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July 29, 2009

The Ultimate Rubber Chicken

Classic.  You can't get a better rubber chicken than this.

Facing the first real rough patch of his presidency, President Obama and his supporters are once again resorting to a tried-and-true tactic: attacking George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

In his White House press conference last week, Mr. Obama referred to the Bush era at least nine times, three times lamenting that he "inherited" a $1.3 trillion debt that has set back his administration's efforts to fix the economy.

With the former president lying low in Dallas, largely focused on crafting his memoirs, Mr. Obama has increasingly attempted to exploit Mr. Bush when discussing the weak economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the difficulty closing the military prison at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

As he took power, Mr. Obama promised a "new era of responsibility" that would transcend partisan politics.

"For a guy who campaigned on taking responsibility and looking forward, he spends an awful lot of time pointing fingers and looking backward," said former Bush deputy press secretary Tony Fratto, who has begun defending the previous administration.

But the money quote comes from Democrat strategist Liz Chadderdon:

Voters have short memories. The administration needs to remind people that things were way worse over the last four years than in the last six months.

You hear that voters, you have short memories and you need to be reminded of how bad things were.  Reminded over and over until a falsehood becomes true.

 

Posted by Ed Z at 08:33 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 08, 2009

Rubber Chicken Alert: Megan Fox

I know, I know.  I haven't posted anything in a while.  While I have been busy, I'll confess it more laziness or perhaps a case of the blogging blahs.  But what could be better help you snap out of a funk than a good 'ole Rubber Chicken!

If memory serves, this is the first post-Bush rubber chicken entry.  Not that there haven't been any, (just turn on the television or read a paper) but I suppose the definition has changed slightly.

During the Bush presidency, just mentioning his name in a disparaging way was enough to get your rubber chicken waving but now some of the alternative targets have come front and center to take the heat.  Transformers star Megan Fox covers most of them in a recent interview (via Newsbusters):

When asked how she would stop the ruthless Megatron from demolishing the world, Fox first said that she would “barter with him.” She then, however, went on to say, “... and instead of the entire planet, can you just take out all of the white trash, hillbilly, anti-gay, super bible-beating people in Middle America?"

Wait, was that before or after they purchase tickets to Transformers 2?

According to IMDB, Megan Fox was born in Tennessee and, at the age of 10, moved to Florida.  Maybe those 10 years in Tennessee were awful?  Sounds like a girl who hates where she came from and couldn't wait to run off to Hollywood.

Either way, a rubber chicken indeed.

Posted by Ed Z at 11:58 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 25, 2008

Rubber Chicken Alert: Will Smith

It is a textbook example of a Rubber Chicken; Will Smith, while promoting his latest movie I won't see, let this quote loose:

You know I just, I just came back from Moscow, Berlin, London and Paris and it's the first, I've been there quite a few times in the past five to 10 years. And it just hasn't been a good thing to be American. And this is the first time, since Barack has gotten the nomination, that it, it was a good thing.

So Will, for the first time in 10 years it is good to be American?

Forbes has Will ranked #11 in its list of top 100 celebrities for 2008 earning an estimated $80 million for the year.  In 2007 he was ranked #57 earning $31 million, in 2006 ranked #49 with $25 million and in 2005 he was ranked #13 earning $35 million.

Pulling in $171 million over the past four years, I'd say American life has been pretty good to Mr. Smith.  Maybe that little dip between 2005 and 2006 is what he's talking about?  Oh the humanity!

Posted by Ed Z at 10:36 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 06, 2008

Celebrity September 11 Conspiracy Club

Rubber Chickens abound!  The Washington Times takes a look at the growing Celebrity September 11 Conspiracy Club.  But as the article points out, there is barely a blink when one Hollywood's own spews this nonsese.  Possibly because anything that is anti Bush is ok by them.

Yet in a liberal Hollywood where to express skepticism about man-made global warming is to be labeled — with all its obvious connotations — a "denier," Miss Cotillard's insinuation that the U.S. government was complicit — by its silence, if nothing else — in the destruction of the Twin Towers and the murder of 3,000 people has elicited nary a peep in condemnation.

Where, one is compelled to ask, is the outrage on the left?

The article quotes David Horowitz explaining that believing in these conspiracy theories is an act of denial.  A conclusion I wrote about a while back in my post, Conspiracy Becomes Mainstream.  In it I wrote:  It's easier to believe your government did this because you can vote them out of power, they can be held accountable, you can scream, spit venom, and call for impeachments without fear of retribution. It is easier to sleep at night when there really aren't fanatics waiting to blow your morning flight out of the sky.

Posted by Ed Z at 05:32 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 29, 2006

Rubber Chicken Alert

Prior to a screening of his film "World Trade center", Oliver Stone pulled out a rubber chicken blasting Bush and the war.  I'm sure they lapped it all up.

"From Sept. 12 on, the incident (the attacks) was politicized and it has polarized the entire world," said Stone. "It is a shame because it is a waste of energy to see that the entire world five years later is still convulsed in the grip of 9/11.

"It's a waste of energy away from things that do matter which is poverty, death, disease, the planet itself and fixing things in our own homes rather than fighting wars with others. Mr. Bush has set America back 10 years, maybe more."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060929/ap_en_mo/film_oliver_stone

The other quote that caught my eye was Stone saying, ""I think that conspiracy-mongering on 9/11 is a waste of time".  Let's see how much time he wastes making a movie about 9/11 conspiracy theories, as has been the rumor.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:35 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 25, 2006

Rubber Chicken Alert

Its origins are questionable, but simply put, the rubber chicken is just a comedy prop that has been around probably longer than the whoopee cushion. The gag is so old the prop now represents hackneyed gags; when in doubt pull out the rubber chicken for a guaranteed laugh.

So I have this theory about celebrities, which I suppose by my standards includes actors, musicians, comedians, and authors (though their actually celebrity status may be in question), that when desperate to get attention they rely on their own rubber chicken - bashing Bush.

Are you're an aspiring comedian or perhaps you've been around for a while but your material is getting stale? Or are you a washed up musician in need of a hit album or tour promotion? An actor looking to plug a new movie or a neophyte looking to get in the door? All you need is a rubber chicken.

The latest Rubber Chicken is showing up at George Michael's latest tour. Drudge was running a link to the story. Roger Waters floated his a few weeks ago, but he cleverly disguised it as a pig. Even Burt Bacharach whipped out his rubber chicken a while back.

Going forward, I'll have a Rubber Chicken Alert when it makes an appearance.

Posted by Ed Z at 01:41 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (5)