TomCat

Feb 162013
 

Here are the results of our Republican Intentions Poll.  They are not statistically valid, because the readers of Politics Plus are not a demographically balanced population.  However, in this case, I think they are quite correct.

Poll0216

And here are your comments.

Posted by SoINeedAName on February 9, 2013 at 8:17 pm. 

 

I think your category of

"Just An Act"

is WAYYYYY too kind.

Repubicans are card-carrying, dyed-in-the-wool, come-to-Jeebus MISOGYNISTS.

 

Posted by Smarter Than A Democrate on February 7, 2013 at 9:31 am. 

 

Obama is the biggest terrorist threat this country faces and anybody who thinks differently has already fallen victim to his ploys and agenda!

 

Posted by Rob in reply to Smarter Than A Democrate on February 7, 2013 at 11:44 am. 

 

and by the way, "Smarter" — you’re not smart enough to know how to spell "Democrat."

 

Posted by Rob in reply to Smarter Than A Democrate on February 7, 2013 at 11:43 am. 

 

Yeah, that’s it, alright.

clip_image001

 

 

Posted by Angelica in reply to Smarter Than A Democrate on February 7, 2013 at 9:43 am. 

 

Can you possibly be serious? What on earth is a Democrate? Is it a crate for performing demos in?

Posted by Rixar13 on February 5, 2013 at 9:42 am. 

 

clip_image001[1]

Just an Act –

 

Posted by Angelica on February 5, 2013 at 8:32 am. 

 

You don’t develop the viewpoints of the GOP if you are a normal, mentally healthy person. Happy, fulfilled people do not want to crush their neighbors economically and interfere in the most important decision-making of their private lives. Happy, fulfilled people live and let live. Therefore, I say that this new posturing is exactly that – posturing. These GOP supporters are often unbalanced. Give them a little power and watch them become overt fascists, which is what we have been seeing for the last several years. I hope that political party NEVER comes back.

 

Posted by Patty on February 2, 2013 at 3:48 pm. 

 

Everything they profess to believe now is just a ploy to get votes. I wouldn’t trust any of them in the least bit.

 

Posted by Lynn Squance on February 2, 2013 at 2:37 pm. 

 

With Boehner pledging to commit the Republican/Teabaggers to doing everything they can to protect the sanctity of life, they are showing again their wanton disregard for women.

 

Where is the concern for ‘sanctity of life’ when:

1) food stamps are cut back such that families and children go hungry?

2) affordable medical insurance is not available to every US citizen?

3) children go to school only to be shot and killed because weapons are too readily available and there is no gun control?

4) big banks use predatory lending and mortgage practices which put families on the street?

How are they more reasonable when they don’t renew, uncategorically, the VAWA?

How are they more reasonable when they they encourage the extreme right in their xenophobic and isolationist beliefs?

 

Boehner, and the Republican/Teabaggers are the same old south end of the elephant going north.

 

They are still demonstrating that they haven’t learned a thing! And what happened to their previous mantra "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs"? Too old and hackneyed? The current Republican/Teabaggers will be known as the Elephant Slayers because they are taking the Republican party into oblivion with their policies!

My vote is just as obvious as Republican intentions.  Special thanks are due Smarter Than A Democrate for being such a wonderful example of Republican intellect.

The new poll is a ‘check all that apply’ poll, so choose all the answers you want.

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Feb 162013
 

It took me longer than usual to find the right materials for today’s articles, but better late than never.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:40 (average 5:07).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: You'll Never Believe Who Rejected A Young Hillary Clinton

16hillaryNASA500

LOL!! I bet that there are a whole lot of Republicans that wish she would fly to the moon!

From Daily Kos: Today, President Barack Obama flew into Dobbins Airforce Base near Atlanta to speak at the College Heights Early Learning Center in the relatively sleepy suburb of Decatur, GA.

The school is renowned for it's quality education. While visiting with students, parents, and administrators, Obama gave a speech where he praised the value of early education. This is all common-sense stuff except to those pushing starve-the-beast austerity type measures that hurt the underprivileged and disenfranchised.

The highlight of the trip, though, was the right reaching an all time low… by shouting racial epithets outside of an elementary school!

"You're a [n-word]!" one shouted.

"Go back to Kenya!"

What can I say? This is a clear cut case of Republicans acting just like Republicans.

From MSNBC: Rachel Maddow exposes the hypocrisy of McConJob.

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rachel has McConJob down pat, but she's also plugging her Iraq War special this coming Monday. I'm sure that will be worth watching.

Cartoon:

16Cartoon

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Warren Is Doing Her Job!

 Posted by at 4:17 am  Politics
Feb 152013
 

While her former opponent, Scott ‘Bought Bagger’ Brown is fulfilling his calling as a professional liar on the Republican Ministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, Elizabeth Warren is doing exactly what we hoped she would do, using her vast knowledge of the industry expose abuse by Banksters and regulators.

15lizwarrenMassachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) used her debut on the Senate Banking Committee to question financial regulators about the lack of accountability for Wall Street banks’ role in the financial crisis, challenging them to name the last time a Wall Street bank was taken to trial over allegations of fraud and other crimes instead of being allowed to settle out of court.

“What I’d like to know is, tell me a little bit about the last few times you’ve taken the biggest financial institutions on Wall Street all the way to a trial,” Warren asked the regulators. But none provided a specific answer. That led Warren to wonder if Wall Street banks had become “too big for trial”…

…Prosecution of financial fraud hit a 20-year low in 2011, even amid broad findings of fraud that took place at the biggest banks… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

Here’s the video:

Warren made a valid point that regulators consider that TBTF also means too big for trial. If that is truly the case, then TBTF is too big to exist. The individual criminal Banksters are NOT too big to jail!

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The Filibastards Struck!

 Posted by at 4:16 am  Politics
Feb 152013
 

Yesterday the Republican Party made history by filibustering the confirmation of Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary.  Never before has a minority blocked a cabinet level appointment.  This leaves the Defense Department in a state of transition, while we have troops in the field, while they go on vacation.

FilibastardsThe White House has said that President Barack Obama "stands strongly behind" Senator Chuck Hagel as his nominee for Defense Secretary despite a move by the Republicans for a full-scale filibuster of his nomination.

"The President believes that Senator Hagel would do a wonderful job in a very important role, which is leading the Department of Defense at a challenging time for our country," Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One that took Obama to Decatur, Georgia, on Thursday.

In an unprecedented move in the Senate earlier in the day, the GOP senators succeeded in blocking Hagel’s nomination as a cloture vote fell short of the 60-vote threshold the Upper House needed to move toward a final confirmation vote, which in effect is a filibuster.

Although the Senate vote — 58 to 40 — paves the way to continue debate on the presidential defense nominee, the White House expressed hope that Hagel would eventually be confirmed when the Senate returns from recess on February 25…

Inserted from <RTT News>

These are the filibastards:

GOPgo

Alexander (R-TN)

Ayotte (R-NH)

Barrasso (R-WY)

Blunt (R-MO)

Boozman (R-AR)

Burr (R-NC)

Chambliss (R-GA)

Coats (R-IN)

Coburn (R-OK)

Corker (R-TN)

Cornyn (R-TX)

Crapo (R-ID)

Cruz (R-TX)

Enzi (R-WY)

Fischer (R-NE)

Flake (R-AZ)

Graham (R-SC)

Grassley (R-IA)

Heller (R-NV)

Hoeven (R-ND)

Inhofe (R-OK)

Isakson (R-GA)

Johnson (R-WI)

Kirk (R-IL)

Lee (R-UT)

McCain (R-AZ)

McConnell (R-KY)

Moran (R-KS)

Paul (R-KY)

Portman (R-OH)

Reid (D-NV)

Risch (R-ID)

Roberts (R-KS)

Rubio (R-FL)

Scott (R-SC)

Sessions (R-AL)

Shelby (R-AL)

Thune (R-SD)

Toomey (R-PA)

Wicker (R-MS)

Inserted from <US Senate>

Hatch (R-UT) voted present. Vitter (R-LA) did not vote. Reid’s NO vote was a procedural switch, to enable him to bring it up again.

Rachel Maddow and Andrea Mitchell discussed this outrage.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rachel agrees with the position I took yesterday? She also blames the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid.  Where Reid’s claim to protect the filibuster for a future Democratic minority falls short is this.  If the Republicans ever have a majority again, you may be sure, the filibuster rule will be gone on day one.  After abusing the rule so severely, for so long, there is no way that they would risk being on the receiving end.

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Fox Attacked a 102 Year Old

 Posted by at 4:16 am  Politics
Feb 152013
 

The Republican Ministry of Propaganda, aka Faux Noise, has a problem.  Because they report so-called news from an exclusively Republican perspective, they usually find themselves positioned in exact opposition to the facts of the story.  When unable to argue a valid position, they attack a person, as they did here.

15desiline-victorAfter glossing over state Republicans’ role in exacerbating long lines at the ballot box, three Fox hosts mocked the hours-long wait and multiple trips a 102-year-old woman endured in order to cast her vote in 2012.

On Fox News Radio’s Kilmeade & Friends, host Brian Kilmeade and Fox’s Martha MacCallum and Bill Hemmer laughed off the difficulties 102-year-old Desiline Victor endured in order to vote in the 2012 election. Victor, who was invited to the State of the Union address and whom President Obama applauded for enduring a long wait to vote, had to make two trips to the polls and wait in line for over three hours before she was able to cast her ballot. Discussing Victor, MacCallum wondered, "What’s the big deal?" and said, "This is such a non-issue. Ridiculous." Hemmer added that at the State of the Union, "They held her up as a victim. What was she a victim of?"

But long lines at polling places are widely acknowledged as a major issue nationwide. In Victor’s home state of Florida alone, at least 201,000 eligible voters reportedly did not cast ballots because they were discouraged by lengthy wait times…

Inserted from <Media Matters>

Here’s the audio:

In this case, the facts are that Florida Republicans did everything in their power to keep likely Democratic voters from voting, and many suffered severe hardship to exercise their right to vote.  Victor was a very sympatric example of the suffering the Republican War on Voting caused.  These Republican propagandists have no shame.

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Feb 152013
 

If feels good to have a full set of articles today.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:45 (average 4:55).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: If Corporations Were Honest: How Exxon Feels About Our Children

 

I don’t think Exxon hates them, per se. It’s more that, in their lust for profit, human suffering is not important enough to be considered. It is sad that they own a political party.

From LA Times: Faced with regular barrages of gunfire, officers confronting suspected killer Christopher Dorner lobbed incendiary tear gas into the cabin where Dorner allegedly was holed up, said law enforcement officials with knowledge of the situation.

The cabin caught on fire and authorities believe Dorner was burned inside. [now confirmed]

I hate to say this, but it’s hard to think of many high publicity, barricaded fugitives that were not burned out by authorities, beginning with Black Panthers in the 1960s. Incendiary tear gas should not be used.

From NY Times: Mr. Rubio is a rising star, to such an extent that Time magazine put him on its cover, calling him “The Republican Savior.” What we learned Tuesday, however, was that zombie economic ideas have eaten his brain.

In case you’re wondering, a zombie idea is a proposition that has been thoroughly refuted by analysis and evidence, and should be dead — but won’t stay dead because it serves a political purpose, appeals to prejudices, or both. The classic zombie idea in U.S. political discourse is the notion that tax cuts for the wealthy pay for themselves, but there are many more. And, as I said, when it comes to economics it appears that Mr. Rubio’s mind is zombie-infested.

Paul Krugman could not be more spot-on. The ‘Republican Savior’ demonstrated that he could not even pass Bottle Feeding 101.

Cartoon:

15Cartoon

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Feb 142013
 

Chuck Hagel is now experiencing something no high level cabinet appointee has ever experienced before.  His appointment is being filibustered.  For that, he can thank the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, who had the votes for meaningful filibuster reform.  Instead, Reid humped a few GOP legs, whined, rolled over, and played dead in exchange for some very minor reforms and a gentlemen’s agreement from the Republican caucus, that they would not abuse the filibuster anymore.  The Republicans have demonstrated what their word is worth by abusing the filibuster for historic obstruction.

Reid-LegHound

Senate Republicans refused to allow a vote Wednesday on the nomination of Chuck Hagel to lead the Defense Department, staging the first filibuster against a president’s choice to head the Pentagon.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called the move "a shame" as he announced on the Senate floor that he was unable to reach an agreement with the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee to avoid such a delay. Reid filed a motion to end the filibuster and said he expected to vote on it Friday…

Inserted from <LA Times>

Rachel Maddow covered the Republican hypocrisy.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A filibuster, by any other name. is still a filibuster, just like a Republican Senator, by any other name is still a liar, just like Harry Reid, by any other name, is still the Nevada Leg Hound, who should be replaced as Senate Majority Leader.

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