Weekend Song

R.I.P Reg Presley (nee Ball), lead singer and songwriter for The Troggs, an influential '60s British band who were forerunners in the garage- and punk-rock genres. Presley, who was 71, died on February 4. This is one of Presley's compositions, "With A Girl Like You," featuring a thumping bass line by Pete Staples and Presley's trademark adenoidal voice. Enjoy the weekend.

Church Ladies

One of the issues faced by the Obama Administration in passing and implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) was the opposition by the Catholic Church hierarchy over the inclusion of birth control insurance coverage for employees of Catholic institutions. In an attempt to accommodate the Church, the Obama Administration came up with a proposal that would drop birth control coverage from the insurance plans purchased by Catholic institutions, but require the insurance company to separately provide that coverage if desired by the employee. Since the Church's institutions would have no role in paying for the coverage, the thinking went, they should have no problem with the new proposal, right? Wrong.

The Church hierarchy is rejecting the compromise, claiming that it still intrudes on their religious prerogatives. It's also a reflection on the Church hierarchy's clear preference for Rethuglicans. They don't want the ACA to succeed any more than most Rethug Governors do.

So, it's either back to the drawing board, or telling the robed crusaders who want to keep women barefoot and pregnant to "take it or leave it." Hopefully, it's the latter. Female Catholics have been ignoring the Church on birth control for decades. Maybe the Obama Administration should follow their lead.

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.

NRA's Influence Waning With Public

The National Rifle Rampage Association's mythical power over politicians may not be a lasting one, as a new poll out by PPP indicates. When asked if NRA support of a politician would make them more likely, less likely, or no difference to support the politician, 39% said that an NRA endorsement would make them less likely to support the candidate, versus 26% that would make them more likely. The key "independent" voter demographic said by 41% that they would look less favorably on a candidate receiving an NRA endorsement.

The pressure needs to be relentless to enact meaningful gun safety legislation, including reinstating the ban on military-style assault weapons, restricting magazines to 10 rounds, and universal background checks (including gun shows). The NRA will be pushing hard in the other direction.

Weighty Cartoon of the Day

(click to enlarge)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Today's Dispatches From The Stupid Party

We never have very far to go to find The Stupid (Party).

Rethugs in Michigan want to examine some ladyparts (you'd think they'd have learned their lesson from the 2012 election -- guess not):

"Michigan Republicans have introduced a bill requiring all women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound before obtaining an abortion, a move that rekindles last year’s firestorm when other GOP-led states were considering similar measures."

More hijinks in Alabammy, from our new friend, Rethuglican State Sen. Shadrack "Where Did Meshach and Abedne Go?" McGill:

"A Republican lawmaker in Alabama says that he wants to pursue a so-called "personhood" bill outlawing abortion rights for women because the Bible proves that a fetus 'is life inside of a mother,' but he's not sure if 'aborted babies' are going to Heaven or Hell."

Well, we certainly know where you're going, Shitrack.

In Idaho, State Sen. John Goedde (Rethug-Galt's Gulch) has a splendid idea (he claims it's only a symbolic gesture - kind of like the gesture I'm making to him right now):

"A Republican state senator in Idaho on Tuesday introduced legislation that would require every high school student in the Gem State to read Ayn Rand's novel 'Atlas Shrugged,' The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., reported."

Quote of the Day

"You don't need a massive voter-targeting operation to find the people who still like Rick Scott in Florida. You need free doughnuts and a good-sized tour bus." -- Charles P. Pierce on the news that Florida Rethuglican Gov. Rick "Not Great" Scott is planning a ginormous Rethuglican dimbulb favorable voter identification operation to overcome his 67 percent disapproval rating in time for his 2014 re-election bid (all breathlessly reported by Politico, a.k.a., Tiger Beat on the Potomac).

(Photo: Gov. Scott - "Did someone say free doughnuts?")

Fux Fires Foot Fetishist

Call girl toe sucker and right wing buffoon Dick "Toe Jam" Morris has been dropped from the Fux network, after his "predictions" about the Mittens Romney landslide proved to be...er...slightly off the mark. When nearly every major poll showed an Obama lead close to election day, Toe Jam was predicting with his slurred way of speaking that Mittens would get 325 electoral votes and crush the President. The result was almost exactly the reverse of Toe Jam's prediction, needless to say.

At least his departure from Fux will leave Toe Jam with more time to give oral pedicures to hookers. Or become a spokesman for Dr. Scholl's.

(photo: "Mmmmm, tasty!")

Correcting Rethuglican "Language Errors"

Last night, Jon Stewart led of his show with a priceless demolition of the "messaging" problem the Rethuglicans have. Along with it, he scorches the "Ferret News Channel" as the Rethugs' "seven-day-a-week perpetual messaging refinement and distribution resource," and Rethug message manipulator Frank "Not Being Frank" Luntz who is trying to correct Rethug "language errors." Orwellian.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

BONUS: No wonder Ferret News Channel's Fux's credibility is at an all-time low.

Mid-Week Found Out Song

The Gin Blossoms, originally from Tempe, AZ, have graced our blog a couple of times, but not with this number one hit of theirs from 1994. The video was shot at LA's now demolished Ambassador Hotel. Why not find out something today?

Today's Dispatches From The Stupid Party - NSFW

We've got a two-fer from the great secessionist state of South Carolina today: same stupid, racist, homophobic Rethug pol, in fact. Let us introduce you to former South Carolina Rethuglican state executive director Todd Kincannon via these tweets:

Where else but in the Rethuglican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party could a primitive life form such as Todd rise to State party executive director?! Lest anyone think these tweets were aberrations, we checked out his twitter feed, and hoo-boy that's some foul-mouthed, foul-minded piece of work right there! As a bonus, we would like to share this update about Todd's ...um ... nasty habits with our readers to, uh, flesh out our portrait of this fine Southern gentleman pervert:

"Rightwing blogger Brooks Bayne, attempting unsuccessfully to clean up the perv log in his party’s own eye (THE BIBLE), took the (engaged) Kincannon to task last October for sexting his cock to young ladies he did not know." (our emphasis)

Now, if you'll excuse, us -- we need to take a shower.

Rethug Makeover Attempt Continues

As we noted in yesterday's cartoon of the day commentary, the Rethugs are in makeover mode, after getting shellacked in two Presidential elections, and seeing Dems gain seats in the Senate and Rethugs losing seats in the House in 2012. However, the "Stupid Party" won't acknowledge that its problem is not the Todd Akins/Richard Mourdocks/Christine O'Donnells who represent the tea bagger base: it's their base itself, and the toxic nonsense they believe. The Rethug leadership probably knows their base is loony, but they need their votes and activism.

Today, in yet another attempt to "rebrand" the New Confederate/Rethuglican Party, House Majority Leader and obstructionist leader Eric "Cancer" Cantor will be giving his "ideas" for his Party's future messaging. Let's look into our crystal ball and summarize what he'll be saying:

1. The public isn't buying our reactionary policies;
2. Some of the nuts we've selected as candidates have been too honest about our positions and have failed to get elected; and
3. We need to do a better job of lying to the public in order to get elected.

There, now you won't have to suffer through Cancer's presentation.

Way Down South

Garry Wills has an interesting essay in the New York Review of Books. In it, he talks about his native region, the American South, home of lost causes and the cradle of the modern reactionary Stupid Party:

"... No one needs better health care more than the South, but it fights it off so long as Obama is offering it, its governors turning down funds for Medicaid. This is a region that rejects sex education, though its rate of teenage pregnancies is double and in places triple that of New England. It fights federal help with education, preferring to inoculate its children against science by denying evolution.

"No part of the country will suffer the effects of global warming earlier or with more devastation than the South, yet its politicians resist measures to curb carbon emissions and deny the very existence of climate change—sending it to the dungeon with evolution and biblical errancy."

Wills says this is the South cutting off its nose to spite the Federal Government, demonstrating political lunacy that is sadly self-defeating.

Makeover Cartoon of the Day

(click to enlarge)

One telltale sign of the Rethuglicans' cynical desperation is their frequent name-checking of tea bagger Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz to appear Hispanic-friendly. For decades -- at least going back to St. Ronnie of Hollywood -- the Rethugs see politics as crafting images and selling "products", i.e. candidates. Their reactionary politics behind the facade don't change, only the sales people.

Ravens Win Harbowl

Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens, who won a cliffhanger over the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34 - 31 in Super Bowl XXV LXII VXL 47. The game was billed as a drama between the respective head coaches, brothers Jim and John Harbaugh.

The game was interrupted shortly after the start of the third quarter by a power outage that delayed the game for over a half hour. Speculation is that Beyonce's supercharged halftime performance blew some circuits. Hee hee. The game did have a record-tying kickoff return by Raven Jacobi Jones (108 yards) and a record-setting TD run by a quarterback, SF quarterback Colin Kaepernick, of 15 yards.

Good game, with some better than average commercials (Mayor's Against Illegal Guns had a very effective ad that promoted universal background checks).

(photo: Baltimore Ravens.com. Quarterback Joe Flacco hoists Lombardi Trophy after win)