“Say goodbye to Xe. The company formerly known as Blackwater — the world’s most infamous private security corporation — has jettisoned the name it chose in its 2009 rebrand. Now the ‘security solutions provider’ wants to wash away the taint of the 2007 Nisour Square shootings by adopting the new name ‘Academi.’” [Wired]

Trump cancels debate, mercilessly baits America’s Late-Night Comedians: “It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen to defeat the failed and very destructive Obama Administration, but if that Republican, in my opinion, is not the right candidate, I am not willing to give up my right to run as an Independent candidate.” [USA Today, via Political Wire]

“The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Palin and Burnett are pitching another reality series, this one more focused on Palin’s husband Todd and his career as a championship snowmobile racer. But for now, TLC owner Discovery Communications has passed, say sources. And A&E Networks, which entered into a bidding war with Discovery for Sarah Palin’s Alaska, also is not interested.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Al Jaffee.

[via Comics Alliance]

Those were the words directed to Mittens this morning after he told a gay Vietnam vet in New Hampshire that he didn’t think the same-sex spouses of veterans should receive survivors’ benefits. 

Oh, if you were wondering, Mittens spent the late ’60s/early ’70s at Stanford, BYU, Harvard Business School, and tootling around France trying to convert cheese-eating surrender monkeys to the Mormon church.  Two deferments. Must have been nice.

Video after the jump. At least his hair looks good, though a little Mayor McDreamy slick for my taste.

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Newt Gingrich, making a strong case for Stinque Asshole of the Year and a Crystal Douchebag for Lifetime Achievement, signed the Iowa Bigotry Pledge today. And while everyone’s noticing that it includes a promise to stand by Mrs. Newt III when Future Mrs. Newt IV tempts him, this part of his response caught our attention:

Defending Religious Liberty. As President, I will vigorously defend the First Amendment’s rights of religious liberty and freedom of speech against anyone who would try to stifle the free expression of believers.

Oh, you know where we’re going with this. So let’s go there:

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“A conservative Christian politician has a secret life as a sperm donor for lesbian couples — even though he has campaigned against gay marriage. American politician Bill Johnson has spent most of this year in Christchurch helping run the earthquake recovery, all the while using the online persona ‘chchbill’ to meet women who want help to get pregnant.” [New Zealand Herald]