Republican Jackass of the Week

This time it's the entire Republican-controlled House of Representatives, allegedly run by Speaker John Boehner.

Today's their last workday, if you can call it that, before their 5-week summer vacation. Usually at this time of year, they tend to scramble to get things done before running out the door.

But not Bourbon Boehner's Bunch.

Today, they'll waste more time and taxpayer money voting, for the FORTIETH TIME, to defund the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, despite the fact that even the rightwing Supreme Court admitted it was Constitutional, and Boehner himself referred to it as "the law of the land."

Since the Democratically-controlled Senate is not in a million years going to agree to kill off Obamacare, and the President is certainly not apt to sign a bill destroying his own signature health care plan, this is just another circus act to placate the far rightwing radicals in the Regressive republican party. Now they'll be able to go home to their gerrymandered districts and beam with delight in bragging about their vote that accomplished, yet again, absolutely nothing.

They're calling this 40th attempt to defund Obamacare the "Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act." Cute.

Another waste of time bill passed this week is called the "Stop the IRS Act," which would mandate the firing of any IRS agent who "takes official action for political purposes." Of course, not a single IRS agent has been found guilty of such a thing, despite months of interrogations from car-thief and insurance-fraudster Darrell Issa. Even the Bush-appointee who was in charge of the IRS during this fake scandal said there was no political motivation and the Obama White House had nothing to do with scrutiny of some rightwing groups.

Were any jobs bills passed? Any infrastructure bills passed? Budget plans? A way out of the sequester? Transportation bill? Housing bill? Immigration reform? Efforts to reduce gun violence? Background checks?

No.

They haven't accomplished a single priority demanded by Americans according to most polls.

John Boehner remains the weakest, least-accomplished Speaker of the House we've seen in decades, a so-called leader who can't control the fringe element of his own party. And his Congress remains the least productive in American history.

But hey, enough about that.
It's vacation time, right John?

A Republican Accidentally Tells the Truth

Why did almost all Regressive republicans in the Senate vote against basic background checks for weapons purchases a couple of weeks ago, despite 92% of Americans being in favor of them?
 
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) has the answer.

"In the end it didn't pass because we're so politicized. There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it," Toomey admitted on Tuesday.

If the President is for it, these jackasses are against it. It's as simple as that.

Read more here. 

Republican Jackasses of the Week

Every Regressive republican in the US Senate who voted against the gun control compromise measure to expand background checks -- and four Jackass Democrats who voted with them.

This proposed law would simply have required background checks at gun shows as well as for guns sold online. You still would have been able to sell a gun to anybody on the street with no paperwork whatsoever. This was very basic, common sense gun legislation that 92% of the American people wanted.

This law would have required background checks, to make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun. This includes convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, and people with a severe mental illness. Apparently these Regressives believe felons, the mentally ill, and the violent deserve to go out and buy guns, no questions asked.

There was nothing controversial about this bill. It had nothing to do with limiting gigantic clips that mass murderers choose to take on their rampages. It had nothing to do with banning military style assault weapons that should be used in war zones, but not on city streets.

There is not one police department in America that I'm aware of that is in favor of gigantic clips and high powered, rapid fire weapons of war being in the hands of the public. No cop wants to be outgunned by a criminal or a rampaging murderer on the street. But this bill was not even about that. It had nothing to do with clips or assault weapons.  It would simply have required background checks at gun shows and online gun sellers. 

But no. The cowardly senators, who are completely owned by the NRA and the gun manufacturers they represent, refused to pass a simple law that 92% of Americans have been demanding. They stood with gun manufacturers instead of the people who elected them and pay their salaries.

The vote on the amendment was 54 to 46 against. Sounds like it should have passed, right? No. These days, thanks to the Regressives and their constant filibuster threats, 60 votes were needed for the amendment to be adopted. 

Every Regressive republican senator voted against this bill, except for John McCain of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. 

And four spineless, cowardly Democrats joined the rest of the Regressives in voting against the bill: Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Stephanie Taylor slammed the four defectors.  "Today, the Senate voted against the 92% of Americans who support background checks to stop gun violence," she said. "We'll be holding accountable Democrats who voted against their constituents by running ads in their states, featuring some of the 23,000 gun owners who have joined our campaign for common sense gun reform."

Of course, the blowhards from the NRA continued repeating their well-established lie that this amendment would have "infringed on the Second Amendment, and on the rights of gun owners."

That's a blatant lie and every one of them knows it.  The Supreme Court has stated many times over the years that Congress can indeed regulate which guns can and cannot be owned by individuals. Already you cannot own a machine gun, a rocket launcher, a cannon, etc.

Even the farthest rightwing nutjob on the Supreme Court, Fat Tony, back in July 2012, stated that there are "undoubtedly" limits to a person's right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, but that future court cases will have to decide where to draw the line. “So yes, there are some limitations that can be imposed," Scalia said. 


And if you read the Second Amendment, it starts out with these words: "A well-regulated militia..." See? The word REGULATION is right there in the Second Amendment. 

President Obama said this was a shameful day for Washington. In this clip he explains very clearly what was in the law. And I have yet to hear a single rational reason to have voted against it.

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McConnell Plans to Filibuster Gun Bill

I can't remember the last time 92% of Americans agreed on anything.

But that's the number most polls show want universal background checks for gun purchases. Currently about 40% of gun purchases take place with no background checks whatsoever.

Polls show even most Republicans want background checks. And the majority of NRA members want background checks. Yet the Regressive republican holdouts in Congress refuse to do the will of the American people.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, and 14 other Senate Regressives, have vowed to join the filibuster, which would not allow Senator Harry Reid's legislation to even come to a vote.

A CBS News poll says universal background checks for potential gun buyers continue to receive very strong support, with 90 percent in favor of that measure (similar to results in January and February). Eighty-six percent of Republicans, and 86 percent of gun owners themselves, support this proposal.

An ABC News / Washington Post poll shows that 65% of all American adults favor a ban on high capacity magazines, including a majority of Regressives (59%). 

A Qunnipiac poll shows that 56% want a ban on assault weapons -- the rapid fire military style guns that are used in military situations.

Despite all polls showing the majority wants background checks, bans on assault weapons and limits on clip capacity, 15 Regressive Senate republicans, including their leader, are turning their backs and saying "screw you" to the American people who voted them in and are paying their salaries. These Regressives are bought and owned by the NRA, the lobbyist group for gun manufacturers.

And to make himself look even worse, McConnell announced his filibuster at the exact moment President Obama was giving a speech in Hartford, Connecticut, and meeting with the family members of the 20 kids shot to death in that state. You can clearly see where Obama's and McConnell's priorities are.

Keep it up, Mitch. You have the lowest approval ratings of any US Senator. Your job is on the line next year. Hopefully the people of Kentucky will send you back to your terrarium to spend the rest of your days nibbling on lettuce.