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Saturday, July 02, 2011

Bachmann Tune-Out Overdrive

Time spent this week-end talking about Michelle Bachmann polls and gaffes is entirely wasted, as time was and remains wasted that was devoted to the preening and idiocies of self-promotional book-tour celebutants like Gingrich and Palin, nutters like Santorum, Perry, and Paul, and the like. You'll never get that time back, you know. Spare some pity for those suckered into the media tilt-a-whirl ride, chuckle a bit if you like at the rogues and fools, sure, but focus your attentions elsewhere, where there is still work to be done.

Democrats have a real chance to win back the House, and should there be an Obama blowout, a slimmer but still real chance to retain the Senate. Some good can be done should that difficult feat come about -- appointments to turn the corporatist tide of the Supreme Court, EFCA, second stimulus, immigration reform, consolidation of insurance and financial system reforms, cap and trade -- so figure out how you can help bring it about (here's a hint: third party masturbation and Blame Obama First impulses of the armchair blogipelago won't get us there).

The Republicans are in disarray right now, they are a gaudy spectacle, and they are profoundly dangerous in aggregate, but there's little use in fixating on the erratic moment to moment nonsense they are throwing up. Try not to get too distracted endlessly pointing out the obvious symptoms of madness from moment to moment, and do some good instead.

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