National Review Finally Posts Correction for Fake “Venezuela” Photo After Michelle Malkin Throws Tantrum

Blames “abjectly stupid libs” for the National Review’s screw-up
• Views: 19,532

National Review editor Rich Lowry has finally addressed that bogus photo attribution LGF contributor “weave” wrote about on Sunday: Venezuelan Store Shelves-Gate | National Review Online.

We ran a photo with Michelle Malkin’s column last week on Bernie Sanders’ economics that was supposed to be empty store shelves in Venezuela, but wasn’t. Our image editor grabbed the photo without verifying its source. We apologize for the error. (Of course, there is no lack of genuine photos of empty store shelves in Venezuela.) Michelle has been getting criticized as if she had anything to do with this snafu, but obviously syndicated columnists do not pick the art that goes with their columns in the various outlets that run them. (The erroneous photo also had an added weathered look, which our image editor sometimes adds for effect — see this Kevin Williamson piece from over the weekend for another example.)

The image editor adds this weathered look “for effect,” yes — when the effect they’re going for is to make something look dirty and disreputable, a classic propaganda technique. And notice that Lowry didn’t explain why the photo posted at National Review was cropped to remove the English language signs clearly visible in the original — which strongly suggests deliberate deception.

Clearly, they didn’t originally intend to post any sort of explanation at all, and only did so after Michelle Malkin threw a fit about it on Twitter, after being accused by many sites (but not by LGF) of posting the image herself. Here are some of the angry tweets she posted:

Those last two are especially paranoid, of course; but the real point of this little brouhaha is that these kinds of articles comparing Bernie Sanders to Hugo Chavez or other communist tyrants like Stalin are deliberately deceptive, mean-spirited and simply wrong.

Nobody’s trying to “bring down” Michelle Malkin, and the only one discrediting her is… herself, every time she writes one of these nasty propagandistic screeds. Right wing blogs are now rushing to Malkin’s defense, trying to paint this as “smearing” her, but here’s a little fact for them: she doesn’t get to write these kinds of deceptive articles without push-back, much as she might like that. The bogus photo may not have been chosen by Malkin herself, but it’s a perfect illustration of how right wing journalists operate.

It’s gratifying that our humble little blog has forced them to back down and acknowledge their attempted deception, at least this once.

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152 comments
1 darthstar  Jun 2, 2015 11:10:52am

I’m an actively stupid lib and I vote.

2 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:12:10am

No one thinks she was in charge of reviewing the photos and if they actually paid attention, they’d see that the LGF article was slamming NRO. Now Malkin deserves some criticism too for likening Sanders to Chavez. And as someone who has been part of the writing of magazine articles, I do know that authors look at the photos before stories are published. NRO clearly intended to deceive its readers here but that’s par the course. Malkin is such a paranoid twit.

3 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:13:53am

Malkin’s article also ignores two things A) Sanders’ vision is much more closer to Scandinavia and B) to go with point A Scandinavia isn’t some economic wasteland. So shame on her and the NRO and especially shame on them for saying Sanders wants internment camps for dissenters especially given their own past defenses (NRO and Malkin) defenses of totalitarian actions.

4 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:14:01am

Hysterical wingnuts are hysterical.

5 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:15:03am

Now if they would do something about the “Black slaveowner” meme that uses the photo of a prominent abolitionist.

6 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 11:15:41am

The real take away here:

“The erroneous photo also had an added weathered look, which our image editor sometimes adds for effect.”

I.E. We doctor and post misleading photos all the time, but this time we got caught.

7 Timothy Watson  Jun 2, 2015 11:16:11am

re: #5 Lord Of The Pies

Now if they would do something about the “Black slaveowner” meme that uses the photo of a prominent abolitionist.

[Embedded content]

Not to mention, even without the photo, it’s complete horseshit:
en.wikipedia.org

8 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:16:23am

A “poorly chosen” photo. What crap.

9 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:17:35am

re: #6 Kragar

The real take away here:

“The erroneous photo also had an added weathered look, which our image editor sometimes adds for effect.”

I.E. We doctor and post misleading photos all the time, but this time we got caught.

And the question is still unanswered: did they steal the photo? Because if they bought the usage rights, they knew what it depicted.

10 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:17:38am

re: #3 HappyWarrior

Malkin’s article also ignores two things A) Sanders’ vision is much more closer to Scandinavia and B) to go with point A Scandinavia isn’t some economic wasteland. So shame on her and the NRO and especially shame on them for saying Sanders wants internment camps for dissenters especially given their own past defenses (NRO and Malkin) defenses of totalitarian actions.

That’s the real issue I think. Suggesting Sanders could turn the US into Venezuela is fatuous in the extreme.

11 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:18:02am

re: #8 jaunte

Fake but accurate.

12 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 11:18:43am

re: #5 Lord Of The Pies

Now if they would do something about the “Black slaveowner” meme that uses the photo of a prominent abolitionist.

Why? They all look alike.

/

13 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:19:03am

Fake photo of Venezuela, to illustrate silly fearmongering opinion piece.

14 Charles Johnson  Jun 2, 2015 11:20:34am

re: #9 Nyet

And the question is still unanswered: did they steal the photo? Because if they bought the usage rights, they knew what it depicted.

They probably didn’t license it. If you do a Google Image search, you find it all over the Internet, at dozens, maybe hundreds of sites.

15 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:21:09am

re: #8 jaunte

Embedded Image

A “poorly chosen” photo. What crap.

Uh it wasn’t a poorly chosen photo, Dave. It was a manufactured photo. If NRO had used an actual photo of Venezuela, that would be fine. We still should be having the debate about likening Sanders to Chavez but using a manufactured photo definitely is part of the debate.

16 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:21:40am
Libs are abjectly stupid, but @nro @richlowry need to address this mess ASAP. Sick of clearing my name when I did NOTHING wrong.

Typical right-winger: Her and her ilk are caught redhanded and her first instinct is rant about liberals.

17 Charles Johnson  Jun 2, 2015 11:21:55am

However — they probably did crop out the English language signs, because out of all the places it was posted, only their version of the photo is cropped like that.

18 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:22:45am

If they knew what’s good for them, they would fire the guy who did this.

PS: they would also delete their website.

19 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:23:20am

re: #10 jaunte

That’s the real issue I think. Suggesting Sanders could turn the US into Venezuela is fatuous in the extreme.

Right and I hope that doesn’t get forgotten as we debate the doctored photo. Not that the doctored photo isn’t an issue- it certainly is but Malkin’s assertion that Sanders would turn the US into Venezuela is as dishonest as claiming a capitalist politician would turn the US into Ayn Rand’s fantasy world. The reality is Sanders is someone who would be well in the mainstream of the UK Labour Party, German Social Democratic Party, or French Socialist Party.

20 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:24:21am

re: #18 Nyet

If they knew what’s good for them, they would fire the guy who did this.

PS: they would also delete their website.

how about selling their renting space in New York or wherever their headquarters are to a gay Marxist news magazine?

21 Eventual Carrion  Jun 2, 2015 11:24:29am

“There are plenty of genuine photos, we just couldn’t find any to post with the drivel.”

[Edited for missed word]

22 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:25:00am

re: #17 Charles Johnson

However — they probably did crop out the English language signs, because out of all the places it was posted, only their version of the photo is cropped like that.

They intended to deceive kind of like the University of Iowa thing on Darren Wilson’s :fractured orbital socket.”

23 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:25:01am

re: #17 Charles Johnson

However — they probably did crop out the English language signs, because out of all the places it was posted, only their version of the photo is cropped like that.

Does the “dirtified” version exist elsewhere?

24 GlutenFreeJesus  Jun 2, 2015 11:25:05am

What. No mention that the empty shelves where of a Walmart in FREE TEXAS?!?! Gasp.

25 weave  Jun 2, 2015 11:25:41am

ICYMI:

Buzzpo pulls an NRO with use of photo from a missionary’s website

This one actually bothers me more because they took a picture of an upstanding compassionate lady and labeled her as a welfare queen. Of course since she’s Black it triggered the usual hate-filled comments we’re all unfortunately all used to seeing…

26 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:26:50am

BTW Ben, why did it take almost 100 years for these soldiers to receive the CMH?

27 lawhawk  Jun 2, 2015 11:27:28am

re: #17 Charles Johnson

Someone knew, or had reason to know that the original photo had far too much English language signage (or UPC coding on the shelves) to credibly be a photo of Venezuela, so they cropped out the signs, and hoped that by dirtying up the photo “for effect” that they could get away with all manner of digital manipulation of the photo.

NRO wanted and created a piece of propaganda with a digitally manipulated image. They got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but it’s the liberals’ fault for this?

Yeah, No.

28 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:28:46am

re: #25 weave

ICYMI:

Buzzpo pulls an NRO with use of photo from a missionary’s website

This one actually bothers me more because they took a picture of an upstanding compassionate lady and labeled her as a welfare queen. Of course since she’s Black it triggered the usual hate-filled comments we’re all unfortunately all used to seeing…

Although Buzzpo isn’t a well known as NRO that actually pisses me off more since as you say it’s attacking a compassionate lady giving her time to help poor kids out and making her out to be the infamous “Welfare Queen” that conservatives have been crying about in their sleep since Ronald Reagan lied to them about welfare Same thing with VB’s photo that through research she found was not an image of a black slave owner but actually an abolitionist and former slave. I mean this bothers me too since i’ts deceit also.

29 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:28:49am

Juan Nagel at Foreign Policy has a more intelligent analysis of Venezuela’s economic/bureaucratic problems than Malkin’s hit piece on Sanders.

The problem, quite simply, is that though oil exports are extensive, they don’t bring in enough to support Venezuela’s large population and socialist state. Compare Venezuela to other petrostates: Kuwait, for example, exports roughly 2 million barrels of oil per day, and this helps support a population of roughly 2.6 million. Each Kuwaiti citizen ends up then “exporting” about three quarters of a barrel per day. Venezuela exports 2.6 million barrels of oil per day, but the rents are divided amongst roughly 28 million Venezuelans, which translates into about one tenth of a barrel of oil per person.

Venezuela actually can’t afford to lavish benefits on its citizens like other petrostates, but it tries to anyway. There isn’t enough oil revenue to finance both political subsidies and a functioning economy, and now that there is nobody left to borrow from, the problems are coming home to roost.
foreignpolicy.com

30 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:29:31am

re: #27 lawhawk

Someone knew, or had reason to know that the original photo had far too much English language signage (or UPC coding on the shelves) to credibly be a photo of Venezuela, so they cropped out the signs, and hoped that by dirtying up the photo “for effect” that they could get away with all manner of digital manipulation of the photo.

NRO wanted and created a piece of propaganda with a digitally manipulated image. They got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but it’s the liberals’ fault for this?

Yeah, No.

Why didn’t they use one of the many photos showing Venezuelans queued up for scarce necessities? Because we see photos like that all the time of people queued up for iPhones or at ticket venues.

31 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:29:45am

Here is the google image link to the dirtified photo. All the hits are related to NRO getting busted

Here is the google image link to the clean version of the photo. There are 100s of hits and none are dirty.

32 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:29:53am

re: #23 Dr. Matt

Does the “dirtified” version exist elsewhere?

They owned up to creating it.

33 b.d.  Jun 2, 2015 11:30:03am

re: #26 Lord Of The Pies

BTW Ben, why did it take almost 100 years for these soldiers to receive the CMH?

[Embedded content]

Why didn’t Reagan give those soldiers the CMH?

34 b_sharp  Jun 2, 2015 11:30:58am

re: #5 Lord Of The Pies

Now if they would do something about the “Black slaveowner” meme that uses the photo of a prominent abolitionist.

[Embedded content]

That meme is wrong in a number of ways. He wasn’t the first slave owner and blacks were indentured long before.

For it to have any meaning whatsoever would require a society dominated by blacks that routinely oppressed whites whether free or enslaved. Of course the reverse is true so the unusual case of a black owning black slaves does not give the white supremacists any valid complaint.

35 Frenchy  Jun 2, 2015 11:31:00am

Notice how Malkin only gives a shit when “her good name” is being “smeared”. When this was pointed out to her she couldn’t have given less of a shit about NRO’s journalistic integrity.

36 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 11:31:02am

re: #33 b.d.

Why didn’t Reagan give those soldiers the CMH?

Too busy laying wreaths on Waffen-SS graves?

37 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:31:04am

re: #32 Nyet

They owned up to creating it.

The erroneous photo also had an added weathered look, which our image editor sometimes adds for effect

Ah. Thanks!

38 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:31:10am

re: #26 Lord Of The Pies

BTW Ben, why did it take almost 100 years for these soldiers to receive the CMH?

[Embedded content]

Well Ben it does take courage to come out as transgender given the fact that people have actually been murdered by people like you for being transgendered so yeah Caitlyn Jenner is courageous. It may be different than what those WWI soldiers went through but it is courageous none the less. Just as stepping into a burning building is different than speaking out against an unjust government, both are courageous. Why don’t you grow the fuck up and stop concern trolling about someone who is actually happy with themselves. I get that you’re miserable since you’re a right wing troll who wants so desperately for right wingers to like you and not damn you to hell for being Jewish but you’re just pathetic man.

39 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:32:40am

re: #36 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

Too busy laying wreaths on Waffen-SS graves?

Oooh he shoots, he scores.

40 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:33:11am

They probably add this effect to Obama photos. /

41 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:33:15am

re: #34 b_sharp

That meme is wrong in a number of ways. He wasn’t the first slave owner and blacks were indentured long before.

For it to have any meaning whatsoever would require a society dominated by blacks that routinely oppressed whites whether free or enslaved. Of course the reverse is true so the unusual case of a black owning black slaves does not give the white supremacists any valid complaint.

There was a statistically insignificant minority of black “slaveowners” who owned (1) themselves (2) loved ones they ransomed.

42 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 11:34:35am

This is the only “discussion” I would like to hear about transgenders in the future:

A: Did you hear that XYZ got a sex change operation?

B: No. Do we know him/her personally?

A: Not really, no.

B: Then it’s both irrelevant and none of our business. Now how about them Cubs?

43 Eclectic Cyborg  Jun 2, 2015 11:34:59am

re: #14 Charles Johnson

They probably didn’t license it. If you do a Google Image search, you find it all over the Internet, at dozens, maybe hundreds of sites.

A friend of mine does freelance Graphic Design. He regularly gets infuriated at clients who believe you can just grab any photo off Google Image search and use it as your own however you want.

44 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:35:07am

re: #41 Lord Of The Pies

This is just their way of saying slavery wasn’t about racism => Confederacy wasn’t about racism. All the officials speeches and statements be damned.

45 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:35:07am

If that is the case why is Breitbart enabling all these mentally ill people?

46 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:35:23am

re: #29 jaunte

Juan Nagel at Foreign Policy has a more intelligent analysis of Venezuela’s economic/bureaucratic problems than Malkin’s hit piece on Sanders.

Right and that’s legitimate. There are legitimate criticisms of the Venezulean regime and yes of Senator Sanders’ worldview too but it is not legitimate to liken Sanders to Venezuela’s government because he too self identities as socialist. There are many Prime Ministers in Europe who belong to socialist parties too. Why not use them as a model? Oh teacher pick me I know the answer, it’s because Stefan Löfven(PM of Sweden) isn’t a boogeyman with NRO’s readers the way Hugo Chavez is. The fact of the matter is in socialism there exists differing opinions just like in capitalism. And as I said the NRO itself has no room to fucking talk given they defended authoritarian right wing regimes for years.

47 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 11:35:43am

re: #34 b_sharp

For it to have any meaning whatsoever would require a society dominated by blacks that routinely oppressed whites whether free or enslaved .

Is that not Obama’s secret agenda in a nutshell?

48 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:35:57am
49 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 11:36:29am

re: #45 Lord Of The Pies

If that is the case why is Breitbart enabling all these mentally ill people?

[Embedded content]

50 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:36:45am

re: #45 Lord Of The Pies

If that is the case why is Breitbart enabling all these mentally ill people?

[Embedded content]

Uh John aren’t you the guy who threatened teachers? Yeah about enabling the mentally ill. I’m not in favor of breitbart.com being used as a platform other than understanding the views of the mentally deranged.

51 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Jun 2, 2015 11:37:02am
.@wendygittleson @AJDelgado13 @NRO @RichLowry You are clueless. This cluelessness is compounded by @nro ‘s failure to explicitly own up.
— Michelle Malkin

She sounds nice…

52 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:37:05am

re: #48 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

Stalin would be proud of Rich Lowry.

53 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Jun 2, 2015 11:38:02am

re: #45 Lord Of The Pies

If that is the case why is Breitbart enabling all these mentally ill people?

That, John Nolte. So caring.

/

54 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:38:10am

re: #48 Dr. Matt

They learned from Stalin’s retouching specialists!

Ah, what am I saying, they’re talentless Photoshop nobodies.

55 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Jun 2, 2015 11:39:24am

re: #48 Dr. Matt

“Yeah, we like to experiment around like that. Cover up English signs. Make things look grainy.”

56 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:39:38am

If Nolte’s so concerned about enabling the mentally ill, might I suggest talking to the FCC about Alex Jones’ show or perhaps Glenn Beck. I think it’s far more the sign of a mentally ill person to believe the President is going to kill you in the night and say that for years rather than to feel you were born into the wrong gender.

57 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:39:58am

Then there’s this meme of an office in Thailand that wingnuts were spamming as WELFARE MOOCHERS SO LAZY THEY CAN’T EVEN STAND IN LINE FOR THERE FREE STUFFS!!!!1!!!

58 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Jun 2, 2015 11:40:24am

re: #45 Lord Of The Pies

If that is the case why is Breitbart enabling all these mentally ill people?

I will not enable mentally ill people like John Nolte by responding to his tweets.

59 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:40:54am

re: #55 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse

Covering up the English signs helps clarify the point that Sanders and anyone who thinks he might have some good points are commienazis and probably foreigners.

60 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Jun 2, 2015 11:40:58am

re: #57 Lord Of The Pies

Then there’s this meme of an office in Thailand that wingnuts were spamming as WELFARE MOOCHERS SO LAZY THEY CAN’T EVEN STAND IN LINE FOR THERE FREE STUFFS!!!!1!!!

Factually incorrect but still TRuth!!!111

61 Targetpractice  Jun 2, 2015 11:41:28am

re: #57 Lord Of The Pies

Then there’s this meme of an office in Thailand that wingnuts were spamming as WELFARE MOOCHERS SO LAZY THEY CAN’T EVEN STAND IN LINE FOR THERE FREE STUFFS!!!!1!!!

[Embedded content]

There are times I wonder if any of these morons have ever had to wait in line at the DMV.

62 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:41:49am

re: #57 Lord Of The Pies

These ppl were too lazy to wait in line at welfare office so let their shoes hold place.

A.K.A. The Honor System

63 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:42:09am

re: #57 Lord Of The Pies

Then there’s this meme of an office in Thailand that wingnuts were spamming as WELFARE MOOCHERS SO LAZY THEY CAN’T EVEN STAND IN LINE FOR THERE FREE STUFFS!!!!1!!!

[Embedded content]

I don’t know too much about Thai culture but I do know in some places that it’s considered polite to remove your shoes upon entrance. Never heard that about bureaucratic agencies or anything like that but that’s obviously by design and not because the people there are too lazy.

64 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:42:13am

re: #52 HappyWarrior

Stalin would be proud of Rich Lowry.

65 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:42:51am

re: #61 Targetpractice

There are times I wonder if any of these morons have ever had to wait in line at the DMV.

THE DMV IS PROOF OF THAT THE FEDERAL GOVENRMENT CAN”T DO ANYTHING RIGHT.!

66 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:43:30am

re: #64 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

Yeah usually I resist but given that this is an actual trademark of Stalinism- I could not resist.

67 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 11:44:07am
68 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:45:01am

re: #66 HappyWarrior

Yeah usually I resist but given that this is an actual trademark of Stalinism- I could not resist.

Sadly, Stalin’s “photoshop” skills was much better than NRO’s.

69 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 11:45:54am

re: #68 Dr. Matt

Sadly, Stalin’s “photoshop” skills was much better than NRO’s.

When Stalin took someone out of a picture, it was usually by firing squad.

70 Kid A  Jun 2, 2015 11:46:23am
71 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 11:47:13am
72 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:47:21am

re: #67 Kragar

[Embedded content]

I am sure Huckabee can name one instance of that actually happening. But he can’t. As I said downstairs, transpeople are far likely to be the victims of sexual assault and harassment than perpetuate it.

73 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:47:53am

re: #70 Kid A

[Embedded content]

Oh man I forgot about that. That was disgusting but that’s conservatism for you.

74 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:48:25am

re: #71 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Please proceed. Please establish a party based on entirely on your hatred of gay people and them having rights and see how far you go.

75 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 11:49:40am

re: #74 HappyWarrior

“We’ll make our own GOP, with blackjack and hookers. In fact, forget the GOP.”

76 Frenchy  Jun 2, 2015 11:50:03am

re: #45 Lord Of The Pies

He is a particularly nasty little troll isn’t he?

77 Targetpractice  Jun 2, 2015 11:50:36am

re: #71 Kragar

[Embedded content]

We should be so lucky. No, the GOP won’t outright drop their bigotry, they’ll just find a new way to promote it. Such as promising a “Sanctity of Marriage” amendment to override SCOTUS’ ruling, while continuing to make a lot of noise about how such matters are “best left up to the states.”

78 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:50:50am

re: #76 Frenchy

He is a particularly nasty little troll isn’t he?

I only saw this because Ben Shapiro retweeted it.

79 Frenchy  Jun 2, 2015 11:52:07am

re: #78 Lord Of The Pies

But of course.

80 Kid A  Jun 2, 2015 11:52:09am
81 EPR-radar  Jun 2, 2015 11:52:58am

Once again we see that the only kind of lie the GOP and its apparatchiks will correct (only if forced to, of course) is a lie that can be conclusively refuted by a single piece of evidence.

Everything else is fair game in constructing their alternate reality.

82 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 11:53:43am
83 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:53:50am

re: #77 Targetpractice

We should be so lucky. No, the GOP won’t outright drop their bigotry, they’ll just find a new way to promote it. Such as promising a “Sanctity of Marriage” amendment to override SCOTUS’ ruling, while continuing to make a lot of noise about how such matters are “best left up to the states.”

To rephrase Lee Atwater but using LGBT folks-
You start out saying f*ggot, f*ggott. And then you oppose things like same sex marriage and employment protection. And when that doesn’t work, you start talking about religious liberty and protecting “religious freedom. They’re going to proceed with LGBT rights the same way they did civil rights for African Americans and I totally expect some right wing tool in 50 years to try to claim that the GOP was actually the more progressive on gay rights much like they do with Civil Rights now.

84 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:54:12am

re: #80 Kid A

“So you’re saying you love Chavez?”

85 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:54:47am

re: #82 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Yet Huckabee also questions the parenting of Barack and Michelle Obama. Might want to look in the mirror Mike and watch the family dog.

86 freetoken  Jun 2, 2015 11:55:05am

BTW, searching for “national review” on twitter still brings up the LGF post at the top of the Top list.

87 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:55:30am

re: #86 freetoken

BTW, searching for “national review” on twitter still brings up the LGF post at the top of the Top list.

Excellent *Mr Burns*

88 EPR-radar  Jun 2, 2015 11:55:49am

re: #83 HappyWarrior

To rephrase Lee Atwater but using LGBT folks-
You start out saying f*ggot, f*ggott. And then you oppose things like same sex marriage and employment protection. And when that doesn’t work, you start talking about religious liberty and protecting “religious freedom. They’re going to proceed with LGBT rights the same way they did civil rights for African Americans and I totally expect some right wing tool in 50 years to try to claim that the GOP was actually the more progressive on gay rights much like they do with Civil Rights now.

However, this strategy won’t work as well for the GOP as the Southern strategy did. There is no huge block of disgruntled Democrats that will jump ship to the GOP if the GOP intensifies its hatred of LGBT people.

89 b_sharp  Jun 2, 2015 11:56:07am

re: #84 jaunte

“So you’re saying you love Chavez?”

That’s coming.

90 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:56:18am

Empty shelves in Venezuela are “well-documented” and yet the NRO had to photoshop a pic from Texas…..brilliant “logic”.

91 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:57:06am

re: #88 EPR-radar

However, this strategy won’t work as well for the GOP as the Southern strategy did. There is no huge block of disgruntled Democrats that will jump ship to the GOP if the GOP intensifies its hatred of LGBT people.

True but never underestimate the ability of conservatives to attempt to revise history.

92 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 11:57:11am

re: #90 Dr. Matt

Empty shelves in Venezuela are “well-documented” and yet the NRO had to photoshop a pic from Texas…..brilliant “logic”.

You can Google image “Empty shelves Venezuela” and still get a bunch of empty shelves from other places.

93 darthstar  Jun 2, 2015 11:57:24am
94 b.d.  Jun 2, 2015 11:57:35am

Empty shelves in Venezuela are proofs that the socialism is evil and doesn’t work but empty shelves in Texas are proof of what?

95 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 11:57:56am

re: #94 b.d.

Empty shelves in Venezuela are proofs that the socialism is evil and doesn’t work but empty shelves in Texas are proof of what?

Freedom.

96 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:58:06am

re: #94 b.d.

The Dynamism of our Great Corporations.

97 Eclectic Cyborg  Jun 2, 2015 11:58:08am

Is it me or is Chrome going down the crapper lately? I’m running the latest version and I don’t EVER recall having so many problems with this browser.

98 withak  Jun 2, 2015 11:58:34am

re: #94 b.d.

Empty shelves in Venezuela are proofs that the socialism is evil and doesn’t work but empty shelves in Texas are proof of what?

something something preparedness something something bootstraps

MURICA

99 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:59:09am

I should have shot a pic of the empty ice cream section at the local Kroger.

100 freetoken  Jun 2, 2015 11:59:26am

re: #97 Eclectic Cyborg

It seems with every new version I get new problems, and the memory hogging still is a problem.

Be sure to go to the options page and turn off as many bells and whistles as possible.

101 withak  Jun 2, 2015 11:59:40am

re: #97 Eclectic Cyborg

Is it me or is Chrome going down the crapper lately? I’m running the latest version and I don’t EVER recall having so many problems with this browser.

Funny you should say that; I just made the switch from Firefox (been meaning to do so for ages) and I am very impressed with its stability.

102 Dr. Matt  Jun 2, 2015 11:59:52am

Libs are abjectly stupid! PROOF!!!!

103 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 11:59:57am

blue bell recall leaves shelves empty
google.com

104 Decatur Deb  Jun 2, 2015 12:00:49pm

re: #1 darthstar

I’m an actively stupid lib and I vote.

I’m not as active as I used to be.

105 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 12:01:08pm

The only reason we’re talking about Venezuela in this context at all is because of Malkin’s utterly deranged comparison.

106 Teukka  Jun 2, 2015 12:01:10pm

Sorry for discovering this one this late, but…

WTF? Really? WTF!??

107 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 12:01:31pm

re: #82 Kragar

1) raised a son who tortured a dog to death
2) supports child molesters
3) would lie about sexuality to stalk kids

has jammed onstage with a known child molester (Ted Nugent)

108 withak  Jun 2, 2015 12:02:05pm

re: #102 Dr. Matt

Libs are abjectly stupid! PROOF!!!!

[Embedded content]

Video

I just got abjectly stupider after watching that for 20 seconds

109 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 12:02:42pm

re: #107 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

has jammed onstage with a known child molester (Ted Nugent)

Covered by point 2

110 Targetpractice  Jun 2, 2015 12:02:47pm

re: #83 HappyWarrior

To rephrase Lee Atwater but using LGBT folks-
You start out saying f*ggot, f*ggott. And then you oppose things like same sex marriage and employment protection. And when that doesn’t work, you start talking about religious liberty and protecting “religious freedom. They’re going to proceed with LGBT rights the same way they did civil rights for African Americans and I totally expect some right wing tool in 50 years to try to claim that the GOP was actually the more progressive on gay rights much like they do with Civil Rights now.

Indeed, I had to walk away to get some clothes out of the drier, and while there I realized that even if SCOTUS rules against the bans, the GOP will just find loopholes in the ruling to exploit in order to maintain defacto bans. Such as putting new and sundry limits on marriage licenses.

111 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 12:02:52pm

HURR HURR WHEN PEOPLE LINE UP FOR A SCARCE THING IT TEH SOCIALISM!!!!!!

112 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:03:46pm

re: #106 Teukka

Sorry for discovering this one this late, but…
[Embedded content]

Video
WTF? Really? WTF!??

you can tell even Santorum’s embarrassed by that but he’ll happily take her vote and support.

113 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 12:04:34pm
114 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:04:35pm

re: #110 Targetpractice

Indeed, I had to walk away to get some clothes out of the drier, and while there I realized that even if SCOTUS rules against the bans, the GOP will just find loopholes in the ruling to exploit in order to maintain defacto bans. Such as putting new and sundry limits on marriage licenses.

I think I saw a post somewhere about Oklahoma requiring marriage to be between people of faith or something like that. They’re going to try to skirt it.

115 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:05:47pm

re: #111 Lord Of The Pies

HURR HURR WHEN PEOPLE LINE UP FOR A SCARCE THING IT TEH SOCIALISM!!!!!!

[Embedded content]

Uh people wait in line for iPhones in Scandinavia too.

116 darthstar  Jun 2, 2015 12:06:01pm

re: #104 Decatur Deb

I’m not as active as I used to be.

Try adding more fiber to your diet.

117 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:06:20pm

re: #113 Kragar

[Embedded content]

I’m not going to be surprised if it’s revealed Huckabee molested children. I am really not.

118 Backwoods_Sleuth  Jun 2, 2015 12:06:57pm

Detroit guy does just the sweetest thing:
4-Year-Old Girl Was Afraid To Wear Dress To Cinderella Movie, So Her Uncle Did This

4-year-old Izzy was all excited to dress up for the latest Cinderella movie, until she got nervous that no one else was going to dress up. Izzy didn’t want to be the only wearing a princess costume at the theater, even though she looked so darn cute in her colorful dress and matching tiara.

Her devoted uncle, Jesse Nagy wasn’t going to let his little niece miss out on the fun of dressing up, so he made sure she wasn’t the only one in costume for Disney’s new Cinderella live action movie. In order to ensure she was in good company he put on his own princess costume, even though he’s really a prince.

Jesse is the last person you would expect to see wearing a dress. The 26-year-old actor is muscular and tattooed, but he’s clearly manly enough to pull off the sweet Cinderella costume with the grace of real royalty.

The pictures are totally adorable.

119 Decatur Deb  Jun 2, 2015 12:07:12pm

re: #116 darthstar

Try adding more fiber to your diet.

I tried, but the pharmacy shelves were empty.

120 Teukka  Jun 2, 2015 12:07:19pm

re: #115 HappyWarrior

Uh people wait in line for iPhones in Scandinavia too.

Not to mention that driving demand and prices of an item up by artificially creating scarcity or the image of scarcity is basic Capitalist Pig SOP.

121 Eclectic Cyborg  Jun 2, 2015 12:07:34pm

re: #114 HappyWarrior

I think I saw a post somewhere about Oklahoma requiring marriage to be between people of faith or something like that. They’re going to try to skirt it.

Which will lead to more court challenges and more blocks and more appeals and more SCOTUS rulings…it’s one hell of a cycle isn’t it?

122 Targetpractice  Jun 2, 2015 12:07:50pm

re: #114 HappyWarrior

I think I saw a post somewhere about Oklahoma requiring marriage to be between people of faith or something like that. They’re going to try to skirt it.

It’s why I figure that the decision to strike down SSM bans will be at least 6-3 in favor, so that a conservative justice can insert some sort of backdoor for the bans to continue. Look for language in the final decision about “religious exemptions” or some such nonsense.

123 EPR-radar  Jun 2, 2015 12:08:04pm

re: #112 HappyWarrior

you can tell even Santorum’s embarrassed by that but he’ll happily take her vote and support.

Santorum isn’t going to push back against that kind of crazy. Neither will anyone else in the GOP. The whole point of movement conservatism is to increase the fraction of batshit crazy ideologues that will vote GOP no matter what.

This greatly simplifies elections by making them contests of tribal identification as opposed to occasions to evaluate differing public policy proposals.

124 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 12:08:05pm

re: #119 Decatur Deb

I tried, but the pharmacy shelves were empty.

Because of Obamacare!!!

125 Eclectic Cyborg  Jun 2, 2015 12:08:17pm

re: #119 Decatur Deb

I tried, but the pharmacy shelves were empty.

Empty AND dirty?

/

126 Fourth Football of the Apocalypse  Jun 2, 2015 12:08:20pm

re: #94 b.d.

Empty shelves in Venezuela are proofs that the socialism is evil and doesn’t work but empty shelves in Texas are proof of what?

Soshulism in America.

///

127 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:08:39pm

re: #118 Backwoods_Sleuth

Detroit guy does just the sweetest thing:
4-Year-Old Girl Was Afraid To Wear Dress To Cinderella Movie, So Her Uncle Did This

The pictures are totally adorable.

Nice ink and guy.

128 jaunte  Jun 2, 2015 12:08:57pm

re: #119 Decatur Deb

I tried, but the pharmacy shelves were empty.

Were you in the ice cream section again?

129 darthstar  Jun 2, 2015 12:09:06pm

re: #119 Decatur Deb

I tried, but the pharmacy shelves were empty.

I didn’t know you were from Texas, Venezuela.

130 Lord Of The Pies  Jun 2, 2015 12:09:21pm

re: #118 Backwoods_Sleuth

Detroit guy does just the sweetest thing:
4-Year-Old Girl Was Afraid To Wear Dress To Cinderella Movie, So Her Uncle Did This

The pictures are totally adorable.

I wanted to click on that link but then I saw the domain name and I’m like NOPE, don’t want to give work filters the wrong idea.

131 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:09:21pm

re: #121 Eclectic Cyborg

Which will lead to more court challenges and more blocks and more appeals and more SCOTUS rulings…it’s one hell of a cycle isn’t it?

I guess they’re hoping they eventually get a SCOTUS that wlil side with them but they ignore that even the Rehnquist court didn’t over turn Roe.

132 Kragar  Jun 2, 2015 12:09:30pm

re: #117 HappyWarrior

I’m not going to be surprised if it’s revealed Huckabee molested children. I am really not.

Given the sick and twisted belief system they follow, I suspect all Evangelicals of child abuse at the very least.

133 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 12:09:32pm

re: #123 EPR-radar

Santorum isn’t going to push back against that kind of crazy. Neither will anyone else in the GOP. The whole point of movement conservatism is to increase the fraction of batshit crazy ideologues that will vote GOP no matter what.

The GOP their chance to challenge or at least distance themselves from it long ago and failed, now these loonies dominate the discourse and set the agenda.

134 Decatur Deb  Jun 2, 2015 12:09:57pm

re: #128 jaunte

Were you in the ice cream section again?

Little Blue Bell would get things moving again.

135 darthstar  Jun 2, 2015 12:10:20pm

Okay, folks…time for me to scoot off and spend four hours talking to people about how I can help transform their department and build a solid engineering team. Wish me luck.

136 Nyet  Jun 2, 2015 12:10:38pm

re: #118 Backwoods_Sleuth

Here’s a guy whose masculinity is secure. Unlike…

137 freetoken  Jun 2, 2015 12:10:41pm

re: #113 Kragar

Speaking of “the children”:

How Fox Is Spinning Duggar Scandal Ahead of Wednesday Interview

[…]

If Monday’s segment was any indication of what Kelly will discuss Wednesday night, it seems the tone will be sympathetic to a family that’s been attacked by the liberal media rather than focused on a man who committed several acts of sexual molestation.

After an introduction from Kelly, Fox reporter Trace Gallagher did a short story on the Duggars as a preview for Kelly’s upcoming interview. The segment leaned heavily on more positive background information on the Duggars, which included mentions of their previous use of birth control, Jim Bob’s brief political career and how the family were devout Christians.

[…]

138 Iwouldprefernotto  Jun 2, 2015 12:11:22pm

re: #135 darthstar

Okay, folks…time for me to scoot off and spend four hours talking to people about how I can help transform their department and build a solid engineering team. Wish me luck.

It was nice knowing you.

139 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Jun 2, 2015 12:11:34pm

re: #136 Nyet

Here’s a guy whose masculinity is secure. Unlike…

Exactly. Real Men have no trouble with such things.

140 danarchy  Jun 2, 2015 12:11:41pm

re: #111 Lord Of The Pies

HURR HURR WHEN PEOPLE LINE UP FOR A SCARCE THING IT TEH SOCIALISM!!!!!!

[Embedded content]

The only thing scarce in that picture is common sense and patience…

141 Backwoods_Sleuth  Jun 2, 2015 12:11:46pm

re: #130 Lord Of The Pies

I wanted to click on that link but then I saw the domain name and I’m like NOPE, don’t want to give work filters the wrong idea.

Check it when you get home. It’s totally sweet.

142 EPR-radar  Jun 2, 2015 12:12:04pm

re: #133 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

The GOP their chance to challenge or at least distance themselves from it long ago and failed, now these loonies dominate the discourse and set the agenda.

The GOP actively sought the votes of cranks and bigots for decades, and it may finally start to be bad for business to do so. The sooner the GOP falls into ruin over this split, the better, since we need a reasonable second party and today’s GOP is completely unacceptable.

143 Kid A  Jun 2, 2015 12:13:07pm

Memory Lane of derp:

144 Eventual Carrion  Jun 2, 2015 12:14:19pm

re: #57 Lord Of The Pies

Then there’s this meme of an office in Thailand that wingnuts were spamming as WELFARE MOOCHERS SO LAZY THEY CAN’T EVEN STAND IN LINE FOR THERE FREE STUFFS!!!!1!!!

[Embedded content]

They should pay lobbyist staffers to stand in line for them like congressmen do.

145 Eric The Fruit Bat  Jun 2, 2015 12:15:45pm

re: #9 Nyet

Which means you can count on every picture posted on NRO to be ‘shopped and such ‘shopping of photos to be a defacto corporate policy to boot.

If Malkin has even a molecule of self-respect and integrity after being hung out to dry for so long by NRO, she should just walk away from those cretins for such a fuckup. After all, they did it once, they’ll probably do it again.

146 No Country For Old Haters  Jun 2, 2015 12:15:46pm

re: #45 Lord Of The Pies

147 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:15:55pm

re: #143 Kid A

Memory Lane of derp:

[Embedded content]

Video

She’s a terrible person. I had actually forgotten about that bit but remembered her organizing a harassment of a family. And why you ask? Because a boy from the family had testified on Capitol Hill in favor of SCHIP. Yes, that’s right testifying in favor of health care for children means Michele Malkin is going to harass you. In a just world, she’d be ostracized but the media gives her an outlet.

148 HappyWarrior  Jun 2, 2015 12:17:17pm

re: #145 Eric The Fruit Bat

Which means you can count on every picture posted on NRO to be ‘shopped and such ‘shopping of photos to be a defacto corporate policy to boot.

If Malkin has even a molecule of self-respect and integrity after being hung out to dry for so long by NRO, she should just walk away from those cretins for such a fuckup. After all, they did it once, they’ll probably do it again.

She’s an as big problem see my point about her smearing the kid testifying in favor of SCHIP and saying now Secretary Kerry shot himself to get the Purple Heart. She’s only upset since this reflects badly on her not because of the actual act.

149 Feline Fearless Leader  Jun 2, 2015 1:07:10pm

re: #62 jaunte

A.K.A. The Honor System

Sort of like people in the US putting chairs in the street to reserve their parking space.

150 Eric The Fruit Bat  Jun 2, 2015 1:49:43pm

re: #148 HappyWarrior

And let’s not forget her attacking Rachel Ray for her wearing a keffeyah.

Actually, this whole kerffluffle shows a real big hole in the syndication model that has real world impacts-Malkin got whacked when one of her buyers of her product used a bullshit picture, and then she got called out for it. Now had she provided a true picture of a Venezuelan market, none of this would have happened. And curiously enough, NRO didn’t provide any attribution of the photo when they posted it-now that’s pretty sleazy behavior right there.

And Malkin was so upset that she was getting hung out to dry. Well, hate to tell you this, but Alan Parsons has some words of wisdom for the next time you deal with NRO….

151 CuriousLurker  Jun 2, 2015 2:00:56pm

re: #150 Eric The Fruit Bat

And let’s not forget her attacking Rachel Ray for her wearing a keffeyah.

Oh yeah, the keffiyeh that wasn’t a keffiyeh, which you can see by looking closely at stills from the commercial. But it was black & white so cue the WINGNUT FREAKOUT. *smh*

152 Fiasco  Jun 2, 2015 8:43:46pm

I gave the Comments a pretty-good look-see and, I can’t believe I’m the only one who noticed…Lowry/NRO has finally fessed-up. His words:

We apologize for the error. (Of course, there is no lack of genuine photos of empty store shelves in Venezuela.) Michelle has been getting criticized as if she had anything to do with this snafu

“Snafu” is actually an acronym: SNAFU=Situation Normal- All Fucked Up.

‘Bout time.


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