McCain and Graham play chicken with Global Economy: "Most of us have pledged...before we vote again on debt ceiling, even at great political cost..." Can you say "uncertainty?"

Sen. Mitch McConnell’s first term threat is over. Goodbye to Obama’s one term presidency.

The new second term threat? I'll let Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham pass along their own  most outrageous strategy. Watch Graham smile like a Cheshire cat and see other Republicans misread intentionally who's actually spending all the money:



They’re not going to raise the debt ceiling. Hmm, I wonder if that creates a feeling of uncertainty, the very problem Republicans have been harping about for 4 years. This graphic says it all:

So why is Social Security and Medicare being blamed?

The media is just fine perpetuating this false premise, by not correcting it. I screen captured this Politico story below, which shows you exactly what I mean:

Is it the president or congress dragging out these deadlines? Congress, right?

So why do we continue to accept this level of BS from guys like Sen. Cornyn?

Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican: “It may be necessary to partially shut down the government in order to secure the long-term fiscal well-being of our country, rather than plod along the path of Greece, Italy and Spain. President Obama needs to take note of this reality and put forward a plan to avoid it immediately.”

Greece isn't anything like the U.S., so that’s a distraction; it’s the work of the Senate and House that matters, not the position of the president. Congress needs to work as the “legislative branch” of government. That’s their job. What they produce is sent off to the “executive branch,” for the president’s signature. Waiting for the president to draft legislation is not the duty of the executive branch.

The Senate and House need to fulfill their constitutional duties, and stop blaming the president.

Clueless Racist Grothman exposed to nation again on CNN.

Here's another laughable and sad moment for Wisconsin, thanks to the embarrassing racism advanced by state Sen. Glenn Grothman (Growth-man).

Isn't it obvious white left wingers are just playing blacks for suckers with silly holidays like Kwanzaa? For a holiday celebrating black culture, Grothman is sure getting worked up over a holiday advancing pure American values. Maybe he's got a problem with Hannukah too, because heck, it divides Americans based on his surreal premise? From Mediaite:

Wisconsin state senator Glenn Grothman raised many eyebrows on Monday when he released a statement railing against Kwanzaa, declaring that “no black people today care” about it, only “white left-wingers.” Grothman attempted to explain himself on CNN tonight, with guest host Ashleigh Banfield and Roland Martin both asking him with increasing incredulity what his problem is exactly with Kwanzaa, and what makes its origins so much more bothersome to him than other holidays with less-than-pleasant origins. Banfield attempted to catch Grothman off-guard with a quote from George W. Bush praising Kwanzaa. Not only did Grothman recognize the quote, he said it was one of his many reasons why Bush “was an irritating president for some of us.”

Martin burst out laughing while Banfield told Grothman he was sounding “borderline ridiculous.” She exasperatedly said she has never seen anyone “raise a pitchfork or a fist to celebrate Kwanzaa,” asking him what’s the harm in the holiday. Martin likened Grothman to people who opposed the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Banfield and Martin threw Columbus Day and Valentine’s Day at Grothman as holidays with violent associations.

I think DPW Communications Director Graeme Zielinski said it best:

Walker blames phantom D.C. pressure on Democrats during Recall, for opposition to mining bills environmental destruction.

Did you know that Washington D.C. pressured Wisconsin Democratic Senators to oppose the mining bill because Scott Walker wanted it? Who knew? Could somebody forward the D.C. memo to me.

Holy crap, this is Walker's whacked out conspiracy theory. To him, Democrats weren't concerned with the mining bills total disregard for the environment, they were taking orders for D.C. and getting even with Walker during the recall election.

We've got a big problem folks. I've got to admit, even I didn't think he was this crazy.

A delusional Walker unconsciously exposed what really happens within the Republican Party; how they buckle under party edicts, and play games for political power. They're not trying to make good policy. It's one-upsmanship, nothing more.

jsonline: In Green Bay Wednesday, Walker said at Valley Plating and Fabricating that last year's mining bill failed because of the atmosphere of recall politics.

"The environmental provisions had next to nothing to do with the passage of the bill," Walker said at the manufacturer, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette.

"I think it was entirely politics. Fourteen senators were under tremendous pressure from Washington, D.C., forces not to pass legislation that would create jobs," Walker said.

What Walker is peddling is pure in-your-face paranoia, a conspiracy theory so partisan that his "nice guy dictator" image is no longer enough to keep pace with Michigan's authoritarian Gov. Rick Snyder.

News flash to Walker, Democrats actually do care about the state's environment, tourism, and clean water. Who would have thought:

Many Democrats and environmentalists were sharply critical of the Republican-backed bill for changes that they said would weaken regulations affecting groundwater, streams and rivers and wetlands, and for limiting public input on environmental aspects of a potential mine.

Veteran's Gun Crazy Letter Passes Conservative Muster, and Desire for Lawless U.S.

It’s becoming more obvious every day that conservatives will be the ones ironically who will destroy the country. They seem to have a problem with the constitution, they want to disregard laws they don’t like, and continually scare the living daylights out of anyone that knows an idiot when they see one.

Which brings me to the “letter” below; crazy people are everywhere, they can even be veterans.

And we put a gun in the hands of this misogynist? The letter to Sen. Feinstein supposedly went viral? Well, that’s what radio’s screaming battleaxe Vicki McKenna wrote on her Facebook page. CNN should be ashamed. See if you can makes sense of this rambling disjointed lunacy:

Senator Dianne Feinstein,

I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government's right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime. You ma'am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.

I am not your subject. I am the man who keeps you free. I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.

I am the man who fought for my country. I am the man who learned. I am an American. You will not tell me that I must register my semi-automatic AR-15 because of the actions of some evil man.

I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public.

We, the people, deserve better than you.
Respectfully Submitted,
Cpl, United States Marine Corps
2004-2012

I especially liked the line "I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established..." Outright projection and just plain scary. One question, who feels "entitled?"

Publishing the locations of Gun Permit Holders = Publishing the location of Walker Recall Signers?

Remember when conservative tea party losers decided to intimidate and threaten those who signed the Walker recall petitions by outing them in public by publishing their names and addresses? It became a scarlet letter that put a big target on the backs of Democrats in the state for gun toting Walker thugs single out.

Well, guess who can’t take the same kind of treatment from an angry public clamoring for sensible gun regulations? Whiny frightened gun nuts, that’s who.

Their fear filled lives just got more scary when a local newspaper published an interactive map of gun permit holders. Instead of feeling safe, knowing they have the firepower to defend their homes, they’re now afraid they’ll be targets of gun burglars. But wouldn't the robbers be afraid to…never mind.

In retaliation, gun freaks published the pictures of reporters and their kids, in a not to subtle public death threat in my opinion. Still, the paper will continue to public locations, since it’s all public record, just like recall petition names are in Wisconsin. 

But in America now, a newspaper has to arm itself from its readers. Now that's freedom and liberty:

NY Times: A newspaper based in White Plains that drew nationwide anger after publishing the names and addresses of handgun permit holders last month is being guarded by armed security personnel at two of its offices, the publisher said Wednesday. The increased security comes as the newspaper, The Journal News, has promised to forge ahead with plans to expand its interactive map of permit holders to include a third county in the suburbs of New York City, and local officials there have vowed to block the records’ release. The Journal News had gathered the information from public records after the school shooting in nearby Newtown, Conn. The police report said that e-mails received did not contain threats and that armed guards from a private security firm had not reported any problems at the office.

Putnam County … officials there, including the county clerk and a state senator, have said they intend to block the release of permit information. The senator, Greg Ball, a Republican who represents the area, lashed out at the “asinine editors” at The Journal News who, he said, “have gone out of their way to place a virtual scarlet letter on law-abiding firearm owners throughout the region.” “I thank God that Putnam County has a clerk with the guts to stand up and draw the line here,” Senator Ball said. “This is clearly a violation of privacy and needs to be corrected immediately.”

Wow, just like a Republican "lawmaker" to defy the law, the ones they don't like.

The permits are public records that were requested by the newspaper using the state’s Freedom of Information Law. Robert Freeman of the State Committee on Open Government said the officials would be breaking the law if they refused to release the records. The name and address of any handgun permit holder “shall be a public record,” he said, reading a section of New York State law. “In my opinion,” he added, “there is not a lot of room for interpretation.”

Gov. Christie tells truth about Republicans, Congress.

We can thank Gov. Chris Christie for telling the truth about the current Republican Party. He's right of course. It would be fun to listen to conservative denial by radio talk hosts tomorrow, but sadly, they probably won't bring it up. Right now they're caught up with Hillary Clinton's phonied up blood clot conspiracy, because you know, she's afraid to take on Republicans?

GAB is Gone. Welcome to the Walker Dictatorship.

Wisconsin has survived the attempts to suppress the vote through a ridiculously unconstitutional voter ID law. Now they want to create a partisan election board that will see things their way, which only seems fair if you're dead set on setting up an authoritarian one party state. Goodbye Government Accountability Board.

Thanks to the farcical, and radically conservative "think tank" MacIver Institute, we have this look inside the thinking behind our winner take all party of failed ideas, and Sen. Scott Fitzgerald. I've added corrections when needed:

Grothman's attack on Kwanzaa GOP's Divide and Conquer Idea of America?

We can thank Republican Sen. Glenn Grothman for giving us a front row seat to the ugliness and racist nature of conservative Americans. His openness about issues that actually bother most conservatives, even though most of the time it’s hard to believe, proves there really is something wrong on that side of the aisle. It’s not spin, it’s not our imagination, it’s not name calling. It's down the rabbit hole.

Something is terribly wrong with Republicans, and the media’s lack of criticism and continued false equivalence between parties has only encouraged them.

Democrats have had enough:

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin's Black Caucus on Wednesday called on Governor Scott Walker to denounce the outrageous comments about the Kwanzaa holiday celebration made by his key ally and top Republican Sen. Glenn Grothman. Grothman, who made headlines when he attacked the legitimacy of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, sent out a bizarre press release Dec. 28th making outrageous claims about Kwanzaa's meaning, its history -- as well as demeaning and patronizing statements about African-Americans.

Stephanie Findley, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's Black Caucus, "Grothman, who has minimized the honor due Martin Luther King Jr., says he knows what's best for black people and he directly attacks basic principles of religious liberty in his ill-advised screed. He took a time to celebrate peace and goodwill toward all and warped it into a narrow political appeal to bigots.

"Does Glenn Grothman, in his attacks on African-Americans and religious liberty, speak for Scott Walker's Republican Party? If not, Walker must say so now."

Casual Gun Use an Even Bigger Problem, and Unbelievably, NRA's Plan to Arm Schools taken seriously.

As appalling as NRA's VP Wayne LaPierre's suggestion was to arm public schools, it's now an actual solution to our gun problem? Yes.

But just as bad as losing nearly 12,000 people a year to guns violence, think of all the people injured through the "casual use" of guns in everyday life. The following was just one day of near fatal violence. 26 children have been killed with guns since Sandy Hook, more than that one single outrageous event. 

The list: 15 people shot, 3 fatally, on New Year’s Day-A look at fatal shootings on New Year’s Day in Chicago:

Chicago Sun Times: Officers discovered a 20-year-old man lying on the ground and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the throat. (A 29 year old) was shot in the head about 2:45 p.m. … Just before 5 p.m., a 19 year old was shot in the chest during an apparent drive-by attack. 

Here’s the “casual use” tally:

A 29-year-old man was shot in the mouth and shoulder after a fight broke out at a bar.

A 22-year-old man was shot in both legs and the scrotum during a fight at a house party.

A man was shot in the abdomen … was listed in critical condition.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the arm (as) he exited a vehicle and began arguing with a group of people.

A 20-year-old man was shot while he was on the front porch of a home.

A teenage girl and a man were shot in the leg, and the 30-year-old man was shot in the back.

A 28-year-old man was shot in the head and chest.

A 20-year-old woman was shot in the face and back.

A 21-year-old man was driving when two unknown males opened fire, critical condition.

Two teen boys were both shot.

Casual use is never mentioned in the gun control discussion, but as you can see, it should be.

Here's a clip of President Johnson talking about his own attempt to regulate guns:

A Couple of Fun Pieces from Ed Schultz.

Only a radio guy could come up with bits like this, which makes for good television:

Dissecting the "Both Sides Do It" Lie.

A lot has been said about the "both sides do it" inanity. It's a complete lie repeated over and over by...Republicans. Why is that? Because it's not true. But propaganda relies on repeating a lie until it's presumed to be true.

So do both sides do it? What has become a repeated reference by many now, is this explanation by Ezra Klein disassembling the lie:

Sensenbrenner, Duffy and Petri stiff Dairy Farmers, but probably still want their vote.

Here’s an important observation that should be a really big issue in the next congressional race:

jsonline: Rep. Reid Ribble also noted that the bill includes an extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract dairy program.

Ribble is talking about his yes vote to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” Dairy farmers needed something, anything to avoid a steep, economy crushing jump in milk prices.

But who didn't come to the rescue of farmers? Here’s who voted, and how:

In addition to Ryan, Moore and Ribble, Democrats Ron Kind and Tammy Baldwin voted for the bill. Republicans Sean Duffy, Tom Petri and Jim Sensenbrenner voted against the measure.

Think about that when they ask for your vote, promising tax pledges, voodoo and magic. 

Not only that, but rural farmers also got what they wanted when it came to the estate tax. The estate tax exemption has been raised to $5 million, and indexed to inflation.  

Let the rural conservative voters know who in congress was looking out for them, and who took their vote and abandoned them for a farm crushing principle. 

As for the farm bill, here's Ezra Klein with a look at what could have happened if Sensenbrenner, Duffy and Petri got their way:

Boehner and House GOP abandon Gov. Christie Sandy Aide

Get used to folks, the cold hard reality of Republican politics is hitting Republican voters now, and it's starting to wake a few people up...finally.

Daily Kos: Hours after House Republicans refused to pass Hurricane Sandy relief aid, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is admitting what most people in the northeast have known for a long time: Congressional Republicans are biased against their region and any New Yorker or New Jerseyan who supports them is "out of their mind"

Here's Fox News' interview of King, and his revealing tirade, where he clearly lays out the heartless wreck his party has become. It's just a matter of time before other conservative voters start realizing that tea party Republicans are coming after them next:

As if he were stinkin' drunk, Boehner pointed at Reid, and said, "Go F**k Yourself." Republicans never resort to name calling do they?

Republican Party thugs and bullies can't seem to take the heat, or the hard ball game of politics anymore. They're whiny victims and scared insecure wimps. 

The leader of them all resides in the House. Speaker John Boehner not only looks like a 50's TV con artist and alcoholic, he talks like one (Gig Young comes to mind).

Politico: It was only a few days before the nation would go over the fiscal cliff, no bipartisan agreement was in sight, and Reid had just publicly accused Boehner of running a “dictatorship” in the House and caring more about holding onto his gavel than striking a deal.

“Go f— yourself,” Boehner sniped as he pointed his finger at Reid, according to multiple sources present.

Reid, a bit startled, replied: “What are you talking about?”

Boehner repeated: “Go f— yourself.”

Gee, I wonder how right wing talkers would have reacted if Pelosi or Reid said the same thing?

Conservative Projection!

The victims and bullies on the right don't just have a problem with authoritarianism, they also have a runaway problem with projection. In fact, conservatives are perfecting and making this psychological defense mechanism all their own.

Thanks to Glenn Greenwald for noticing:

The book shown above was described this most ironic and incredible way...can you say projection?

From the editor-at-large of Breitbart.com comes a galvanizing and alarming look at the strategy and tactics of leftist thuggery.

While President Obama and the left like to pretend that they oppose bullying with all their hearts and souls, the truth is far darker: the left is the greatest purveyor of bullying in modern American history. Bullying has morphed into the left’s go-to tactic, as they attempt to quash their opponents through fear, threat of force, violence, and rhetorical intimidation on every major issue facing America today.

Ben Shapiro uncovers the simple strategy used by liberals and their friends in the media: bully the living hell out of conservatives. Play the race card, the class card, the sexism card. Use any and every means at your disposal to demonize your opposition—to shut them up. Then pretend that such bullying is justified, because, after all, conservatives are the true bullies, and need to be taught a lesson for their intolerance. Hidden beneath the left’s supposed hatred of bullying lies a passionate love of its vulgar tactics.

Oh, did I forget to provide a link to the book above....?

What Kind of Americans Cheer Repeal of Deal to Help the Functionally disabled?

The conservatives at the Drudge Report mirror their voting counterparts is their bloodthirsty desire to inflict as much pain on the needy as possible. 

Check out this Republican style "victory," and then tell me they're not sick bastards.

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program was a priority of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, and was designed to create a program for long-term care for the functionally disabled.

Mr. Obama halted the program, saying he couldn't find a way to make it cost-effective. But he had objected when Republicans tried to repeal it outright, saying he wanted to keep it on the books and try to amend it rather than kill it. But he did an about-face this week, accepting repeal in exchange for raising tax rates on the wealthiest.

House Republicans Block Tax Cuts? Why not.

How dysfunctional and destructive is what's left of the Republican? I'm seriously, you can't make this stuff up:

Business Insider: Half of the American government, the Senate, approved a bill that would cut taxes for many ... Americans. The bill has been sent to the other half of the American government, the House of Representatives.

This puts the Republicans in an odd position, considering that the party's primary mission is to cut taxes: Taxes have already gone up.

So the Republicans are now the only thing standing between America and a gigantic tax cut.

Fiscal Cliff Senate Deal;

Suzy Khimm’s summary of the fiscal cliff deal, Wonkbook:

— Tax rates will permanently rise to Clinton-era levels for families with income above $450,000 and individuals above $400,000. All income below the threshold will permanently be taxed at Bush-era rates.

— The tax on capital gains and dividends will be permanently set at 20 percent for those with income above the $450,000/$400,000 threshold. It will remain at 15 percent for everyone else. (Clinton-era rates were 20 percent for capital gains and taxed dividends as ordinary income, with a top rate of 39.6 percent.)

— The estate tax will be set at 40 percent for those at the $450,000/$400,000 threshold, with a $5 million exemption. That threshold will be indexed to inflation, as a concession to Republicans and some Democrats in rural areas like Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mt.).

— The sequester will be delayed for two months. Half of the delay will be offset by discretionary cuts, split between defense and non-defense. The other half will be offset by revenue raised by the voluntary transfer of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs, which would tax retirement savings when they’re moved over.

— The pay freeze on members of Congress, which Obama had lifted this week, will be re-imposed.

— The 2009 expansion of tax breaks for low-income Americans: the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit will be extended for five years.

— The Alternative Minimum Tax will be permanently patched to avoid raising taxes on the middle-class.

— The deal will not address the debt-ceiling, and the payroll tax holiday will be allowed to expire.

— Two limits on tax exemptions and deductions for higher-income Americans will be reimposed: Personal Exemption Phaseout (PEP) will be set at $250,000 and the itemized deduction limitation (Pease) kicks in at $300,000.

—The full package of temporary business tax breaks — benefiting everything from R&D and wind energy to race-car track owners — will be extended for another year.

— Scheduled cuts to doctors under Medicare would be avoided for a year through spending cuts that haven’t been specified.

— Federal unemployment insurance will be extended for another year, benefiting those unemployed for longer than 26 weeks. This $30 billion provision won’t be offset.

— A nine-month farm bill fix will be attached to the deal, Sen. Debbie Stabenow told reporters, averting the newly dubbed milk cliff. 

Rep. Jim Ott on Drunk Driving or Guns? "Do we just sit back and say we have to live with this?"

Let’s take a look at the car/guns analogy again, shall we?

We already know cars were never invented to kill people, but guns were. We know cars require detailed registration by their owners, while guns don’t.

And finally the old argument; we know that cars kill people, just like guns do, so "should we ban cars too?"

Former TV weather man State Rep. Jim Ott and Sen. Alberta Darling have just blown their argument against tougher gun regulations, and didn't know it. And I’ll bet conservative low information voters won’t even notice. 

Check out this amazing upside down statement from Rep. Ott, keeping in mind Sandy Hook and the argument Republicans and the NRA are making against tighter common sense gun regulations.

Two of the dumbest people in government!

AP: (Ott and Darling) say they will try again this session to criminalize certain first-time offenses, make a third offense a felony and establish mandatory minimum sentences for drivers who cause crashes.

"We continue to have so many outrageous crashes in Wisconsin," Ott, of Mequon, said. "Do we just sit back and say `we have to live with this' or are we going to try to do something?"

Sound familiar? That’s what supporters of tougher gun regulations are saying after Sandy Hook, and just the opposite of what the NRA and Republican gun nuts are saying. So, should we just sit back, and where are all the car/gun comparisons now? 

Jim Ott and Alberta Darling blew it, showed their deceiving hand, and exposed their hypocrisy to the rest of our gun loving country. 

Obama, the country, see Republicans for what they are, spoiled children needing adult supervision.

From the reaction below, you’d think Obama said something that wasn’t true. Too bad for our victimized Republicans, they've been revealed as the whiniest do-nothing congress ever.

It always struck me odd the supposed role of Democrats in politics; to be silent and never sell or explain an idea to Americans, because that would be “campaigning and cheer leading.” You’d think the president was expected to cower in fear from the ferocious minority party in D.C.? Guess they couldn't take the heat or win a fair fight, without suppressing the vote.

See the video below…and how these frightened "victims" are so helpless. It’s hilarious.  

Washington Times: GOP warns Obama after 'cheerleading rally' … Republicans reacted angrily to President Obama's Monday-afternoon rally with middle-class residents, saying it seemed to them as if he was taking a victory lap for having forced them to concede on tax increases.

Sen. John McCai called it "a cheerleading rally," and Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said the president should work toward a deal next time that would have Republicans and Democrats in Congress, not political supporters, standing behind him.

"Congratulations on your tax-rate increase. You fought hard and won," Mr. Graham said on the Senate floor,

Sen. Dan Coats, an Indiana Republican, said it reminded him of football players taunting their opponents. "It's in-your-face. It was demeaning. It was insulting. It was sad," he said.