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…

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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)…

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…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)…

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…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 …

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…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...

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…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!).

Tuesday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

OK, here’s the tally so far…

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

…so without any more ado, as they say, it’s time to unveil #27 on the list of Repug U. S. House numbskulls voting to repeal health care reform, and that would be Lou Barletta of our own beloved commonwealth (somehow I have a feeling there will be others from PA on this list…Barletta deserves a shot for this if no other reason)…



Update 4/1/13: An appropriate Barletta moment for April Fools Day, I guess (here)...

Update 7/24/13: Somehow I managed to overlook this other inglorious moment with Barletta and the EPA - ugh.

Update 6/17/14: Go ahead, Congressman - it will help Obama's approval rating (here).

Update 12/3/14: Soo, let me get this straight - as far as Barletta is concerned, if Congress passes immigration reform, then the terrorists have already won (here)...???

…and RIP Bob Babbitt, legendary “Funk Brothers” bassist, profiled in the terrific 2002 documentary “Standing In The Shadows of Motown” (this was one of his signature tunes, written by Stevie Wonder when Wonder re-signed with the record label way back when).

Monday Stuff

Sam Seder brings us the latest on the DISCLOSE Act, which the Repugs in the Senate (to absolutely no-one’s surprise) filibustered today – wonder if Mr. and Mrs. America down the shore, up the mountains or whatever are paying attention...not to the desired degree I’m sure, which is indeed tragic...

...and this tells us that I may have been off in my calculation that the U.S. House Repugs have held 31 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act (an utter waste on so many levels...the votes I mean), and that there may have, in fact, been 33 votes (backgrounder here).

Well, with that in mind, allow me to bring two bonus knuckleheads in the House who oppose the ACA, and just to show that I’m being “fair and balanced,” I’ll make them both Democrats, OK?

To begin, I give you outgoing Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, one of five who voted with the Repugs to repeal (and by the way, Jim Wilson got creamed two years ago – heckuva job, Oklahoma Dems)....



...next, I give you Mike Ross of Arkansas, another of the five, giving us his version of constituent service (more’s the pity - here)...

...and I guess this is another video that would have been more appropriate for yesterday (praise the Lord and pass the wingnuttery).

More Saturday Stuff

OK, here’s the tally so far…

#29, Mary Bono Mack
#30, David Dreier
#31, Marsha Blackburn (including backgrounder)

…so now it’s time for #28 on the list of U.S. House Repug numbskulls opposing the Affordable Care Act, and that would be Paul Broun of Georgia (who, apparently, is a doctor, though you wouldn’t know it based on this – K.O. takes him to task below for more asshatery…word? In addition, let's not forget this absolutely precious moment also - by the way, I guess Eliot Spitzer ended up getting the last laugh with that gig of his on Current TV; if CNN had any brains, they'd gather up K.O. and stick him on at 10:00)…

Update 1/23/13: For occasions such as this, I believe the following will suffice:

…and for no particular reason, I give you this barely-remembered summer tune (make sure you keep the seaweed out of your shorts, you crazy, big-haired kids from the '80s…I’d forgotten how unintentionally creepy and/or dumb this video is).

Saturday Stuff

Those wonderful words coming out of the mouth of someone like Romney sound like nothing but garbage...

...and happy 100th birthday to Woody Guthrie (I know I featured Arlo here a couple of days ago – of course, if Willard Mitt had his way, the song would be titled “This Land Is My Land”).

Friday Stuff

I now give you Republican U. S. House Numbskull #29 (on health care – backgrounder here), and that would be Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, for the reason noted in this video, as well as here (as somebody once sang, the beat goes on - for those keeping score at home, #31 is Marsha Blackburn and #30 is David Dreier)…

…and a hat tip goes out to Jay Ackroyd at Eschaton for this – to me, the payoff comes in the last minute or so (Ever wonder why we went about 50 years between the Great Depression and a bunch of financial crises, the latest being the one we’re still trying to get out of? It’s because of those damn pinko socialist policies of FDR...removing my tongue from my cheek now)...

…and yeah, so much for Willard Mitt and his “outreach” to anyone but the one percent…

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...and I guess this would be more apropos for Sunday, but – aw hell, it’s too good not to listen to now.

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

This is meant as a parody, but I have to admit that I didn’t laugh as much as I thought I would as I watched it…

Wonderful World Of Drones with Christopher McDonald from Christopher McDonald    

…and now I give you #30 of the 31 House Repug numbskulls trying to repeal the health care law, and that would be David Dreier of California (for this in particular, I dedicate the following video - and no, I'm not going to cut him a break because he's leaving - backgrounder here)…

…and I think the U.S. Olympic Committee is as dumb as a bag of hammers for this…

…and I tried to tie this to both the Olympics story and the monsters who enabled Jerry Sandusky, but it really didn't work (maybe the irony in the title is enough?) - it's a nice tune anyway, though, so here it is.

Wednesday Stuff

(I’ll try to get back to the “list of 31” I started last night tomorrow.)

In the meantime, I give you more spot-on commentary from former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich (more here)...



...and happy 65th birthday to Arlo Guthrie (and no, I don’t necessarily encourage the behavior in this video from that little outdoor concert in 1969 – and I have to admit that I got a kick out of this).

Tuesday Stuff

There was a time when I once published Emails like this on this site, but I stopped for a variety of reasons. However, I’m going to restart the practice for this one occasion:

Tomorrow will be the 31st opportunity wasted by the GOP.

When they vote to repeal Obamacare for the 31st time, they will be wasting another opportunity to do the work we sent them to Washington to do.

Thirty-one opportunities wasted to pass a jobs bill to put people back to work.

Thirty-one opportunities wasted to side with their constituents, not the insurance companies. 

Thirty-one opportunities wasted to help rebuild the middle class in this country.
Join us in calling on Congress to stop wasting opportunities and get to work.

Thanks,

Will O'Neill
Health Care for America Now

I honestly think that such craven stupidity and slavish patronage to the “pay no price, bear no burden” investor class calls for special recognition. So, what I’m planning to do in response is to profile 31 U.S. House Republicans who have done what they can to stand in the way of health care reform (no rhyme or reason about the order, by the way). I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to do this, but I thought I might as well get started now.

So, without any further ado, I give you Number 31 – Marsha Blackburn, who, judging from this, apparently has no trouble with her party taking meaningless votes to repeal health care reform every day.

I think that calls for the following video in response (as I keep pointing out, there are numbskulls out there who actually vote for this hairdo)…

Update 8/9/12: Too funny...

Update 8/23/12: I somehow neglected to mention this item from Blackburn earlier.

Update 9/1/12: Just add this to the pile - unbelievable (but typical for Blackburn).

Update 10/1/12: Lather, rinse, repeat (here)...

Update 10/30/12: And just add this to the pile also.

Update 1 1/14/13: Wonder why Blackburn is the first person to come to mind on this list? Here is a reason (I know I'm repeating myself, but I don't want to imagine the life forms that actually vote for her).

Update 2 1/14/13: And a bag of each is still smarter than you are (here)...

Update 6/2/13: How about if Blackburn set an example and took a pay cut based on this?

...and perhaps if she'd had the presence of mind, she would try to sing this in response (well, maybe the title anyway).

Monday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

RIP Ernest Borgnine (I thought this was a nice remembrance) – among other things, he racked up a bunch of service commendations from the Navy during WWII, and he also beat the you-know-what out of that skinny kid from Hoboken in “From Here to Eternity” (I read once that the movie role of "Marty" was turned down by Rod Steiger, and Borgnine sure ran with it, I'd say); I thought he had a great cameo role in “The Dirty Dozen” too, and what else can you say about a guy who played Mermaid Man (along with Tim Conway as Barnacle Boy) on “Spongebob”?...



...returning to politics, it looks like Willard Mitt is making all nice with the Koch brothers (big surprise, I know)...



...which of course is part of this (here)...



...and I never thought I’d want to use this tune in a political context, but I guess it does fit a bit concerning the Repug presidential nominee, so here it is (from that pipe pants-wearin’, Dippity-Do decade).

Saturday Stuff

Yeah, I would say that Stephanie Miller’s powerful story undoes a whole lot of wingnut garbage about health care reform (here – and never lose sight of the fact that all of it would be abolished under Republican “governance”...I think it’s shocking that she’ll be on probation for a year with her new employer, but companies pull this stuff now because they can get away with it completely, with almost no push back whatsoever)...

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...and I kind of always associated this song with summer, so here it is.

Friday Stuff

(I promise to stop hating on Blogger for a little while – even though I checked out the template HTML and realized that I can’t do a goddamn thing with it, I have to admit that it’s pretty badass to see the site on my smartphone now...now all I have to do is create intelligent content :-).

However, turning about 180 degrees in the direction of stupidity, I give you the following instead (sooo, it looks like Thad McCotter, after witnessing his presidential primary candidacy going up in flames...and how sad is it to lose to Former Senator Man-On-Dog, Baby Newton Leroy and that misogynist pizza guy anyway...decided to make a borderline porn/white trash video in response?).

A fitting way to end the public life of the numbskull who brought us the following (I used to call him “Mad Thad” and I was only joking – guess I was serious after all, huh?)...

...and please be careful with the heat over the next few days, OK?

Thursday Stuff

Looks like our beloved commonwealth made the national news again, but not in a good way of course (more here - interesting that, as big of a story as this is, I couldn't find a video; don't wake our corporate media stenographers...rock-a-bye baby; maybe Russia Today will have something, or Al Jazeera, and no, I'm not kidding...)...

...and there are a few songs I could think of that come to mind in response, but I’ll take this one.

Happy July Fourth

Here is a musical selection for the occasion (sorry, no video)...



...and there's always an excuse for "prog" rock, including today (no video here either - sorry again).

Tuesday Stuff

(Here are more vids from my hideous new blog, courtesy of those numbskulls at Blogger :-(...

RIP Andy Griffith, an American icon who did us a political favor here, among his other accomplishments (if only the Dems had pitched the Affordable Care Act as “Medicare for all” – sigh)...

...and I would say that Number 44 is on the proverbial beam here, as opposed to Willard Mitt...

...and I don’t know what on earth came over Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder here, vetoing three bills to combat the thoroughly non-existent scourge of “voter fraud,” but I think he actually deserves some credit – however, this tells us why we shouldn’t be so quick to forgive...

...and here’s a catchy little summer tune.

Sunday Stuff

No, this site hasn’t been absorbed by MSNBC or The Ed Show or something – I accidentally clicked some button on Blogger’s whiz-bang new interface, and this is the new layout. I tried to revert to the old format, but I haven’t had any luck (got a bunch of error messages about malware or something from Blogorama, which I linked to from the old site). At least I could save my old template HTML, so it looks like, at some point, I’ll have to reconstruct this site. I’m definitely not in love with this new layout, I can tell you that, but I don’t have time to play with new templates and hack around with custom HTML at the moment. I’ll keep you informed of any new developments (OK, so much for the “meta” BS).

In the meantime, I give you the following (here) concerning that supposedly fine, upstanding Roman Catholic Repug U.S. House Rep Paul Ryan (which brings to mind this clip – God, how many ways is K.O. missed)…



 …and I think this almost sublime bit of absurdity from Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao calls for the following video in response (take a bow, all you Kentuckian knuckleheads who keep sending this thoroughly compromised shill back to D.C. over and over and over – sorry, no video).

Saturday Stuff

Yep, still waiting for the apology, Billo, you moron (here)...
 


Update 7/3/12: Credit where it's due, sort of...

...and a couple of days ago marked the 110th birthday of legendary composer Richard Rodgers, a man responsible for many memorable show tunes, including this one done by Elvis and the Jordanaires.
 

Friday Stuff

While the wingnutosphere continues to erupt over the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care law, I would ask that you keep in mind at least some of what Rachel Maddow tells us here in this report from last night...

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...as well as President Obama himself here...



...and Jon Stewart weighed in here...

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...and with the temperature spiking up, it seems that this tune is apropos once more.

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here about today’s top story.)

Before I include anything about the Supreme Court’s upholding of the individual mandate, and pretty much the rest of the Affordable Care Act (including the shocking inclusion of Hangin’ Judge JR with the 5-4 majority), I should bring you this note (backgrounder here) about more non-governance from the U.S. House Repug “leadership,” and by extension, Mikey the Beloved (how utterly predictable and pathetic, kind of like this – and by the way, more like this in response)...

 

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...and I thought this was a nice little primer on the Affordable Care Act...



 ...and I also thought Lawrence O’Donnell made some good points here...



 ...and in a related story, as they say, this little dedication goes out to that sleazy weasel Eric Cantor for this.