After a chase involving a helicopter, Santa Ana police arrested two men and a kid who allegedly stole money from a tip jar in a Costa Mesa Starbucks.

I will never understand the SoCal obsession with police helicopter chases. Nor why the po-po fixate on a few punks stealing 20 bucks instead of  the hedge fund managers in Newport Beach ripping off billions.

In any event, I couldn’t decide which illustration to use for this post, so I’ll put up both. Vote for your favorite in the comments.

[LAT]

Freshman congresscritter Joe Walsh, Musician of Eagles Republican of Illinois, has some strong words for The Preznit of These United States, as well as members of one of Our Great Nation’s many faiths. Can you guess Joe’s religion?

So, where is the outrage from the American Jewish community? Don’t they understand that the president is not pro-Israel? Aren’t they troubled by his history of pro-Palestinian writings, speeches, and actions? The short answer is that most American Jews are liberal, and most American liberals side with the Palestinians and vague notions of “peace” instead of with Israel’s wellbeing and security. Like the president, the U.N., and most of Europe, too many American Jews aren’t as pro-Israel as they should be and too many share his belief that the Palestinians are victims of Israeli occupation.

Did you guess his religion? Joe Walsh is Catholic. Thanks for playing!

President Obama is not Israel’s friend [Daily Caller, via The Hill]

“California preacher Harold Camping said Monday his prophecy that the world would end was off by five months because Judgment Day actually will come on October 21.” [AP/CBS]

We don’t have time to read all the details of the just-released Ethics Committee report on Max Headroom, but this nugget caught our attention:

Senator Ensign holds a Bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University, and received his degree as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 1985. Senator Ensign subsequently practiced veterinary medicine, and opened the first 24-hour animal hospital in Las Vegas.

Since Ensign’s just a year older than us, it’s very likely that he was attending OSU — The Fightin’ Beavers! — while we were an hour down Highway 99W at the University of Oregon — The Fightin’ Ducks!

Not that we care or anything. We just like the sound of “Former 24-Hour Veterinarian John Ensign”.

Report of the Preliminary Inquiry [Senate Ethics Committee, PDF]

Senate ethics committee: Ensign violated federal laws [WaPo]

Evening. A community center, upstate New York. Republican Congressman Chris Gibson rises to speak.

GIBSON: I think there’s a rational way to go forward that we’re going to be able to bring closure to this issue. I tell you there is one thing that you’re saying that’s true: There are people in our country that are not paying taxes because they’re illegal. And that’s gotta be addressed…

AUDIENCE MEMBER: You mean like GE?! (Laughter, light applause.)

GIBSON: Well, GE needs to pay their fair share, too. No, I support that, too.

And, scene. Thank you for supporting the arts.

Rep. Chris Gibson Says ‘Illegal’ Immigrants Not Paying Taxes, Town Hall Attendee Asks: ‘You Mean Like GE?!’ [ThinkProgress]

GOP Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona claimed last week that abortion is “well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does.”

The actual number is less than 3%.

Details, details. Okay, fine, so it’s the usual right-wing strategy of “the sky is green, war is peace, why do you hate America” approach to discourse; namely, repeat a lie often enough and it becomes true. Yawn. Move on.

Unless you’re Kyl’s spokesperson and explain it with a true yet colossally idiotic comment to reporters: that the 90% figure “was not intended to be a factual statement.”

Read more »

Back in the late Eighties, Spy was needling Donald Trump, and Donald Trump was pretending to run for President. In 2011, Spy cofounder Graydon Carter edits Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair is needling Donald Trump, and Donald Trump is pretending to run for President.

“Best Wishes, Donald Trump”: A Future President’s Letter to Vanity Fair