Republican Jackass of the Week

Can it be? The same jackass two weeks in a row?

We already know Rand Paul's racist attitude would send America back 50 years, to a time before Civil Rights legislation (he doesn't support the 1964 Civil Rights provision that banned racial discrimination by restaurants and other privately-owned businesses). He called President Obama "un-American" for criticizing the BP oil company ("accidents happen," he flippantly says).

And despite the Republicans' deregulation of the financial industry which led to the Great Recession we've endured for the last 2 1/2 years, the deregulation of the oil industry which led to BP's biggest environmental disaster in US history, and the deregulation of the mining industry which led to this year's deadly explosion in West Virginia, he STILL wants to further deregulate these industries.

Now the Teabaggers' favorite crackpot takes an un-Constitutional stand: he claims that people born in the USA should not necessarily be considered American citizens. Nevermind all that pesky stuff in the US Constitution's 14th Amendment which says, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States..."

Calling this guy extreme, anti-American, anti-constitutional and racist is not opinion. It is fact based on his dangerously far rightwing views.

And yet the KKK -- oops, I meant The Teabaggers -- love and continue to support him.

Republican Jackass of the Week

It's Ron Paul's son, Rand Paul.

This extreme rightwing fringe Republican, backed by the Teabaggers, beat his opponent in the Republican Senate primary on Tuesday. He appeared on msnbc's Rachel Maddow Show this week, after publicly criticizing parts of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Paul told Maddow that he agrees with most parts of the Civil Rights Act, except for one (Title II), that made it a crime for private businesses to discriminate against customers on the basis of race. Got that? He's against the part about private businesses not being allowed to discriminate! He also called President Obama "un-American" for criticizing BP, and doesn't necessarily agree with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

After tap dancing frenetically, he claimed that he is personally against discrimination, but is against making it illegal for private businesses to discriminate. Wow. It's 1964 all over again.

This is the interview everyone's talking about. It's worth the 8 minutes to watch. And for the record, Rachel Maddow was waaaaay too patient in allowing Rand Paul to blather on and on without committing himself. If this were a Democrat being interviewed on Fox, the host would have loudly interrupted after 3 seconds screaming, "Yes or no Mr Paul! Are you for or against the Civil Rights Act?"

UPDATE: Rand Paul cancelled his appearance this Sunday morning on NBC's Meet the Press. This makes him only the third guest to panic and back out in the 62 year history of the show.

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

Jobs UP, Retail Sales UP 7 Months in a Row

Not only have we stopped hemorrhaging jobs at the rate of 700,000 a month as was the case at the end of the Bush/Cheney regime, but employment has actually increased substantially over the last several months.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 290,000 in April and it rose in March by 230,000.

Consumer confidence is up and "sales at US retailers climbed in April for a seventh straight month, signaling consumers are helping to broaden the economic recovery," according to Bloomberg Business Week.

A new Gallup Poll shows that a large majority in all income groups are better off now than they were a year ago. (Click on the graphic above for larger image.)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-14/retail-sales-in-u-s-rose-in-april-for-seventh-month-update3-.html

Bonus SNL Sketch

...not aired during last night's Saturday Night Live show. Features a quick appearance from Betty White, as "Debbie Downer's Grandmother." This is from dress rehearsal:

Betty White This Weekend on SNL

Hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live for the first time ever, it's 88 year old Betty White! Better known as "Sue Ann Nivens" on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and "Rose Nylund" on the Golden Girls, she is still as funny as ever. Here's a quick clip from 2008, when she appeared on The Late Late Show on CBS.

"Times Square Terrorist" Success Story

Prosecutors charged Faisal Shahzad, 30, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, with five counts, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to kill and maim people within the United States. Before and after having his Miranda rights read to him, he talked and talked. Sang like a bird. Gave federal investigators all the information they wanted. "The FBI read Shahzad his constitutional rights after he provided information, and he continued to cooperate," FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said. Imagine that, with no illegal torture, without spying on American citizens, without destroying the Constitution. That's why the Regressives are so angry.

Regressive Senator John McCain of Arizona and Regressive NY Congressman Peter King were actually critical of the fact that he was Mirandized. Read this twice: "Did they Mirandize him? I know he's an American citizen, but still," said King.

"BUT STILL."

Apparently these two Regressives have so much contempt for America, US laws and the justice system, they think they can actually decide which laws apply to whom. In addition, as Keith Olbermann notes, withholding Miranda Rights would precipitate a technicality that would allow Shahzad to go free.

Watch this 2 minute commentary, which sums it up best:

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

Spill Baby Spill

All the big rightwing proponents of "drill here drill now" have kept their big mouths shut since the disastrous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. All, that is, except one. Can you think of a big mouthed rightwing nutjob who can't keep her mouth shut ever, and never met a camera she didn't like?

Very good. You got it. Simple Sarah, the Quitter (married to the treasonous secessionist) now says the oil spill was "very tragic" but added, "I want our country to be able to trust the oil industry."

See? It's simple. Trust the oil industry. What could go wrong?

So far, thanks to the Regressives, we have deregulated...

• the financial industry
• the mining industry
• the oil industry

Hmm... I can't think of any disasters associated with any of those three industries, can you?

White House Correspondents Dinner

President Barack Obama was very funny last night. Jay Leno, not so much. The President's biggest lines included:

• I wasn't sure I should actually come tonight. Biden talked me into it. He leaned over and he said, 'Mr President, this is no ordinary dinner. This is a big (bleep)ing meal.'
• It's been a year of ups and downs, except for my approval ratings which have just gone down. But that's politics. It doesn't bother me. Besides I happen to know my approval ratings are still very high in the country of my birth.
• Though I am glad to see the only person whose ratings fell more than mine is here tonight. Great to see you, Jay.
• I'm also glad that I'm speaking first, because we've all seen what happens when somebody takes the time slot after Leno's.
• John McCain couldn't be here tonight. Recently he claimed that he had never identified himself as a maverick. And we all know what happens in Arizona when you don't have I.D. Adios, amigos.
  

Enjoy the video if you missed the live coverage last night. You may want to save time and stop before Jay begins.

Far Right Hardliners Against Unconstitutional Arizona Law

Apparently it's not just Democrats and Liberals who know an unconstitutional law when it's staring them in the face.
A growing list of far rightwing politicians, advisers, and commentators disapprove of the law that assumes 2 million US citizens of Hispanic origin are illegal aliens until they prove otherwise. Most say it's unconstitutional.
Mr Hardline Immigration Reform himself, Tom Tancredo is against the new Arizona law. So is Karl Rove, Meghan McCain, Florida Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio, former governor Jeb Bush, former Bush spokesliar Dana Perino, South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, Florida Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and many others.
Michael Gerson, a former Bush speechwriter said, “Americans are not accustomed to the command ‘Your papers, please,’ however politely delivered,” he continued. “The distinctly American response to such a request would be ‘Go to hell,’ and then ‘See you in court.’”

Joe Scarborough, the host of msnbc's Morning Joe said, "It does offend me that when one out of every three citizens in the state of Arizona are Hispanics, you have now put a target on the back of one of three citizens.
“I will tell you that this is un-American,” said the former Republican congressman. “It is unacceptable, and it’s un-American.”

The sheriff of Arizona's Pima County called the law, "racist, disgusting and stupid," and, according to Huffington Post, in his judgment could not be enforced without mandatory racial profiling. Dupnik's reckoning of the legal issue is that he's just as likely to be sued for racial profiling as he is for not doing enough racial profiling, so he's standing pat, and will not enforce the new law.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Above: Demonstrating against a new law that makes American citizens carry paperwork on them at all times to prove they are not illegal aliens.

The racist, Mexican-hating rightwing nutjobs in Arizona, starting with their governor Jan Brewer (R-what else?), want to turn their state into a police state. A new law, signed just today, allows police to assume anyone they see on the street is an illegal alien, unless they can produce identification, proof of citizenship or a passport on the spot. You don't carry all that around with you? Can't prove you're not an illegal? Too bad. It's off to jail for you.

A kid summed it up best. "It's going to change our lives," said Emilio Almodovar, a 13-year-old American citizen from Phoenix. "We can't walk to school any more. We can't be in the streets anymore without the pigs thinking we're illegal immigrants."

This typically shameful, racist policy was written by the Regressive Arizona legislature and signed by the Regressive Arizona Governor. President Obama is having the Justice Department investigate to see if this type of law is even legal. He said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level – or leave the door open to "irresponsibility by others." President Obama went on to say, "that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe."

All the far rightwing nutjobs who claim they want less government intrusion into their lives are in favor of this new police state attitude. Let the lawsuits begin.

Republican Jackass of the Week

It's been awhile. But we had to bring back one of our favorite features for this Regressive dimwit.

Apparently we don't have enough relatively attractive, vapid Regressive women like Michelle Bachman and Sarah Palin running around making shrill noises. Add one Sue Lowden (R-what else?) who is running against Senator Harry Reid in Nevada.

Of course, being part of the Regressive Party, she is against health care reform. Repeal, rewrite, reload, whatever. Know what her solution is? Barter with your doctor. That's right. Bring a chicken or paint his house for health care. We're not kidding. Watch the video.

The Irony is Lost on Them

A couple dozen rightwing gun nuts -- protesting what they perceive as their vanishing ability to carry guns -- actually brought their guns to a Second Amendment rally in northern Virginia, near Reagan National Airport, the Washington Monument and the Capital. The ironic thing is they were carrying guns while whining about losing their ability to carry guns, and they were doing it on National Park Land. And it was none other than President Obama who recently signed a new law ALLOWING guns to be brought into National Parks. So they were carrying guns where they are only now allowed to bring guns, and protesting the "loss" of their ability to carry guns.

This is as ridiculous as the Teabaggers complaining they are not getting news coverage, and saying it while CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, msnbc, and CNN are covering them.

This is as ridiculous as Teabaggers complaining about how high taxes are, right on the heels of President Obama and the Democratic Congress LOWERING taxes for 98% of Americans, giving tax breaks to small businesses -- at a time when IRS tax refunds are at an all-time high.

The Teabag dimwits just don't get how ignorant they make themselves look.

Above: gun nuts using their Second Amendment rights to protest losing their Second Amendment Rights. Below: anti-gun nut demonstrators.

What a Car!

Susan, a long time South Florida animal activist and vegan, recently got her new car "wrapped." Amazingly eye-catching! CLICK each photo for a much larger view.What do you think?

Over 95% Got Taxes Lowered Last Year

Over 95% of Americans are paying less in taxes this year...
Taxes are at their lowest levels in 60 years...
Tax refunds reached an all-time high this year.

Yet the brainwashed Teabaggers continue to watch the foreign-owned Fox channel and actually believe they are paying HIGHER taxes.

Read more actual facts here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002548-503544.html?tag=mncol;lst;4

Above: Pro-Obama/Anti-Teabagger Tax Day Demonstrations.