4gore]

60. but the gopigs threaten to hold their breaths!

thus the poor dems gotta give in, everytime- to save precious life. It's a dilemma that the US is trapped in (to deny the repugs might cause brain damage or even death if they are w/out oxygen too long) and the democrats are/would be, responsible...i think it's a lost cause. Hey, it's only 12 years anyway, 4 for mcpow and 8 for the reagan gal; so go Obama in twenty twenty!

[Beartracks]

61. They'll add dots to make the picture they want. n/t

[joop]

6. K&R

what an amazing writer. So glad he wrote this and I'll be sending it out.

[truth2power]

32. Liar, liar, pants on fire! Love those pics, Joop...

:rofl: :rofl:

Did you create that?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. I love me some GK

The man is both brilliant and stalwart.

[JimDandy]

8. Down home truthiness, charm and no B.S. n/t

[WallStreetNobody]

9. Leave a comment if you can, no need to register

I just left one defending Keillor, the wingnuts seem to have seized upon it and are tearing the guy up in his comment section.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. Done!

[pamela]

16. Done!

Thanks for the suggestion.

[mwb970]

33. Proving his point, most of them. /nt

[Wednesdays]

10. They'll need to lose their homes...

"They'll need to lose their homes and be out on the street in a cold hard rain before they connect the dots."

On the contrary...

Even if the Republicans came around and burned everybody's houses to the ground, a lot of the people around here would still cheer for them. They are literally that deep into the Kool-aid. :banghead:

[WillyT]

11. Wow !!! - K & R !!!

"Anybody who got whacked last week and still thinks McCain-Palin is going to lead us out of the swamp and not into a war with Iran is beyond persuasion in the English language. They'll need to lose their homes and be out on the street in a cold hard rain before they connect the dots."

:kick:

[political_Dem]

12. I second that Bravo and raise you a standing ovation. ;)

That piece was sensational. I think after GWB, there are a lot of us who are wise to the grifters who run for politics. I know that people fear the low information voters out there. But Sarah Palin represented the ultimate flim flam show that no one can miss.

Her performance last week on the campaign trail should solidify to anyone how dangerous and ruthless she is. The scary thing is that she is doing it without any conscience or thought behind it. Therefore, she does not care about the implications that might happen as a result of her horrible behavior.

[Tatiana]

13. Spot on analysis and very elegantly written. n/t

[kestrel91316]

14. I nominate Mr. Keillor for Secretary of the Department of Common Sense.

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. I second the nomination...(nt)

[Kaleko]

22. Seriously. The DoCS should replace the Dept. of Homeland Security.

[democracy1st]

17. K & R

[Usrename]

19. Well done.

They will never connect the dots.

[bluesbassman]

20. Keillor nailed it here:

She is a chatty sportscaster who lacks the guile to conceal her vacuity, and she was John McCain's first major decision as nominee.

While Joe "Red State" Sixpack might not fully grasp the importance of that statement, you can bet that the independent voters do.

Now more than ever, we need leadership and intelligence. It's clear the McCain/Palin ticket has neither.

K&R for a great post seafan.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

21. This man makes me proud to be a Minnesotan

and he is a national treasure. Good on ya, Garrison!

[minfellman]

65. Sure, you betcha

Gary represents the best of the sate that I love. His sharp wit and scalpel like ability to see through BS is amazing. His audience is vast, but he keeps politics out of his radio show. My 78 year old aunt thought he was a republican-I wish she could have heard "Proud to be a Democrat" speech
on Labor Day as a warm up to John Edwards. I think he is important because he is one of the few democrats who is liked by the brainwashed GOP. I would sure like him to step out more.

[crankychatter]

23. my bs detector goes off the charts with garrisson keillor but then...

even a broken clock is right twice a day, eh?

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. "now you're holding a big bag of brown bananas" LOL!

[Chorophyll]

25. K&R for Garrison Keillor!

He writes better than he sings. ;)

[Zookeeper]

26. Keillor's columns have been so good lately. And I love the fact...

that he drives our MN freepers into a hissy-fit.

[jrockford]

27. I normally don't like him, but I'm glad he's saying this.

[Skittles]

28. If Americans "had an ear for BS", GWB would never have been president

the only reason their BS detectors are on high alert now is because the ecomony is crashing and AFFECTING THEM

[scarface2004]

29. i m with you garrison

you are great.

[RichardRay]

34. '...beyond persuasion in the English language.'

I am going to use that one, I know a few of them and it pretty well sums it up.

Mr. Keillor is as good a writer as he is a raconteur, and that's saying a fair bit.

[frogmarch]

35. K&R! nt

[Snazzy]

36. Seafan you omitted the end of that second para

Not a criticism, per se. I might have done the same in posting (to get to the point of course), but then I hit wiki/google.

It reads in full:

Low dishonesty and craven cynicism sometimes win the day but not inevitably. The attempt to link Barack Obama to an old radical in his neighborhood has desperation and deceit written all over it. Meanwhile, stunning acts of heroism stand out, such as the fidelity of military lawyers assigned to defend detainees at Guantanamo Bay — uniformed officers faithful to their lawyerly duty to offer a vigorous defense even though it means exposing the injustice of military justice that is rigged for conviction and the mendacity of a commander in chief who commits war crimes. If your law school is looking for a name for its new library, instead of selling the honor to a fat cat alumnus, you should consider the names of Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, Lt. Col. Mark Bridges, Col. Steven David, Lt. Col. Sharon Shaffer, Lt. Cmdr. Philip Sundel and Maj. Michael Mori.

Who they are:

Charles D. Swift
Born 1961

Charles D. Swift is a Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) in the U.S. Navy, Judge Advocate General's Corps and Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law. He is assigned to the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions and is most famous for having served as defense counsel for Salim Ahmed Hamdan.<1> Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden captured during the invasion of Afghanistan, was charged in July 2004 with conspiracy to commit terrorism.<2> As Hamdan's legal counsel, Swift, together with the Seattle law firm of Perkins Coie and Georgetown Law Professor Neal Katyal, appealed Hamdan's writ of habeas corpus petition to the U. S. Supreme Court. In Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. , 126 S.Ct. 2749 (2006), the justices ultimately held that the military commission to try Salim Hamdan was illegal and violated the Geneva Conventions as well as the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).<3><4> Ultimately, Swift was passed over for promotion and will have to retire under the military's "up or out" promotion system.<5> Swift stated he learned of being passed over two weeks after the Supreme Court decided in Hamdan's favor.<6>

....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_swift


Published on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 by Reuters
US Military Lawyers Criticize Guantanamo Trials
by Will Dunham

WASHINGTON - The system created by the United States for trials by military tribunal of foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay is fundamentally unfair and hopelessly antiquated, military lawyers assigned to represent these prisoners said on Wednesday.

"We are concerned with virtually every aspect of the military commission process and the impact that will have on our client's chances to get a fair trial," Navy Lt. Cdr. Philip Sundel told Reuters.

Sundel and Army Maj. Mark Bridges were assigned by the Pentagon on Feb. 6 to represent Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul of Yemen.

...

Army Maj. Mark Bridges said he and Sundel plan a defense case that not only challenges evidence presented against al Bahlul, but attacks the foundation of the tribunal process.

....

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0225-12.htm

ACLU to Back Up Defense of 9/11 Detainees


April 4, 2008
Wall Street Journal
By Jess Bravin

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union is spearheading a high-profile effort to defend Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged 9/11 conspirators from conviction and execution by the Bush administration's military commissions at Guantanamo Bay.

Backed by a slate of prominent legal figures, including former Attorney General Janet Reno and former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director William Webster, the ACLU has assembled a team of top civilian attorneys to supplement the military defense counsel assigned to represent Guantanamo's "high-value detainees."

The ACLU has the support of Guantanamo's chief military defense lawyer, Col. Steven David, who says the government hasn't provided him sufficient resources to adequately contest a death-penalty trial.

http://www.nacdl.org/public.nsf/mediasources/20080404b?Opendocument

Lawyers for Guantanamo prisoners lauded
SHOWCASE | March 08, 2006
Two military attorneys, one from the Navy and one from the Air Force, were cited for their “willingness to risk allegations of traitorous behavior” and for challenging “authority by insisting on legal rights for military prisoners.”

By Watchdog Editor

Two military lawyers assigned to defend alleged terrorists imprisoned at Guantanamo have won awards saluting "their commitment to ensuring that due process of law is provided to those charged with criminal offenses."

The December awards to Air Force Lt. Col. Sharon A. Shaffer and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles D. Swift—“Lawyers and Advocates for Justice”—drew no press notice.

The officers each received the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage. The citation cited “their willingness to risk allegations of traitorous behavior by colleagues and disciplinary actions for defying orders from their Commander-in-Chief, their bold challenges to unjust, unfair and arbitrary rules that have led them beyond the military justice system to the U.S. Supreme Court; and their heroic struggle to uphold the Constitution and zealously defend their clients."

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=showcase.view&showcaseid=35&forumaction=post


Military Defenders for Detainees Put Tribunals on Trial
By NEIL A. LEWIS

Published: May 4, 2004

WASHINGTON, May 3 — The Bush administration's plan to use military tribunals to try some of the detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which has faced considerable skepticism, has been receiving some of its sharpest attacks from the military defense lawyers who are participating in the process.

...

Maj. Michael Mori of the Marines, another defense lawyer, said at a London news conference, "The system is not set up to provide even the appearance of a fair trial."

...

Lt. Cmdr. Philip Sundel of the Navy, one of the lawyers, has complained that the tribunal process lacks the needed checks and balances to be fair.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/04/politics/04GITM.html?ei=5007&en=f902e39d6145bdba&ex=1399003200&partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=all&position=

------------

Please, let us not leave out the names of those who continue honor their country and oath by tenaciously defending what is right, just, humane and, until about 8 years ago, American. In fact, Mr. Keillor suggests some monuments, how about we put one here in NY in the gapping gap we still have at ground zero?

Schurz expanded on this theme in a speech delivered at the Anti-Imperialistic Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 17, 1899: “I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves … too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: ‘Our country, right or wrong!’ They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: ‘Our country—when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.’”—Schurz, “The Policy of Imperialism,” Speeches, Correspondence and Political Papers of Carl Schurz, vol. 6, pp. 119–20 (1913). http://www.bartleby.com/73/1641.html

[seafan]

40. Great info, Snazzy, thanks. These men are, indeed, heroes.

I think we will be hearing from many more of them in the very near future.

[Snazzy]

52. Hopefully we can move to shut down gitmo come Jan.

And Keillor is inspiring in many regards, cheers.

[Roland99]

37. He has an incredible way with words. A terrific writer.

[OwnedByFerrets]

38. I never even have to read Garrison's work...

even though I always do, I know beforehand that I will love every word he says. The man is fabulous. Love him.

[DemoTex]

39. My B.S. meter has been pegged for over eight years now.

But Palin threatens to break the needle! Thank you Mr. Keillor.

[LongTomH]

57. You're still using an analog B.S. detector?

Oh well, my digital B.S. detector burned out with Palin's 1st speech! Maybe the analog models will last out the campaign.

[Seldona]

41. Great article.

I left a post at the original link as well in support of Garrison. He is really taking a pounding. Hope is employing at least some security. These McCain supporters seem capable of anything.

[liberal N proud]

42. What he says goes

[Phred42]

43. K & R

always K&R for "Mr America"

[snappyturtle]

45. Such a wonderful style. Thanks Seafan for posting Garrison's article.

G.K. NEVER disappoints me. K&R

[ColonelTom]

46. Best quote in a piece full of 'em:

"the idea that you cut social services and thereby drive the needy into the middle class"

I've never heard the folly of small government and trickle-down economics put more succinctly than this. Beautiful.

[sce56]

48. K & 101st R a true patriot in the line of Ben Franklin speaking the plain truth!

[progressoid]

49. This is too well written for most Americans to understand.

Needs smaller words!

[myrna minx]

50. K&R n/t

[Richard Steele]

51. Wonderfully, powerfully stated. Keillor is a national treasure. K&R

[Beaverhausen]

53. K&R

[Stump]

54. K&R n/t

[beac]

55. K & a BIG R! n/t

[Miss Chybil]

56. It's amazing how many of these dot-connecting impaired people

think Keillor's piece was "journalism." Maybe, if they'd made it past 6th grade they would have learned the difference between opinion and journalism. This is exactly why we need to better fund our education system!

Great job, Mr. Keillor! A thousand recommends!

[stuntcat]

58. THANK YOU!

THAT's what I'm talking about :headbang:

[freyjasfan]

59. This Post,

I have sent this post to everyone I know. Very intelligent and well done. Thank you for publishing this.

Love,
Sharon Lyons

[bjobotts]

63. People supporting these 2 refuse to discuss policies, they only name call

[bjobotts]

64. Insulting and fearmongering is all they know. and all they attract.

[LesserFool]

66. Sarah Palin defines ignorance ...

Sarah Palin defines ignorance ... as in: She does not know what she does not know. Only someone so misinformed could go on saying things with certitude that more educated people know is patently untrue or uncertain. Then again, I wouldn't have expected anything less from an ignoramous that believes the earth is only 6,000 years old and that humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth together.

[greyghost]

67. Pure genius.

[BumRushDaShow]

68. Holy COW!

K&R!

:kick:

[LaStrega]

69. I'm not a native Minnesotan ...

But I'm proud to say I live near Mr. Keillor. And this piece couldn't have come at a better time, considering the (on edit) 'First Dude' being in MN today ... carry on Garrison.

k+r

[trickyguy]

70. How about a cold hard Minnesota winter, Garrison? You're right.

[Cha]

71. Thank you, Garrison!

"..and she'll become a trivia question, "What politician claimed foreign policy expertise based on being able to see Russia from her house?" And the rest of us will have to pull ourselves out of the swamp of Republican economics."

[happygoluckytoyou]

72. PALIN IS A NATIONAL TREASURE.... hope they bury her in Alaska and mark it with an X

W00H00... i was in the middle... undecided... then i decided to vote for mccain. john "the bush republican" mccain. here is how i figure it... we have global warming... and the day sarah palin is the president of the united states of america, hell will freeze over. problem solved. no really. it could happen. when pigs fly, in air force one.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

73. Some Republicans think we need a war to get out of the financial mess....

Heard this at church this morning.

Iran baby! The war that saved America!!

[rniel]

74. Everytime I see one of his essays

I get excited to read it. Grab a cup of coffee and absorb it. He's an amazing writer.

[opiate69]

75. My mom of all people sent me this today..

She's not a Repug (actually, she recently served as her town's Treasurer, as a Democrat), but since she lost a couple friends on 9-11, she has leaned a bit to the right.. was very pleasantly surprised to get this from her.