“Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concerts are just a giant con,” wrote Schlussel.

I began investigating these claims, and lo and behold, I discovered that Freedom Alliance gives very little money to the children of slain troops to pay for college and even less to wounded troops. The stories of injuries to troops and how much Freedom Alliance gives them–$200 for a soldier from a poor neighborhood who lost three limbs–is heartbreaking. Soldiers with traumatic brain injuries, severe wounds to the face from disfiguring burns and explosions, and multiple amputations got $1,000 or less, with only a handful of exceptions.

The tax forms available to the public for the Freedom Alliance–for the years 2006-2008–paint a tragic story, a story of a charity that makes gazillions and spends very little for the purposes it claims, a charity that spends millions more on its small staff and crony consultants than it ever gives in scholarships to the children of the fallen or severely injured troops or in aid to the injured troops themselves. While Hannity’s Freedom Concerts take in millions, only a few hundred thousand go to the claimed intended recipients.

If a liberal made these claims – even doing the amount of research Schlussel did – they would be discarded and never brought up again. But Schlussel can’t just be waved away by the right. By breaking the story loudly, Schlussel will likely get tremendous support from both the left- and the right-wing blogospheres.

A good read from Schlussel, who gives you a look at the research she did to come up with her conclusion. Read it here and perhaps look at Sean Hannity’s schtick in a whole new way.

A good read from Schlussel, read it hear and perhaps look at Sean Hannity’s schtick in a whole new way.

–WKW

I saw that your government has been blocking foreign Web sites, so I’ll make this quick:

Could you guys please overthrow your current regime and replace it with something less strict and less crazy? Because, trust me on this, President Obama is just waiting for a good opportunity to build bipartisan support via bombing you guys into the Iraqian age. And Mr. Nobel Peace Prize will unleash hell upon you.

So if you could get started on overthrowing your current government – like, yesterday – that would really be great.

Hugs,

Bill

–WKW

• Osborne Ink: The lives and deaths of the Public Option.
• Oliver Willis: And the carnival of criminal carnality continues for the Catholic Church, with Brazil getting line.
• Andrew Sullivan: Gen. David Patraeus talks DADT. Will John McCain and others start listening to the generals?
• Litbrit: Bringing Alan Grayson to the masses.
• Equalitopia: Gay Marriage is happening, whether you like it or not.
• Shoq Value: If Fox News were a nation, the U.S. would be at war with it.
• Odd Time Signature: Karoli takes us down Health Care Reform memory lane.
• Ed Morissey: The billboards keep on coming.
• FreakOut Nation: Sarah Palin, meet George Wallace.

–WKW

I have decided that I will not obey the dictates of any federal bureaucrat who tries to impose a tax or regulation on me by citing the authority of an Obamacare bill that fails to pass both houses of Congress as required by our Constitution.

To put it bluntly, then: I will not comply. If the government tries to make me comply, I’ll sue. And I’ll win.

Jeez, you hippies need to put down the pipe.

–WKW

I, for one, welcome our new Roman overlords.

–WKW

“We can sit back and wait to see if the U.S. passes health care reform, or we can act now,” said Arias. “We don’t want our answer to come in the form of a mushmouth cloud.”

Arias was responding to recent comments from the entertainer, who said he would move to Costa Rica if health care reform passed in the United States.

“I don’t know. I’ll just tell you this, if this passes and it’s five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented, I am leaving the country. I’ll go to Costa Rica,” said Limbaugh.

Arias said he would not allow his nation to suffer the same fate as the U.S. and called for every man, woman and child in the nation to join the military and guard the borders. Costa Rica has not had an active military since 1948.

“This is the greatest threat our democracy has ever faced,” said Arias. “If Limbaugh gets in, then Glenn Beck, Michael Savage and Ann Coulter will surely follow.

“We cannot allow these weapons of mass distraction come and ruin our nation as they have worked so hard to do in America,” added Arias.

–WKW

Ensign – who while speaking never once tried to find a job for anyone he cuckolded – said he felt his record showed him as a fierce non-tickler.

“I don’t tickle the Republican Party at all,” said Ensign, who was backed by close friend, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn. “I stridently avoid any ticklish situations.”

Ensign’s speech was cut short, however, as his parents arrived and chased away reporters with a broom and $100 bills.

–WKW

“My first five years of life we spent in Skagway, Alaska, right there by Whitehorse. Believe it or not – this was in the ‘60s – we used to hustle on over the border for health care that we would receive in Whitehorse. I remember my brother, he burned his ankle in some little kid accident thing and my parents had to put him on a train and rush him over to Whitehorse and I think, isn’t that kind of ironic now. Zooming over the border, getting health care from Canada.”

Now, while it’s easy to spot the political stupidity of her bringing up this story, there does need to be a non-knee-jerk response to it. Mainly, the fact that her family was in Skagway. In the 1960s.

I actually spent a summer working as a reporter for the Skagway News. In the summer, with cruise ships pouring in, the population of the Southeastern town explodes to about 2,000. But the fact is, year-round, the population of Skagway is in the neighborhood of 800. It’s not exactly a great place to spend your winters. Or to get health care for serious issues.

Skagway is a town with limited access, in or out. It’s also not a place where it’s likely they can handle severe burns. Maybe in 2010 they can, but it’s almost a certainty that they couldn’t in the 1960s. I’d be willing to wager that any major medical problem would end up being taken care of Whitehorse, which is by far the closest big city around.

Add to that the fact that Canada’s Universal Health Care program wasn’t truly in full effect until 1966*; it was Palin’s parents that made the journey; and they most likely paid for it.

So while mocking Palin is rightfully a national sport at this point, and the timing and content of her remark was politically stupid, it’s really a non-starter. And poor political discourse.

Update: While the “Getting free health care in Canada” story is still a non-starter, the Anchorage Daily News, among others, has noted that Palin originally told The Skagway News that her brother had been taken via ferry to Juneau.

Head to the crossposted version of this story at Dagblog, where you’ll see comments from the editor of The Skagway News on this story.

* Some confusion on this. Here’s the link to a time line of Canada’s health care system.

–WKW

“A billion people will see the Academy Awards,” said Psihoyos in a telephone interview. “That’s why I’d like to win. Because for 45 seconds you can talk directly to all the key people who are involved in these policies.”

Unfortunately, Producer Fisher Stevens – missing the point and a huge opportunity – gave the acceptance speech and never actually said the word “Dolphin.”

If you’re interested in helping to stop the horrifying murder of dolphins in Japan, here are some helpful links:

• What can you do to help?
• “The Cove” Official Web Site
• The Oceanic Preservation Society
• Save Japan Dolphins

–WKW

Ex-Speaker of the House Tom Delay was the latest conservative to make the claim, as he told CNN’s Candy Crowley that unemployment insurance was the root of all evil:

Crowley: People are unemployed because they want to be?

Delay: well, it is the truth. and people in the real world know it. And they have friends and they know it. Sure, we ought to be helping people that are unemployed find a job, but we also have budget considerations that are incredibly important, especially now that Obama is spending monies that we don’t have.

Earlier in the week, Republican Senator Jon Kyl jumped on that talking point, as well.

“[Unemployment] doesn’t create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work.”

If there’s one thing that will guarantee a landslide November victory for the GOP, it’s Republicans telling the millions of jobless Americans that they’re lazy and just want to sit on their ass all day collecting a couple hundred bucks a week in unemployment. For the GOP, it’s a winning talking point.

--WKW

“Khalid Sheik Mohammed is evil incarnate, and he must be dealt with in a way that will protect our citizens,”said Obama. “Therefore, I will bi-partisanly blow his brains out myself.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the President thought long and hard about his decision.

“Being that Khalid Sheik Mohammed is not a human, shooting him in the head is not against the law,” said Gibbs.

The shooting will take place on April 1, and will be televised on the new C-Span Pay-per-view channel. The shooting will be followed by a mixed-martial arts battle between UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir.

“If you order 24 hours a head of time, you get $5 off,” said Gibbs.

The White House has yet to say which type of gun they will use on Mohammed, though former presidential candidate John McCain advised using a “big-ass shotgun.” McCain added that he had been confident that Obama would back down on civil liberty issues like the KSM trial, as it’s been something he has done in the past.

“Finally, we’re treating foreign criminals the way they should be treated,” said former Vietnam hostage John McCain. “Soon, he’ll back down on things like health care, as well.”

–WKW

State Sen. Tim Johnson was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol at about 2:00 p.m. last Sunday when his state-issued vehicle was observed being driven blissfully. The driver, identified as Johnson, was taken in and charged for driving under the influence of God. Unidentified sources said the senator had been at St. Mary’s, a popular Catholic Church, prior to his arrest.

In a March 4 article, the online news site Talking Points Memo characterized Johnson, who is married and has four children, as “a fierce Atheist” who had never allowed religion to influence his voting record.

Johnson issued a contrite apology, stating, “I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did.”

It is uncertain how the arrest — or his reported presence at a Church — will affect Johnson’s prospects for re-election. Atheist lawmakers who are alleged to engage in Church activities have attracted significant media attention in recent years.

–WKW

–WKW

The 1-minute 11-second video clearly shows a small Black making unreasonable demands at an ACORN office in Los Angeles, California. The Black demands an important benefit from ACORN.

As one can see in the video, a Brown ACORN worker sits idly by as the filmmaker – dressed in ridiculous Samba garb – gives the small and angry Black the benefit he wanted with little struggle. All of this occurred while the Brown ACORN worker sits by and makes no effort to stop the proceedings.

The video – made by noted blogger/activist/American Hero William K. Wolfrum – has circulated throughout the Internet. Wolfrum said he was paid a “fair salary” by right-wing media tycoon Andrew Breitbart for the video. Breitbart said the video confirmed White America’s deepest fears - that an organization existed to help Blacks.

“Snidely Snerble Snab,” said Breitbart. “At the very least, Wolfrum deserves a Pulitzer Prize for their expose of deep corruption and unspeakable immorality at ACORN.”

After the video became public, the Senate voted 83-7 to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, meaning the organization would not be able to win HUD grants for programs such as counseling low-income people on how to get mortgages and for fair housing education and outreach.

While the evidence on the video proves ACORN is a criminal organization, some far-left writers have said that it was doctored and that Wolfrum was – in fact – never actually dressed as a Samba dancer, and that the video – in fact – was just Wolfrum playing with his dogs in his home.

“Why does it matter!!??,” said Breitbart. “It means nothing! He’s a Samba Dancer!”

Reached for comment, Clark Hoyt, Public Editor of the New York Times – which ran a story on the video – said that his paper would stick with its original reporting, regardless of what new facts emerged.

“Those on the right say that it’s a Samba Dancer helping a small Black to whatever he wants. Those on the Left say it’s a guy playing with his dogs,” said Hoyt in an e-mail. “This has become far too partisan for us, so we’re sticking with what we wrote.”

–WKW

Some selected facts we checked:

• “I will know these jokes like the front of my Hand” – True. Sarah Palin knows the front of her hand
• “Back home it was freezing.” – True. It’s cold in Alaska.
• As soon as I saw the big Moose, I realized I hadn’t cooked my kids’ dinner.” – True. Sarah Palin did not cook her kid’s dinner last night.

The performance was perhaps Palin’s most honest. For instance, her famed speech at the Republican National Convention was made up primarily of lies:

• “I told the Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ on that bridge to nowhere – False.
• “We began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.” – False
• “I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.” – False
• “As Governor, I have a record of being a strong fiscal conservative.” – False.

Final verdict: As a politician, Sarah Palin is one hell of a comedian.

–WKW