How Barack Obama Saved "Star Wars"

When it became clear that Barack Obama was going to win re-election over Mitt Romney on the promise of raising taxes on the wealthy and upping the capital gains tax rate, he truly achieved something that nobody thought was possible.

He wrested control of the Star Wars franchise away from George Lucas and put it in the hands of younger filmmakers who might actually turn it into something worth watching…

As the law currently stands, the capital gains tax rate will see the largest year-over-year increase in history. Some intelligent investors didn't wait for election results to lock in the low capital gains tax rate.

A good example is Star Wars creator George Lucas, who recently sold his Lucas Films empire to Disney (DIS) for $4.05 billion. Lucas built his empire over many years and is sitting on a very large capital gain. Although Lucas has not publicly stated that tax policies had anything to do with the timing of the sale, there is speculation that it was a large factor.

Now he just needs to have the CIA scrub the films and all records of any reference to midi-chlorians and have Jar Jar Binks sent to the Tatooinean equivalent of Gitmo, and his legacy will be complete.

As a wizened old hunched and hair-thinning mentor would say, "A big fucking deal this is."

Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Tags: Barack Obama, Corporations, Money, Nerdiness, Star Wars, Taxes

Jon Stewart on John McCain's Anti-Susan Rice Agenda

"This isn't racism or sexism. It's indiscriminate bile, meaning it does not discriminate." – Jon Stewart, on John McCain and Lindsay Graham's attacks on U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice

Coverage continues with Rep. Marcia Fudge's emotion-infused defense of Susan Rice after the jump.

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11/10c.

Read More »

Tags: John McCain, Jon Stewart, Kelly Ayotte, Lindsey Graham, Marcia Fudge, Senate, State Department, Susan Rice, The Daily Show, Video

Donald Trump Gets an Intervention for His Birtherholism

This sounds like a made-up thing, but it is totally not a made-up thing. In fact, it's so not a made-up thing that "Trump’s rep denies any such meeting ever took place," so you know it's gotta be at least a little true…

Donald Trump's hatred of Barack Obama allegedly led his three eldest kids to do an Obama-vention before the election. Eric, Donald Jr. and Ivanka discussed telling their dad to calm down, then decided collectively to approach Trump (below) and ask him to turn it down a notch with the presidential bashing.

"The three of them met and went to see their dad in his Fifth Ave. office. They showed a lot of respect, but told him he’s worked too long and too hard to build up the reputation he has. They understand completely he’s always been outspoken and that he likes attention, but this is too much," says a source who knew about the mid-October meeting.

For me, the biggest tragedy is that they didn't save it for the TV cameras.

There could have been a whole Apprentice/Intervention/Fox & Friends crossover thing happening.

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Birthers, Donald Trump

Stephen Colbert Peers Over the Fiscal Cliff

"Some Republicans are abandoning the anti-tax pledge as fast as their abandoning… uh, what's his name? Don't help me, don't help me, don't help me… uh, Ripp Flambé?" – Stephen Colbert

Coverage continues with the National Review's Reihan Salam after the jump.

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30/10:30c.

Read More »

Tags: Barack Obama, Economy, Grover Norquist, House of Representatives, Stephen Colbert, Taxes, The Colbert Report, Video

Quote Unquote: Punched in the Nose

Evangelical leader Rick Warren draws an analogy to explain homosexual urges…

.

"Sometimes I get angry and I feel like punching a guy in the nose. It doesn’t mean I act on it."

.

Warren's pretty lucky other people around him exercise similar restraint.

Tags: Christianity, LGBT, Quote Unquote, Religion, Rick Warren