The absurd details are here.
What the hell is going on with the Washington press corps? Maybe they forgot that McCain lost by 9.5 million votes, and 365-173 electoral votes. He is NOT in the Republican Senate leadership and he has NOTHING new to say. Why, why, WHY, is he constantly given a platform for his ludicrous BS?
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Unbelievable Depths of Republican Health Care Dishonesty
Paul Krugman is on the case, big time, right here:
In reality, House Republicans don’t have anything to offer to Americans with troubled medical histories. On the contrary, their big idea — allowing unrestricted competition across state lines — would lead to a race to the bottom. The states with the weakest regulations — for example, those that allow insurance companies to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence — would set the standards for the nation as a whole. The result would be to afflict the afflicted, to make the lives of Americans with pre-existing conditions even harder.
Don’t take my word for it. Look at the Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House G.O.P. plan. That analysis is discreetly worded, with the budget office declaring somewhat obscurely that while the number of uninsured Americans wouldn’t change much, “the pool of people without health insurance would end up being less healthy, on average, than under current law.” But here’s the translation: While some people would gain insurance, the people losing insurance would be those who need it most. Under the Republican plan, the American health care system would become even more brutal than it is now.
So what did we learn from the summit? What I took away was the arrogance that the success of things like the death-panel smear has obviously engendered in Republican politicians. At this point they obviously believe that they can blandly make utterly misleading assertions, saying things that can be easily refuted, and pay no price. And they may well be right. [Emphasis added]
In reality, House Republicans don’t have anything to offer to Americans with troubled medical histories. On the contrary, their big idea — allowing unrestricted competition across state lines — would lead to a race to the bottom. The states with the weakest regulations — for example, those that allow insurance companies to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence — would set the standards for the nation as a whole. The result would be to afflict the afflicted, to make the lives of Americans with pre-existing conditions even harder.
Don’t take my word for it. Look at the Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House G.O.P. plan. That analysis is discreetly worded, with the budget office declaring somewhat obscurely that while the number of uninsured Americans wouldn’t change much, “the pool of people without health insurance would end up being less healthy, on average, than under current law.” But here’s the translation: While some people would gain insurance, the people losing insurance would be those who need it most. Under the Republican plan, the American health care system would become even more brutal than it is now.
So what did we learn from the summit? What I took away was the arrogance that the success of things like the death-panel smear has obviously engendered in Republican politicians. At this point they obviously believe that they can blandly make utterly misleading assertions, saying things that can be easily refuted, and pay no price. And they may well be right. [Emphasis added]
Pass. The. Friggin'. Bill. Screw the Republicans. Side with the American people, Democrats!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sigh. It Still Doesn't Work. But That Never Stops Them.
Bruce Bartlett goes after the "starve the beast" philosophy of government here.
Americans need to make a fundamental choice. Do you want services? Pay taxes for them. Do you want lower taxes? Do with fewer services. You can't have a Medicare D drug benefit and two wars and lower taxes simultaneously and not have consequences
It's about that simple.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The American Taliban Strikes Again
This time they're moving to make having a miscarriage a potential crime.
No, you did not misread that. Excerpt:
A bill passed by the Utah House and Senate this week and waiting for the governor's signature, will make it a crime for a woman to have a miscarriage.... In addition to criminalizing an intentional attempt to induce a miscarriage or abortion, the bill also creates a standard that could make women legally responsible for miscarriages caused by "reckless" behavior. Using the legal standard of "reckless behavior" all a district attorney needs to show is that a woman behaved in a manner that is thought to cause miscarriage, even if she didn't intend to lose the pregnancy.
And of course, the American Taliban in the State Legislature gets to define "reckless behavior".
Monstrous. Barbaric. Right-Wing.
But I repeat myself.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
New Depths of Right-Wing Lunacy
This time, it's ridiculous right-wing fruitcake Pam Geller arguing that she knows Ronald Reagan better than Reagan's OWN SON.
My God. My God. Geller never even MET Reagan, never ONCE talked to him, and she has the damned NERVE to argue with the guy's son over who knows him better.
Are ALL of these wingnut idiots insane?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Rich Lowry of National Review: Fool, Hypocrite, and Liar
Of course, fool, hypocrite, and liar can be said about so many conservative leaders, can't it? Little Richie is all upset about a forthcoming new book that (accurately) compares the Radical Right to the Islamic radicals. The outstanding Glenn Greeenwald chews Little Richie up and spits him out here. Excerpt:
I know it's not news that Rich Lowry is an intellectually dishonest hack. And I also know it's not news that the brain of right-wing authoritarians allows its host to blithely accuse others of exactly that which they do. Still, as common as it is, there are times when I'm amazed at how compartmentalized and self-blinding the human brain can be.
Shouldn't a normally functioning brain send a signal to Lowry along the lines of: "You can't complain that it makes someone an 'extremist' to compare 'the other side in the American political discussion' to Islamic radicals because one of your magazine's Senior Editors just recently wrote a book comparing liberals to Nazis, and another one of them wrote a book calling them the Party of Death? Forget intellectual honesty; just as a strategic matter, in order not to expose yourself as a wildly dishonest and hypocritical polemicist, shouldn't the brain intervene and at least tell the person that they should alter their criticisms so it's not blatantly attacking exactly what their closest comrades do? Yet somehow, the brain never sends that signal -- or it never gets received -- and people like Rich Lowry can sit there with a straight face and attack someone for doing exactly that which his own writers do, without any apparent recognition of that fact at all. If nothing else, it's a wonder to behold as a biological and psychological phenomenon.
Shouldn't a normally functioning brain send a signal to Lowry along the lines of: "You can't complain that it makes someone an 'extremist' to compare 'the other side in the American political discussion' to Islamic radicals because one of your magazine's Senior Editors just recently wrote a book comparing liberals to Nazis, and another one of them wrote a book calling them the Party of Death? Forget intellectual honesty; just as a strategic matter, in order not to expose yourself as a wildly dishonest and hypocritical polemicist, shouldn't the brain intervene and at least tell the person that they should alter their criticisms so it's not blatantly attacking exactly what their closest comrades do? Yet somehow, the brain never sends that signal -- or it never gets received -- and people like Rich Lowry can sit there with a straight face and attack someone for doing exactly that which his own writers do, without any apparent recognition of that fact at all. If nothing else, it's a wonder to behold as a biological and psychological phenomenon.
Heh heh heh.
Sarah Palin: "Frightening"
I've often been critical of Chris Matthews, but he's right on the money here:
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Friday, February 05, 2010
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
The American Taliban: the Republican "Base"
The results of the Daily Kos poll of self-identified Republicans is here and the results are even more appalling than I had suspected. Here are some of the "highlights":
Yes 39
No 32
Not Sure 29
Should Barack Obama be impeached, or not?
Yes 39
No 32
Not Sure 29
Note that President Obama has committed no impeachable offense WHATSOEVER. It doesn't matter to these idiots. Only 32% think he definitely should not be thrown out of office immediately.
Yes 42
No 36
Not Sure 22
Do you believe Barack Obama was born in the United States, or not?
Yes 42
No 36
Not Sure 22
The spirit of the Birthers is strong. No matter how many times they have been shown the President's birth certificate, they will NEVER accept him as an American--never.
Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win?
Yes 24
No 43
Not Sure 33
Do you believe Barack Obama wants the terrorists to win?
Yes 24
No 43
Not Sure 33
Yes, 24% believe something that is absolutely, certifiably insane, and 33% of the others might be insane.
Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?
Yes 23
No 58
Not Sure 19
Do you believe your state should secede from the United States?
Yes 23
No 58
Not Sure 19
Ahh, good old right-wing "patriotism". Things not going your way? Destroy the United States. When 42% of all self-identified Republicans say their state should or maybe should secede, then the Republican Party is a deeply sick, deeply twisted institution.
Read the rest of the responses, if you can stand to. They pretty much run in the same dreary, depressing vein. And these are the people who are very likely going to regain power in 2010 and 2012, because Democratic voters can't be bothered to actually vote when the chips are down.
This is what comes of 40 years of unceasing, non-stop right-wing hatred directed at government in general and the Democrats specifically. This is what comes out of the non-stop stream of vicious smears issuing forth from right-wing hate radio. This is what comes from a torrent of lying right-wing newspaper columns. This is what comes from Fox "News" blasting out Hate Obama propaganda 24/7. And this it what comes from right-wing, politicized churches whose preachers violate their pledge to not use their tax-free status to propagandize their congregations. The Republican base is rife with delusion, bigotry, hatred, and utter misinformation. The prospect of handing the country back to these people is deeply and profoundly disturbing, but it now seems more and more likely. You see, Barack Obama didn't clap his hands and magically make everything all better. So a lot of Democratic voters are going to stay home this year in protest.
And leave America to the creationists, the people who want to ban birth control and outlaw sex education, the people who think that all non-Christians are going to "hell", and the neo-Confederates.
And you wonder why I am in despair.
Monday, February 01, 2010
The Unspeakable Stupidity of Tim Pawlenty
His utterly idiotic "proposals" for the American economy can be seen here. His great ideas? Why, more tax cuts! And completely unspecified spending cuts! And killing health care reform!
Hey, why not? He's competing for the votes of the meanest, most morally indifferent electorate in the country--the Republican "base". Those people don't give a damn about America's problems. They just want to destroy President Obama. And Pawlenty is doing his level best to suck up to them.
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