Our Endorsements: The Coveted Snoop Dogg Endorsement

* Jimmy Kimmel talks about Snoop Dogg's compelling arguments for Obama.

* The Rumpus interview with David Rees.

* President Obama's bear hug photograph, improved.

* The Chicago teacher's strike is getting a little too personal.

* Sarah Palin speaks loudly and carries a big broom.

* Rachael Harris talks to Marc Maron on WTF about everything.

* Chris Brown is an inspiration to George W. Bush, among many others.

* A survey of the genius that produces conspiracy theories.

* You crazy kids. Let me go. Let me…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Tags: Daily Links, Education, George Bush, Jimmy Kimmel, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Rahm Emanuel, Sarah Palin, The Onion, Unions

Rahm Emanuel to Fundraise for Obama Because Chicago Has No Problems Left

Excited for the opportunity to yell at wealthy donors instead of measly interns, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is slated to leave his honorary position as co-chairman of  the Obama campaign to focus on fundraising for Priorities USA Action, a super PAC founded by two former Obama aides. It's a good thing he doesn't have some other job requiring his attention…

According to statistics compiled by the Tribune, there were 366 homicides in Chicago from the start of the year until Sept. 2 as compared to 282 for the same period last year. The numbers of shootings increased from 1,547 to 1,704 over that span.

This morning, the police are investigating a spree of weekend shootings that left at least 11 people wounded and 2 dead. Or as it's known in Chicago, Monday.

But give Rahm a break. All too often we forget all the Chicagoans who haven't been murdered on his watch. Like the kids still going to Chicago Public Schools…

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Tags: Chicago, Crime, Education, Illinois, Rahm Emanuel, Unions

Democrats and Republicans Attack Views They Held Last Week

Last week, the Republican platform became the document that launched a thousand talking points. Democrats called it "extremist" and "fringe," all agreeing that the planks were deeply consequential. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner claimed that no American would stand to read the thing, probably because of the education planks in previous GOP platforms…

"Anybody read the party platform? I never met anybody," Boehner told reporters. He said the document should be no more than one page. "That way, Americans could actually read it."

That was then. This week, according to the GOP, the Democratic platform is a bastion of Godlessness and Israel betrayal. Paul Ryan called changes in the 2012 platform "tragic" and "peculiar." And Democrats?

RAHM EMANUEL ON CNN: "Personally, I've never read our party's platform."

— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDCNN) September 5, 2012

See, both parties reject old, outmoded ideas! Even ones that are only a few days old.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Democrats, John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Rahm Emanuel, Republicans

Quote Unquote: A Bad Investment

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel on one of the decision to block the opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in the city's 1st ward…

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"They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents. This would be a bad investment, since it would be empty."

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If there's one thing that Chicago is known for, historically speaking, it's tolerance for minorities.

Tags: Chick-fil-A, Christianity, Food, Homophobia, LGBT, Rahm Emanuel, Religion

The Democratic Party Stumbles Upon a New Sarah Palin Joke

Hey, look at this. Looks like everybody in the Democratic Party came up with the same joke/talking point* at the same time. What a weird coincidence.

Democratic strategist James Carville…

"The only person who has seen Romney's taxes is John McCain and he took one look and picked Sarah Palin."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel…

"He has only released one year, to the McCain campaign he released 23 years. And he’s telling the people, 'I'm not going to give you what I gave John McCain’s people in 2008.' And when he gave them 23 years, John McCain's campaign looked at it and went, 'Let’s go with Sarah Palin.' So whatever’s in there is far worse than just the first year."

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley…

Pressed in an interview at the National Governors Association meeting here whether there would be anything in those returns that would disqualify Romney from the presidency, O'Malley said he doesn't know — and that's why Democrats want to see them. "But why would you pick somebody — why would you pick Palin over Romney?" he asked.

This shows a nice progression from pithy to snoozzzzzzzzzzy. Democrats should really leave the color commentary to guys like Carville who know how to set it spinning.

And they can leave the whatever-Martin-O'Malley-is-good-at to Martin O'Malley.

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^{* I hope it's a joke, but it's a pretty clever witticism. It's pretty nonsensical as an actual talking point.}

Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Tags: 2008, James Carville, John McCain, Martin O'Malley, Mitt Romney, Rahm Emanuel, Sarah Palin, Taxes