Roar for the Liberal Lion

Digby's piece on Ted Kennedy is well worth reading in its entirety, but here's the takeaway lesson:

John McCain said the other day that Kennedy's great gift was in making concessions to Republicans. That may be correct, but not in the way McCain meant it to be. Kennedy's great gift was fighting for progress without shame or obfuscation, making the moral argument for liberalism, and always trying to move the ball forward, inch by inch if that's all he could get and in great leaps if the opportunity presented itself. If he made the right concessions, it sure as hell wasn't in service of McCain's pinched and cruel agenda.

He was everything the conservatives hate: a proud, fighting liberal who didn't shirk from the label. Each day his presence was a rebuke to everything they believed in. So when you hear the inevitable lugubrious paeans from the right over the next few days, keep in mind that their movement and its people spent the last 40 years treating Ted Kennedy the way they treat Barack Obama today -- with utter, single-minded contempt.

And all the while, Kennedy just kept going, getting more concessions from Republicans by being true to his principles than mealy mouthed centrism ever did. There's a lesson in that.

There is, indeed.

At the 2008 Democratic Convention, Sen. Kennedy demonstrated his passion and his principles while speaking about his hope for health care reform:

For me this is a season of hope - new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many, and not just for the few - new hope.

This is the cause of my life - new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American - north, south, east, west, young, old - will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

If you're like me, you're wondering how to ensure that the health care reform he fought so hard for is finally passed. Here's two actions you can take.

Send a message to your elected representatives telling them to pass Sen. Kennedy's H.E.L.P. Committee bill. Democrats.com made it easy for us.

For added oomph, sign the petition asking that the H.E.L.P. Committee's bill be passed.

Add your voices to the roar. We can ensure the Liberal Lion is still heard loud and clear.

Chris Dodd sent an email to his list yesterday that ended with these words:

I will miss him every day I serve, and every day I live.

So will we.

He did so much for so many - let's do him justice in return.

Roar.

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Stupidity

It would've been nice if they'd laid off the stupid for just one single day in honor of Ted Kennedy's memory, but no. Way too much to ask.

In fact, Cons wasted no time in using Kennedy's death as an excuse for their failures. Steve Benen calls 'em out: "Indeed, Edward Kennedy was in the Senate for nearly five decades, and passing health care reform was the cause of his life. If senators like Hatch and McCain were seriously open to the idea of passing reform, and Kennedy really had the ability to persuade conservative lawmakers to embrace a progressive policy, it would have produced a bipartisan reform plan a long time ago."

Meanwhile, Rep. Hensarling said Cons wouldn't allow health care reform to pass in Kennedy's honor because, and I quote, "at the end of the day, this is a democracy, and I think the voice of the people have [sic] been heard quite loudly in the month of August." Which voice have you been listening to, Congressman? Because it sure as shit wasn't this one (h/t):

A new survey commissioned by the AARP asks respondents to what degree they support or oppose "[s]tarting a new federal health insurance plan that individuals could purchase if they can't afford private plans offered to them" -- a public option, in other words. The results are interesting, though not necessarily surprising to those who have been closely following the debate.

All: 79 percent favor/18 percent oppose
Democrats: 89 percent favor/8 percent oppose
Republicans: 61 percent favor/33 percent oppose
Independents: 80 percent favor/16 percent oppose

Well, my goodness! That sounds like a shit-ton of voices in favor of health care reform with a strong public option! In fact, that looks to be an overwhelming fucking majority of voices. I'm sorry, Congressman, but it looks like your argument is pure fucking bullshit and shall have to be treated as such.

And Sen. Enzi, in light of those poll numbers, you might want to back off the bragging that if it weren't for you, we'd have reform by now.

While Cons parade around making asses of themselves, Rep. Henry Waxman has been patiently charging his Smack-0-Matic, and it looks like mayhem is about to ensue:

Oh Goody:

By the time Congress returns from its recess and takes another whack at the health insurance mess, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., will have started revealing the deceit that protects health business profiteers.

Waxman has already begun by demanding that major insurance companies reveal how much they pay top executives and board members and, most important, the size of their profits from selling policies.

[snip]

I asked Waxman whether he expected the insurance companies to reply to his letters. “Oh yes,” he said. “When we write letters, we expect to get answers.” And what was his purpose in seeking the information? At first, he was reluctant to discuss the investigation. Finally, he gave a guarded reply: that many folks perhaps take too benign a view of private insurance companies.

Henry Waxman knows how to hold a hearing for maximum effect. The timing for this might just be perfect.

This, my darlings, shall be utterly glorious. I always love it when a Congressman makes insurance companies cry.

Clueless Christian Quote o' the Day

Talk about oblivious:

15-year old Emily Sapp, one of the high school students sent home for wearing the [Islam is of the Devil] shirt, was asked whether she knows any Muslim children. “I’ve met Muslim children, but I don’t actually have any contact with them at the moment,” she said. “I don’t know why that is -- I guess we’ve just never become friends.”

I'd ask Emily to think real hard about why Muslims may not want to associate with her, but I'm afraid too much fundamentalist religion has completely rotted her brain.

Happy Hour Discurso

Today's opining on the public discourse.

Another day, another Con politician making inane arguments that are incredibly easy to debunk - and shooting his party in the foot to boot:

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) of Utah argued yesterday that the discouraging long-term deficit figures are a serious problem -- that shouldn't be blamed on a certain former president. "It's not George W. Bush's fault," Chaffetz said, adding that "this 'credit card Congress' bears responsibility."

That's one way to look at it, but let's also note reality. The Center for American Progress' Michael Ettlinger and Michael Linden took a closer look at the mid-season review and explains that the "real story is ... fairly obvious."

From their report: "The policies of the Bush administration, which included tax cuts during a time of war and a floundering economy, are clearly the primary source of the current deficits. The Obama administration policies that are beginning to give the economy a needed jumpstart -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in particular -- place a distant third in contributing to the 2009 and 2010 deficit numbers."

Even Chaffetz should be able to understand this. Bush approved tax cuts, but didn't pay for them. Bush expanded Medicare, but didn't pay for it. Bush launched two expensive wars, but didn't pay for them. Bush took a quarter-trillion-dollar surplus, and then handed off a $1.3 trillion deficit to his successor. "It's not George W. Bush's fault"? C'mon.

[snip]

But if Bush isn't to blame, I suppose Chaffetz would have us believe that lawmakers who backed Bush's policies are to blame?

Chaffetz, in other words, is pinning the budget mess on his Republican colleagues. He probably hasn't thought this one through.

Do they ever?

Meanwhile, Sen. Mitch McConnell jumps on the Stimulus Stupidity bandwagon with both feet:

Yesterday, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) demanded a halt to stimulus spending, saying money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act should be diverted to paying down the deficit. McConnell, who lead the opposition to the stimulus in the Senate, has been an ongoing critic. “You do have to wonder, though, whether the stimulus has had any impact at all,” mused McConnell earlier this month on Fox News. A McConnell spokesman recently summed up the senator’s sentiment, noting, “By any measurable index, the stimulus package has been a failure.”

But despite McConnell’s steady stream of criticisms and demands that money stop flowing to projects, he has been a vocal champion of the stimulus in his home state.

Yesterday — the same day he asked for Recovery Act money to be diverted — McConnell and Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY) toured a construction site at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky. The facility, which is used to contain and destroy chemical weapons compiled during the Cold War, is in desperate need of repair and has leaked Sarin gas as recently as last year. McConnell quickly took credit for the new construction, noting that he and Chandler had inserted an additional $5 million into the 2010 budget.

[snip]

However, McConnell conveniently forgot to mention that even more additional funds for facility construction were awarded through the stimulus. A Defense Department report states that $5,876,000 has been allocated from the Recovery Act to the Blue Grass facility for repairs. Chandler voted for the stimulus.

It’s not the first time McConnell has championed projects funded by the “failed” stimulus to his constituents. When Kentucky put forth a request for advanced battery technology funds from the stimulus, McConnell lauded the effort to ask for more money as “a major victory for the commonwealth of Kentucky” that would “allow the citizens of Kentucky to play a key role in accelerating America’s independence on foreign sources of oil.” At a town hall meeting last week in London, KY, McConnell slammed President Obama and his economic policies. But he then sheepishly added, “I hope London will get some of” the stimulus money.

I'm not sure it's possible to be a bigger fucking hypocrite, but I'm sure the Cons will show us how.

In media assclown news, John Stossel's doing his level best to prove he's Faux News-caliber stupid:

Here we go again. ABC's resident Glenn Beck wannabe, John Stossel, whines in a recent blog entry that all critics of President Obama are labeled racists by his supporters. To prove his point, he cites an article by a right wing pundit who has been consistently wrong about issues of race -- Jonah Goldberg.

[snip]

Without one shred of evidence to back up his assertions, Stossel ends his screed with this:

Come on. Every president eventually is criticized by the media – even one as “transcendent” as Obama. The President’s supporters should engage his critics with facts, not charges of racism. Read on...

Facts? If Mr. Stossel wants facts, he sure picked the wrong person to quote on his blog. The fact is, that racism is driving the heavy resurgence of right wing militias in this country. It is a fact that threats against our newest president have skyrocketed, and his race plays a huge role. The Minuteman movement is based on extreme racism and xenophobia, and all of this is being perpetuated daily by Republican politicians, Fox News and the titular head of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, who gleefully aired a parody about President Obama called "Barack the Magic Negro."

I'm not trying to say that all critics of President Obama are racists, but there's no denying the fact that racism permeates much of the Republican Party, it's punditry and media. Oh and there's this, this, this and this -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Hey Stossel, if you're going to make these broad allegations, you need to come to the table with more than just quotes from Doughy Pantload wetting himself over Janeane Garofalo.

Indeed. But that's a bit too much to expect from John Stossel, I'm afraid.

I would now like you all to pour a new round and prepare to raise a toast to Glenn Beck. Now, I'd like you all to wipe up the alcohol you spilled and fill your glasses properly this time. No, seriously, Glenn deserves recognition for his accomplishment. He spent a good portion of his show scribbling conspiracy theories on a chalk board and didn't eat the chalk:

Glenn Beck has been imploring his viewers this week to record the show and keep it and watch it and rewatch it so that they can absorb all the vital information it will contain, because it's rilly, rilly important.

The upshot: There are a bunch of radical left-wing Marxists who have been mainstreaming themselves through various civil-rights and community-organizing fronts who are all connected to President Obama.

The apparent nexus of this conspiracy is the Apollo Alliance, which describes itself thus:

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs. Inspired by the Apollo space program, we promote investments in energy efficiency, clean power, mass transit, next-generation vehicles, and emerging technology, as well as in education and training. Working together, we will reduce carbon emissions and oil imports, spur domestic job growth, and position America to thrive in the 21st century economy.

Woo. Sounds like a bunch of wild-eyed Marxist radicals to me. Their board, too, looks like a bunch of people who make their livings as capitalists -- though Beck wants to paint them all as "anti-capitalists."

That would be because Color of Change co-founder Van Jones was an Apollo Alliance board member before he became Obama's special advisor for green jobs, enterprise and innovation. And Color of Change is obviously anti-capitalist in Glenn Beck's world because they've convinced so many advertisers to pull their capital from Beck's show. For, strangely enough, blatantly racist rants against Obama. Paging John Stossel!

Speaking of racist, anti-abortion frother Randall Terry got himself kicked out of a town hall, and one of the skits he got ejected for was, shall we say, a little less than racially sensitive:

In Virginia last night, Terry was kicked out of a town hall held by Rep. James Moran (D-VA) and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean after he interrupted and accused Democrats of murdering babies. The Hill reports on Terry’s extreme protest last night:

The Moran town hall was the last stop on a 10-city tour for Randall Terry, the anti-abortion activist known for his extreme tactics.

Terry’s colleagues put on a skit with a man in an Obama mask pretending to whip a bloodied woman, who kept saying, “Massa, don’t hit me no more. I got the money to kill the babies.”

Gee, that's gonna persuade people who aren't already rabidly insane.

Continuing the Cons Without Class theme, check out the wingnuts reacting to Ted Kennedy's death here, here and here. In civilized circles, it's considered customary to wait at least twenty-four hours before disrespecting the dead, but that's a bit much to expect from the Rabid Right.

Would there be enough clown makeup in the world to paint them for what they are?

"The Dream Shall Never Die"

“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

The Liberal Lion sleeps tonight. RIP, Sen. Kennedy.

There will be no moment of silence in the cantina. He was our lion; we will roar in his name.

Keep his dream alive:

This is the cause of my life. It is a key reason that I defied my illness last summer to speak at the Democratic convention in Denver—to support Barack Obama, but also to make sure, as I said, "that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American…will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not just a privilege." For four decades I have carried this cause—from the floor of the United States Senate to every part of this country. It has never been merely a question of policy; it goes to the heart of my belief in a just society.

Roar.

(New content below)

The Difference We've Made

Have a look:

"According to Opensecrets.org, if Firedoglake.com's effort to save the public option was a health insurance company, it would be the single largest donor in terms of candidate donations for the 2010 election cycle. It raised barely less than the total donations from all the different 45 chapters of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, which donated a total of $524,606 to federal canidates for 2010."

That's huge.

Now, money is only a piece of the equation, as Jon notes. You defined early what it was you wanted, you lobbied the offices of members of Congress and reported back what their position was, ran a rapid response operation and got people into the field to counter the teabaggers, you took part in a publicity campaign that generated national media and then delivered it to the district level, and as David Sirota says this morning, you've made a difference:

A month ago, all of these forces might have made the "roll the progressives, sell out the public option" strategy a legislatively successful one, even as it would produce a bill that would likely be terrible public policy. I say that because let's be honest: the bloc of congressional progressives who the White House would be hoping to steamroll, while fighting the good fight in the lead up to key votes, has nonetheless capitulated on nearly every single do-or-die final-passage vote in recent memory (and I say that sadly, having served as an aide to Progressive Caucus leader - and dear friend - Bernie Sanders).

[A]fter the fantastic organizing/whipping/fundraising being done by Firedoglake, OpenLeft and Moveon and after the strong progressive media pressure on radio, TV and in newspapers, I believe the dynamic - and therefore the White House political calculus - could change.

Fired up? Ready for more? Here ye go:

If you're a member of a local DFA group, a Democratic club, a Drinking Liberally or any other local organization, we'd like to have you pass the resolution demanding the inclusion of a strong public option in any final health care bill. You can find the language and sign on here. And you can also sign on as an individual.

We've got the momentum going. Let's keep ratcheting it up.

Hear us roar.

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

This shall probably become a regular feature until health care reform is passed. And it will be passed. We owe it to Teddy.

Breaking news: Sen. Chuck Grassley of has sharp disagreement with Chuck Grassley of 15 seconds ago. He's also unfazed by town hall attendees who state they'd “take a gun to Washington if enough of you would go with me.” Far be it from him to discourage people showing up at the White House with assault weapons.

In further town hall news, Sen. Tom Coburn tells a weeping and desperate woman that the government can't help her with her health care woes, then immediately disproves himself by promising his office will help her. CNN's Rick Sanchez would like to know what Coburn's office plans to do about "the other 46,999,999 who don't have insurance, and the thousands upon thousands of Americans who say they do have insurance but like her, they're not getting covered?" You go, Rick!

Continuing the Cons Contradicting Themselves theme, Michael Steele has once again decided that Medicare is icky and the private market is better. Yes, this is the same man who was staunchly defending Medicare only yesterday, and promising cuts to Medicare the day before that. Headache now.

The Independent Women's Forum sends out an email promising we'll all die of breast cancer if we don't stop Obama. Gee, I wonder if they're a right-wing front group or just lying sacks of shit?

More whining from the right about having to read the whole thing - even when it's double-spaced with enormous margins. Poor babies. I wonder if we should start a Legislation-on-Tape program for them?

McCain gets spanked by Faux News' Shep Smith for lying about the budget reconcilation process. '"The truth is Republicans used this in 2001, 2003, and 2005 to pass then-President George Bush’s tax cuts,' Smith said." Somebody call an ambulance - I'm having a heart attack from someone at Faux News performing an honest fact-check on a Con.

Blue Dog Jim Cooper pits himself against doctors and declares himself the winner. Probably not the best way to win the physician vote, there, Jim.

Meanwhile, Blue Dog John Tanner tells folks "There currently is not mass support for the public option" and warns it probably won't be included in the final legislation. Blue Texan asks,

Might there be another reason John Tanner opposes the public option?

Sure it's just a coincidence.

Yepper.

Happy Hour Discurso

Today's opining on the public discourse.

There's so much stupidity on health care reform out there that it can be difficult to remember how much other stupidity there is. So, once again, let us dedicate Happy Hour to spanking those whose dumbfuckery doesn't stop at death panels.

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed a special prosecutor to investigate a handful of people who decided the torture authorized by the Bush regime wasn't enough torture for them. It's a pathetic effort aimed at a few particularly bad apples, the absolute least he could do and still appear to care about the rule of law. You know what this means, don't you? Cue Cons screaming that Holder hates America in 3...2... - that was fast:

Any hopes that conservatives might be pleased by the limited scope of the probe appear to be dashed.

Take, for example, Rep. Peter King (R) of New York, who appears to be in the midst of a wild-eyed, hair-on-fire temper tantrum.

"It's bulls***. It's disgraceful. You wonder which side they're on," he said of the Attorney General's move, which he described as a "declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense."

"It's a total breach of faith, and either the president is intentionally caving to the left wing of his party or he's lost control of his administration," said King, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security and a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. [...]

"You will have thousands of lives that will be lost and the blood will be on Eric Holder's hands," he said.

Asked about officials who allegedly broke the law, King said it doesn't matter because he doesn't think the Geneva Convention "applies to terrorists," and that the line between permissible and impermissible interrogation tactics was "a distinction without a difference" in the Bush era.

The Con world view never fails to fascinate me. To ol' Pete, the fact that he, personally, doesn't think the Geneva Conventions apply to terrorists means that magically, they don't. This works no better than proclaiming that we, personally, don't think the laws against robbing banks apply to us. And what the fuck is this bullshit about "a distinction without a difference" he's on about? It's rather like saying that in that era, the line between assault and murder was "a distinction without a difference." Seems to me that's not a reason to excuse, but condemn that lawless behavior all the more strongly.

But Cons, of course, believe that lawless fuckery is fine as long as they're the ones enjoying it. And Joe "I Don't Know What a Liberal Is but I Play One on Teevee" Lieberman's right there to excuse them. As Steve Benen said, "Any sentence that starts, 'Officials must of course live within the law but...' isn't going to end well."

The complaints went well beyond Lieberman. If the Justice Department pursues evidence of criminal wrongdoing, leading Republican senators and representatives said, "CIA terror fighters" may not be able to do their jobs effectively. Oh, and 9/11, 9/11, 9/11.

And don't forget the 9/11. But you can't remember it with a National Day of Service, because that will "drain 9/11 of all meaning" - even though the victims' families think otherwise. Oh, and so did that dirty fucking liberal, George W. Bush.

Speaking of Bush, I'm sure we'll all be shocked to learn his cronies fucked over New Orleans again:

This USAToday piece leaves out an important piece of the puzzle here. The company who sold the pumps was closely tied to the Bush family, at one time even employing Jeb Bush:

WASHINGTON — Huge flood-control pumps installed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina don't protect the city adequately and the Army Corps of Engineers could have saved $430 million in replacement costs by buying proven equipment, a federal investigation finds.

The investigation by the federal Office of Special Counsel finds there was "little logical justification" for the corps' decision to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the "untested" hydraulic pumps, which are meant to empty millions of gallons of water from the below-sea-level city during storm-related floods.

Nope, no "logical" justification. Just political! From March 2007:

Meanwhile, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., asked the Government Accountability Office on Thursday to investigate the Corps and the contract it entered into with Moving Water Industries Corp.

MWI is owned by J. David Eller and his sons. Eller was once a business partner of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in a venture called Bush-El that marketed MWI pumps.

The next time New Orleans drowns, we'll know just who to send the repair bill to, won't we?

Speaking of incompetence, it turns out Sarah Palin's PAC is as inept as she is:

Sarah Palin's leadership committee, SarahPAC, is now getting some annoying questions from people other than the media -- namely, the Federal Election Commission.

In an August 19 letter to SarahPAC, the FEC asked for more information on several irregularities in the PAC's mid-year report -- mostly consisting of failures to itemize on expenditures of certain sizes. In addition, it appears that SarahPAC neglected to properly file as a multi-candidate PAC, and thus made potentially illegal donations to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), with the checks weighing in beyond the limit for a non-multicandidate PAC.

It appears that this is probably not a matter of corruption. Rather, it may simply involve a level of negligence and ineptitude beyond the norm. For example, the FEC notes that the two checks to Murkowski and McCain were filed as being for the 2009 primary election, which does not exist.

She's like a gift that keeps on giving because it keeps getting regifted to you, no matter how hard you try to get rid of it. And to think John McCain thought this woman was qualified to help him run the government.

Speaking of McCain, he's spent the last few days being a fucktard in a myriad of ways - and the one time he does something right, his fucktarded fans boo him down for it:

Today in a town hall forum in Arizona, an elderly woman asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) whether President Obama knows “that we still live under a Constitution.” To his credit, McCain distanced himself from the questioner’s claim, saying “I’m sure that he does.” He then added that Obama “respects the Constitution of the United States,” at which point the crowd broke out in loud boos. But McCain stood firm, explaining that there’s just a “fundamental difference in philosophy and about the role of government.” “I am convinced the president is absolutely sincere in his beliefs,” he said, again eliciting boos and jeers from the crowd.

Reap what ye sow, John. You run around playing the dumbshit, don't be surprised when people play the dumbshit right back in inappropriate ways.

This is something your friend in the House may learn someday as well:

WorldNetDaily (via Dave Weigel) reports that Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) has signed onto H.R. 1503, the so-called “birther bill” that would require presidential candidates to submit copies of their birth certificates. Franks is now the 10th co-sponsor to Rep. Bill Posey’s (R-FL) legislation.

Every day in oh, so many ways, I'm reminded why I'm glad I don't live in Arizona anymore.

Of course, we have to remember that Cons are pandering to a base that listens to Limbaugh, and thus is a little - shall we say - special. And I can't wait to see them answering questions dealing with Obama's Plans for Penises:

LIMBAUGH: Is this - Snerdly, mark a new development in my career, to be singled out in a rap song by the famous rapper Jay-Z? I guess it is, I guess it's - as far as I know, I've never been mentioned in a rap song by anybody. I guess it means I made it, I'm now in a rap tune by the famous rapper Jay-Z. "Tell Rush Limbaugh to get off my balls, tell Bill O'Reilly to fall back." I would remind the rapper Jay-Z, Mr. Z, it is President Obama that wants to mandate circumcision. We had that yesterday, and that means if anybody - if we need to save our penises from anybody, it's Obama.

WTF? What the hell is wrong with these people? I don't recall Obama running on a platform of mandatory circumcision. What is this obsession the rabid right has with penises, Presidential and their own? It's a sickness.

And, finally, Faux News has its needle stuck in one groove again. They're picking up the pallin' around with terrorist theme and taking it to absurd new lengths:

Last night on his Fox program, Beck attacked Color of Change co-founder Van Jones, who is currently a White House adviser on the environment. Beck aired an entire segment wondering, “Who is Obama’s green jobs czar, Van Jones?” In the piece, Beck called Jones a “self-proclaimed communist” and a “full-fledged radical,” citing Jones’ involvement in a group called Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM), which Beck says “held study groups in the Marxist and Lenin teachings.”

Fox & Friends continued the attack on Jones this morning. Teasing an upcoming segment with Beck, host Gretchen Carlson said Jones has “ties to a terrorist” (a claim that was never revisited). Later, a seemingly ultra-paranoid Beck claimed Jones is part of a secret communist cabal inside the Obama White House to transform the American government...

Wow. It sounds like the Faux News team really needs to wean themselves off the acid. They've taken one bad trip too many.

And so, my darlings, that is the state of our public discourse today. Enough to make you weep, innit?

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

Alas, due to the over-abundance of stupid and my computer's continuing argument with one of its drivers, I haven't time for the premium snark. Allow me to subject you to a link-fest instead.

First, the Blue Dogs and packmates who really need some obedience training.

Sen. Kent Conrad would like us to believe that less is more. Steve Benen translates: "It's likely that means legislation that costs "significantly" less and does "significantly" less." North Dakota Dems may want to have a little chat with Conrad. Bring your Smack-o-Matic.

Sen. Max Baucus, faced with liberal wrath, doth protest too much when he declaims, "I want a public option, too!" Tell it to Olympia Snowe, you fucktard. Comes to that, tell it to Max Baucus circa April 2009.

Rep. Jim Cooper starts a pissing match with Kos after a Research 2000 poll shows him with 16% approval. Of course, he cherry-picks the parts of the poll he likes. Then he rushes Rove off the list of invited guests for his little health care powow. Coinkydink? I think not.

On to the insurance industry, which seems to get more nefarious with every passing day.

They've mobilized 50,000 employees against the public option, which shows their Achilles heel.

We need to strike at it fast, because they're awfully pleased with co-ops and other features of the bill that promise to deliver them a fat fucking windfall. When insurance companies are happy, Americans should cry.

And funny how their stock is rising now that the public option's in trouble... Bottom line: if it's good for their bottom line, it's bad for us.

Finally, our usual fun with Cons.

Sen. Orrin Hatch lies and lies again. Funny how Cons never worry about being fact-checked on national teevee.

Michael Steele was for Medicare cuts before he was against them. His comically wrong little op-ed gets its ass thoroughly taken downtown by Media Matters. And Greg Sargent has fun demonstrating how Steele's hip and with-it arguments were cutting-edge - back in the 60s.

And this has nothing to do with health care, but is the best quote evah on the current condition of the GOP:

Such is the state of the GOP that the guy who thinks he wears magic underwear is NOT CRAZY ENOUGH for the base.

Somebody call for the crash cart...

Famed Travel Writer Won't Travel in AZ

Considering my former home relies heavily on tourism for its income, I have a feeling Arthur Frommer's latest blog post will grab a few people by the balls and give them an unpleasant twist:

Maybe the gun-toting teabaggers excited Michael Steele and his fellow Republicans, but the travel wizard was not impressed and is canceling any future plans for going to McCain's home state. [snip] What he says carries a lot of weight, and you can bet Arizona officials are freaked out by his opinion on this matter.

Here's what he said.

I am not yet certain whether I would advocate a travel boycott by others of the state of Arizona; I want to learn more about Arizona's gun laws and how they compare with those of other states. But I am shocked beyond measure by reports that earlier this week, nearly a dozen persons, including one with an assault rifle strapped about his shoulders and others with pistols in their hands or holsters, were openly congregating outside a hall at which President Obama was speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

For myself, without yet suggesting that others follow me in an open boycott, I will not personally travel in a state where civilians carry loaded weapons onto the sidewalks and as a means of political protest. I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there. And therefore I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more. And I will begin thinking about whether tourists should safeguard themselves by avoiding stays in Arizona.

[snip]

Wow. Frommer is actually thinking of a full scale travel boycott of Arizona.

How bad would a travel boycott be? Let's take a look at some fun facts (.pdf), shall we?

*Total direct travel spending in Arizona in 2008 was $18.5 billion.

*In 2008, direct travel spending was associated with $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenues and $1.2 billion in federal tax revenues. This is equivalent to $1,080 per Arizona household. The travel industry share of all state and local tax revenues is more than 7 percent.

*Travel spending in Arizona generated a total (direct and secondary) impact of 310,000 jobs with earnings of $10.2 billion in 2008. Most of the secondary impacts were in professional and business services.

Now, I'm not sure just how much of a ding Frommer could put in those figures, but based on the fact that travel guides are pretty much divided between Frommer's, Fodor's and trace amounts of Those Other Guys, I'd say it'd be substantial enough to make a lot of people in Arizona very, very unhappy.

So, AZ, how's about getting those gun nuts under control, eh? It's either this:



Or this:

Economically, I'd say the choice should be easy...

Happy Hour Discurso

Today's opining on the public discourse.

For once, we're going to have a Happy Hour where we don't obsess over the health care reform follies. There's just too much other good stuff to cackle over.

Take Bobby Jindal, whose little tail is tucked between his legs as he bravely runs away:

The list of embarrassed conservative critics of the stimulus package is already pretty long, but Gov. Bobby Jindal holds a special place at the top. No one has condemned and accepted recovery funds with quite as much shameless flair as the Louisiana Republican.

[snip]

But the hilarity really kicked in when Jindal took steps to apply for even more federal stimulus aid for -- you guessed it -- high-speed rail projects. Transportation officials from Jindal's administration had already sent federal officials the pre-application paperwork with the intention of building HSR linking Baton Rouge to New Orleans.

As news of Jindal's request made the rounds, the far-right Louisianan again became the subject of ridicule. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, for example, singled the governor out as one of the worst people in the world. Just 48 hours later, Jindal reversed course.

Two days after a national commentator mocked Gov. Bobby Jindal for possibly requesting federal stimulus money to build a light rail system between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the governor's transportation secretary wrote to President Barack Obama's administration saying Louisiana isn't interested.

"Please be advised that the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will not be applying for the High Speed AARA funds," state transportation chief William Ankner wrote to his federal counterpart, Secretary Ray LaHood. Ankner was referring to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. [...]

The news came as a surprise to business leaders who backed the idea and had participated in preliminary discussions with Ankner.

Something tells me Bobby's gonna have some 'splaining to do, starting with why he thinks it's better to fuck over his state rather than apologize for being a dumbfuck and smoothly switch course. Anything about the phrase "pride before a fall" strike a chord, there, Bobby?

While we're on the subject of embarrassing Southern politicians, let's check in with Mike Huckabee, who's apparently lending dubious credibility to the folks who mistake Newt Gingrich's fiction novels for reality:

In May, the Wonk Room’s Matt Duss noted that, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — citing a fictional novel — told the 2009 American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference that the threat of an Electromagnetic Pulse attack against the United States was why he was in “favor” of “taking out Iranian and North Korean missiles on their sites.” The next month, the New Republic’s Michael Crowley reported that the “scientifically valid,” but “not strategically realistic” scenario was being used by “a cadre of conservative hawks” to argue for “familiar hobbyhorses” like missile defense and preemptive military strikes. Now, Dave Weigel reports that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is set to headline an upcoming conference on the threat of an Electromagnetic Pulse attack against the United States, titled “EMPACT America”...

They're so punny.

One of the dim bulbs who'll be attending the EMPACT America circus is Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. Franks, it turns out, is not only happy to swallow Tom Clancy-Austin Powers hybrid hype whole, he's a shameless panderer:

About a month ago, Mike Stark asked several Republican lawmakers in D.C. if they believe the president is natural-born U.S. citizen. The vast majority of GOP members avoided answering the question -- some going to comical lengths to avoid Stark's easy inquiry. Rep. Trent Franks (R) of Arizona, however, gave "a correct and clear answer." Good for him.

That background, however, makes this local news report from Franks' district all the more curious. (via David Weigel)

The other main issue dealt with numerous speakers questioning Obama's birth certificate and why there wasn't an investigation into whether he is a naturalized citizen. One woman said a newspaper announcement of his birth in Hawaii was not sufficient. Another asked how he could have a passport without a birth certificate.

Franks said there was not enough evidence that Obama is not an American citizen. He did say there was a lot of conflicting evidence of Obama's citizenship and that he was considering filing a lawsuit, the only congressman to do so. Franks asked why the president did not simply produce a birth certificate. [emphasis added]

One speaker, a pre-school teacher, tearfully said Obama denounced the country as a Christian nation and warned he should learn a civics lesson. Franks agreed with her saying he was offended that Obama denigrated the country on an overseas trip and the president should speak in favor of the country when abroad.

First, just for the record, the "Christian nation" claim is absurd.

Second, and more important, is the notion that Franks might challenge the president's citizenship in court? I realize he's a right-wing lawmaker, but is he that mad?

Let me see, is there an R in front of his name? Then yes, he is that mad. At least when he's in front of the Crazy Clan Contingent of the Con party. When he's having to communicate with sane people, he tries to play the oh-so-reasonable "but I just want Obama to lay these speculations to rest" card:

Congressman Franks' press secretary, Bethany Haley, got in touch with Glenn Thrush of the Politico and released a statement. Franks still believes Obama was born in the United States; he just cannot figure out why the President won't put all the speculation to rest by releasing his long-form birth certificate. (You know, the one verified by Fact-Check.org, verified and then reverified by Hawaiin officials, and backed up by contemporaneous newspaper reports.)

You know what, assmunch? The President's done all he needs to in order to prove his citizenship. He doesn't need to open himself up to identity theft to satisfy you fucktards. And playing to the Birthers just makes you look like a total fucking outrageous idiot, and reminds me why I don't like to praise Cons for doing the right thing - they just come back later and bite you on the arse. Something else they have in common with rabid dogs, there.

Other news on the Birther front is rather more amusing. They have a new obsession - the Presidential Penis:

The General digs up the, ah, hot tip:

The fine Real Americans at the Free Republic have found Obama's achilles heel: his Long Dark Staff of White Insecurity.

hoosiermama:
The only other thing that hit me was that Sinclair said BO was not circumcised. When my son was born in a hospital that was done as a matter of routine without even consulting us. Would the same be for Hawaii? OTOH People born at home or in some other cultures are not circumcised.

thecodont:
A relative of mine was born (in a hospital) a couple of years after BO's alleged birth date. He was circumcised also (as a matter of routine, not according to any family request).

[snip]

Natural Born 54
I am having a vision of a court room scene. The judge turns to O sitting in the witness chair to his left and says “I am sorry, Mr. President, but I am going to have to ask you to stand and drop trou .....”

Anyone remember how Republicans wound up obsessing over Bill Clinton's Johnson, ad nauseam, even on TV? I remember Ann Coulter speculating over Paula Jones' claims about the shape and behavior of the Mighty Clenis, as we came to call it.

Now, I guess, they get to do the same for Obama's unit. This should get entertaining.

Can somebody please tell me why rabid right-wingers are so damned obsessed with Democratic schlongs? They should really get some psychoanalysis for that.

Now, you're going to ask me, "Dana - how can you possibly top that for stupid news?" And the answer is, I cannot. But I do have Sean Hannity awaiting the Vox Dei, which is hilarious in its own right:

2012 may just be the most awesome (and most frightening) sociological experiment ever:

Talk-show host Sean Hannity, a vocal opponent of Barack Obama's policies, said today he would not rule out a bid for the presidency in 2012.

Egged on by radio colleague Bill Cunningham, Hannity said he would consider entering the front lines of the political fray if God directs him.

That's also Sarah Palin's response. So God might have quite a sense of humor (and he's a bit of a dick).

Ah, but we mustn't forget the other 2012 hopeful-if-God-tells-me-to-run. And Bachmann's taken religion, politics and dumbfuckery to the next level:

On Wednesday Rep. Michele Bachmann was part of a star-studded “teletownhall” meeting to discuss health-care reform. The event, billed “Keeping Faith with the Unborn,” was sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion advocacy group.

[snip]

The 6th district Republican quoted the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, attacked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for receiving political contributions from a medical doctor who was murdered in May, and called on everyone to get down on their knees and pray that health care reform fails. Bachmann didn’t always make sense, but she undoubtedly scared the living daylights out of anyone on the line.

Bachmann repeated the myth, adopted early by Sarah Palin, that the health-care plans being debated in Congress would set up “death panels” to determine which old folks are entitled to health care. “Thank God that Sarah Palin said that,” she told the callers. “These are true.”

[snip]

She also suggested that it might be some kind of religious destiny that hardy souls such as herself are in Congress at this time.

Believe it or not, she only got nuttier from there. Fundalicious, my friends!

So, it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a wingnut three-way. Who will God choose? And will the evil bastard call all three to run, therefore inaugurating the most unforgettable primary evah?

Looking at the way the political landscape's shaping up for 2012, I can almost believe the Mayans were right...

Cross-Pollination

I'm doing the barista thing over at The Coffee-Stained Writer while NP's (mostly) away on maternity leave. Since some of you are writers, and some of you like to read the musings of writers, I figured I'd tip you off when I've got some fresh roasted literary musings brewing.

Today, I've got a blend of business and pleasure, with a few gratuitous excuses thrown in. You won't want to miss the link to the Onion, believe me. And Darwin's in there, too.

NP muses on the difference between creating a baby and creating a character. I know which I think is easier!

Enjoy, my darlings.

How... Sad.

George at Decrepit Old Fool is depressed. So am I. And it's all because we got 100% on a science quiz.


My darlings, I may have scored better than 90% of the public, but that gives me no joy. You know why?

Because the questions were so simple a caveman should've been able to answer them. They included brain-puzzlers such as:

Electrons are smaller than atoms:

True
False

and

What gas do most scientists believe causes temperatures in the atmosphere to rise?

Hydrogen
Helium
Carbon dioxide
Radon

How are we supposed to feel all super-superior and stuff when that's the level of difficulty? I'd feel proud of my results if I were better than, oh, say, 5% of the country. But to be in the top 10% with questions that bloody simple - that's like beating a bunch of drunk people at coordination tests. It's bloody meaningless, is what it is. A Pyrrhic victory of sorts.

Still. At least George and I didn't have to deal with the humilation of failing the damned thing...

Daschle's Dumbfuckery

Two exposés of Tom Daschle worth reading.

Scarecrow gets sarcastic:

The New York Times does a disturbing piece on what a swell guy Tom Daschle is to be so willing to privately advise President Obama on health care while he serves as a paid political consultant to a myriad of health industry clients.

Mr. Daschle, who conveniently neglected to pay taxes on incomes only the wealthy understand, isn't a registererd lobbyist, though one wonders why he's exempt. Instead, Tom, who works for Alston & Bird, prefers to be called a "resource."

“I am most comfortable with the word resource.”

Well, no kidding. So what does a "resource" do?

The answers to that will likely infuriate you.

Cujo does an analysis and concludes that health care reform was fucked from the beginning:

Daschle's failed appointment, and Kathleen Sebelius's appointment, demonstrate where Obama's loyalties lie. Daschle has never been an advocate for patients or insurance consumers. Sebelius, while she seems to have had a good record as Kansas' insurance commissioner, failed in her only attempt to expand health care coverage as governor, and has no record that I can see of advocating anything like public financing of health care. Daschle's influence, and Sebelius's recent statements on the public option, represent continuation of the conditions that have made health care in America the sorry excuse for care that it is.

This is why I've said, since that January article, that Obama isn't going to help us on health care. He's not listening to the people who represent our interests, at least not on a regular basis. He's listening to, as Matt Taibbi described Daschle, the "bought-off Washington whores". If you want a clue to where a leader is headed on an issue, look at who advises him.

What this tells me is that we shall have to apply unrelenting pressure to obtain delivery of what we were promised. And with three-quarters of the country plumping for choices that include a public options, I do believe we can apply that pressure with some success.

Show no mercy, ladies and gentlemen.

We Can Make a Difference

Trying to push a pol into delivering what they promised seems like a Sisyphean task sometimes. But sometimes, the boulder does get to the top of the Hill:

Several months ago, I helped persuade encourage Jerry Nadler to take the whip count pledge. So I'm particularly thrilled to see that's he's standing firm as iron these days. From the way he's talking, he's a changed man--delighted he took the pledge, and knowing full well the critical nature of the pledge project.

And for anyone with lingering doubts that the path to securing the public option runs right through the House, Nadler's resolve is what the Whip Count Project is all about.

Nadler was interviewed the other day by PolitickerNY, a local New York newspaper about the public option. Here's some of what he said.

Thanks to our hard work and fierce push back, Nadler is feeling much more optimistic:

But now a key Congressional backer of the public option believes his side may have regained some momentum.

“I’m probably a little more optimistic than a couple of days ago, because of the strength of the pushback,” Representative Jerry Nadler told me in an interview yesterday.

[snip]

Drawing a line in the damn sand (also known as voting no against any bill without a public option):

“We’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” he added. “And this is where we’re drawing it. And we have to draw it here. We probably should have drawn it a little closer in.”

So what happens, I asked Nadler, if the House is ultimately presented with a bill with a cop-op provision instead of a public option—and if the White House and House leadership then tell progressives that it was the best they could do and that if it fails, the Obama presidency might be sunk?

“They can’t allow it to come to that situation, because I’ll vote no,” he replied. “They cannot allow it to get there, and that’s what we’re telling them now. If it comes to that, enough members, I think, will vote no. And they certainly don’t want to test that.”

Good on yer, Jerry. It's nice to see a man making a commitment with no weasel words. Let's hope the rest of our Progressives are courageous enough to follow your lead.

Keep pushing, my darlings.