Saturday, September 28, 2013

Saturday Stuff

I think it’s pretty surreal to hear Ezra Klein almost rooting for a government shut down so the Teahadists would sober up and we wouldn’t have to worry about a default on the full faith and credit of the United States – the problem with that argument is the assumption that the Teahadists have a reasonable impulse somewhere; I don’t think their actions resemble sanity in any way…

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…and I’ve been looking for an anthemic kind of tune for this lunacy (wonder what kind of a movie Stanley Kubrick would have made of this insanity) – I think this will do.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Friday Stuff

The only subject Sen. Bernie Sanders doesn’t touch on here (of the ones that matter anyway) is climate change, though he hints at it with a reference to the Kochs (the best stuff comes beginning after about 5:40)…



…and in her own way, Rachel Maddow also chronicles the wingnut insanity on the health care law with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel…

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…and I don’t think we can expect much from those knuckleheads running the U.S. House, but let’s try anyway to get them to make Monsanto play by the rules (whatever they are now, I admit) for a change (here - try to get Monsanto...and Boehner and co...to abide by this)…



…and here’s a tune to help us kick start another weekend – and by the way, THIS IS LOUD!

Two More For The Party

As noted here (from today's post from here – fifth bullet), the U.S. House Repugs recently held their 42nd vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

To me, the idiocy (to say nothing of the pointless taxpayer expense) of these votes speaks for itself. However, since I have promised to highlight a U.S. House Republican for every one of them (as I did here and here), that means that I’m currently down by 2, having highlighted 40 to date, for what it’s worth.

So, without any more ado, let me make up my quota:

#41 - Ted Yoho (FL - 03)

  • Like every other Repug (I believe) in the House, Yoho (a darling of the Teahadists) voted to cut SNAP benefits while maintaining farm subsidies (here).


  • Yoho also praised an alleged “birther” conspiracy and called “Obamacare” racist against white people (here).


  • In addition to food stamps, he also railed against gay marriage and “terrorist immigrants” here.


  • And speaking of SNAP, it looks like Yoho and his wife applied during the Carter Administration – but of course, he opposes it now because he wants to “wean” people off it, or something (here).


  • There’s lots of stuff on Yoho here, including his “don’t tax our tanning beds” idiocy.

  • Update 10/7/13: OWWWWWW!! THE STUPID!!! IT BURNS US!!!!!

    Update 10/11/13: Actually, I’m not sure who’s more of an idiot here – Yoho, or the caller presumably from his district who thinks that furloughed federal workers automatically “are home watching Netflix and whatever…”


    #42 - Markwayne Mullin (OK - 02)

  • Mullin confessed to being a “birther” here (that pretty much seems to be required for admission into the Teahadist “club”).


  • He said here that he personally witnessed food stamp “fraud” in Washington, D.C. because someone who was poor was also apparently able-bodied too, which was too much for his tiny mind to process I suppose (of course, he said this when he was safely back in his home district).


  • Oh, and did you know that Mullin took about $370,000 in stimulus funds (here – so much for that baaad “big gumint”).


  • Here, he claimed that the price of a McDonald’s hamburger would rise to $20 if the minimum wage was raised to $10 an hour (hat tip to Blue Oklahoma for the above two links).


  • And of course he denies that climate change is happening, even though he’s from a state that has been buffeted severely by its effects (here).

  • I really hope this is the end of this nonsense, but somehow I have a feeling that, before the 2014 mid-terms, we’ll hit the half-century mark (love to be wrong).

    If we do, don’t worry; I’m loading up with plenty of ammunition (metaphorically speaking, of course).

    Thursday, September 26, 2013

    Thursday Stuff

    Gee, I wonder why Billo won’t debate Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich (here – and what follows is another promo for “Inequality for All,” which opens tomorrow)…



    …and as long as I’m mentioning Falafel Man, here’s a clip recommended by the teenaged one; a “dance mix” based on the O’Reilly freak out that I’d never seen before until about a month ago – enjoy (definitely NSFW - love the stuff with the jacket)...



    …and I think all of Martin Bashir’s “Clear The Air” commentaries are good, but his words from about 2:00 on here should be required viewing for everyone…

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    …and I really don’t go in for the whole “gender politics” or “gender media” or “gender anything” bit, but if women called the shots in Congress (here), I’m sure there would be ample bitchiness, but somehow I think a hell of a lot more would get done on behalf of this country, particularly for kids and families (though I know there would be exceptions)…if you really want to “go there,” then I guess it’s fair to say that men, in total, have made a hash of things – sigh.



    Update 10/10/13: I’d like to be mad about this, but there’s one problem – it documents an irrefutable fact.

    Wednesday, September 25, 2013

    Wednesday Stuff

    Yep, if you’re looking for timely, pinpoint news analysis, then go right to Jon Stewart, on the Affordable Care Act in particular (here – and I guess Huckleberry Graham is an expert in things that “suck”)…



    …and file this as another item for the “elections have consequences” file (as if, God help us, a Republican presidential administration would support this – we know what Republicans in Congress have done, and will try to do)…

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    …and I have to confess more than a bit of disgust over this; the clip below gives us a primer on what True The Vote is all about (beginning with Brentin Mock and Amy Goodman at about 5:25)…



    …and I have more than a bit of disgust also over this – makes me recall this tune.

    Tuesday, September 24, 2013

    Tuesday Stuff

    I realize that I pretty much have the liberal echo chamber here at work with both Martin Bashir and Ed Schultz, but here’s the thing; they’re right, in particular on health care (and Ed is truly righteous, but God, I get so sick of hearing our side refer to it as “Obamacare”; I also apologize for giving so much as one second to that life form named Ted Cruz – somehow, charlatans like him, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, etc. end up getting elected by people who are too stupid to be allowed to breed)…

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    …and here’s some humor in the face of more Koch-funded BS here, tied back to health care also…



    …also, comedy legend Phil Hartman would have been 65 today…



    …and I’m thinking of Cruz with this tune, not Hartman – want to emphasize that.

    Monday, September 23, 2013

    Monday Stuff

    Chris Hayes helps us to keep our eye on the ball, as it were, on health care reform, and our crappy economy overall (good for him for calling BS on David Frum)…

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    …and yes, I know, baby steps here, but important ones (though this remains a valid point)…



    …and you may be shocked to hear this, but believe me when I tell you that I really want to be done with this guy.

    However, I give you the following from “Tiger Beat On The Potomac” here
    Former President George W. Bush, who famously quit golf while in the White House”…
    WRONG!!! (and I watch this and remain ever grateful for these courageous words from Keith Olbermann)...



    …and turning to the perpetually wretched legacy left behind by the minions of Dubya’s political party, I give you this…

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    …and the last minute of this commentary by Bill Maher isn’t one bit funny (though the rest is), but kudos to him for speaking it (definitely NSFW)…



    …and jazz legend (and former Philly resident) John Coltrane would have been 87 today.