Matt Taibbi offers up what has to be one of my favorite passages I've read on a blog in a very long time:
I would give just about anything to sit David Brooks down in front of some single mother somewhere who’s pulling two shitty minimum-wage jobs just to be able to afford a pair of $19 Mossimo sneakers at Target for her kid, and have him tell her, with a straight face, that her main problem is that she doesn’t work as hard as Jamie Dimon.
He's talking about David Brooks and the online conversation he had with his New York Times colleague Gail Collins, in which Brooks actually says to Collins:
...for the first time in human history, rich people work longer hours than middle class or poor people. How do you construct a rich versus poor narrative when the rich are more industrious?
I mean, really.
I don't see that Taibbi uses the word "douchebag" to describe Brooks, but that's probably because he's a better writer than I am. Someone should deconstruct the psyche of Brooks and people like him. I think you'll find they really are insulated in some sort of Bizzaro World bubble. It's kind of fascinating, in a sociological kind of way.
I'd suggest deconstructing David Brooks' soul, but my guess is he doesn't have one.
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I have been writing about train-wreck Mike Huckabee almost since I started this blog.
He hasn't gotten any better with age.
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Watching the tragedy in West Virginia with the death of 29 miners unfold has been just heartbreaking. But the CEO of the company that owned the mine saying that safety regulators caring about the safety of miners is "as silly as global warming" is pretty bad.
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I normally don't care about stuff like this, but for whatever reason, it caught my eye.
Kitty Kelley has apparently done a book on Oprah. And it's going to be a doozy.
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Florida State House District 67 runs right up by Keith's District (69). Turns out the race for the State House going on there is going to be one of the most expensive in the state. For that reason alone, I'd call it one to watch.
The five candidates running to represent District 67 this fall have already combined to raise $392,000 -- about $2,000 ahead of the next highest race, which is in the Orlando region.
Only two other districts have seen candidates raise more than $300,000 for a statehouse seat, which pays the winner less than $30,000 a year.
The candidates include Republicans Greg Steube (who I think ran for Sheriff last go-'round), Jeremiah Guccione, Robert McCann, Marie Nisco, and the only Democrat, Z.J. Hafeez (what's being an "Independent Advocate" all about?).
Steube has raised the most at $152,000. Guccione has raised $102,000, including $50,000 from himself. McCann has raised $96,000, with about $25,000 from his own pocket. And Hafeez has raised $41,000, which includes $10,000 from himself.
Republican Marie Nisco has also filed to run but has not raised any money.
I should say I don't know much about Z.J., but I do know that he went to New College with Duncan. And with the exception of Steube, I don't know that I've heard of any of the others.
This is Ron Reagan's district, and he's termed out. All new faces -- it should be an interesting one to watch.
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For me it was Tribeca, even though I did actually live in Harlem for six months.
You'll see what I mean when you click the link.
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Via Bark Bark Woof Woof, a great political graphic.
-- More later --
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