Hooray For Harry!

You should have done this years ago.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) finally made good on his threat.

The Senate filibuster rules have been changed!

Instead of requiring 60 votes for routine judicial appointees and cabinet members, a simple majority of 51 is now all that's required.

This was done because just this week, three perfectly competent judges were not approved by the minority of Republicans in the Senate. They are added to the list of dozens of presidential court appointees who are waiting years to be approved by the Senate Republicans who have stalling and obstruction as their only goal.

Of course, the rightwing mouthpieces are going ballistic, screaming "hypocrisy!", "both sides do it!" and "you'll be sorry when the Democrats are in the minority and this works against them!"

Nonsense.

Let's not do the false-equivalency baloney on this one. This is by no means a "both sides do it" situation. The fact is, in the entire history of the United States, the filibuster has been used to block presidential appointees 160 times -- with half that number used in the last five years alone to block and obstruct President Obama's appointees.

Half of all filibusters in American history were used to obstruct perfectly good cabinet members and judges by President Obama. Explain how that's not blatant obstruction simply for spite.

By the way, this new Senate rule only applies to the President's judicial and cabinet appointees. It does not apply to any legislation or to Supreme Court nominees.

Now you can argue the facts with your old drunk uncle who watches only Fox,
next week at Thanksgiving!

Republican Jackass of the Week

The dark haired guy who's not Steve Doocy on that Fox morning show.

Actually is as dumb as he looks.

Yes, I know the sole purpose of the Fox Noise Channel is to irrationally attack everything President Obama does -- even if Republicans formerly agreed with his policies -- in order to entertain the scared, older, white audience that's finding itself becoming an ever-shrinking minority. We all get that. But this is over-the-top ridiculous.

This week, the Fox Teleprompter Readers are pretending to be outraged because President Obama didn't go to Gettysburg to commemorate the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

The nerve of that guy in the White House, right?

Oh, wait a minute. When was the last time any  US president commemorated the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address?

Over 100 years ago. Yep, William Howard Taft was the last one to do so -- in 1909.

But that didn't stop the rampant stupidity flowing from Fox.

Why, the Dark-Haired-Guy-Who-Isn't-Steve-Doocy was outraged I tell ya -- that the President "snubbed" the anniversary claiming it's "inappropriate for our president to bypass" this commemoration.

And what if he did attend? What would the rightwing rabble rousers be screaming?

"Who does he think he is -- Lincoln?"
"How arrogant and uppity of him!"
"How much is this trip costing taxpayers?"
"He's trying to distract from the healthcare problems!"
"He's trying to distract from Benghaziiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

The-Dark-Haired-Guy-Who-Isn't-Steve Doocy, this week's Republican Jackass of the Week.

Republican Jackass of the Week

Once again, John Boehner (R), Speaker of the House.

He was approached very politely in a diner by two soft-spoken young daughters of illegal immigrants, and asked about immigration reform. (Rightwing websites scream he was
"ambushed"! Judge for yourself in the short clip below.)

"How would you feel if you had to tell your kids at the age of 10 that you were never coming home?"

The 17 year old who posed the question had a similar conversation with her father when she found herself in that situation at the age of 10.

The Boner, who could barely be bothered to look away from his scrambled eggs, muttered, "I'm trying to find some way to get this thing done. It's uh, you know, not easy, not going to be an easy path forward. But I've made it clear since the day after the election it's time to get this done."



"Time to get this done."

That's what he told them. But then yesterday he completely ruled out working with the Senate, which had already passed a comprehensive immigration bill with bipartisan support back in June.

The popular Senate bill was sponsored by Sen Charles Schumer (D-NY), and would give 11 million undocumented immigrants a legal path to citizenship. The bill includes increased border security and includes requirements to pay fines, back taxes, excludes felons, etc.

"We have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill," The Boner was quoted as saying yesterday.

John Boehner, once again, the latest Republican Jackass of the Week.

Republican Jackass of the Week Part 2

Sore loser

Ken Cuccinelli, Republican Attorney General of Virginia, candidate for governor of the state, and Teabagger.

Yes, this far rightwing fringe Republican lost his bid to become Virginia's next governor. (Congratulations, Terry McAuliffe! Virginia's gone blue!)

But as is customary on any given election night, when any given candidate in any given political race knows he has lost, he picks up any given phone and calls his victorious opponent to concede the race and to congratulate him.

Winner

Not this guy.

The election was last Tuesday, and he still has not made the traditional, gracious call to his opponent. And he says he has no plans to do so.

Ken Cuccinelli. Teabagger. Sore Loser. Republican Jackass of the Week.

Republican Jackass of the Week Part 3

Meet the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer.

This is a far rightwing, fundamentalist big mouth with a microphone.

Of course, he hates all the right things: gay people, ending discrimination in the workplace, Hispanics, immigration reform, anyone who's not Christian, and above all, the black man in the White House.

So this week the White House celebrated, for the fifth year in a row, the start of the Hindu holiday of Diwali.

President Obama's predecessor, George Dubya Bush, a Republican, did exactly the same thing when he was in office.

Dubya and Laura Bush, along with 100 invited guests, celebrated the holiday and made this statement:

"I send Greetings to those celebrating Deepavali (Diwali), the Festival of Lights" Bush said in a Message. "The candle's flames represent the light of hope and in the blessings of life. The light from these candles reminds observers that good always triumphs over evil and we go forward in confidence that it will continue to prevail in the future" he added.

The President said, "This joyous festival reminds all citizens of the great blessings of religious freedom and our nations strong traditions of faith."

"Laura and I send our Best Wishes for an uplifting and hopeful Diwali," Bush added. "During Diwali, millions of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains around the world will join together setting out 'diyas' and enjoying fireworks in celebration of the Festival of Lights," he said.

-indianexpress.com

But apparently amnesia kicked in just at the right time, allowing our little Bryan to rant and rave and scream and shout about how President Obama "is inviting demons into the White House."

"This is a counterfeit religion. It's an Eastern religion -- in essence an occult religion. It's a false alternative to Christianity. It ultimately represents a doctrine of demons. That's what you have with Hinduism and now this is being celebrated in the White House."

When you're in a hole this deep, conventional wisdom says you stop digging.

Nope. Not the Good Bryan Fischer. With shovel in hand, he continued.

He said America needs a "Christian president to spiritually cleanse the White House."

Enough said. The repulsive American Family Association's Bryan Fischer. Jackass of the Week.

Republican Jackass of the Week Part 1

I haven't had an original thought in my life.

Senator Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky.

Not just a Jackass, but a serial plagiarist.

First reported by Rachael Maddow of msnbc, this guy has been repeatedly stealing others' words, using them as his own in speeches and articles, and not crediting the people who actually wrote those words. That's where this plagiarism stuff comes in.

 So does he apologize? Something like, "Gee, I'm sorry; I should have credited those I've quoted."

No. Of course not. Does any Regressive Republican ever apologize?

Instead, he wished, out loud, in front of microphones, that he could have a duel with Rachel Maddow for having pointed this out.

A duel!

Then he blamed his staff. And finally he claimed ultimately it was his fault. But he whined, "do I have to be in detention for the rest of my career?"

And he defiantly stated that if he were a journalism teacher he'd fail Rachel and others who've reported on his plagiarism.

See? He shouldn't be punished for plagiarism; those who notice it should.

So if you ever read anything he "wrote" or hear anything he says, know full well it's just cut-and-pasted from Wikipedia or other people's articles.

Rand Paul. Plagiarist. Republican Jackass of the Week.