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Mudline Archive

STICKS, STONES, BROKEN BONES

During the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race, we began collecting negative soundbites and posting them weekly on a MUDLINE ticker, as a temporary election feature. But in the aftermath of that tumultuous contest we realized that the tone of public discourse was unlikely to improve, and elected to continue the feature. Unfortunately, we were right; two decades later, incivility is hotter than ever. If you just can’t get enough snark on social media, this mud’s for you.

  • April 22, 2011

    Charles Krauthammer on Trump: “Al Sharpton of the Republican party - provocateur and clown.”….Fox News’ Shep Smith on U.S. government: “The list of lies is so long that we don't even have room for it on the screen any more.”….Tyler Perry: “I’m so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee. Spike can go straight to hell!”….Catholic League President Bill Donohue on Lady Gaga: “A caricature of herself.”….Ron Rosenbaum on James Joyce’s Ulysses: “An overwrought, overwritten epic of gratingly obvious, self-congratulatory, show-off erudition.”.…Andrew O’Hehir on Your Highness: “Gingival surgery would be more fun…The excitement of a mid-‘80s made-for-TV action flick and the authenticity of a Renaissance Faire held in an abandoned field behind a Courtyard by Marriott.”….
  • April 18, 2011

    Dana Milbank on Obama: “The bastard child of an unholy union of pragmatism and centrism.”….Donald Trump: “Obama is not the right messenger. We are not a respected nation anymore. The world is laughing at us.”….Max Read on Trump: “Ocherous churl.”….Karl Rove on Trump: “A joke candidate…Off there in the nutty right.”….Rush Limbaugh on Obama: “His base is made up of people even more vile than he is...A lot of it is just walking human debris on the Democrat base side.”….Rep. Ed Markey on GOP: “Used to stand for Grand Old Party. Now it stands for Gang of Polluters.”….Chris Matthews on birthers: “There's a place for people like this. Standing at the New York Port Authority bus terminal, engaged in an animated, excited conversation -- with nobody. “….
  • April 13, 2011

    Michele Bachmann on Planned Parenthood: “The LensCrafters of big abortion.”….Harry Reid on Paul Ryan plan: “Reckless.”….Rep. Paul Ryan on Obama speech: “Dramatically inaccurate…hopelessly inadequate.”….Iowa GOP Chair Matt Strawn: “A self-indulgent lecture.”….Rep. Kevin McCarthy: “Shameless political attacks and scare tactics.”….Mitt Romney: “Too little, too late.”….Tim Pawlenty: “Window dressing.”….Fred Barnes: “Always lets you down.”….Joe Scarborough: “There’s not a corporation in America that would thrive with this sort of leadership.”….MS Gov. Haley Barbour : “Doesn’t get it.”….Tim Pawlenty: “I'm not one who questions the existence of the president's birth certificate. But when you listen to his policies, don't you at least wonder what planet he's from? “….Donald Trump on the U.S.: “Has never been in such bad shape as it is now.”….
  • April 10, 2011

    Bill Cosby on Donald Trump: “The only thing he’s running is his mouth…He’s full of it.”….Gail Collins on Trump: “Can make Bill O’Reilly look like the most sensible guy in the room.”….Trump on Collins: “I have great respect for Ms. Collins in that she has survived so long with so little talent.”….Ashley Biden on Trump: “Makes me ill.”….Lawrence O’Donnell on Sen. Jon Kyl: "Lies that big...do not go unnoticed in the Senate.”….Rep. Louise Slaughter on GOP assault on Planned Parenthood: “In '94 people were elected simply to come here to kill the National Endowment for the Arts. Now they’re here to kill women.”….Disappointed fan after Charlie Sheen Radio City Music Hall performance: "That was the worst show I've ever seen in my life. He has the mind of a 12-year-old."….
  • April 6, 2011

    Rep. John Larson on Republicans: “Want to shrink up government so small they can drown it in a bathtub.”….Rep. Xavier Becerra on GOP budget plan: “A war on seniors.”….House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: “A path to poverty for America’s seniors and children and a road to riches for big oil.”….Newt Gingrich on Obama: “The most passive and out of touch presidency in modern American history.”….Jason Linkins on FL Gov. Rick Scott: “The very face of buyer’s remorse.”….Rand Paul on Obama: “Hypocritical.”….Ted Rall on health care plan: “Transforms the First World's worst healthcare system into something even crappier and more expensive.”….Andrew Sullivan on Libya intervention: “Could any war be dumber than this?”….Italian American service org UNICO on ‘Jersey Shore’ cast: “Their outrageous, reprehensible behavior will make us look like buffoons and bimbos.”….Ann Coulter on liberals: “So terrified of science that they chronically wet themselves.”….