Not-Even-Close-To-Heaven West Virginia

Republican legislators in the West Virginia  Virginny House of Delegates want you to know they ain't gonna allow no one to give Obamacare to no one:

In another salvo against the federal Affordable Care Act, some Republicans in West Virginia’s House of Delegates want to make it a crime for state and federal officials to enforce the health-care law. 

Under the GOP-backed bill (HB2509), federal employees would face felony charges, while state workers would be arrested for a misdemeanor offense, if they try to administer any federal regulations under the Affordable Care Act. The legislation also declares the federal health-care law “invalid” in West Virginia. [snip]

Six House Republicans are sponsoring the bill: Delegates Larry Faircloth, Pat McGeehan, Michel Moffatt, Kayla Kessinger, Michael Ihle and Josh Nelson. Most belong to the House’s tea party faction. 

But aren't you slack-jawed knuckledraggers folks forgetting something?

The House Health and Human Resources Committee took up the bill Tuesday afternoon. In response to questions by House Democrats, the committee’s lawyer acknowledged it would be difficult — and possibly unconstitutional — to prosecute state and federal workers who administered ACA regulations. The attorney also agreed that the legislation could jeopardize health insurance for thousands of West Virginians. (our emphasis)

Yeah, that's it -  The Constitution.  Also, see "War, Civil."

Not surprisingly, West Virginny ranks Number 8 among States in its dependence on the Federal Government.  These moochers folks get 35.5 percent of their revenue from the Federal Government. But, of course, that's revenue that's been earned by hard-working (white) West Virginnians, unlike the Obamacare assistance provided by the black Kenyan usurper President Obama, right?

BONUS:  Charles P. Pierce has the full panoply of Republican nuttery going on in West Virginny here. (Hint: West Virginny might be hazardous to your health.)

(Image:  Unidentified West Virginny Republican Delegate)

Econ 101, Rethug-Style

From Nobel laureate word salad shooter, half-term governor and full-time grifter Sarah Palin, Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, talking about Gummint "free stuff" (presumably things "the moochers" like, such as Medicare, Social Security, and Obamacare):

"This free stuff, so seductive. Why do you think marketers use free stuff to bring people in? Free stuff is such a strong marketing ploy.  But didn't you all learn too in Econ 101 there ain't no such thing as a free lunch? Our free stuff today is being paid for by taking money from our children and borrowing from China.  When that note comes due -- and this isn't racist.. but it's going to be like slavery when that note is due. We are going to be beholden to a foreign master. Because there is no plan coming out of Washington, D.C. to stop the incurrence of debt."

My I.Q. dropped 10 points just having to read that.

(Photo:  If we buy you another Big Gulp, will you please just go away?)

Today's Cartoon

(click to enlarge)

Society as Republicans would have it.

(Tom Toles, Bezos Bugle)

Moocher Alert: Get Your Government Hands Off My Food Stamps!

From Bloomberg News (via Daily Kos):

Among the 254 counties where food stamp recipients doubled between 2007 and 2011, Republican Mitt Romney won 213 of them in last year’s presidential election, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data compiled by Bloomberg. Kentucky’s Owsley County, which backed Romney with 81 percent of its vote, has the largest proportion of food stamp recipients among those that he carried. [...]

The Bloomberg review of 2,049 counties where the data was available included the 250 with the highest concentration of food stamp recipients. Among that group, 227 are wholly within one congressional district, with 160 represented by Republicans and 67 by Democrats.

Of course, unlike food stamp recipients that are moochers Democrats, these good moochers folks earned their food stamps!