Saturday Stuff

Sorry, wingnuts  - I know this is really icky, but it’s also really important (here)…

…and speaking of health care, the next time I do this, we’ll be in the Top 10…

#12, Spencer Bachus
#13, Jim Gerlach
#14, Cliff Stearns
#15, Jean Schmidt
#16, Phil Gingrey
#17, David Schweikert
#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #11 on our list of U.S. House Repugs opposed to health care reform, and that would be Patrick McHenry of North Carolina.

I’m not sure what is worse about McHenry – the fact that he called Elizabeth Warren, now running against Scott Brown in Massachusetts for the latter’s Senate seat (and on that subject, what Atrios sez here), a liar when she appeared at an oversight hearing (here), or the fact that McHenry pulled the same crap with Phil Angelides of the FCIC (here). And given that, is this really a surprise?

It was also McHenry’s idea to try and get a movement going on behalf of The Sainted Ronnie R to get his face on the $50 bill (here).

Also, McHenry is apparently closeted. I honestly don’t care about that – I would only say that, if that is true, then he shouldn’t align himself with a political party that has made it its mission to Hate Teh Gay (and the following clip speaks volumes to me about the type of person McHenry is, though he apologized, as well he should...if you're fed up with McHenry and his antics, click here.)…

…and I cannot put up this video enough times – needs to be restated over and over and over…

…and Russia “is our number one adversary,” Willard Mitt? Of a “geopolitical nature,” whatever the hell that means? Really?...

…and maybe it’s progress of a sort that Romney apparently takes better care of his horse than he does of his dog (here)…

…and this might be my favorite tune of the year so far.

Friday Stuff

Tomorrow, there will be a gathering of Bucks County, PA Democrats at the Doylestown office for canvassing, phone banking and voter registration (10 E. Court Street) at 10 AM. You can also sign a birthday card for President Obama. With that in mind, I give you the following video from Kathy Boockvar, running against Mikey the Beloved for his PA-08 U.S. House seat (lots of ammo to use against Mikey…this is good, though - to help, click here)...



…and I’m not going to be able to add Anne Marie Buerkle to the list of Mikey’s pals trying to overturn health care reform (and not to worry – Mikey is on the list), but I thought she deserved a mention anyway (one of the “flat-earth five” opposing the environment, and don’t get started on her and abortion – the Log Cabin Republicans actually gave Buerkle an award; that group defines Stockholm Syndrome as far as I’m concerned…I’m mentioning Buerkle because she was in that video yesterday from Rachel Maddow about that nitwit Mike Kelly…links are here, here and here)…



…and speaking of the list of House Repugs trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act…

#13, Jim Gerlach
#14, Cliff Stearns
#15, Jean Schmidt
#16, Phil Gingrey
#17, David Schweikert
#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #12, Spencer Bachus, who spent over $250 grand of campaign funds on lawyers (here – and how exactly is that legal?), probably because of this.

Oh, but it’s really all the fault of that baaad “Democrat” Party, isn’t it, you weasel (here)?

Want more evidence? As noted here, Bachus also came to the aid of Edward DeMarco of the Federal Housing and Finance Agency, who decided that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shouldn’t offer debt forgiveness to borrowers, despite pleas from the Obama Administration and congressional Democrats (more “ROI” for the “pay no price, bear no burden” bunch from Bachus…Professor Krugman had a good column on the odious Mr. DeMarco here).

And in case you had any doubt about Bachus and health care reform, I give you this (and I’m not sure if truer words were ever spoken by Cenk Uygur here particularly at the end)…

…and I apologize for neglecting to mention until now the recent passing of Philadelphia radio legend Joe “Butterball” Tamburro (here) – I offer the following as a tribute.

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

This might be the best commentary on the so-called “war on drugs” that I’ve ever heard; kudos to Lawrence O’Donnell (here)…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and I’m telling you, ya’ just gotta hand it to the Repugs – with Willard Mitt Romney knee deep in doo doo over his joke of a European tour and his continued failure to release his tax returns, they come up with this as a distraction, with meat head PA Rep Mike Kelly working our media and many of us into a lather.

Let’s see now, Mike Kelly…oh yeah, he’s “frugal,” I guess you could say, on taxes unless it affects his dividends, as noted here. He also voted to keep taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil, along with the rest of his playmates (here), and played the teabaggers for the fools that they truly are here.

Gee, if I didn’t know better, I’d say Kelly was trying to find a way to be included in my countdown of U.S. House Repugs opposed to the Affordable Care Act (and here is a great column on health care from our former state rep, who used to be a Republican, believe it or not)…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and speaking of the devil…

#14, Cliff Stearns
#15, Jean Schmidt
#16, Phil Gingrey
#17, David Schweikert
#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #13 on the list, and (staying in our beloved commonwealth) that would be none other than Jim Gerlach (not in red in the pic).

This one is a bit of a tough case, because Gerlach usually does a good job of “flying under the radar” like David Schweikert and a few others. However, things do go “splat” with Gerlach from time to time; here, a resident tried to pin him down over his opposition to the Affordable Care Act (good luck), he was also busted here for omitting a disclaimer in a political ad that was required for him to receive a cheaper rate, and as noted here, he voted for the so-called “Pence Amendment” (from Indiana Repug Mike Pence, not the departed former Phil) which barred Planned Parenthood from receiving Title X funds (and what the #@$! does that have to do with a spending bill anyway?).

Gerlach has also picked a fight with the Clean Air Council (here), as noted in this video…



…and to support his opponent Dr. Manan Trivedi, click here (Gerlach has bragged that the Dems can’t beat him – we’ll see, won’t we? And it would be nice if Gerlach, Kelly and their pals would pay attention to this instead.)…



…and returning to the now-presumptive head of the Republican Party, I give you this (and how lame is this anyway, by the Mittster I mean?)…



Update 8/3/12: Drip, drip, drip...

…and happy 55th birthday to Mojo Nixon – don’t quite agree with everything here, but at least some of it (and tying back to Lawrence O’Donnell’s commentary a bit too).

Wednesday Stuff

RIP Gore Vidal – he said things that, at times, made people uncomfortable because he forced us to think, as he did in this clip from 1968; would that we had more like him (I would say that he at least hinted at bits and pieces of what was then the future, but which has come to pass in terms of in-vitro fertilization, using food for fuel such as ethanol, etc.)…

…and yes, it’s baaack…

#15, Jean Schmidt
#16, Phil Gingrey
#17, David Schweikert
#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #14 on our list of U.S. House Repugs opposed to health care reform, and that would be Cliff Stearns of Florida.

As noted here, Stearns defended oil industry subsidies (along with every other U.S. House Repug, to my knowledge), said that we supposedly can’t compete with China on green energy, and he also said that women who undergo abortions should face criminal charges (peachy). And did I mention that he’s a “birther” too?

Stearns is particularly bad, though, because, at one time, he sponsored the “Consumer Choice Health Security Act” in the 1990’s (here), which was the first time in recent history that Congress had proposed the individual mandate (though he did get some "push-back" from a constituent here). So, you would think that he would be a voice of sanity on health care reform, wouldn’t you?.

Well, you would be wrong, as noted here. And K.O. got the goods on Stearns here (how sad, though funny also)…

Update 8/16/12: It's a shame you can't see my sad face (here :-).

…and it looks like “The Colonel” isn’t above trying to “get on the down-low” for some new bidness (in response to this…I guess it was inevitable – removing my tongue from my cheek)…

KFC Loves Gays with John Goodman from John Goodman      

…and Jerry Garcia would have been 70 today (among other things, he was one of the finest pedal steel guitar players who ever lived).

Tuesday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

I’m messing around a bit with the congressional list, so I’ll take a break again tonight (the breaks may become more frequent as I work further down the list, since the offenders are more and more blameworthy and documenting their misdeeds will take more time).

As a bit of a respite, though, I give you this from Willard Mitt Romney (so presidential, I know…related links are here, and particularly, here – and yes, the “kiss my ass” guy apologized, as well he should)…

Update 8/1/12: So pathetic that I almost feel sorry for him - almost...



...and Seether "gets the gold" IMHO for this one (sorry, no video).

Monday Stuff

You know it, you love it – here it is again…

#16, Phil Gingrey
#17, David Schweikert
#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #15 on our list of U.S. House Republicans opposed to the Affordable Care Act, and that would be “Mean Jean” Schmidt of Ohio.

Why “Mean Jean”? Well, for starters, she called the late Dem U.S. House Rep (and former Marine) John Murtha a coward when he courageously came out in opposition to Dubya’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Iraq (that and a bunch of other stuff is here). She also told a big lie about Planned Parenthood here (lots of company in that department), faked being targeted for assassination again (!) here, and carried out a two-year vendetta against David Krikorian, a one-time challenger for her seat (here).

Oh, and it should also be noted that Schmidt was one of numerous Congressional representatives tainted in a Turkish influence-peddling scheme (a “Turkish Delight,” if you will) brought to light by Sibel Edmonds, renowned former FBI Turkish and Farsi interpreter and whistleblower (here).

So yeah, Schmidt has a lot of baggage. Unfortunately for we filthy, unkempt liberal blogger types, we won’t have “Mean Jean” to kick around for much longer since she lost her Republican primary in March to Brad Wenstrup (who has the imprimatur of those zany teabaggers, though it is a point in Wenstrup’s favor that he served our country too).

At least Schmidt managed to give us this utterly hilarious moment before she ran out the clock, as Cenk Uygur and company note below (and yep, Michael Savage is that big of a whack job too)...

…and this is a song about a guy with issues, I would say (nice tune anyway).

Sunday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

I’m taking a break from the congressional countdown tonight, or whatever you may want to call it…

Meanwhile, it’s pretty sad when Willard Mitt gets taken to the proverbial woodshed by his party’s own media apparatus, that stupid comment about voting in Chicago (or whatever) notwithstanding (here)…

…and I thought this was a nice little summer video featuring one of rock’s most interesting and underrated bands (doing the Gershwin standard, of course).

Saturday Stuff

I think this is basically a good report about Willard Mitt’s bumbling on the world stage and the fact that he would be “George W. Romney” on foreign policy and other matters, but I think it’s dangerous for anyone to assume that Romney would be a pacifist – I can definitely see him doing something stupid overseas, if for no other reason than to try and prove that he’s tougher than he ever will be…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And it’s that time again…

#17, David Schweikert
#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so that brings us to #16 on the list of U.S. House knuckleheads opposing the Affordable Care Act, and that would be Phil Gingrey of Georgia, who said here that the GOP’s resistance to extending the payroll tax cut last December was their “Braveheart moment.” He also lambasted President Obama for “African Americans for Obama” (though the GOP, of course, are no strangers to such outreach groups…umm, is there an actual issue here? And I guess this was OK anyway).

Rachel Maddow and Kent Jones got the goods on Gingrey a little while ago here (what a total asshat)…

…and I thought this was another clever Mark Fiore clip…

…and this tune is becoming a personal favorite (sorry, no video).

Friday Stuff

I think I’m close to half way on this thing (why do I create so much work for myself, I wonder?)…

#18, Virginia Foxx
#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so that brings us to #17 on our list of U.S. House Repugs opposing health care reform, and that would be David Schweikert of Arizona.

This guy doesn’t pop up on the political radar, as it were, too often, but when he does, he usually makes a doozy of an impression. Here, he called for “offsetting” hurricane aid (but not by “offsetting” tax cuts for the “pay no price, bear no burden” bunch of course), and here, he emerged as a “closet birther” (and of course, here is the obligatory anti-HCR link).

And OK, so Schweikert doesn’t like the fact that Obama is trying to get a “stay” on Arizona’s “illegal to be brown” deportation policy (here), but he’s trying to do it by getting Congress (the legislative branch) to tell the Department of Homeland Security (the executive branch) what they can and can’t enforce…I would really like someone to present evidence to me of a Congress that ever impinged upon the rights of the executive branch like this under a Republican president. Go ahead and look – I’ll wait.

As noted in the video, though, Schweikert really made a name for himself by preying on homeowners with “underwater” mortgages (here); what an absolute gem of a human being, my fellow prisoners…

Update 8/2/12: Gee, I wonder if the hot, dry air in that state is affecting one of Schweikert’s fellow reps, as noted here (Flake was endorsed by Jon Kyl for the latter’s seat, which should tell you absolutely nothing good).

…and it’s yet another summer weekend, people – so let’s KICK IT!

Thursday Stuff

Gosh…ummm….welcome to the fight, Billo (?????) – still trying to wrap my head around this, as it were (here)…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and it’s that time again – you know the rest, right?

#19, Pete Sessions
#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so now it’s time to turn to #18 on my list of U.S. House Republicans opposing the Affordable Care Act.

And I have to tell you that I really wanted to include Virginia Foxx of North Carolina higher up on the list, maybe closer to the top 10. However, this woman’s words and actions are so utterly repellant so frequently and across such a wide swath of topics that I thought I needed to address her sooner.

You see, today (here – and speaking of Aurora), she used the recent mass shootings in a movie theater to plea for civility, more or less, while the Repugs try to pass a regulatory “reform” bill on behalf of those poor, oppressed “job creators” whose widdle feelins are just so, so hurt by that mean, nasty Kenyan Muslim socialist in the White House that…well, gosh darn it…they just have to respond by hoarding unprecedented amounts of wealth (here).

Continuing (as noted here), Foxx also dumped on students who have run up debt to pursue a college degree (and, of course, she’s the chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education…let’s see, “empathy,” “empathy”…I just know I left that dictionary somewhere – oh, and is this really a surprise?). She also added an “anti-gay” amendment to a House Defense Appropriations bill here, and claimed here that the GOP “led the fight for civil rights” in the 1960s (uh, no).

Also, as Rachel Maddow points out here, Foxx said the health care bill “masqueraded” as a tax increase, which of course is more of a threat than al Qaeda as far as she concerned…

...in addition, Foxx mentioned a Thomas Sowell column about health care reform, which apparently had nothing to do with HCR, but she prefaced it by saying that Sowell was “also an African American,” or something (gee, invoking Obama’s race just a little bit? Ya’ think?)…

…and if that isn’t an excuse for this video once more, I don’t know what is (this woman is truly a horrible monster – how life forms in this country can actually vote for her is something that I pray I never understand).

Update 8/20/12: Somehow, I forgot about this truly choice item from Foxx, calling Tucson shooter Jared Loughner the "liberal of liberals" (I'll just let that remark lie there and fester by itself without any further comment).

Update 5/19/21: Wonder if Foxx will be going near metal detectors again any time soon (here)?

Update 8/6/21: She would have been better off just keeping her mouth shut altogether (here).

Wednesday Stuff

I guess he’s “movin’ on up” for real now – RIP, Philly cat Sherman Hemsley…



…and I could call this, sadly, a pretty good “ROI” for ALEC and the Koch Brothers (and in the matter of voter ID laws by state, I give you this)…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and it looks like we’re into the “teens” with that little thing I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks…

#20, Charlie Dent
#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so that brings us to #19 on our list of U.S. House Repugs trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and that would be Pete Sessions of Texas.

After he and Mikey the Beloved pulled that idiotic swearing-in stunt in January 2011 (where they thought they could get sworn in to Congress by watching the ceremony on TV as opposed to attending in person), Sessions got absolutely owned by a Republican in favor of “Obamacare” (here), though that obviously didn’t influence Sessions one bit in his call to repeal the supposedly “job-killing” health care law (here - warning: wingnut alert!)

Though, as K.O. points out here (and God, do we need him on the air, though the “suits” won’t let that happen I’m sure, at least not until after the election at the earliest…love to be wrong), Sessions has had trouble getting his story straight on other issues as well, earning him a "Worst" nod…



…and here’s a wild and wacky video for all the kids watching at home.

Tuesday Stuff

I suppose you know what comes next, don't you...

#21, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so that brings us to #20 on our list of U.S. House Republicans opposed to health care reform, and that would be Charlie Dent of our own beloved commonwealth.

And Dent was just sooo cozy with “Man Tan” Boehner here, making a joke about how he wanted to really be on the House Appropriations Committee but ended up on the Ethics Committee instead (what a “laff riot”). And as noted here, Dent introduced a bill to remove U.S. citizenship from admittedly bad actors who want to do harm to this country (uh, don’t we have, like, courts and trials and judges and juries to determine that sort of thing? Or am I just a pointy headed liberal for noting that?).

Oh, and Dent was all “humuna, humuna, humuna” a year ago when confronted by constituents here about taxes and oil subsidies (what a truly dedicated public servant)...



…and in tribute to The Jim Henson Company for this, I thought I’d present the following with The Eternal Lena Horne (appropriate to follow Dent with a cartoon, I suppose :- ).



Update 7/26/12: I would say that this is taking the matter a little too far (h/t Atrios).

Monday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

RIP Sally Ride – among her other accomplishments, I remember her great work on the panel investigating the Challenger disaster…she didn’t take any crap from the Morton Thiokol suits or other bureaucrats; she definitely will be missed…

…and working our way ever forward, I give you this…

#22, Chris Smith
#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #21 on our list of U.S. House Repugs opposing health care reform (with some truly preposterous charges, it should be pointed out) and that would be Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state – here, Tweety tries to pin her down, as it were, on why the House didn’t include same-sex couples in reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (just smile nice for the cameras and keep repeating your idiotic drivel over and over)…

…and I realize that absolutely nothing in this video is illegal, but I still think it sends quite a message…

Update 12/6/12: Another shining moment from McMorris Rodgers here - not!

Update 12/18/13: And bless McMorris Rodgers and her pointed little "Republic" Party head for this.

Update 1/31/14: No word on whether or not her nose grew in response to this.

…and given the fact that we basically live in “Fortress America” thanks to the NRA, I think this tune is appropriate (sorry, no video).

Sunday Stuff

Moving right along, as they say…

#23, Todd Akin
#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that brings us to #22 on our list of U.S. House Repugs opposed to the health care law (here), and that would be Chris Smith of New Jersey.

I have to admit that I was snookered by Smith for a little while because of his professed commitment to human rights. However, it doesn’t take a lot of digging to discover how truly misogynistic and awful Smith really is, as was the case here in the bill he introduced in the House (soon after the ruinous Repug reign began in that body) redefining rape as somehow worse if it were “forcible” (as determined by who exactly, I wonder?).

The exchange below between Smith and Dem Rep Jackie Speier of California really tells you all you need to know, and kudos to Speier, by the way (Bill Clinton once said that abortion should be safe, legal and rare; that should be the last word, but if it were, life forms like Smith would see their careers in alleged public service come to an end, which can't happen soon enough for yours truly)…

…also, we need more Americans to show some actual guts on the issue of gun violence, kind of like Bill Moyers does here…

Update 7/23/12: This is probably a "rope-a-dope" move by Irving's Boy, but he still deserves credit for it.

…and if the horror in Aurora isn’t enough to make you want to gag, I’m sure this will…

…and I offer the following without comment.

Saturday Stuff

OK, just when you thought we were safe, I’m back again with you-know-what…

#24, Buck McKeon
#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and this takes us to #23, and that would be U.S. House Repug Todd Akin of Missouri (alias Jesus Q. Nutbar, as Hunter at Daily Kos refers to him here).

Let’s see, where to begin with Akin…

Well, for starters, did you know that Akin said that “liberals hate God” (noted by Hunter)? And, as noted here, federal student loans gave America the “stage three cancer of socialism”? And by supporting the repeal of the 17th Amendment, as noted here, he wants to eliminate the right of citizens to vote for him while he runs for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Dem Claire McCaskill?

Akin is yet another pitiable excuse for a human being serving in Congress and elected by voters who, it would seem, have barely mastered the art of using a TV remote, let alone knowing how to function in a voting booth and exercising their basic duty in our democracy (Akin is noted in the video below trying to make a joke about lynching and health care reform – truly precious stuff – but the video overall is a fine compilation by Rachel Maddow of the right-wing garbage in response to the Affordable Care Act...more of Akin's awful votes on this vitally important issue are here)…

Update 8/8/12: More on Akin here...

Update 8/9/12: Surprised?

Update 8/10/12: I may not be able to keep up with all of this, but I'll try (here).

Update 8/17/12: God, what a scumwad (here).

Update 8/20/12: I'm beginning to think Akin belongs in Bellevue as opposed to the "show me" state (here).

Update 8/21/12: Actually, after reading this, I don't know who's crazier - Akin, or the people who will vote for him.

…and I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for a bit of summer fun, so here it is.

Friday Stuff

My sympathies and condolences go out to the victims of the latest mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado (here). However, since the NRA owns just about every politician who could make a difference, don’t expect that a damn thing will change.

And going from the ridiculous to the even more ridiculous, I should note that it’s that time again…

#25, Kristi Noem
#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…and that takes us to #24, who would be Buck McKeon of California; as noted here, he’s the top Congressional recipient (well, in the House at least) of defense industry donations, and he also received VIP loans from Countrywide, as noted here (interesting - can't recall this generating a fraction of the umbrage that the same thing generated against Chris Dodd, by the way)…

…and once again, Sam Seder brings some perspective to this item…

…and I’ve been meaning to get to this all week – Chris Hayes profiles the awful cut in food stamps passed by those ignoramuses in the House …

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and gives this item (h/t Atrios – it’s “duuh” cubed tonight, people), I guess I’d better put up this tune in response (sorry, no video).

Thursday Stuff

Yep, it’s that time again – here is the total so far…

#26, Hal Rogers
#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so that brings us to #25 on the list, and that would be Kristi (“Unsafe At Any Speed”) Noem of South Dakota – as noted here, both she and all-but-named Repug presidential nominee Willard Mitt Romney oppose the Affordable Care Act.

Oh, and as noted here…

When the good people of South Dakota voted last month to send Republican Kristi Noem to Congress, they probably believed that she would give no quarter to the lobbyists and special interest groups who enjoyed, as she put it, "throwing money at the feet of a member of Congress." 

But since she defeated Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (in part by making an issue of Herseth Sandlin's marriage to a lobbyist), Noem has hired her new chief of staff from . . . a lobbying firm! And on Tuesday afternoon, she was the guest of honor at a "Meet & Greet" with Washington high-rollers at the powerhouse lobbying firm Barbour Griffiths Rogers. Once these boys start throwing money at Noem's feet, she'll soon be chin deep in lobbyist greenbacks. 

It was probably inevitable that the Tea Party activists would be betrayed, but the speed with which congressional Republicans have reverted to business-as-usual has been impressive.

Suckers…

…and I’ve spent the last couple of nights observing the passing of two musical legends, so let me now observe a birthday of the same instead, and that would be the 65^th of Dr. Brian May of Queen.

Wednesday Stuff

OK, let’s have at this again, people…

#27, Lou Barletta (Two bonus selections: Boren and Ross)
#28, Paul Broun
#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so I now give you #26 on my list of Repug U.S. House numbskulls opposing health care reform, and that would be Hal (“I Thought Pizza Was A Vegetable”) Rogers of Kentucky, as K.O. noted below (more here, and more odious stuff involving Rogers and health care is here)…



Update 7/19/12: My bad for not noting that Rogers is the "prince of pork," as noted here.

...and of course, leave it to the Repugs to try and keep Number 43 out of sight - no luck, though...

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and I think this makes Willard Mitt definitely look like an expert at what comes out of the horse, as it were, as opposed to anything else…



…and RIP Jon Lord of Deep Purple (prog rock forever, bitches!).