Archive for category Politics
Why Aren’t Neo-Cons Calling for the Invasion of N. Korea?
Posted by Lance Haley in Conservatives, Dick Cheney, Fox News, Media & Communication, National Security, Republicans, Sarah Palin, War on Terror on July 28th, 2010
KIM JUNG IL
First they claimed Saddam Hussein was insane? And in the last year or so they were clamoring about how mad Ahmadinejad of Iran is, what with all of his Holocaust-denial crap (sounds like the “birther” movement, eh?).
But Kim Jung IL of North Korea is in a category all his own – this guy is simply crazier than a rat in a tin shithouse.
Weapons of Mass Destruction? Check.
Threat to U.S. National Security and World Peace? Check.
State sponsor of terrorism? Check.
Has all the trappings of another “Operation Iraqi Freedom” – you know, “Mission Accomplished“?
So where are those “drum beats for war“, and WTF is Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, Fox News, and the rest of those sabre-rattling Neo-Cons doing sitting on their hands? They were wrong on Iraq. They keep talking about Iran. But in this case – we can call it “Operation N. Korea Freedom” – they even have a damn good chance at being right for a change! Or are they too scared to let Obama wag the dog ?
We’re waiting . . . . . . . . . . ?
Man, this silence is deafening.
Republican Mitch McConnell’s Twisted Logic on Taxes, Economics and Deficits
Posted by Lance Haley in 2010 Election, Budget, Budget & Deficit, Budget Deficit, Conservatives, Economics, Financial Crisis, Government, How and Why We Get Screwed, Logic & Reasoning, Politics, Republicans, Senate, economy on July 24th, 2010
PARALLEL UNIVERSE by Steve Hester
Remember how “vibrant” the economy was at the end of the Bush Era?
Recall that when Bush left office in January of 2009, the U.S. budget deficit was at an historical all-time high, roughly $1.3 Trillion .
So now Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claims that the Bush Tax Cuts “increased revenue, because of the vibrancy of these tax cuts in the economy.”
What an inexplicable disconnect between his statement and the foregoing facts regarding the economic collapse brought on by the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, and the deficits a majority of Americans agree that Bush hung around Obama’s neck; deficits that were unprecedented in relation to previous Administrations. It’s patently obvious that McConnell operates from a parallel universe where the laws of basic math and logic don’t apply.
As Ezra Klein of the Washington Post so kindly put it, “it’s enough to make you very, very sad.”
What’s even more unbelievable is how McConnell and the Republicans attempt to blister Obama and the Democrats on taxes, spending and deficits, all while ignoring the most blatant evidence of what the Republicans did after inheriting Clinton’s budget surplus. To describe this behavior in terms of an hypocrisy is an understatement.
So now the country seems inclined to put these guys back in power?
That is utterly terrifying.
NOTE: the sublime painting by Steve Hester is an original watercolor for sale at this link.
Republicans’ Are Skimming Off Political Froth
Posted by Lance Haley in BP oil spill, Conservatives, Energy, Environment, Politics, Pollution, Republicans on July 20th, 2010
OIL SKIMMING BOAT
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his fellow cohorts now claim President Obama did not act quickly enough in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. McConnell appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” this past Sunday, and based his assertions on the premise that a Republican President would have brought a multitude of oil skimmers into the Gulf much sooner.
As is typical with many Republicans, this Palin-like “common sense” retort to complex problems is far too simplistic when set against the facts.
Besides, you don’t just move hundreds of oil-skimmers away from other critical areas – like harbors and ports – where ships and oil depot facilities routinely spill untold amounts of oil into the waters, having the potential to create smaller-scale environmental disasters. Furthermore, how do they think – well actually, they obviously don’t – they could transfer hundreds of the smaller skimmers from, for instance, California to the Gulf of Mexico? Would they sail in the treacherous waters down the Pacific coast of Central America and through the Panama Canal in such small watercraft?
Not if their asses were on the line.
Are Republicans really interested in fixing this country’s problems?
Then first start by skimming all the political B.S. off your claims.
Fiscal Conservative Marco Rubio Points Fingers At Others, But Won’t Pay His Own Bills
Posted by Lance Haley in 2010 Election, Campaigns, Conservatives, Government, Politics, Republicans, Senate on June 18th, 2010
You know all those people who many Fiscal Conservatives have blamed for the global financial crisis because they took out mortgages and then did not pay for them? Or worse yet, they are still living in the house for free while refusing to pay the mortgage, and running up other personal debts on credit cards while the bank winds it’s way through an expensive and drawn out foreclosure proceeding?
Well let’s ask Marco Rubio - Florida’s Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, an avowed Fiscal Conservative, and political darling of the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) what he thinks about all of this; because Rubio joined the ranks of such people, and stopped paying a mortgage he has on a house in Florida. Of course, when news of the pending foreclosure recently surfaced, the past-due mortgage payments were miraculously brought current – including payment of all penalties and the banks legal fees – and the house was put up for sale.
Maybe Rubio just happened to read the conservativefocus.com website’s post called ”Owners Stop Paying Mortgage . . And Stop Fretting About It? Here’s what a mortgage expert had to say on the issue:
“From the lenders’ standpoint, people who stay in their homes without paying the mortgage or actively trying to work out some other solution, like selling it, are “milking the process.”
Oh, but it doesn’t just end there. It also appears that Rubio likes to use his Florida Republican Party credit card for personal expenses – which is part of an IRS criminal probe into unlawful political expenditure reports filed by Florida Republicans. But of course, that particular little “misunderstanding” was also miraculously paid up once it was discovered by the IRS.
Furthermore, when he sets up Conservative political actions committees (PAC’s) to raise campaign money for other candidates, and then uses most of the money to pay his relatives as “employees” of the PAC’s, that can also be explained away as just paying employees to do their job. So was the PAC established primarily to raise campaign funds, or as a “slush fund” to help his family pay their bills? Wonder what the Federal Election Commission might have to say about that? And how quick will that money be paid back to political donors when it also becomes a problem?
If you are Marco Rubio, being a Fiscal Conservative means only being critical of the spending habits of President Obama and Democrats – and not yourself.
A Tragedy of the First Proportion?
Posted by Lance Haley in 2010 Election, BP oil spill, Business and Money, Campaigns, Capitalism, Energy, Environment, Government, House of Representatives, How and Why We Get Screwed, Oil, Politics, Republicans, Show Them the $$$, White House on June 17th, 2010
No, the heading of this post is not a reference to the tragic deaths of the eleven men killed from the horrific explosion and fire on that Gulf oil rig. Nor is that heading alluding to the environmental devastation being wrought upon Gulf coast region by the oil spill. And it is not even a commentary on the hardships the people of the Gulf coast are experiencing.
Quite to the contrary.
That statement was Texas Republican Representative Joe Barton’s characterization of the outcome of the meeting between BP executives and President Obama in the Oval Office on Wednesday – where BP voluntarily agreed to pay $20 Billion into a fund to cover legal claims for the oil spill. Barton seems to think that BP had no choice in the matter – describing it as a political “shakedown” – and then openly apologized to BP’s embattled CEO, Tony Hayward, as more Congressional hearings got underway this morning. Here is what Barton had to say:
“I’m ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday . . . [it's] a tragedy of the first proportion, that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, a $20 billion shakedown.”
Furthermore, Barton attempted to insinuate that BP was denied it’s right to utilize the legal system by invoking the constitutional doctrine of “due process and fairness” - thereby concluding that BP entered the agreement under duress, thus ostensibly elevating it to the level of “a tragedy of first proportion”; at least in Barton’s obviously warped world-view.
If anything, Barton’s response is so remarkably disproportionate, it begs the question as to how he could reach such an extraordinarily nonsensical conclusion? Want a not so little clue?
M-$-O-$-N-$-E-$-Y!
Barton – who is the top Congressional recipient of almost $1.5 million in political campaign contributions from the oil industry over the past 20 years – is just another shameless Big Oil shill in Washington, who is willing to do the bidding for their interests; all while placing the interests of average Americans at the bottom of the barrel.
Barton may be the only Republican brazen enough, or outright stupid enough, to say what he really thinks. I guess money and power will do that to you. Other Republicans simply insinuated that it was another Obama-style government takeover, of sorts. Their “measured responses” are just a veil for the same manner of thinking.
Meanwhile, as I am just finishing writing this post, Barton has suddenly issued a retraction of his earlier apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward – not so ironically, under duress from Republican leadership. In Barton’s mind, that is probably compounding the “tragedy of first proportion”? But even soul-less politicians have to compromise from time-to-time.
Nevertheless, don’t be fooled. After all, defending Corporate America is the primary business of the Republicans. Meanwhile, the small business owners of the Gulf Coast are cast afloat on a proverbial sea of oil, all going to Hell in a hand-basket together.
Let’s just hope the voters remember that come November.
Message to British Regarding American Criticism of BP’s Monumental Screw Up . . .
Posted by Lance Haley in BP oil spill, Business and Money, Capitalism, Economics, Energy, Environment, Oil, Politics, Pollution on June 11th, 2010
ENGLAND vs. U.S.A – WORLD CUP SOCCER or BP OIL FIASCO?
Help Americans understand this:
So you are distressed over the fact that Americans are extremely outraged at BP’s (formerly called British Petroleum) environmental disaster which is wrecking havoc on our Gulf Coast region; that our fury over this corporation’s massive blunder is somehow to blame for the precipitous drop in it’s stock price; that this drop in the value of BP’s stock has effected the value of many of your citizens’ pensions; therefore Americans need to “ratchet down” criticism of the company so that the stock price can go up again?
Interesting.
So when our Wall Street banks screwed up the world economy, thereby effecting the value of your citizens’ pension funds because they bought some of the over-rated collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) these financial terrorists were selling, it was OK for you to whip them like the worthless dogs they are. However, when one of your energy corporations screws up, effecting the lives of millions of Americans living on the Gulf coast, we have to bite our tongues because that too negatively affects your retirement accounts?
Locke, Hobbes, Bentham, John Stewart Mills, Bertrand Russell - all great British philosphers. Men of extraordinary reason and intelligence. Did present day British citizens skip the class in Logic and Critical Thinking? These great British philosophers must be rolling over in their graves.
My ancestors left England (and Scotland) in order to come to the United States over 300 years ago.
Maybe for good reason . . . no pun intended.
Yes, Sarah “Drill Baby Drill”, Now We Get It . . .
Posted by Lance Haley in BP oil spill, Business and Money, Conservatives, Energy, Environment, Oil, Politics, Pollution, Sarah Palin on June 2nd, 2010
BP EXECUTIVE TESTIFYING ABOUT 2006 OIL SPILL (promising no future spills)
So, Sarah Palin, let me try and clarify this really twisted, illogical construct.
Because some Americans – present company included – insisted that certain environmentally-protected areas be deemed off-limits from oil exploration because of the risk that oil spills would destroy those fragile eco-systems, we are the one’s at fault for BP’s deep-water drilling disaster? Because the U.S. would not have had to open up deep-water off-shore drilling to the oil companies – thus resulting in the BP Gulf oil spill – if they had been allowed to drill in these protected areas?
As Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic magazine so eloquently labeled your preposterous argument: From The Annals of Chutzpah
It’s not the utter stupidity of the argument that is most disturbing to me. I have come to expect nothing less from you. It’s the fact that a significant minority of Americans actually think you are smart, and should lead this country.
That is why you scare the Hell out of me, Sarah Palin.
Because you should scare the Hell out of every American.
And you don’t.
[Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
Another Conservative Family Values Guy Falls Victim to the Irresistable Lure of the Forbidden Fruit
Posted by Lance Haley in Conservatives, Cultural Issues, Humor, Morality, Politics, Religion, Religion & Spirituality, Republicans, Sex & Sexuality on May 18th, 2010
DA COOCHIE MONSTA
COOCHIE: a term referencing part of the female anatomy located anterior to the rectum and posterior to the lower abdomen, between the upper thighs. It is an opening, varying in size and appearance, that is commonly used for the sexual gratification of the male species; or in the case of the female species, when stimulated by small appendages, mechanically vibrating devices, certain vegetables, cigar holders, or other assorted cylindrical-shaped objects (Yes, I used a little poetic license in crafting part of this definition, for all you plagiarism detectives).
Another one bites the dust . . .
What is up with these Conservative Family Values guys? First, they go after President Bill Clinton in the 1990’s. Hey, Newt Gingrich - do you recall leading the charge, after dumping your cancer-ridden first wife for some young coochie, and just prior to dumping your second wife for another newer piece of coochie? Now days they just act contrite only AFTER they have been outed. Senators David Vitter and John Ensign, as well as Governor Mark Sanford all come to mind - and those are just a few of the more recent Republican Bible-thumping philanderers.
What is even more incredulous is the fact that today’s Conservative Family Values guy – Republican Congressman Mark Souder (R-IN) – recorded a video with his little coochie-girl, advocating abstinence. Oh yea, she was also on his Congressional Staff – obviously both literally and figuratively.
So what I gleen from all of this is that abstaining from abstinence and abstaining from marital fidelity are not morally equivalent for these guys? What great role models for our kids – eh, Sarah and Bristol Palin?
A few little nuggets of wisdom for all you moral hypocrites:
1) A man is just a human being with two heads and only enough blood to run one of them at a time;
2) There usually ain’t enough prayer in the world to resist the call of the sirens (“wild coochie”). Just ask Ulysses. Approximately 3000 years ago, this dude had himself tied to the mast of a ship by his sailors so as not to succumb to the desires of the flesh brought on by the beckon call of these seductresses; in the process, he damn near lost his freakin’ mind trying to resist the temptation to throw caution to the wind – as in throw his sorry ass into the ocean -so he could swim to shore just to get in on some of that action. Legend had it that it meant certain death (NO SH!T, geniuses – as in expensive and painfully public divorces?);
3) Coochie Monsters are born, not made. They are called men.
See you all in Hell!
P.S. Bring your own ice.
Republicans Suddenly “Get Religion” On Financial Reform?
Posted by Lance Haley in 2010 Election, Bailouts, Banking, Business and Money, Campaign Finance Reform, Campaigns, Capitalism, Congress, Financial Crisis, Financial Terrorists, Government, How and Why We Get Screwed, Politics, Republicans, Senate, Show Them the $$$, Wall Street, White House, financial industry on April 26th, 2010
Several weeks ago Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell and Senator John Cornyn, leader of the National Republican Senatorial Committee – a principle Republican campaign fund-raising organization – flew to New York City to meet with Wall Street. Looming on the “dark horizon” was another long and bitter battle with President Obama and the Democrats over the proposed financial reform bill. It was safe to assume that Republicans would drag this one out like they did health care reform so as to impact the coming Fall mid-term elections.
True to form, McConnell and Cornyn made their pitch to the money-changers sitting in the temple – which was 25 Wall Street executives and hedge fund managers. The two powerful Senators made it very clear that in order for the Republicans to have any chance to take back control of the Senate and the House, they would need Wall Street’s assistance. As one anonymous Wall Street executive in attendance so eloquently put it, “There was no arm twisting, but they did say that we should feel uncomfortable living in any country where one party has unfettered ability to pass anything [legislation] . . . President Obama dreams up.”
I hope I don’t have to spell out what the Republicans quid pro quo was? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ . . . and lots of it.
So upon the Senator’s return to Washington, McConnell immediately announces that the Republicans are united in their oppostion to the Democrats’ financial reform bill, and they will utilize every procedural move to block the proposed regulatory-laden legislation because it will risk future tax-payer bailouts. That was just two weeks ago.
Fast forward one week, with one big freakin’ revelation about Goldman Sachs’ “gaming the system” to the $1 Billion detriment of several of their institutional clients, as well as proposals for much stronger derivatives regulation coming out of another Senate committee – and the Republicans are caught in a trap that they set for themselves.
Yet, in spite of the fact that the Republicans suddenly reversed course and were quickly backing away from supporting their Wall Street financiers, appearing more conciliatory towards President Obama and the Democrats than they have in more than 14 months, Mitch McConnell would have you believe that he has the Democrats on the ropes.
McConnell seems to think he should get credit for forcing the Democrats to negotiate. Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and author of the pending legislation, responded to McConnell’s baseless bragging, saying this:
“That is like a rooster taking credit for the sunrise.”
YEP!
UPDATE: Now after two days of filbustering and holding up floor debate on financial reform, McConnell got those Democrats to negotiate again – or was it get the voters to forget about the GOP’s siding with Wall Street by November?
SEC Diddles While Rome Burns
Posted by Lance Haley in Banking, Business and Money, Capitalism, Financial Crisis, Financial Terrorists, Government, How and Why We Get Screwed, Legal & Justice, Politics, Republicans, Senate, Show Them the $$$, U.S. District Courts, Wall Street, financial industry on April 26th, 2010
DID WATCHING PORN CAUSE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS?
This author was highly critical of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) limp-dicked response to the Bank of America bailout scandal – here, here, here, and especially HERE - which was finally settled several months ago.
Federal Judge Jed Rakoff was incensed at the SEC’s handling of that case – and he publicly admonished SEC lawyers and regulators in a series of blistering critiques at their apparently cozy relationship with BoA executives and lawyers in trying to reach a settlement in that matter. Click on the link above to read the judges comments.
At least Judge Rakoff demonstrated that he has balls, and he vicariously told the SEC in no uncertain terms that they need to grow some testicles. I guess they got the message, in light of their recent case filed against Goldman Sachs.
And speaking of SEC testicles . . .
While Bernie Madoff was screwing his investors out of $50 Billion, and Goldman Sachs was screwing the rest of the world out of whatever money remained, SEC lawyers and high-ranking officials were watching porn stars screw one another.
And then we all got screwed – up the A$$!
Responding to the scandal, SEC spokesman John Nester released a statement that said, “each of the offending employees has been disciplined or is in the process of being disciplined.”
WAIT A MINUTE!?!
Doesn’t SEC Chairman Mary Shapiro realize that is exactly what these naughty boys want - punishment? Wonder if she used her bare hand, or a whip?
“Oooh, Mary baby . . . I’m a such bad boy. Pleezzze, spank me real hard. Pleeezzze?!?”
What a bunch of jack-offs – both literally and figuratively speaking.
On a final note: one of the SEC porn-watchers was a female staff accountant . An chance someone from the SEC can send me her email address and phone number? :)
P.S. To Senator Chuck Grassley and all of you other Republicans trying to use this as political fodder for undermining financial reform - this porn scandal happened on former SEC Chairman Christopher Cox’s watch. He was a Bush Republican appointee, confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate!