This Is Why You Don't Want To Play The Dozens With Jon Stewart And The Daily Show

Jon Stewart did a report on Sean Hannity’s support of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy on Monday’s edition of The Daily Show. Little did he know that he started a feud that is now in its fourth day. The report on Monday called Hannity out on his hypocrisy, demonstrating — with video proof — that Hannity is selective about his support of the law:

“Apparently Sean Hannity thinks laws are served buffet-style in that you can pick and choose the ones that you like best. The ones that you don’t like, you don’t have to abide. Well that’s not going to sit well with Fox’s immigration/healthcare law expert pundit, a Mr… Sean Hannity!” (from the video)

 Here’s a link to the video of “Apocalypse Cow."

That report didn’t sit too well with Mr. Hannity, either. On his Tuesday night show, Sean decided to strike back. Calling Stewart “a comedic hack” and declaring The Daily Show “apologists for the Obama administration,” Hannity chose not to simply ignore the TDS segment. Against all common sense, Hannity went to make the claim that Stewart was “obsessed” with him and insisted that TDS writers were “struggling.”

Hannity also wondered what Stewart’s “true feelings” on the Bundy situation were. Did he watch the same video we did? Isn’t it clear what Stewart thinks of Bundy and his ridiculous claims? Pretty sure it does. He also brought up Bill Ayers — using that name is one of the symptoms of Teabagger Tourette’s — and Cat Stevens, who appeared at Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity. Stevens, who was at the event to sing “Peace Train,” is a convert to Islam who supported the fatwa against Salman Rushdie.

It’s possible that Stewart and the TDS staff could have let that go. But Hannity just had to get one more dig in:

“They just can’t give their viewers the facts. They have to spin the story.”

You know that Stewart and the TDS staff couldn’t let that go. They don’t need to “spin” a story; they let the story spin itself. The clips of Hannity are proof that he is being selective when it comes to Americans breaking the law. Hannity’s complaint that the clips go back several years is nonsensical. Why shouldn’t everything he said on this subject be open to review? He tapes and airs it. If he doesn’t want that to happen, he probably should find another line of work.

Which leads us to Wednesday night’s edition of The Daily Show. For the show’s “vulgar and extensive audience” (according to Hannity’s guest Kevin Williamson) the team had a real treat. Containing possibly one of the funniest jokes in the show’s history, it was truly an epic pwning.

See for yourself.


If you don’t know what “bukakke” means, Google it. But, be warned… it’s very NSFW. If you do know (and after the rest find out), perhaps you will agree upon the brilliance of that joke.
Stewart allows that, yes, he is obsessed with Hannity’s show, much as he is with…

“… antibiotic resistant super-bugs, the Pacific garbage patch or the KFC Double Down. Because I just can’t believe in this day and age, with all that we know, this shit is out there. That… humanity… that our society is still weighed down by these burdens of a seemingly more medieval time. Like your show. To see it night after night, serving up the same shit… my god, you’re the Arby’s of news.” (from the video)

The video of Hannity calling Ted Nugent a “friend of the show” after seeing Nugent’s horrible remarks about then-candidates Obama and Clinton, is particularly effective. Whereas Stewart didn’t know about Stevens and the fatwa — as most don’t — Hannity actually showed the video of Nugent. He can’t claim that he didn’t know what the man said.

Stewart calls out Hannity’s paradoxical love of America and support of Bundy (whom he calls a “USAtheist”). How can Hannity claim to love this country, its founders and Constitution yet be so partisan in his application? And George Washington, Hannity’s self-proclaimed favorite Founding Father? What would he do when “an armed group of federal government rejectionists” refused to pay their taxes? It was called the Whiskey Rebellion and the Founding Fathers made sure that the federal government could put that rebellion down legally. Just like they can do with Bundy and his camo-wearin’, gun wavin’ supporters.

All-in-all, this was one of the best skewerings in The Daily Show‘s history; absolute proof that you don’t want to play the Dozens with Jon Stewart and crew. But if Hannity wants to escalate again, he would do well to remember that TDS doesn’t air on Friday. That will give the writers 4 days in which to compose a retaliatory reply. If I were Hannity, I’d stop right here.

Michelle Malkin Hates Obama So Much That She Attacks His Aunt, Who Just Died Of Cancer. Despicable.

Displaying the ugliness in her soul, Michelle Malkin used her latest column to attack a woman who just died of cancer. The fact that she was President Obama’s aunt apparently made that okay. Malkin’s column is full of half-truths, misrepresentations and lies. But, hey, she knows her audience. And the haters likely ate this up.

Zeituni Onyango was the half-sister of Obama’s father. He mentions her in his memoir, Dreams From My Father as “Aunti Zeituni,” even though he didn’t meet her — or any of his father’s side of the family — until he was an adult. She came to the U.S. in 2000, looking for political asylum. Since then, she spent a lot of time in and out of immigration court. In 2010, she finally became a legal resident. During that time, she was fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories and disdain. She died on April 7, 2014 from breast cancer.

It took Michelle Malkin only 3 days to produce her hate-filled rant about Onyango. She must have spent half of it using a thesaurus to look up synonyms for “lazy” and “dependent.” As one would expect from the anti-immigrant Malkin (whose own parents were immigrants), the insults flew fast and thick:

Auntie Zeituni had no job skills, no special talent, no compelling reason to keep her here in America as an asset to our culture or our economy. She didn’t value the American Dream. She was a dependency nightmare. She collected $700 a month in welfare benefits and disability payments totaling $51,000. Somehow, Auntie Zeituni also drummed up money to apply for asylum and finagled her way into both federal and state public housing in Boston.

Onyango was granted asylum to this country four years ago. She, her attorneys and doctors spent five hours with Immigration Judge Leonard I. Shapiro on May 17, 2010. They must have made a convincing case, because Shapiro granted Onyango legal residency and permission to work in the U.S. Yes, she was on disability but that doesn’t automatically make her a “dependency nightmare.” In fact, she did volunteer work for several years before her illness forced her to stop. But I guess that’s not good enough for Malkin. Onyango did not “somehow” get the money for attorneys, it was provided by friends and family in Cleveland’s Kenyan community when Onyango was staying there in 2008 to escape from the hounding of the media.

Onyango also did not “finagle” her way into public housing. She spent two years in a homeless shelter before she was granted an apartment. In exchange, she volunteered as a health advocate for the Boston Housing authority. But, again, Malkin turns her nose up at mere volunteer work.

Malkin also mocks Onyango’s struggle for asylum and her ordeal in fighting deportation:

Auntie Zeituni’s illegal activity and ingratitude were rewarded time and time again. She got multiple bites at the immigration court apple, where it ain’t over till the alien wins. Despite twice being ordered to go home, the feds allowed her bogus case to be reopened. After breaking visa laws, campaign finance laws (she donated illegally to Obama three times), deportation rules and judicial orders, she was allowed to have yet another hearing.

Onyango ‘s travails are well-documented and were brought up during the 2008 campaign in an attempt to smear then-candidate Obama. As stated, Onyango came to the U.S. in 2000, requesting asylum. As she is of the Luo tribe of Kenya — a group described as under “sustained political persecution” — that is not unreasonable. Her initial request was denied and she was told to leave the country but she did not. This is not unusual. Many immigrants who have been denied asylum continue to stay. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement is aware of this but their orders are to “target suspects with criminal records before they go after simple immigration violators.” Since she was not a criminal, Onyango’s case was not terribly important. She was disabled due to back surgery and an auto-immune disorder and, since she had been issued a Social Security card in 2001, her case was not a priority.

As for the donations to her nephew’s campaign, Onyango did contribute five times, all of which amounted to a grand total of $65. When the Obama campaign were advised of this, they returned the donations. Obama did not know all the particulars of his aunt’s immigration status and spokespersons could only confirm that Onyango was, indeed, his aunt. When he was apprised of her situation, Obama said that the applicable laws should be applied no matter who the subject was. Interestingly, reporters who dug into Onyango’s private information — which included her immigration status — were in violation of privacy laws set down by the Department of Homeland Security.

In conclusion, Malkin wrote off Onyango’s life and death because she was Obama’s aunt and, consequently, the wrong color to be deserving of the largesse she was granted by America:

Auntie Zeituni’s story is a disgraceful reminder that the only thing worse than the ingrates thumbing their noses at our immigration laws are the people in power on both sides of the aisle enabling them.

The implication, of course, is that President Obama cleared the way for his aunt to stay in this country. That he not only shielded her from deportation but made sure that she was provided for. Honestly, if that were the case, Onyango surely would not have spent 2 years in a homeless shelter nor be living on less than $700 month. But logic isn’t something Malkin possesses. Not when it comes to President Obama. She, like most on the right, suffers from Obama Derangement Syndrome, so facts and logic fall by the wayside. As Ben Cohen of The Daily Banter rightly observed about Malkin’s “eulogy”:

Onyango was someone’s mother, sister, aunt and friend. She had a hard life and died before her time of an awful disease only four days ago. But fuck her… she was Obama’s aunt.

Here was a woman whose husband abused her, who came to this country for protection due to political persecution and had to fight for 10 years to find relief. She had medical problems, disabilities and, finally, cancer. She was hounded by the media during the 2008 campaign and continued to be the object of scorn by those who hate her nephew even after her death. But, to Michelle Malkin, she was a scapegoat. To Malkin, Onyango was the distillation of all the immigrants who came to this country under circumstances different from her own parents (a work visa). Malkin despises anyone not like her, especially if they are darker than she is. She makes no secret that she thinks blacks are lazy and undeserving. Never mind that the majority of welfare recipients are whites in red states.

Malkin’s vile attack on Onyango should be condemned by every decent American. It was uncalled-for, racist and repugnant. But what can one expect from someone who is so full of hate? Malkin should really heed the words of Coretta Scott King: “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.” But then, Mrs. King was black. And we all know how Malkin feels about “those people.” What a shame.

As for me, I'm sending my condolences to the Obama family. Having lost many friends and family members to "effing cancer" (as some of my friends call it), I can sympathize with the horrible, hopeless feeling that engenders.Blessed Be and Godspeed, Auntie.

Mike Huckabee Says That He's Not A Homophobe: Why That Is Demonstrably False

Speaking at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition on Tuesday, Mike Huckabee told the crowd that he’s “not homophobic.” He’s just “on the right side of the bible.”

“I’m not against anybody. I’m really not. I’m not a hater. I’m not homophobic. But … when people say, ‘Why don’t you just kind of get on the right side of history?’ I said, ‘You’ve got to understand, this for me is not about the right side or the wrong side of history, this is the right side of the Bible, and unless God rewrites it, edits it, sends it down with his signature on it, it’s not my book to change.’”

Well, that’s a bit disingenuous of him: the book apparently IS his to interpret freely. There is nothing in the New Testament about homosexuality, Jesus never spoke about it. You’d never know it, however, the way Huckabee and his ilk talk. Huckabee obviously forgot — or doesn’t care — that this country isn’t governed by the Bible. That’s just par for the course with him, though. Mike Huckabee has a long history of anti-gay remarks. Here are just a handful:

“Public debate today is filled with arguments that, not long ago, would have been dismissed as ridiculous and insupportable. Consider homosexuality, for instance. There have been homosexuals in every human culture. But until recently, who would have dared to suggest that the practice should be accepted on equal footing with heterosexuality, to be thought of as a personal decision and nothing more?” Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, Jun 1, 2007

“… people are who they want to be, and we should respect them for that. But when they want to change the institutions that’ve governed our society for all the years of recorded human history, then that’s a serious change of culture that we don’t just make readily or hurriedly.” Meet The Press, Jan 28, 2007

”I have a problem with changing institutions that have served us. Before we change the definition of marriage to mean something different…” ibid.

“I can proudly say that no one in the race supported traditional marriage more strongly than I did.. While Massachusetts was allowing homosexuals to marry, I was working to help pass a constitutional amendment.” Do The Right Thing, by Mike Huckabee, Nov 18, 2008

“I would try to do the same things that I did as governor of Arkansas, where I led a constitutional amendment that was passed overwhelmingly by our voters that affirmed what marriage is. Marriage is a relationship between one man, one woman, for life.” 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate, Sep 17, 2007

“I think there’s been a real level of being disingenuous on the part of the gay and lesbian community with their goal of civil unions. You don’t go ahead and accommodate every behavioral pattern that is against the ideal. That would be like saying, well, there are a lot of people who like to use drugs, so let’s go ahead and accommodate those who want who use drugs. There are some people who believe in incest, so we should accommodate them. There are people who believe in polygamy, so we should accommodate them.” Interview, The Perspective, April, 2010

“It is now difficult to keep track of the vast array of publicly endorsed and institutionally supported aberrations—from homosexuality and pedophilia to sadomasochism and necrophilia.” Kids Who Kill, by Mike Huckabee, 1998

“They (the government) want to make sure that we have an institution called marriage that really does mean historically that you have a mother and a father because children need the benefit.” Fox Business’ Freedom Watch, 2/25/11

“I do believe that God created male and female and intended for marriage to be the relationship of the two opposite sexes,” he said. “Male and female are biologically compatible to have a relationship. We can get into the ick factor, but the fact is two men in a relationship, two women in a relationship, biologically, that doesn’t work the same.” New Yorker Magazine, June 28, 2010

Huckabee initiated a Chick-Fil-A “buycott” in 2012 in support of Dan Cathy’s anti-gay views. He has been a booster of groups like the Family Research Council, whose leader, Tony Perkins, considers gay men to be sexual predators whose aim is to “recruit” children. Huckabee gave the keynote speech at a convention of Trail Life USA, the anti-gay analogue to the Boy Scouts, which promotes “pray the gay away” therapies.

As a Fox News host, Huckabee has had many anti-gay guests and fully condones remarks like this:

"Public schools can harm students by suggesting that same-sex attractions are natural and unchangeable. Research shows that youth who experience sexual confusion often do so only for a temporary period. To suggest to a student that temporary sexual confusion means the person is homosexual can be damaging and harmful. The information provided by the ‘Facts About Youth’ website is invaluable for anyone who works with children.” Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, April 7, 2010

Staver also took umbrage with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano:

“Twenty percent of the state judicial appointments Napolitano made as governor were of homosexuals, reflecting her pro-homosexual agenda.” Liberty Counsel, 10/5/09 (something which is completely untrue, by the way)

Other guests…

“If you’re still having a hard time discerning what to do, here’s a helpful hint: if you find yourself on the same side as the ACLU, homosexual activists, the baby killers and the enemies of God, chances are, you’re on the wrong side.” Janet Porter, WorldNetDaily, 6/8/10

“…  he (President Obama) has such a beautiful family and he continued to advocate breaking up that family by interjecting this sort of foreign object called gay marriage. And it just doesn’t fit.” Rev. Anthony Evans, Huckabee, 2/26/11

As if this isn’t enough to contradict Huckabee’s assertion that he’s not anti-gay, there’s this little gem, which he dropped into the speech as an example of how to stand by their convictions. Even if they must do it alone:

“Because the fact is we don’t like to do things by ourselves. We really don’t. Guys like to go fishing with other men. They like to go hunting with other men. Women like to go to the restroom with other women. I don’t get that. I can tell you this much: if I ever say, ‘I have to go to the restroom’ and some guy says, ‘I’ll go with you,’ he ain’t goin’ with me. That much I know.” (source)

Huckabee certainly seems to be very defensive about another man heading to the bathroom with him. Maybe a bit too defensive. You know what they say about men who protest too much.

Radio Iowa has a recording of Huckabee’s speech, in case you want to hear for yourself.

Can we talk for a minute about the idea that allowing marriage equality is "re-defining" marriage? Because the definition of marriage has undergone many permutations, including a few perpetrated by the Christian church.

In ancient Rome, before Christianity dominated, Juno was the deity who governed marriage. As protectress of women, she regulated every aspect of marriage from the arranging of the union to the birth of the children. Her Priestesses – and only they – performed the wedding rites. The idea that a man would presume to sanctify a union was unthinkable. 

When Christianity became the predominant religion, wedding ceremonies were no longer performed at all, leaving the wedded state with no place in canon law. Marriages were performed outside the Church, literally on the steps, where a priest performed a simple blessing on the couple. And it remained that way for centuries until the fourth Lateran Council in 1215, when it was legalized and a ceremony added to the liturgy. When this occurred, folk memory said that June is the month in which weddings were most blessed. Until that time, marriage fell under the auspices of common law, meaning that the union could be terminated by either party at any time for any reason. So when people complain that marriage equality would be “redefining marriage” they have no idea what they are talking about. The Church itself did that very thing at least twice in its history.

So, this nonsense that "we can't re-define marriage" is exactly that. Marriage has been defined by every culture, in every era to be that which suited society best. In the 21st century, our society is served best by everyone being equal. Everyone should be able to marry the person they love. That should be the only prerequisite to marriage. Either the Fundamentalists will catch up with the rest of us or they will become irrelevant.

Glenn Beck's Paranoia Is Frying His Brain.

The announcement last week that 7.1 million Americans have signed up for Obamacare didn’t sit well with the right. From John Boehner’s complete disconnect to Anne Coulter’s “pants on fire” lies about her friend (for the sole purpose of discrediting the ACA), the right is frantically trying to negate the good news. But Glenn Beck apparently thinks those reactions are too subtle…

On his TV/radio show last week, Beck had a meltdown worthy of a diva ( though I’d call him more of a devo). He metaphorically stomped his feet as he fumed about how the 7.1 million figure had to have been made up. Not only that, but the “rat bastards” in the media don’t ever call the President out on his “lies.” Because we all know how much the “liberal media” hates to call Obama out on anything. Damn, Glenn, don’t you even watch your old network anymore?


To hear Glenn Beck talk, you’d think that the President had ordered all conservatives rounded up and forced medical care on them:

“This guy, you put him in a military uniform, I’m not kidding you, you put him on a balcony in a military uniform, this guy is a full-fledged dictator…. He’s a sociopath!  He’s sociopathic!”

A dictator? Oh, Glenn. Don’t you own a dictionary? Or a good history book? For someone who claims to be a historian, you sure know very little about history. Actual dictators don’t have a Congress to bully and stymie them at every turn. If President Obama was actually a dictator, you wouldn’t be on the air anymore. But, there you are, howling about how awful it is that your fellow Americans now have medical insurance. We know you’d be happier if everyone either went bankrupt or died if they were struck with catastrophic illness. What a good Christian you are.

Beck spent about an hour jabbering about President Obama and the “liberal media” and how they were conspiring to drive him crazy or something. Even the Republicans are helping! If they are all colluding to drive Glenn Beck nuts, they’ve done a good job of it. But look what they started with. No matter. Beck concluded that he would not give his enemies any more attention. Oh no, they weren’t going to have Glenn Beck to kick around anymore. He’s just not going to pay attention to them, so there!

“I am not going to waste my life! I have a right to pursue my happiness, I have a right to do what I was born to do!” He then concluded, “My state of mind is great.”

Um… okay. If you say so, Glenn. But that didn’t last long. Coming back from a break, Beck started in on how terrible it was that 7.1 million Americans now had medical insurance. How horrid that the President was responsible and how awful the media were for not pointing out the “lies.” Except they’re not lies. And that’s probably what has driven Glenn Beck over the edge.


Let’s help Glenn Beck out with a couple of definitions.... According to the dictionary, a dictator is someone who is “… exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.” Or even with it, as we’ve seen in North Korea.

There have been many dictators throughout history. Read about Vlad Tepes (Dracula, to you), Idi Amin, Kim Il Sung (or his son and grandson), Joseph Stalin or Robert Mugabe: they were dictators. These men, and others like them, killed millions of their own people, instituted onerous laws and ruled their countries with an iron fist. Under their rule, the people did not hold elections. They were subject to the whims of their “dear leaders” as those men stripped them of their human rights. Dictators hold themselves as more important than the people over which they rule. They usually live in splendor, with luxurious surroundings, and eat the finest food while their people live in squalor and go hungry. The citizens of a dictatorship have no free speech, freedom of assembly or freedom of religion. They can’t bear arms legally. They can be arrested for anything at any time with no due process. Maybe Glenn Beck needs to do some research before slinging that word around so blithely.

As for the President being a sociopath? Well, the dictionary defines that as “a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.” That sure sounds familiar but not applied to President Obama. That actually sounds more like… well, I’m sure you can think of a few people. Perhaps even Glenn Beck, who should remember the admonition in the book he claims to follow about throwing stones.

Another Measles Outbreak Points Out The Need For Vaccinations.

It’s been almost a decade since Andrew Wakefield revealed his bogus study concluding vaccines cause autism. That study — which was the result of falsified data — has since been discredited. But not before it got the “anti-vax” movement rolling. We are now reaping what their ignorance and hysteria has sown and it’s not pretty.

The statistics on measles outbreaks reveal an alarming trend: a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last December showed the highest rates in seventeen years. This rise is directly attributable to the anti-vax movement.


Health officials in Southern California say that the current outbreak in that area is the worst in decades. So far this year, twenty-one people in Orange County have been diagnosed with measles. Seven of those were so ill that they had to be hospitalized. Neighboring Los Angeles and Riverside Counties have seen 10 and 5 cases, respectively. It’s important to understand that measles is not just a rash: it can lead to death in about 20% of cases. Pneumonia or encephalitis are two of the most serious complications of measles and both can be deadly.

Measles can be easily spread through infected fluids. That it has been so virulent in Orange County is alarming and for good reason. Orange County is the home of Disneyland. That should be enough to unnerve everyone. The sheer number of children who visit the Disney Parks and the vast array of places from which they come (and return to) is staggering. Should even one infected child visit the parks, the measles could go home with tens of thousands of other children (and adults). Considering that about 10% of parents delay or prevent their kids from being vaccinated, that’s a scary thought.


It’s not just children who need to worry. The measles vaccine wears off over time and adults who have not either had the measles as a child or been vaccinated are susceptible. This is another reason why the refusal of parents to vaccinate their children is not just a personal choice. Because vaccination rates have decreased, the “herd immunity” has decreased as well. This leaves everyone — adults and children — at risk. And not just from measles: incidents of mumps  and whooping cough (among other diseases) have also increased. It’s bad enough that kids are suffering, but adults who contract mumps can become sterile and whooping cough in adults can lead to COPD or pneumonia.

It’s not often that such a direct cause-and-effect can be pinpointed. We know, without a doubt, that not vaccinating children against measles, mumps, diphtheria, pertussis and other preventable diseases has led to an increase of cases. And for what? The so-called “study” that started the whole thing was bogus. Modern vaccines use the minimum amount of dead or weakened antigens to provide immunity, making that argument a non-starter. Thimerosal, one of their boogeymen, has never been used in MMR vaccines and has been eliminated from all but flu vaccines and even then in minute amounts. The anti-vax movement, however, refuses to accept medical science and continues to withhold vaccines from their children. Not only are they endangering their families, they are endangering all of us.

Science blogger David Gorsky has been writing about the anti-vax movement for a few years. He has researched every "study" and every "result" with a scientific eye. And his conclusions reflect my own.

"... the anti-vaccine movement is one of the most dangerous forms of pseudoscience, a form of quackery that, unlike most forms of quackery, endangers those who do not partake of it by breaking down herd immunity and paving the way for the resurgence of previously vanquished diseases. However, anti-vaccine beliefs share many other aspects with other forms of quackery, including the reliance on testimonials rather than data. Even so, although the intelligentsia (and I do use the term loosely) of the anti-vaccine movement realizes and exploits the power of anecdotes and testimonials and how human beings tend to value such stories over dry scientific data, leaders of the anti-vaccine movement realize that science is overwhelmingly against them and that testimonials alone are not adequate to counter that science in the realm of public policy and relations."

Exactly. Why otherwise intelligent people continue to believe this nonsense just boggles the mind. 

The body count laid at the anti-vaxxers’ feet so far is 1,375 since 2007. The cases of preventable illness are even higher: over 130,000 Americans have become sick from diseases that were virtually wiped out before the turn of the 21st century. The anti-vax movement relied on false data and celebrities with no medical training. And all that has caused is suffering and death.

Yes, autism is terrible. I can’t imagine having an autistic child and those who do have my awed admiration. I understand that it is comforting to have a reason for autism, a place to lay blame. However, vaccinations are not it. Modern medicine doesn’t yet know what causes autism. Let’s hope that they do discover its cause — and a way to treat or cure it — very soon. But it’s unreasonable to endanger other children and families in the meantime. This isn’t a private matter anymore, not when others are falling ill and dying from a disease like measles, which should be relegated to the dustbin of medical history. Please. Don’t let other children die because you are afraid of the bogeyman. Vaccinate your children. It’s the right thing to do.

My Top 10 Political Films

This list was gleaned from the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Films Of All Time, an informal poll among friends and fellow movie lovers, and my own preferences. I claim no special insight or influence, I’m just a woman who loves movies and enjoys discussing and dissecting them. Here is my list of 10 of the best political films ever in no particular order:

Dr. Strangelove (1964): While this is often cited as the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s classic has a serious undertone in its satirical look at the Cold War. The story concerns General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), an off-kilter military man with an unhealthy obsession with “precious bodily fluids,” who sends a squadron of B-52 bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviets react poorly, of course, threatening with a so-called “Doomsday Device.” As the U.S. president (Peter Sellers) negotiates with his Soviet counterpart, the world hangs by a thread. Sellers (who plays 3 parts, including the president and a British military officer) does a stellar turn as the title character, a mad scientist in the mold of Werner von Braun. George C. Scott is brilliant as General Buck Turgidson, who advises the POTUS with statistics about “acceptable losses,” a scary look at how some top military brass were said to have thought back then (and even still). Hilarious dialogue (“You can’t fight here! This is the war room!”) and the image of Slim Pickens’s Colonel Kong riding the bomb down to its target made this film a part of our cultural vocabulary. Many younger folks haven’t seen this because it’s in black & white (come on kids, you’re more sophisticated than that), but it should be in the library of every cinephile of any age.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939): This film appears on almost every list of this kind and with good reason. Part of that is an Oscar-nominated performance by James Stewart, highlighted by his impassioned speech before Congress. He plays Jefferson Smith, a small town hero chosen to serve as an interim senator. All gung-ho, Smith heads to Washington with optimism only to be confronted with the reality of the corruption he finds. In one of American cinema’s most iconic scenes, Smith filibusters the Senate in an attempt to reveal its corrupt nature. It is considered to be an unreal depiction of the Hill but it may not be as far off the mark as it used to be. Plus, it features one of the greatest performances of Stewart’s career. Get over the black & white cinematography and get into Jimmy Stewart’s performance.

The American President (1995): This dramedy about a widowed U.S. president and a lobbyist who fall in love shows that we love our screen presidents to be handsome and charming. Well, Hollywood is all about fantasy, right? We also love a good romance, even though the idea of the president and a lobbyist in bed together for anything other than making money to their mutual benefit is the height of fantasy. But Michael Douglas and Annette Benning make a lovely couple and it doesn’t hurt that the script by Aaron Sorkin is clever and witty. Oh, and Rob Reiner directing? Perfection.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962): The original version, thank you very much. John Frankenheimer’s tale of a former Korean War POW who was brainwashed by Communists into becoming a political assassin is a tense thriller. Brilliant performances by Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra (yes, that Frank Sinatra!) make this a real must-see. Anyone who only knows Lansbury from her voice role as Mrs. Potts is in for a real surprise here! The plot may seem a bit outdated but replace “communist” with the political villain de jour and you’ll get it. The remake tried but just didn’t recapture the sense of menace. You will never look at a deck of cards the same way again.

All The King’s Men (1949): Adapted from Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, this tale of Louisiana governor Hugo Long’s career is a true classic (though the names have been changed). Oscar winner Broderick Crawford is Willie Stark, a backwoods lawyer who rides a wave of populism to get into the governor’s mansion. Of course, he immediately turns his back on his ideals, becoming just another crooked politician. Once ensconced, Stark deals with enemies, becomes quite familiar with corruption and infidelity and generally goes to the dark side. Trying to help him along the way are a reporter (John Ireland) and Stark’s campaign assistant (Mercedes McCambridge). She, of course, wants Stark to leave his wife in order to marry her. Eventually, Stark’s karma comes back to bite him and he pays for his corruption even as it looks like he might escape his gloomy future. All The King’s Men was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three, including Best Picture. The film was remade in 2006 with Sean Penn playing Stark, and the less I say about that, the better. Watch the original.

The Candidate (1972): In a brilliant satire (released during Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign), Robert Redford is Bill McKay, a liberal attorney who takes on an incumbent Republican senator for his seat. Campaign operative Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) signs on to get McKay elected but only on the condition that McKay is allowed to speak his mind. Which he does – by preaching truth and honesty. This makes him surprisingly popular in the polls, the public loving his refreshing candor. But, as always, the candidate finds himself losing sight of his original idealism and becoming seduced by the power and the powers-that-be. The Candidate was a critical and box office hit, and earned Jeremy Lerner (a former political speechwriter) the Oscar for Best Screenplay.

Milk (2008): Sean Penn stars in the story of Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official. The film uses archival footage, working it into the narrative to provide atmosphere as it tells Milk’s story from his 40th birthday until his death. Gus van Sant does a lovely job, not trying to make Harvey Milk into anything but the human being he was and guiding Josh Brolin in a difficult part as killer Dan White. Sean Penn was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black picked up a statue for his original screenplay. Every modern political activist should see this film if only to see how we can keep our humanity while fighting for that of others.

JFK (1991): New Orleans DA Jim Garrison is depicted by Kevin Costner in one of the few films I actually like him in (sorry, Costner fans). Garrison knew there was more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story and he was determined to prove it. To that end, he talks to witnesses, doggedly chasing down the story. The film chronicles his investigation and the trial of Clay Shaw, chasing various key figures in the assassination down rabbit holes into even more labyrinths. The cast is stellar, including Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Gary Oldman, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci and Kevin Bacon. The enjoyment of this film depends a lot on one’s own theories about the Kennedy assassination and is one of those love-it-or-hate it kind of movies. It’s obvious that I am the former (the fact that we lived in Nawlins during this time and my mother knew Garrison might bias me a little). JFK won 2 Oscars: one for cinematography and one for editing. Both Jones and director Oliver Stone were nominated but didn’t win.

All The President’s Men (1976): One of the best films about the juncture of politics and journalism, this is the tale of reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who uncovered the details of the Watergate scandal. This film is still shown to journalism students and rightly so. It tells the story very clearly and concisely, following the reporters as they “follow the money” at the direction of their informant, Deep Throat. When the real identity of Deep Throat came out in 2005, it created a brief upsurge in interest for the film in the public. But those of us who are fond of it never forgot it. The cast is brilliant, including one of my all-time favorites, Jason Robards, who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee. Screenwriter William Goldman was also awarded a statue for his adapted screenplay. This one is an absolute must for any fan of politics or journalism, or both.

V For Vendetta (2005): The only film on my list to be adapted from a graphic novel, this story of a shadowy freedom fighter known only as “V” is one of the few such adaptations to succeed, in my opinion (yes, I am aware of the change of cause and it works even so). Even though we never see his face, Hugo Weaving is masterful as the mysterious V and Natalie Portman has just the right amount of vulnerability mixed with iron strength and, in actually shaving her head, showed an admirable dedication to her craft. I also loved Stephen Fry’s turn as Evey’s former boss; such an understated bit of acting. Creator Alan Moore was not happy with the film and gave all his profits to the artist who drew the graphic novel, also denying any credits for the original story. That’s really too bad because, even though it’s freedom instead of anarchy, the underlying message is the same: burn for your truth and you will catch others alight, too.

What are your favorite political films? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to Earth Day Network (via the The Sierra Club): "This sculpture by Issac Cordal in Berlin is called "Politicians discussing global warming."