[Warning: Language may not be suitable for work.]

Dear Eminem,

Help! The "Occupy" movement needs more protest songs! Seriously, they're doing disco! Oops, wrong browser...

Actually this video is rather cute and clever, but beware the "P" word. What's the "P" word, you ask? See the link here for the actual song title and complete lyrics.

But, if you suffer from flashbacks of disco balls, sequins, polyester suits, and nose-bleed inducing platform shoes (That are back in style, gee thanks, Lady Gaga!)...just consider yourself warned.

Here's the opening:

I first was pepper sprayed
Just standing on the side
But it took me being blinded
to open up up my eyes
Cause I'd read the daily news,
and not responded actively
and I realized then and there
this revolution needed me

So here I am,
camped in a tent
Which is really so convenient
cause I can't afford my rent
But they came with shields and mace
In the night while it was dark
A NYPD army
Sent to clear Zuccotti Park

We'll protest on, with catchy phases
We're going global
From London to Uc Davis
If you think that your batons are going to get us to go home
GO on and hit me, I'll just upload it from my phone.

Thousands of protesters greeted lawmakers beginning a 30-day special session to address Washington state's budget woes, and police later using Tasers in a skirmish as a large crowd refused to leave the Capitol building at the end of the day.

Approximately 3,000 people protested at the Capitol throughout the day, though the number of protesters on campus at any one time varied. The protesters came from various groups, including Occupy Olympia, unions and social service groups.

Troopers used Tasers on three people when demonstrators when they tried to enter the Capitol building, and a fourth person was tasered outside on the other side of the building, where the three arrests took place after attempts to enter the Capitol from a different entrance. As clashes broke out between troopers and protesters, one trooper reported that he was bitten in the arm. Two people were arrested for assault, obstruction and resisting arrest, and another for obstruction and resisting arrest.

The protests marked opening day of sessions to focus on budget cuts as the state tries to deal with a $1.4 billion deficit. Governor Chris Gregoire has proposed reducing funding to areas like education, public safety and health care.

Continuing that fine Republican tradition of saying one thing and doing another, Florida Gov. Rick Scott showed his compassion for his state's homeless by slashing the programs that help them. Think Progress has more:

In a state that is near the top of the national chart in food insecurity, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) took time this holiday to pass out Thanksgiving dinner to about 1,000 families at a shelter in East Naples.

The shelter’s program fed about 7,000 families last week, with roughly 200 volunteers packing and distributing meals.“I care completely about all these programs,” said Scott while handing out food.

However, he possesses a singular way of showing it, as his sweeping budget cuts this year “slashed funding to some veteran and farm surplus programs that helped the homeless.” To justify those cuts, Scott simply explained, “all the programs are very important, but nobody wants their taxes to go up”:

“I care completely about all these programs,” said Scott, whose budget cuts earlier this year slashed funding to some veteran and farm surplus programs that helped the homeless.“All the programs are very important, but nobody wants their taxes to go up,” Scott explained, noting that businesses also can help spur the economy. “They’ve got to grow. We’ve got to make this a place people can do well.”

One Jacksonville homeless shelter official noted that Scott “zeroed out all homeless funding” — $7 million worth — in his budget proposal. That funding supported programs dedicated to homelessness prevention, housing initiatives, and programs that “re-house” people once they’re on the street.

“Not only that, he took out the line items so it can never be funded again,” said the official.

Did you know that Florida has the second-highest population of homeless veterans? Seventeen thousand of them, and Scott cut their services, too. I was in Florida last month, and I didn't meet one single person who wants to reelect him, so at least it's likely that he's a one-termer.

Gin and Tacos: Scenario fulfillment.

True Blue Liberal: Say the secret word to win the GOP nomination!

The Big Picture: Examining the big lie – how the facts of the economic crisis stack up.

Pandagon: Dehumanizing OWS and the 99%.

Guest post by Batocchio. Email tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.

Earlier this month, MSNBC's Chris Hayes obtained a secret memo written by a lobbying firm, Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and addressed to one of CLGC’s clients, the American Bankers Association. The author of that memo is set to co-host a fundraiser on behalf of Mitt Romney.

Via:

CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead.

According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, “This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street. … It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.”

The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, “should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.”

Politico reported Monday that Sam Geduldig of Clark, Lytle, Geduldig & Cranford will be one of many co-hosts of a Young Professionals for Mitt Romney fundraiser next month. Geduldig previously was a top adviser to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).

Think Progress reports that "This year, Geduldig has lobbied on behalf of various finance industry clients, including the ABA, Financial Services Roundtable, Financial Services Forum, MasterCard, American Insurance Association, and Koch Industries (which engages in significant commodities trading activities)."

Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran injured at the Occupy Oakland encampment on Oct. 25th has since been released from the hospital and gave his first interview yesterday.

In the interview Scott talks about the challenges he faces after being hit in the head by a projectile at Occupy Oakland, specifically the traumatic brain injury he sustained and the weeks of therapy it took for him to regain his speech. In the video it is evident that he still struggles a bit with speaking. But Olsen states that he is doing much better than he was.

Olsen also addresses the city of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department who are investigating the incident, stating that he is waiting to see what they are going to say about themselves in their own investigations. He has not been interviewed by anyone investigating for the police department, nor has he heard anything at all from the District Attorney's office.

Olsen also conveys at end of the interview that the Occupy Movement was intended to be peaceful and should remain that way, that by working together and being open with one another would solve most of the problems that the movement faces with bureaucracy.

Scott looks great, and it's obvious that he has worked very hard to regain his speech. He also has scars that are hidden underneath a bandana in the video. We wish him all the best, and a speedy, complete recovery.

You can follow the full story online here.

(Publisher's Note) John Amato:

This is the last time you can donate to C&L's Scott Olsen Solidarity Funder: 'We Are All Scott Olsen'

You can also snail mail a check to our address. Please write "Scott Olsen" in the notes section.:

CrooksandLiars.com
PO BOX 66310
Los Angeles, CA 90066

We plan to have a C&L member deliver a check to Scott directly so please help out if you can spare a few bucks..

Here we go again with yet another segment on Fox where they're downplaying the use of pepper spray on the Occupy UC Davis protesters. This time, it was Sean Hannity and his guests, Fox Business' Charles Payne and frequent Fox guest, Margaret Hoover.

Even though all of them admitted that it looked like an excessive amount of the spray being used on the students, Payne played the same game as Megyn Kelly did on O'Reilly's show, saying that the military grade pepper spray must have been watered down because the students didn't appear to react badly enough to it in the clip. They also implied that they did something to provoke the over-reaction and brutality inflicted on them by the police.

Hannity, who famously refused to take up Keith's Olbermann's request for him to be waterboarded after Hannity said he'd consent to undergo the procedure to prove it's not torture as a fundraiser for the troops, didn't think the action by the police "crossed the line."

At least none of them called it "a food product, essentially" this time.

An early 90's bafflement. Luna was an indie/Dream Pop/Alternative band from New York, founded by guitarist Dean Wareham. At the time this album was released, their debut album Lunapark for Elektra, they were a three piece. But months later they became a four piece (hence the discrepancy in the photo above). Nonetheless, they were loudly hailed by Rolling Stone as "the best band you've never heard of", and I'm not sure if that helped or hurt sales. But the album came and went in a flash, leaving behind some very good, solid tracks and an auspicious debut album by a band that went on to a lot of critical acclaim.

So tonight it's We're Both Confused off that debut album just to let you know what you may have missed the first time around.

One of my news junkie pet peeves is how many of us go on a feeding frenzy of "why why why?" when anyone, especially of our own political stripe, leaves Congress voluntarily. Barney Frank was my congressman when I was a student at Brandeis. I love the guy, but I think when the guy is 71 he has a right to retire. (And I certainly wish John McCain, 75, and his older colleagues, SHOULD retire. I said so in 2010.) Congress is NOT a lifetime appointment.

That said, dang, we're gonna miss you, Barney. [video shows one of his finer moments]

Open thread below....

Here's a dose of twang from 1958, performed by the legendary Duane Eddy and produced by the also legendary Lee Hazelwood. How about posting some videos of your guitar gods?