Thursday Stuff

I don’t give a crap about Repug U.S. House Rep Dennis Ross and his paper route or whatever job he had as a kid – the problem is that 90 percent of minimum wage workers are 20 years or older, as noted here (which Ross would understand if he were really listening to that gentleman who works at Arby’s)…of course, this blow-dried bozo doesn’t really care about trying to level the playing field, as it were, for anyone else (oh, and by the way, raising the minimum wage is economically stimulative, which of course would help Obama and the Dems, hence Ross’s opposition)…



…and I’ve been telling Congressional Dems and like-minded candidates to go out and sell the Affordable Care Law for a little while now, and I’m not running for anything – kudos to Rep. Elijah Cummings for pointing that out also…



…and a hat tip to one of my senior correspondents for this (NSFW) – yes, this is satire, Aussie style, but as far as the Koch Brothers are concerned, this no doubt is merely a documentary…



...and there's so much stoo-pid, so little time with this (and the headline is a particular head-scratcher even for the Foxies...my video response follows).

Wednesday Stuff

Number 44 visited our glorious commonwealth today - easy to see who's serious here about "jobs, jobs, jobs" and who isn't...



Update 4/17/14: And this is way too damn funny from The Daily Tucker, and it was a headline at the top of the page (ZOMG, 25 out of 40 plant workers shoved their hands in their pockets instead of applauding every 30 seconds! SCANDAL! IRS LOIS LERNER BENGHAZI IRS LOIS LERNER BENGHAZI IRS LOIS LERNER BENGHAZI IRS LOIS LERNER BENGHAZI!!!),

…and here is more good news on the Affordable Care Law – so how will the Repugs react? CANTHEARYOUNANANANANA (oh, and as far as Tom Cotton goes, I give you this)…



...and I think the question posed by Rachel Maddow at the end of this segment on domestic terrorism is spot-on (and heckuva job, wingnuts, to help to squelch a DHS report on the subject)...



...and it's nice to see this guy hit it big with this little number.

Tuesday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

I apologize a bit for paying attention to the hateful maggot who (allegedly) perpetrated a deadly mass shooting recently in Kansas City; I think, however, that this is a good report that provides some important context…



…and here is the latest on the Repugs and their minority outreach efforts (and for some context on what the Foxies are up to on this, here is more info)…



…and yes, we definitely have tax un-fairness in this country, but please leave the home mortgage interest deduction and local tax deductions ALOOOOOOONE - there’s a bunch of other stuff we can do …



…and we did better this year than last year – hope you did too.

Monday Stuff

Here’s another lesson in reality economics from Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich…



…and I thought this was a good interview with Sen. Al Franken about the proposed Comcast-Time Warner merger…



…and Joy Reid tells us about Charlene Dill of Florida, who wasn’t able to benefit from Medicaid expansion and died as a result – I’ll let you, dear reader, decide whether or not that makes Lex Luthor Scott a murderer or not (and good point about the Dems, who, for the most part, stink at messaging anyway, sad to say)…



...and RIP Jesse Winchester (and, in a related story...).

Friday Stuff

So true - so true, the last one I mean in particular (NSFW)…



…and here’s another round of Jon Stewart too (wonder how many people remember that movie?)…



…and yes, the Repugs really are this nuts, then as now – and I know the Iraq documentary aired already tonight, but I’m sure video is out there somewhere (and here is another casualty to the crazy)…



…and maybe the title of this tune describes how Tom Petri felt – can’t blame him.

Thursday Stuff

Congrats to Stephen Colbert (here) for this (and it looks like Flush Limbore had a meltdown over it – too funny)…

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...and Jon Stewart continues to perform a public service by taking down Sean Inanity and the Foxies once again here (and this confirms what I suspected about Bob Beckel, by the way)...



...and here is another stellar moment from the Roger Ailes BS Factory...



…and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, I give you this (I think Ed meant “neckties”)…



...and hey, the other side routinely mashes together words and clips quotes to try and make us look bad – how about a little payback on the issue that should dominate all others (here)...



…and even though he lives right around the corner from where the tribute took place, I still thought this was a classy story involving Billy Joel – here is a tune for the occasion (with Cyndi Lauper).

Wednesday Stuff

Now THAT is what I'm talking about, people (kudos to John Aravosis, big time)...



...and given this recent idiocy with The Stupidest Life Form In The Entire Universe (and I'm certainly not talking about Eric Holder), I think it's time for a little "TMI" once more...



…and sticking with Rachel Maddow, why am I not surprised that Ron Johnson is involved in the sordid saga of Wisconsin Repug Bill Kramer (with Johnson being an old pro at helping to shield sexual predators, as noted here)…



…and I give you the latest in my never-ending quest to actually put up videos from this century.

Monday Stuff

Oh yes, that baaad Affordable Care Law is such a job-killer – uh huh (and why anybody STILL hasn’t figured out what Mr.-Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv is really up to my now…stick it to the poors and the “blahs” any way possible, among others of course…is something I cannot possibly imagine – and good point by Melissa Harris-Perry about public sector workers).

(By the way, I would ask that you take a look at about 10:20 or so when President Obama is giving his latest speech on the economy. Pay particular attention to the applauding and smiling faces of younger voters behind him, and then ask yourself if you think that they will EVER vote for a Republican after all of this...)



…and cleaning tile grout from your bathroom is probably more interesting than listening to Harry Reid I’ll admit, but the tone of his voice is a lot less important than his actual words here, which are commendable…



…and happy 75th birthday to Francis Ford Coppola – I know it would be easier to include a “Godfather” clip here, and richly deserved, but I always liked “Tucker: The Man And His Dream,” with a bravura turn by Jeff Bridges – here is the climactic courtroom scene in the movie where the SEC ends up putting him out of business…a shame he didn’t live to see this…



…and what the hell – this all puts me in the mood to hear a tune about a car, so…

Saturday Stuff

Yeah, I realize it’s not Bill Maher’s job to come up with answers, but he sure does manage to articulate the issue here (NSFW)…



…and as long as that idiot Jerry Moran read that Op-Ed from Chuckie Koch on the Senate floor (here), I think Sam Seder and crew are allowed to present their version of it…



…and I can hardly wait to hear that toad John Lott’s attempt at an explanation for this, though I realize that the more important takeaway is Maddow's well-made point about our veterans…



…and Kurt Cobain left us 20 years ago today – sorry if this is impolite, but his suicide was stupid and it points out, among other things, that we need to do a better job of providing mental health services, to say nothing of drug treatment, in this country…doesn’t detract from what I believe was Cobain’s genius, though.

Friday Stuff

I don’t give a damn about this cretinous bastard and his supposedly newfound interest in painting (here)…

…hey, how about giving this a try, then (Max Ginsburg from ’07, I believe...please note the oil wells in the background in particular – all a prelude to Rachel Maddow’s report, including an interview with filmmaker Errol Morris)…



…and kudos to Colonel Jack Jacobs for this – nice to see John Lott get what he deserves for talking in circles as usual, including that line about how supposedly no one is talking about arming everyone on a military base, and in the next moment, Lott proceeds to talk about exactly that (and I can find no record of Lott’s military service, probably because it doesn’t exist)…



…and Jon Stewart is on top of the latest atrocity from the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR (here)…

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...and I think this works for a Friday night.

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

For what it’s worth, Marlon Brando would have been 90 today ("Morituri" was a very underrated favorite of yours truly, dealing with admittedly difficult subject matter - not so much WWII, but the fact that just about everyone in the story is morally bankrupt in one way or another)...



…and I think outgoing governor Jan Brewer and some of her fellow Repugs in Arizona are getting a little soft in the head apparently from all that heat – it’s bad enough that it’s happening anyway there, but we have to metaphorically kill this before it spreads any further (I guess, if the Repugs have their way, “public schools” will go the way of the dinosaurs)…



…and Stephen Colbert is at it again here, this time concerning the state of Tennessee – happy days…



…and happy 65th birthday to RT!

Wednesday Stuff

The Supremes took another shot at gutting what’s left of campaign finance law in this country today – bastards…



Update 4/3/14: More here (and kudos to Justice Stephen Breyer for his dissent).

...and yep, it looks like "Obamacare" is still stuck in its "death spiral" - uh huh (NSFW)...



...and somehow I missed this one from Bill Maher dating from his show on 3/21 - NSFW as well...



...and a belated happy 75th birthday to Rudolph Isley of The Isley Brothers.

Tuesday Stuff

Yeah, there’s a “death spiral” going on, Foxies, but not the one you think – tee hee…



...though maybe it isn't all that funny I suppose when you consider the following (hat tip to one of my senior correspondents for the following item)...



…and yeah, check your calendar on this one…



…and speaking of which, it’s time for a pop quiz; this is the theme for a musical based on what movie? Now let’s not always see the same hands…

Oh, all right.

Monday Stuff

Good job by Bill Maher to remind the Dems, in point-blank fashion, what they should be doing (of course, it’s kind of sad that they need to be told – here…and I LOVE the defense of Jimmy Carter)…



…and as usual, “Man Tan” Boehner and that sleazy weasel Eric Cantor are putting it to the economy once again (jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo stick, people, how many times do you have to get whacked over the head by these clowns before you vote them back to permanent minority status??!!)…



…and I thought this was a well-done report by David Martin of CBS Sunday Morning about a stage play featuring Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” (never saw the show, but I heard it was good)…



…and since March is Women’s Month in this country, or something, I guess I’d better hurry up and include this video.

Friday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

Well well, it looks like “Torture Yoo” slithered his way into our fair city again, as noted here; in response, I give you the following (with unintentionally funny captions again - NSFW)…



…and best wishes to Piers Morgan (here) – kudos for keeping the faith on the gun issue…



…and it looks like Dem U.S. House Rep Gerry Connolly gets the whole “IRS Scandal” thing (but don’t be suckered in by Darrell Issa…watch and see if he comes “loaded for bear” against Connolly next time)…



…and today is the 35th anniversary of the Three Mile Island near-catastrophe (here) – here is a tune for the occasion.

#52, Lynn Jenkins (KS - 02)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

Jenkins once laughed at a young uninsured single mother here and told her to grow up and get health insurance...not sure if that's a direct quote or not; I'll check later (almost too precious for words).

A response to a whole cavalcade of lies from Jenkins is here (typical Repug boilerplate, though).

She blamed Senate Democrats for a rise in student loan interest rates here...

…even though the following should be noted from here (a compromise was eventually passed and signed into law by President Obama; not a shining moment for #44, though, it would seem)...

Many Democrats want to base student loan interest rates on the government’s short-term borrowings, ensuring low rates for students. Republicans and the White House prefer tying student loans to 10-year Treasuries, which carry higher interest rates.

Jenkins also once said here that the Repugs needed a “Great White Hope” to run against Obama in 2012, who turned out to be Willard Mitt Romney of course (Blow that dog whistle a little louder why dontcha? And she “obviously” apologized, saying that she was confused by a resolution in support of black boxer Jack Johnson…uh huh).

Update 3/28/14: OK, fair is fair...I went back and heard the tape, and I think someone from the crowd yelled out at the mother to "grow up and get health insurance," which is still offensive and ridiculous. I'm not at all sure that Jenkins actually said that (I think she was stupid to not support the ACA, but I honestly couldn't detect patently offensive behavior.)

Update 4/8/14: You have a better idea, Congresswoman? (here)

#51, Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO - 03)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

He said that the Affordable Care Law web site cost $500 million, which is based on another wingnut lie that the health care site cost $600 million, both being equally incorrect I guess (here).

He helped to introduce something called the Tax Code Termination Act here, which would abolish the entire federal tax code in 2018, with exceptions for Social Security and Medicare taxes - and replace it with, well, nothing.

He masqueraded as a food inspector during the government shutdown last year (nice).

Luetkemeyer said that the expiration of those stinking Bush tax cuts would result in “the largest tax increase in history” here (uh, sorry, but The Sainted Ronnie R is responsible for that one).

In the department of “careful who you choose for your friends,” one of Luetkemeyer’s cronies is a guy named Eric Feltner, who was once indicted for distributing porn to minors, as noted here (oh, but BL is a “family values” Republican, let’s not forget).

Update 3/18/16: Both offensive AND anatomically incorrect? Nicely done, you pinhead (here).

Update 4/15/21: And only .8 percent of his donations from small donors - tells you whose tune he dances to (here).

Thursday Stuff

As usual, it’s “jobs, jobs, jobs” for the Repugs (and Rachel Maddow finished at the end about the whole “Hobby Lobby/Conestoga Wood” thing that The Supremes heard arguments on earlier this week)…



…and yeah, I think we’ve all just about had enough of Gramps McCain, and here’s part of the reason why (and from the first bullet here also)…



…and I think this is basically a positive development concerning NCAA athletes, but I also think Robert Smith is right – this is but the first step on a long journey…



…and I’m not sure any words would suffice for this, so I’m merely presenting the pictures, which are powerful enough…



…and Sarah Vaughan would have been 90 (sorry if I’ve been a particular downer lately)…



...and happy belated 65th birthday to Nick Lowe (this tune definitely hits home).

#50, Mike Kelly (PA - 03)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

Kelly was all about cutting spending until it came to cutting $4 billion in subsidies for the top five oil companies (here) – and did I mention that Kelly’s money comes from car dealerships, and he married a natural gas heiress? (typical)

He said here that people would still get their Medicare/Medicaid access and Social Security checks in the event of a government shutdown (uh, no).

He also said Obama was a “black president who divides us on race” here (good one).

He compared the so-called birth control “mandate” in the Affordable Care Law to Pearl Harbor and 9/11 here (too precious).

As noted here, Kelly played the supposed IRS “scandal” for all he thinks it’s worth at a hearing while questioning IRS commissioner Steven Miller (and as I and others have pointed out many, many times, the only politically-oriented group that actually lost its preferred status was a progressive one in California).

Update 7/30/14: Based on this, I'll acknowledge that Kelly may be an expert on pollution, of the hot air variety I mean.

Update 11/19/14: If Kelly didn't know Obama has the upper hand on the immigration issue, he wouldn't be saying garbage like this.

#49, Kerry Bentivolio (MI - 11)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

This guy is truly unique, I must admit, ending up in the House seat formerly held by “Mad Thad” McCotter until McCotter ran into that little problem with the petition signatures in his run for governor (here – Bentivolio is a veteran, though; I’ll give him that much).

Tim Bos, who was Bentivolio’s Re-Election Field Director, basically took the occasion of the retirement of House Dem John Dingell (the longest-serving member of Congress) to engage in some typical partisan BS here (with Bentivolio trying to pretend that Bos only holds a minor position, or something – please).

Bentivolio didn’t hold a single town hall during the August congressional recess last year (noted here…I remember how the wingnuts in these parts went crazy when former rep Patrick Murphy held “tele”-town halls, also employed since by Mikey the Beloved, without a face-to-face presence…I guess rules are for little people, and Democrats of course).

He also wants to take funds that should be spent on road repair in Michigan and give them to Republican legislators here (nice).

His own brother said Bentivolio was “mentally unbalanced” here (too funny).

He called Obama impeachment “a dream come true” here.

And just for background info purposes, this tells us that Bentivolio is a former Santa Claus and reindeer farmer (ho ho ho).

Update 8/6/14: C'est dommage...

#48, Mike Pompeo (KS - 04)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

Actually, after reading more about Pompeo, I realized that I should have profiled him MUCH earlier than now, but better late than never…

Here, he was called “The Koch Bros. puppet in the war on children.”

And as noted here, that’s not surprising in the least, considering that he made his fortune off a Koch-backed company.

His only public policy experience is with a Koch-related outfit (same Think Progress link as above).

Also the Kochs were by far the biggest contributors to his 2010 U.S. House campaign (same Think Progress link as above).

Pompeo also hired an ex-Koch Bros. lobbyist as his chief of staff (here).

Oh, and he made the news recently when he wanted Edward Snowden off the bill at the South-by-Southwest conference here (ummm, SXSW is in Texas, and Pompeo allegedly represents a congressional district in Kansas…???).

#47, Randy Neugebauer (TX - 19)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

Yes, it’s true – as the picture shows, any discussion of Neugebauer has to begin with his truly infamous episode where he yelled at a U.S. Park Ranger for closing the WWII memorial during the shut down his party initiated (here).

He also yelled out “baby killer,” presumably at former Dem U.S. House Rep Bart Stupak, during Stupak’s speech on the House floor at about the same time as the vote for the Affordable Care Law in 2010, which is truly idiotic but particularly in the case of pro-lifer Stupak (here)…and yes, he apologized.

Oh, and when asked here, he wouldn’t provide a copy of his birth certificate, even though Neugebauer is a “birther” himself, as noted here (uh oh).

Neugebauer was also one of the House Repugs who voted for farm aid (receiving about $4 grand in subsidies) while also voting to cut food stamps (here…also, he’s very definitely a member of the “Koch Caucus” along with Reid Ribble, noted in the link above).

#46, Steve Stockman (TX - 36)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

I don’t know if Stockman is the biggest goof ball on this list or not, but if he isn’t, he’s certainly in the top two…

There’s lots of stuff on Stockman from this great post – take your pick.

He also thinks Ted Nugent is a patriot (here).

Stockman invited the rodeo clown wearing an Obama mask noted here to perform in his district (nice).

He apparently went missing also (here), but he turned up later (here), thinking the whole “missing” thing was a joke apparently (of course, if you want to read something really funny, take a look at this…wonder if the Teahadists will do the U.S. Senate Democrats another favor?).

As noted here, Stockman is also apparently a fan of that show “Duck Dynasty,” along with a lot of others I know (in response, I give you this…anyone who buys into that show is a total rube).

Update 3/4/14: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Wednesday Stuff

I thought this was a good interview with Rachel Maddow and Walter Dellinger, former Solicitor General, on the whole "Hobby Lobby/Conestoga Wood" Supreme Court story...



…and this latest hissy fit from Catholic League President Bill Donahue is just too precious (a week late I guess...guess Bill forgot about the whole "bearing false witness" thing)…



…and I think Chris Hayes gives Billo the Clown the treatment he deserves here…



…and this is somewhat apropos for yours truly at the moment.

#45, Reid Ribble (WI - 08)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

This tells us that a petition with 120,000 signatures was delivered to Ribble’s office telling him not to include Social Security cuts in fiscal discussions last year, which Ribble intended to do regardless of the fact Social Security does not contribute to the federal deficit…remember the whole “chained CPI” thing, which apparently has come around again as an issue as noted here?

And speaking of Social Security, he wants anyone relying on that popular federal program to get it in the proverbial neck, as it were, as noted here.

In a truly guttural move, Ribble actually scolded Sister Simone Campbell for asking government to help the poor (nice).

Here, Ribble ducked out early from a jobs fair to attend a campaign fundraiser (what a swell guy).

Ribble said here that government shouldn’t borrow, even though he personally carries a couple of hundred thousand in debt (the latter isn’t a crime, but don’t be so damn two-faced about it).

And OF COURSE he’s a member of the “Koch Caucus” (here).

Update 10/23/14: Ribble said here that he lost his doctor and his insurance because of health care reform, which Politifact rated as a "pants on fire" lie.

#44, Renee Ellmers (NC - 02)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

What a prize of an elected official…

Speaking of the shut down (which I mentioned for Mark Meadows), Ellmers voted for it of course, but when asked why she wouldn’t donate her salary, said “I need my paycheck” here (as Laura Clawson says, as if Head Start teachers don’t?).

Oh, and an unsecured AR-15 rifle was stolen from her home here (smooth move).

Here, she introduced a “bill” to provide “rights” to disabled (injured and amputee) veterans that they already have.

As noted here, Ellmers introduced a resolution to honor Jesse Helms (ding ding ding! We have a winner in the “Wingnut of the Week” contest!).

Also, I’m not the biggest fan of Clay Aiken either, and I know politics ain’t beanbag as somebody once said, but I thought it definitely showed a lack of class on her part to mock his singing here.

Update 7/15/14: How about down to your level, Congresswoman? Is that low enough (here)?

#43, Mark Meadows (NC - 11)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

As far as I’m concerned, Meadows is infamous for only one act, but it was a real doozy, and that would be last year’s government shut down; as noted here, he was more responsible for it than any other person in the U.S. Congress.

And just to refresh our memories, these in part were the results:

Disadvantaged women and infants relying on nutrition programs, as well as anyone relying on Head Start, individuals with disabilities and people needing heating assistance were all hurt (here).

Processing of veterans’ compensation, pension and education benefits was delayed; the shutdown was projected to drain about $10 billion out of our economy (here).

Passport applications were delayed as well, and shutting down sites in the U.S. Parks service hurt tourism as well as related businesses relying on tourist dollars, OSHA halted inspections, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission halted investigations of fraudulent trading practices – processing of Pell Grants and student loan assistance was also slowed (here).

FEMA ended up furloughing 86 percent of their employees during the height of the hurricane season (here).

So yeah, if Mark Meadows does absolutely nothing else of consequence one way or the other for the remainder of his public life, he will always be remembered for the utterly ruinous 2013 government shutdown, as well he should.

Update 6/20/14: I guess Meadows never had a mother - that would explain a thing or two (here).

Update 10/23/14: Not sure how I missed this earlier, but Meadows said he wanted to send Obama back to Kenya, or something, here.

Tuesday Stuff

The former secretary of defense compared our incumbent president today to a “trained ape” here – here is one response…



…and here is another (what a pathetic old man).

Monday Stuff

As Heather of C&L says here, Rachel is a little late to the party when it comes to calling out “Kristol Mess” the way he deserves it, but at least Rachel showed up (don’t forget also that, more than anyone else, “Irving’s Boy” led the charge against health care reform in the ‘90s)…



…and here is another lesson in income inequality from Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich…



…and this issue hits home for us, as it should for any parent…



…and here is another tune to recognize another anniversary we wish we didn’t have to remember (yeah, mostly slumming from C&L here for the moment, I guess).

Friday Stuff

Gosh, I guess I'm not as cool and hip and "with it," as I thought, dawg - kudos to John Oliver for this...



…and I don’t know what happened to that damn plane either – what a tragedy (and CNN is merely idiotic, while Fix Noise is being dangerously stupid as usual)…



…and I’m sure Rachel will hear from Chuck and Dave’s lawyers again over this – kudos to her (yes, it’s depressing, but in response, we need to steel our resolve even more…no excuse for a crappy turnout, ever…)…



…and I think this is a song and a video with a lesson for all of us.

Thursday Stuff

I know we’re not officially done with that four-letter-word for the white stuff that starts with “S,” but according to my calendar, today is the first day of spring, so…



...and as people smarter than I have pointed out, we live in the era of angry billionaires, and they are raging yet again (and kudos to Anna Galland - and by the way, paging "Space Cadet" Corbett and "Governor Bully" too)...



…and as a follow-up, I give you this atrocity from the “Peach State”…



…and I thought this was an interesting story – here is a tune for the occasion.

Wednesday Stuff

And I know Ken Langone apologized, as well he should, but I’m sure it was only because he was busted for his BS (and once again, I don't know of any comparably extreme rhetoric on our side)…



…and far from the Beltway bloviators, this tells us what real people think of that fine "Christian" man, Mr.-Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv…



…and file this under “proverbial blind squirrel finds the nut” – “Goodhair,” as The Eternal Molly Ivins called him, will still never be president, though…



…and here is a tune to commemorate a truly infamous anniversary.

#41, Markwayne Mullin (OK - 02)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law...

Mullin confessed to being a “birther” here (that pretty much seems to be required for admission into the Teahadist “club”).

He said here that he personally witnessed food stamp “fraud” in Washington, D.C. because someone who was poor was also apparently able-bodied too, which was too much for his tiny mind to process I suppose (of course, he said this when he was safely back in his home district).

Oh, and did you know that Mullin took about $370,000 in stimulus funds (here – so much for that baaad “big gumint”).

Here, he claimed that the price of a McDonald’s hamburger would rise to $20 if the minimum wage was raised to $10 an hour (hat tip to Blue Oklahoma for the above two links).

And of course he denies that climate change is happening, even though he’s from a state that has been buffeted severely by its effects (here).

And for the record, let it be known that Mullin took over the seat once held by "Democrat" Dan Boren, so the voters of his district apparently didn't have to worry about any actual performance on their behalf from one bad choice to another.

Update 12/14/20: I didn't know the Trail of Tears was a "volunteer walk" - at least that's what Mullin thought of it (to the extent that Mullin thinks at all, of course - here).

#42, Raul Labrador (ID - 01)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…I give you Labrador on immigration (here)…

“The people that came here illegally knowingly — I don’t think they should have a path to citizenship,” he said on NPR, according to Talking Points Memo. “If you knowingly violated our law, you violated our sovereignty, I think we should normalize your status but we should not give you a pathway to citizenship.”

“Normalize your status”? What does that even mean? And as the story tells us, only about 10 percent of this country actually sides with Labrador.

Labrador, though, is quick to blame Obama on immigration, as noted here – “A speech is not a bill?” Bills are supposed to come from Congress, not the White House, you moron.

And as noted from here, Labrador says that the Dems want to cover undocumented workers in health care reform, which is patently untrue…

This month, Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) blamed a standoff over health-care benefits for his decision to drop out of bipartisan talks with seven colleagues who were negotiating a House alternative to the Senate immigration proposal. That has forced House leaders to proceed with a series of smaller-scale proposals next week in lieu of a sweeping agreement.“

When I joined the group, I was told that the aliens would have to pay for their own health care,” Labrador told Fox News. “Now that has changed. And I can’t agree to all of the exceptions.”

Frustrated Democrats argue that Republicans are picking a fight where one does not exist. In both chambers, Democrats say, they have agreed that illegal immigrants would not be eligible for public benefits - including health-care subsidies and Medicaid - as they embark on a path to permanent legal status, which would take at least 10 years under the Senate plan.“

We have said since day one that undocumented people will not have access to subsidies in the Affordable Care Act,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said last month. “Any thought that we want to do something different than that is simply not true. It is a bottom line. No need to even discuss it.”

But of course, according to Labrador, the failure to pass immigration reform is the fault of the Dems – uh huh.

Update 8/26/13: Yeah, how dare those pesky civil rights workers get all “negative” (here)! Gosh, why can’t they sing and dance while facing voter ID obstruction and disenfranchisement?

#40, Ted Yoho (FL - 03)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law...

Like every other Repug (I believe) in the House, Yoho (a darling of the Teahadists) voted to cut SNAP benefits while maintaining farm subsidies (here).

Yoho also praised an alleged “birther” conspiracy and called “Obamacare” racist against white people (here).

In addition to food stamps, he also railed against gay marriage and “terrorist immigrants” here.

And speaking of SNAP, it looks like Yoho and his wife applied during the Carter Administration – but of course, he opposes it now because he wants to “wean” people off it, or something (here).

There’s lots of stuff on Yoho here, including his “don’t tax our tanning beds” idiocy.

Update 10/7/13: OWWWWWW!! THE STUPID!!! IT BURNS US!!!!!

Update 10/11/13: Actually, I’m not sure who’s more of an idiot here – Yoho, or the caller presumably from his district who thinks that furloughed federal workers automatically “are home watching Netflix and whatever…”

Update 4/15/14: What a dope (but we already knew that, right?).

#39, Stephen Fincher (TN - 08)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law...

Here, Fincher basically says that if you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat (Welcome to Gulag USA, despite the fact that Fincher gets huge farm subsidies, as noted here).

This tells us that, like many others in his party, he voted against relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Here, he introduced a bill requiring drug testing of 20 percent of welfare recipients and applicants (of course, if Fincher were interested in doing anything besides trying to score cheap political points, he might look a little further south to see if it actually does any good, as noted here).

Also, based on this, it looks like he doesn’t know how to file a campaign disclosure statement properly (i.e., he “claimed to have almost no assets at the start of his campaign, and has since filed multiple inconsistent financial disclosure forms, revealing significantly greater assets.”).

He probably should also get a new press secretary too while he’s at it (here – some truly obnoxious “tweets” from someone named Elizabeth Lauten…nothing wrong with her having an opinion even though I most certainly don’t agree, but…and call me old fashioned, I know…aren’t government employees supposed to be non-political?).

As stated already, Fincher gained particularly odious notoriety over the farm bill. And noted here from January, that wretched subsidy from which he benefitted along with too many other Washington politicians still remains, while SNAP assistance was ultimately cut – pathetic.

#38, Ted Poe (TX - 02)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law...

Here, Poe quoted the KKK Grand Wizard on the U.S. House floor (lovely).

Here, he held a health care “town hall” in a funeral home (interesting messaging...oh, riiight - "death panels"; I get it now).

Poe said here that the U.S. gave aid to Cuba and Venezuela (uh, no).

Here, he tried to rally the nation against the supposedly grave danger faced by incandescent light bulbs (pretty sad when you’re a “sock puppet” for Erick “Son of Eric” Erickson).

And speaking of Poe, the video from here with him along with Steve King and Louie Gohmert is kind of silly, but fun (and it speaks truth to stoo-pid).

#37, Scott DesJarlais (TN - 04)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law...

I wish it could be said that all U.S. House Repugs opposing health care reform are truly facing electoral problems for 2014, but except for DesJarlais, I don’t think that’s apparent at the moment (love to be wrong). I guess the “line in the sand” for the Teahadists is when you betray them on “values” issues, as opposed to issues that actually impact their lives such as the sequester, jobs, health care, the environment, etc. (what a joke).

With that in mind, I give you this…

He was fined $500 for having affairs with patients here (he’s an OB-GYN, I believe).

Here, he apparently pressured one patient who was his mistress into getting an abortion (nice guy).

Here, he supported his ex-wife’s decision to have two abortions prior to their marriage (as far as I’m concerned, that should be kept in the family, but don’t parade yourself as a “family values” Republican if you have these skeletons in your proverbial closet, OK?).

Also according to Politico (above link), DesJarlais “lavished gifts” on one patient he had an affair with, including an expensive watch and plane tickets.

When even the chairman of the state’s Republican Party says that he doesn’t expect DesJarlais to be re-elected next year…well, I guess the “fat lady,” as they say, is getting ready.

Update 1/31/14: Gee, aren't those pesky unintended consequences a real bitch, as noted here? Ha and ha...

Update 8/26/14: I think the gene pool for some of the voters in Tennessee's 4th needs a lifeguard (here - grrrr...)

#36, Jim Bridenstine (OK - 01)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law...

Bridenstine said here that the Supreme Court doesn’t get to decide which laws are constitutional, or something, in response to a question about the Affordable Care Act (Marbury v. Madison, jackass).

He called President Obama “an incompetent, vengeful liar with no moral compass” on the floor of the U.S. House (here – yeah, just keep blaming us libs for how uncivil we were to Dubya; as usual, conservatives look in the mirror and see everyone’s reflection but their own).

He demanded that Obama apologize to Oklahoma here for allocating funding for climate change research here (um, aren’t you just the slightest bit curious about what caused the Moore tornado, congressman?).

And of course, being a typical Teahadist, Bridenstine is afraid “Man Tan” Boehner will “cave on taxes” because of the sequester, as noted here (maybe, instead of “taxes,” Bridenstine should worry about this instead; fat chance, I know).

#35, Tim Huelskamp (KS - 01)

What a prize this guy is, if I do say so…

As far as Huelskamp is concerned, you’re not allowed to discuss gun control (particularly in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook carnage) because you would be advocating a “political agenda” (here).

He also said here that he would file a constitutional amendment to try and restore DOMA, despite the fact that it was overruled by John Roberts and The Supremes (but just remember, it’s “jobs, jobs, jobs” as far as Huelskamp, Cantor and Boehner are concerned). And in keeping with that, he spread more BS here about how kids supposedly do better in dysfunctional hetero families than functional same-sex ones (to the point where even Fluffyhead called him on it).

Basically, Huelskamp is such a Teahadist not job unwilling to compromise that he’s been removed by fellow Republicans from committee assignments (voted against the Violence Against Women Act, also voted against Sandy relief – of course…here).

But how do his constituents feel, I wonder…

“We hear criticisms that [Huelskamp] won’t get along, but that’s not what we elected him for. We elected him to vote for principle,” said Paula Carr, a 64-year-old who sells and repairs lawn and garden equipment. “Compromise is why we’re in the condition we’re in now — too much compromise over the last 30 years.’’

With all due respect to Ms. Carr, the main reason for the “too much comprise” over the last 30 years is because you’ve had the proverbial rug pulled out from under you by Republican politicians selling you “values voter” snake oil while income inequality has gotten worse and worse and worse. And at the risk of sounding like a snotty liberal, I should point out that it was up to you to overcome what I’m sure is your longstanding dislike of people with my political opinion and study the issues that truly matter with an open mind. And apparently, you failed to do so, to the point where you have sent a numbskull like Huelskamp to Washington, where he can do damage not just to your district but the whole country (and that quote means that you’re just as oblivious to that now as before).

Oh, and don’t count on Huelskamp to help with immigration reform either, since he thinks that appealing to Hispanics is “very discouraging” (here).

Take a bow, you voters in KS – 01…heckuva job!

Update 10/09/13: What a pathetic little slug (here).

Update 1/29/14: Yep, Huelskamp is just another “one trick pony” – when all else fails, just attack that gol-danged “li-bu-ruul media” (here - and as far as BENGHAZI! is concerned, as I’ve said at least half a dozen times, I don’t recall any outcry at all when our ambassador David Foy was murdered in Pakistan in 2006).

#34, Tom Cotton (AR - 04)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law

Here, he said that he didn’t think women were qualified to serve in the military (nice - it should be pointed out, though, that Cotton actually did serve, unlike most other Repugs).

Here, he said that Iraq was involved in 9/11 (ah, a golden oldie…oh, and when it comes to evaluating Number 43 and “Deadeye Dick,” Cotton believes 9/11 shouldn’t be included, as noted here).

The Arkansas Times link also tells us that he, like many others in his party, voted against relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and he’s a darling of the Club for Growth, no matter how that affects his congressional district…figures. Cotton is a bit of a rising GOP star, though – he’s being prompted to challenge conservadem Mark Pryor for Pryor’s U.S. Senate seat (and apparently, based on this, he’s in…yep, no problem with ambition here, having not even finished his first term in the House after winning the seat vacated by Mike Ross). And like a whole bunch of House Repugs (including Mikey the Beloved), Cotton voted to separate SNAP funding from the farm bill (here). Oh, and Cotton wants to punish not only those who violate economic sanctions against Iran (OK), but their family members too, as noted here (um, and why?).

Update 8/1/13: And I'm sure the Pryor campaign will have fun with this also.

Update 8/9/13: Why do I have a feeling that the fun is just beginning with this guy (here)?

Update 3/19/14: And Cotton keeps such cowardly company too, doesn’t he (and on this wretched anniversary, of all days)?

Update 1/30/17: And let's never forget this also, by the way.

#33, Diane Black (TN - 06)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

Here, she introduced legislation that basically bars federal government funding on Planned Parenthood (oh brother – yeah, like that would stand up to a court challenge).

Here, she introduced legislation barring gays from adopting children (“Let’s see now, ‘Christian compassion,’ ‘Christian compassion’…I know they talk about it in the Bible somewhere, but I can’t find it!”).

Here, she said that she “children with pre-existing conditions and chronic illnesses should not have to be covered under their parent’s plan by insurance companies. Her reasoning is that insurance companies would lose too much money” (wonder if she owns any stock?).

Oh, and remember the supposedly humorous Email sent from Black’s aide Sherri Goforth (as in “Go forth and be stupid,” I guess) depicting President Obama as two eyes appearing against a black background (here)? And Goforth was merely “reprimanded” by Black in response, apparently.

#32, Blake Farenthold (TX - 27)

As part of my “tribute” to the U.S. House Repugs and their 50 51 52 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Law…

Here, he compared the unemployed to drug addicts (nice).

Here, he opposed funding food stamps (as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) even though he received millions in farm subsidies (and he definitely had company on this one).

And of course, as noted here, he wouldn’t be a good little Repug unless he was a member of the anti-science climate denier caucus.

He was also a little too slow, to say the least, about realizing that budget cuts hurt the economy here.

As noted here, his sister harbored a murder suspect (usually I leave civilians out of this stuff, but this is beyond the pale).

Update 12/18/14: If Farenthold had any decency, he would resign right now (here).

Monday Stuff

I watch this clip, and I almost feel sorry for Bill Maher (here, though I’m sure I know what he would tell me to do with my pity if I ever told him that).

Yes, critical commentary like this on religious zealotry is fair game, I realize, particularly with so much intolerance on this subject that currently exists in this country (and probably always will). However, I don’t know if he’s ever featured someone like, say, Sister Simone Campbell on “Real Time” to discuss how meaningful Christian activism can be on behalf of those who are underprivileged in this country. The bureaucracy and hard-headedness by “the faithful” will be forever with us, but so will the power of good works…and as always with "Real Time," NSFW...



…and Jonathan Capehart gives Mr.-Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv the treatment he deserves here (and this is well done also for this day in particular)…



…and this is a special St. Patrick’s Day request from The Teenaged One from the movie “Gods and Generals”; this is the theme in the film for the Irish Brigade that fought so courageously at the Battle of Fredericksburg, which turned out to be a particularly horrific loss for the Union due to incredibly poor planning, among other reasons…



…and here is a request from yours truly for personal reasons – posting may be sporadic for a little while…I’ll let you know.

Friday Stuff

Well well, it looks like “Wall Street Scott” Brown is taking his carpetbagging act on the road, as noted here; I think K.O. gave him the treatment he deserves in the following clip…



…and here is some spot-on commentary from Krystal Ball (#realname?) also; the first two minutes take the Repugs to task, but the “corpora-Dems” get it too, as they should…



…and it looks like “Bullsh*t Mountain” just had another eruption here – but not to worry; Jon Stewart is ON IT, PEOPLE!...



…and given tomorrow’s date, I should probably include “Vehicle” here, but I think I’ll choose what should be Scott Brown’s theme song instead.

Thursday Stuff

Yeah, Repugs, how’s that whole “women’s outreach” thing going?...



…and let’s not forget about trying to make inroads with “the blahs” too…



…and more like this – A LOT more…



…and happy 75th birthday to Neil Sedaka, and yes, I’m serious (the following is a favorite of Mrs. Doomsy).

Wednesday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

Yes, Mr.-Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv provided yet another sickening example today of conservative self-entitlement, but he’s only spouting right-wing dogma that has been enshrined for decades, and made acceptable by The Sainted Ronnie R, among others – the hard work of actual governance to try and actually solve problems instead of demonizing people he doesn’t understand is something Ryan and his pals continue to avoid…



…and you know it, you love it, you can’t get enough of it…so of course, Billo the Clown hates it, among others (and yes, it’s really funny)…



…and oh yeah, about that CPAC thing (here)…



…and dag, he’s still too young to be this talented (lucky for us, though).

)