Plutocrats Prevail On Minimum Wage Hike

Acting on instructions from their plutocrat contributors, Senate Rethuglicans killed the latest bill that would have raised the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by a vote of 54 to 42.  A 60 vote supermajority was necessary to prevent a filibuster that Rethuglicans had threatened.

Dems are counting on this type of anti-middle class voting to help them in the 2014 mid-term elections. Several Dem Senators in "red states" can use this as part of a populist, fighting for the middle class pitch to the voters -- if the voters vote their economic interests, and if the Dems push it hard.

Yesterday's Major Environmental Victory

In a rare instance where the corporate-serving Roberts Court ruled in favor of the public, the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 2 (with Alito recusing himself, and Scalia and Thomas naturally siding with the polluters) to uphold the EPA's cross-state air pollution rules.  The rules are meant to enforce tighter air quality standards on so-called "upwind States" whose industrial and power plant air pollution travels across state lines.  The ruling gives EPA the authority to better enforce the Clean Air Act against major air polluters who have fought the regulations for years.  As the American Lung Association said, referring to the ruling: 

“People who live downwind of these major polluters need this decision, because the ozone and particle pollution in their communities threatens their lives."

 The EPA estimates that the cross-state air pollution regulations will save from 13,000 to 34,000 lives, and tens of thousands of cases of aggravated asthma and bronchitis.  It was a good day for our lungs and our nation.

Mid-Week Dust Song

Country/folk music duo The Civil Wars (Joy Williams and John Paul White) won two Grammy awards in 2012 for their album "Barton Hollow," one for Best Folk Album and the other for Best Country Duo Performance.  Sadly, the duo is on hiatus over "differences in ambition," according to Ms. Williams.  Whatever the reason, here's hoping they return to make more beautiful music, like this selection, "Dust to Dust."

NBA Bans Sterling For Life

With breaking news that National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver has banned L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life as a result of Sterling's racist comments, we thought we'd run this segment from Jon Stewart last night.   Once again, thank you Chief Justice Roberts and your white, right-wing Republican brethren on the Court for declaring that Racism is Dead (someone just forgot to tell Sterling and Cliven "Hoof" Bundy).

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

Rethugs Starting To Lose On ACA

A good read for today is Salon's Paul Rosenberg, who looks at the political landscape and sees it shifting positively on the Affordable Care Act.  With 8 million new enrollees in the first open period (the next is in November), people that have affordable health insurance for the first time don't want to lose it simply because Rethugs want to deny President Obama success for his signature achievement in his first term.  Dems running for election or re-election are finding ways to cut through the "death panels" manure that the Rethugs have been spreading for years,  reminding voters that the Act takes care of coverage for pre-existing conditions, removes unequal treatment of women, and has reduced health care costs in those states participating.

There will always be a solid minority of low-information voters getting their instructions from the right-wing media echo chamber.  But a growing number of people are seeing the Act not as the "Government takeover" that the right-wing lied about (like they lied about Medicare in the 1960s), but as a positive action that will improve their quality of life, and the lives of future generations.

Hearing Those Voices In His Head Again

Certifiable loon and master of conspiracies Glenn "Dreck" Beck told a commencement audience last week at Jerry Falwell's ol' time religion school Liberty University that three years ago, while in Jerusalem, God spoke to him and said, "I am coming and I will settle scores."  No word on whether the largely Baptist audience interpreted that as a threat from Dreck, a Mormon, whose religion is considered a cult by many Baptists and other Christian demoninations.

Nonetheless, we're happy to see the Dreckster making the Crazytown rounds again.  The entertainment value is pure gold, which Dreck will also try to sell you.

Today's Cartoon - Stuck On You

(click to enlarge)

(Stuart Carlson, via gocomics.com)

The Problem With the N.R.A.

We've Got Your Problem Right Here: Wayne LaPierre

Ana Marie Cox went to last week's National Gun Manufacturer's Rifle Association meeting in Indianapolis and put her finger on the core problem with the NRA:  it's leadership, specifically its craven loon of an executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, and those around him:

"I ask you," LaPierre grimaced at the end of his litany of doom. "Do you trust this government to protect you?" 

This is not one of the items the membership voted upon. Indeed, Wayne LaPierre's confidence in making this question rhetorical is one of its most frightening aspects, though of course it's his prescription that truly alarmed me: 

"We are on our own. That is a certainty, no less certain than the absolute truth – a fact the powerful political and media elites continue to deny, just as sure as they would deny our right to save our very lives. The life or death truth that when you're on your own, the surest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun!" 

You cannot defend this as anything other than the dangerous ravings of a madman. LaPierre’s description of the world is demonstrably untrue, and not just in concrete, objective terms. To cite just one example: crime rates in the US have been falling for 20 years – a statistic that some gun rights advocates brandish as proof of the selectively defined cliché, “more guns, less crime.” Just as troubling is LaPierre's internal inconsistency about what it means for NRA members to be "on their own". [snip]

Anyone backing with full faith the argument made by LaPierre likely made up their minds long before they ever stepped on a target range or fired a round. The problem with the NRA lies with the people who lead it. 

Cox spent time "undercover," meaning she was able to interact with some of the 70,000 (!) attendees, many of whom she found to be friendly and sensible (perhaps because they felt unthreatened in a sea of people of like interests).  But it was LaPierre, with his dystopian, eliminationist, anti-government ravings that set the overall tone of the gathering.  LaPierre, with the backing of the gun manufacturers that run the NRA (while purporting to be the voice of the sportsman), has turned the NRA into a far-right wing of the Republican Party:  an absolutist, unceasing fear machine telling whoever will listen that [fill in the blank] is comin' to getcha, so you better be packin'!  Of course, it's not just LaPierre and his coterie;  if he didn't exist, the gun manufacturers would just go out and hire another cast of sociopathic creeps.

So as long as the gun manufacturers value profit uber alles, vicious loons like LaPierre will be around doing their dirty work.  Do any of you see that equation changing?

BONUS:   Jon Stewart covers all the crazy (video and transcript here).

Grimmer for Grimm

New York Rethuglican Representative and rage machine Michael "Dim" Grimm turned himself in to Federal authorities this morning after being indicted by a Federal grand jury on 20 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and tax fraud relating to the business operation he ran prior to elective office.  Dim's no stranger to thuggery and sexual misconduct as we noted last January.

Teabagger favorite Dim has always projected a clean-cut, man-of-integrity image that's now clearly in the crapper.  We noted on Friday that the New York Rethuglican / Stupid Party can't replace him on the 2014 ballot at this late date in a district that voted for President Obama in 2012 unless he resigns, so their chances of retaining the seat are looking grimmer.

BONUS:  You can, uh, kiss another ethically stunted Republican congressman goodbye:

Republican Rep. Vance McAllister, forever immortalized on security camera footage as the "kissing congressman," has decided not to seek re-election, according to the Monroe News-Star. He does, however, say he won't resign and plans to finish out his term.

John McCain's Gift To America

From the grift gift that keeps on giving..on and on and on…..

"Come on. Enemies, who would utterly annihilate America, they who'd obviously have information on plots, to carry out Jihad. Oh, but you can't offend them, can't make them feel uncomfortable, not even a smidgen.  Well, if I were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we'd baptize terrorists."  -- snowbilly idiot Sarah "Winky" Palin, speaking this past weekend at the NRA's "Stand and Fight"  white riot rally.

We wonder how former POW McCain feels when the moron that he elevated to a national stage in 2008 advocates torture.  We know he's called waterboarding torture.  The U.S. military code bans torture of prisoners, and is counterproductive and against international norms and American values.

We're seeing Winky's anger and bitterness pour out in every speech or comment of hers.  She needs to get over her 2008 defeat and rejection by a large majority of Americans who would never vote for her as President.  "If I were in charge…."  Never gonna happen.

Today's Read - "High Plains Moochers"

Please read Paul Krugman's op/ed today because it goes deeper into the American right's perversion of the idea of "freedom," as exemplified by the High Plains Moocher Cliven "Hoof" Bundy episode.  Here's Krugman's seminal observation (to whet your appetite to read more):

 "... the Bundy fiasco was a byproduct of the dumbing down that seems ever more central to the way America’s right operates."

Hiding In Plain Sight

The post-mortems on the "Cliven Bundy, Right-Wing American Hero" saga continue (see here and here, for examples from two generally blind squirrels).

Here's what was there in plain sight in aptly-named Bunkerville, Nevada, for all those who chose to see, courtesy of Esquire's Caty Enders (h/t Mock Paper Scissors):

Soon enough, a handful of junior politicians and the Bundy family are ushered on stage with a full compliment of assault-weaponed militia and a man with binoculars. 

The crowd, fresh off their victory at the Battle of Bunkerville, gives Bundy a standing ovation. But he doesn’t seem pleased. He reproaches the crowd for failing to follow the word of God – to the letter – which he says is being delivered through him. They failed, for example, to follow his instructions to tear down the toll booths at Lake Mead and disarm the Park Service. 

"The message I gave to you all was a revelation that I received. And yet not one of you can seem to even quote it.”  (our emphasis)

Prophet Bundy sez God wants you to take down toll booths and disarm Park rangers.  Yeah, he sounds rational.

Grifters Gotta Grift

The once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle has a front-page story today about tea party patriots grifters who are raking in PAC money from credulous yahoos and, shockingly (!), pocketing most of it:

A Washington Post analysis found that some of the top national tea party groups engaged in this year’s midterm elections have put just a tiny fraction of their money directly into boosting the candidates they’ve endorsed.  [snip] 

Out of the $37.5 million spent so far by the PACs of six major tea party organizations, less than $7 million has been devoted to directly helping candidates, according to the analysis, which was based on campaign finance data provided by the Sunlight Foundation.  (our emphasis)

Among the biggest grifters is Jenny Beth Martin, preznit of the Tea Party Grifters Patriots:

Her twin salaries put her on track to make more than $450,000 this year, a dramatic change in lifestyle for the tea party activist, who had filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and then cleaned homes for a period of time to bring in extra money.  (our emphasis)

While one never likes to see peoples' pockets vacuumed clean by con artists, our sympathy is tempered by the knowledge that the donors would be just as likely to be taken in by your Elmer Gantry du jour, or by investing in Glenn Beck's gold bug schemes.  There's always a sucker for every bet.

Also, we would take some comfort in the fact that these tea bagger monies are not going into corrosive campaign ads or capacity-building, as there's already too much of that Koch brothers lucre sloshing around ("free speech!") corrupting politics and bamboozling low-information voters.

Speaking of low-information voters, we would leave you with the thoughts of one tea party contributor, 85-year-old Arlin Ashmead from Idaho, which pretty well sums up the level of sophistication of the sheeple being fleeced:

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “Living back here in Idaho, I don’t know too much about what is going on. I hope they’re helping the candidates, too.”  (our emphasis)

Hope springs eternal, Arlin.

(Photo:  Grifter-in-Chief Jenny Beth Martin - T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images)

Foul Shot

Yesterday's reports that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught on a 10-minute audio tape making racist remarks about African-Americans was shocking, even knowing Sterling's history of antagonism toward minority groups.  His mistress (Sterling's going through divorce proceedings) taped the bigoted owner warning her not to bring "blacks" to Clippers games, among other niceties.  An interesting psychological twist is that his mistress, V. Stiviano, happens to be half Mexican-American, half African-American.  Issues much?

The National Basketball Association has launched an investigation into the tape.  Depending on the outcome, Sterling could face sanctions from the NBA.  Beyond that, what player, African-American or not, would want to play for him?

UPDATE:  In the pre-game warm up, Clippers players took off their team shirts and tossed them mid-court to protest owner Donald Sterling's racist rant.  They also wore black socks during the game with Golden State.

UPDATE II:  Wrong-about-everything Wee Willie Kristol passes judgement on Sterling's remarks.  Short version:  move along, nothing to see here.

UPDATE III:  Despite furious efforts by some in the wingnut media to portray Sterling as a "liberal Democrat," he's a registered Republican.

One For Two

(click to enlarge)

Tomorrow's elevation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II to sainthood by the Catholic Church is a mixed bag.  Both Popes had major impacts on the Church they led:  John XXIII for his modernization of the Church and ecumenical outreach to other faiths, and John Paul II for his return to more conservative and evangelical policies.  And, of course there was the impact of scandal in the latter's Papacy:  John Paul II presided over the worst scandal for the Church in modern times,  child sexual abuse by clergy and the long-term coverup.  An article in The Nation from a few years ago has the particulars and perhaps the best case for objecting to John Paul II's sainthood.

The Church can elevate whomever they want to sainthood -- both Popes were put on a fast-track that normally takes decades and even centuries.  But John Paul II's elevation to sainthood discounts the horrendous impact the sex abuse scandal had on the most vulnerable in the Church and his failure to ask questions, take action and clean house (see, Cardinal Bernard Law, who acted as travel agent and bursar for pedophile priests, and kept his red biretta).  After seeing the tragic photo below, some would say a message is being sent.  It's a statue of Christ that was dedicated to John Paul II that toppled over on Thursday and killed a young man in Cevo, Italy.

(cartoon: Darrin Bell, via Gocomics.com)

Republican Crime Blotter: Grimm and Grimmer

Can you say Grand Jury indictment?  Staten Island Republican and would-be reporter tosser Rep. Michael "Dim" Grimm (Thug-NY) is expecting some bad news soon (NY Times via Daily Kos):

The [Grand Jury] charges against Mr. Grimm, 44, a Republican who was first elected in 2010 and represents Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn, will include mail fraud and wire fraud and focus on his conduct in connection with a health food restaurant he owned on the Upper East Side of Manhattan after he left the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2006, one of the people said.

Unfortunately for Republicans, the deadline has passed for an alternative candidate to file a primary challenge to Grimm, who now would have to "withdraw" from the race in order to have an alternative selected by local Republicans.  His district was won by President Obama with 52 percent of the vote in 2012.

Can you say Ethics Probe?  Crackpot Republican Rep. Steve "My Gun Is My Manhood" Stockman (Peashooter-TX), who is not running for reelection following a disastrous primary challenge to Sen. John "All Hat, No Cattle" Cornyn, is being investigated for violating Federal Election Commission reporting requirements:

Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) -- whose long-shot primary campaign to unseat Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) failed spectacularly this year -- said Friday he's facing a congressional ethics probe.  [snip] 

Two Stockman aides were fired in October after they made prohibited donations to his campaign, the Houston Chronicle reported. Stockman later announced he wouldn't run for reelection to his seat and would instead challenge Cornyn for the Republican Senate nomination, which he lost by 40 points in March.

If it's a fair investigation, we're certain Stockman will be found to have no ethics.

"The Ballad of Cliven Bundy"

Stephen Colbert sings "The Ballad of Cliven Bundy," the right-wing's latest "folk hero" and "lucky dead sea bird" cretin Sean "Heil" Hannity hung around his own neck:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

Weekend Waltzing Around Music

Going waaay back for this beautiful, instantly recognizable opus from the grandly mustachioed Johann Strauss II, Overture from "Die Fledermaus" ("The Bat").  Hope your dance card is full this weekend!

Bundy's Racism Is MLK Jr.'s Fault!

It looks like Nevada freeloading rancher and right-wing racist hero Cliven "Hoof" Bundy isn't through with lecturing us on The Negro.  After his racist rant on slavery and the cotton-pickin' Negro earlier this week went viral, Cliven Hoof doubled down this morning on CNN, saying:

"We don’t have freedom to say what we want. If I call — if I say negro or black boy or slave, I’m not — if those people cannot take those kind of words and not be offended, then Martin Luther King hasn’t got his job done then yet. They should be able to — I should be able to say those things and they shouldn’t offend anybody." (emphasis added)

That should remove any doubt from his die-hard apologists who say that Cliven Hoof simply misspoke the other day, or that he needed help with his media skills.  His racist views are held by the far-right "patriot" militia and sovereign citizen thugs that showed up heavily armed to confront law enforcement officials.  Even more clear is that his views reflect the id of the Rethuglican / New Confederate / Stupid Party base.  In the eyes of the political and media leaders of the party,  Cliven Hoof's main sin was being so candid about what they all believe, but won't say out loud.

BONUS:  If you haven't seen Rachel Maddow's passionate historical tracing of the "posse comitatus" and white supremacist militia movements back to Bundy's crackpot ramblings, you owe it to yourself to watch it.  He's your hero, right-wingers.

(photo:  Was it something I said?)

Great Moments in Medicine

News item:  Talk radio hate spewer Rush Limpballs has surgery for hearing loss.  First, they needed to call in a proctologist to extract Limpballs' head.

Stewart Responds To Hannity Insanity

The first round fired by Jon Stewart is here.  Here's Stewart's latest EPIC response to sedition supporter Sean "Heil" Hannity on his show last night (Parts I and II):

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

Fugelsang-ing Quote of the Day

“Sean Hannity’s standing up for a lawless, socialist welfare queen.  Sean Hannity has one job: to keep people who were wrong about everything for the last 20 years thinking they’ve been right about everything. His show is like an IV drip for denial for the ‘get off my lawn’ demographic.”  -- comedian John Fugelsang on last night's Hardball (with Steve Kornaki guest hosting), mocking Hannity's embrace of nut job mooching rancher Cliven Bundy.

Mr. Roboto Picture of the Day

On his visit to Japan, President Obama had an opportunity to see the latest in Japanese robotic technology -- humanoid robot ASIMO at Tokyo's impressive Miraikan Science Museum.  They kicked a soccer ball back and forth and exchanged pleasantries.

No word on whether the President took the golden opportunity to say, "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto."

(photo:  Associated Press)

The Right's New Racist Hero

The right-wing media, led by the Fux Channel's smug thug Sean "Heil" Hannity, might be toning down their cheerleading for Nevada's freeloading cattle rancher Cliven "Hoof" Bundy after they hear what that Government-hating clown had to say about "The Negro":

“I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro…they didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.  And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do? They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.” (emphasis added)

There's little doubt that the armed right-wing militia / sovereign citizen racists will continue to back Cliven Hoof's lawbreaking because they share his racist views.   But what about Rethug politicians who stepped into Cliven's cow pie before checking him out?  For example, Texas' Rethug Gov. and LensCrafter model Rick "Oops" Perry, who gave a shout-out to Cliven Hoof and who wants to stoke anti-Federal land management resentment in Texas.  Will Oops renounce the racist rancher's statements,  or simply pretend he didn't hear them and move on?  Bets, anyone?

UPDATE I:  We learned that just minutes after posting, Oops declined to denounce Cliven Hoof's racist statements.  Ladies and gentlemen, your current crop of Rethuglican Presidential candidates.

UPDATE II:  The Fuxers are maintaining radio silence on the Cliven Hoof affair while they figure out how to spin their hero's racism.  Surprised?

Public Support for Another ACA Feature

As some Dem candidates in 2014 begin to emerge from a fetal position on the Affordable Care Act (see our post yesterday), they are discovering that a majority of Americans favor the key features of the Act -- coverage for pre-existing conditions, no lifetime caps, and Medicaid expansion are three that come to mind.  Now, the Journal of the American Medical Association has polled Americans on the provision that requires companies to provide comprehensive birth control coverage, and Surprise! it's favored by 70% of the public, including a majority of Catholics.  The Catholic Church and right-wing evangelicals have fought the provision, claiming that it violates freedom of religion.  A wingnut-owned business, Hobby Lobby, has taken the U.S. to court over its objection to providing health insurance with that provision.

As Dems find their voice on defending affordable health insurance for Americans, and pointing out their Rethuglican opponents don't have an alternative plan, they may prove the Rethug-wired pundits wrong in 2014 who had forecasted the Act would prove to be an albatross.

Mid-Week Lydian Song

The Lydian Collective are four London-based British jazz / modern fusion musicians, playing keyboards/Music Production Controller, guitar, bass and drums/percussion. ("Lydian" refers to a particular jazz theory).  Here's their studio recording of "Thirty One."

Sen. Landrieu: Obamacare and Medicaid Benefits "Worth Fighting For"

Generally, Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu isn't a Democrat we quote approvingly, but in an interview with Greg Sargent, Landrieu comes out swinging in favor of Medicaid expansion in Louisiana and supporting (but "fixing") Obamacare.  Here's a portion of the interview (our emphasis added):

"[Not expanding Medicaid] would be a real setback for the people of Louisiana, many of whom are working 30, 40, 50 hours a week but find themselves caught in the Jindal gap because the state refuses to expand health care options to the working poor at little to no expense,” Landrieu told me, referring to Governor Bobby Jindal’s opposition to the expansion. [snip] 

“[Obamacare's] a solid law that needs improvement,” Landrieu said. “My opponent offers nothing but repeal, repeal, and repeal. And even with all the law’s setbacks, we’re seeing benefits for thousands of people in Louisiana.” 

“I think the benefits that people have received are worth fighting for...”

That's right, Senator, they ARE worth fighting for.  Let's hope you and other Democrats up for election this year (or not) fight for these humane and progressive laws and benefits, because that's a winning strategy.

"The Brainwashing Of My Dad"

There's a documentary being funded through Kickstarter called "The Brainwashing Of My Dad"which is about the effects of a multi-year diet of right-wing hate radio, Fox "News," and other right-wing media on the father of Jen Senko. It's a project deserving of our support (go to the Kickstarter page for more information and to contribute). Here's the trailer:

Earth Day 2014

Scanning today's news, there's virtually no mention of today being Earth Day.  Not the New York Times, not the formerly great Washington Post Bezos Bugle.  Nada.  The relentless climate change denialism from the fossil fuel empire and the right-wing have seemed to dilute what used to be a significant day of action and (as they used to say) consciousness raising.  For example, you have idiotic measures like the one in red state Oklahoma that would charge a fee for anyone installing solar panels.  Gotta make solar energy less competitive, so that we can continue to dole out oil depletion allowances.

When the Earth's carbon dioxide level has reached the highest level in millions of years,  it's not a coincidence, despite deniers' attempts to de-link human activity from the greenhouse effect.  But when well-financed entities insist on endlessly "debating" a scientifically settled issue, stalling so that their profits can be gained well into the future, the smog over Earth Day won't go away anytime soon.

More Hannity Insanity

One of the most vocal boosters of freeloading Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's lawlessness and the right-wing militias behind him is the utterly execrable Fux Channel thug Sean "Heil" Hannity.  But as Jon Stewart pointed out last night, Heil, like his man Bundy, likes to pick and choose which laws he supports and obeys.  It's one thing for Heil to be a hypocrite, but it's another to be a dangerously reckless one.  Check it out:

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

BONUS: Bundy's claimed that his family has owned his ranch since the 1870s. That's turned out to be a flat out lie: his family bought the property in 1948, and only the water rights transferred, not the Federal lands surrounding it.

Cardinal Dolan - The Face Of What's Still Wrong With The Catholic Church

The moral midget who protected pedophile priests and hid money intended for victims of that sexual abuse while Archbishop of Milwaukee, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, was asked about the pending Supreme Court Hobby Lobby case on "Face the Nation" Sunday.  Dolan, known as the Republican Party's Cardinal, offered his support to the plaintiffs and then pulled this straight out of his ample ass:

“Is the ability to buy contraceptives, that are now widely available — my Lord, all you have to do is walk into a 7-11 or any shop on any street in America and have access to them — is that right to access those and have them paid for, is that such a towering good that it would suffocate the rights of conscience?”  (our emphasis)

A Sem'n'Elemen? Jeez, those contraceptives must've been hiding behind the Slim Jims.  We'll have to look more closely next time.  But, if they're out, we're sure "any shop on any street" will have them.

As for "the right of conscience," this hack has no moral authority to talk about "conscience" in the first place.  What gall.

What does it take to get someone like this overfed huckster "retired" to the Old Reprobates Home?

What Seems To Be The Problem?

News item:  NBC hired a psychologist to interview Press the Meat host and Karl Rove's dancing partner David "Dancin' Dave" Gregory's friends and family.  NBC is alarmed about the slide in the iconic Sunday program's ratings from first to third, and may be concerned that the pressure is getting to Dancin' Dave.  A year ago, Dancin' Dave made news for his unneighborly outburst at people parking in his wealthy neighborhood in northwest DC who were there to view an award-winning home.  Short fuse, sense of entitlement, sociopathic behavior.   Hmmm, maybe NBC needs to reassign Dancin' Dave to a less stressful job, say, covering the Westminster Dog Show, and save money on the shrinks.

BONUS:  Meanwhile, NBC could have saved whatever coin it paid for the shrinkage if it had asked the advice of Kaili Joy Gray over at Wonkette.  Here's a small , but pithy, sample, of her psychoanalysis wisdom:

NBC could explore the widespread rumor that Gregory is Awful Terrible The Worst at allowing his guests, especially — totally coincidentally, we are sure — his conservative guests to spew whatever stupid they want without actually challenging them on their “facts” or demonstrating even a kindergarten level of knowledge about, well, gosh, anything.

Today's Tomorrow Cartoon - Sagebrush Seditionists

(click to enlarge)

(Tom Tomorrow, via Daily Kos)

Worth reading:  the University of Michigan's (Go Blue) Juan Cole on calling these far-right cretins and their "militia" gun fondlers what they are:  domestic terrorists.

The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You

Texas Governor and future Just For Men spokesmodel Rick "Oops" Perry (R- Secessionland) is finishing up his final several months in office.  His run for the Rethug nomination in 2012 failed miserably when he exposed himself as a cocky doofus who couldn't remember which three Federal agencies he would close.  Recently, he's been making the rounds at right-wing events and signaling that he's strongly considering another run for President in 2016 (he's even added horn-rimmed glasses to his wardrobe to appear smarter).

But Oops' intellectual shortcomings may not be the biggest hurdle (especially in the Stupid Party):  a grand jury is now considering whether Oops abused the power of his office in vetoing funding for the state's Public Integrity Office which investigates official corruption.  The jury will operate for three months, and Oops is being represented by a top defense lawyer who charges $450 per hour (all paid for by the citizens of Texas).

(photo:  Oops demonstrating he can now count to two)

Happy Holiday(s)

Yes, it's a major religious holiday for Christians, so Happy Easter to those celebrating it.  But if you're walking around in some public areas of the U.S. today, you may notice a pungent, earthy aroma, and it's not incense.  It's 420 day, the national "weed" smoking holiday, particularly in those jurisdictions that have legalized personal use of marijuana.  In Denver, Colorado, thousands of weed aficionados turned out to celebrate the state's more lenient marijuana laws.

The history behind the term "420" is too lengthy to recount here, so here's the Wiki version.

The Chilly War

Following a day in which a border incident in Ukraine left three dead, despite the agreement reached last week in Geneva for the pro-Russian separatists to stand down, there are reports that the U.S. has concluded that Vladimir "Vlad the Invader" Putin's Russia must be contained and made a pariah state. In his piece in today's New York Times, Peter Baker writes that President Obama has written off Putin as someone he can deal with, and sees a future where Russia is cut off economically and politically as a result of its destabilizing, expansionist activities in Europe and Central Asia.

There were hopes after the disintegration of the Soviet Union after the Cold War that new Russian leaders would bring their country into the fold of Western democracies.  Instead, many former Soviet apparatchiks -- including Putin -- adapted what they had learned from the Soviet system and translated it into an autocratic form of crony capitalism.  Perhaps Putin's moment in the sun at the Winter Olympics deluded him into believing the world would applaud a new Russian Empire.  Instead, the world is appalled.

Weekend Cartoons: Obamacare Derangement Syndrome

(click to enlarge)

As we note in the posting below, Rethugs and their enablers in the media are having to scramble to counter-spin the demonstrable success of the Affordable Care Act in its first year of implementation.  

(cartoons:  top, Stuart Carlson, bottom, Mike Luckovich, via Gocomics.com)

Pols and Pundits: Betting on Obamacare Failing, And Losing

Pardon our indulging in a little more schadenfreude over the success of Obamacare in its first enrollment cycle.  After years of gibberish about "death panels," tripling insurance premiums, beellions being kicked off of their insurance plans, deficit busting, and the end of Freedom in America (courtesy of right-wing media, the Koch brothers and other lying malefactors), we have millions more Americans being covered by affordable health insurance.  While the dead-ender right isn't finished with Obamacare (and will never give up), they may yet pay a price for going all-in on opposing this humane and decent achievement.  Here are snippets of some worthwhile readings:

Greg Sargent:

The announcement of eight million Obamacare sign-ups may finally be enough to jolt commentators into realizing that maybe, just maybe, the Republican plan to build an entire campaign against the law for the next six months might suffer from a few imperfections. The President, for his part, seized on the moment to urge Democratic candidates to stand proudly by the law’s achievements — and to attack Republicans for wanting to strip them away.

Josh Marshall:

On Obamacare, the Republican party has bet big on failure for four years. Now the results are in. And they lost. Big time. 

Of course, substance policy success and political outcomes aren't the same thing. And just as importantly they do not always run on the same time scale. So it is entirely possible. I would say it is likely that the GOP will still derive benefits this November from the core of voters who are extremely upset about Obamacare, extremely motivated to vote and also happen to be the same people who routinely turn out in disproportionate numbers in mid-term elections. But on the core of the policy, which I think there is good reason to believe will align with political outcomes in the future, the results are in. And they lost. 

And, finally, Lucia Graves at the National Journal calls out specific Republican journalists pundits who, in toeing the hyperbolic party line on Obamacare, are seeing their predictions of doom blow up in their smug faces.  The list of numbnuts is much longer than Graves has space or patience to cover, unfortunately =cough= Fox "News" =cough= Krauthammer =cough= Will =cough=.  Of course, the "mainstream media" is/was often complicit in peddling Republican lies in their typical "he-said, she-said" narratives (because,  as NBC's  Chuck Todd has schooled us, it's not the media's job to sort out the truth!). Nonetheless, history will surely and righteously enroll all of them in its Book of Shame.

Weekend Twofer - Beating Like a Drum

We're still exploring Beck's beautiful "Morning Phase" album, so one of our weekend songs is another rich, transcendent cut from that album, "Heart is a Drum."



Now that we've posited "heart is a drum," check out the propulsive, aerobic heart beat of Max Weinberg's drumming on Bruce Springsteen's "I'm Goin' Down," from 1984's "Born in the U.S.A." It'll get your heart pumping for the weekend (it's ok to turn up the volume).

What Harry Reid Said

“Those people who hold themselves out to be patriots are not. They’re nothing more than domestic terrorists… I repeat: what went on up there was domestic terrorism.”  --  Senate Majority Leader and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid,  referring to the lawless loons that gathered in the past week to confront Federal land management officers over freeloader nut job Cliven Bundy's illegal use of Federal land.  The rise of so-called right-wing "patriot" organizations, "sovereign" citizen groups, and militias that have delusions about violent revolt against the "gummint" -- documented by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI -- should be seen as a threat to our democracy and resisted.  Using these kooks for political theater -- as have right-wing media led by the Fux Channel -- is playing around gasoline with a lit match.  These are Timothy McVeigh wannabes itching for trouble and martyrdom, and that needs to be made clear to everyone as Sen. Reid is doing.

BONUS:  A new study focuses on the right-wing neo-Nazi "Stormfront" internet forum, whose members/ visitors have accounted for nearly100 murders in the past 5 years.

Latest Facts On Obamacare Enrollment

Your number of the day is 8 million.  From the White House (see the complete fact sheet here):

HEALTH CARE BY THE NUMBERS

8 million people signed up for private insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. For states that have Federally-Facilitated Marketplaces, 35 percent of those who signed up are under 35 years old and 28 percent are between 18 and 34 years old, virtually the same youth percentage that signed up in Massachusetts in their first year of health reform.

3 million young adults gained coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act by being able to stay on their parents plan.

3 million more people were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of February, compared to before the Marketplaces opened. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment continues year-round.

5 million people are enrolled in plans that meet ACA standards outside the Marketplace, according to a CBO estimate. When insurers set premiums for next year, they are required to look at everyone who enrolled in plans that meet ACA standards, both on and off the Marketplace.

5.7 million people will be uninsured in 2016 because 24 States have not expanded Medicaid.

Meanwhile, Republican sufferers of Obamacare Derangement Syndrome (ODS) (not covered by Obamacare!) continue to do their pathetic best to "debunk" the enrollment numbers.  Here's Steve Benen:

It’s against this backdrop that House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) issued a brief report this morning, as part of the “House Obamacare Accountability Project.” (House Republicans have actually created a formal project with its own name for their initiative to root for ACA failure.) The 1,100-word piece intends to “debunk” the encouraging news of late, but McCarthy’s indictment doesn’t actually disprove anything. It asks some questions and repeats some old, bogus talking points, but for those who’ve followed the debate closely, it’s surprisingly pretty easy to debunk the House GOP’s attempted debunking.

As President Obama noted of Republicans in his press conference today, "Their party is going through the stages of grief ... anger, denial ... we haven't reached acceptance yet."

Nor will we ever, Mr. President, as long as there's a dead-end right-winger's heart beating.  Most have never accepted the idea of Social Security or Medicaid/Medicare, with the notable exception of their own benefits, because they (as opposed to the "moochers") earned them!  As we've said before, no battle with these crackpots is ever fully won, no victory ever sealed (see:  Voting Rights Act, Citizens United, McCutcheon, etc.).  Still, when a moment like this occurs, let's enjoy a little happiness for our fellow, newly-insured Americans  (and a lot of schadenfreude for those ODS sufferers!).

Paul Shy About Defending McConnell

We know that turtle-human hybrid and silent video star Sen. Mitch "Missy" McConnell is in a tough primary with his tea bagger challenger, Matt Bevins.  If he makes it past Bevins, he faces a harder than normal race against Dem Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is neck-and-neck with Missy (when he sticks his head out of the shell).

It's with that background that we had to laugh when we saw a report that fellow Kentucky winger and Ayn Rand namesake Sen. Rand Paul ducked a request by a constituent at a community forum to explain why he supported Missy's reelection.  He told the constituent that he'd answer that question in private after the public session.  Bwahahaha!  Maybe that conversation went like this:

 "Senator Paul, why are you wearing the paper bag over your head?"  

"You asked me to explain my endorsement of McConnell, but you didn't ask me not to disguise myself!"

(photo:  Click to enlarge.  Another enthusiastic supporter for Missy McConnell!)

Whiz Kid

A Portland, OR teenager has been charged with urinating in the Mt. Tabor Reservoir, which supplies some of Portland's drinking water.  The bladder-challenged teen was also charged with trespassing, along with two other teens who were also caught yellow handed.  Urine trouble now, kids.  (Sorry).

As a result of the incident, water officials have decided to flush the reservoir's 38 million gallons due to the contamination.  That's not so funny, despite the fact that the Northwest has been getting plentiful rainfall and is not in a drought status.  Still, what a waste.

Putin's Revealing Choice of Words

Once a year, Russian autocrat-with-the-Napoleon-complex Vladimir "Vlad the Invader" Putin participates in a call-in program where Russians can ask questions (although it's obvious that the questions are pre-approved).  In response to canned questions about Crimea and Ukraine, Putin admitted for the first time that Russian troops were now in occupied Crimea assisting local militia, asserting that Russia had the right to use force in eastern Ukraine, and that the eastern region of Ukraine had traditionally been part of Russia, referring to it as "New Russia."   Tens of thousands of Russian forces are positioned near the border with Ukraine, as pro-Russian agitators and Russian operatives continue to seize buildings, attack police stations, etc.

In a thinly-veiled jab at the U.S., Vlad the Invader took a call-in from Putin's honored guest and Ron Paul enthusiast Edward "Shoot My Balls" Snowden, who tossed a softball to his host, asking him if Russia -- wink wink -- used mass surveillance of the kind the NSA uses.  Of course not, Vlad replied presumably with a straight face, adding that Russia didn't have the capability (if only they did, Vlad might be wishing).  We're thinking after that performance, Snowden might be expecting to stay in his adopted country a while longer -- willingly or not.

UPDATE:  Putin's thugs in eastern Ukraine have a Passover message for Jewish citizens.  This "New Russia" is starting to resemble "Old Germany."

(Image:  They have Czar outfits in the boy's wear department?)

"Let's Play Two!"

A fun night at the ballpark for fans of "Seinfeld:"

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the first "Seinfeld" show, the New York Mets' Class A affiliate in Brooklyn will host "Seinfeld Night" in July. 

The first 2,500 fans in attendance at MCU Park on July 5 will receive a Keith Hernandez "Magic Loogie" bobblehead, commemorating the episode in which Kramer and Newman accused the former Mets first baseman of spitting at them after a game. 

Seinfeld famously defended Hernandez by introducing the "Magic Loogie Theory." The episode was in 1992, but the original pilot, called "Seinfeld Chronicles," aired on July 5, 1989. 

For the game, the team will rename its stadium Vandelay Industries Park, after the latex company George tells the unemployment office he might work for. The Cyclones say people who present legitimate business cards showing they are latex salesmen will get in for free. 

Thanks to Newman, mailmen in uniform will throw out the first pitch. Fans will have a chance to take part in an eating contest featuring cereal, Jerry's favorite food, and there will be a dancing contest where fans will try to "dance" just like Elaine. To commemorate one of Jerry's most awkward moments, the Cyclones will wear puffy shirts during batting practice.

 If you're going to the game, stay away from the pretzels - they'll make you thirsty.

Free Lunch Patriot Cartoon of the Day

(click to enlarge)

One of the great delusions on the right is that you can get something for nothing when it comes to wanting a powerful military without paying taxes to support it (and to support the wounded warriors that return home). It's also why wingnuts think it's OK for freeloading private rancher Cliven Bundy to graze his cattle on public land for 20 years and not pay grazing fees like other ranchers do.

(cartoon:  Jim Morin, Miami Herald, via Gocomics.com)

Mirror Mirror Quote of the Day

"When President Vladimir Putin of Russia talks about what is happening in Ukraine these days, it is as if he’s looking into a mirror. He says fascists and nationalists are running amok in Kiev, even as Crimea is annexed in the name of Great Russia; he says Russians are threatened in eastern Ukraine, even as Russia directs secessionists there to seize administrative buildings and arms; he calls on President Obama to use his influence to prevent the use of force in Ukraine, even as he puts a major military force on the Ukrainian border." -- editorial in today's New York Times.

With Ukrainian military forces on the move in the eastern part of the country, serious clashes with pro-Russian separatists and covert Russian special forces already in Ukraine are inevitable, creating a pretext for Putin to send troops into Ukraine.  NATO is responding by positioning defensive forces in the Baltic and elsewhere in Eastern Europe as a signal to Russia.  Tense times.

Reassessing Violent Groups on the Right

In the past few days, the tense armed standoff in Nevada between Federal law enforcement officers and armed self-styled "patriot" militia, and the murder of three people outside Jewish facilities in Overland, Kansas by a white supremacist have put the spotlight on the extremist right wing in this country.  As Rachel Maddow pointed out in last night's broadcast, monitoring and combatting homegrown terrorism on the far right receives scant resources and attention compared with international terrorism.

Back in 2009, a report by the Department of Homeland Security that had been commissioned by the Bush Administration noted the rise of self-styled "patriot" groups, armed militias, neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations.  The right wing establishment was quick to denounce the report, despite its origins in the Bush Administration, as a sign of hostility of the 3-month old Obama Administration to "conservatives."  As Esquire's Charles P. Pierce notes, the events of the past week should caution us not to dismiss the warning signs that were raised five years ago.

Mid-Week Pop Song

Scottish synth-pop trio Chvrches (pronounced Churches) is well known in the UK, and is getting more notice here, especially after their 2013 top ten recording, "The Mother We Share."

Sagebrush Moochers, Cont. - A Thug Is A Thug Is A Thug

Read this sentence from today's once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle on the situation in Ukraine, where we've bracketed several words we've added for effect:

In a nation of 44 [315] million, it became clear that a few hundred men, operating on the eastern [western] fringes of the country with guns and unmarked uniforms, have brought the Ukraine [United States] to a deeply dangerous juncture.

The words in brackets refer to the U.S. population, the western (Nevada) region, respectively.

Whether you're operating in the Ukraine or on Cliven Bundy's ranch, a thug is a thug is a thug.

UPDATE:  Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) had this to say about the Sagebrush Moochers in his State:

“Well, it’s not over,” Reid told KRNV-TV on Monday.  “We can’t have an American people that violate the law and then just walk away from it. So it’s not over.”

Our Broken Media, Cillizza Edition

The formerly great Washington Post Bezos Bugle's political pundit and member in good standing of the Beltway Village Chris "Cillizard" Cillizza is rightfully being taken to task by Salon's Simon Maloy and, by extension Esquire's Charles P. Pierce, for his ridiculous notion that his job as a "journalist" is not to correct an erroneous perception when it trumps reality, but to simply to report on the erroneous perception.   Case in point:  the perception from months ago that the Affordable Care Act is bound to fail, due to the botched "Obamacare" roll-out,  must trump all subsequent news to the contrary (e.g., the latest Congressional Budget Office report shows the ACA is succeeding).  Cillizard is one of the Beltway Village's most reliable "both sides are to blame" ink wasters (along with the stenographers at Politico), and represents a broken media that is supposed to fact check, tell the truth, and keep the record straight, but which instead concerns itself with perception, who won the media cycle, and political spin.

(Image: "Missed it by that much!")

Sagebrush Moochers, Cont.

The recent lawlessness in Nevada by a small army of wannabe Timothy McVeighs over a freeloading rancher's long-term illegal use of public property has surfaced one revealing nugget of information:  the right-wing militia types were prepared to use women as human shields in a potential gun battle with the Feds.  The cowards believed that the resulting images of carnage would spark outrage and greater rebellion against the Government.

Many if not most of the militia types came from other states, itching for a violent confrontation with Federal officers in a situation that they didn't have a real stake in.  The fact that they were contemplating  such a sick action as using women as human shields speaks volumes about their sociopathic perversity.

Boston's Marathon Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, in which three people were killed and over 200 injured, many losing limbs and suffering other severe injuries.  Events commemorating the bombing will occur during the day, including a moment of silence led by President Obama from the White House.

In the year that's passed, the city has rebounded (everyone knows what "Boston Strong" stands for), the survivors have shown tremendous courage in their recovery, the city's beloved Red Sox won the World Series, and the 118th Boston Marathon will be run on April 21.  Nearly a million spectators -- double from last year -- and some 36,000 runners are expected.  We hope they have, as they say in Boston, "a wicked good time."

(photo:  Boston Marathon Facebook page)

Obamacare Update: Looks Like Republicans Will Have To Redefine "Failure"...Again

Let's see the latest Congressional Budget Office report on Obamacare.

Hmmm...  Lower net costs to Federal Government than previously projected.  More insured than previously projected.  Lower premiums for Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) plans than previously projected.

If that's "failure," may the Democrats "fail" in the same manner in the fall elections.

Today's Tomorrow Cartoon - The Flight of American Democracy Edition

Where'd it go?!

(click to enlarge)

It wasn't just Sheldon Adelson's tuchas that got trench rot from all the wet Republican lips;  the recent New Hampshire Freedumb Summit/ Plutocrat Fest co-sponsored by Citizens United and the Koch brothers' Americans for Plutocrat Prosperity attracted Tailgunner Ted Cruz, Aqua Buddha Paul, Rump Trump, and Rev. Huck (who managed to jump the shark, if that's even possible in today's Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party).  That's some sucking up, you betcha!

(Tom Tomorrow, via gocomics.com)

Foot In Mouth Quote of the Day

"She is the third senator from Massachusetts,”  smear artist and former Rethug Gov. of New Hampshire John "Nonono" Sununu, referring to incumbent Dem New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen.   This comment wouldn't be notable if Nonono wasn't campaigning for former Massachusetts Sen. Scott "Centerfold" Brown, a true carpetbagger in New Hampshire now running for the Rethug nomination to oppose Shaheen.  He literally would be the "third senator from Massachusetts" if he was nominated and, perish the thought, elected.  Not much chance of that, if Shaheen's current 10 point lead over Brown holds.

Fo' Rizzle Dip Shizzles!

Check out last night's Saturday Night Live cold open, featuring the "New Face of the Republican Party" at the Coachella Music Festival.  Bwahahaha.

Sagebrush Moochers

In recent days, a small storm of violence has erupted in Nevada over a renegade rancher's refusal to pay some $1 million he owes in public land grazing fees to American taxpayers.  A Federal court has ordered the Bureau of Land Management to round up millionaire rancher Cliven "Cliven Hoof" Bundy's cattle until the fees are paid.   After BLM agents enforced the court order, the wingnut tom-toms were sounded, and as many as 1,500 assorted right-wing militia, "sovereign citizen," and other AK-47 toting radicals descended on little Bunkerville, NV in an act of lawlessness.  Poor Cliven Hoof:  denied a freebie by the Gummint he despises.

It's ironic that many of the radicals would be the first to call for military intervention by the U.S. almost anywhere in the world (and particularly in the Middle East), but don't want to pay taxes that go in large part to support the men and women of the armed forces when they're in harm's way and after they return home and require care.  Same story with medical research, etc.  They don't want to pay taxes that they owe as part of their U.S. citizenship responsibilities, and they don't mind shifting the burden to you and me while yelling about their "patriotism."

Violence in Eastern Ukraine Escalates

Events in the eastern region of Ukraine continue to escalate, as pro-Russian thugs (and possibly Russian special forces operating without insignia) foment unrest and seize government buildings.  The latest violence occurred in Slovyansk, where Ukrainian police were attacked by heavily armed and masked gunmen.  Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops and military assets along the border with Ukraine in an attempt to intimidate the interim Ukrainian government, apparently looking for a pretext to seize parts of eastern Ukraine.  It's very much the same pattern as prior to the Crimean takeover, and should deeply trouble those wanting an independent, European Union-aligned Ukraine.

(photo:  Associated Press.  The hidden face of Russia's intent.)

Today's Cartoon - Republican Female Voter Outreach Edition

(click to enlarge)

(Matt Davies, via gocomics.com)

Republicans On Obamacare: Rooting For Failure, And Losing

Here's some worthwhile Saturday morning reading on the consequences of Republicans' nihilistic approach to affordable health care (actually, government in general), and how they've painted themselves into (another) corner because of a selfish, ideology-based refusal to accept reality.

From Brian Beutler:

The Affordable Care Act's enrollment comeback has confounded conservatives in many ways. The realization that there happens to be popular demand for something as self-evidently grotesque as Obamacare has given rise to a palpable cognitive dissonance on the right. A growing recognition among Republicans that they can't bank on organizing the midterm campaign around relentless Obamacare opposition has party elders looking at contingency plans (even if they haven't exactly gone back to the drawing board). 

But most importantly, it has thrown the conservative health policy community for a loop, and completely wrong-footed Republicans in Congress who were hoping -- against considerable odds and a well-worn historical pattern -- to craft an Obamacare alternative that both passes the laugh test and doesn't create a significantly lower level of welfare. If enrollment had sputtered, that task would have been considerably easier. The fact it surged in March, and continues to grow today, measurably limits their options.  (our emphasis)

From Greg Sargent:

Last fall, as the law got underway and as the website then crashed, the Republican position was essentially that the law was fatally flawed (nobody wanted it, supposedly) and thus would inevitably fail to fulfill its own goals. Now that the law has hit enrollment targets, and evidence comes in that it is for now on track, the Republican position is that the law is a failure even if it is more or less doing what it was designed to do — cover a lot more people. Indeed, one way to describe the GOP position is that Republicans think the law is an inherent failure precisely because it is doing what it was designed to do. 

The Republican position — that the law can’t work by definition – is essentially an admission that Republicans simply don’t support doing what Obamacare sets out to do: Expand coverage to the number of people the law hopes to cover, through a combination of increased government oversight over the health system and — yep — spending money. The GOP focus on only those being negatively impacted by the law, and the aggressive hyping of cancellations into “millions” of full blown “horror stories” – combined with the steadfast refusal to acknowledge the very existence of the law’s beneficiaries — is, at bottom, just another way to fudge the actual GOP position: Flat out opposition to doing what it takes to expand health care to lots and lots of people.  (our emphasis)

The Republican id:  lack of empathy for others.  We see it in the right's inability to relate to affordable health care for others, income inequality, voting rights for minorities, women's reproductive rights, and on and on.  Last August, Sean McElwee posted an article on the Republican empathy void.  Here's his conclusion:

Most social phenomenons can't be pegged to a single event. But the Republican Party's shift from empathy to disgust and from viewing government as a force for good to a necessary evil, although developing for a long time, is aptly summarized in two lines from Ronald Reagan's "A Time for Choosing" speech. The great orator said, "Each year the need grows greater; the program grows greater. We were told four years ago that 17 million people went to bed hungry each night. Well that was probably true. They were all on a diet. But now we're told that 9.3 million families in this country are poverty-stricken on the basis of earning less than 3,000 dollars a year." This was much more radical then than it seems now. Poverty, had for decades been, "not a trait of character," but rather something,  "created anew in each generation, but not by heredity but by circumstances." Now it was a choice, not something to war against, but something to mock. As Noam Chomsky noted, some victims are considered "worthy" and others "unworthy." With those simple words, Reagan created a large class of "unworthy" victims that do not deserve our help or empathy. Government, he decided could not help them. Is it any wonder that inequality began its increase under Reagan and has spiraled out of control ever since?  (our emphasis)

Of course, this Republican id existed before St. Ronnie of Hollywood put a happy face on it.  It goes back before Father Coughlin, Ayn Rand, the John Birchers (hello, Daddy Koch!), Robert Taft, and Barry Goldwater.

In historical terms, there is no greater oxymoron than "compassionate conservative."