Wimmen 101

This is rich.  Male Rethuglican candidates are being tutored in how to talk to Dem women that they may face in an election.  You know, don't talk about "legitimate rape,""transvaginal probes," etc.  Or if you do, make sure the cameras, recording devices, etc. are off so you can really say what you mean.  But that's not their whole problem by any stretch.

As pointed out in the link, the characters that sank their campaigns with mindless jabber about "wimmen" -- Missouri's Todd "My Ass Is" Akin, etc. -- were just defending their Party's 2012 platform, which was about as radical as you can get regarding reproductive rights and women's' choice, not to mention transvaginal probes and defunding of Planned Parenthood.  To Rethug politicians, it's all about bamboozling the voters that are confused about where the two major parties stand, but who don't want radical abortion laws in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother.  Ditto with contraceptives and demeaning "probes" to shame a woman who has decided to terminate a pregnancy.  Their campaigns clearly underestimate the intelligence of the voters to detect b.s. when the see it.

Number Crunching

215,000 -  jobs created in November, including 120,000 in small businesses;  October's job numbers were also revised upward from 130,000 to 184,000.

29,000 - people who signed up for health insurance on Sunday and Monday using HealthCare.gov, more than signed up the entire month of October using the web site.

The "New Normal" In The Republican Party

Charles P. Pierce on the "new normal" in the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party -- impeaching President Obama (or, more accurately, pretending to be serious about impeaching President Obama):

So, anyway, this happened. [impeachment chatter among House Rethuglicans]

Be advised. The United States House of Representatives -- one-half of the national legislature, which is one third-of the national government, if you're keeping score in civics class -- exists now solely to gin up enthusiasm in, and to raise money from, the increasingly demented political base of the Republican party. It is a campaign mechanism, not a governing institution. If it were a governing institution, it would have actual leaders who would tell the more demented members of firm to knock this pointless shit off and get on with the business of proposing policy alternatives as part of the business of running the country.

Lest there be any doubt in your mind that this is a cottage industry grifting the bitter, low-information wingnut population, just type in "Impeach Obama" in Google Images and check out the plethora of bumper stickers, mugs, etc., available for sale to these yahoos.  Once you get past that, consider the fundraising going on now in the looniest precincts of America using the meme of "Obama The Tyrant," or some feverish variation on that theme.  Sic transit gloria, America.

(Photo:  Question - if combined, do these two make one wit?)

"War On Christmas," The Palin Popgun

Jon Stewart has great fun with both Bill O'Liely and the omnipresent doofus Sarah "Winky" Palin and the Fux Channel's bogus annual "War on Christmas" campaign.  He weaves in Pope Francis' critique of materialism and rejection of "trickle down" economics, and asks "when will the Pope stop his 'War on Christmas'"?   Classic takedown of a phony "issue" generated by wingnut hacks.

Mid-Week Song

"Stay the Night" by electronic music artist Zedd, featuring vocals by Hayley Williams, was released last September and has received increasing airplay as it climbs the charts.    Zedd -- real name Anton Zaslavski -- is a Russian-born classically trained pianist, who has been involved in projects with such artists as The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga.

Ding-Dong. Secret Service Calling!

Another day, another homicidal "patriot" calling for the violent overthrow of our (twice) duly-elected government:

... Erik Rush is now openly calling for people to remove Obama from office “by any means necessary.” He says that people no longer need to obey the law because Obama administration “criminals have proven that they are not dissuaded by trifles like legality.”

“[A]ll I can say is that America has suffered casualties due to internal conflict before,” Rush writes today in a blog post titled, “It is Time… to Revolt Against a Tyrant,” in which he argues that “Obama and his cabal, and in all likelihood a substantial segment of Congress must go. We must also extricate the radicals and Islamists whom Obama has so kindly insinuated into high places in our government.”

Since we don't watch Fox "News," we haven't seen this frothing loon among its coterie of loons, but he's apparently a regular. 

Erik Rush is now openly calling for people to remove Obama from office “by any means necessary.” He says that people no longer need to obey the law because Obama administration “criminals have proven that they are not dissuaded by trifles like legality.”
“[A]ll I can say is that America has suffered casualties due to internal conflict before,” Rush writes today in a blog post titled, “It is Time… to Revolt Against a Tyrant,” in which he argues that “Obama and his cabal, and in all likelihood a substantial segment of Congress must go. We must also extricate the radicals and Islamists whom Obama has so kindly insinuated into high places in our government.”
- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/erik-rush-remove-obama-office-any-means-necessary#sthash.63nSEuAl.dpuf

Erik Rush is now openly calling for people to remove Obama from office “by any means necessary.” He says that people no longer need to obey the law because Obama administration “criminals have proven that they are not dissuaded by trifles like legality.”
“[A]ll I can say is that America has suffered casualties due to internal conflict before,” Rush writes today in a blog post titled, “It is Time… to Revolt Against a Tyrant,” in which he argues that “Obama and his cabal, and in all likelihood a substantial segment of Congress must go. We must also extricate the radicals and Islamists whom Obama has so kindly insinuated into high places in our government.”
- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/erik-rush-remove-obama-office-any-means-necessary#sthash.NeMkL7Ts.dpuf

Erik Rush is now openly calling for people to remove Obama from office “by any means necessary.” He says that people no longer need to obey the law because Obama administration “criminals have proven that they are not dissuaded by trifles like legality.”
“[A]ll I can say is that America has suffered casualties due to internal conflict before,” Rush writes today in a blog post titled, “It is Time… to Revolt Against a Tyrant,” in which he argues that “Obama and his cabal, and in all likelihood a substantial segment of Congress must go. We must also extricate the radicals and Islamists whom Obama has so kindly insinuated into high places in our government.”
- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/erik-rush-remove-obama-office-any-means-necessary#sthash.NeMkL7Ts.dpuf

Erik Rush is now openly calling for people to remove Obama from office “by any means necessary.” He says that people no longer need to obey the law because Obama administration “criminals have proven that they are not dissuaded by trifles like legality.”
“[A]ll I can say is that America has suffered casualties due to internal conflict before,” Rush writes today in a blog post titled, “It is Time… to Revolt Against a Tyrant,” in which he argues that “Obama and his cabal, and in all likelihood a substantial segment of Congress must go. We must also extricate the radicals and Islamists whom Obama has so kindly insinuated into high places in our government.”
- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/erik-rush-remove-obama-office-any-means-necessary#sthash.NeMkL7Ts.dpuf

Erik Rush is now openly calling for people to remove Obama from office “by any means necessary.” He says that people no longer need to obey the law because Obama administration “criminals have proven that they are not dissuaded by trifles like legality.”
“[A]ll I can say is that America has suffered casualties due to internal conflict before,” Rush writes today in a blog post titled, “It is Time… to Revolt Against a Tyrant,” in which he argues that “Obama and his cabal, and in all likelihood a substantial segment of Congress must go. We must also extricate the radicals and Islamists whom Obama has so kindly insinuated into high places in our government.”
- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/erik-rush-remove-obama-office-any-means-necessary#sthash.NeMkL7Ts.dpuf

Merry Holidays

See our earlier post, below.

Hat tip to No More Mister Nice Blog.  Tweeted from the National Republican Congressional Committee:  reflecting the spirit of the season, Rethug-style.

For And Against Cartoon of the Day

(Click to enlarge)

Thanks to a Rethuglican Party that's absolutely committed to thwarting anything proposed by President Obama, this year will go down as the least productive for Congress in American history.  As the Affordable Care Act website improves and gains credibility week by week, and as more Americans are obtaining health insurance (some for the first time), the Rethuglicans will be pressed to offer solutions that go beyond "repeal Obamacare" rhetoric.  Immigration reform, same story.  But when you're scared silly of your reactionary, bigoted and misinformed base as Rethuglican politicians are, "no" is the norm.

(cartoon:  Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via Gocomics.com)

"War On Christmas," The Wisconsin Front

Every year, along with the Christmas decorations coming out, the right-wing's "War on Christmas" drums start beating, prominently on the Fux Channel.  The right-wing sees the "War on Christmas" in every "happy holiday" greeting, in every attempt to be inclusive of others not of the same faith, and in every criticism of out-of-control Christmas commercialism.  And who is to blame?  Why, liberals, of course!

Now, in a new twist on cynicism, we see where Wisconsin's Rethuglican Governor and Koch Industries' marionette Scott "Koch Head" Walker has sent out a fundraising letter encouraging contributors to forgo gifts for their kids in favor of a donation to him.  Classy!  Here's a guy who's chin-deep in allegations of campaign finance fraud asking for you to be his not-so-secret Santa.

We're waiting for GOP TV Fux to take Koch Head Walker to task for this sleazy move….waiting…..
waiting…….

Flaky Is What Flaky Does

Little-rich-kid-with-a-trust-fund Tucker "Mothertucker" Carlson, whose Swanson Foods money from mommy keeps him flush, thinks that the "60 Minutes" recent Benghazi!  BENGHAZI!! face plant might not have been the con job that it actually was.  Mothertucker explains his "reasoning" to, of all people, Howie Kurtz on Fux:

"Yeah, well, you know as well as I, some of the best stories have flaky sources unfortunately."

Which fully explains Mothertucker's philosophy of journalism in the service of political hackery (see, Mothertucker's phony story linking Dem Sen. Robert Menendez to Dominican Republic prostitutes).

(photo:  Mr. Flaky Source himself)

Is The HealthCare.Gov Website Working?

Magic 8-ball says:

Outlook good.

... or maybe...

Ask again later.

... then again...

Signs point to yes.

BONUS:   Most importantly, consumers say "yes!"  (Republicans say "Ruh-roh.")

The Supreme Court's Loose Constructionists

Robert Parry at Consortiumnews.org previews the upcoming Supreme Court case, where a corporation (the Hobby Lobby) is asserting freedom of religion in order to deny its employees access to birth control under the Affordable Care Act.  He outlines the modus operandi of the five right-wingers on the Court thusly:

We’ll get a better sense of whether the Five – Justices John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito – will make their next leap of logic when the case gets to oral arguments. But whatever the Five do, you can count on them wrapping their reasoning in their claims to be devotees of an “originalist” view of the U.S. Constitution or as “strict constructionists.”

The reality, though, is that the Five’s modus operandi is to reach an ideological conclusion about what they want to do based on their political opinions or partisan needs and then find some legal-sounding language to wrap around the ruling.

See, for instance, their reasoning for gutting the Voting Rights Act, despite the Constitution’s Fifteenth Amendment explicitly authorizing Congress to take action it deems necessary to ensure the voting rights of racial minorities. Somehow the Five intuited an overpowering right of the states not to have their discriminatory behavior so constrained, all the better for Republicans and right-wingers to win elections.

Parry provides a short history of right-wing revisionism when it comes to interpreting the Constitution, which generally involves arriving at a conclusion favorable to a conservative outcome, then cherry-picking and misinterpreting the intentions of the Founders to support the conclusion.  Very good reading.

Cardinal Sin, Cont'd.

Pope Francis has been a true breath of fresh air in the Catholic Church, after a string of conservative, exclusionary Pontiffs and after the Church's scandals have driven Catholics away.  But there will always be a significant number of the Church's "Princes" that will try to redirect or undermine Pope Francis' new emphasis on economic equality and social justice.  Exhibit A:  New York's avuncular, conservative Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was one of Pope Francis' rivals for the Papacy.  He was also a key figure in the pedophile priest scandals while Archbishop of Milwaukee.

Dolan's been in the lead for the American Church's opposition to provisions in the Affordable Care Act that permit insurance companies to offer birth control as part of their policies for Catholic institutions.  Note that it's not a requirement that the insured receive birth control, it's just there if desired.  It should also be noted that non-Catholics work for Catholic institutions all over the country, and don't necessary follow the Catholic Church's teachings on reproductive rights.  So, Dolan is trying to keep the focus of the Church's energies on what Pope Francis has called an obsession with birth control and abortion, by saying the Church is opposed to 'Obamacare' because "it's excluding the unborn."  Which probably includes the just-fertalized egg, right Tim?

Here's some "Tips For Tim":  Listen to the Pope.  Stop the cultural war on women.  Focus on the poorest among us.  And remember that you're not a Rethug candidate for office, or a Fux "News" contributor.

UPDATE:  He's still not listening:

After lobbying against New York’s marriage equality law, Dolan prohibited by decree any Church personnel or property from being utilized for same-sex marriage ceremonies under penalty of “canonical sanctions,” calling the state’s law “irreconcilable with the nature and the definition of marriage as established by Divine law.” He has also compared the “threat” posed to marriage by gays and lesbians to that of polygamy, adultery, forced marriage, communist dictatorships, and incest. Dolan responded to the Supreme Court’s decision striking down a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act by claiming that the spread of marriage equality will threaten “the common good of all.”

With Friends Like These…..

We recall that California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was once strangely opposed to Dem efforts to curtail Rethug obstruction through the filibuster, ostensibly because the Rethugs would retaliate should they ever get the Senate majority (ed. -- who really believes they wouldn't anyway??).  Now, Feinstein is adding her voice to the  Rethug chorus saying that we're less safe from terrorism than we were 2 years ago, despite the fact that al Qaeda leadership has been decimated and dozens of drone strikes are taking their toll on al Qaeda and their affiliates.  Oh, and we killed Osama Bin Laden, too, and captured major al Qaeda leaders.  Feinstein  even threw in a right-wing theme when she cited "sharia law" as a culprit:

"[Islamists believe] that is that the West is responsible for everything that goes wrong and that the only thing that's going to solve this is Islamic Sharia law."

Oh my!  We better ban "sharia law" in all 50 states, even if it's irrelevant to overriding Federal and state statutes.  Now you're talking like Sean "Heil" Hannity, Dianne, congrats on your "bipartisanship."  C'mon, Senator, you can do better.

(photo:  "Eeek!  Sharia Law!!")

Sunday Cartoon - Whose Katrina Is This?

(click to enlarge)

(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)

Rooting for the failure of the Affordable Care Act, as well as actively sabotaging it, Republicans are not only on the wrong side of history (again), but will have on their hands the blood of every American that remains uninsured and suffers based on their actions.  Their schadenfreude at the botched roll-out of the HealthCare.gov web site is likely to evaporate as more and more Americans enroll in health insurance plans.  Obama's Katrina?  We'll see which party has the liability going into the 2014 elections.