Tonight on The Independents: Obama Meets Tech CEOs, Trolls Russia; Plus Gubmint Waste, 9/11 Censorship, Lottery Morality, E-Cigarettes, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

Before we get into tonight's lineup for The Independents, your very favorite new cable news program, let's run a clip from last night's episode, featuring Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum breaking down Judge Richard Leon's historic ruling yesterday that the National Security Agency's metadata-collection program is maybe-probably unconstitutional:

Tonight features more discussion about the NSA, vis-a-vis President Barack Obama's meeting today with the nation's top technology CEOs, who are p-i-s-s-e-d about how the federal government conscripts them into the surveillance state. Also to be chewed on by paneistsl Jehmu Greene and Todd Starnes is the annual "Wastebook" list of ridiculous government spending compiled by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma).  

Other topics: Former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Florida) will explain why he's trying to declassify 28 (presumably Saudi-implicating) pages of the 9/11 Commission report. Also, people all over the damn country are buying Mega Millions lottery tickets, hoping to win a half-billion dollars; can we blame government? And: Obama totally trolls the Russian government by declining a presidential or vice-presidential visit to the Sochi Winter Olympics opening ceremony, and sending in his stead Billie Jean effing King. There will also be talk about New York's proposed ban on e-cigarettes, the new class of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and more.

That's tonight live at 9 pm ET on Fox Business Network, with your host Kennedy, plus co-hosts Matt Welch and Kmele Foster. Tweet at @IndependentsFBN (#independents), and/or comment right here!

Comments

[SIV]

If you want to step up to the Majors say Santa Claus is white.

[Corning]

Isn't Santa Clause partially based on Odin?

Pretty sure that dude was white.

[Irish]

Is this creepy dork going to be the new Obamacare mascot?

Because that would be awesome.

[Episiarch]

I'm guessing that they chose him because he looks like your average Obamacare supporter?

[Lady Bertrum]

He looks like white Barack Obama.

[Heroic Mulatto]

So Half-Bama?

[Lady Bertrum]

Or, because of the glasses and clothes, a whiter Matt Welch

[Irish]

Now, now. I like making fun of Welch as much as the rest of humanity, but he is much better looking than Obama Boy.

Obama Boy looks like Rachel Maddow. Fact.

[Lady Bertrum]

Looks like Maddow but with a better haircut.

[Episiarch]

I don't know if I like "Obama Boy". I think I like "Obamacare Boy" or "Mongoloid Boy" better.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Obama Boy looks like Rachel Maddow.

Only less masculine.

[Matt Welch]

I question your premise.

[Bobarian]

Besides, you can't be whiter than Matt Welch...

[Killaz]

Forgot this one for the PM links:

Anarchist Cookbook author mistakes himself for Prometheus, and in typical leftist fashion wishes to ungift the fire.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_new.....print?lite

Get over your bad self, you didn't teach anything but self mutilation, and look at the NBC headline, 'murder manual'.

[Irish]

No one got shot by shotguns prior to the Anarchist Cookbook teaching them the way.

No one.

[Heroic Mulatto]

This is not the first time Powell has repudiated his work. I remember him saying this in the 90s. Still the Ana-Cook is bullshit. It has nothing on Poor Man's James Bond, and you know Saxon isn't taking back shit.

[Austrian Anarchy]

I thought "Poor Man's James Bond" had all sorts of direct copying from AC?

In some book research I found a behavioral psychologist who gave the big thumbs down to both Powell and Abbie Hoffman (for Hoffman's Steal This Book) in a psychology book "Behavior Modification Applications to Education" in a section called "Are Behavioral Principles for Revolutionaries?"

Interestingly, he liked the bomber I am researching (who was one of Hoffman's key buddies) because his approach was to hold property hostage with time bombs.

[Tejicano]

So is it true that the daily "Tonight on The Independents" is H&R'ese for "Late-PM Links"?

[Fist of Etiquette]

No it most certainly is not.

[SIV]

Irish saved you from being "last".

[Tejicano]

I thought they were just giving you yet another chance to be fi(r)st.

[Irish]

It's a magical place where we talk about Kennedy's leg's, Kmele's slammin' pecs, and the way Welch's hipster glasses help to hide his bitter homoerotic yearnings.

[Ted S.]

You just wish Welch were attracted to you.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

(Being attracted to the same sex, that is. Being attracted to Irish? Yeah, there's something fucked up about that.)

[Lady Bertrum]

You mean it's fucked up being attracted to our H&R Irish or the Irish (as in the ethnic Irish)?

Because this Irish is completely hot.

He is a ginger.

[Irish]

our H&R Irish

You don't own me, woman.

[Lady Bertrum]

Yet. We don't own you yet.

[Ted S.]

Yes, we don't own you.

[Corning]

All i know is do not look up prepper food on google.

Otherwise you will forever get prepper food commercials on youtube.

[Heroic Mulatto]

I'm guessing the SF'd link is part of the joke?

[Lady Bertrum]

Ughh.

I SF'd the link. It was the Notre Dame mascot, okay!?!

trying again, http://irish.nbcsports.com/?attachment_id=2899

[Francisco d Anconia]

I'm pretty sure that is our Irish.

[darius404]

I thought this was our Irish.

[Ted S.]

Sugar Free is an Irish ginger?

[Lady Bertrum]

No. Irish is a sugar free ginger.

[Episiarch]

No, NutraSweet is an Irish minger.

[Ted S.]

Oh, and I meant the H&R commenter Irish, not the Irish people in general.

Although thanks to having a mother of Irish descent, I heard enough of the anti-British propaganda growing up to make the Southern Irish one of the few groups I feel any prejudice against.

[Tejicano]

Hhm... makes me glad I can't dial that in where I live. I guess I might miss Miss K's legs but the rest of that I don't even want to translate.

[Heroic Mulatto]

his bitter homoerotic yearnings.

No, that's just a side-effect of living in France.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

The sexual tension between him and Gillespie was palpable. Like how two coworkers who are banging each other are forced to maintain a professional facade when working together but everyone can feel it.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Jim & Pam. Every time.

[darius404]

So which is which here? Not sure I can tell the difference.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Are Jacob and Matt wearing matching outfits again?

[Count Negroni]

Jacob's not here, man.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Missing the whole thing while the little woman watches her cookin' shows.

[Sevo]

Since this is Late Nite Links, well:

"A federal advisory group reported Tuesday that federal workers have fallen slightly further behind the private sector in pay, a trend that union leaders said they hope will be stopped by getting the government back in the habit of paying annual raises.
The Federal Salary Council, a group of union officials and pay policy experts, said that the average "pay gap" in favor of the private sector now stands at 35.4 percent, up from 34.6 percent last year and 26.3 percent in 2011."

Yes, folks, a gummint/union agency finds that gummint/union workers are UNDERPAID!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....957&clsrd;

[Francisco d Anconia]

INDEPENDENTS ASSEMBLE!

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

**suitable music**

[Francisco d Anconia]

Excellent choice BTW.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Nice earrings.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tech titans versus the Obama? It's Pacific Rim II: Potomac Rim

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

I don't buy the magazine...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Oh gawd, not Jehmu.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Notice they put a giant logo in front of Kennedy's desk to block any leg shots. Wonder who saw to that?

[Agammamon]

Kennedy - after coming here and reading the comments.

[Mad Scientist]

Postrel should have told her we're all insufferable jerks.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The old masturbate and switch.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yes, Obama is all about listening to concerns about private sector profits.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Hey, hey, hey! What happened to the Kennedy legcam?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Obama should have put the tech titans in white lab coats for the cameras.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

I knew the corporations were the bad guys all along.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I've never seen Shamu's weight go down.

[SweatingGin]

did Kennedy just say what I think I heard her say?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Greene is right; the NSA should have buried agreement to its surveillance in terms of service agreements. Then it's all legal.

[Francisco d Anconia]

He looks like the Eight is Enough dad.

[BakedPenguin]

Beat me to it.

[Crusty Juggler]

Appropriate.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The GOP knows it loses because it's not far right enough.

[Lady Bertrum]

Has Kmele spoken yet?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

People just can't seem to shake the idea that Obama is a highly intelligent person burdened by DC politics and opposition.

[Fist of Etiquette]

For the love of God, will you people allot more time to topics.

[SweatingGin]

tl;dr

[Sevo]

Fist of Etiquette|12.17.13 @ 9:09PM|#
"For the love of God, will you people allot more time to topics."

Lemme guess:
You're watching a TV program?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I mean you commenters here. You jump from subject to subject without any thorough and exhaustive debate.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Where's the Giany Angry Beaver?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Giant

[Fist of Etiquette]

A commercial for a gold and tennis pill. Now that's Fox Biz.

[Ted S.]

Tennis pill??

[Fist of Etiquette]

That was supposed to be golf and tennis pill. Does that make more sense? Yes, of course it does.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Foster nails it.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

He should really talk more.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Healthcare dot gov records in jeopardy???

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Weren't Da Vinci and Michaelangelo and others financed by rich people?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Yes, Congressional salaries are bankrupting us.

[SweatingGin]

also, there's the crying right now about them having to pay something towards their healthcare.

[Lady Bertrum]

Eight is Enough Guy is super boring.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He couldn't possibly be more of a stereotype.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Starnes is going to stand on stage and tell us that white presidents drive like this and black presidents drive like this.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

God, I'm not sure what's worse: the Democrat insisting that only government can make art and the internet or the Republican insisting that Obama's vacations are a major problem

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sing it, Kmele.

[Francisco d Anconia]

DOD, SS, Medicare.

Questions?

[Palin's Buttplug]

In his syndicated column today, Buchanan lauds Putin as a leader of "conservatives and traditionalists in every country" who are resisting "the militant secularism of a multicultural and transnational elite" who push "abortion on demand, homosexual marriage, pornography, promiscuity, and the whole panoply of Hollywood values."

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/.....e-movement

The conservative love affair with Putin rages on.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Hey, shitbag, this is the Independents open thread. You can post your link at 10:00 EST. Until then, shut the fuck up.

[Sevo]

The left loves him since he bailed Obo out of Syria.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Without government you wouldn't have technology to love, Kennedy!

[Fist of Etiquette]

THE INDEPENDENTS WAS AN INSIDE JOB!

[SweatingGin]

TROOOFERS!!!!

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

You hear that Lizard People? We don't buy that 9/11 Truther nonsense!

[SweatingGin]

Graham is really going to go truther, isn't he?

[Fist of Etiquette]

You know who was caught holding hands with Saudis?

[Cdr Lytton]

Peter O' Toole?

too soon?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"There are real consequences..."

Yeah, no there isn't. There never is.

[SweatingGin]

New York has tax free zones, and advertises them in SE MI.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The new New York is open to taxing the fuck out of you after ten years. (And before.)

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

New York is trying tax-free zones? I thought only crazy Rand Paul and his Koch masters wanted that.

[Ted S.]

The entire state ought to be a tax-free zone, not just politically connected areas.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ugh, here he is, Santa Hitler.

[SweatingGin]

Mein Fuhrer!

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Well if he had just given Hitler a damn bicycle...

[Fist of Etiquette]

I saw mommy heiling Santa Claus.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Giant Angry Beaver, dammit!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Golf training wheels.

[SweatingGin]

I'm still waiting for some boner pill commercials. I thought they were like 70% of Fox News commercials.

[Raymond Luxury Yach-t]

More like 70% transvaginal mesh lawsuit commercials.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Poor people are allowed to make decisions to waste their money just like you, Mr. Welch.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Oh shit, Kmele wants to put y'alls children in chains!

[Francisco d Anconia]

AMEN!

[Francisco d Anconia]

Kmele rocks!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Holy crap, Foster is a rabid libertarian. He isn't talking more in the show because they're afraid his views will frighten the Fox Biz audience.

[Bam!]

What I've learn from The Independents thus far: Kennedy is a degenerate lotto fiend who may or may not be open to polygamy.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

I'd take a puppy from Kennedy.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...if you catch my drift.

[Count Negroni]

Is that related to space docking?

[SweatingGin]

I finally thought of a name...

From now on, I want you all to call me Count Negroni

[Count Negroni]

I hope you don't mind.

[Fist of Etiquette]

This commercial plays like a grade school film strip.

[Count Negroni]

There's some *amazing* vids on youtube of industrial equipment. I'm thinking specifically of The Hog Bung Dropper

[Fist of Etiquette]

Who are you?

[Count Negroni]

Yo.

[Bam!]

I hope Russia arrests Janet Napolitano.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Foster's a cheapskate!

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Yeah, Welch. LBC represent!

[Matt Welch]

Never gonna not! Even if I've already lost this crowd to Foster....

[Raymond Luxury Yach-t]

He's a Articulate & Clean

[Fist of Etiquette]

Putin's going to extend another year to Snowden. "Ball's in your court, Mr. Obama."

[Fist of Etiquette]

Playing the Christian card.

[Bam!]

Pull the GOP puppet's string and hear a talking point.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Do you believe in miracles? Maybe!

[Count Negroni]

all these shots of shirtless joe biden, and then the guy talking about his libido. The boner pill commercials are almost better.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Have I mentioned I like Stossel?

[Count Negroni]

Remember, if Kennedy says "Womb Broom", you have to drink.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A new segment? After just a week? It's not a good when a show is retooled so early in its run.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

I view vapers with more disdain than I do smokers.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's a gateway fad.

[Count Negroni]

much as I appreciate a "back in my day/you kids", I'm pretty sure Kennedy hasn't had to buy a ciggarette since before she was on MTV

[Count Negroni]

"I've got e-cigarettes, I've got bitcoins, I've got aspergers!"

So FUCKING othered.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Yes Welch, progs hate it when the lower masses act in a way they don't approve of. Bout time that argument gets voiced on television.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Well, as close to television as Fox Biz gets.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is there no one here to preach abstinence?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Eight is Enough Guy was voted off the island.

[Bam!]

Needs more Bloomberg impressions.

[Fist of Etiquette]

But saying stupid things don't enhance your music. Or does it...

[Count Negroni]

Can't you see you're not making Christianity better, you're making rock and roll worse?

[Count Negroni]

A time when western intellectuals sold free speech down the river?!?! Inconceivable!!!

[Fist of Etiquette]

How the hell old is Foster anyway?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Kennedy didn't use the Foster springboard to a book plug.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

Cobain prank called Kennedy? Well he's dead and Kennedy has her own show. Score one for Kennedy.

[Count Negroni]

Kennedy, referring to Nirvana, "I'm probably more excited about Hall and Oates."

Fuck, I'm done. Starting golfing tomorrow. Childhood torched and left behind. Gonna go cry.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Didn't Kurt Cobain blow his own mind?

[Count Negroni]

What's the last thing that went through Kurt Cobain's mind?

His teeth.

Ugh, too dark for here.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Kurt Cobain
To the tune of You're So Vain
Pinkard and Bowden

You walked into your bedroom, like you were walking into a fog
Your hand strategically wrapped around your gun, you were emotionally sick as a dog
You had one thumb on the trigger as you gazed into the bore
Now all the band knows that they'll need a partner, they'll need a partner, and

(chorus): Kurt Cobain, they'll probably do the next one without you
Kurt Cobain (Co-bain), I'll bet they do the next one without you, don't shoot, don't shoot!

You could have tried this several years ago, when you were still in your teens
Oh, but NOOOO, you had to go and bore us all with your flannels and worn-out jeans
But you gave up way too soon my friend, you could have learned how to sing
You had some dreams, now theres brains in your cornflakes, brains in your cornflakes, and

(chorus)

Well, I heard you would shoot up with heroin, I guess you were naturally dumb
And you drank yourself into a coma, cause you were totally sick of the grunge
But your mom said, "Son, don't join that club, with Hendrix and all the rest"
But you had the nerve and a round in the chamber, round in the chamber, and

(chorus)

Who's gonna clean up the couch and the carpet, couch and the carpet?, and

[Count Negroni]

Let's be honest, you come out of a blackout married to Courtney Love... that Remington doesn't look terrible.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Actually, it looks damn good.

[Tejicano]

Heck, if he'd have turned it on her he would have done us all a favor and might even be out of prison by now.

[Fist of Etiquette]

AH! Lou Dobbs.

[Count Negroni]

I didn't turn it off fast enough... apparently Obama had some house of cards comparison and there is outrage?

He's going to start breaking dog's necks on camera, and making 60 minutes ask softballs about it, isn't he?

[RishJoMo]

Kinda crazy when you think about it.

http://www.AnonGoes.tk