Rough Sketch: October 10, 2010 - October 16, 2010

Sarah Palin and 'permanent residents of a unicorn ranch in fantasy land'

Yesterday, Sarah Palin said that Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer are acting like "permanent residents of a unicorn ranch in fantasy land." What? I once lived on a unicorn ranch, but I only had a student visa. This is a well-delineated fantasy land! There are different degrees of residency...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 15, 2010; 1:41 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (13)
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'Man up, Harry Reid!' Mama Grizzlies and our manliness recession

"Man up, Harry Reid," said Sharron Angle during the Nevada Senate debate Thursday night. She was talking about social security. But those two words have produced a deafening echo. "Man up!" It's a cry in the wilderness. It's a cry emitted by women who have had to march into...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 15, 2010; 9:31 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (13)
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A poetic plea to the ladies of The View, after the O'Reilly incident

Has it come to this? Bill O'Reilly appeared on the View and the discussion wound its way towards the "Ground Zero mosque." Soon, the discourse degenerated. He condescended to Joy Behar. Joy Behar responded by putting bunny ears on him. Classy. He pointed out that Muslims were responsible for...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 14, 2010; 3:42 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (20)
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UFO over New York City?

There's a UFO over New York City? Honestly, it looks like a balloon to me. But I'm a jaundiced skeptic. I used to be the regular kind of skeptic, but then I didn't get enough iron in my diet for several weeks. In case they're here checking out the...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 14, 2010; 11:31 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (31)
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Chilean miner Edison Pena, take me to Graceland!

Chilean miner and Elvis fan Edison Pena received a special invitation to visit Graceland with a loved one, with help from the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau! Edison Pena, can I be your loved one? I've always wanted to visit Graceland! I hear it's a lovely place, and if...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 13, 2010; 6:44 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (4)
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Rich Iott movie, or Paladino-paying gay nightclub?

Quiz Time! When he isn't reenacting various wars or trying to decide what his day job is, Ohio congressional candidate Rich Iott produces movies!* Meanwhile, new York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino says that our children are "brainwashed into thinking homosexuality is equally valid." Which brings us to this quiz:...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 13, 2010; 12:49 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (9)
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Sarah Palin's nuclear bomb, Carl Paladino's f-bomb

Sarah Palin, in an exclusive interview with the conservative Web site Newsmax, prophesies the end of the world: "We have to realize that, at the end of the day," Palin warns, "a nuclear weapon in [Iran's] hands is not just Israel's problem or America's problem -- it is the world's...

By Dana Milbank  | October 12, 2010; 8:00 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (7)
 
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Welcome back, Chilean miners!

The miners are about to emerge! This is awkward. National Coming Out Day was yesterday! But I guess it's hard not to be a little behind the times if you're trapped down in a mine. For the aid of the Chilean miners, here's a list of Things That Have...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 12, 2010; 5:57 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
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Judge orders stay on enforcing don't ask, don't tell

You know what this don't ask don't tell ruling means! It's asking time! This has got to be one of the most awkward windows of permissiveness ever created. Unlike marrying (it's easy to un-marry; look at 50 percent of Americans!) you can't really un-ask or un-tell something, just like...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 12, 2010; 5:29 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (1)
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Rich Iott -- a Nazi bit of reenacting work

It's all over the news. Rich Iott, Tea Party candidate for a House seat from Ohio, has been known to dress up as a Nazi on weekends. This revelation has been making the rounds, generating frenzied attacks and equally frenzied defenses. Nazi reenactor? How horrifying! Well, sure. But I...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 12, 2010; 1:18 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (34)
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Joe Manchin shoots, Carl Paladino grinds

"I'll take dead aim at the cap and trade bill," says Gov. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the Democratic Senate candidate. To illustrate, in a new ad he fires a bullet through the middle of a copy of a "cap and trade" bill, which, the governor may not be aware,...

By Dana Milbank  | October 11, 2010; 10:15 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (1)
Categories:  Sketchiest moments  
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Book thrown at Obama? Try this list!

Someone tossed a book at President Obama at a rally? Clearly, as Dorothy Parker once said, "This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force." Talk about slinging words around! Whoever threw the book at President Obama must have literally believed...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 11, 2010; 5:52 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (1)
Categories:  Barack Obama  | Tags:  Alexandra Petri  
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Squirrels resist medical care

Excitement abounds in the world today. There are actual political candidates who voluntarily dress up as Nazis on weekends! There are people throwing books at the president! But there is nothing I care more about right now than the idea of squirrels resisting medical care. Here is the essential...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 11, 2010; 3:43 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
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Carly Fiorina: 'Every speech should begin with a shot of tequila'

At the Hispanic 100 Lifetime Achievement Dinner this Friday, Carly Fiorina said every speech should begin with a shot of tequila. Meg Whitman agreed with her. Here's the clip: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Actually, here are some speeches I don't...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 11, 2010; 12:43 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (8)
Tags:  just sayin'  
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Columbus Day

The fact that it's Columbus Day has reminded me how much I hated living with Christopher Columbus in college. Me: Columbus, can you give me a ride to the airport? Columbus: Sure. Me: Why are you turning left? It's a few blocks away on the right. Columbus: The Italians...

By Alexandra Petri  | October 11, 2010; 10:30 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
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