When Vice Presidents Curse: There IS a Difference

Healthcare Toon Time

This One's for You, Ted

Today, after voting for the Reconciliation healthcare reform bill, the Senate observed a minute of silence in memory of Senator Edward Kennedy, who championed healthcare reform and made it the cause of his life.

This Is How Conservative Think Tanks Treat Heretics

You know how conservatives always talk a good game about liberal intellectuals stifling the free exchange of ideas in so-called “elite” institutions such as universities, think tanks, and research organizations? It was practically an article of faith in conservative circles that the big bad liberal “elites” literally censored conservative “free thinking.” This is, of course, absolute hogwash.

Anyway, the proof is in the puddding. Enter David Frum, whose incisive criticism of fellow conservatives made him “a high-profile critic of Republican legislative leaders.” At least that’s what Arthur C. Brooks, president of the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, said to Mr. Frum over lunch, before asking him to stay on as a non-salaried fellow at the Institute. That’s like the boss telling an employee, “You’re such a valued worker that I’ll have to ask you to work for free!”

Naturally, Mr. Frum refused. And he was forced out. We trust that Brooks picked up the lunch tab.

Coultergeist Does Canada, Gets That "Deer in the Headlights Look" (Is Back for More)

Lesson No. 1, boys and girls: Fox News progeny must stay close to home; taking side trips to educated countries, like Canada, is bad for your health.

Lesson No. 2: When you make it a career to make stuff up (Palin, Coultergeist, Malkin, O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck, Rove, Morris, Carlson, Limbaugh) in the network that rewards lies-per-seconds records, it's not a good career move to be interviewed by someone who actually knows their facts and isn't afraid to embarass you.

Believe it or not, I felt sorry for the Coultergeist. Even Freakazoids have feelings!

Johnny Come Lately and the Right’s Twisted Vision of America and Hatred for President Obama

Finally, four days after repeated instances of violence and vandalism erupted against the home of one lawmaker’s brother and regional offices of House Democratic members who voted for healthcare reform, after phoned, mailed, shouted, faxed, signage death threats were made against individual House Democrats, after angry protesters hurled vitriol and racist invective against legends of the civil rights struggles John Lewis and James Clyburn, after homophobic epithets were screamed at Barney Frank and xenophobic language shouted at a Latino House Democrat, after an African American House member was spat on by a rabid Teabagger egged on by sign-waving Republicans outside, after Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer yelled “baby killer!” from the House floor at Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, who then received multiple death threats –- and after House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Democratic Whip James Clyburn emerged from their Caucus meeting with Congressional security to denounce the incidents of violence, the climate of incivility, and report on the widespread threats –-

Only then did . . .

House Republican Leader John Boehner, with Eric Cantor, see fit to condemn the violence:

“I know many Americans are angry over this health care bill, and that Washington Democrats just aren't listening. But, as I've said, violence and threats are unacceptable. That's not the American way. We need to take that anger and channel it into positive change. Call your Congressman, go out and register people to vote, go volunteer on a political campaign, make your voice heard -- but let's do it the right way.”

Democrats are not satisfied with the late Republican condemnation of violence, including a severed gas line in the home of Virginia Congressman Tom Perriello’s brother, who has four children. His address was posted online by the Teabaggers. The FBI is investigating. This is the result of a widespread campaign of lies, smears, and misinformation by a recklessly irresponsible (yes, it is an oxymoron) wingnut right:

• 67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist. The belief that Obama is a “domestic enemy” is widely held—a sign of trouble yet to come.

• 57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim;

• 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was “not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president;”

• 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is “doing many of the things that Hitler did;”

• 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama “may be the Antichrist.”

There is a name for this -- the “Obama Derangement Syndrome,” defined as the “pathological hatred of the President posing as patriotism has infected the Republican Party” from the violent fringes of its Teabagger storm troops. This hatred has now expanded to encompass all of the Democratic Party. This is a short list of those who bear direct responsibility for the incidents of violence, vandalism, and now as Rep. Bart Stupak affirmed, “domestic terrorism:”

• Teabaggers (rebels without a clue, many packing heat);

• Republicans who incited this violence with lies and misinformation, and never condemned the racism, the Hitler signs, the gun signs, the Nazi concentration camp signs right in front of their faces;

• Dick Armey, leader of the astro-turf FreedomWorks Teabaggers;

• Michelle Bachmann, who called for an investigation of “un-American” Democratic members of Congress;

• Sarah Palin with her “death panels” lie, crosshair icons to “target” Democratic legislators, and incendiary language “LOAD UP;”

• Texas Gov. Rick Perry talking up “tyranny” and secessionism;

• Birthers and their campaign to delegitimize President Obama;

• Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, Fox “News,” Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, right wing hate radio, Bill O’Reilly, Karl Rove, Dick Morris, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Gretchen Carlson -- the entire wingnut anti-Obama propaganda machine;

• Joe Wilson, for calling the President a liar, breaking a longstanding tradition of civility in the well of the House, and then raising money off of it;

• Frank Luntz, a modern Joseph Goebbells, the GOP propaganda minister;
  

• RNC and Michael Steel for turning a blind eye to its worst excesses; and on and on and on.

As one Ohio Democratic Congressman who was targeted by the Republicans’ storm troopers said of a careless remark by John Boehner after confronting him: “Words and actions have consequences.” Indeed they do. You cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Ever.

Texas Textbooks Become Campaign Issue Where they Belong, Unfortunately

Bill White, the Democratic candidate for governor in Texas, has called on Governor Rick Perry to ask (can the governor order them to?) the State Board of Re-Education to send the politicized right wing social studies curriculum they recently voted on back to committee. How this will help Mr. White politically in a predominantly red state is unclear, but by making it a campaign issue the Democratic candidate elevates its profile nationally. This is one of those issues that the more people -- parents, educators, voters -- become aware of the more concerned they become. And the more difficult it becomes for Governor Perry to try to defend the ultra-conservative political bias being injected into an educational curriculum.

This is what happens when a group of right wing extremists ram through the Texas Board of Re-Education a political and ideological document masquerading as a social studies curriculum. It has become clear from the controversy surrounding the rewriting of history by commission (there is no “wall of separation” of church and state) and omission (Thomas Jefferson) among many other offenses, e.g. against the contributions of non-whites to our nation’s history, that the Board is seriously dysfunctional, a national disgrace and international laughingstock. A Board member who opposed the changes, said they amounted to a “whitewash.” As if education isn’t enough of a problem the Board’s actions, unchalleged, will do the most damage precisely to the education of children who would rely on these biased and deeply flawed textbooks.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that two of the right wing Board members were voted out, as the public became aware of what was going on, yet will remain to cast a final vote on the changes in May, after a comment period. They have no intention of recusing themselves, and will be voting for final adoption of the changes as lame ducks. This, by itself, is a fatal flaw in the system since it is clear that at least two votes will be cast by defeated Board members who were in effect fired from office by the voters for making these changes.

The more the public becomes aware of this issue nationally, because it has national implications as Texas standards are widely adopted by other states, the greater the public alarm and pressure to reverse, or at least limit these changes to Texas.

Hey Boehner, Teabaggers, TAKE THIS! YES, WE CAN.

Vice President Biden: “This is a BIG fucking DEAL!”

Author of Republicans' “Waterloo” has Plan B: Repeal the Bill

Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, seeks to revive his “Waterloo” prediction -– “it’s Waterloo all right: ours,” wrote conservative David Frum -– by introducing a bill to repeal healthcare reform. DeMint, not the brightest bulb in a party populated by dimwits and troglodytes, is infamous for his trenchant prediction that healthcare reform would be President Obama’s Waterloo and “break” him.

Extending the Napoleonic metaphor to its logical conclusion, DeMint seems determined to fate the GOP to “exile” in the Isle of St. Helena with another volcanic blunder of Mount St. Helens proportions for Republicans. As any fifth-grade civics student outside Texas could tell DeMint, even if the Republicans succeeded in their repeal scheme the President would veto it.

Good luck, Senator DeMint, getting enough votes to override:

• A prohibition on pre-existing condition exclusions;

• Insurance for 32 million uninsured Americans;

• A prohibition on dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;

• Closing the prescription drug donut hole for seniors;

• Tax credits for small businesses to purchase coverage;

• Eliminating lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;

• Requiring plans to cover an enrollee's dependent children until age 26;

• Preventive care services and immunizations without cost-sharing;

• Internal and external appeals process for consumers to appeal new insurance plan decisions;

• Premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures;

• Public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs;

• Enhanced fraud, waste, and abuse screening;

• Medicare expansion to underserved rural areas;

• Medical loss ratio of 85 percent or more for Blue Cross/Blue Shield to take advantage of IRS tax benefits;

• Better early retiree health benefits for persons aged 55-64 to reduce coverage costs;

• Better consumer information on the Net;

• A two-year temporary credit to encourage investment in new therapies for the prevention and treatment of illnesses.

Democrats will be “deelighted!”-- to borrow Teddy Roosevelt’s effusive expression of optimism -- to stand in opposition to the Republicans’ Dickensian plans. T.R. was the first president to propose universal healthcare, and he never backed down from a good fight. Democrats head into the November mid-term elections with the historic accomplishment of healthcare reform -- the missing third leg (after Social Security and Medicare) in the Democratic Party’s great progressive platform, as President Obama said, “after a century of striving,” with the winds of change at our backs.

Healthcare reform is now the law of the land.

Healthcare Roundup: From Teabagger Viciousness to Democrats Making History, Again

Besides the filthy racist signs, there was this incitement to violence and treason (see sign below). Hopefully, the FBI and Secret Service are investigating and questioning these Teabaggers. Free speech doesn’t mean yelling fire in a crowded theater.

As if the treasonous and violent signs weren’t enough there were the racial slurs hurled at African American Congressmen John Lewis, a legend of the civil rights struggles, and James Clyburn, another being spat upon, shouting "faggot" at Barney Frank, and “go back to Mexico!” at a Latino Congressman.

Is there any rational person in this nation who would find such behavior acceptable? How about the Republican “rep” as an effective opposition party (joke) what’s left of it, with GOP Reps. egging these lunatics on and then saying, oh it's just a few bad apples, as they head into the November mid-term elections?

It's far more than a few bad apples, and it goes without saying that the Republicans have a moral responsibility to condemn this ugliness in the harshest of terms, just as the leaders of the so-called “Tea Party” movement do. 
Not that it’s going to happen. The new Republican “robo-call” might as well be a generic apology. Like the one issued today by Texas (is anybody surprised?) Congressman Randy Neugebauer after yelling “baby killer!” at Congressman Bart Stupak from the cesspool that has become the Republican side of the aisle in Congress.

I’ve seen four-legged basement claiming racehorses, non-winners for life, that are a classier bunch than these “Tea Party” animals and their Republican acolytes.

The Republican rhetoric got ever more outrageous as their frustration and desperation mounted. One congressman defended the Teabaggers’ conduct by claiming the healthcare bill would take us on a path to totalitarianism. Ayn Rand Objectivist Paul Ryan (pictured below) said the bill is a “fiscal Frankenstein,” (noo, he is) and wacko Marsha Blackburn said the bill, which expands the private marketplace for the insurance companies, means “dependency on the federal government and the death of freedom.” Right. The United States remains the only country in the world in which for-profit insurance companies deliver healthcare. They’ll be regulated, but their profit margin will hardly be affected.

Finally, kudos to Nancy Pelosi, whose place is secure in history beyond being the first woman Speaker of the House, but also, more importantly, one of the greatest Speakers in the history of Congress. Love her or hate her, no one will ever doubt her incredible results-oriented leadership style after Sunday’s historic vote. In a splendid symbolic move, Speaker Pelosi and the entire House Democratic leadership proudly walked the Teabagger gauntlet to demonstrate they would not be intimidated by the viciousness of the clueless haters.

This is only a beginning, but a good beginning -– a foundation to be built upon. It’s a proud day to be a Democrat. Once again, we’re on the right side of history, and Republicans are on the outside looking in, with envy, anger, and that loser’s hangdog expression.

Quotable: David Frum

“Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s. ... So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished. For the cause they purport to represent, it’s Waterloo all right: ours.”

David Frum, former speechwriter for George W. Bush

I agree with Mr. Frum. He is an astute enough student of history and politics to have realized the Republicans were playing a dangerous ideological all-or-nothing game with the President. By vowing to oppose every initiative of the President’s, even those in which common ground could be found; by whipping up their angry fringe, the Teabaggers, which in my view they and the punditocracy have grossly overestimated; and by playing infantile process games of obstruction, the Republicans gambled everything on Jim DeMint’s catchy but recklessly self-destructive prediction of President Obama’s “Waterloo” -- and lost.

Deal with it, Republicans. And try cutting the Teabaggers loose. You stoked that ugly flame; now you own it. David Frum may be a minority of one -- or three -- in the GOP.

The President's Victory Lap

Runner-Up: THE VICTORY TWEET

Tweet of the Day: LIFE ON PLANET EARTH AFTER HOUSE PASSES HEALTHCARE REFORM

This just about sums up the Republican/FOX Democratic DOOM/Apocalypse after the Democratic House of Representatives passes the healthcare reform bill, Don’t ya think!

Alternate nightmare: Red sun rising, red dawn, red sky . . . blue state, flying monkeys everywhere?

THE CLOSER

What a tour de force. This was, for me, the most moving speech I have seen President Obama deliver. Like Lincoln, the President appealed to the better angels of our nature, and reminded the people’s representatives why they first got into politics starting out, and most of all, why they became Democrats. Because, he said, there was a moment “I realized if I wasn't willing to step up and be true to the things I believe in, then the system wouldn't change.”

The President continued:

“Something inspired you to get involved, and something inspired you to be a Democrat instead of running as a Republican. Because somewhere deep in your heart you said to yourself, I believe in an America in which we don't just look out for ourselves, that we don't just tell people you're on your own, that we are proud of our individualism, we are proud of our liberty, but we also have a sense of neighborliness and a sense of community, and we are willing to look out for one another, and help people who are vulnerable, and help people who are down on their luck, and give them a pathway to success, and give them a ladder into the middle class.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

For the first time in his presidency, President Obama clearly and eloquently articulated why we are Democrats, and not Republicans. Party identification matters, and the Democratic Party was reminded of its roots as the party of the people and of transformational social legislation: Social Security, Civil Rights, and Medicare. While outside the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party screamed ugly epithets at Democratic lawmakers and spat on one black Congressman, inside the halls of Congress the Democratic Congress found its voice anew, inspired by a young president from Illinois who was, himself, inspired by a great Republican president of another era.

Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, has always been among President Obama’s favorites:

“I am not bound to win, but I'm bound to be true.

I’m not bound to succeed, but I’m bound to live up to what light I have.”

Cracking the Whip on Wavering Democrats

Quotable: Bart Stupak, the Whiner

“How’s it been? Like a living hell.”

So whined Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan, whose rigid rejection of language in the healthcare bill that prohibits public funds for abortion, still isn’t good enough for him –- while making the rounds and getting lots of TV face time, extending his 15 minutes -- and even getting a sympathetic ear from Chris Matthews, who seems to be Stupak’s sole remaining friend in the vicinity of Capitol Hill, as Stupak’s imaginary coalition keeps peeling off. Unfortunately for Bart, “Harvey” doesn’t have a vote.

Stupak remains intransigent despite several Catholic organizations coming out in support of the bill, including: The Catholic Health Association; the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in a statement, signed by Religious Sister of Mercy Mother Mary Quentin Sheridan, president of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious; and Network, which represent 59,000 Catholic sisters.

Believe me, Bart, take Rachel Maddow’s advice: You really don’t want to get on the wrong side of the nuns. Neither, for that matter, should the ultra-conservative Catholic Bishops.

Texas Textbook Outrage: What you Can do to Help

I am departing, for a moment, from my usual irreverent posts to make a serious public outreach request. As you may know by now, the Texas Board of Education has voted initially, on a strict party line vote, to adopt an extremist right wing curriculum that will undermine the teaching of science and social studies education by, among many other things

• Claiming that evolution is a lie and the separation of church and state is a myth;

• Rewriting history to promote political agendas; and

• Censoring authors, important historical figures, and ideas that don’t fit into their own narrow worldview.

How you can help: There’s a great organization in Texas doing yeoman work to get the word out and oppose this outrage: the Texas Freedom Network, whose mission statement is to advance “a mainstream agenda of religious freedom and individual liberties to counter the religious right.”

About the Texas Freedom Network:

Founded in 1995, the Texas Freedom Network is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization of more than 30,000 religious and community leaders. Based in Austin, the Texas Freedom Network acts as the state’s watchdog, monitoring far-right issues, organizations, money and leaders. The organization has been instrumental in defeating initiatives backed by the religious right in Texas, including private school vouchers, textbook censorship and faith-based deregulation. 

As the resource of record on the religious right in Texas, the Texas Freedom Network has become a trusted source for producers and reporters from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, National Journal, TIME, all major U.S. broadcast and cable news media, the BBC and the American Bar Association Journal. Texas Freedom Network spokespeople have appeared on ABC World News Tonight and Nightline, NBC Nightly News, NBC’s Today Show, Dateline NBC, FOX News and The O’Reilly Factor, 60 Minutes II, MSNBC, and National Public Radio.

Texas Freedom Network Outreach Coordinator Judie Niskala informed me that the “Just Educate” petition is TFN’s newly launched campaign to reform the Texas State Board of Education:

“As the only body monitoring and advocating at the SBOE in Texas, we feel it is important to not focus on one subject, but the overall dysfunction of this body. This petition will be used to demonstrate the widespread support for SBOE reform to the legislators during the next legislative cycle (unfortunately the Texas legislature only meets every other year, the next cycle will be January 2011).

Signing this petition will also add you to the SBOE Rapid Response team, which will keep you updated on relevant, timely action you can take. Being in Illinois, you will not be able to attend the next SBOE meeting for public testimony in May, but shortly the amendments and revisions will be online available for public comment. As soon as this happens TFN will send an alert and place information on how to comment on our website.

Finally, Texas Freedom Network will continue to educate members on the happenings at the board (our blog is a great way to remain up-to-date on the most recent goings-on), and we will continue to mobilize members when there are opportunities for public involvement. Most integral is to continue to keep what is happening in the public’s mind, so we can continue to put pressure on the Board. Due to public awareness, recent primary elections represented a major step forward for public education -- at least two of the members of the far-right faction will no longer be serving after the election in November. (find more information here.) TFN will be releasing a C3 voters guide for the general elections, to allow people to know where each candidate stands on the issue. It is through public awareness and pressure that we will be able to reform this board.”

Please sign the petition, join the organization, or subscribe for future information and updates. Texas Freedom Network is doing terrific and important work. You can contact TFN at:

Texas Freedom Network
P.O. Box 1624 // Austin , TX 78767
512-322-0545
www.tfn.org

Memo to Governor Rick Perry: Please Fulfill Your Promise to Lead the Texas Secession From the Union

Considering the recent rewriting of U.S. history in textbooks by right wing Christian and states’ rights fanatics on the Texas Board of Re-Education to, among other things, place Jefferson Davis on a par with Abraham Lincoln; delete Thomas Jefferson from a list of great Enlightenment thinkers; promote the falsehood that there is no wall of separation between church and state and that the Founders were not Deists but, instead, viewed America as a “Christian” nation, thus rendering our social studies curriculum into an ideological, Christian Right, Southern-centric political manifesto; and

Considering your clear, multiple and consistent statements favoring secession of Texas from the Union, that (a) “if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot,” and (b) Texas has a right to secede based on the false historical premise that “when Texas entered the union in 1845 it was with the understanding it could pull out.”

Sidebar:

(Not true, according to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Texas negotiated the power to divide into four additional states at some point if it wanted to but not the right to secede. Ah, but who’s fact-checking.)

We, the people of the Blue states and rational Red states, who oppose your schemes to politicize our children’s education, and will use every available legal means necessary to prevent this Texas poison from spreading beyond your borders, including court challenges and concerted multi-state campaigns to get our states off the Texas list,

Strongly urge you to cease-and-desist your second civil war against America, and fulfill your campaign pledge to Texan secessionists, i.e., making it your first priority to lead the movement for Texas to secede from the Union. And should your secessionist aims be thwarted by the courts or Obama’s evil socialists, ramming stimulus funds and healthcare reform down your liberty-loving, tyranny-hating, beer-guzzling throats,

You will have the solace of knowing there are unreconstructed Confederate allies in a far-off tropical land who are prepared to receive you with open arms, should you (happily, for us) decide to follow GOP Party Boss Rush Limbaugh’s advice, and leave the country forthwith. Rush will be in Costa Rica, the new playground for pedophiles, and a country with universal healthcare, but you; You will be heading further South, to that great collossus of South America.

Behold! The Confederados community in São Paulo, Brasil:

“ Actually we’re the most Southern, and only, really, truly unreconstructed Confederates that there are on Earth because we left before, right after the War, and we never pledged allegiance to the damn Yankee Flag!”

The Confederados in Brasil



Brazil’s Gray Ghosts



Festa dos Confederados



Confederate Party in Brasil