Tempest in a Tennessee Tea Pot

It was just a few weeks ago when Mark Skoda -- chairman of the Memphis TEA Party -- was loudly complaining about paying high taxes.

Mark and his group of Tennessee patriots were fighting mad about the tax money they're shelling out and staged several anti-government rallies.

Questioned as to anger directed specifically toward the President -- who has actually cut income taxes -- Mr. Skoda reasoned, "Obama was the Pearl Harbor moment for conservatives."

But now Mark and his fellow Tennessee Tea Baggers are facing a new crisis moment.

Flooding from two days of heavy rain is wreaking havoc in Tennessee. Up to 20 inches of rain has fallen in parts of the state over the weekend. The rains have washed out major roads, caused evacuations, and prompted dam failures. In Nashville alone, more than 600 people were rescued from the water this weekend, reported emergency management officials.

Of course the rescue missions, emergency shelters and other services are supplied by local, state and federal GOVERNMENT.  And they cost a lot of MONEY.

The TN Emergency Management Agency has already requested help from the National Guard.  The state will now appeal to President Obama for federal relief.

Needless to say . . . the anti-tax protests from Mark Skoda, and the angry complaints about taxes from the Tennessee Tea Baggers, have instantly dried up.

Spill, Baby, Spill

The normally talkative Sarah Palin has fallen strangely silent on the topic, but the good old boys down South are facing an oil spill crisis. An oil rig explosion in the gulf has resulted in about 42,000 gallons of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico daily. The oil is now moving towards the Louisiana coast.

The Wall Street Journal reports: "The crude spill, emanating from broken drilling infrastructure 5,000 feet below the surface at a rate of 1,000 barrels a day, was caused by the explosion and sinking last week of the Transocean Ltd. Deepwater Horizon, which was drilling an exploration well for BP."

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official says the oil is expected to hit shore within days. If that occurs, it could create an economic and environmental disaster.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says he is receiving constant updates on the oil spill. He insists the spill can be contained and that the government is prepared to handle the crisis. 

. . . Government? . . . Who needs government?

Party Down

The anti-government Tea Parties planned for the state of Mississippi have all been canceled . . . due to natural disaster. The anti-tax parties, protests and parades will be re-scheduled after federal and state government officials have assessed the damage and rushed aid to the tornado ravaged area.

"We don't like the government intrusions in our lives," barked Mississippi Tea Party President Roy Nicholson just a few weeks ago at an April 15 protest.

I agree with Roy!

No federal money should be forced on these proud patriots. Let them pull themselves up by their confederate boot straps. Our filthy government money is no good down there in Mississippi.

Congresman Baby Killer

The loud-mouthed clown who cried "Baby Killer" during Rep. Bart Stupak's March 21 floor speech in favor of health care reform was not some drunken moron in the visitor's gallery. The "Baby Killer" heckler has been identified as Republican Randy Neugebauer, a third-term representative of the proud people of Texas.

Politico reports that "Neugebauer was a co-sponsor to a March 2009 House resolution that would've required presidential candidates to provide a copy of their birth certificate."

While Neugebauer admits he lost any sense of decorum, dignity or basic self-control, he contends he was calling the bill a "baby killer" -- not Bart Stupak. Well, to quote one of Randy's birther buddies, "You lie!"

Speaking of baby killers, an estimated 45,000 Americans die every year due merely to a lack of health care insurance. Regardless of the federal deficit George Bush ran up, this nation is too wealthy to allow scores of innocent men, women and children to needlessly die.

It's Randy Neugebauer and the GOP who've fought like the devil to maintain the status quo death sentence on millions of Americans.

President Obama and the Democratic congress -- without a single vote from the Bible-thumpin' Republicans -- have at last put an end to America's deadly neglect of its own citizen's constitutionally protected right to life.

For Shame

On the 7th anniversary of the biggest lie the Republican party and that Bush kid made, I salute and take my hat off to the 4400 dead American soldiers. The Rich and right wing Republicans aren't even patriotic enough to contribute to the war effort. They haven't paid one dime towards it since their taxes went down when we went to war...that's Republicans for you, lying unpatriotic hypocrites.

I will never understand how anyone can call themselves Republicans with any pride. They have lied so much over the last year about the Health Care Reform bill and now that it's finally ready to be passed and they are seeing that there is nothing they can do about it. They continue to lie and put out as much false information as possible. For shame.

Fresh Brewed Backlash

The civility pledge of the new Coffee Party USA:

"As a member or supporter of the Coffee Party, I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest, and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas, and I value and cherish the democratic process."

http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/

Sick of Health Care

To be honest, none of us will get the health care bill we each want, because we are not in the Congress.[who by the way should all take a pay cut]. This bill does have flaws, but is a first step in the right direction. Republicans held the majority for 12 years and did absolutely NOTHING. The rich got richer and the poor and middle class got poorer. Who do you trust to get something going here?

Surely not the GOP.

We are so far behind the other industrialized world in health care. We pay 17% of our income, but lag behind the pig Castro/ Cuba in some areas. One would have to live under a rock to believe some of the garbage that spews forth daily from the mouths of the fright-wing.

If the Party of Elephants gets their way, the only 'PUBLIC OPTION' will be to file bankruptcy.
I'm sick of delaying health care reform. GET IT DONE!

Do Who I Say - Not Who I Do

Anti-gay GOP California state Senator Roy Ashburn was arrested for DUI yesterday after leaving Faces, a popular Sacramento gay bar, with an unidentified male passenger.
Ashburn has been a loud opponent of LGBT rights and has organized and hosted anti-gay marriage rallies for the Traditional Values Coalition. He also has a 100% rating from the anti-gay Capitol Resource Family Impact group for voting against every LGBT rights bill during his tenure.

Shankoptamus - Pawlentus

In an unfortunate attempt to score points with the Tea Baggers at C-PAC, Governor Tim Pawlenty got stuck in The Woods. He told the rowdy crowd that conservatives need to learn lessons from Tiger Woods' wife and "take a 9 iron and smash the window out of big government."

Later, at his own press conference, Tiger Woods clarified that rumors about his wife behaving like a violent animal were totally false.

O, how the mighty have fallen.

Bye, Bye Byron

Byron Dorgan will not seek re-election for his Senate seat in 2010. As the old song says..." You don't know what you got til it's gone."
Dorgan's departure clears the way for Gov. Hoeven to carry on his affairs in D.C.

Obama's Epic Fail

"I'm not going to back down on the basic principle that if Americans can't find affordable coverage we're going to provide you a choice." -- Barack Obama, September 13, 2009


During his Oprah Winfrey interview, President Obama awarded himself a B+ for his first year in office. He quickly noted that if he got a "win" on health care, his grade would rise to an A.

Well, I agree. But in my grade book, the "B" stands for BANK BAIL-OUTS and the "A" stands for AFGHANISTAN SURGE.

Additionally, Obama's cautious compromising with conservatives earns him a C for CAPITULATING on every major issue. I would also give this presidential pretender a D for his DISGRACEFUL DUPLICITY on health care reform. Ted Kennedy is rolling in his grave.

Added together with the grades of "I" for INSINCERITY and "W" for WASTED OPPORTUNITY AFTER GEORGE W. -- I give Obama's first year an F for FUCKED UP FAILURE.

Yes, I still believe in a place called Hope. The significance of Obama's historic burst through America's racial social barrier will never be diminished. It cannot be, not even by Obama himself.

But class is over. With his flip-flop on the "basic principle" of a heath care public option, I've learned all I needed to learn. Barack Obama doesn't make the grade. He will not be asked back for another term.

"My commitment is to make sure that we’ve got universal health care for all Americans by the end of my first term as President. I would hope that we set up a system that allows those who can go to their employer to access a federal system or a state pool of some sort."
-- Obama, March 24, 2007

"An additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available."
-- Obama, September 9, 2009

"I think one of the options should be a public insurance option. Let me clear. It would only be an option, nobody would be forced to choose it. No one with insurance affected by it. But what it would do is provide more choice and more competition. It would keep pressure on private insurers to keep the policies affordable, to treat their customers better . . . Minnesota I have said I'm open to different ideas on how to set this up -- but I'm not going to back down on the basic principle that if Americans can't find affordable coverage we're going to provide you a choice."
-- Obama, September 13, 2009, Minneapolis


"Whatever the bill you least like would set up an exchange so that people right now who are having to try to bargain for health insurance on their own are suddenly part of a pool of millions that forces insurance companies to compete for their business and give them better deals and lower rates."
-- Obama, October 20, 2009

ND GOP lol

The funny folks heading up North Dakota's Republican Party have included a new section on their homepage: the "Joke of the day." Seriously. And the first joke is a cartoon questioning our President's legitimacy.

Shown on the ND GOP's website is the photo of President Obama shaking hands with state dinner party-crasher Michaele Salahi. Obama is shown asking to see Salahi's invitation. Salahi answers: "If I can see your birth certificate!"

When Adam Jones, political director for the North Dakota GOP, was asked by TalkingPointsMemo.com whether it was appropriate to have a joke involving the President allegedly not being born in this country, Jones became evasive.

Googling Gretchen Carlson

Jon Stewart focused on "Fox & Friends" host, Gretchen Carlson on his December 8 Daily Show. Stewart wonders if Ms. Carlson is dumbing herself down in order to connect with an audience "that sees intellect as an elitist flaw."

ChickenHawk

Tom Tancredo storms off the set during a Nov. 6 MSNBC segment with Daily Kos founder, Markos Moulitas.

God Don't Like Ugly

At the Tea Bagger's extremely weak November 5 protest at the Capitol, Missouri Repub representative, Todd Akin invited the tiny crowd to join him in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance because it "drives the liberals crazy."

Then, anxious to get to the words, "under God" and use God as a weapon to bash his enemies -- Akin botched the rest of the pledge. The word that tripped up the Tea-Bagging Bible thumper? . . ."Indivisible."

Beck Calls Obama a "Brutal Dictator"

Values Voters Gone Wild

MSNBC's Brian Mooar, invited to cover the 2009 "Values Voter Summit" was harassed by several attendees while broadcasting live. Apparently other reporters were similarly threatened.
The head organizer later apologized to the press and asked the crowd of values voters not to be disrespectful, intolerant, presumptuous and rude.

Change

Well, it's 9/12 and that makes it official . . .

Dignified, diplomatic President Obama has now kept America safe longer than George W. Bush and the chest-thumping chicken hawks from the previous administration.


Despite dire predictions from Dick Cheney and his daughter, Dickless Cheney, terrorists have not "tested" our new President. On the contrary, there's now proof that we're winning the war on terror -- which was always acknowleged as a battle for hearts and minds. The world's opinion of America has substantially improved.

The organization, World Public Opinion, has released some astounding statistics. Their polling data regularly showed that Bush was one of the least trusted leaders in the world. In a total reversal, WorldPublicOpinion.org polls now reveal that President Obama inspires far more confidence than any other political leader on the planet.

And in another global vote of confidence in America, Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

That's real change.

Inappropriate and Regrettable

Apparently overcome with anger at President Obama's plans to offer every American affordable health care, Rep. Joe Wilson simply couldn't help himself.

During the President's September 9 speech to congress, the congressman from South Carolina openly heckled the Commander-in-Chief. As Obama was clarifying that his health care proposals do not include illegal immigrants, Wilson loudly yelled, "You lie!"


Democratic leaders immediately called on Wilson to apologize. Even Republicans were reportedly mortified and offended. John McCain said it was "totally disrespectful," that there was "no place for it in that setting or any other" and that Wilson "should apologize for it immediately."

Wilson issued a brief statement explaining that his emotions got the better of him.

"While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable," Wilson wrote. "I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility."
Emotions were obviously getting the better of a lot of folks. In place of Wilson's website was a blank page with a note declaring the site has been shut down due to maintenance.

Sarah's Little Secret

Excerpt of 10/09 Vanity Fair article by Levi Johnston:

• Sarah told me she had a great idea: we would keep it a secret—nobody would know that Bristol was pregnant. She told me that once Bristol had the baby she and Todd would adopt him. That way, she said, Bristol and I didn’t have to worry about anything. Sarah kept mentioning this plan. She was nagging—she wouldn’t give up. She would say, "So, are you gonna let me adopt him?" We both kept telling her we were definitely not going to let her adopt the baby. I think Sarah wanted to make Bristol look good, and she didn’t want people to know that her 17-year-old daughter was going to have a kid.

• Sarah was sad for a while. She walked around the house pouting. I had assumed she was going to go back to her job as governor, but a week or two after she got back she started talking about how nice it would be to quit and write a book or do a show and make "triple the money." It was, to her, "not as hard." She would blatantly say, "I want to just take this money and quit being governor." She started to say it frequently, but she didn’t know how to do it. When she came home from work, it seemed like she was more and more stressed out.