Stuff We Really, Really Don't Love

 
By Sniffles

The very type of storm that scientists and others have been warning us about for years slammed the East Coast of the United States yesterday. With all the damage and the deaths and the vast inconveniences to people's lives, the 2012 superstorm has finally gotten some politicians talking about long-range planning for climate change.

That brings Cheshire-cats grins to our furry faces. But our satisfaction is tempered by the knowledge that one of our nation's two political parties believes that global warming is a hoax. One of our nation's two political parties officially supports a budget that would gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency and hold disaster dollars hostage to matching spending cuts. One of our nation's two political parties thinks that paying for weather satellites and hurricane centers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a waste of money.

And what did that political party's nominee for President of the United States do today — the guy that the party that doesn't believe in climate change or federal disaster assistance or NOAA thinks should live in the White House? He carried bags of donated crap at a cravenly retooled campaign event in the key battleground state in the country. Willard Mitt Romney pretended to care about the 47 percent of America he loathes by collecting stuff that the Red Cross doesn't even want. (They prefer your money or your blood, thank you very much.)

This is one of the most obscene things Romney has ever done. Ever. Really. Not just because he's so transparently insincere — but because he heads a party that doesn't just refuse to fix the long-range problems that our country faces, but is unwilling to commit the resources to help our citizens in need.

So, we cats SNARL in Willard's simpering face. We hack up a hairball on his crisply pressed Brooks Brothers slacks. And we dump our dirty litter boxes over his perfectly coiffed and oh-so-carefully-dyed hair.

Election Day cannot come soon enough.

Oh, Those Naughty FEMA People!

By Baxter

We cats are hunkered down today, waiting for the meaty part of the 1,000-mile-wide phenomenon known as "Frankenstorm" to hit Northern Virginia. It's times like this that we're glad the government is around — to tell people what to do before the hurricane, and to help pick up the pieces afterward.

So on that note, enjoy this blast from the past: Willard Mitt Romney's ridiculous take on federal disaster aid.

We cats hope a tree falls on his house in New Hampshire.

The Romney Ground Game

 

By Zamboni

We cats took this photo of the Willard Mitt Romney headquarters in Manassas, Virginia at about 3:30 PM today. Not much going on there. By contrast, the Obama headquarters a few blocks away had already seen about 100 volunteers turn up to go canvassing.

Do we have to point out that Prince William County is considered the most important swing county in our very important swing state? Hm.

When you believe you're entitled to the Presidency, you apparently think you don't have to get out and ask for people's votes. We cats HISS.

Woe Is Willard: Slogging Through Sandy Edition

By Miss Kubelik

We cats don't have a lot of time to post this morning because we're going out to scratch on doors. But we just couldn't let that photo of the ever-repellent John Sununu stay at the top of the blog.

A new Washington Post poll shows President Obama ahead of Willard Mitt Romney here in Virginia by four points. That's welcome news as we throw ourselves into the ground game today. And it's a reminder that as breathless as the coverage is on cable TV, more sober heads remind us that to win, Romney has to run the table. We don't.

And yes, that hurricane-tropical-storm-blizzard-thingy that's coming our way is not our idea of a good time. (We cats hate getting wet.) But we just have to grab our canvassing clipboards and umbrellas and push through. See you later!

Granite State Gasbag

By Sniffles

We cats are picturing the entire state of New Hampshire looking for a paper bag to wear on its head today, now that its former Governor (and co-chair of the Willard Mitt Romney campaign) has managed to burst into the headlines with yet another ignorant, racist remark.

This time, Sununu's target was Colin Powell, who endorsed President Obama's re-election yesterday. Clearly, Sununu declared, Powell was only supporting Obama because they're both black.

We cats are not black ourselves, but we're getting awfully tired of these Republican white men saying rude and disrespectful things about people who are Not Like Them: women, African Americans, Latinos, immigrants, gays and lesbians, the poor, you name it. And worse, Willard says not one word of reproof. This disqualifies him from the Presidency. Plain and simple.

P.S.: Speaking of New Hampshire, Senator Kelly Ayotte canceled a campaign appearance with Richard "God Wants You To Be Raped" Mourdock this week. Guess his comments at Monday's night's debate were just too over the top. But what we want to know is this: Why was it okay for Ayotte to campaign for that jackass in the first place?

What Was That About "Thirteen Days"?

By Baxter

Is it just a coincidence that we're marking the 50th anniversary of the Missiles of October? Election 2012 is so close that it's starting to feel like a similar case of World Saved or World Doomed.

But here's the difference: Unlike the US-Soviet showdown in 1962, you don't have to sit passively by and wait to hear if Armageddon approaches. You can take action. Join the ground game — phone voters, knock on doors — and give money. In fact, we cats have made the latter option easy for you. Here goes!

If you're a woman and you don't want Richard Mourdock or Todd Akin to control your destiny — including your access to affordable, insurance-covered healthcare services and abortion even (or perhaps especially) if you are raped — send some money to Joe Donnelly of Indiana here, or Claire McCaskill of Missouri here.

If you want to put an Iraq war hero in Congress, and send Joe "Women Never Die In Childbirth" Walsh packing, contribute to Tammy Duckworth of Illinois here.

If you're tired of rich Republican women pretending to be liberal in a blue state, shoot some money Chris Murphy's way here.

If you believe that a guy who calls a person of color "macaca" to his face has no business in the US Senate, make a donation to Tim Kaine of Virginia here.

If you think that Tammy Baldwin is cool, or just that Tommy Thompson and his birther son are assholes, click here.

If you want to beat back the moneyed interests and protect workers' rights in Ohio, make a gift to Sherrod Brown here.

If you want the Democrats to hang onto our Senate seat in Big Sky Country, send some love Jon Tester's way here.

If you're tired of Scott Brown's cute naked hypocritical butt in Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, send Elizabeth Warren a few bucks here.

If you think it would be neat to see a scrappy Democratic woman beat a Neanderthal Republican in North Dakota, donate to Heidi Heitkamp here.

If you want to help snub Willard Mitt Romney in the battleground state of Nevada (and encourage all that fun Republican chaos there), support Shelley Berkley for Senate by clicking here.

If you'd like to make John McCain pay for his stupid "build the dang wall" TV commercial, you can help make Rich Carmona his fellow Senator from Arizona with a visit to here.

If you want to see Bob Kerrey back on Capitol Hill, you can contribute to him here.

If you're sick of angry white teabaggers and the hijacking of the Gadsden flag, help out Bob Casey of Pennsylvania here.

If you never want to see or hear Allen West again, send money to Patrick Murphy by visiting here.

Remember, it doesn't have to be a lot — as little as five dollars will do. And you won't have to pledge to remove your obsolete missiles from Turkey later. We cats PURR.

They Call Them "The Dark Ages" For A Reason

By Zamboni

You know how when we cats say that every time we think the Republicans can't get any worse, they do? Well, this time they may have actually hit rock bottom (although we're willing to be surprised).

We refer, of course, to teabagger Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's assertion that God wants women to be raped. Sorry, Dick — you can protest all you want, but if you think God wants a child to be born from unlawful carnal knowledge, then that's what you mean. And just for the record, that makes you your first name.

The amusing part of all this is that it's caught Willard Mitt Romney quite off guard, because he just — just! — cut a TV ad for this Mourdock nutcase. Severely Conservative Mitt rises, Moderate Mitt recedes. Media, the ball's in your court.

But all kidding aside, we cats are appalled. This God-wants-rape comment is just the latest in a long string of Republican statements that are anti-women, anti-science and anti-reproductive health. Shall we review a few of them?

"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." —Todd Akin

"You can't find one instance" in which an abortion would be necessary to save a woman's life. "There is no such exception as 'life of the mother,' and as far as 'health of the mother,' same thing." —Joe Walsh

"There are very dangerous consequences" to the HPV vaccine. —Michele Bachmann

Contraception "is not okay, because it's a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be." —Rick Santorum

"Back in my day, [women] used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly." —Santorum (now Romney) supporter Foster Friess

"If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it, and I'll tell you what it is. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch." —Rush Limbaugh

"Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that." —Willard Mitt Romney

Have you noticed something here? With the exception of Bachmann, these jerks are all men.

Here's what we cats think: No woman living beneath Ann Romney's socioeconomic level should ever, ever think that Willard — or any Republican — would support her choices, care about her health, or do anything to help her and her family. They simply won't. We cats HISS.

How Willard Sees The World

Tidbits and Cat Treats: Foreign Policy Wipeout Edition

By Miss Kubelik

We cats have spent the last few weeks mightily focused on the Election 2012 ground game. It's one of the responsibilities that comes with living in a battleground state. In fact, this past Saturday, Team Obama knocked on more than 23,000 doors in our little corner of Virginia alone (and more than 250,000 across the Commonwealth the whole weekend). Match that, Willard Mitt Romney.

But we also understand the importance of the Presidential debates. And thanks to Willard's, shall we say, "not optimal" performance last night, it appears we've taken three out of four. Which makes us PURR.

So, on to a few observations:

No doubt about it: When it's boys versus the girls in the moderator sweepstakes, the girls win, paws down.

Quick, anyone know where Mali is?

On that note, has anyone seen the Worst Person Who's Ever Lived lately? Because his ghost sure hung over Willard last night.

Paul Ryan has proven that he's not only heartless and creepy, but also not that bright. He says he "just doesn't understand" President Obama's point about our military having changed since 1916. We guess that he knows no American history predating the 1950s — the decade his social policies would take us all back to, by the way.

And speaking of which — wow, our hapless Governor, "Transvaginal Bob" McDonnell, has really embarrassed himself with that flailing tweet about how the President "insulted" the Navy. Bob, the Jerk Store called — they're looking for you.

Finally, we cats are resisting the urge to be frustrated at those declaring last night's meetup a draw. The pundits are so invested in the horse race, they refuse to admit the obvious. (See our reference, above, to winning "three out of four.") Oh, well. The bottom line is that Willard still has a narrower path to 270, and we've got the better organization. We'd rather be Us than Them.

Woe Is Willard: Errol Flynn Edition

We cats will be back later with some post-debate commentary, but in the meantime, we simply had to post this picture.

And While We're At It, Here's The Other McGovern We Admired

We cats started this blog the year after Eleanor McGovern died. But it doesn't mean she isn't among the Human Beings We Will Miss.

The Legacy of George McGovern

By Sniffles

Vice President Biden issued a warm and graceful statement on the death of Senator George McGovern today.

"I was honored to serve with him, to know him, and to call him a friend. George believed deeply in public service. It defined him as a Senator and as a man... Above all, George McGovern was a generous, kind, honorable man."

Ah, for more people like that in public service. It is they, truly, who are missed — which was the sad reality that the Vice President's remarks left unspoken. We cats don't think that anyone looking at our contemporary political landscape would call it generous, kind or honorable.

For those of us who cut our teeth on the McGovern campaign, 1972 taught us that caring about politics could be exciting — but it also could be stupid, silly and crushing. George McGovern gave one of the greatest acceptance speeches in American political history — but he gave it at 3 AM, and that's all anyone remembers. The Eagleton debacle was... well, just that. Nixon was out to destroy the Constitution, but none of us officially realized it until too late — in March of 1973. Until then, we McGovernites who stuffed envelopes, licked stamps and knocked on doors had to eventually cope with the idea that nearly all of America thought we were wrong.

But what we gained was priceless: the knowledge, wisdom and experience of the campaign veterans who mentored us that year. They were almost all women, and they had ground out the grunt work in campaigns years and years before we did. They were older, funny, wild-eyed liberals who had helped pave the way for causes like birth control, Roe v. Wade, equal pay, civil rights, voting rights and more. Anti-Vietnam, they taught us that America should never cavalierly throw its might into needless wars. And most of all, as informed, engaged, participatory citizens, they showed us the true meaning of democracy.

It's 40 years later, and they're probably all gone now. But their spirit lives on in us. It's the best thing that Senator McGovern's idealistic but (let's face it) hapless campaign left behind. In honor of his passing, we cats can only hope we can hand down those women's passion and commitment to the next generation nearly as well.

A Quickie: Made In Ohio

We cats are busy campaigning today, but we simply had to share this new Obama ad starring Willard Mitt Romney. Enjoy!

"Tagg" Wants To Swing

By Baxter

Would someone please tell us cats why the Romney family deserves to live in the White House?

We refer, of course, to "Tagg" Romney's comment about wanting to "take a swing" at the President of the United States.

Now, we're sure that, like his dad and his four brothers, "Tagg" has a ton of military training that he could call upon for that particular feat... what's that you say? Oh, right. None of them served. Our mistake!

But that aside, this has to be the most classless remark ever — ever — uttered by a candidate's close family member. It's the latest in a long history of disrespect that Republicans have shown this President. But it's particularly amazing coming from a son of the nominee.

Asked how it felt to hear his father called a liar — which, by the way, he is, but never mind — all "Tagg" needed to say was, "Oh, that's all part of the rough and tumble of politics, but we thought Dad did really well in the debate, and we're proud of him."

Did somebody on the Romney team not give him the script? Or do they know they're losing? You be the judge! In the meantime, we cats HISS.

Going To That Higher Plain

To borrow a phrase, Senator George McGovern's life is moving peacefully to its close.

Tidbits and Cat Treats: Benghazi-Binders-Barstool Smackdown Edition

By Zamboni

Wow! Surely last night's high-octane hoedown at Hofstra will go down as the "He Did, In Fact, Sir" Debate. We cats PURR in the direction of CNN anchor Candy Crowley for her impressive real-time fact-checking. (And as wise heads are pointing out today, it's never the winning side that whines about the moderator.) Meanwhile, here are some other thoughts we'd like to share before our sixth nap of the day.

Our President apparently has realized that Republicans have driven the level of political discourse so low that calm, reasoned discussions — like the one he went to Denver two weeks ago expecting to have — are impossible. And he responded brilliantly. Thank you, Willard Mitt Romney, for giving Barack Obama permission to be mad.

The winning side also never complains when a wife applauds for her husband. Goodness gracious, these Romneybots are a bunch of babies.

Why wouldn't a Mormon have binders full of women?

(By the way, did you hear how Willard bent the truth with that "binders" story? He didn't ask for the binders — he was the passive recipient of them. The nonpartisan organization MassGAP spent a year collecting resumes and then presented them to their Governor-elect in the hope that he would appoint women to important positions in state government. We cats aren't surprised — but we HISS anyway.)

Willard had to practice sitting on a barstool? Why? He's sat on them before. More lies.

Finally, did you see the look on Willard's face when Candy Crowley corrected him on Libya? We cats could practically read his mind: "How dare this fat girl talk that way to me?" Romney is an overbearing, officious snoot who clearly thinks he's entitled to the Presidency. Or in the words of Babu, a very, very bad man.

And The Winner Is.....

By Miss Kubelik

Here we go again: hours and hours of coverage on cable TV, goodness gracious. Chuck Todd and Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow and the MSNBC guests are standing on the red carpet in their tuxes and evening gowns, desperately filling empty hours with... wait a minute. We think we have the Presidential debates confused with the Oscars.

But who can blame us, when the reprehensible Paul Ryan decides to vie for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a totally manufactured soup kitchen moment? We would break into derisive Cheshire cat smiles over this, except we're too busy hacking up hairballs.

Oh, well — off to the phone bank. We live in a battleground state, after all. And while our Republican neighbors with their silly Willard lawn signs may be sitting at home on their butts, we aren't. In the meantime, as long as we're marrying Hollywood and politics, enjoy this terrific new Obama spot with voice-over by the great Morgan Freeman.

"You Always Have To Protect Change"

People Like This Are A Problem We Democrats Never Have. Need You Know More?

By Sniffles

The Willard Mitt Romney campaign has been forced to disavow this disgusting person's disgusting shirt. But not until after they tried to question whether this photo was actually taken inside a Romney rally in Lancaster, Ohio. (It was.)

Since we cats think we know what Vice President Biden meant the other night when he called Republican policies "a bunch of stuff," we'd have to say that the guy in this picture is a real stuffhead.

(PHOTO: Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

UPDATE, October 16: We cats have decided that the idiot in this picture must be Jason Thompson, who, by the way, still owes the apology he said he'd make.

On The Other Hand, Maybe It's "Watch What We Do AND Say"

By Baxter

We cats have had a busy weekend. On Saturday we registered voters, and then went to an Obama-Biden phone bank. (We have no thumbs, so humans dialed the numbers for us.) Then yesterday we scurried door to door, talking to supporters. We met a lot of dogs. We can't believe how many people in this world have dogs.

Anyway, we've only had time in the last couple of days for a few quick posts. But we couldn't help noticing that in the meantime, Republican hypocrisy continues to abound.

Example: While Republicans demanded complete obeisance after September 11, 2001 — remember Ari Fleischer's fearmongering? — they appear to think it's okay to hold an outrageous press conference while our consulate in Benghazi is still under attack, and then keep screaming about Libya afterward. But their guys ignored a whole slew of Presidential daily briefs and let terrorists kill 3,000 people on American soil as a result. We hope somebody mentions this Tuesday night.

Or take the right-wing American Family Association, which now is going after National Mix It Up Day. They see a sinister agenda in a gentle campaign that encourages school students to spend a day eating lunch with someone they — gasp! — don't know. We can only guess they prefer bullying and bigotry to tolerance and love. Note to journalists: Never refer to this organization as a Christian group again.

Finally, here's a classic. After wringing hands and gnashing teeth over the blind idiocy of their hapless Missouri Senate candidate — and swearing that they'd never support him (we cats believe the quote from John Cornyn was "We're done") — the GOP has changed its tune, and is backing the reprehensible Todd Akin in the home stretch. Incredible. Akin is an ignorant, intolerant, heartless, bigoted, woman-hating fool.... oh, wait. Maybe that's not an example of Republican hypocrisy after all.

Cheaters

"People Don't Die for Lack of Health Insurance"

Oh, yeah? We cats think we know somebody who did.

Does Willard Mitt Romney live in the real world at all? Goodness gracious. He simply cannot be allowed to become President.

Papers, Please

 "A Florida pastor made famous by his strident anti-Islam views and widely publicized Koran immolation was barred entry into Canada Thursday because border officials had qualms about legal tussles in his past.

"Terry Jones was supposed to attend a multifaith debate on the film Innocence of Muslims outside Ontario’s legislature Thursday evening. Mr. Jones and Wayne Sapp, associate director of Stand Up America Now, said they were stopped at the Michigan-Ontario border and searched before being turned away.

"At issue is a breach of peace charge against Mr. Sapp that he said was overturned, and a fine Mr. Jones had to pay in Germany for using the title 'Doctor' from an unrecognized institution, a complaint Mr. Sapp said was successfully appealed. 'Because we don’t have documentation of this, they refused us entry into the country, Mr. Sapp said Thursday afternoon. They planned to return to Florida and consider their legal options." 

—The Globe & Mail, Toronto

Happy Warrior

Most of today's "pundits" are too young to understand the reference in our headline — although if they dare to opine on politics, they should know it anyway.

We cats would like one thing explained, though: Why does helping a (probably, Mormon) family whose children were in a car crash have anything to do with rescuing the auto industry?

But Jack Welch Will Say The Numbers Are Cooked

From The Wall Street Journal:

"First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell sharply in the latest week to their lowest level since February 2008, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The number of initial claims in the week ending Oct. 6 fell 30,000 to 339,000...

"'Maybe the unemployment rate drop wasn't a fluke?' said Robert Brusca, chief economist at FAO Economics."

Gee, Bob — ya think?

Role Model

By Zamboni

We cats are US citizens with real estate in Montreal and a subscription to Canada's History magazine. And something we saw in the most recent issue of that publication just cut us to the quick.

"The government of Canada seems to be functioning well," wrote a past president of the Historical Society of Alberta. "The same cannot be said for the great republic to the south."

Wow, we thought. This guy is totally right. And when he says, "How could anyone hold [the U.S.] up as an example" of effective government? — well, considering the brick wall that the Republicans presented to President Obama over the last three years, we find it hard to argue with that.

Often, one hears of partisans who swear they will move to another country if the party opposing their political views wins a certain election. We cats agree that that can be a tired catchphrase. But when it comes to Romney-Ryan and the Republicans, those aren't just empty words.

Romney-Ryan want to fundamentally change Medicare to a voucher system for people currently 55 and over. You know what? That's us. Or, at least, our owners. (And since they pay the cat-food and vet bills for us, we are concerned.)

But over and above our worries about healthcare, we cats are generally embarrassed that Canadians — let alone the former head of an Albertan group — think the U.S. is completely FUBAR'd. Especially after they had such high hopes for us when we elected Obama. (Unlike Republicans, we cats respect the opinions of other countries. We have to live in this world, after all.)

We are comforted by the fact that the Canada's History letter-writer referred to us as "the great republic." We hope that in four weeks' time, we live up to that reputation. Because you know what? We need to.

An Echo Of Choice

By Miss Kubelik

So there goes Willard Mitt Romney, still riding his Rocky Mountain sugar high, and he injects abortion back into the national political conversation.

We cats realize that Willard is racing to the center, trying to convince Americans that as President, he wouldn't be held captive by the crazy right-wing base of the Republican Party. Which is why he told the Des Moines Register, "There is no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda."

A pretty weaselly answer — and more proof that, goodness gracious, you never know which Willard you're dealing with, do you? Isn't this the guy who assured Fat Mike Huckabee that he supported "personhood" amendments? So how could he not take action against abortion rights if he were elected? As teabagger Congressman Raul Labrador recently pointed out, "If Romney comes in here [to Washington] and feels like he has to capitulate and govern from the middle of the road, not only will be it disheartening: I predict that you will see the conservatives in the House rise up."

We'll have to see how this plays out. But we cats quickly beamed into our nutty friends at Free Republic to check on their response to this latest Willard news. This comment just about sums it up:

"Imagine, we’re totally on a roll, and all of a sudden abortion again raises its ugly head, ready to sink our ship. Hopefully this doesn’t become a side show...If the women folk really felt that abortion rights were in jeopardy, they’d vote for a straight-out socialist if that’s what it took. That’s why we could never win on this issue."

"Women folk"? Hm. We cats have a dirty litter box that this Freeper guy can step in. Barefoot.

(IMAGE: Chrissie Abbott, The New York Times)

It Really Is Up To Us

By Sniffles

We cats have been bombarded by all the post-debate second-guessing that's been going on in the last few days, and we have a few things to say. Our main message is: Take charge.

Why? Because we happen to believe that the hopes, dreams and ambitions of Americans who are 1) black, 2) gay, 3) female, 4) young, 5) Jewish, 6) Latino, 7) elderly, 8) Native American, 9) immigrant (no matter what country of origin), 10) PBS fans, or 11) clear-thinking and reasonable, should take precedent over the angry, entitled fear-mongerers on the other side.

Because the angry, entitled fear-mongerers are slowly, inexorably, fading into the past. As Dr. King said, the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.

Did the President screw up his debate performance last Wednesday night? Yep. Does he know that? Absolutely. Should a 90-minute appearance on television determine the destiny of tens of millions of Americans? No, we don't think so. If there's one thing the President is right about, it's that this election is not about him. It's about us.

So, on that note: We've seen no letup in the Democratic ground game. In fact, if we had to describe it, we'd say that any fears of complacency are long over. The Obama machine is rolling, it is energized, and it will get the job done.

Because we believe in America. All 100 percent of it.

If You Can't Stand The Tweet, Get Out Of Your KitchenAid

By Baxter

We cats apologize to whoever may have thought up this headline before we did.

We hope that our apology is adequate — because KitchenAid's response to last week's insulting tweet about President Obama's late grandmother sure wasn't. In fact, it was pathetic.

And what happened when our humans, who are owners of about five KitchenAid appliances, wrote to the company to complain? Let's just say that the lameness continued. "A member of our Twitter team mistakenly posted an offensive tweet from the KitchenAid handle instead of a personal handle," their e-mail said. "This person will no longer be tweeting for us, and appropriate actions are being taken."

Are they kidding? Does KitchenAid think we don't know the first rule of PR and marketing — that you use the passive tense when you're trying to weasel out of something? Not only that, the employee in question should be fired.

KitchenAid seems to think that they can skate through this mess, but based on their response, we honestly are not sure if KitchenAid supports, or opposes, the notion of hatefully mocking dead Presidential grandmothers. Why are they allowing such damage to their brand? It makes no sense.

Don't get us wrong: We cats are glad that our owners have one of those large magic boxes in which open cans of cat food can be stored without spoiling. But unless KitchenAid takes out a full-page mea culpa in the The New York Times and contributes a million or so to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the next such box that our humans buy will definitely be another brand.

P.S. If you'd like to complain to the lamebrains at KitchenAid, send an e-mail to KitchenAid_customerexperience@Kitchenaid.com.)

Tidbits and Cat Treats: First Weekend In October Edition

By Zamboni

Still feeling bummed about Wednesday night's debate? We cats were for awhile, but yesterday's jobs figures perked us right up. And here are some additional thoughts, questions and observations that might put a Cheshire cat smile on your face.

We are thrilled with our recent victories over the GOP's reprehensible voter suppression laws. But we also know we haven't heard the last of them, either. So we wonder if the Republicans who so eagerly rammed those laws through their state legislatures ever considered the fact that their party's demographic is so much older than ours. In the next decade, thousands and thousands of loyal Republicans will hit their 80s and 90s and have their car keys taken away by their concerned adult children. Without drivers' licenses, how will they vote?

Wow! Obama and the Democrats pulled in $181 million last month. Remember rumblings over the summer about why Team Obama was spending so much money on ads defining Willard Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch plutocrat when, allegedly, nobody was paying attention? First of all, people apparently were paying attention, and the ads worked (with a little help from Willard himself). But we cats also think that the campaign's willingness to blow big ad dollars back then was A). a strategic move in case fundraising dropped off later, and B). a vote of confidence in the ground game. Well, so much for worrying about A).!

If the bounce that President Obama received after the Democratic Convention was supposed to be a "sugar high," why isn't the bounce that Willard appears to be getting from Wednesday night's debate also a sugar high?

Speaking of needing a sugar high, George Allen might want grab a doughnut. The reliably Republican Rasmussen polling firm now has Macaca Man trailing Tim Kaine by seven points in Virginia's race for U.S. Senate. Watch for Jack Welch to accuse Rasmussen of "changing the numbers."

Finally, we cats are wondering why our neighbors' yard sign for Willard Mitt Romney has disappeared. Are they mad that he walked back his attack on the 47 percent?

More Americans Employed, Republicans Upset

By Miss Kubelik

Gosh, Willard Mitt Romney and the Republicans have been soooooo disappointed that the unemployment rate dipped below 8 percent today.

See, despite their faux uber-patriotism and jingoistic tendencies, the GOP despise President Obama so much that they now root against America. In fact, check out former GE chair Jack Welch — who has clearly had too much plastic surgery — going totally sour grapes on this good news on "Hardball with Chris Matthews." Embarrassing.

Let's get something straight. The liars — otherwise known as the Republicans, Jack Welch and the Romneybots — think that, although the economy is clearly improving (and we would call anything after Bush-Cheney improving), America must fire its current CEO and go back to the people who drove the truck into the ditch in 2008.

Why do Republicans hate America?

Willard Calls Willard's Comments "Completely Wrong," Freepers Fume

By Sniffles

We cats were wondering why, at Wednesday night's debate, neither President Obama nor Jim Lehrer brought up the subject of Willard Mitt Romney's sneering contempt for 47 percent of America. But then we decided that it could have given him a possible Sister Souljah moment — except in this case, it would have been Willard rejecting not a key part of his base, but himself.

So perhaps the President was wise not to hand Willard the opportunity? (We can't explain Lehrer, though.)

Well, it turns out that Sean Hannity asked Romney about it last night. What would he have said at the debate had it come up? Willard basically stuck to his "off the cuff, heat of the campaign" line — but then added, "I said something that's just completely wrong."

Get that? The comments were wrong. He wasn't. In true Reaganesque, passive tense, "mistakes were made" fashion, no responsibility was taken. Also, we won't bother to ask why Willard now says he lied to a roomful of his biggest donors.

Still and all, we thought Willard's admission to the friendly Hannity might not go down well with our teabag friends in the paranoid right-wing corner of the Internet known as Free Republic. So we checked in on their reactions.

First, they didn't believe it. It was on the AP wire, after all, and AP is part of the hated liberal media, don'tcha know. But then they realized it had happened on Hannity. So some of them immediately snorted, Hannity! He's part of the MSM conspiracy, too! (Goodness gracious, if Sean Hannity doesn't pass muster with them, who does?)

Anyway, while a minority of the commenters appeared to excuse Silly Willy on his semi-apology, most were displeased. Here are some of the choicer remarks.

"I hope there is a 'rest of the story.' Otherwise, Romney has made a mistake."

"Oh good god. He has a fantastic debate and then back peddles [sic] on something that is true..... who advises this man?"

"Stupid Hannity.... you just did their work for them."

"So much for the claim that the comment was a big winner. Romney knows it's not."

"Agreed. Big mistake. Huge."

"He shouldn't have apologized. Obama will slam him with it now."

"He said it tonight on Hannity, the KING of the RNC Koolaid drinkers. Dont [sic] listen to anyone but Rush."

"ALL of Mitt’s socialistic positions are wrong, and Mitt needs to, truly, become a 'very small conservative' Republican, as soon as possible! BTW, Mitt’s refusal to cut taxes for the wealthiest of Americans and his ongoing support for his socialized health care plan in Massachusetts, RomneyCare, are both the wrong positions to take!"

"I'm sick and tired of being taxed to pay for these parasites."

"Has [Romney] ever said anything he wasn't happy to take back?"

"He’s a crappy liberal Republican candidate. Now he’s apologizing to people who will never vote for him!"

"He can never stick to a position without taking the other side. He makes Obama look principled! I can’t stand him and I won’t vote for a liberal — not this one."

"The Vladimir Putins of the world will have Mitt Willard Romney [sic] for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you can’t stand up for your views, you aren’t going to have a spine of steel in an international crisis."

Finally, here's the comment that's the piece de resistance. We cats swear we have not made it up.

"Mistake? If that was 'completely wrong' then aren’t Americans to ask what else does he say that might ALSO be wrong? Or does this appeal to all those stupid women out there who love Obama so much, and who kept their yellow rating lines on CNN up for Obama the whole debate? It really steams me how we have to drag these dumb broads across the finish line. Why are so many women so gullible to emotional appeals?"

(IMAGE: The Tax Foundation's state-by-state analysis of Americans who pay no taxes, reprinted in The Atlantic)

Willard vs. Willard vs. Willard vs.....

By Baxter

Willard Mitt Romney was so mean to Jim Lehrer at last night's Presidential debate that for a minute we thought he was going to pin Lehrer down and cut his hair. (Or was it that he'd pin Big Bird down and pluck his feathers? Hard to tell.)

Romney obviously knew there was no way he was ever going to come off as likable, or even likable enough — so he decided to be obnoxious instead. We don't know how you felt about that, but to us cats, it was not a pretty sight. We can only conclude that the President was as amazed as we were (unless, of course, his senses were dulled by all the Xanax he'd apparently taken).

So, what are we to make of Willard now? We've seen so many versions of him at this point that we're wondering which one will be on the ballot this fall.

Will it be the Willard who his wife says is so warm, loving and sweet, or the Willard who last night found such a strange and inappropriate way to kick off Bullying Prevention Awareness Month?

Will it be the Willard who was pro-choice, anti-NRA and pro-individual mandate when he ran in Massachusetts — or the Willard who's gone back on all those things to appease his party's crazy right-wing base?

Will it be the Willard who enthusiastically supported the war in Vietnam (and who saber-rattles over Iran)? Or the Willard who spent the '60s as a Mormon missionary in France and who, along with his five sons, has never, ever served?

Will it be the Willard who contemptuously wrote off 47 percent of Americans as irresponsible, dependent "victims" last spring? Or the Willard who now claims he cares about the "100 percent"?

Will it be the Willard who will lie about anything, at any time, for any reason, rather than tell people the truth, acknowledge uncomfortable facts, and go beyond his script? Or the Willard who will lie about anything, at any time, for any reason, rather than tell people the truth, acknowledge uncomfortable facts, and go beyond his script? (Whoops.)

You know what? They are all Willard. All 10 — er, nine of them. And Americans have to figure out if they want those guys beaming into their living rooms for the next four years.

P.S. We don't know how Chris Christie feels about kinda being right the other day. Maybe not so hot, because we cats are pretty sure that he has 2016 in his sights. Perhaps he thinks he needs until 2020 to lose 100 pounds?

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Pre-Debate, Post-Ridiculous Video, Where-Are-The-Tax Returns Edition

By Zamboni

Why does anyone bother with pre-debate coverage? It's like reading the buildup to the Oscars, Emmys or World Series — a total waste of time. Here are some more cogent thoughts to ruminate on instead.

If there is a hell, it has a special place for Republicans who make 68-year-old black ladies who have been voting for more than 40 years jump through 10,000 ID-related hoops to continue doing so. On the bright side, though, yesterday's smackdown of Pennsylvania's "This Means Romney Will Win" voter-ID law surely means that, um, he won't. Watch for the Willys to start moving some of their ad money around as a result.

There they go again: Our wacky friends in the right wing think they've found some sort of smoking-gun Obama video. Isn't amazing how they keep screaming about issues that 95 percent of Americans have long since moved to the outbox — like radical pastors, angry black first ladies, and birth certificates? But at least now maybe they'll kinda admit that a President who recognizes his Christian minister from the podium probably isn't a Muslim.

It's so interesting how the Republicans are making noises about the Benghazi attacks on September 11. We can only assume that Willard's extreme faux pas while Americans were still under fire last month set them back on their heels for a bit. But now they're starting to stir. Never mind that they would have scratched the eyes out of any Democrat daring to question our total surprise on the original September 11.

And speaking of the Worst Person Who's Ever Lived, does Willard have a foreign policy adviser who was not an integral part of the official or unofficial Bush-Cheney universe? Does he have an economic policy adviser who was also not an integral part of that same universe? Hm.

Why are we not talking about the answers to those last two questions?

And while we're at it, we're still waiting for your other tax returns, Mr. Cayman Islands-Swiss-Bank-Account-Millionaire.

The Road Not Taken

Willard Mitt Romney lounges on a French beach in the late 1960s. He was in Europe on a religious deferment from the draft.

Guys whom Willard Mitt Romney chose not to join in Vietnam.

We cats know of people who didn't believe in war and killing, but who volunteered as medics and were — you guessed it — killed in combat in Vietnam. Their names are on The Wall. So, when we look at the "I Love Ann" picture of Willard in France, it doesn't "humanize" him for us. It makes us want to puke.