Book Deals Tell All: Right-Wingers Will Buy Anything - Up To A Point!

Because Some Of Them DO Read! Honest!
(Well, that' what I heard, anyway)

Book advances and royalty deals tell a lot about what the American public is willing to shell out to be entertained:

Laura Bush got an advance of only $1.3 for her memoirs. George Bush barely got an advance (unknown). Bill Clinton ultimately raked in a whopping $30 million from "My Life" and Hillary Clinton took in at least $8 million for "Living History." Sarah Palin has signed for a book deal, but will not disclose the amount until March, 2010: she didn't want to "distract from the substance of the book."

May 4, 2009 12:04 PM EST |

Glenn Beck has reached an agreement with Simon & Schuster for a series of books _ fiction and nonfiction, for young and for old, in a variety of formats...As part of the deal, Beck will accept a smaller advance, but also will receive part of the profits, an arrangement Simon & Schuster has used previously with Stephen King.

Beck has three books planned for this year, including "Arguing With Idiots," a nonfiction hardcover book; an audiobook called "America's March to Socialism"; and an e-book/paperback channeling of Thomas Paine, "Glenn Beck's Common Sense."

NEW YORK — Glenn Beck loves the publishing game. The conservative commentator and best-selling author has reached an agreement with Simon & Schuster for a series of books _ fiction and nonficti...

NEW YORK — Glenn Beck loves the publishing game. The conservative commentator and best-selling author has reached an agreement with Simon & Schuster for a series of books _ fiction and nonficti...

Note: "Common Sense" is now #1 on the Amazon bestseller list. And here is a sample of what right-wingers will read for "fun":

Many people will hear the word Progressive and immediately think of liberals or Democrats – but they’re not synonymous. Progressivism has less to do with the parties and more to do with individuals who seek to redefine, reshape, and rebuild America into a country where individual liberties and personal property mean nothing if they conflict with the plans and goals of the State.

- From Glenn Beck's Common Sense

In other words, Progressives are Socialist. Beck and Hannity call Obama a Socialist, therefore, personal liberties mean nothing to President Barack Obama.

On the other hand, a few right-wingers will go just so far in support of right-wing authors: Joe The Plumber's book Joe the Plumber -- Fighting for the American Dream" was released by a group called PearlGate Publishing.

Huffington Post:

"I am not going to a conglomerate that way we actually can get the economy jump started. Like there is five publishing companies in Michigan. There's a couple down in Texas. They are small ones that can handle like 10 or 15,000 copies. I can go to a big one that could handle a million or two. But they don't need the help. They are already rich. So that's spreading the wealth to me," he said.

Translation: no publishing house offered him an advance, so he had to take a "print-on-demand" offer. Its Amazon ranking is 268,064 and his average customer rating is a meager 2.5 out of five stars.

I read some of the readers' reviews and this tongue-in-cheek review is quite a gem:...

And that's why Joe is still so immensely popular. He's angry, vicious, ignorant, and intellectually incurious. He's one of us, and like us, he didn't learn about public policy and international relations at a university or from books or journals; he learned everything he needed to know by tuning into Rush, Hannity, Savage, and Ingraham.

Then there's the ubiquitous (to today's publishing industry, at least) Ann Coulter(geist). She's grown filthy rich off her books. When she's spotlighted on talk shows, you just know that another one of her liberals-are-fecal-matter books is on the shelves. But wait! Her last book, Guilty! showed a drop in sales!!

March 13th, 2009 by John Grooms in Boomer with an Attitude

Coulter, bony heroine of the hard right and former actress (she played Seabiscuit in the movie of the same name), has been all over the media lately, even agreeing to joint appearances with Bill Maher. The reason? Her latest book, Guilty, has sold a mere 100,000 copies. Most authors would kill for 100,000 books sold, but Coulter is used to figures in the 300K-400K range. And she and her publisher are apparently freaking out.

But when you come to think about it, even right-wingers have to be, if not discerning, at least bored by what was liberal-bashing for the sake of, well, liberal bashing. Coulter's outlandish, insulting and totally egotistical statements (equating waterboarding with a childish prank that absolutely everyone with a normal childhood went through).

Advances, royalties, celebrities, pundits, right-wingers, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and...Joe the Plumber.

Could Mark Twain have survived today? I doubt it. Very, very much.

The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. - MT

Bashing The President's Daughters: The Most Disgusting Part Of America May Be Its Freedom Of Speech

All I can say is, I surely hope these people don't travel to foreign countries. Bush made us look like assholes. Obama is trying to make America a statesman again. These people would make us look like neanderthals: When little Malia Obama wore a t-shirt with a peace symbol on it, little did she know she would incite the ire of some very, very upscale cretins. These comments were posted on the oh-so-dignified Free Republic:

What we now are sending the ghetto over to represent us. and if so who the hell is that flea bag who looks to be dragged from the trash dumpster.

Looks like a bunch of ghetto thugs. A stain on America..

These ‘adorable little angels' sat in Rev Wright's ‘church' and were spoon fed hate whitey/hate America for most of their lives.

the world must be laughing like mad right now at that we have this kind of street trash in our white house.

Its the sign of the American Chicken.

I am just hope this is a late April fools joke because this trash walking around the streets of Europe makes me cringe.

"Well we're movin on up, to the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky. Movin on up to the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie..."

If the kid starts making political statements then she is fair game. Wonder when she will have her first abortion.

Daddy better keep an eye on that thug. I'd hate for Miss Obama to be punished with a child.

They make me sick.... The whole family... mammy, pappy, the free loadin' mammy-in-law, the misguided chillin', and especially ‘lil cuz... This is not the America I want representin' my peeps

In addition, the thread includes a picture of Michelle Obama speaking to her daughter with the caption, "To Entertain Her Daughter, Michelle Obama Likes to Make Monkey Sounds."

And possibly the worst:

DIRTBAGS! All of them. Our WH is now a joke to the rest of the world. We have no respect and this is not going to turn out well, mark my words. We will be hit, and much worse than last time. We are now seen as weak and vulnerable. Ghetto and Chicago thugs have taken over the WH.

Certainly the lamest:

And quit picking on little Chacha & Malaria.

Remember, people, keep repeating: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of...

The Christofascist "Golden Boy" Is Back: Ralph Reed Sets His Sights On A Kinder, Gentler Coalition

Bullsh*t

The man once dubbed the “right hand of God” by Time magazine is returning to lead Christians everywhere along the "right" political path.

“This is not going to be your daddy’s Christian Coalition,” Reed said in an interview to describe his new venture, the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “It has to be younger, hipper, less strident, more inclusive and it has to harness the 21st century that will enable us to win in the future.”

"It's got to be more brown, more black, more female, and younger. It's critical that we open the door wide and let them know if they share our values and believe in the principles of faith and marriage and family, they're welcome." Faith and Freedom Coalition.

Sounds harmless. But think: Who's Faith and Who's Freedom? I wonder what Tony Perkins will say? This country can't handle TWO politicos who get their orders directly from God.

Of course, I looked up Reed in wikipedia and found these tidbits:

• In college, Reed wrote a column for The Red & Black student newspaper attacking the late Mohandas K. Gandhi. Titled "Gandhi: Ninny of the 20th Century." He was accused of plagiarism and had to resign his post.
• He INTERNED for Jack Abramoff as early as 1981.
• In 1987, Reed was accused of rigging an election for president of the College Republicans (Univ. of Georgia)
• Reed's "born again" experience happened in, of all places, a Washington D.C. bar. He said "the Holy Spirit simply demanded me to come to Jesus". (What a crock - of Ages - sorry - couldn't resist it.)
• In 1985, Reed got righteously arrested along with his compatriots during an Operation Rescue picket.
• Reed was hired as executive director of the Christian Coalition by Pat Robertson. He led CC from 1989 until CC Reed led the organization from 1989 to 1997, achieving national prominence which included an appearance on the cover of TIME. He resigned and moved to Georgia after federal prosecutors began investigating allegations by the Christian Coalition's chief financial officer, Judy Liebert. At this point, the group's finances were collapsing, and the IRS and Federal Election Commission were investigating it.

Infamous Reed quote (the one he'll have to live down the rest of his life)

"I want to be invisible. I do guerrilla warfare. I paint my face and travel at night. You don't know it's over until you're in a body bag." -Ralph Reed (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, November 9, 1991)

Another that smacks of just a little bit of hypocrisy:

"Calling gays 'perverts' or announcing that AIDS is 'God's judgment' on the gay community is not consistent with our Christian call to mercy. " (Active Faith)"

"Hey, now that I’m done with the electoral politics, I need to start humping in corporate accounts! I’m counting on you to help me with some contacts." - Ralph Reed to Jack Abramoff in an email messaged dated November 1998, several days after the general election (Washington Post, June 22, 2005)

And ABOUT Reed:

"I used to tell people he was going to be either President of the United States or Al Capone. Whatever he did, he was really good at it." - his mother, Marcy Reed

"He's a baby-faced assassin. He's silky smooth, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, but he's a vicious guy."
-Former NH Republican Senator Warren Rudman

For years, Tony Perkins has taken up where Reed left off. How will Perkins react? Will he be willing to pass the helm of his ship to someone else?

Bush's Surveillance Program: Massive! Explosive! Mind Boggling! Staggering! - All Hyperbole Aside!

And Bush Didn't Give A Rat's Ass
About Ashcroft's Health, Either!

I realize that President Obama has more to concern himself with than the shenanigans of his predecessor, the guy who left him with the most ungodly mess ever for an incoming president, but there will be a time when President Obama will need to address Bush's flagrant violation of the law. In times of war and sthe trengthening of national security, warrentless wiretappings are granted to the authority of the President. However, these surveillance techniques cannot be used lightly. George W. Bush wanted as many communications tapped as possible - for whatever reason.

And the volume of tappings has now presented such a clear violation of American's rights that President Obama will need to act.

By PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writer Friday, July 10, 2009

Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., told The Associated Press she was shocked to learn of the existence of other classified programs beyond the warrantless wiretapping.

"The notion that basically one person at the Justice Department, John Yoo, and Hayden and the vice president's office were running a program around the laws that Congress passed, including a reinterpretation of the Fourth Amendment, is mind boggling," Harman said.

Bush wanted the power of super-surveillance so much that he was willing to risk his Attorney General's life for it. Remember the bedside scenario starring future Attorney General Alberto Gonzales? The notes from Ashcroft's FBI security detail have come to light: evidently, after Mrs. Ashcroft replied a stern but polite "f*ck you!" to President Bush's call asking to speak to Ashcroft, she was then told in no uncertain terms that Gonzales was coming over to speak to Ashcroft.

Washington Examiner:

One warrantless surveillance mystery solved. My friend Marcy Wheeler beat me to this: George W. Bush personally ordered White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and Chief of Staff Andy Card to visit an ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft in the hospital in March 2004 after Ashcroft’s deputy Jim Comey refused to certify the warrantless surveillance program.

Jack Goldsmith remembers that after a seriously-ill Ashcroft told Gonzales and Card to follow Comey’s legal advice, Goldsmith seriously thought Ashcroft might actually die right then and there. Ashcroft earns himself a place in the patriot’s pantheon just for that. I truly can’t wait to see how Bush’s presidential library treats this incident.

It won't. Bush's bio in the library doesn't even mention Iraq!

All I can say about the memos, the wiretaps, the approval of torture: more, more, more, bring 'em on! They have to bring out the first signs of justice in the Obama administration. Every piece of evidence brings Bush closer to prison or Paraguay.

Just a thought.

Focus On The Family: "Truth Bad. Spin Good. Lies Better!"

Or, In The Words Of Rick Warren: "Whatever It Takes."

We should be surprised?

HT: Pam's House Blend

Anti-Gay Organization Drew False Link Between Sexual Abuse and Homosexuality

NEW YORK – In a letter made available to Truth Wins Out, the authors of a book on the health of gay men have accused Focus on the Family of distorting their research. The researchers publicly repudiated an article written by “ex-gay” activist Jeff Johnston in Focus on the Family’s web magazine, Citizen Link, which falsely linked homosexuality to childhood sexual abuse. This letter marks the tenth researcher in two years who has claimed that Focus on the Family misrepresented their work.

In a letter to James Dobson, Dr. Carol Gilligan, Prof. Education and Law, New York University:

From what I understand, this is not the first time you have manipulated research in pursuit of your goals. This practice is not in the best interest of scientific inquiry, nor does bearing false witness serve your purpose of furthering morality and strengthening the family.

Dr. Kyle Pruett, Yale School of Medicine

You cherry-picked a phrase to shore up highly (in my view) discriminatory purposes. This practice is condemned in real science, common though it may be in pseudo-science circles. There is nothing in my longitudinal research or any of my writings to support such conclusions.

And here's another example of spin, this time about the law suit of Massachusetts and DOMA. Tony Perkins of FRC must be dizzy by now:

Massachusetts Seeks to Force Federal Taxpayers to Subsidize Same-Sex 'Marriage'

"American taxpayers should hold onto their wallets. Should this lawsuit succeed and President Obama's health care reform pass without an explicit ban on tax funded abortions - taxpayers face the very real possibility of being forced to subsidize both same-sex 'marriages' and abortion coverage within a universal health care plan."

Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, Family Values Coalition. Maybe they lies so much because they don't want anyone to know that they're against at least one family: the family of man.

Move Over Fred Phelps! You've Got Competition! And He's A First Class Christofascist!

Being a master of homophobia takes time, effort and even a bit of originality.

I've just finished reading Mark Morford's wonderful article in the SFGate.com. O.K., I really need to catch up on my reading (article posted July 1st). Then a piece on Pam's House Blend caught my attention and Hallelujah! The two fit together beautifully! Morford notes those two famous Central Park Zoo penguins, Roy and Silo, who adopted an egg, hatched it, and raised the chick as a couple.

Confirmed: God is slightly gay. Just ask the animals. As soon as they stop having all that homosexual sex.

The best part: the story was absolutely true. The book, "And Tango Makes Three," was beautiful and sweet and touching in all the right ways -- except, of course, for the fact that it was also totally evil.

For indeed, the penguins in question, named Roy and Silo, were both males. This meant they were clearly in some sort of ungodly, aberrant homosexual relationship, mocking natural laws and defying God's will that all creatures only cohabitate with the opposite sex and buy microfiber sofas from Pottery Barn and eat their meals in silent resentment and never have sex.

And the comments? Over 3000! And many of them came out like this:

username withheld 7/5/2009 10:50:52 AM This comment violated SFGate's Terms and Conditions, and has been removed.

Others:

Con:

No, Mark -- YOU might be slightly gay, but you are NOT God! God is the creator -- the supreme being who created your sorry ass.. I repeat -- you are NOT God. I'm gettin' tired of havin' to 'splain this to you!

Yuck! Another article promoting gay culture... and, of all things, bringing up the deviant "gay penguins" as example again. SFGate goes way too far with its ultra-liberal agenda: the article about how the illegals are "dedicated" worker, the recent article on how a county that's conservative cost the state too much, and so forth. As a moderate, I can't wait to see SFGate sink.

AND PRO:

Wow!! Can't you just FEEEEEEEL the "polyester christian" love oozing here?! So typical of the oppressive, threatening religious right and how they will resort to any means to get their way, even violence. This is nothing new. And don't you just LOVE how this neanderthal actually attempts to genderize praying?!?! ...limp-wristed praying?!?!

Now the REALLY GOOD PART of all this: the incredibly tortured (almost dead) logic of Pastor Leroy Swailes. In his three minutes and thirty-eight seconds of fame, Swailes manages to equate gays with: being inhuman, bestiality, pedophilia. Telling children about gay people is also pedophilia as well as sadistic. Or Satanistic - he seems to get the two mixed up.

• You have Human rights and InHuman rights.
• Homosexuality is inhuman
• Discrimination is a “negative and a positive”
• Discriminating against homosexuality is a positive
• Homosexuals are pedophiles
• Books that “talk about” homosexuality are pedophile books
• To have human rights, you have to be human.
• Homosexuality is a form of bestiality: “Because a beast has four legs and one gender. If you put four men together they have four legs and two penises and still one gender. That’s a form of bestiality.”
• To tell a child that he or she has a choice to be heterosexual or homosexual is sadistic.
• We have to discriminate against something that is inhuman.

Go to Pastor Swailes' website, www.ThirdGender666.com If you can get past the misspellings, the rambling, the cracked logic and the awful grammar, you'll notice that this man is very serious about hating gays. And since he considers gays to be inhuman, there's more of a rationale for violence than most sites.

I'm curious: does he have a real "church"? With a real "congregation"? Which bible-thumper school did he attend? Does he have a gun?

Pastor Leroy Swailes lives in his own world, but don't tell him that. He might try to prove to you that he's all too human.

Just a thought.

What Does Her Witch-Hunter Say?

Maybe The Devil Made Her Do It! Quick Get An Exorcist!

Some people do crazy things to stay in the limelight, but cutting off your nose to spite your face is very stupid.

"I'm a fighter. I LOVE a challenge." Oh, right. She quit because...ah, she's thinking about Alaska! Too bad most of Alaska didn't feel that kind of concern from its governor for over a year. And when you give a press conference while looking as if you're on speed, then your REALLY stupid.

One pundit called her "brilliant." Being a non-governor for a year, then quitting before your term is up is not "brilliant." It's suspicious. It's grandstanding. It's insulting (to Alaska, a sort of in-your-face "F*ck You!.") It's cowardly.

It's Palin.

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