Sarah Palin’s Gulf Solution: “Divine Intervention”

When President Obama invoked God during his prime time speech, he was criticized for going in that direction. But will the critics be as ardent in response to Sarah Palin’s statement that what is needed is “divine intervention”? Bill O’Reilly pointedly asked Palin, “What would you do?” At the time there was no answer, but now we know.

And Louisiana state senators have designated Sunday a day of prayer, believing that may be the only way to solve the crisis.

“Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail,” state …

Mark Kirk Also Lied About Teaching Nursery School

Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois, the Republican running for Barack Obama’s old Senate seat, who bragged about winning a military award he never won, has also misstated his role as a nursery school teacher.

The Kirk campaign has scrambled this week to try to confirm details of his time as a nursery school teacher, which he raised as recently as March in a speech to the Illinois Education Association. “As a former nursery school and middle school teacher,” he said then, “I know some of what it takes to bring order to class.”

Sally Grubb, an administrator where …

Tony Hayward Yachting On “Well-Earned Private Time”

BP CEO Tony Hayward, having been removed from day-to-day operations in the Gulf, what a BP spokesperson called “well-earned private time.” Hayward is watching his yacht, “Bob,” participate in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

Still, hobnobbing with millionaires and their yachts is likely to be a hard sell in the Gulf, which is struggling to deal with up to 120 million gallons of oil that have escaped from the blown-out well. Oil has been washing up along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida, killing birds and fish, coating delicate marshes and wetlands and …

Bill O’Reilly Lets Michele Bachmann Have It

Michele Bachmann accused the Obama administration of executive overreach by getting BP to pay $20 billion for a cleanup fund. Bill O’Reilly doesn’t agree that this is a shakedown or extortion, as Bachmann and other Republicans have argued and that, in fact, “This is the best thing Obama did in the whole mess.” (h/t Crooks and Liars)

Bachmann has been out everywhere she can, pushing the GOP meme that the BP escrow fund is Obama “shaking down” and “extorting” BP by demanding that an escrow fund be put up. Watch as Billo asks who else is in a position …

Obama Administration Preparing To Challenge Arizona Immigration Law

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chose an odd venue to state, earlier this month, that the administration would be “bringing a lawsuit” against the controversial Arizona immigration law. Now, CBS is reporting that a senior administration official says the administration is building the case. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (pictured) said the president “brushed over” the idea of a lawsuit when they recently met.  The Justice Department will say only that bringing a case is under consideration.…

Tony Hayward Gets His Life Back

BP CEO Tony Hayward, who infamously said, “I want my life back,” has gotten his wish.  BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg has announced that Hayward will no longer be handling day-to-day operations in the Gulf. Svanberg told Sky News that the post will be handed over to Bob Dudley, the company’s managing director (pictured).

“It is clear Tony has made remarks that have upset people,” Mr Svanberg said.

The chairman explained that Mr Hayward left Britain for the US after the explosion with the express purpose of dealing with the response to the spill, but stopping the flow has not …

On Friday’s Radio Show…

• Ralph Nader, whose latest book is Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!, joins Alan to weigh in on the BP oil disaster.

• Sharron Angle speaks… sort of: Alan examines the Nevada Senate candidate’s latest “interview.”

• It’s the Friday Night Free-For-All!…

Obama Escalates Crackdown On Whistleblowers Of Classified Information (UPDATED)

by Ana Interiano

Julian Assange (pictured), co-founder of WikiLeaks who helped release a classified US military video and might be in possession of hundreds of thousands of more State Department classified cables, is being hunted down by Pentagon investigators. The US military recently arrested Army Specialist Bradley Manning, who may have been responsible for leaking the classified video and 260,000 classified government records. He is currently being held in pre-trial confinement in Kuwait.

The notorious US airstrike on the village of Garani in May 2009 that killed roughly 140 civilians is one among the many classified Pentagon videos that …

McDonald’s Chief Says No Gay-Positive Ads Will Run In US: “I’m Christian”; Gay Group Cuts Ties

Don Thompson, McDonald’s President and Chief of Operations, is under fire for making non-gay-friendly remarks in a Chicago Tribune interview. Thompson was discussing an ad running in France.

Tribune: A French TV ad featuring a gay teen and his father has stirred some controversy — not there, but here. Can you talk about that?

Thompson: It is an example that markets, cultures are very different around the world. (For instance), I’ve never shied away from the fact that I’m a Christian. I have my own personal beliefs and I don’t impose those on anybody else. …(We talk) …

Execution By Firing Squad Announced By Utah Attorney General On Twitter

While shooting someone to death by firing squad is ancient and barbaric, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurleff used a much more modern approach to announce the end of Ronnie Lee Garder’s life.  Shurtleff opted for a mobile Twitter client for three Tweets related to the event.

The Tweets:

1) A solemn day. Barring a stay by Sup Ct, & with my final nod, Utah will use most extreme power & execute a killer. Mourn his victims. Justice

2) I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner’s execution. May God grant him the mercy he denied …

SC Rep Bob Inglis Says Obama Was Born In “Not Hawaii”

Congress Bob Inglis, who faces a June 22 primary in South Carolina, wouldn’t agree that President Obama was born in Hawaii when talking to Stephen Colbert. It seems he wanted to prove his conservative credentials.

Colbert: Let’s check your conservative credentials here. Complete this sentence. Barack Obama was born in…”

Inglis: “Not Hawaii.”

It’s unclear if Inglis was kidding.

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