Republican Party Covid Concerns

 

Thanks, fellas!

Trump and an Open Seat on the Supreme Court

The Republicans have a serious "good for the goose" problem.

Still Think the Republican Party Isn't Self-Destructing?

If anyone out there isn't convinced the Republican Party isn't in full-on self-destruct mode, check out these few headlines from yesterday afternoon---one day--alone. This first one knocked me out.

GOP Campaigns Will Reportedly Meet to Discuss Taking Debates Out of RNC Control

Read that again. Then think about it.

The GOP---the Republicans--are apparently going to have a meeting to discuss taking the organization and control of the presidential debates out of the control of the Republican National Committee.

Folks, that is stunning. And they can't blame it on having a token black man at the head of the RNC any more, either.

That is incredible, by itself. But there's more.

Mark Levin Trashes 'Incompetent' Reince Priebus: 'Should Be Fired!'

This has been going on for some time and I've noted and written on this before. The Right Wingers, whether in religion or Christianity or politics and government have to increasingly prove themselves the most extreme, the "furthest right/Right", the most fervent, the "closest to God."

It's disgusting. It's crazy and they "out crazy" each other doing it.

I show this next one because it shows how really awful the Republican candidates for the highest office in the nation and arguably the most powerful nation in the world really are.

Trump on Future Debates: 'Maybe Every Moderator Should Show That They Vote Republican'

And even Republicans are aware of how badly Republicans are doing and how they're handling their own campaigns for the White House.

Lindsey Graham on RNC's Handling of Debates: 'This Is Getting Pretty Bad'

This last one isn't from yesterday but it shows where we, as a nation, have been going in recent years. And thank goodness.

Fewer People Identify As Republicans Now

It's enough to give a person hope.

Why Congress and so, America, is dysfunctional

Thank you to all Republicans in Congress.

Jobs/infrastructure bill?  Oh, hell no.

These Are the People Who Want to Run Our Government

This is rich. I got an email from Prince Reibus--I mean Reince Preibus--Chair of the Republican Party, saying we should abolish the IRS.

Right.

This is the head of one of two of our political parties and naturally they want to run our entire government, but this is one of the "solutions" they have our nation.

Right. Abolish the IRS.

How, exactly are we raise the money required to run this nation without the IRS? How does that work?

Fact is, it doesn't. It doesn't work, it can't work. fun as that sounds, doing away with the IRS--it's like thinking we could all just not go to our jobs one day--it's not a solution. It's not realistic. It can't work.

We have a nation of over 315 million people. How do you run such an organization with no money brought in? How does that work? In what alternate universe is that possible? All nations have infrastructure that must be built and maintained in order to function. It's with taxes we do that.

These people want to run our government but first, they seem to hate that government and second, they want to dismantle it. Well, they want to dismantle it when they don't want to, as President George W Bush and Ronald Reagan, both, did, grow it incredibly.

They've been quoted as saying they still want to do away with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. One, Mitch McConnell, was recently quoted saying that very thing to a crowd he though he was speaking to privately.

That's not to say our tax system doesn't need fixing, not at all, far from it. But to fix it, we need to end the ability of corporations and the wealthy to purchase whatever laws and tax laws they wish, to the nation's peril, by ending campaign contributions. Until we do that, nothing will change.

They don't deserve another chance with our government. They don't deserve another chance with our nation. They don't deserve another chance with us.

A History Lesson on Executive Orders

It gets so tiresome.

All the calls for this president to be---I saw it yesterday---"empeached."

It's so ridiculous.

He's a Constitutional scholar, for pity's sake.  I think he knows what is and is not "Constitutional."

And now, today, after the State of the Union speech last night and after President Obama's desperate but necessary threat to issue more Executive Orders since, after all, he's dealing with one of the most truly "do-nothing" Congresses in our nation's history, it seems a little history lesson is in order.  Here's the truth, kiddos:

Obama: Fewest Executive Orders in Over 100 Years

Yes, read it and weep:

A bit from the article:

We've crunched the numbers, and as you can see in our handy graph, above, Obama has issued fewer executive orders per day in office than conservative heroes like George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Calvin Coolidge. In fact, you have to go all the way back to Grover Cleveland in the nineteenth century to find a president who has issued executive orders at a lower rate than Obama.

And yet, we have the following lately:

Kentucky senator Rand Paul has accused Obama of acting "like a king or a monarch." South Carolina congressman Jeff Duncan declared last week, "We live in a republic, not a dictatorship." Mike Huckabee proclaimed that the White House has "nothing but contempt for the Constitution" and seeks to "trump ... the checks and balances of power in which no branch could act unilaterally." Texas congressman Steve Stockman has already threatened impeachment.

Way to put things in perspective, guys.  Congress won't and doesn't do their job so they blame someone else for going forward, doing something, getting things done--for the people--and doing some work.

Bloody hypocrites.

As though demanding a more livable, fair, minimum wage is somehow a horrible thing.

So as of yesterday, here's John Boehner's and the Republican Party's response to this "outrage":

John Boehner Threatens President Obama With Impeachment 

On Tuesday morning, at a breakfast discussing the State of the Union address later in the evening, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters that President Obama is on dangerous ground on his use of executive orders. Essentially, Boehner issued a veiled threat stating that if the President thinks he can enact more change by circumventing Congress and utilizing executive orders, then Obama could be facing a backlash from Congressional Republicans. While he did not overtly state it, it seemed pretty clear he was talking about impeachment.

“We’re just not going to sit here and let the President trample all over us. This idea that he’s just going to go it alone, I have to remind him we do have a constitution. And the Congress writes the laws, and the President’s job is to execute the laws faithfully. And if he tries to ignore this he’s going to run into a brick wall.”

Actually, Mr. Boehner, given how little Congress did in the last session of your up-to-now august body, we expect that's precisely what you'll do. That is, sit there and do nothing.

You scheduled 97 total days of "work" this year in Congress.

Oh, yeah.  I think you'll do nothing.

Bloody hypocrites.

Links:

Obama To Raise Minimum Wage For Federal Contract Workers

The Republican agenda

 

How is any of that good for America?

 

 

 

Where the Republicans--and we--are now

After that horrible vote from the House yesterday...

This is where our hope lies, in how recognizably stupid this all is.

Two thoughts on a possible Syrian war

Number one:



Number two:



Wish us luck.

We're going to need it.

Great question: on the modern day Republican Party (guest post)

I ask you:

What Exactly Do Republicans Stand For?

Trying to figure out exactly what the Republican Party stands for has been something I’ve pondered for quite a while.

If you listen to their rhetoric, the answer is easy.  However, looking at reality, it completely contradicts nearly everything they say they support.

They don’t stand for freedom, as they continue to support legislation that denies basic freedoms for homosexuals, women and people who follow religions other than Christianity.

They don’t stand for small government, as they’ve recently supported constitutional amendments that define marriage and redefine what constitutes being an American citizen.  Not to mention they were the party which orchestrated one of the most intrusive piece of legislation our nation has ever seen—the Patriot Act.

They don’t stand for a fiscally conservative government, especially considering there has yet to be a single Republican president since Eisenhower, who served from 1953-1961, who has balanced the budget.  In fact, every Republican president since Eisenhower didn’t just increase our deficits— they set records for growth in our national debt.

They don’t stand for Christian values, because Jesus Christ stood for love, hope, compassion, acceptance, helping those less fortunate than ourselves, not judging others and forgiveness—traits which the Republican Party seems to strongly oppose.

They don’t support...our military, as Republican Presidents have frequently sent our military into pointless wars where hundreds of thousands have been killed, or severely wounded to the point where they will suffer from these disabilities for the rest of their lives.

They don’t stand for constitutional values, as they frequently support violating those constitutionally-upheld laws which they disagree with.

It’s really easy to come up with a nice slogan, some rhetoric or a tagline that sounds good—hell anyone can do it. But I was always taught that actions speak louder than words.

In one breath conservatives say they’re for a fiscally conservative small government which protects our freedoms, yet their actions completely contradict that.

So looking at those actions, I really don’t have a clue what it is these people believe in.

_________________________________________________________

Except the wealthy. Supporting the wealthy and corporations.  They certainly have that down pat.

Truly, which side do you support?

It's a great question.

With only one obvious answer.

That said, we still need to end campaign contributions so our representatives and their legislation aren't continually bought in Washington in either political party, I'll grant you that.

Link: American Voice of Reason

Kentucky: It sucks to be you

How embarrassing would that be to have Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul as your state's two senators in Washington, supposed to lead you while also having the nation's and world's only "Creation Museum"?

That's gotta' hurt.

Their state motto should be "We're Not Mississippi, But We're Trying."

Link:  Tea for 2? Kentucky Senators in a Marriage of Convenience

The Republican jobs plan for America

On the State of the Union today

From Robert Reich, economist, professor, author:

"On Thursday, congressional Republicans will introduce a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget. They're not doing this because they think it will be enacted (it doesn't stand a chance in the Senate, and Obama would veto it anyway). They're doing it to perpetuate their biggest lie: that the federal budget deficit is responsible for the still-anemic recovery. That's the lie they'll continue to tell over the next 7 weeks as they drag the nation through another set of showdowns over sequestration (the fiscal cliff on March 1), continuing resolutions to fund the government (running out later in March), and the debt limit (end of March).


The opposite is true: Continued cutbacks in government spending, and tax increases on the middle class and working poor (such as the Social Security tax increase at the start of January, as well as sales-tax increases in 16 states), are robbing the economy of the demand it needs when... consumers are still unable to provide it.

Republicans have been telling the Big Lie that the budget deficit is to blame for our economic problems for more than two decades -- even though Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were far more responsible for running up the tab than either Bill Clinton (under whose administration the budget was finally balanced and put into surplus) or Barack Obama (who inherited a fiscal mess and has now got the deficit down to 5.3 percent of GDP).

They want the public to believe the Big Lie because it fits in with their hate-the-government ideology, and enables them to whittle it down, especially programs the middle class and working poor depend on -- including the two programs they've despised more than any others because they're so popular: Medicare and Social Security. President Obama mustn't let them. We mustn't let them."

We need to support and fight for this, instead: 

Tax Fairness Act

Before we get to that State of the Union address tonight

 

There are so many ways the Republicans are either wrong or hypocrtical or both regarding spending, it's not remotely amusing.

Republican solutions for America's broken health care system

Don't look here. There aren't any. No Republican solutions, that is.

From The Daily Beast, today:

"If you’re a Republican, the Supreme Court’s decision might be akin to the apocalypse. Kentucky Congressman Mitch McConnell seems to think so. On Fox News Sunday, the senator called the healthcare law the “single worst piece of legislation that has been passed certainly in modern times.” Asked by host Chris Wallace what he’d do to replace the law that would extend coverage to 30 million people, McConnell stumbled. 'The first step we need to take is get rid of what’s there,' he said."

Because, face it, Sen. Mitch "I Got Nuthin'" McConnell and his band of Republicans have no solutions whatever for fixing America's horribly broken, dysfunctional health care system.

The corporate lackey.

The dolt.

Link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/01/jack-lew-nancy-pelosi-john-boehner-and-more-sunday-talk.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

Congress yet again cedes more power to the Executive Branch

In this latest move by the Republican leaders in Washington on the debt ceiling negotiations, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell came up with the brainy idea of allowing President Obama to have the authority on his own to raise the debt ceiling in case Congress can't get an agreement done in time. Besides the fact that he's catching heck now from his own party and the Right Wingers in it for doing this, it's also blatantly a cowardly way to not really handle the situation, on the part of Congress, but to flip it to the Executive Branch so their "fingerprints" are all over whatever happens, instead, so that opposing party can blame him, later, for what happens. It's pitiful. This is just more in a long line of instances where Congress cedes yet more power to the Executive Branch, then later they complain that the Executive in office, whoever it is at the time, has or takes too much power and doesn't give them enough to do. This is no way to run a government. Or a country. Link: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/mcconnell-proposal-gives-obama-power-to-increase-debt-limit/; http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/fury-mcconnell-outlines-plan-obama-raise-debt-ceiling-204213811.html;_ylt=ApuwJXpL67V2AY7D5dJ2s3T59XQA;_ylu=X3oDMTN1YmtsbGtkBGNjb2RlA3ZzaGFyZWFnMnVwcmVzdARwa2cDYTYwZGVhMmEtYTVkNS0zZTZkLWEwNTktNGMxMzZmMzc3YjY5BHBvcwM5BHNlYwNuZXdzX2Zvcl95b3UEdmVyA2VjYjYxOWYwLWFjZmYtMTFlMC1iZjdiLTMxZjFhNmJlN2QzZg--;_ylg=X3oDMTJyZjRvZHM5BGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDNDQyMjA3ODktNzQwNS0zNDJjLThiMWQtYmNkZjAwYTNhZmFmBHBzdGNhdANwb2xpdGljcwRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=3

Budget negotiations in Washington devolving

President Obama warns today that failure to get these budget negotiations done and agreed on will keep Seniors in the country from getting their Social Security checks in August. Ouch. In the meantime, Senate Minority Leader Mitch "I'm in it for me" McConnell and House Majority Leader John "I don't have enough time to tan" Boehner are increasing their criticisms of the President. We should have seen this coming. Representative Boehner, however said the dumbest and most untrue thing of all, however, when he said the specter of the nation's credit default is "his problem", meaning President Obama's. To which I'd like to remind him that it absolutely is not. These clowns need to stop playing "chicken" or Russian roulette or whatever game they think they're playing with the nation--all of us out here---and our credit standing, the buffoons. Fortunately, there's this: "U.S. business leaders pressed Obama and congressional leaders to act swiftly to raise the $14.3 trillion U.S. debt ceiling -- which caps how much the United States can borrow -- or risk derailing a sputtering economic recovery and endangering the global financial system." I think this may likely mean that President Obama has them by their sensitive parts on this. Here's hoping. Links: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-lawmakers-fall-short-debt-deal-045247357.html; http://news.yahoo.com/mcconnell-boehner-increase-criticism-obama-162345932.html

Petty people---and their ignorance---in our political system

I have two quotes for you today:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY):  “There’s much for them" (the Democrats) to be angst-ridden about,” McConnell said with a chuckle. “If they think it’s bad now, wait till next year.”

Way to think about what's best for the country, Senator.

Not.

And number two, from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, ever the fount of wisdom, intelligence and maturity:

During an appearance on WBAL radio last week, Steele was asked to address a concern from Indiana Committeeman Jim Bopp, Jr., who had claimed that the RNC chairman played the race card in framing his own reelection fight as a test that will "speak volumes about our willingness to truly be the party of Lincoln."
"Well, Mr. Bopp is an idiot," Steele responded on WBAL. "If he took that away from, and I don't want to be crass, and I don't want to throw stones at him, but I just think that's an idiotic statement to make."

We--the US--are better than this.

And we deserve better than this--from our legislators and everyone in and associated with our government.

Links: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/12/21/mcconnell-dems/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/21/michael-steele-collins-idiot_n_799653.html

A giveaway to the rich, from the Republicans and Right Wing

Republicans and the Republican Party:   For the wealthy in America