Quote of the Day - "Deluded Republican Reformers"

How to go about saving the Rethuglican Party from itself?  Michael Tomasky notes recent attempts by right-wing pundits to offer solutions, but it's Tomasky who hits the nail on the head over and over in his excellent piece:

"We all know the problem. It’s Rush Limbaugh and his imitators and Roger Ailes and his network. They drive this hatred daily, and they intentionally misinform and lie; you think it’s an accident that polls always find Fox viewers the least connected to empirical reality? Pushing this fury and constructing this alternate reality is great for business. But it’s horrible for America. And the “serious” conservative pundits by and large try to pretend it doesn’t exist, or it’s not that bad, or MSNBC does the same thing in reverse. Well, it does exist, it is that bad, and no, MSNBC does not do the same thing in reverse. MSNBC has an agenda, but it doesn’t craft its messages in such a way as to make its viewers hate half the country." (our emphasis)

When you have a base that has been on the receiving end of lies, distortions and hate for, in some cases, half a century,  it's hard to turn things around in one or two election cycles.  There would have to be a concerted, sustained effort by those in the party who are truly alarmed at the extremism to introduce their base to reality.  Disconnecting those people from their cherished prejudices and insane conspiracy theories means undoing the conscious efforts of the right-wing activists who captured the party apparatus decades ago in order to build just such an angry, driven political base.  Will they "unplug" hate radio and the Fox "News" machine?  We don't think that's likely in the forseeable future, if ever.

BONUS:  Stephen Colbert skewers just the kind of nonsense Tomasky's talking about (for which we awarded Ben "Dover" Shapiro*  of Breitbart.com "Wanker of the Week").
* That never gets old.

More on Rethuglican "Facelift Follies"

We have two more takes on the recent effort to re-brand the New Confederate/ Rethuglican/ Stupid Party, and on the growing civil war between the refined "establishment" Rethugs (eg., Karl "Turdblossom" Rove) and the raw teatard base. First Mr. Pierce:

"If the Republicans are allowed to pull off this bit of trompe d'oeil, nothing about American politics will improve. They will be encouraged, as they have been for 40 years, to surround their retrograde policy ideas with misdirection and distraction, as they profit from nativism and xenophobia and paranoid fantasies while pretending they are not."

Now, Michael Tomasky:

"The Rove–Tea Party feud is a joyous thing to watch. Rove, after an utterly disastrous run around the track in 2012, is now suckering people into writing him checks for a new outfit that will allegedly hold the zanies at bay, filter out the Sharron Angles and Richard Mourdocks of the world, and promote electable conservatives. [snip]

"This is the Republican problem. The basic organizing principle of Republican campaigns for 40 years now has been: they are coming. They’ve mixed in a little positive stuff. Ronald Reagan did that well, Bush Sr. had his thousand points of light, Bush Jr. his ownership society. But fundamentally Republicans have won elections by telling the white majority that 'they' are coming after your money and status and privilege."

The phrase "hoisted on your own petard" occurs to us in observing the Stupid Party's travails. It has carefully nurtured the basest emotions in people, fostered ignorance and bigotry, and set Americans against Americans -- all for the sole purpose of winning elections, or more brutally, power. That ignoble history is now coming back to bite these charlatans with a vengeance. Good, let's have more of it.

Monday Reading

As a service to our readers on this Memorial Day, we have culled through thousands of news and opinion articles to find the pithiest political punditry.

-- Michael Hirsh writes about a party that's lost it's way, and one particular dimbulb who loves playing a role more than anything else.

-- Do the powerful here and and around the world care about joblessness? Or are they determined to convince themselves that nothing can be done, and it's okay? Paul Krugman answers.

-- If you're looking for a perfect example of the Rethuglican-wired media inside the Beltway, look no further than yesterday's "Press the Meat" with Dancin' David Gregory (a.k.a., the "establishmentarian testicle cozy" -- check out this amplifying piece by Driftglass).

Keep saying to yourselves, "All is not lost, all is not lost..."

Paul Wins CPAC Straw Poll... Again

For the second straight year, far-right libertarian Rep. Ron "Sprinklerhead's Dad" Paul (Rethug?-TX) won the straw poll at the Crackpot... er, Conservative Political Action Conference. With 3,742 votes cast, Paul garnered 30% of the votes, with Willard/Fluff/Flip Flop Mittens Romney second at 23%. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, whose issue over the past several years has been legalizing weed, was third (!) at 6%. Where did the over-inflated egos finish that are normally at the top of the "mainstream media's" list of Very Serious Candidates for Preznit? Hee-hee: Poot Gingrich, 5%; Tim "No Good 'N'" Pawlenty, 4%; Mama Fizzly, 3%; and Huckleberry Mike Huckabee, 2%!!! Bwahahahaha! Oh yeah, that's "conservative stool" alright!

(Image: Ron Paul, right, and Paultard -- or is it conservative stool?)

These "Young Guns" Are Old Farts

The National Rethuglican Congressional Committee is in the business of recruiting new candidates to run for seats in Congress. Their aim is to "mobilize a new generation of conservative leadership," and they're calling them "Young Guns." Looking at a Daily Beast story, via Think Progress, it looks like "new generation" in Rethuglican-speak means "Geritol generation": the average age of the so-called "Young Guns" is almost 50, and more than half of the 22 members are over 50 and eligible for AARP membership. Bwahahahaha!

Voter demographics are not working in the Rethuglican / New Confederate Party's favor, with more young people and growing minority populations identifying as Democrats. So while the "Young Guns" would seem to reflect the essence of the Geriatric Ol' Party, it's really bad news for them in the long run. Again, bwahahahaha!

Teabaggers Dump Maine Rethug Platform

Good news for Sens. (for "sensible?") Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and all loyal Maine Rethugs! At the Rethug convention in Maine yesterday, teabaggers and Paultards succeeded in scrapping the existing right-wing platform and replacing it with... well, you be the judge.

Can this be anything but good news for the Rethugs?! Isn't it always?!

Crist to Bolt Rethuglicans?

According to reports, expect Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to announce this afternoon that he's going to drop out of the Rethug primary (which he's losing badly to far right, tea baggin' Marco "Boobie-o" Rubio) and run for Senate as an independent. Such a 3-way race increases the odds of two outcomes that are unfavorable to the Rethuglicans and their base (tea baggers): Crist wins as an independent (who knows, he might caucus with the Dems in the Senate), or Democrat Kendrick Meeks wins (much less likely, but more possible now). Meanwhile, the Rethugs just lost a guy who was one of the top candidates for their VP nomination in 2008. Speaks volumes about the extremists calling the tune on the right these days.

What Tweety Said

Last night on "Hardball," Tweety closed with his view of the role reversal between the Democratic and Rethug parties from Lincoln thru the Civil Rights movement to now. Wish it could've been an hour, but this will do.

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

Tweety Bonus: Referring to the deranged Boo Hoo the Hoot Beck on his show tonight, Tweety said, "Isn't it amazing how you can make a good living talking like a guy on the commuter train after 3 drinks."

Frank Rich Hits It On The Head - Again

It wouldn't be Sunday without a superb analysis by the NY Times' Frank Rich. This week, he sums up the past 2-plus years of right wing hysteria, its antecedents and its prospects. Must read.

Quote of the Weekend

"This is the largest tax bill in history," the Republican leader fumed. The reform "is unjust, unworkable, stupidly drafted and wastefully financed."

And that wasn't all. This "cruel hoax," he said, this "folly" of "bungling and waste," compared poorly to the "much less expensive" and "practical measures" favored by the Republican Party.

"We must repeal," the GOP leader argued. "The Republican Party is pledged to do this."

-- Alf Landon, in a September 1936 campaign speech talking about Social Security (quoted in the Dickwhisperer's Kaplan Daily column appearing on Sunday). Alf went on to lose to socialistdemocommiefascist FDR in an historic landslide, carrying only Maine and Vermont.

On the eve of the historic health care reform vote, may this hearten Democrat jellyfish and be a foretelling of the Rethug future.

Caution Flags on the Right

First, it was George "Quill" Will's op/ed on the never- to- be- President Sarah Palin and her brand of faux populism. Today it's Mushroom Cloud Gerson on the tea baggers who are not only misinformed (all of them), but deranged (many of them). When Will, Gerson and some of the other opinion leaders of the flea circus that constitutes current right-wing politics start noticing they're beginning to itch, it's worth noting. The media/ punditocracy conventional wisdom that the Rethugs are absolutely, positively going to blow away the Dems in November (more than 8 months away mind you) ignores what is obvious to many others: that what we're witnessing on the right is a festering, fragmented extremism (see CPAC, here, here, and here, for example), encouraged by "leaders" who ultimately may not be able to control the pitchfork crowd. Unless, of course, the Dems snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory by not passing health care reform and more, successful economic stimulus measures.

Post Election Punditry 101

Winners:
candidates who didn't distance themselves from Obama (Cong.-elect Owens, NY-23);
Rethugs who didn't invite Sarah Palin to campaign for them (McDonnell, Christie);
Rethugs who ran ads incorporating Obama and his hope message (Christie);
Rethugs who didn't display their party label and ran to the "middle" (McDonnell and Christie).

Losers:
candidates who distanced themselves from Obama and his programs (Deeds);
Rethugs who backed far-right Doug "Crazy Eyes" Hoffman in NY-23 (Palin, Pawlenty, the Tea Baggers, etc.);
candidates with Goldman Sachs/ Wall Street bloodlines (Corzine);
oh, and Doughy Pantload's bro'.

NY-23 Fallout

Steve Benen has a good summary of the potential fallout from moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava's withdrawal from the special election in NY-23, leaving the field to tea bag/ wingnut candidate Doug "Crazy Eyes" Hoffman. Embedded within Benen's piece is a pithy quote from Frank Rich. May the Rethug tent continue to shrink itself!

UPDATE: Scozzafava has now endorsed Democrat Bill Owens for the seat over wingnutty Hoffman, as has the district's largest newspaper, the Watertown Daily Times, which originally backed Scozzafava.

(Photo: Doug "Crazy Eyes" Hoffman, pure-bred wingnut.)

Rethug Party Identification In The Toilet

The new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that only 20% of Americans identified themselves as Rethuglicans, the lowest percentage in the 26 years the question has been asked. Other findings indicate that only 19% trust the Rethugs to make the right decisions for the country's future, compared to the President at 49% trust.

Crosswalk over to Sully - he's got a quick hit on Chris "Conventional Wisdom" Cilizza's take on the poll. Hee hee.

(image: A Rethuglican defibrillator)

The Rump is Smaller Than We Thought

According to a new Gallup Poll, there are now 29 States plus DC with a "sizable" Democratic registration advantage, as opposed to only 4 with a sizable Rethug registration advantage. Note this is only registration, but it continues to highlight the problem Rethugs have with identification with their rump party -- even a number of Southern states they typically carry show sizable registration advantages for Dems. Now if we can only get those Dems to vote Democrat and get to the polls on Election Day...

(h/t to Germantown correspondent Brian)

"Ass of the Week" Elected Young Rethug Chair

Former (and still champion) "Ass of the Week" Audra Shay has been elected chair of the "Young" Republicans by a vote of 470-415. The small-bore racist's election was characterized as resulting from "sexual innuendo" against her 20-something rival, Rachel Hoff, "intimidation," and "near fist-fights" on the floor of the convention.

While one delegate said Shay's election would "set the party back 30 years," we would like to introduce a little reality into this spectacle. We have long called the Republican Party the "Rethugs" for good reason. The party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower was captured years ago, lock- stock- and barrel by the most extremist right-wing fringe -- exclusive of the Aryan Nation/ White Power movement. Now we're not so sure there's a line distinguishing them from each other.

They're know-nothing, "no"-everything thugs. Period. End of story.

Snowe News Is Good News?

Those trying to read the political impact of Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party can add some Greek spices to the soup in the form of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who today said she was "devastated" by Specter's move, adding:

"I believe in the traditional tenets of the Republican Party: strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, individual opportunity. I haven't abandoned those principles...I think the Republican Party has abandoned those principles."

Sounds an awful lot like someone preparing to jump.

Dem Murphy Wins in NY

It didn't even take the 48 hours some thought it might for the race to be decided in the heavily Republican NY-20, as Rethug Jim Tedisco conceded to Democrat Scott Murphy today. Murphy maintained a 400+ vote margin of victory over most of the past month.

Another Dem Win?

The race for the 20th district House seat vacated by New York Sen. Kristin Gillibrand might be over in the next 48 hours. Democrat Scott Murphy leads Rethuglican Jim Tedesco by a comfortable margin, despite numerous Rethug challenges.

The Rethugs poured resources and people into this contest, hoping to embarrass President Obama with a "referendum" on his policies. It turns out that polling is indicating that Tedesco might have won the race if he hadn't been opposed to Obama's stimulus bill -- the 20th district is in bad shape economically, and wants the stimulus money. It was also supposed to be an early test of Rethug National Committee chairman Michael "Tin Man" Steele's leadership, with some saying that his chairmanship would be in jeopardy if Tedesco lost. Let us be the first to hope so.

"Irrelevant to the Debate"

The unanimous Rethug vote against the economic recovery package has spawned a spate (!) of articles reflecting on their clueless ignorance about how the debate has shifted away from where it was 30 years ago. House Minority Leader John "Man Tan" Boehner underscored their lack of engagement by cajoling fellow Rethugs to vote against the House bill even before Obama came to meet with them on Tuesday.

Why are the Rethugs, led by Man Tan, irrelevant to the economic recovery debate? Check out these pieces: BarbinMD writes in the Daily Kos; Gene Robinson in the WaPo; and Michael Hirsch in Newsweek.

The common thread? Hirsch best sums it up by saying the Rethugs are only concerned about being true to their ancient bromides: cut taxes, cut government, every man for himself! As Hirsch says, Rethugs are "rooting around in their closets for their Barry [Goldwater] pins."

(Photo: Man of the people "Man Tan" Boehner hooks it far right)