by Sunnyjane
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| John Boehner: Congress should not be judged on how many laws we pass. Congress ought to be judged on how many laws we repeal. |
A House Divided
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| House Report Card: Members do not work and play well with others. |
It's hardly breaking news that the House session ending in early January 2014 has been the least productive in history. Speaker John Boehner has accused at least three different factions for this dubious recognition: President Obama for not working with the congress; the Democratic-controlled Senate for not doing its job; and the battle royal between the Republican pragmatists and ideologues that force him to leave the office early and go sprinting to the nearest D.C. watering hole for an injection of Merlot.
This year is one of elections for all members of the House of Representatives, some senators, and a few governors. Karl Rove and Scott Reed, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's chief political strategist, are planning to spend tons of money to see that no losers end up as Republican candidates in 2014. Scott told the Wall Street Journal recently, That will be our mantra: No fools on our ticket.
As Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post says, Wanna bet?
Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone also has a hilarious post on this topic, at one point wondering if Ted Cruz will choose Phil Robertson as his more moderate running mate.
Speaking of Fools...
It's easy to understand why Scott Reed and Karl Rove might be a tad anxious about idiots running on the Republican ticket in 2014; there is already too much irreconcilable imbecility in both houses of congress. A brief review of some typical Tea Party Republican legislators making fools of the entire party in 2013 confirms that these two strategists have every right to be uneasy.
Rep. Joe Barton, TPF- (Tea Party Fool) TX: It should be noted, first and foremost, that Rep. Barton serves on the House Energy and Power and the Environment and Economy subcommittees. Given those responsibilities, he has a long history of making the most outlandish anti-science statements ever heard from a representative who has to make policy on energy. To wit, on wind energy technology, he has offered the notion that wind is a finite resource and harnessing it would slow the winds down, which would cause the temperature to go up. (There's so much wrong with that statement -- beginning with wind being finite -- that I refuse to waste my time dissecting it.) And on the causes of climate change, he suggests strongly that If you believe in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change. That certainly wasn’t because mankind overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy.
Rep. Trent Franks, TPF-AZ: Trent took exception to exempting pregnancies caused by rape and incest
from provisions of an anti-abortion bill, because of course, ...you know, the incidences of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low. But when you make that exception, there’s usually a requirement to report
the rape within 48 hours. And in this case, that’s impossible because
this is in the sixth month of gestation.
Rep. Louie Gohmert, TPF-TX: On immigration, Gohmert said, We know that people that are now being trained to come in and act like Hispanic when they are radical Islamist. (He failed to explain exactly how one can act like Hispanic, but I'm sure that his remark warmed the hearts of Republican moderates trying attract the Latino vote.) And of course, this is the same Louie Gohmert who was outraged that Attorney General Eric Holder was trying to cast aspersions on my asparagus.
I know the U. S. Constitution forbids any sort of religious test for folks running for elected office, but heavens to Murgatroid, might it not be a good idea to check out a candidate's basic knowledge of science and biology? Oh, and vegetables.
What Can We Expect from the Media in 2014?
Oh, just a couple of things to consider here:
1. Will Jim DeMint work it so that David Gregory of NBC is replaced by Phil Robertson?
2. Will not-running-in-2014 Michele Bachmann replace Sarah Palin on Fox News?
3. Will Alex Baldwin land a reality show on A&E, where he'll fit right in?
4. Will Sarah Palin, political pundint, get Willow a job styling birther honcho Donald Trump's hair?
4A: Can Willow possibly teach her stupid mother the correct way to wear a wig?
5. Will Chuck Todd learn the difference between a finicky website and an excellent healthcare insurance plan?
6. Will every political analyst, commenter, and guest expert on news shows cease the obnoxious habit of beginning every response to a host's question with Well, I mean, look...
6A: Will the media learn the difference between less and fewer? Hint to media talkers and writers: Less traffic, fewer automobiles. See, isn't that easy?
6B: Will the media ever learn that the past tense of sink is sank, not sunk? It's OK, media; sank is not a dirty word.
Rep. Louie Gohmert, TPF-TX: On immigration, Gohmert said, We know that people that are now being trained to come in and act like Hispanic when they are radical Islamist. (He failed to explain exactly how one can act like Hispanic, but I'm sure that his remark warmed the hearts of Republican moderates trying attract the Latino vote.) And of course, this is the same Louie Gohmert who was outraged that Attorney General Eric Holder was trying to cast aspersions on my asparagus.
I know the U. S. Constitution forbids any sort of religious test for folks running for elected office, but heavens to Murgatroid, might it not be a good idea to check out a candidate's basic knowledge of science and biology? Oh, and vegetables.
What Can We Expect from the Media in 2014?
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| The extra 20% is those Fox News viewers who don't even know what scientists are. |
1. Will Jim DeMint work it so that David Gregory of NBC is replaced by Phil Robertson?
2. Will not-running-in-2014 Michele Bachmann replace Sarah Palin on Fox News?
3. Will Alex Baldwin land a reality show on A&E, where he'll fit right in?
4. Will Sarah Palin, political pundint, get Willow a job styling birther honcho Donald Trump's hair?
4A: Can Willow possibly teach her stupid mother the correct way to wear a wig?
5. Will Chuck Todd learn the difference between a finicky website and an excellent healthcare insurance plan?
6. Will every political analyst, commenter, and guest expert on news shows cease the obnoxious habit of beginning every response to a host's question with Well, I mean, look...
6A: Will the media learn the difference between less and fewer? Hint to media talkers and writers: Less traffic, fewer automobiles. See, isn't that easy?
6B: Will the media ever learn that the past tense of sink is sank, not sunk? It's OK, media; sank is not a dirty word.
Can the RNC Ever Get Its Minority-Vote Thing Right?
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is going to slip a disk if he continues to bend over backwards to lure African Americans -- and other minorities -- to vote for his party.
On December 1, the fifty-eighth anniversary of Rosa Parks's brave act of defiance in Birmingham, Alabama, the always-racially-tone-deaf RNC sent a tweet out that read Today we remember Rosa Parks’ bold stand and her role in ending racism. It's too bad no one told James Earl Ray, who killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., thirteen years later.
Right on the heels of that little social-media faux pas, Priebus sent Rand Paul parachuting into Detroit to open the GOP's first African American Outreach office -- or something like that. They invited people to show up and hear Sen. Paul speak on the subject of how Republicans are going to do more for African Americans than Democrats. People showed up. They were white. The end.
And just recently, Chairman Priebus and Co-Chairperson Sharon Day (I guess including Day was to show how much they Love you women!) sent out a Happy Kwanzaa statement commemorating an event that celebrates African history and culture. Even conservative media called it pandering to blacks.
Wait for the RNC to tweet Happy Chinese New Year (celebrated in all Asian countries) on February 9, and Happy Cinco de Mayo on May 5.
These meaningless gestures and transparent platitudes insult the intelligence of those targeted demographics and those white in this country who fight for the civil liberties of ALL Americans.
Let's face it: the only difference between a gun-totting, Bible-clutching white supremacist and a Tea Party member of the GOP is the number of tattoos emblazoned on their bodies.
Will Ted Cruz Continue to be a Lying Obstructionist?
Yes. Yes, he will.
Sen. Cruz has denied that he caused the government shutdown by threatening that identical action back in September if the Affordable Care Act was not defunded. He stood in the Senate Chamber and read Green Ham and Eggs for -- I don't know, twenty-one hours or so. We know the results and the ensuing backlash it caused.
President Obama's response to that bit of showboating was: One faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to re-fight the results of the election. The idea of putting the American people’s hard-earned progress at risk is the height of irresponsibility and doesn’t have to happen. You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job.
Cruz is getting as bad as Sarah Palin when it comes to makin' stuff up, many times for no reason at all. During his filibuster, he included (for no apparent reason and to no one's interest whatsoever) the, um, fact that My father invented green ham and eggs and talked about watching his father prepare the dish. This is quite interesting, since Dr. Seuss wrote that book in 1960 and Ted wasn't born until 1970. (Even if Raul really told him that, most children outgrow these little stories their parents tell them, like thunder is just God doing his thing at the Heavenly Kingdom Bowling Alley located right behind the Harps R Us store on Pearly Gates Road.)
He is still calling on his fellow Republicans to block immigration reform because it would mean the GOP has no chance of winning the Senate in 2014.
Yes, Cruz will continue to lie and obstruct. And every time he does, another conservative donor will write a large check to the Democratic Party.
Will Darrell Issa Finally Stop Talking About Benghazi?
No. No, he won't.
Just for the record, Darrell Issa is a nasty, dishonest, scheming, mean, vile human being with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Any one who believes he has reformed after his criminal activities before getting into congress needs a cerebral MRI -- stat!
Democrat Anthony Clark, who worked on the GOP's House oversight committee, summed up Darrell Issa quite well in an excellent post at Salon: If Darrell Issa says something – based on the record, his statements, and my personal observations of him up-close – there is a strong likelihood it will be baseless and easily disproven.
Clark goes on to reveal that Issa is an inept Chairman who doesn't even know the rules under which he is to hold hearings or the legal powers accorded him in that position. He also lets it be known that Issa is a bully: The more bombastic he is, the more he hungrily seeks out the cameras, the more he promises “explosive revelations,” the less he actually has. Bullies don’t win fights; they win defaults. Push back just the tiniest bit, and it’s all over.
Darrell Issa is so sleazy that when he demanded that Health and Human Services turn over highly sensitive documents to him regarding the Healthcare.gov website, he was refused because of his track record as an untrustworthy guardian of secrets.
On Benghazi, Issa has always insisted that the anti-Islam American-made film, Innocence of Muslims, had nothing to do with the rioting at the American Embassy that resulted in the death of four people. Regardless of the source, evidence presented to him will not satisfy his lust to bring some scandal raining down the Obama administration.
The Republican-controlled House twice cut funding for better security at American embassies worldwide, in 2011 by $128 million and in 2012 by $331 million because, You have to prioritize things. And, obviously, security at embassies is not a priority. Pointing one's finger and yelling Bang, bang at a well-armed horde of terrorists is hardly an effective deterrent.
And, of course, the Benghazi conclusions reached in the New York Times' recent article was simply to absolve Hilary Clinton.
It matters not to Darrell Issa; he doesn't believe in real evidence. Despite the fact that he has called President Obama one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times, but has never succeeded in making one accusation stick, he will continue to waste the tax payers' money and congressional time in trying. Please proceed, Mr. Chairman.
Will Republicans Continue to Try to Impeach the President?
Of course they will.
The first meeting of the committee to Get Obama the Hell Out of the White House came to the conclusion that The president has ignored laws, failed to enforce laws, undermined laws and changed laws, all contrary to the Constitution.
And the President's response?
Heh.
A Personal Indulgence, If I May
This is one of my favorite images of 2013. No words are needed, except to say that Pete Souza certainly knows how to capture the most powerful and significant moments during the President's time in office.
End Note -- Happy New Year, GOP!
On December 1, the fifty-eighth anniversary of Rosa Parks's brave act of defiance in Birmingham, Alabama, the always-racially-tone-deaf RNC sent a tweet out that read Today we remember Rosa Parks’ bold stand and her role in ending racism. It's too bad no one told James Earl Ray, who killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., thirteen years later.
Right on the heels of that little social-media faux pas, Priebus sent Rand Paul parachuting into Detroit to open the GOP's first African American Outreach office -- or something like that. They invited people to show up and hear Sen. Paul speak on the subject of how Republicans are going to do more for African Americans than Democrats. People showed up. They were white. The end.
And just recently, Chairman Priebus and Co-Chairperson Sharon Day (I guess including Day was to show how much they Love you women!) sent out a Happy Kwanzaa statement commemorating an event that celebrates African history and culture. Even conservative media called it pandering to blacks.
Wait for the RNC to tweet Happy Chinese New Year (celebrated in all Asian countries) on February 9, and Happy Cinco de Mayo on May 5.
These meaningless gestures and transparent platitudes insult the intelligence of those targeted demographics and those white in this country who fight for the civil liberties of ALL Americans.
Let's face it: the only difference between a gun-totting, Bible-clutching white supremacist and a Tea Party member of the GOP is the number of tattoos emblazoned on their bodies.
Will Ted Cruz Continue to be a Lying Obstructionist?
Yes. Yes, he will.
Sen. Cruz has denied that he caused the government shutdown by threatening that identical action back in September if the Affordable Care Act was not defunded. He stood in the Senate Chamber and read Green Ham and Eggs for -- I don't know, twenty-one hours or so. We know the results and the ensuing backlash it caused.
President Obama's response to that bit of showboating was: One faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to re-fight the results of the election. The idea of putting the American people’s hard-earned progress at risk is the height of irresponsibility and doesn’t have to happen. You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job.
Cruz is getting as bad as Sarah Palin when it comes to makin' stuff up, many times for no reason at all. During his filibuster, he included (for no apparent reason and to no one's interest whatsoever) the, um, fact that My father invented green ham and eggs and talked about watching his father prepare the dish. This is quite interesting, since Dr. Seuss wrote that book in 1960 and Ted wasn't born until 1970. (Even if Raul really told him that, most children outgrow these little stories their parents tell them, like thunder is just God doing his thing at the Heavenly Kingdom Bowling Alley located right behind the Harps R Us store on Pearly Gates Road.)
He is still calling on his fellow Republicans to block immigration reform because it would mean the GOP has no chance of winning the Senate in 2014.
Yes, Cruz will continue to lie and obstruct. And every time he does, another conservative donor will write a large check to the Democratic Party.
Will Darrell Issa Finally Stop Talking About Benghazi?
 |
| Keep digging! There's gotta be a way to blame Obama and Clinton! |
Just for the record, Darrell Issa is a nasty, dishonest, scheming, mean, vile human being with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Any one who believes he has reformed after his criminal activities before getting into congress needs a cerebral MRI -- stat!
Democrat Anthony Clark, who worked on the GOP's House oversight committee, summed up Darrell Issa quite well in an excellent post at Salon: If Darrell Issa says something – based on the record, his statements, and my personal observations of him up-close – there is a strong likelihood it will be baseless and easily disproven.
Clark goes on to reveal that Issa is an inept Chairman who doesn't even know the rules under which he is to hold hearings or the legal powers accorded him in that position. He also lets it be known that Issa is a bully: The more bombastic he is, the more he hungrily seeks out the cameras, the more he promises “explosive revelations,” the less he actually has. Bullies don’t win fights; they win defaults. Push back just the tiniest bit, and it’s all over.
Darrell Issa is so sleazy that when he demanded that Health and Human Services turn over highly sensitive documents to him regarding the Healthcare.gov website, he was refused because of his track record as an untrustworthy guardian of secrets.
On Benghazi, Issa has always insisted that the anti-Islam American-made film, Innocence of Muslims, had nothing to do with the rioting at the American Embassy that resulted in the death of four people. Regardless of the source, evidence presented to him will not satisfy his lust to bring some scandal raining down the Obama administration.
The Republican-controlled House twice cut funding for better security at American embassies worldwide, in 2011 by $128 million and in 2012 by $331 million because, You have to prioritize things. And, obviously, security at embassies is not a priority. Pointing one's finger and yelling Bang, bang at a well-armed horde of terrorists is hardly an effective deterrent.
And, of course, the Benghazi conclusions reached in the New York Times' recent article was simply to absolve Hilary Clinton.
It matters not to Darrell Issa; he doesn't believe in real evidence. Despite the fact that he has called President Obama one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times, but has never succeeded in making one accusation stick, he will continue to waste the tax payers' money and congressional time in trying. Please proceed, Mr. Chairman.
Will Republicans Continue to Try to Impeach the President?
Of course they will.
The first meeting of the committee to Get Obama the Hell Out of the White House came to the conclusion that The president has ignored laws, failed to enforce laws, undermined laws and changed laws, all contrary to the Constitution.
And the President's response?
Heh.
A Personal Indulgence, If I May
This is one of my favorite images of 2013. No words are needed, except to say that Pete Souza certainly knows how to capture the most powerful and significant moments during the President's time in office.
End Note -- Happy New Year, GOP!
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