What is wrong with the Republican Party – ‘Tea Party wants to take down McConnell in 2014’

McConnell spent 2 years trying to defeat President Obama and 2 days working with Vice President Biden so the Country wouldn’t go back into a recession.

So I’m no fan of McConnell. I actually hope the tea baggers do primary him.

And that Ashley Judd(D) runs for his seat (and wins!) after he’s bloodied and brusied.

‘Reuters reports that the Tea Party is looking for candidates to challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and senators Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee in the 2014 election as a result of their votes in favorite of the fiscal cliff deal’.

‘ The Tea Party is upset about the deal’s tax increases, and because they think it does not cut enough spending’.

‘Putting up a primary challenge against the old guard serves a double function. It opens up leadership slots for Tea Party sympathizers, and it puts GOP members of congress on notice that refusal to follow the Tea Party whip will be punished by political death’.

‘The Tea Party knows that their efforts to primary incumbent Republican senators in 2012 doomed GOP chances of retaking the Senate’.

‘But they will do it anyway, because their objective is to seize control of the political agenda and skew it sharply to the right — they are not in this to help Republicans win elections’.

‘The idea that the Tea Party could unseat the Senate Majority Leader in a primary challenge seems rather far-fetched’.

‘But so did the idea that Richard Lugar, a longstanding member in good-standing of the GOP Senate old boys club would be defeated in a primary challenge’.

‘McConnell only won his last election by a six point margin, considerably less than Lugar, who was unopposed in 2006, and won his 2000 election in a 35 point landslide. If it could happen to Lugar…’

‘A successful Tea Party challenge could well gift McConnell’s seat to the Democrats, but so could further GOP pandering to the Tea Party extremists’.

‘So McConnell faces a no-win situation’.

‘If he works with Democrats to forge bipartisan compromises, the Kochs, Adelsons and the rest of the billionaire Tea Party backers will put millions into a primary challenger who could well beat McConnell in the primary’.

‘But if he continues the strategy of universal obstruction, the Tea Party might let him win his primary’.

‘There is however one other option. If the filibuster reform package passes, McConnell will be able to appease Tea Party supporters with elaborate displays of aggressive opposition to a handful of symbolic measures, while the vast majority of Senate business passes without obstruction’.

‘Either way, the Tea Party is a problem of the Republicans’ own making’.
From : http://americablog.com/2013/01/tea-party-take-down-mcconnell-2014.html

Stories from the Fringe – The FOX (cough) ‘news’ Edition – ‘Sean Hannity Equates Food Stamp Program To Feeding Wild Animals’

‘On The Sean Hannity Show radio program that aired on January 3, 2012, Hannity referenced a Republican talking-point meme that made the social networking rounds some time last year’.

“Apparently there is a sign, National Park Service, from the U.S. Department of the Interior, and it says, ‘please do not feed the animals.’ Stated reason: ‘The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves.”

‘Hannity then laughs, says that it’s not because he doesn’t want to help poor people, but’:

“The dependency issue is a lot different. You teach people how to fish, how to be independent, you create an environment where jobs are plentiful, versus people being dependent on government. One-in-six Americans are in poverty. Fifty-million Americans are on food stamps, and they are not living their lives with the potential that God gave them, and in part because the economy’s not growing, things aren’t getting better.”

‘In September 2012, Phoenix, AZ Mayor Greg Stanton went on a one-week food stamp budget for SNAP Awareness Week. On Day 4 he wrote in his Facebook journal about the experience’:

“I’m surviving on an apple and handful of peanuts, and the coffee I took to the office until dinner. I’m tired, and it’s hard to focus. I can’t go buy a sandwich because that would be cheating – even the dollar menu at Taco Bell is cheating. You can’t use SNAP benefits at any restaurants, fast food or otherwise. I’m facing a long, hungry day and an even longer night getting dinner on the table, which requires making EVERYTHING from scratch on this budget. It’s only for a week, so I’ve got a decent attitude. If I were doing this with no end in sight, I probably wouldn’t be so pleasant.”

‘But according to the likes of Hannity, $4-$5/day is too lavish to really motivate all the lazy people on food stamps to help themselves’.

‘Let’s look at some food stamp facts. According to the Food Research and Action Center’:

•’Over half of all food stamp recipients are children’
•’Another quarter are elderly or disabled persons’
•’Of the remainder, close to half are working or participating in program work requirements’
•’Of the 5 percent of recipients neither working nor subject to a work requirement, half are caring for a young child’.
From : http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/04/sean-hannity-equates-food-stamp-program-to-feeding-wild-animals/

 

‘No, a $1 Trillion Platinum Coin is Not Legal’

‘Rep. Jerrold Nadler has an admittedly “out of the ordinary”
solution to the coming fight over the debt ceiling’.

“There is specific statutory authority that says that the
Federal Reserve can mint any non-gold or -silver coin in any
denomination, so all you do is you tell the Federal Reserve
to make a platinum coin for one trillion dollars, and then
you deposit it in the Treasury account, and you pay your
bills,” Nadler said in a telephone interview this afternoon’.

‘I asked whether he was serious’.

“I’m being absolutely serious,” he said. “It sounds silly but
it’s absolutely legal’.
@ :
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2013/01/705275
8/looking-next-debt-ceiling-fight-nadler-proposes-trillion-do
llar-coi
_ _ _ _ _ _ _

‘For some reason, the possibility of evading the debt ceiling
by minting a $1 trillion platinum coin is getting some
blogospheric love again. This is based on a 2000 revision to
the U.S. statute on money and finance that reads’:

“The Secretary may mint and issue bullion and proof platinum
coins in accordance with such specifications, designs,
varieties, quantities, denominations, and inscriptions as the
Secretary, in the Secretary’s discretion, may prescribe from
time to time”.

‘Read literally, this places no limitations on the Treasury
Secretary’s authority to mint platinum coins. If Tim Geithner
wants to mint a $1 trillion coin and deposit it at the Fed,
he can do it’.

‘I would just like to point out, once again, that this is
ridiculous. During the very short floor debate on this
amendment it was repeatedly referred to as a “technical
correction,” and that’s obviously what was intended. Oklahoma
Rep. Frank Lucas described it this way’:

“Also contained in the bill is a clarifying section inserting
the word ‘‘platinum’’ inadvertently dropped when Congress
authorized production of platinum and platinum bullion coins
a few years ago….This is a small bill, but important to the
mint and important to coin collectors. It has no cost
implications whatsoever”.
From :
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/01/no-1-trillion-p
latinum-coin-not-legal

 

Why America Is Failing – ‘ GOP Extortionists Admit Not Raising Debt Ceiling Means “Financial Collapse and Calamity”

Political ideology over the needs of the Nation.

The Republican took us to the brink in August 2011.

How far will they go now?

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham in January 2011 :

“Let me tell you what’s involved if we don’t lift the debt ceiling: financial collapse and calamity throughout the world. That’s not lost upon me. But we’ve done this 93 times. And if we keep doing the same old thing, then that is insanity to the nth degree.”

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham in January 2013 :

“You need to understand this: If we don’t get this tax rate problem fixed for all Americans, the economy is going to collapse, the stock market will go down, the Defense Department is going to become unraveled.”

“Work with me and others never to raise the debt ceiling again unless we address why we’re in so much debt,” he said. “That’s where we have leverage, that’s where we should go to next.”
@ : http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/lindsey-graham-save-fight-for-debt-ceiling-85646.html
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Congressman Paul Ryan in 2011 :

“Does it have to be raised? Yes, you can’t not raise the debt ceiling. Default is the unworkable solution, or the alternative, I guess I’d say — the unworkable alternative.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Speaker (in name only) John Boehner in 2011 :

“That would be a financial disaster, not only for our country but for the worldwide economy. Remember, the American people on Election Day said, ‘we want to cut spending and we want to create jobs.’ And you can’t create jobs if you default on the federal debt.”
From : http://www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/002673.htm

 

Sunday picks – Wild Card and Rookie QB Weekend

Last week – 12 -4
Total 154 – 100
_____________________
So for the year = 60%
Crapy year.
_____________________
Now for the playoffs……

Saturday

Cincinnati @ Houston – Pick – Cincinnati
Going into this, Houston has lost 2 games. Minnesota and Indy. Cincinnati has won 3 games – Phily, Pitts and Baltimore.
The ‘team strenghts’ of teams played go to Houston but so do the losses.
Add a 6-2 road record for Cinci and that’s my pick.

Minnesota @ Green Bay – Pick – Green Bay
GB wouldn’t have improved their standing by beating Minnesota last week. GB also had a 4 game winning streak going into that game.
What’s life without whimsy – be a Packer Fan!

Sunday

Indy @ Baltimore – Pick – Indy
I have liked them all year. Baltimore lost 4 of their last 5. Before that, they’d won 4 straight – Cleveland, Oakland, Pitts, and SD. Not powerhouses.
Indy with Luck has found the same magic and balance as they had with Peyton.
Game Of The Week
Seattle @ Washington – Pick – Washington
On paper, Washington should win. Add to that, Seattle has a crapy road record. I do think that Seattle hasthe better QB. But last week StL show everybody how to beat Seattle. Keep Wilson contained. Washington will and RG3 will scramble for scores.

 

Why America Is Failing – ‘With Millions Still Waiting For Sandy Relief, Republicans Reintroduce Obamacare Repeal’

Political ideology over the needs of the Nation.

Debt Ceiling.

Immigration reform.

Hurricane Sandy relief.

Jobs.

Violence Against Women Act.

And dozens of other important issues facing our Nation and what does Mrs tea bagger introduce as the very first piece of legislation in the Republican House of Representatives?

Repeal Obamacare.

The 113th Congress.

Defining insanity while the Nation suffers.

‘The 112th Congress gaveled to a close on Thursday afternoon without passing a relief package for victims of Hurricane Sandy or reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, but Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) isn’t too concerned about finishing what Republicans had left undone’.

‘Instead, at 12:00 PM she introduced the very first piece of legislation – to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which states are now busily implementing’.

‘House Republicans have unsuccessfully voted 33 times in the last two years to eliminate health care reform and wasted at least 88 hours and $50 million, while failing to pass a single piece of job creation legislation in the last session of Congress’.
From : http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/01/03/1394071/bachmann-repeal-obamacare/?mobile=nc

 

Under the Mountain Bunker

[Tuesday] night was a preview of coming attractions. A day after the next deadline, the Senate’s bill will be jammed through the House with an almost completely intact Democratic caucus voting with 80 or 100 or however many Republicans are still interested in not destroying the country. In the meantime, almost nothing else will happen. For example, the House was supposed to vote on Hurricane Sandy relief before ending their session: no vote happened last night. Another way of looking at it is that we have a third party in DC. It has 150 votes in the House and 5 in the Senate. They stand for nothing, are led by nobody, and will obstruct everything, and we’re stuck with them for at least two more years. — mistermix

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mykeystrokes.com

Battles over either the First Amendment or the Second Amendment often share similar dynamics, with defender/exercisers of the amendments arguing that the freedoms granted by the founding fathers are (nearly) absolute, and should not be modified just because sometimes people get hurt by them. But the issue gets stickier when a situation pits the First against the Second.

A newspaper in White Plains, N.Y., has enraged local (and not-so-local) gun owners by publishing an interactive map revealing the names and addresses of gun owners in the area. The information is public (and New York’s Freedom of Information Law is fairly expansive), so it’s not as though the newspaper unearthed secret documents or data and published it. What’s different now is that the Internet and other technology allows a newspaper—and for that matter, any blogger or website commentator—to make public information very, very public—so much so that the people affected feel…

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