Power Up For 2012

The National Journal surveys the strengths and weaknessses of the Republican field and delivers their first Power Ranking of 2012.

Sadly, the first sentence of their first ranking leaves me shaking my head and reaching for another cup of coffee:

The A-List Tier
1. MITT ROMNEY

The GOP has a history of nominating the person who has stood in line, and after finishing second behind John McCain in 2008, Romney is now that person.

Huh? I have a dim memory of Mike Huckabee trailing around the country in a two man race that, like Huckabee himself, had an outcome that was ordained.

And I am not alone in my delusion - CNN thinks Romney dropped out in early February while the NY Times tells me that Huckabee dropped out in early March.

Not to go negative, but my confidece in the National Journal analysis is not enhanced by this sort of thing.

Tim Pawlenty, John Thune and Haley Barbour round out the A Team.  Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Mike Pence are placed in the "Fox News Tier", which makes me wonder if this report has been compiled by guys who meld ignorance and bias.

Comments

[flodigarry]

must have been an optical illusion....

[Stephanie]

Looks like the infestation has migrated to her footies.

They should add a stop on Christmas Island to reunite the wee urchins with their families.

For the [crab] children!

LUN (last pic and note the pristine condition of the men's socks for contrast)

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Cripes Suzette calls it a cooch problem.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

If she plays volleyball in Indonesia we'll know the jig is up.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Final question from the Cripes Suzette Photo-documentary, "Question: what is the time line here? Did this unfortunate series of events happen before or after that Indonesian Prime Minister was forced to shake hands with her against his will?"

[flodigarry]

Janet - the wardrobe certainly was a travesty, almost on a par with the other disasters that have set upon Indonesia. Makes you want to scrub your eyes.

[Stephanie]

And the progs say we are just being "nit"-picky when we snark about the OP*ssification of America.

We just didn't realize the truth of the matter.

Oh, dear, that was just "catty" of me wasn't it.

OK. I'll stop now. I've been laughing all day, though.

Back to the serious business of fumigating the clown car...

[Ann]

LOL, Matt

Where did you ever find that website? Hot doggin' it is a fav.

[rse]

Stephanie-

You are definitely on a roll.

[Jim Ryan]

Let's see, I'm not sure if there was a visible camel toe there or not.

[Ann]

We have some very good news about fumigating:

Image via Moonbattery.

A draft report by the president’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform calls for, among other items, eliminating a division of the Education Department run by one of the most controversial appointees in the Obama administration: Kevin Jennings, the safe schools czar.

The draft report, which will be finalized by Dec. 1 if 14 of the 18 members agree, calls for eliminating the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, which would save taxpayers an estimated $1.8 billion.

h/t http://nicedeb.wordpress.com

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Oh! That would be great!!!

But what in the world was 1.8 Billion spent on?

[Clarice]

Well, write to Nancy write now and tell her you demand a full throated defense of Jennings and his prorams.

[Clarice]

How much do we save if we pitch the entire ed dept?

[Ann]

Janet the tea-vangelist,

Have you got yours yet? :)

[Jilly Jones]

yo

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

This is odd. At this Times of India site this appears right under the author & date/time stamp...
"Official Obama Website : www.BarackObama.com - Support Barack Obama by Joining Organizing for America. Act Now!"

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

I haven't seen that Ann...that would be great! You find the best stuff.

[Ann]

Oops, here is the info to get the license plate: http://www.912richmondva.com/

[Frau Ischiasnerv]

But does this count? -
Threadkiller, ik weet het niet.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

For Jane - Illegal Immigrants In MA Have Received $35.7 Million In Health Care This Year

[Frau Ischiasnerv]

Clarice, I do not have your busy schedule so I can limp around, sit around, go soak in a jacuzzi, hang myself in an inversion table and combine various leftovers without much worry.

[Frau Ischiasnerv]

No mirrors in the royal suite? I'm beginning to think a cruel trick was played on FLOTUS with the overkill mosque masquerade. Who forced her to go on the visit in that insulting clothing? I can't believe she chose the garments, and it is obvious she was not thrilled. She was trying to pull up the legs so she wouldn't walk on them or trip. Did Ole Stinky have anything to do with it? He seemed, however, unaware and was enjoying himself royally. Where were the fracking entourage and Mother Robinson? Heads should roll on this one.

[bgates]

it is obvious she was not thrilled

Strange, her being out of the country and all.

[JM Hanes]

Clarice:

"I seriously doubt the wonderworker anticipated this would be the Commission's position."

That's fer sher!

The genius of the thing is that Bowles & Simpson published the draft right off the bat, before Obama's firewall appointments could even kick in. That makes it the baseline against which all else will be measured.

[JM Hanes]

LOL, bgates!

[Ann]

From Janet's Article:

NEW DELHI: While her husband talked trade, Michelle Obama did what most women love to do — shop. The First Lady, who has quite a reputation as a fashionista and is known to send stock prices of clothing companies zooming when she slips into one of their dresses, ran up a bill of thousands on an assortment of Indian handicrafts and textiles.

While visiting the 25 stalls at the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in Pragati Maidan, she even stopped to woefully exclaim, ''I wish I had brought more money!''

groan

********
bgates: You are hysterical! How did you ever find us? and please promise never to leave us.

[Dave (in MA)]

Janet, LOL -- though it's pretty obvious she's just hiking up her drawers because they're too long without shoes.

[JM Hanes]

Maybe I spoke too soon. I'm not familiar with Steve Manacek, but he asks some questions about the Debt Commission draft, and the answers don't sound good:

Putting aside all the minutiae and detail, the crux of the proposal comes down to two points: capping federal government expenditures at 22% -- and eventually 21% -- of GDP, and capping revenues at 21% of GDP. And each of these represents a BIG problem. The first is on the spending side. Except for the anomalous stimulus/bailout/recession years of 2009-2011, federal government expenditures haven’t reached 21% of GDP since the collapse of the Soviet Union – and since World War II only exceeded 21% of GDP during the Reagan-Bush military buildup of the 1980s and early 90s.
[.....]
The more important problem is on the revenue side. According to Office of Management and Budget figures, federal revenues have NEVER reached 21% of GDP.
[.....]
By way of comparison, the last time we had a “balanced” federal budget – FY 2001 – revenues were 19% of GDP and expenditures 18%. The Commission’s draft, in effect, proposes solving our deficit problem by allowing the federal government to grow 15-20% larger than it was under Bill Clinton, then raising taxes as much as necessary to pay for it.

He asks, "What am I missing?" Unfortunately, I don't know enough to say, but maybe some of you guys do.

[Stephanie]

Also from Janet's link

But it was four-year-old Kavita from Rajasthan who stole the show when Michelle spotted her quietly embroidering cloth dolls inside the Rajasthan stall. ''She was stunned to see Kavita's workmanship even though she was so young and immediately placed an order for 10 dolls. Later she came back and asked for five more,'' said Kavita's proud grandfather Sumar Bhura.

Where is Human Rights Watch when you need them?

[RichatUF]

On the deficit commission, have to say I'm surprised. Did a speed read-wow reducing or eliminating the EITC, lowering the corporate and individual rate, and eliminating the AMT.

Noticed that defunding commercial space flight makes a savings line item-doubt that will be a cost savings because A. we have a hotel orbiting at 51 degrees, 173 miles atl and B. the SpaceX resupply contracts would probably cost more to break than the savings realized. (Hummm...seems like a done deal.)

I didn't see anything about VA healthcare which is a significant line item in the budget. A minor point and I may have missed something. Vesting military retirement at 10 years and delaying paying out to 60 will get some howls as will the proposals to force state workers into Social Security and requiring government workers to fund more of their retirements.

I'm surprised and wrong as to what they would propose. I thought that they would come back with a standard progressive platform which Obama could use as cover for a veto of an extension of the Bush tax cuts.

[Stephanie]

JMH: Per Drew over at Ace's:

They also say roll non-defense, discretionary spending back (starting in '12) to 2010 levels. In other words, lock in all of the Obama spending forever and always.

They can go fuck themselves.

Don't know if he's right or not, but I wouldn't trust the bastards. LUN

[RichatUF]

JM Hanes-

They propose using 2010 as the baseline where government spending reached some 24% of GDP. I didn't read it closely to see how they score the tax cuts: they lower the rate and broaden the base. More people will be paying taxes.

[RichatUF]

of course I'd blow up the bold.

[Frau Ischiasnerv]

bgates, lol, but it must be the equivalent of going on the Grand Tour and losing all your luggage the first day out.

[daddy]

Well if they take ">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Bob_Hope,_Bing_Crosby_and_Dorothy_Lamour_in_Road_to_Bali.jpg"> The Road to Bali I think we've got Mo's next outfit already picked out.

[JM Hanes]

With apologies for interrupting a perfectly good snarkathon, the outfit here is not the problem:

Have you ever noticed how the Obamas seem to be standing in front of their hosts?

How very rude.

[JM Hanes]

Rich:

I should have refreshed before posting!

"They propose using 2010 as the baseline where government spending reached some 24% of GDP."

Hoist by my own baseline, then. That's pretty depressing.

[JM Hanes]

That should have been apologies for ***having*** interrupted the snark, to which I was returning..... Or something.

[Ann]

Dang, JMH

I was just reading that and listening to a Fox News babe say about the same thing on Hannity.

They should just cut the carp and tell the American taxpayer: Umm.... U.R.SCREWED.!!!
SURPRISE

Btw, here is a pic from a soldier that tweeted:

The Teleprompters arrived safely, awaiting POTUS. #Korea

I know one thing, Sarah Palin might have notes on her hand but you wouldn't see her use teleprompters in front of these brave guys and she would have to speak on a tarmac for the crowd.

[macphisto]

"What's he laughing about, and why does she look like she's at Madame Tussaud's in that picture"

if you scroll up so that just their heads are visible on the screen, isolated from the rest of the scene, you can clearly see how visibly uncomfortable they both are, how out of their own depth they look, and how embarrassed they are deep down because they know they're faking it. they're so uncomfortable they can't even stand straight with their hands at their sides like any kid is taught to do in gym class by second grade; they're literally acting like little kids who've been caught halfway back from the cookie jar.

[Ann]

Heh, daddy:

[macphisto]

is it just me, or is the photo of the Obamas with the Queen deliberately shot so the Obamas loom over the Queen and make her look as tiny as possible? they're practically shooting down on the top of her head.

[JM Hanes]

When the Obamas are graceless enough to hog the foreground, the photographer has to back up.

[daddy]

Has anyone been watching the Glenn Beck show the last 2 nights on his expose' of George Soros? I know nothing about Soros. If Beck is correct, very disturbing.

[Ann]

JMH:

As much fun as MO is, we need to spend more time on these four women:

How did they get where they are?

Valerie Jarrett just seems like a minder in every picture on daylife. Here is one:

[Ann]

daddy:

Watch this: Glenn Beck

and read this: Soros’ Media Empire: When Elections Fail, Turn to Public Propaganda Journalism

What do you think?

[JM Hanes]

Ann:

I think there's a whole women's "mafia" in Chicago. They seem to be the connecting players (less limelight than the guys? or powers behind the thrones?). You've got best buddies Jarrett & FLOTUS, Tony Rezko's wife doing real estate deals, folks contacting Blago through his wife, Penny Pritzker, Bernadine, etc. etc. etc. Following the women may be as important as following the money in Chicago.

[glasater]

I truly believe Valerie Jarrett is the person running this administration.

[JM Hanes]

Michelle Bachmann throws in the House Conference Chair towel:



Jeb Hensarling has my enthusiastic support for his candidacy to become Republican House Conference Chair. Jeb has demonstrated his commitment to limited government, reduced spending and lower taxes and he will be a strong voice for the Tea Party’s call for these values.



I look forward to continuing my consistent support of the Tea Party. I plan to advance the Tea Party ideals through their listening arm, the Tea Party Caucus. It is my wish to bring new faces to the caucus, including freshmen members.



The new Congress will have great opportunities to lead our country into the direction our founders intended. I spoke with Mr. Boehner and other members of leadership and I am convinced they will wholeheartedly work towards the issues the American people are calling for such as fiscal responsibility, ending the bailouts and repealing Obamacare.

I'm tempted to Fisk her statement, but I'll leave that for another day.

[daddy]

Ann,

Saw both of Glenn's shows the last 2 nights and they are right in line with your second link. It was eye-opening to me to see the various organizations to whom Soros doles out millions of dollars, especially when what we so often hear about are tons of stories instead focusing on some wealthy Conservative donating money to the Tea Party etc. Just that huge page of Media outfits bought and paid for by Soros, (topped by NPR and HuffPo and Media Matters), was worth seeing all laid out together. Obviously I have not been paying enough attention

If Beck is anywhere close to correct, we definitely need to know more about Soros, and I am glad that Beck and this second link of yours are focusing hard on him now. We need daylight on all these characters and I welcome it. Certainly food for thought.

And I think "Valerie the minder" is right on the money.

[Someone called him a socialist who wants to build a wall around his money.]

Soros has sneered at the Gates for spending their money on public health, calling it 'easy' compared to his choice, public policy.

I believe Soros is ultimately the main money behind all this 'progressive' corruption of the body politic. I think the degree to which he has warped the public dialogue is little appreciated. Many of the most powerful voices for the progressive cause are directly and indirectly supported by Soros, particularly through the Center for American Progress.

And the climate hoax has his fingers all over it, too. I'm relieved and pleased that he is probably losing a bundle over it. And then I read about Petrobras.
================

[peter]

Busy working, haven't had time to keep up with the threads, but Renee Elmers still needs help. "Who're You?" has picked up votes already, and her lead is thinning. A second recount is being requested. LUN

Re: Beck and Soros, I am glad that someone is going after this creep, but Glenn Beck typically gets facts wrong. He kept talking about Soros is an advocate of the language "esperanza" whereas he should have said "Esperanto." details, details.

[Donald]

The Blasters, Beat Farmers, X, Long Ryders, Jason and the Scorchers, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Dashboard Saviours, The Gourds (I told my buddy Bob about 'em Ms. Porch, he's got 'em all over his Ipod) and the Drive By Truckers did not play at the country music awards.

Gwyneth Paltrow made her country music debut.

[Pagar]

God Bless our Veterans and those who support them, today and everyday.

[Captain Hate]

Soros has always been out there waiting to have the spotlight focused on his role in funding prog groups yet, SHOCKING, the MFM is remarkably uncurious about him while going "OMG look at those eeeeevil Koch brothers" or whoever else is their villain du jour. He isn't even discreet about it.

[Captain Hate]

Donald, don't get me started on what passes for country music these days; some of them are ok (I like Miranda Lambert) but if they haven't gone through the Nashville finishing schools you won't see 'em on the CMA.

[Pagar]

Meanwhile the old story of the counters always finding more Democrat votes in a recount Joe Walsh in IL-8.

IMO, the should be a special designation for any Democrat put in office by a recounts by Public Employees. Maybe Rep XXX-D-Elected by Public Employee recounts.

American Thinker has more articles on the subject too.

[davod]

"Republican State Legislative Committee Executive Director Chris Jankowski estimated the GOP will gain between 25 and 30 additional House seats from the reapportionment and redistricting process alone, a number that makes it all the more difficult for Democrats to win back the seats necessary to retake the majority."

Will the Soros Secretary of State project have an effect on this?

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

I can't tell you how much I look forward to getting up and seeing all the snarky pix you guys put up. It makes my morning.

Janet, thank you - that will go on today's radio show.

Glasater - I agree with you completely about Jarret.

[Porchlight]

Happy Veterans Day! To to all the JOMers out there and to everyone else who has served, thank you.

[Donald]

Sorry Mr. Hate.

[Porchlight]

Pagar,

It's been hard to convince my dad over the years that there is widespread voter fraud, but I think this year has opened his eyes a little. When you see the tight races tip over and over again to the same party in recounts, how can you conclude otherwise?

[Porchlight]

Donald,

Thanks for spreading the good word. :)

Paltrow, huh. I would have thought she was far too much of a snob to try her hand at country. I wonder if she tried to sound like that bloodless poseur Gillian Welch, who actually makes decent music, but is far too academic sounding for my tastes.

[Porchlight]

I like this bold. Much easier to read in the morning.

[Donald]

Oh no Ms. Porch, he's a fan. He's been into them for a while!

[Porchlight]

Great, Donald!

[Donald]

http://tv.gawker.com/5687031/gwyneth-paltrows-live-singing-debut-at-the-cma-awards

I'm so sorry.

[Janet the tea-vangelist!]

Donald, I think Paltrow did very good. That Vince Gill is a great guy.

[Porchlight]

I do like Mr. Amy Grant, Janet. ;) You are right, it wasn't too bad at all.

[Clarice]

If you look at the mosque shots you'll see that the men are standing on the carpet and MO is not. I bet the ground is hot and hurts your feet if you are not wearing shoes. BO is too self-absorbed to notice and MO too proud to stand behind the men so she can be on the carpet,too.

[Rick Ballard]

"Hoist by my own baseline, then."

JMH,

Not at all. The GOP House will have primary responsibility for sifting the recommendations of The President's Bi-Partisan Commission and selecting and modifying those points which the elected Representatives deem worthy of advancement through legislation.

They may well decide that promulgation of the 18% spending level as established by Congressman Ryan will offer better results and that 2006 provides a better baseline than 2010.

The release of the co-chairs' recommendations ahead of the full commission decision is the important event - the full commission will submerge the recommendations in dreck but the House can dredge it right back up and use it as counterpoint to the Roadmap.

The GOP has been presented with an opportunity to make a case for its continued existence. If the Tea Party can maintain enough pressure to keep the party oligarchs squealing we may see a bit of transformation occur.

[Extraneus]

davod, the Secretary of State Project actually lost 5 of the 7 SoSs they backed this election.

Soros-supported ‘Secretary of State Project’ dealt blow in midterm elections

[narciso]

Mainwhile Mr, Bainbridge utterly misses the point, again, in the LUN

[Captain Hate]

bloodless poseur Gillian Welch, who actually makes decent music, but is far too academic sounding for my tastes

Dear God she makes me cringe with her downer music for the terminally depressed. Dar Williams is another one who I once saw in concert and thought "Why am I wasting my time listening to this" (the answer was "Because Richard Thompson is up next").

[Porchlight]

Yeah, don't get me started, Cap'n. Welch, who plays the sad vintage-clothed backcountry lass on stage, but who in real life grew up in LA (her parents worked on the Carol Burnett show, for goodness sake) is the perfect example of how urban liberals romanticize the plain country folk in days of yore, yet have nothing but contempt for real life red-state country people of today.

[Donald]

Richard Thompson. Wow. Captain, I bow to you and your musical appreciation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXgzSEuCmBQ

that ain't Richard Thompson.

[narciso]

No kidding, Capt, she's like the country version of Suzanne Vega

[Captain Hate]

I have that lp, Donald

[Threadkiller]

"she's like the country version of Suzanne Vega"

Uugh.

[Donald]

I'm weeping with joy.

Outside of my circle of friends, I've rarely, maybe a couple of times mentioned any of these bands to anybody who had any idea who any of them were.

Kinda like the man on the street answering: Pelosi? Reid? Republicans! Bastards!

[davod]

"davod, the Secretary of State Project actually lost 5 of the 7 SoSs they backed this election."

Thanks.

[Captain Hate]

I'm pretty nutty about music, Donald; a lot of the improv that I listen to would probably have most people here questioning my sanity although PUK knew a lot of the Brits that I like. I hesitate to call what I listen to "jazz" because that includes a lot of stuff that I have no interest in (and Ken Burns should DIAF).

Btw, the Dash, Rip Rock album was given to me by a long-term musical bud who kept me grounded in that type of music when I was witlessly being an improv-snob; I really owe him alot although it cuts both ways. Any Wayne Hancock fans here?

[Donald]

Improv. Noooooooooooooooooooooo!

But I'll let YOU slide.

When I get out of the alt country, I just go punk. Or the Pogues. Who are punk anyways.

I have exactly no musical talent of course.

Social Distortion is coming to town in Atlanta I just noticed. I like them, though all the afore mentioned band members are not fans.

[glasater]

Kim--

Some months back I'd read that Soros had lost a ton of money on Petrobras.
The included link doesn't provide verification but does give a glimpse of when he got out of the stock.
According to the article the stock was down 21% when he sold.

And Jane thanks!
Jarrett is always the ubiquitous presence in photos but one sure doesn't hear much about her influence.

[Porchlight]

A friend of mine likes to say:

When the jazz is free, we all pay.

I have never quite been able to get my head around Richard Thompson. My husband is a huge fan. I love his voice and dig a lot of the songwriting, but when he gets to noodling on the guitar I tune out. Linda Thompson makes me want to throw things - something about that goody two shoes voice. Again, though, great songwriting on those two records (though I prefer Elvis Costello's version of "Withered and Died").

[Porchlight]

Donald, the Pogues are easily in my top 10 favorite bands (top 5 if it weren't for Beatles-Stones-Zeppelin-Kinks, probably). The Gourds cover "Waxy's Dargle" regularly.

[Melinda Romanoff]

glasater-

You'll be happy to know that Valerie Jarrett has a problem.

Heh.

Senate Candidate B.

[Captain Hate]

when he gets to noodling on the guitar I tune out.

Noooooooooo Porch; his Fender playing is why I seek him out on top of what you mentioned. He has a distinctive sound and plays motifs I don't hear anybody else do. Seeing him live has an additional treat in that his back and forth with the audience between songs is hilarious with a wickedly dry sense of humor.

You realize that Linda has been his ex for quite a while, no?

[peter]

I recently went to a Richard Thompson concert. I had not heard of him. I thought the guitar solos were a bit too much in the noodling category. The only number he did which I liked was a duet with his son. Teddy Thompson, who came on for a cameo. I had heard that the father was known for his mordant wit between songs, but the miking was so poorly done that I couldn't understand what he was saying. Nor could I understand the lyrics.
The people watching was quite entertaining though, aging hippies making the bulk of the audience.
When I got home, I looked up Richard Thompson in wikipedia and learned he is a muslim, albeit a sufi, which is the non-violent subsector of the religion. fwiw

[Donald]

Ms. Porch my dad who is 72 loves the Pogues.

I got to see them in Atlanta last March of 2009 I believe. It was their second show of the tour. Everybody is sober except for Shane and it was mind blowingly awesome. The band was tight and Shane didn't drink all that much for him.

In October I flew out to San Diego to see them with a buddy of mine. This time, Shane stumbled out and fell into the drum kit. A couple of moments later, he just fell out flat. He then fell a couple of more times. It was heart breaking to me. Too many in that audience were cheering. They finally brought out a stool, and he sat there and got through it.

When he left the first time (Around 1990?), they showed up on Saturday Night Live (March 17, Rob Lowe hosting!) with Spider singing. It was different, but it was great.

The Pogues don't need Shane to be great, but I guess they need him to sell tickets in some kind of freak show atmosphere.

Everything about these guys is incredible and heart breaking.

[AJStrata]

Abracadabra!

Bold gone?

[Porchlight]

You realize that Linda has been his ex for quite a while, no?

Oh yes. I just mentioned her because whenever I say I'm not that big a Richard Thompson fan someone says something about how the two records with Linda are the best albums ever and how could I not like them blah blah blah...etc.

Donald, I saw the Pogues in October 2009. Shane made it through the show okay (with a stool to sit on) but yeah. It's been a hard road for him and the rest of the band. I saw the Pogues without him (1993 ish? The Waiting for Herb tour) and I saw him with the Popes and neither were any great shakes in comparison to the full Pogues lineup with Shane. So despite the difficulties, which seem pretty significant, I'm glad they're still pulling it together. It does amaze me sometimes how many of Shane's contemporaries he has outlived.

[glasater]

Wow Mel! Thanks for the AJ Strata link and thanks also to AJ for doing the heavy lifting in putting all that diverse information together.
With the next go-round on Blago I wonder if all of this tawdry--to be kind--info will get some sunlight especially from Mr Issa...

[sbw]

Bul Valerie's problem is temporary because the president can pardon her on his way out the door after he loses in 2012.

[macphisto]

Richard Thompson is particularly interesting and important to me as a guitar player because his playing incorporates shared elements of Celtic, North African, and Middle Eastern folk music in a way that illustrates the connections between these musics and their shared characteristics. his playing--particularly the intro on the studio version of "Calvary Cross"--was so influential on me that nowadays i don't even notice it any more than i notice playing Stones licks.

[Captain Hate]

Excellent points macphisto; you can really hear the incorporation of Middles Eastern motifs in "I Can't Wake Up to Save My Life", done so seamlessly it sounds completely natural. For somebody so steeped in folk music he has an unerring sense of what works in pop.

[iPhone 4 case]

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