Tropical storms and hurricanes are meteorological bullies.

The only difference between hurricanes and human bullies is hurricanes can do real damage.

Human bullies are usually just thugs; insecure brats who act out because of deep, empty holes in their souls. They only time they do any real damage is if they actually gain some sort of power: political or financial.

Think dictators, fascists, greedy money traders, giant corporations, oligarchs, plutarchs.

American political history is rife with bullies. The corporate barons of the gilded age, come to mind; Sen. Joe McCarthy. Father Charles Caughlin was the first political bully of the mass communications age. These were all 20^th Century phenomena.

This current crop of bullies in the 21^st Century is no different, really. Sure, they have their own network at Fox. But they’re really no different than any others in history.

Limbaugh, Beck, Ingram, Breitbart, Hannity, Savage, O’Reilly…they’re all just bullies. They make a lot of money, of course, because heavy corporate interests use them to advance the agenda of middle-class destruction and wealth distribution – up to the wealthy and corporate interests.

But they’re really just bullies. This Breitbart thug and his cronies at Fox did some real damage this week, bullying the Obama Administration, the NAACP and a fine public servant, Shirley Sherrod. But they’ve done it before. Think Van Jones, ACORN. Think racists bullies…which is, of course, redundant.

It’s a shameful history repeating itself.

FDR has his bully faction to deal with (Not to be confused with TR’s bully pulpit!)

FDR had the American Liberty League. Formed in 1934, the Liberty League was funded by the Dupont Family and their corporate buddies to oppose labor unions and FDR’s New Deal policies.

Supporters included U.S. Steel, General Motors, General Foods, Standard Oil, Colgate, Heinz Foods, Chase National Bank, Goodyear Tire and Rubber and many other corporate giants of the day.

The league rallied support for the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court to overturn FDR’s agenda. (Remember the court-packing episode in FDR’s tenure?) A suggestion exists they even tried to stage a coup.

The only difference between then and now is that many of the prominent leaguers were Democrats. Al Smith, the Democratic nominee for president in 1928 was a leader, as was Dean Acheson, who would become Harry Truman’s Secretary of State, and 1924 Democratic nominee John W. Davis.

The effort died out in 1940. The greater good at the time was served so much better by FDR’s reforms and actions than by continued greed.

But the message was much the same then as now: “defend and uphold the Constitution, lower taxes, more freedom.” Hollow bromides masking the real intent: power to exploit.

They certainly had their way, got much of what they wanted during the Bush years. Now, we’re cleaning up the mess – financial calamity, oil in the Gulf of Mexico, two needless wars, massive federal debt.

The bullies of today would rather we keep the mess. It’s easier to exploit a society in shock and chaos.

It’s just that kind of messed up day. The New York Times can’t even report on the winter storm, apparently, because none of its reporters can get out of the building. The Old Grey Lady sent out a tweet earlier today – desperately seeking  help to report the story..

“Send us your stories,” read the tweet. “We’re trapped and we’re cannibalizing the once proud craft of journalism!”

(Okay…made up that last part…kinda.)

Don’t know why everybody wants to make fun of Sarah Palin’s hand job for the teabaggers last weekend. She was just trying to give them want they want.

Even the comic genius that is White House press spokesman Robert Gibbs stroked the meme by revealing to the White House press corps a short grocery list written on his palm. Ha-ha-ha…yea, that was a good one. Maybe when he’s done at the White House his brothers, Barry and Robin, will take him back and they can go on the road again…”stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive…”

Elsewhere in the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama was rolling out her campaign to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation.

And when we say, “rolling out”… we don’t mean the kids who are…wait for it…so fat…wait for it…that when they sit around the house, the really sit around the house!

Okay, okay…sorry. This really is a serious problem for the US of A…mostly in the A and mid-section of kids who, studies suggest, consume an average – AVERAGE – of 145 pounds of high fructose corn syrup each year, mostly from soft drinks, fruity drinks, so-called sports drinks and processed foods.

The First Lady’s, “Let’s Move,” campaign is not a signal to Republicans the Obamas are ready for a new address come 2012 but rather a call to put down the Twinkies, get off the freakin’ couch and play some hoops…for heaven’s sake!

And speaking of Republicans, that fun-loving and clever bunch over at the Republican National Committee is doing its part to spread the VD love by offering Valentine’s Day e-cards for your friends or sex partners, even same-sex partners or all three!

You can send cards bearing the likeness of Rahm Emmanuel saying, “Happy [expletive] Valentine’s Day.” Or an ACORN spokesman saying, “We’d like to help you set up a tax free romance business.”

Oh, those witty RNC staffers…a barrel of monkeys are those guys! They missed a real opportunity, though, to send out Valentine’s Day cards from the likes of Gov. Mark Sanford, Sen. David Vitter, Sen. John Ensign, Rep. Mark Foley…or, even, Newt Gingrich or Justice Clarence Thomas.

Finally, our dreams have been answered! Google has given us YET ANOTHER social network through which we can totally waste what little time we have left from wasting our time on all the other social networks!

Google Buzz will offer diversions straight from your Gmail and keep you updated on what your friends are doing and posting on all their social networking sites. Great! SQUIRREL!!

‘I would love to go on a bike ride with Lance Armstrong, just for those few hours, just like to say hi, just to like hug him,” Brown told the New York Times.

Brown, who will put his naked butt in the same seat occupied by Ted Kennedy in the world’s most exclusive club, is also a triathlete and all cyclists and triathletes want to go bike riding with Lance. Sure, who wouldn’t?

But Brown, who posed naked for Cosmo back in the crazy 80s and tried to sell his daughters on election night, was unclear if the bike ride and hug with Armstrong would be clothed or nekkid. Either way, it kinda sounds as if given the chance he might be found sitting tall in the saddle.

And speaking of tools, what about Twerpy McNerdbugger, aka James O’Keefe, the right-wing video sleuth who was caught in New Orleans dressed as a TeeVee repairman and charged with trying to bug the offices of Senator Mary Landrieu? NawlinsGate.

You remember O’Keefe for his pornesque video in which he claimed ACORN was responsible for the crucifixion of the Christ. He was heralded as a hero by the wingers.

After his arrest and release on bail a U.S. magistrate judge ordered him to live with his parents until his trial. He’ll have plenty of time to play World of Warcraft online with all his red state buddies.

And it’s looking more and more like the teabaggers gathering in Nashville next weekend will have to play with themselves. Two big teabag stars, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and the always entertaining U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, have pulled out. That leaves only Sarah Palin – or maybe her avatar or Facebook page – as a big-name draw for the witch-burning festival.

And, finally, from the “Oh, That’s Just Freakin’ Great” Department: Osama bin Laden has released a new video in which he blames the U.S. and Europe for climate change. Thanks. That’ll be a big help. Why didn’t he just claim he and Al Gore were roommates at Harvard?