The Hollywood Liberal

Kennedy Backing Niece’s Bid for Clinton Seat
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) “has been working back channels to promote niece Caroline as the replacement for Hillary Clinton in the Senate,” family sources told the New York Post.

“The elder Kennedy, who’s battling brain cancer, has sent word to Gov. Paterson’s office that Caroline Kennedy, 51, has contacts and family connections that would mean legislation affecting New York would receive prompt attention.”

Attacking Alzheimer’s with Red Wine and Marijuana
Two new studies point to a wonderful way to ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of age-related memory loss.

Untimely Thoughts
The estimable Steve Fraser has a piece worthy of note up at Tomdispatch. Not the part that grumbles indiscriminately about Obama’s prospects for good deeds on the basis of nothing but the fact that his looming appointments have experience in…

TPMtv: It’s the Surge, Stupid
If you’re desperate to be John McCain’s vice presidential nominee, you better get on TV and start talking up the Surge as the single most important issue in this year’s presidential campaign. And if you’re serious about getting picked it…

Giuliani Lauds Obama?s Election: It Makes America ?An Honest Nation And Not A Hypocritical One?
In an interview with Sky News, former NYC Mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said the election of Barack Obama will help America’s image abroad. “Even those who voted against him, like me, say ‘We’re very thankful this has happened. This is the consolation prize’,” he said. “If you look at America - which I […]

In an interview with Sky News, former NYC Mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said the election of Barack Obama will help America’s image abroad.

“Even those who voted against him, like me, say ‘We’re very thankful this has happened. This is the consolation prize’,” he said. “If you look at America - which I believe is a great nation… one of the terrible marks against us is slavery and racism, and I think that’s a great thing for America to have overcome.” He said of Obama’s victory:

I believe that will gain us a tremendous amount in the world community. We can now be an honest nation and not a hypocritical one.

Watch it:

Giuliani also lauded Obama’s early personnel selections. “I think he made very good choices for his Cabinet. Very bold choices,” he said.

Giuliani’s new laudatory tone is a surprising shift from the ferocious attack dog he played during the campaign:

He worked as a community organizer. (Laughter). What? I said, ok, ok, this is maybe the first problem on the resume. He worked as a community organizer.

After first claiming to “respect” Obama for his honesty in discussing his past drug use, Giuliani later attacked: “God forbid somebody would do some reporting on Barack Obama’s use of drugs.” Giuliani also criticized Obama on the anniversary of 9/11, claiming Obama would take “softer” approach to terrorism. And he ripped Obama as being “too close to the presidency not to have formed views about” Israel.

Indeed, Obama’s election has helped reveal hypocrisy — the hypocrisy of Giuliani’s baseless and shameless fearmongering during the campaign.

Ideological Warfare Rages on Federal Appeals Courts Dominated by Republican Appointees
CINCINNATI — In June 2005, two federal appellate judges here ordered Joseph Arnold released from a 21-year prison sentence after ruling that there was no credible evidence he had threatened to shoot his girlfriend’s daughter with a pistol.