Emily Zanotti

Blogger, comedian, artist, activist, attorney, Catholic, pretentious urbanite, Social Media strategist, libertarian, observer, Rockabilly. Haiku.

Right View of Republican Debate: Bachmann And Romney Make Big Impressions

It was like watching every expectation I had for her (and every pre-written joke about her Palin-like accent) just melt away in front of my eyes. The comedian was speechless. She was even more speechless when she noticed that Michele seemed not only genuinely qualified to be in the race, but downright giddy with excitement about it. I've never met a happy politician. Maybe that's what we've been missing all along....more

is how Romney describes giving federal aid to disaster stricken communities.

Have we really ...more

Obama Is From Hawaii, Donald Trump is From Venus

By now, I suspect you've heard that Barack Obama has released his long-form birth certificate, proving once and for all, to a doubting few who did not realize that they'd get Joe Biden for President should Obama somehow be proven ineligible to hold his elected office, that he was not born to outer-space Communist alien parents....more

Why does every discussion about Trump, including this one, ridicule his hair? The term ...more

Michelle Bachmann To Run For President, Queen of Your Universe

Adlai Stevenson once famously said that in America, anyone could be President, it's the chance you take. Michelle Bachmann, it seems, is determined to prove him right. So watch out closet Communists, today she announced that, at some point in the near future, she intends to form up an exploratory committee and make a run at being the leader of the free world. ...more

Sunglass Princess I stumbled upon your blogs today. You are mistaken to claim that one errant ...more

A Dancing With the Stars Public Service Political Announcement

Look, I get it. Bristol Palin is the only Palin you can currently vote for, and to some, booting her off the show prior to her sell-by date would have seemed like a vast left-wing conspiracy to hinder the entire Palin family regardless of political weight. But here's the deal: On Dancing With the Stars, typically -- not uniformly, but typically -- the best D-list celebrity dancer wins based on talent. You are supposed to vote off the dancers in order based on their respective ballroom suckage. ...more

Thank you for this very important PSA. Educational and hilarious. Let's just hope your message ...more

From One Newlywed to Another: Some Advice for Kate Middleton

After eight long years of waiting, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their engagement yesterday. Shocking almost no one on several continents with the news, the two had built up to the admission for weeks, and are planning to wed some time in the late spring or early summer of 2011 in a ceremony that is reputed to already be "bigger than Charles and Diana's." ...more

I was reading with genuine interest until you said that there's a possibility of them being ...more

Obama Announces End to Combat Missions In Iraq

Last night, President Obama addressed the nation, claiming that all combat troops would be withdrawn from Iraq, fulfilling a campaign promise to end the eight-year war there begun during the Bush Administration. Speaking from the Oval Office, the President declared "mission accomplished," claiming that Iraqi forces will now be responsible for keeping their own security, with the aid of about 50,000 "military advisors" -- US troops who will provide military training and consulting to Iraqi forces. ...more

I’ve wondered for the past few days why this post has not elicited any comments given the ...more

How to Get a Happier Wedding: Back Off My Bride Budget

They all seem to be saying one thing: If you're spending $30,000 (the average) on a wedding, you're a spendthrift idiot who has no concept of reality. It's like “slut-shaming:” cutting down other women by attacking their individual choices. Wedding-shaming. ...more
I make wedding cakes, but I recently wrote a blog post about how you don't really need a cake. ...more

Barbara Boxer, Carly Fiorina, Sarah Palin: Is It Fair to Go for the Looks in Politics?

There's been a rash of cattiness going around. I'm not talking about what I've said lately about Lindsey Lohan (for example, do prison jumpsuits have leggings?), I'm talking about the recent treatment of female conservative political leaders. Lately, it's gotten personal, because people are starting to connect people's looks to people's ability to govern effectively. It is, quite honestly, a bi-partisan thing. ...more

To which add one more, as a sitting elected official myself: there's no question that I want ...more

Laura Bush Opens Up: Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay Marriage, Totally Unexpected

Former First Lady Laura Bush was well known as a sort of traditional First Lady: content to take a supporting role to her president husband during his eight years in office. Recently, though, Laura published her memoirs, revealing surprising details about her personal life -- and her personal disagreements with George W. ...more

I thought her almost complete silence on these issues while her husband was president, along ...more

(VIDEO) University of Michigan Commencement Speech: Why I'm Falling Out of "Like" With Obama

So I spent a Saturday at the University of Michigan graduation in Ann Arbor listening to President Barack Obama deliver a commencement address. Now, I don't hate Obama. I never have. I don't particularly like his politics, and I don't like his friends, and I disagree almost unilaterally with his agenda, but you know what? I don't dislike him. I think he can be really inspirational, and to tell the truth, I was looking forward to hearing him give a soaring address about grasping the future, being the change you want to see in the world, unicorns pooping rainbows, etc. ...more