A Mathematically Representative Climate Change "Debate"

We know climate change deniers (Republicans and their fossil fuel oligarch backers) long ago lost the debate as to the science of global climate change (as Paul Krugman notes in an op/ed linked to below, they're now trying to shift the goal posts to a bogus economic analysis).  Meanwhile, John Oliver presents a hugely satisfying rejoinder to the asshat media that continues to play this as a one- on- one, he said/ she said "debate:"

Today's Tomorrow Cartoon

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(Tom Tomorrow, via Daily Kos)

Bucks For Benghazi

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Here you have proof positive that the cynical Rethugs are shamelessly raising funds from their far-right base over the 2012 attack in Benghazi.  The National Republican Congressional Committee couldn't care less about the 4 Americans killed by terrorists, nor do they care enough to provide requested funds for security measures at our embassies and consulates.  The picture conflating the images of President Obama and former Secretary of State Clinton tells you this is about fundraising in 2014 and smearing the presumed Dem candidate in 2016.  Period.

BONUS:  Just how lucrative are these faux scandals as fundraisers? Check out this New Republic piece on how the Republican sheeple base is sheared.

"Crazy Climate Economics"

Paul Krugman writes about a new front in the climate change battle, "crazy climate economics":

Until now, the right’s climate craziness has mainly been focused on attacking the science. And it has been quite a spectacle: At this point almost all card-carrying conservatives endorse the view that climate change is a gigantic hoax, that thousands of research papers showing a warming planet — 97 percent of the literature — are the product of a vast international conspiracy. But as the Obama administration moves toward actually doing something based on that science, crazy climate economics will come into its own.

As always, please read Krugman's entire op/ed.

As if on cue, the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle's resident right-wing "economics" writer, Robert J. Samuelson wrings his hands and despairs there's no "magical fix," and besides CHINA!
Although he writes on economic matters, Samuelson is not an economist -- he has a B.A. in government -- and is often confused with economics Nobel laureate Paul Samuelson.  His stock in trade is to look for the dark cloud in every silver lining when Democrats are in charge.

Happy Mother's Day

In honor of our late mother and all mothers (and mothers-to-be) everywhere, we'll try to do better and be better.  We love you.

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. - Benghazi! Edition

From today's once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle print edition:

Regarding the May 5 news article “Benghazi attacks back at center of political stage”: 

I understand the urgency of House Republicans in continuing to examine the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. As they remain so focused on the response of Democrats to an unanticipated attack, I imagine they will soon turn to examine the events of Dec. 7, 1941, for which they, in their righteous wrath, will scrutinize the actions not only of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt but probably Hillary Clinton as well.  

Michael B. Lehrhoff, Gaithersburg

Let's not give them any ideas, sir.

Good For Michael Sam and Good For the NFL

In today's seventh round of the NFL draft, as the 249th player to be selected, All-American defensive lineman Michael Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams.  Sam, who came out publicly as gay earlier in the year (his college teammates already knew), was a standout player while at the University of Missouri.  He's the first openly gay player in the NFL.  Let's hope his teammates, and other players, will let his play on the field speak for itself.

Boko Loco Cartoon of the Day

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The Nigerian terrorist cult Boko Haram is playing cat and mouse with Nigeria and international governments seeking to find and free the 276 girls kidnapped from their schools.  Their latest abomination was the attack on a village that was being used as a staging area by Nigerian forces, killing around 150 villagers.

The #Bring Our Girls Home movement has spread in days across the world community, which sees the fanatic fundamentalist cult's obsession with denying females their human rights as a danger to all humanity.

Pope Francis: Redistribute Economic Benefits

Pope Francis, today in Rome:

[E]quitable economic and social progress can only be attained by joining scientific and technical abilities with an unfailing commitment to solidarity accompanied by a generous and disinterested spirit of gratuitousness at every level. A contribution to this equitable development will also be made both by international activity aimed at the integral human development of all the world’s peoples and by the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.

In our imagination, the entire Wingnut World -- from Fox "News," to the Catholic League's "Sweaty" Bill Donohue, to the New York Times' Ross "I Seriously" Douthat,  to Weeper of the House John "Mr. Tangerine Man" Boehner -- is sharting mightily today.

UPDATE:  Hate radio's porcine poo flinger Rush Limpballs is wetting his XXXXL Depends:  his response to the Pope's statement is "Marxism and socialism."  Which would put J.C. Himself in the same category as the Pope….

UPDATE II:  More sharting on the right.   Jim "The Dumbest Man on the Internet" Hoft applies his weightless analysis:  "Marxist Pope"  (via dimbulb Matt Drudge)!

UPDATE III:  Regarding Fox "News's" Sean Hannity and "Sweaty" Bill Donohue, we rest our case.

Weekend Song - Trust Us

Generationals are an indie group (Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer) from New Orleans that we featured a few years back.  Here's "Trust" from 2010;  hope you enjoy it and your weekend (remember Mother's Day you slackers!).

Switch and Bait...the Base (Cont.)

Can't argue with the New York Times editorial on the "Captain Benghazi kangaroo court:"

The hottest competition in Washington this week is among House Republicans vying for a seat on the Benghazi kangaroo court, also known as the Select House Committee to Inflate a Tragedy Into a Scandal. Half the House has asked to “serve” on the committee, which is understandable since it’s the perfect opportunity to avoid any real work while waving frantically to right-wing voters stomping their feet in the grandstand. 

They won’t pass a serious jobs bill, or raise the minimum wage, or reform immigration, but House Republicans think they can earn their pay for the rest of the year by exposing nonexistent malfeasance on the part of the Obama administration.  (our emphasis)

It's nice to see a few "opinion leaders"/media outlets beginning to characterize the charade about to commence in the House as the charade that it is.  Too bad there aren't more that aren't afraid to speak out.

BONUS:  BooMan adds his personal perspective and prediction:

I was always interested in politics, but it was the decision of the House Republicans to impeach President Bill Clinton rather than censure him that really woke me up and turned me into a political junkie. It was the stolen election in 2000 that turned me into an organizer. I think this Benghazi! nonsense is going to wake up a whole new generation of people who weren't previously very involved in politics. 

Public displays of insanity will do that.

This is why Democrats need to stay away from this nonsense;  cooperating by sitting on the kangaroo court won't stop the crackpots from doing whatever they're going to do, and it will just add a veneer of legitimacy to the whole stinking, rotten mess.

Switch and Bait…the Base

With the Republican election campaign underway to win Congress in 2014, and to cripple former Secretary of State and favored Dem Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016,  it's good to see the Democratic National Committee pointing out the shift in Rethug base red meat strategy from "Obama-scare" to Benghazi! Benghazi! BENGHAZI!!  Meanwhile, equal pay, immigration reform, and raising the minimum wage are ignored.    Now that the Affordable Care Act is succeeding beyond expectations, all the Rethugs can do is point elsewhere and lie (and raise campaign funds).  Here's the DNC's video (bonus points to the DNC for including "Mr. Tangerine Man" Boehner's theatrics on immigration reform at the 55 second mark).

Gaffe of the Week

A political gaffe has been described as when a politician inadvertently tells the truth.  Here's our prizewinner from South Secession Carolina Rep. Trey "Deuce" Gowdy, referring to the Benghazi! Benghazi! BENGHAZI!! select kangaroo court committee that he will chair: 

“If an administration is slow-walking document production, I can’t end a trial simply because the defense won’t cooperate.” (emphasis added)

Republicans have been trying to sell this political stunt as an "investigation" but clearly they intend to put Administration officials, and especially former Secretary of State and Dem Presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, on "trial" through the 2016 election season.

BONUS:  By the way, here are the answers that have already been provided -- often multiple times --  to the questions that the Rethugs keep asking, courtesy of Media Matters.

BONUS II:  Charles P.  Pierce has taken to calling Gowdy "Captain Kangaroo," both in reference to the kind of "court" he will be running, but also because of a certain hirsute resemblance to someone else (click to enlarge):

Captain Kangaroo, with moustache.

"Captain Kangaroo" without moustache.

Domestic Terrorists Make New Threats

Nevada's deadbeat, racist rancher Cliven "Hoof" Bundy has surrounded himself with a posse of delusional, heavily armed Timothy McVeigh wannabes who imagine that they're in some cosmic, superhero style battle against the gummint Death Star (i.e., the Bureau of Land Management).  So far, these cases of arrested development have set up "checkpoints" in the vicinity of the Bundy compound, harassing some residents of Bunkerville, NV by demanding to see "identification."  Now, it appears, the infection has spread.

On Tuesday, two of the loons made threats against a BLM worker driving on Interstate 15 in Utah, wearing hoods and holding a sign saying "You need to die."  Cliven Hoof has been observed inciting violence against the BLM  to the self-appointed "militia" radicals from the region.  The Utah Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, which will be difficult due to the hoods worn by the cowards and by the duct tape covering their license plates.

Republicans Discover Reality Doesn't Conform To Their Worldview: Obamacare Edition

News item from The Hill (h/t Daily Kos):

"Republicans struggled to land punches against ObamaCare in a hearing Wednesday as responses from insurance companies deflated several lines of questioning.  

Democratic lawmakers were emboldened to defend the Affordable Care Act with renewed vigor and levity, creating a dynamic rarely seen in the debate over ObamaCare. [snip]  

But Republicans were visibly exasperated as insurers failed to confirm certain assumptions about ObamaCare, such as the committee's allegation that one-third of federal exchange enrollees have not paid their first premium.  

Four out of five companies represented said more than 80 percent of their new customers had paid. The fifth, Cigna, did not offer an estimate." (emphasis added)

Nothing left to add but…bwahahaha.  Next up, the Benghazi! follies.