Tag: Opinion

A perfect illustration why the GOP should not run candidates who cannot win

This is the Country’s payment for the GOP’s stupidity:

Ongoing Federal “stimulus” spending per year = $700B+

$700B+ / ~320,000,000 people = ~$2,200/yr/person.

$2,200 / 12 months = $180/mo/person. (that includes illegals, uninsured, transient tourists, etc. i.e. every “warm body”)

$180/mo could pay for basic catastrophic and (genuine) emergency treatment for every warm body in the US, and NOT require huge bureaucracy or expensive non-functional web sites to accomplish. Canadians pay less than half that per-person for their lame CannuckCare coverage.

via Ace of Spades HQ: The socialized medicine you paid for but never got.

This is what happens when the GOP decides to run a made beltway boy and some Alaskan shrieking harpy Femi-Nazi. Then, after being beaten badly and made to look like fools; the GOP then decides to run a man who is basically the “in the flesh” manifestation of the comic strip “Richy Rich“.  Say what you want; but that is basically what happened.

17 trillion and counting… All because the GOP wanted to twice play nice and wanted to appeal to people, who would not vote for them anyhow. 😡

No, The Republican Party does not need David Barton serving in the Senate

Christians, Tea Party members and Republicans need to avoid people with extreme views.

The National Review’s blog “The Corner” reports:

David Barton, an Evangelical Christian historian who recently made headlines for a controversial history of Thomas Jefferson, is seriously considering primarying Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas), per multiple sources. Rick Green, one of Barton’s closest advisers, tells National Review Online the following in an e-mail:

More than 1,000 (zero exaggeration, that is an actual number) tea party and republican party leaders have asked David Barton to run. Polling says Sen. Cornyn is vulnerable and that’s why he is running ads right now. Like America’s Founding Fathers, David Barton will not “seek” this office, but if the people of Texas speak loud enough in the next few days, he could most certainly be drafted in by the voters.

Another Republican consultant in Austin familiar with Barton’s thinking elaborates on that. “The conservatives are putting in a significant effort to get him into the race, and this is not a drill — he might actually do it,” the consultant tells me. “I think David is probably mulling the race because he’s getting pushed really hard to mull the race. If people weren’t really pushing him hard, I don’t think he would be considering it. He probably fits the one profile which would be really threatening to Cornyn.”

And JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Texas-based Grassroots America We The People, says that a number of tea-party leaders are slated to have a conference call with Barton in the next few days to discuss his senatorial prospects. “We need a Constitutional conservative in that seat,” she says. “We believe that Senator Cornyn has become part of the establishment and we don’t believe that his priorities reflect the priorities of the people of Texas any longer.”

Here is why I say this; David Barton holds to some of the same views as I, on some subjects. However, David Barton’s work and even his book has been brought into question, even by other Christians and political historians. Furthermore David Barton is a believer that America happens to be a Christian Republic. This is a gross error. America is a Constitutional Republic; nothing more, nothing less.

It is one thing to be a blogger or writer that holds to Fundamentalist Christian views, and have some of them to be considered extreme by some. It is another entirely to be a holder of these views and run for public office. I want my elected officials to uphold the constitution; and it alone. I do not want my elected officials to be operating under some sort of pseudo religious mandate. David Barton believes that there is no such thing as a separation of Church and State. While it might be true that the phrase does not exist in the constitution; Thomas Jefferson made it very clear to the Danbury Baptists that there was a full wall of separation between Government and Religion. This is why the pilgrims fled England, because the pilgrims were being persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church! Yet, people like David Barton want Christianity forced upon Americans!  

Anyone who says anything other than this, seeks to hijack the United States Government for a religious cause; which flies in the face of the founding principles of this great Nation of ours. Again, we must be alert for Christian extremists, who want to infiltrate our Government for their nefarious purposes. I want a free Republic, not the Christian version of Sharia Law in America.

Anonymous Twitterer @natsecwonk outed as now fired Jofi Joseph, a former White House Official

This is most interesting. How this guy got away with this for as long as he did; speaks volumes to the incompetence of our Government. I thought the NSA could press a button and know all of this stuff? I thought that the Government was listening on everything; as snowden told everyone? Hmph, guess not.

If the house was smart; they would subpoena the man, force him to testify under oath, about everything he knows about fast and furious; and benghazi. Maybe even offer him clemency, if he tells everything; and I mean everything. But, it won’t happen now. The Republicans cannot afford anymore bad press; no thanks to the stupid, idiotic, clown actions of Ted Cruz. 🙄

The Story:

A White House national security official was fired last week after being caught as the mystery Tweeter who has been tormenting the foreign policy community with insulting comments and revealing internal Obama administration information for over two years.

Jofi Joseph, a director in the non-proliferation section of the National Security Staff at the White House, has been surreptitiously tweeting under the moniker @natsecwonk, a Twitter feed famous inside Washington policy circles since it began in February, 2011 until it was shut down last week. Two administration officials confirmed that the mystery tweeter was Joseph, who has also worked at the State Department and on Capitol Hill for Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Joe Biden. Until recently, he was part of the administration’s team working on negotiations with Iran.

During his time tweeting under the @natsecwonk name, Joseph openly criticized the policies of his White House bosses and often insulted their intellect and appearance. At different times, he insulted or criticized several top White House and State Department officials, including former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, Secretary of State John Kerry, and many many others.

via Exclusive: White House Official Fired for Tweeting Under Fake Name – The Daily Beast.

Others: Talking Points Memo, Washington Wire, Mediaite, Hot Air, Right Wing News, BillMoyers.com,Outside the Beltway, The Other McCain, The Daily Caller, The Week, BBC, Taylor Marsh, Gawker, Weasel Zippers, The Raw Story and Althouse

Sebelius says President didn’t know of Obamacare website’s woes in advance

The Video:

Any other time, I would say that I find this to be very hard to believe. However, when it comes to the President of the United States; I can believe this one. Because it is a fact that President Bush was kept in the dark about what was happening in Iraq and with what was happening in afghanistan; and about the enhanced interrogation; until they could not keep it from him any longer. So, this could be entirely the case.

The Story:

(CNN) — President Barack Obama didn’t know of problems with the Affordable Care Act’s website — despite insurance companies’ complaints and the site’s crashing during a test run — until after its now well-documented abysmal launch, the nation’s health chief told CNN on Tuesday.

Rough Obamacare rollout: 4 reasons why

In an exclusive interview with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked when the President first learned about the considerable issues with the Obamacare website. Sebelius responded that it was in “the first couple of days” after the site went live October 1.

“But not before that?” Gupta followed up.

To which Sebelius replied, “No, sir.”

via Sebelius: President didn’t know of Obamacare website’s woes in advance – CNN.com.

Others: Yahoo! News, “The Lid”, BuzzFeed, Real Clear Politics, americanthinker.com, Scared Monkeys, The PJ Tatler, Business Insider, NBC Politics, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Weasel Zippers, Washington Wire, The Fix, Taylor Marsh, The Other McCain, Hot Air, The Raw Story and New York Times

More black on white crime in Brooklyn, NY

More Black on white crime; and this time, it actually made the media.

The Story:

A group of 10 black youths — one of them a 12-year-old girl — surrounded a white couple’s car in Brooklyn, viciously beating the husband and yanking the wife to the pavement by her hair as they peppered the two with racial slurs, authorities said.

“Get those crackers!” some of them screamed, according to court papers. “Get that white whore!”

The confrontation erupted about 7 p.m. Monday, as the marauding group crossed Avenue U at E. 58th St. near Kings Plaza Shopping Center in Mill Basin.

Ronald Russo, 30, and his wife, Alanna, apparently had the green light and the husband honked at the group to get out of the way. The rowdy kids started kicking the car, according to the criminal complaint. Ronald Russo got out to check on potential damage to his vehicle.

And that’s when all hell broke loose.

RELATED: BROOKLYN PIPE ATTACKER EYED IN MIDTOWN BRICK BEATING

Ronald Russo was dragged to the ground. Then he was punched and kicked in the head. He felt more blows all over his body, investigators said. He suffered a fractured nose, a broken septum, a blood clot and abrasions to his shoulder. He was treated and released from Beth Israel Medical Center.

In the midst of the attack, there was a steady chorus of epithets. “White motherf—–!” screamed the attackers, who ranged in age from 12 to 18.

Alanna Russo, 30, was calling 911 when the 12-year-old girl pulled the woman’s hair and threw her to the ground. The victim’s head slammed into the concrete. She suffered a black eye, bleeding and difficulty breathing, prosecutors said, but she refused medical attention.

Her husband’s iPhone was stolen during the melee, according to cops.

via Brooklyn group of black youths blocks white couple’s car, bloody victims in racial attack: cops – NY Daily News.

Weasel Zippers reports:

Kashawn Kirton, 18, has been charged with gang assault, harassment and menacing charges, all as hate crimes.

Daehrell Finch, 17 has been charged with gang assault, assault, menacing and harassment but does not face hate-crime charges.

Two more teens, a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, have also been arrested, but their names have not been released.

Urbangrounds has very good posting and gives some good advice:

The lesson here is obvious: If your car is ever surrounded by a mob of black youths, no matter what they say or do to your vehicle, DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. Drive away. Drive over them if you have to. But do not get out of your car. Oh, and it should go without saying, but ALWAYS keep a loaded and readily-accessible hand-gun in your car. Because you never know where or when evil will raise it’s ugly head.

You can also too move away from areas where blacks tend to live too. Which is what I want to do so very bad. I wanna go live in the woods, and away from the city. I intend to get there; one day. Since Obama took office, there has been an noticeable uptick of black on white crime. Just Obama’s people doing what he told them to do, is the way I see it.

Previous black on white crime:

Good News for Seniors: Sen. Bernie Sanders Will Be On Budget Conference Committee

I think this is a good thing. Because I do not like the idea of the Republicans attempting to tinker with Social Security and Medicare.

Via The Huffington Post:

In what can only be seen as good news for people who like traditional earned-benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare, here’s one name that appears on the list of Senate conferees in the upcoming Paul Ryan-Patty Murray budget talks — Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. This ensures that beneficiaries of these programs will, at the very least, have one strong, supportive voice in the room who won’t go down in a squishy heap of “grand bargaining.” (I’m sure Paul Ryan is thrilled.)

Statement via Sen. Bernie Sanders Official website:

Sen. Bernie Sanders was appointed to a Senate and House budget conference committee to create a long-term budget plan by Dec. 13 to avert another government shutdown. A member of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders said he looks forward to developing an alternative to the stopgap, sequestration-level budget that Congress approved late Wednesday as part of an agreement to reopen the government. “I am excited about being a member of the budget conference committee and I look forward to working with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to end the absurdity of sequestration and to develop a budget which works for all Americans. In my view, it is imperative that this new budget helps us create the millions of jobs we desperately need and does not balance the budget on the backs of working people, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor,” Sanders said.

The conference committee was assigned to try to reconcile differences between separate budgets passed earlier this year by the Senate and the House.

[…]

The Senate budget protects Medicare while the House version would end Medicare as we know it by providing coupons for private health insurance. Unlike the House budget, the Senate resolution does not repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would prevent more than 20 million Americans from getting health insurance. The House version would eliminate grants for up to 1 million college students while the Senate plan protects Pell grants. The House version would kick up to 24 million Americans off of Medicaid while the Senate budget would protect their benefits. The Senate budget calls for new revenue while the House version would provide trillions of dollars in tax breaks mainly for the wealthiest Americans and profitable corporations offset by increased taxes on the middle class.

Progressive Blog Corrent has the full list:

House Democrats:

Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.)
Rep. Nita Lowey (N.Y.)

From Senate Democratic Caucus:

Sen. Patty Murray (Ore.)
Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.)
Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.)
Sen. Mark Warner (Va.)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (Ore.)
Sen. Chris Coons (Del.)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.)
Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.)
Sen. Angus King (Maine)

In case anyone cares, here’s the list of Republicans:

House Republicans:

Paul Ryan (Wis.)
Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.)
Rep. Tom Price (Ga.)
Rep. Diane Black (Tenn.)

Senate Republicans:

Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.)
Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa)
Sen. Mike Enzi (Wyo.)
Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio)
Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.)
Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.)
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.)
Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.)

The reason why I say that Bernie Sanders is good addition to the group is this; Bernie Sanders is an independent populist type. He is not a Obama loyalist, and he will not be afraid to stand up to the Obama Democrats.

I have always said on this blog, that the solution to America’s debt problem is not the ripping out of Social Security or Medicare. The solution is to get rid of the so-called “Free Trade” deals and the pork barrel spending, which both parties partake in. Furthermore, tariffs for all imports would pay down our debt and fund the social safety net.

Either way, it is good to see someone like Bernie Sanders fighting for the seniors and the disabled in this Country; like my aunt, who is developmentally disabled.

Video: A perfect example of the moral decline in this country

I write this in fear of being labeled a 41-year-old fogy. However, I believe it to be a valid case of a perfect, textbook example of the spiritual, cultural and moral decline of this Country. This performer’s, and I use the term very liberally; name is supposedly “Ke$ha.” I will fully confess to never listening to her music; and frankly, based on this video, I will never listen to her music.

Can someone possibly explain to this 41-year-old man just how in the name of God that this woman doing this sort of perverted, and borderline psychotic nonsense to her female organ on a public stage is supposed to pass as some sort of entertainment?

If this video is not proof that the United States of America has lost its moral foundations long ago, I really do not know what is. There are Christians who are actually foolish enough to believe that there is some hope of a so-called revival in this Country. I humbly submit that this video is living proof that we have long passed that mark; and that ship has long past sailed away, and America is judgment bound and hell-bent.

I humbly submit that this trash is not entertainment; but a full on display of the sin-depraved, godless nature of this Country.

Now, watch this video and ask yourself; would you really want your daughter listening to this so-called Lady’s music and want this sort of a so-called woman being a role model for your daughter?

(Via CNN)

Lindsey Graham is ticked off at everyone

I would say, “What else is new?” But, I think he has a very valid reason to be ticked off.

Via Politico:

Sen. Lindsey Graham is angry. He’s frustrated. He’s upset. In his own words, he’s “very dangerous.”

With the government shutdown now in its 12th day, and a possible U.S. debt default looming on Oct. 17, the veteran Republican was in the mood to lash out at everyone Saturday. President Barack Obama, House Republicans, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans — they were all the target of Graham’s ire.

“The president is a pathetic leader. He’s only engaged in the last couple of days,” Graham said after the Senate blocked action on a Democratic plan for a “clean” debt-ceiling increase through 2014. “Every time you get close to getting a deal over here with our Democratic friends, they move the ball because some poll comes out. Our friends in the House apparently can’t muster the votes to send something over here to open up the government. So it’s dysfunction at every level.”

But the 58-year-old Graham wasn’t through venting yet. “You can blame us [Republicans], we’ve overplayed our hand, that’s for damn sure,” Graham said. “But their response, where the president and [Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid] basically shutting everybody out, and when you try to negotiate, they keep changing the terms of the deal … it’s very frustrating.”

“This is a very frustrated Lindsey Graham,” he added. “Which is a very dangerous thing.”

[….]

By Saturday afternoon, Graham suggested he may try to attach a version of Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) amendment ending health-care subsidies for lawmakers and congressional staffers to any Reid-McConnell agreement. Graham knows it’s a potential poison pill for any deal, but he is that unhappy right now.

“I am going to look at offering the Vitter language on anything that comes out of the Senate,” Graham told reporters. “If we’re going to screw up the whole country, we might as well throw ourselves in the mix.”

Graham had just come off the Senate floor where at least 15 senators huddled in bipartisan group discussing the current state of play and how to break the deadlock.

“There were how many, 15 people? There were 13 ideas,” Graham joked. “Two guys didn’t have an idea. They were the smart ones. They were the ones that kept their mouths shut.”

Graham then excused himself to go home and watch a football game.

Cranky old feller, ain’t he? Hee hee But, seriously, the reason why Graham is so upset, is because he is up for reelection next year; I mean, you would be cranky too, if the polls were showing that you might not actually win the election.

It goes without saying that Senator Graham is an establishment GOP type of a person and that the Tea Party, along with many others; are simply not happy with him at all. I think he knows this and this is why he is upset.

Either way, I hope football game was better. Tongue

Obama rejects House offer to end shutdown

Remember the possible deal that I wrote about? Well, no dice says Obama.

Via Politico:

Speaker John Boehner told House Republicans Saturday morning that his efforts to strike a deal with President Barack Obama are at a standstill.

There is no agreement, Boehner said in a room in the Capitol Saturday, and there are no negotiations between House Republicans and the White House, since Obama rejected the speaker’s effort to lift the debt ceiling for six weeks and reopen government while setting up a budget negotiating process.

With that, a familiar dynamic has resurfaced 12 days into the government shutdown and five days before Treasury says the nation runs out of borrowing authority: The pendulum has swung back to Senate Republicans, who now look more likely to cut a deal with Obama to end the first government shutdown since 1996, and avoid the first default on U.S. debt in history.

After the news that talks between Boehner and Obama have broken down, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) emerged on the floor to emphasize that the nation’s eyes are firmly fixed on the chamber.

“I was happy to see the Republicans engaged in talks with the president, the House Republicans. That’s over with. It’s done. They’re not talking anymore,” Reid said. “I say to my friends on the Republican side of this Senate, time is running out.”

House Republicans are, for the first time, acknowledging that reality. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told the closed meeting of GOP lawmakers that, “Senate Republicans need to stand strong and fight,” according to sources in the room.

“It’s all good,” Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) said. “It’s now up to the Senate Republicans to stand up.”

House Republican leaders met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Friday to receive a briefing on the state of play in the Senate.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are circulating a 23-page draft bill that would increase the nation’s borrowing limit through January and reopen government until March.

Meanwhile the House Republicans are not too happy. Via NRO’s Corner:

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan lashed out at Senate Republicans for interfering with the House GOP’s talks with the White House to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling, suggesting his colleagues on the other side of the Capitol were betraying Speaker John Boehner.

“They’re trying to cut the House out, and trying to jam us with the Senate. We’re not going to roll over and take that,” Ryan told reporters. When asked if he felt “double crossed,” Ryan said “you look at the facts and draw your own conclusions.”

Senate Republicans, led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, are negotiating with Democrats on a package to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling into next year with relatively modest concessions for the GOP.

Ryan said House Republicans only learned the details about the plan this morning, and added that he strenuously objects to it. When asked which parts of the plan he objected to, Ryan said there are “too many to go into.”

Two things here:

  • I do believe that Paul Ryan just took the bait of the Obama administration to divide and conquer the GOP.
  • This is not a good way to get elected in 2016 as President. Ryan must have forgotten the 11 commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”

Either way, I believe this is going to drag out for a very long time.

Deal might be in the works to end shut down

This might be a good sign. (Via Ace)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are offering to pass legislation to avert a default and end the 11-day partial government shutdown as part of a framework that would include cuts in benefit programs, officials said Friday.

Republicans also seek changes in the three-year-old health care law known as Obamacare as part of an end to an impasse that has roiled financial markets and idled 350,000 federal workers.

President Barack Obama has insisted he will not negotiate with Republicans over federal spending — or anything else — until the government is reopened and the $16.7 debt limit raised to avert the possibility of default.

Yet, regarding benefit programs, Obama has previously backed an increase in Medicare costs for better-off seniors, among other items, and that idea also has appeal for Republicans.

The White House appeared briefly to wobble on the issue of negotiations on Thursday, until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid emerged from a meeting with the president to reaffirm it emphatically.

via AP: New GOP shutdown/debt plan, but no agreement yet.

Speaking of Harry Reid, he might be getting cut out of the loop.

Via The Corner – H/T to HotAir:

Staff-level talks between House Republicans and President Obama over a government funding bill are entering into day two after no decisions were made last night, according to two sources.

But one of the most interesting shifts is in who’s not involved: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Back before the government shutdown and before the fault lines of the current situation became clear, many Republicans viewed Reid, not Obama, as their most likely negotiating partner on both the continuing resolution and the debt ceiling. As evidenced by their public bickering over who wronged whom in the 2011 debt-ceiling fight this week, Speaker John Boehner and Obama do not have a history of fruitful negotiations.

As time wore on, though, Reid made clear not only that he himself wouldn’t budge, at all, on either debate, but that he was actively taking steps behind the scenes – like sidelining Vice President Joe Biden from any role – to ensure Obama toed the line as well.

Reid took several steps that unnerved Republicans who began to fear his healthy self-esteem had turned to hubris, among them his decision to leak e-mails from Boehner’s top aides.

“We thought we would be dealing with Reid, now it looks like we’re going to have to deal with Obama,” says one House GOP aide, describing the situation.

Many of the bloggers on the right are crying betrayal. I happen to disagree with that; because the Republicans in the house played the wrong game. They should have just waited things out till 2014 and then, once the Republicans routed everyone out, then they could have made some changes. But, instead they tried the old obstructionist routine and you know what it got them? This: (via AP Poll – H/T to HotAir)

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans are finding little they like about President Barack Obama or either political party, according to a new poll that suggests the possibility of a “throw the bums out” mentality in next year’s midterm elections.

The AP-GfK poll finds few people approve of the way the president is handling most major issues and most people say he’s not decisive, strong, honest, reasonable or inspiring.

In the midst of the government shutdown and Washington gridlock, the president is faring much better than his party, with large majorities of those surveyed finding little positive to say about Democrats. The negatives are even higher for the Republicans across the board, with 4 out of 5 people describing the GOP as unlikeable and dishonest and not compassionate, refreshing, inspiring or innovative.

Negativity historically hurts the party in power – particularly when it occurs in the second term of a presidency – but this round seems to be hitting everyone. More people now say they see bigger differences between the two parties than before Obama was elected, yet few like what either side is offering. A big unknown: possible fallout from the unresolved budget battle in Washington.

I am really thinking at this point that the Republicans had a good chance for 2014 and 2016; and have most like blown it. I mean, polls don’t lie folks:

Things are not looking good at all. 🙁