Reason Morning Links: Madoff, Milk, and Marauding Avian Gangs

- New tensions with China.

- Record numbers seek unemployment benefits.

- Bernie Madoff goes to jail. Prosecutors start looking for co-conspirators.

- Connecticut could crack down on raw milk.

- If you missed the Jon Stewart/Jim Cramer showdown last night, here it is. The most notable thing about the interview, I think, is that Cramer, who ordinarily comes across like an announcer in a WWE match, here appears as a high school sophomore whose voice hasn't quite finished changing, sitting uneasily in the principal's office. (But how did Jon Stewart become the principal of Cable High? I don't know, but you might find some clues in Fonzie's evolution from J.D. dropout to schoolteacher. Or Rush Limbaugh's evolution from shock jock to informal head of the GOP.)

- Pentagon procurement reform, real and phony.

- Facebook: nostalgia sets in.

- Economics teacher practices some economics.

- Birds and game theory.

Comments

[John]

Wow, Stewart attacked someone who attacked Obama. Now that is big news. Not that Cramer isn't a douchbag. He is. But, anyone who pretends Stewart is anything but a BO mouthpiece is a liar or a fool.

[John]

Jesse,

Do you actually read the XX factor? Damn, that is some real public service for Reason, almost as bad as reading Feministing.

[Libertymike]

Why should Madoff have to rot in jail prior to sentencing? IMHO, non-violent lawbreakers should never be incarcerated prior to their sentences being imposed.

Further, Bernie should not be sent to jail. His sentence should be one focused upon restitution with his talents being put to work in a manner best suited to produce as much money as possible for his victims.

[FrBunny]

When Facebook dies, I will be first in line to "poke" the rotting corpse.

Leave me alone, middle school gym partner!

[sage]

But, anyone who pretends Stewart is anything but a BO mouthpiece is a liar or a fool.

I don't necessarily agree with that, but he's not as blatantly lefty as Stephen Colbert. That guy is disgraceful.

[Patrick]

John,
AFAIK, Cramer didn't attack Obama in any of the clips Stewart showed. In fact, the topic of their feud was Cramer's and CNBC's cheerleading for incompetent corporations just before they collapsed. This ain't about Obama.

[Warty]

Connecticut could crack down on raw milk.

Fucking do-gooder dicks. They're worse than Zombie Hitler.

[Warty]

This ain't about Obama.

That seems unlikely.

[Episiarch]

Henig doesn't realize that she just became one of the "adults" she decries by being douchebaggedly nostalgic about Facebook. They grow up so fast these days.

[tarran]

Libertymike,

My understanding is that people who are flight risks or have violated their bail conditions are imprisoned prior to sentencing.

Madoff was initially out on bail, but was caught trying to secrete a substantial amount of wealth out of his home in violation of the terms of his bail. The bail was revoked and I believe he was imprisoned for his trial. That imprisonment is merely being continued while awaiting sentencing.

[R C Dean]

Why should Madoff have to rot in jail prior to sentencing?

Risk of flight, would be my guess. He's almost sure to get a sentence that guarantees he will die in prison, so he has nothing to lose. At his age, with his overseas holdings, the possibility that he could live reasonably well while extradition proceedings dragged out is probably not too bad.

This ain't about Obama.

Of course it is. Cramer attacks Obama, Cramer gets the third degree by Stewart. A coincidence?

[R C Dean]

They're worse than Zombie Hitler.

Speaking of which, the new Call of Duty map pack has a zombie level.

[Jerry]

Colbert's piece on Rand was quite awful.

[TofuSushi]

Connecticut could crack down on raw milk.

Can't the unenlightned please leave Sean Penn alone? Just because his ideas are better than yours does not mean you have to be all ugly about it.

This borders on gay bashing.

[P Brooks]

Erin Barringer of West Hartford, whose daughter contracted E. coli from a child who drank raw milk, according to health officials, is helping to campaign for the stricter legislation. "It can be frustrating at times because I think everybody's lost sight of who the victims are," said Ms. Barringer, whose daughter, Emma, was 2 years and 10 months old when she got sick, even though she herself never drank raw milk.

This stuff drives me crazy.
Somebody somewhere, is being exposed to a risk which I find unacceptable! They (our beneficent overlords) need to do something.

What makes us certain the source of the e coli was the raw milk?

[jester]

The irony is that a Frenchman, Mr. Pasteur ruined all of our cheese and France continues to produce delicious unpasteurized cheese.

But now we know that there is such thing as

SECOND-HAND RAW-MILK EXPOSURE

even though the article failed to explain how the E. coli jumped (I imagine invasion-of-the-body-snatcher-like in the form of pods) from a drinker to a non-drinker and where sex definitely was not a factor nor was needle use.

I mean, if raw-milk user was freebasing the shit or taking it out of a crackpipe. Wouldn't that kill the germs?

[PC]

The thing about Stewart that gets me is that frome time to time he does serious political criticism, but once somebody takes him to task to fires back, he hides behind his comedian title.

[Reinmoose]

The real crime of Facebook isn't to allow adults on, it's to allow your family on.

Fortunately there are specific-individual content access filters to help with some of these things.

[ed]

But how did Jon Stewart become the principal of Cable High?

Remember when some of us predicted that Stewart would be equally hard on a Democrat Congress and President as he was on Bush? Not that it's his job to be impartial. He is an entertainer, after all, just like Limbaugh. But Stewart's partisanship gets a pass, while Limbaugh's is excoriated.

[SugarFree]

FrBunny,

Suspend your account, and then reset it as private. That's what I did after a couple of ex-girlfriends tracked me down (what didn't you understand when I said "I never want to talk to you again?"). You keep the friends you want and unfriend the ones you don't want. You don't appear on facebook except to the people you are friends with. Even extends to comments and relationships. For example: My wife is still listed as married to non-friends of mine, but my name no longer shows up.

[PC]

"But Stewart's partisanship gets a pass, while Limbaugh's is excoriated."

Also his hypocrisy. He browbeat Cramer for his silly antics about a serious issue, finance, yet this is the guy who jokes about people who steal our money and lie us into wars. Not that I think goofing about both subjects is wrong, its gone on since Aristophanes and probably even before, its just the hypocritical whining that he engages in. I really wonder if Stewart has any mirrors in his house, and if so does he ever bother to look at them.

[John]

If Colbert had any balls, he would have changed his schtick after the election to a parody of the complete over the top Obamabot. It would have been funny and timely. At some point making fun of a party that doesn't have the Presidency or either House of Congress is pretty pathetic. I wouldn't be if Colbert and Stewart didn't both consider themsevles somehow subversive and cutting edge. Yeah, carrying water for the President on national TV every night. That is really subversive.

[Episiarch]

But how did Jon Stewart become the principal of Cable High?

That's not quite correct, Jesse. Stewart is the principal of Basic Cable High. Bill Maher is the principal of Cable High.

[P Brooks]

If there is one game the Pentagon knows how to play, it is "reforming defense procurement." It has gone through the drill more times than it or I can remember. The script is always the same. A "reform" program is announced with great fanfare. Experts are convened (all from or on their way to defense industry), commissions and panels meet, reports are issued and recommendations are offered. Then it all peters out, and nothing changes. The whole game is just another form of "rounding up the usual suspects."

Just like the Ascended One's plan to "fix" education.

[ChiSailor]

Re-Stewart, I really don't think that this was about Obama. For one thing, Cramer voted for Obama (even though he has segments about "Obama proofing your portfolio"). A lot of this was Stewart using his pulpit to say what he sees as the common man on the street reaction to the analysts, and the clips he showed pretty well demolished the idea that Cramer was naive about what was going on as far as screwing people out of their money by churning, creating short sale commissions, and causing action in the markets to the benefit of traders and brokers rather than providing useful, solid analysis for average people that they claim their network is intended for. This really wasn't political. You might call it classist - the wall street views and goals versus the common people who just have their savings and retirement and don't really understand the market well. Obama's policies and proclamations might take a similar course, but Obama really didn't have anything to do with this.

If you can find it (check youtube) look for Stewart on Crossfire a couple of years ago - very similar, but talking to "reporters" in a very similar vein. It's not politics, it's what he sees as right and wrong and what he cares about enough to stop being a comedian.

[John]

The whole facebook thing is pathetic to. I can't stand people who sit around and whine about "we" and "us" and all the things "we" did in college and how this or that was our thing. I can't stand generational generalities. Basically, all that woman is saying is "life pretty much peaked in college and I don't like being a grown up."

[Reinmoose]

But Stewart's partisanship gets a pass, while Limbaugh's is excoriated.

This is because Republicans aren't cool and can't rail against Stewart without looking tremendously petty and desperate. Republicans are the oppressors, so they look like they're picking on the little guy.

Democrats have framed themselves continually as victims (even when they had congressional majorities - recall), and therefore when they speak out against Limbaugh it is a triumph! An overcoming!

[John C. Randolph]

His sentence should be one focused upon restitution with his talents being put to work in a manner best suited to produce as much money as possible for his victims.

What talents would those be? His ability to spot a mark and rob him?

The perp didn't create any wealth; he just moved other people's wealth around to make it look like he did.

-jcr

[JW]

Erin Barringer of West Hartford, whose daughter contracted E. coli from a child who drank raw milk

OK, WTF? How could anyone possibly know that:

A) Your kid was infected by a specific kid, from a specific source, and
B) That the e. coli was from raw milk and not the e. coli that is usually present in kid's shit?

"It can be frustrating at times because I think everybody's lost sight of who the victims are," said Ms. Barringer, whose daughter, Emma, was 2 years and 10 months old when she got sick, even though she herself never drank raw milk.

"Oh no!" There is unverfiable and near-zero risk from which I cannot protect my child! Something must be done!"

This woman is a needlessly reproducing mass of stupidity using up valuable oxygen and contributing to global warming with all the mouth-breathing. I hope the kid got some smart genes from dad.

[BDB]

Colbert has become more about making fun of the Cult of the Cable Pundit than anything explicitly political.

[John]

Chisailor,

You are right about Cramer being a jackass who pushed a lot of bullshit during the boom. But, Stewart could have done the same thing pretty much any night over the last year. He only chose to do it after Cramer's rant about Obama. Stewart may sincerly believe the things he said about Cramer and is probably right. But, he only chose to go after Cramer when doing so carried water for Obama. Had Cramer remained a BO supporter, Stewart would have never touched him. That is why Stewart is such a douchbag.

[BDB]

BTW, Cramer and Stewart have both increased ratings for their cable shows by this little spat.

[John C. Randolph]

If Colbert had any balls, he would have changed his schtick after the election to a parody of the complete over the top Obamabot.

Maybe he wants to continue to make a living. Alienating your entire existing fan base isn't a very smart move.

-jcr

[Warty]

Stewart is the principal of Basic Cable High. Bill Maher is the principal of Cable High.

What's Penn Jillette then?

[jester]

Just watched the Colbert piece. Actually, I see the parody as showing how wrong self-proclaimed libertarians like Glen Beck understand her work. Colbert's shtick is to be that over-the-top pseudo-libertarian that just shills for the Republican Party and anything it does.

I imagine some comedian will find comic gold with Obama, but it will have to be a black man for it to truly work. Dave Chapelle comes to mind as a possible candidate.

[John C. Randolph]

I wouldn't be surprised if Madoff has stashed enough cash somewhere to buy himself a pardon once most of the public has forgotten his name. Four years into the depression, the DNC might just need the money bad enough to spring him.

-jcr

[JW]

Kim Piccioli, of West Hartford, who said her son drank raw milk from the Simsbury dairy, said doctors told her that he may have permanent kidney damage. She said that she had not been aware of the dangers of raw milk and that the milk she bought did not have its required health warning label.

Oh god, another one. "Protect me! I'm a moron!"

What's Penn Jillette then?

The Royal Arch Duke of All Things Sensible.

[Episiarch]

What's Penn Jillette then?

He is the principal of Bullshit High.

[SugarFree]

A "Down with Stewart!"
Or an "Up with Limbaugh!"
It's boring either way

[SugarFree]

Raw Milk article:

"No one's taking it away," she said. "We're just putting some limitations on it."

After which she casually lit a cigarette within 500 feet of a school and was tackled by two county sheriffs.

[FrBunny]

Suspend your account, and then reset it as private.

Great advice, and a way to get rid of at least one of these pesky hours I have left until the whistle blows and I slide down the dinosaur tail.

[dbcooper]

Do you actually read the XX factor? Damn, that is some real public service for Reason, almost as bad as reading Feministing.

Susannah Breslin is often interesting though.

[FrBunny]

BTW, Cramer was scheduled to be on Morning Joe today and didn't show up.

[TofuSushi]

SugarFree,

Women seem to be immune from hearing the words "never speak to me again". I think it is from the way men have conditioned them.

That is why we have laws to protect women from men stalking them, but not the other way around.

[Reinmoose]

I just watched the Stewart/Cramer interview, and if I were Cramer I probably would have walked right off the set. Stewart's tone, as it became apparent in the end, was like a "I want to be your friend, and this hurts me to do, so don't make me do this again" sort of tone that you get from a parent or teacher, or someone who thinks they have authority over you.

[P Brooks]

Birds and game theory.

"We designed a model which confirmed our observations."

Nice work, kids.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

I usually think Stewart's show is funny on the very rare occasions when I see it, but is there anything more nauseating than that simpering, purse-lipped, precious demeanor he gets when he's speaking trooth ta power? I wanted Tucker Carlson to punch him in his prim little piehole when Stewart lectured him and Begala about the social responsibility of pundits. With Stewart and Cramer, I'd settle for seeing them both fall to their deaths out of a burning windmill.

[TofuSushi]

Tim,

Please stop with the weasle words and give us your true opinion?

😉

[John C. Randolph]

That is why we have laws to protect women from men stalking them, but not the other way around.

Bullshit. You can petition the court for a protective order against anyone who's stalking or harassing you, regardless of the sex of either the petitioner or defendant. I have a friend who got a court order against his psycho ex-girlfriend.

-jcr

[SugarFree]

Tim,

It was all downhill with Stewart after 9/11. The serious guests, the occasional hitch in the voice--he's one of the psychic victims that never recovered.

[Warty]

I'd settle for seeing them both fall to their deaths out of a burning windmill.

I'd prefer to see them broken on the wheel, myself.

[ed]

At some point making fun of a party that doesn't have the Presidency or either House of Congress is pretty pathetic

Are you saying that Keith Olbermann is pathetic?
A friend of mine predicted that if Obama won the presidency--he said "if" a week before the election, which tells you something about his skills--then odious hacks like Olbermann and Maddow and Matthews would have nothing further to talk about. My reply was that they'd probably keep on attacking Bush and the Republicans as if nothing had happened.

[JW]

With Stewart and Cramer, I'd settle for seeing them both fall to their deaths out of a burning windmill.

I'd be perfectly happy with their unseen, yet very loud, screams of pure agony from within.

[Episiarch]

It was all downhill with Stewart after 9/11.

Oh please, Stewart's always been a Grade B entertainer. His tour-de-force performance in Big Daddy should have made that abundantly clear.

[FrBunny]

And don't forget: "Have you ever seen a $20 bill... on weed?!?"

[FTFY]

It was all downhill with Stewart the entire country after 9/11.

[Jesse Walker]

I'd settle for seeing them both fall to their deaths out of a burning windmill.

Alternately, the burning windmill could collapse on top of them, and when Cramer starts to flee Stewart could pull him back and say, "No. We belong dead." Later, he could emerge apparently unharmed and get set up with Elsa Lanchester.

[SugarFree]

I didn't say he was ever much good, Epi. But the political guests to starletard ratio completely inverted after the attacks and that was the beginning of the hyper-political bitterness that drove me away from the show.

[John C. Randolph]

Are you saying that Keith Olbermann is pathetic?

I'm not a fan of that pinko rat bastard by any means, but I certainly enjoyed his flaying of Hillary Clinton during the campaign. It's fun to watch the piranhas attack one of their own.

I'll also mention one great service that Obama has performed for this country: he has at least postponed a Hillary Clinton presidency by four years, and may have spared us such a debacle altogether. This is not to say that I expect much else from him, of course.

-jcr

[SugarFree]

Elsa Lanchester nude photo

And no, I'm not kidding. NSFW

[FrBunny]

Elsa Lanchester nude

Ooo! Now do Betty White! (It exists.)

[TofuSushi]

FrBunny,

I wish Betty White was calling me kitten after breakfast.

[Episiarch]

Jesse, FRIEND???

[SugarFree]

Ooo! Now do Betty White!

Betty White? No way, you pedophile!

[Jesse Walker]

Jesse, FRIEND???

The Frankenstein and Facebook threads converge!

[R C Dean]

even though the article failed to explain how the E. coli jumped (I imagine invasion-of-the-body-snatcher-like in the form of pods) from a drinker to a non-drinker and where sex definitely was not a factor nor was needle use.

I believe you are assuming facts not in evidence, jester.

[SugarFree (Now With Suck-up Mo]

The Frankenstein and Facebook threads converge!

Well done sir, well done.

[ed]

he [Obama] has at least postponed a Hillary Clinton presidency by four years

Yeah, but he made her Secretary of frikkin' State! The ex-President's housewife! Roaming the world as Obama's right-hand man! That's correct, I said "man".
The world's heads of state must be peeing their pants.

[Episiarch]

Jesse hate me, like others! He reject friend request! Go, NutraSweet, you live!

[John C. Randolph]

Yeah, but he made her Secretary of frikkin' State!

I was rather appalled by that, too. That's a job for a career diplomat, not a consolation prize to hand out to get some harpy's brain-dead fans off your back.

-jcr

[SugarFree]

I WILL AVENGE YOU!

I've got my eye on you, Walker! Hiss!

[Warty]

Is Frankenstein's monster a zombie? If so, what explains his lack of need to eat human flesh? If not, what happens if a zombie bites him?

[TofuSushi]

Nobidy said Frankenstein's monster does not eat human flesh. He just does not like hot soup poured into his lap.

Leaps of logic like yours are quite straining.

[FrBunny]

Betty White? No way, you pedophile!

Check out this short what-if fiction for more Golden Age bawdiness.

(hat tip to SugarFree)

[SugarFree]

Warty,

No, not a zombie. The Monster is not a corpse that walks, but rather one brought back to life. He breathes, eats, excretes, etc.

And he has an enormous schivonnschtuker!

[brotherben]

As far as the Chinese tension goes, I am a bit more worried that they have expressed concern over the value of all the paper they hold on the U.S.

[FrBunny]

I WILL AVENGE YOU!

I went to high school with Harry Dean Stanton's niece. He got real tired of me asking him to quote Red Dawn.

Real tired.

[Episiarch]

You must choose between the flames and the police, Frankenstein.

[Reinmoose]

Wolverines!

[Libertymike]

jcr-

I think you are painting with too broad a brush. Madoff did make money prior to starting his fund. He did not become NASDAQ's chief poobah through fraud. His fun also made money legitimately for several years before he turned thief.

Practically, are the taxpayers and his victims better served by his incarceration? Sure, the prison building/law enforcement/security complex wins, but, who else?

[Warty]

It seems the Zombie Reporting Center has a discussion of this critical question.

[P Brooks]

Obama should appoint Madoff to run Social Security. He has the proven skills and experience.

[Kolohe]

From the Lind Pentagon procurement article:

These and many similar "legacy" systems are military museum pieces, designed for wars with the armies, navies and air forces of other states. Serious defense procurement reform would start by canning all of them.

[em added]

From the first linked article on "New tensions with China."

The U.S. Navy has dispatched a guided-missile destroyer to the South China Sea after Chinese ships allegedly harassed an American ship operating there last weekend, a Pentagon official said yesterday.

just sayin'.

[R C Dean]

Practically, are the taxpayers and his victims better served by his incarceration?

Yes.

Next!

[dhex]

"With Stewart and Cramer, I'd settle for seeing them both fall to their deaths out of a burning windmill."

only in slow motion, set to "turn turn turn".

[General I. Zation]

There is no legitimate reason for being over the age of 20 and having a Facebook page.

Unless you are selling something to teens.

[Warren]

Look, Stewart started to tow the lion for team blue back in Y2k. I've learned to live with that. Still, I would absolutely love if it if the ass-bag's smack down resulted in the Tucker treatment and we never heard from the biggest Douche-hole on Wall Street ever again.

BYE BYE BOO YA!

[BDB]

"Practically, are the taxpayers and his victims better served by his incarceration? Sure, the prison building/law enforcement/security complex wins, but, who else?"

Dude, he's no different from a bank robber. He stole billions.

[tassawwuf]

i always thought Frankenstein's monster was pretty clearly a Flesh Golem, & could likely whup his weight in zombies...

[MNG]

Harry Dean Stanton rules.

Saw Watchmen and Wrestler yesterday, both good flicks.

Rosarch is not a Randian hero though, at no point did he make a three and a half hour speech.

[MNG]

I don't know if he should be locked up prior to trial. I'm pretty liberal on this: a person should have to be a very clear flight risk or threat to the community before we do that.

[P Brooks]

You can't cheat an honest man.

[Episiarch]

i always thought Frankenstein's monster was pretty clearly a Flesh Golem, & could likely whup his weight in zombies...

A flesh golem would be animated by magic; Frankenstein is animated by electricity. What is your saving roll for "incorrect assumptions"?

[TofuSushi]

Epi,

If Frankenstein were animated by solar power, maybe geothermal, that would be magic one could believe in.

[MNG]

If you haven't checked out The Wrestler you should.

If you've ever spent a fair amount of time at either pro wrestling matches or strip clubs you'll find it to have remarkably accurate portrayals of both along with very nuanced and complex portrayals of characters.

Oh, and Marisa Tomei is seriously naked in the film.

[MNG]

I think as often conceptualize Superman is powered by solar power.

[Warren]

General I. Zation | March 13, 2009, 11:43am | #
There is no legitimate reason for being over the age of 20 and having a Facebook page.

Unless you are selling something to teens.

You don't know what you're talking about. I created a Facebook account just to sign on to a newsgroup. Since then I've connected with dozens of people with similar interests and reunited with several people I had completely lost track of.

[tassawwuf]

*mumbles some shit about technology sufficiently advanced being indistinguishable from...aw fergitit*

[MNG]

"Since then I've connected with dozens of people with similar interests and reunited with several people I had completely lost track of."

And found love?

[robc]

I will be first in line to "poke" the rotting corpse.

For some reason, I now have The Distant Future by Flight of the Conchords stuck in my head. Not that that is a bad thing.

[Libertymike]

R C Dean and BDB-

Why should my money be taken from me in order to feed the prison building/prison administration/law enforcement/security complex? To incarcerate the Bernie Madoffs of the world?

There is a big difference between Bernie and a bank robber. The use of force makes a world of difference in assessing dangerousness. The cops in Atlanta who killed the 92 year old woman and then planted dope and strong armed an informant to lie and support their story deseve life behind bars. They do pose a threat to the safety and to the lives of others. Benrie Madoff does not pose a threat to the safety or to the lives of others.

Further, just like the employees of Enron who put all of their retirement eggs in the Enron stock basket, I do not think we should be throwing pity parties for the folks who put all of their retirement eggs in the Bernie basket.

[Libertymike]

MNG-

Both movies were good takes.

[dbcooper]

I found The Wrestler to be rather dull, with trite plotting, generally indifferent acting, and some awful dialogue. There were a few good shots but the camera work was pretty poor too - how many times was the camera completely out of focus whilst panning. Apart from a good, but not great, performance by Rourke, it was very overrated.

[Libertymike]

MNG-

Let us say that you are on a remote, deserted island with Marisa Tomei and TAO.....

[Episiarch]

For some reason, I now have The Distant Future by Flight of the Conchords stuck in my head. Not that that is a bad thing.

rob, you need to back up. There's too many dicks. Create some ladyspace.

[T]

Further, just like the employees of Enron who put all of their retirement eggs in the Enron stock basket, I do not think we should be throwing pity parties for the folks who put all of their retirement eggs in the Bernie basket.

Actually, the most interesting part of this to me is the people who paid taxes on fictional gains now have to go back and try to get their money back from the IRS. I'm betting that won't work out well.

[John]

To be fair, Crammer is a con man. There are few people lower than TV stock pickers. First, if they actually knew how to pick stocks they would be working for a mutual fund raking in millions rather than shilling on CNBC. Second, people like Crammer have a really loathsome effect on the society. They make it sound like any idiot can get rich playing the stock market and only suckers do things like work hard and save and live conservatively. To me people like Crammer are the pro market version of the awful philosophy that came out of the 1960s that said only suckers do real work. I really can't stand the guy or any of his ilk. Crammer isn't even good to look like Maria Bartoromo, another two bit TV conartist.

[prolefeed]

I haven't quite figured out which is the REAL Stephen Colbert:

1) A very liberal pseudo-libertarian playing a pseudo very conservative pundit

OR

2) a closet libertarian playing a pseudo very liberal person playing a pseudo-libertarian playing a pseudo very conservative pundit -- because it would be economic suicide to not pretend very hard to be a liberal, wink wink nudge nudge say no more, given his liberal fan base

It all reminds me of the newspaper magnate in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead who thinks he controls the statists he panders to, but when push comes to shove he finds they control him.

It's hard to tell, because Colbert NEVER steps out of character. Ever.

[Ska]

Dude, he's no different from a bank robber. He stole billions.

Which makes him much worse than a bank robber.

[Reinmoose]

I suspect it's #1, prolefeed, but every once in a while he says something that surprises me. Like - I think it was Wednesday's episode where he had a guy on from Newsweek with a book about 13 American arguments and he said something like "isn't one of the arguments why media guys like you, who are inside the beltway, get to tell the rest of us what the arguments are?"
His guest laughed, but he didn't fall out of character, and I don't recall but I think the audience didn't know what to do. It was a really fair shot, and I think it might have been earnest.

[Episiarch]

Moose and prole, Colbert purposefully doesn't let people know his true politics. Strangers With Candy was filled with stuff that could have been mocking liberals, or mocking libertarians, it was almost impossible to tell. Though how much of that was Paul DiNello and not Colbert is impossible to say.

[BDB]

Actually, the reason he is even worse than a bank robber is that when a bank is robbed at least the money is insured and you won't lose your life savings.

The people who invested with Maddoff weren't so lucky.

[Libertymike]

BDB-

So, I guess that you agree that one who uses violence is more dangerous than one who does not and that Bernie Madoff does not pose the same threat to the safety of others as do the cops in Atlanta who killed the 92 year old woman.

[Jennifer]

Erin Barringer of West Hartford, whose daughter contracted E. coli from a child who drank raw milk,

E. coli is not airborne-contagious, so how exactly did this child contract it from someone else? If the girl's in the habit eating other people's feces, it was only a matter of time before she came down with something nasty, raw-milk bans or no.

[Libertymike]

Liberty is better served by starving the prison building/prison administration/law enforcement/security complex than by incarcerating thieves who have not used force to do their thieving.

[Libertymike]

After all, the prison building/prison administration/law enforcement/security complex DOES use FORCE to effect its thieving.

[Maurkov]

Libertymike, how would you punish fraud?

[John]

That is a really good point Jennifer. Unless the kid spit on her food after drinking the milk, I don't see how it is possible.

[crimethink]

Jennifer,

Maybe they were French kissing after lunch. I don't judge.

[ed]

If the girl's in the habit eating other people's feces, it was only a matter of time

One girl's culinary habits is another's lifestyle choice.
Just sayin'. We cannot judge. Not allowed. Move along now.

[Libertymike]

Maurkov-

1. Restitution.

2. Service to the victims.

You are a wise man, Maurkov. You probably are not surprised at my position. It is one informed by a revulsion to bloodlust, revenge, showing no mercy, i.e., traits, along with machoismo, militarism, worship of any uniformed employees of Caesar, that I consider to be manifestations of weakness and cowardice. The impulse to assault and perpetrate a battery upon Madoff is a manifestation of such weakness and cowardice. The moaning and groaning and kvetching and whining that Bernie should have already been incarcerated, even before a trial, is another such manifestation. The yearning and desire for the government "to throw the book at him" or to "nail him" is yet another.

You probably know that I am consistent in the application of my principles (yeah, of course, not perfectly so, but I try) and that is reflected in my comments regarding the Atlanta cops. Sure, I thought that they should have gotten a longer sentence, but, they should not be thrown in with the general population and I said so in the thread that broke the news of their sentencing a couple of weeks ago. You may have noticed that I don't particularly care for cops; however, to throw them into the general population would just be feeding one's bloodlust.

[Hugh Jass]

I don't get the attacks here on Stewart. I think the guy is one of the few public media figures who legitimately seems to give a shit, as shown by his smackdowns of Carlson and Cramer.

[mark]

Stephen Colbert does step out of character. In case you were not aware, he is a liberal playing Bill O'Reilly.