The Carter Gilson Report

Steve Benen at Washington Monthly posted an article today about the 0 and 16 Detroit Lions, saying that the team and Lions fans should embrace their ignominy, proclaim that they weren’t just bad, they were the worst that the NFL has ever seen.

If you’re going to have a bad year, why not have the worst year? If the Lions had gone 1-15, folks would say, “Wow, Detroit was really awful.” But by going without any wins at all, people get to say, “Wow, no one has ever been this awful.”

Isn’t it better to be memorable? No one cares about those who are merely awful, but everyone cares about those who uniquely dreadful.

I say, embrace the historic nature of unrivaled failure. Take pride in being a part of something truly “special.”

I think we can read in this a lesson for our #43, as he tries to bolster his reputation with the Bush Legacy Project.  Really, should he not just own up to his utter failure and claim the mantle as the worst President ever, combining the military success failure of LBJ with the economic success failure of Herbert Hoover and the general corruption of Dick Nixon? Bush also had the inherent nepotism of John Quincy Adams and a bloated self-importance that was all his own.

So, own it, Mr. President.  You’ve earned your place in history.

2600 Minnesota National Guard members who served 22 straight months in Iraq won’t be getting the full benefit of the GI Bill:

But the Army wrote the orders for 1,162 of these soldiers for 729 days, making them ineligible for full educational benefits under the GI Bill, which requires written orders saying they were deployed for 730 days or more. These soldiers were shorted more than $200 per month for college.

How cheap is that?

This Facebook event is taking place today. I only just heard about it now, but I still managed to be taking part.

The event is wearing a red shirt in support of the protests in Myanmar. Coincidentally, I wore a red shirt today.

The peaceful protests have been drawing violent retribution from the Junta in control there. The tens of thousands of citizens have made peaceful protest while the Junta has tried, ineffectually, to stop the momentum.

It’s inspiring, to say the least.

Bill Sali is a class act. He’s a guy that fellow Republicans in the Idaho State Senate wanted to defenestrate and considered it a wonder he could walk and dress himself.

Earlier this week, he opened his mouth and out came this:

“We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes — and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers.”

Now today, his spokesman tells TPM’s Eric Kleefeld:

“Diversity of belief in Congress is a good thing,” Hoffman said. “That said, what he was saying in his comments on the American Family News was simply that we have to continue to recognize that this country continues to prosper because of our devotion to Christian principles. That is all. And we have to be vigilant and remember, and not lose our bearings.”

Yeah, that’s what he meant. Right.

Think Progress:

79. Percentage of Americans who believe openly gay people should be allowed to serve in the military, versus 18 percent who do not, according to a new CNN poll.

Too bad the ratio swings the other way when consulting the Generals and the Politicians.