The biggest wingnut of them all,
Michele Bachmann seems to have NOT gotten the message. The Democrats took a hit in Tuesday's election, for sure. But her tea-baggers got their butts kicked. Thanks to their antics, the Republicans lost the New York 23rd congressional district for the first time in a century. Indeed, the two GOP gubernatorial victors in New Jersey and Virginia won their races by running to the center, not to the Tea Bag Right.
No matter. The gentle lady from Minnesota has called upon the tea bag masses to literally
over-run Congress on Thursday with the intent of stopping the House from moving forward on health care reform. I'm sorry.
I try to be polite. I try to be ecumenical and tolerant. But Bachmann and her tea baggers are genuine screwballs.
It could get ugly tomorrow. The People certainly have the right to visit the halls of congress. But bringing mobs into the hallway is going to be frowned upon by Capitol security. And, of course, we all know that every movement loves martyrdom. If anyone gets busted tomorrow, you can make sure that this will be offered as proof positive that
Hitler-Stalin-Obama has already Sovietized the nation's capital.
More interesting, is the underlying politics here. Though I use that term loosely. Pathology is more like it. We live in a country where 50 million people are one broken leg away from bankruptcy, where an annual health care policy costs $12,000 a year, where a cartel of insurance companies have entire departments dedicated to finding loopholes to deny what coverage they do extend, and what, exactly, is the Republican-Bachmann proposal?
"I think if we stop it, it could be dead for 10 years," she gleefully told her supporters tonight. Why stop there? if you can stop it for another ten years you can also have 500,000 or so additional Americans dead.
Look, I have my own problems with Obamacare. And I certainly grant the right to those to my right to have their own set of objections. The pre-condition for my tolerance, however, is that you have some rational counter-proposal to the unacceptable status quo.
I heard the always comical RNC Chair
Michael Steele on the tube today crowing over this week's elections. He claimed that "left-wing nuts" in Congress were responsible for blocking national health care that Obama has promised and that his granny was in peril because of it. That's pretty damn funny coming from the leader of the party that is unanimously united against all heath care reform. He's right, of course, that it will be a bunch of nuts obstructing reform tomorrow.
They will, however, be right-wing nuts. And out in front of the mob, Rep. Bachmann (R-Mn).
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November 4th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Wow.
Great column. Congresswoman Bachmann comes off as the idiots’ condensed version Ayn Randism.
Brings to mind Aristophanes in “Knights” (pertaining to the aristocratic clubs — sitting for your modern day tea baggers):
Paphlagonian: I’ll go this instant to to Council-board/And all your vile conspiracies denounce.
Hopefully we’ll miss dictatorship of ‘The Thirty.’
November 5th, 2009 at 5:32 am
“It could get ugly tomorrow.”
I’m sure they’ll be much better behaved than Code Pink. In fact, I’ll be very surprised if any get arrested.
Normally, someone like Marc Cooper would applaud regular people petitioning the government for a redress of grievances, but these are not normal times.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:15 am
What “grievances” are being redressed ? Assuring more people secure access to health care ? Reducing the budget deficit over the next decades by reining in health care costs ? Wow!
Bachmann comes off as someone who is mentally disturbed. I remember her literally grabbing George Bush by the shoulder when he gave an address to Congress and greeted members, pulling him back and not letting him go until he kissed her, although it was obvious he was trying to move along and ignore her. One of her greatest lines is that we don’t need to deal with carbon dioxide emissions or climate change because someone already “saved the Planet” 2000 years ago! Total wack job. But it will be fun to see a bunch of self-annointed “victims” of Big Government, washed in their own paranoia, acting out, shouting stuff they heard on Glenn Beck and whining when they’re treated like the fringe lunatics they happen to be.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:17 am
“these are not normal times”
You got that right, at least in certain circles…
November 5th, 2009 at 6:24 am
What “grievances” are being redressed ?
The right to behave like clueless, loony imbeciles.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:25 am
I’m sure they’ll be much better behaved than Code Pink.
Not if they’re teabagging each other in public.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:04 am
DickArmey, Bachmann ally and Big Daddy of the TeaBaggers has this to say about health care reform: “The largest empirical problem we have in health care today is too many people are too overinsured,” he said.
Bob, this is what “your people” have on offer regarding health care reform, and they’re using the emotionally and mentally unstable, insecure and frustrated “masses” screaming nonsense about Obama to provide their “poltiical” cover:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/020813.php
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/020811.php
This is political and ideological fraud and malpractice. You should be embarrassed. Don’t celebrate the Great 2009 Election Victories if this is all you guys have got. As lame as the Dems are, they look like giants in the face of this horseshit from the GOP and TeaBag “leaders.”
November 5th, 2009 at 7:07 am
This is also Guy Fawkes Day. Wonder if Representative Bachmann plans to bomb the Capitol?
November 5th, 2009 at 7:36 am
“The largest empirical problem we have in health care today is too many people are too overinsured,” he said.
My brother is hopelessly overinsured, and would like nothing better than to get out of his $25,000 per year policy. His business partners insist that they stay, but ObamaCare will likely convince them otherwise.
He gets his policy through his union, btw. Strange world.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Why I should take my valuable time to help the Democrats get out of the fix they’re getting in? I guess it’s because its not likely they will listen anyway, and I really would like to see our President, the President my country’s democratic people choose to lead them, succeed.
It is mainly the economy, as Marc said, but his solution is faulty. Any more ‘change’ in uncertain economic times adds worry to people that have already had way too much change forced on them by Washington’s inability to regulated Wall Street. They are not in the mood for more big change forced on them by the other side of the political rope pull in Washington. Especially big change with big costs attached, aka, change to a a health care system they know for a new trillion dollar one they don’t.
Here is what you can do Mr. President to make yourself a hero and save the mess made in Washington, if it is not too late already:
A. Lead in this health care debacle Mr. President.
You must step up and define ‘your’ plan. By
letting the more left leaning House lead instead,
you are getting a large, complicated and costly
bill that middle america is uneasy about and
can’t comprehend. It spends big money at a
time when the people are having to make hard
spending choices themselves.
B. Your plan needs to be straight forward,
understandable, and show how you can save
costs and money now, when they need it, not in
ten years by costing them money they don’t
have to spend today.
C. To do this, your plan could concentrate on fixing
the problems that most everyone agrees can and
should be fixed in the existing health
care system they know. Examples: repeal
anti-trust exemption for insurance companies,
allow insurance companies to compete nation
wide, allow competitive bidding for drug prices
restricted by the Part D Drug bill, put a cap on
liability that can be exceeded only by appeal to
an appointed commission, allow generic drug
price only-user pays extra for branded, go
after and prosecute abuse and fraud making a
public ‘show’ of abusers as a deterrent to others,
etc, etc, etc.
This are the basic ABCs IMO that will get you out of the fix your getting into, while make you a hero the the american middle Mr. President. It will give you and the country the short term saving to add more needy to the existing system in the short term, and the political breathing room you need for more comprehensive full coverage for all in a longer term.
While some on the far left appear to be satisfied to make you a martyr, by forcing a trillion dollar wad of long term debt and short term costs down the throats of stressed-out voters who are already choking. This is my three cents that will make you a hero by winning a battle, but let you live to fight the war.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Bob – is that it ? So you agree ?
You live on another planet…
November 5th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Also – who has “business partners” and is in a union ? Could it be that your brother is an anomaly and this characterization of the “biggest problem” in health care today is insulting and ridiculous to sane, normal people who live in the real world of fear of losing insurance and/or their job, of being underinsured, of dealing with pre-existing conditions, of being self-employed or working for small businesses that can’t participate in large pools and of paying enormous premiums WITH high deductables ?
November 5th, 2009 at 8:24 am
You really don’t get it, do you Bob ?
November 5th, 2009 at 8:25 am
The problem right now is that the inmates are running the asylum in the Republican Party. A DC Hack like Armey and the GOP’s star blogger Palin can push out a Republican congressional candidate — when neither live in the district?
If the GOP keeps going this direction, they’ll be as insignificant and insane as the Green Party or Marc’s old stomping ground, Pacifica.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Jim R – short of single payer, there is no “simple” plan to fix health care. It’s complicated. Sorry if you’re confused. The fact is that the majority support health care reform IF it includes a public option. Anything short of a bill with a public option in some form is political suicide for Dems. This is increasingly clear and we don’t need concern trolls to “save” us.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:55 am
“Why I should take my valuable time to help the Democrats get out of the fix they’re getting in? I guess it’s because its not likely they will listen anyway.”
Thanks reg. I was beginning to have second thoughts about my post, giving the opposition’s General an aerial look at the current battlefield, for sake of the innocent people stuck in the middle.
You have allayed my concern. As I suspected, short sited lieutenants getting the intel will not pass it along. Let the carnage continue.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Which brings up a continuing conundrum, why does the left identify with losers. Because the like it?
November 5th, 2009 at 9:02 am
“the” is “they”
November 5th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Delete the last comment and correction. It was a reactionary kneejerk.
I’m going rouge….and Woody.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:07 am
“rogue” dammit.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Also – who has “business partners” and is in a union ?
Like I said, strange world. Where proles are heavily invested in capital.
BTW, Marc was right. Arrests made at Capitol!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29183.html
November 5th, 2009 at 9:19 am
“I’m going rouge…”
You know, I could see you as an “autumn”.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:24 am
“Why does the left identify with losers ?”
Maybe the same reason Jesus did…
November 5th, 2009 at 11:44 am
It looks like Ayers has just endorsed the Obama/Pelosi march to socialism. Oh wait…that’s the AARP and the AMA.
Sorry…
November 5th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Uh oh…TeaBaggers arrested outside of Pelosi’s office. Just like in Russia. Protestors invoked Martin Luther King…uh…I think referring to the marches he led against Medicare back in the ’60s.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
“I think referring to the marches he led against Medicare back in the ’60s.”
I almost spit up my coffee from laughing. Reg, you’re on a roll.
“We shall overcome Medicaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrre!”
November 5th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
About “going rouge,” Jim, most Red Staters avoid identification with the French.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Or with cross-dressers.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
This is a must read:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-alan-grayson/how-the-republicans-faile_b_347237.html
November 5th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Okay, now I’ve finally realized why that Bachmann picture Marc posted freaks me out.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
“You know, I could see you as an “autumn”.”
“About “going rouge,” Jim, most Red Staters avoid identification with the French.”
I really do hate you merciless bastards.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
This is small comfort, but in the wake of this terrible, insane tragedy at Fort Hood I got the following info from my local OFA network regarding a couple of ways to connect:
- The local hospital has issued an urgent call for blood in the central Texas area. If you know someone or have contacts through your social network pages that are in the area, send them to http://www.sw.org/web/patientsAndVisitors for additional info (times and locations). I imagine the Red Cross is another alternative, but I haven’t heard anything from them
- Soldiers’ Angels, a great volunteer organization that supports our troops around the world, has already stepped out. They are collecting cards and NEW stuffed animals for the families and children of the fallen/wounded heroes.
Please send cards and stuffed animals/blankets/anything NEW that may brighten the life of a child to:
Soldiers’ Angels Warehouse, 4408 PanAm Expressway, San Antonio, TX 78218
They will also organize a HOLIDAY OUTREACH at a later date. For more details contact: ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
November 5th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Way cool PSA, reg.
**********
Jim R
Cheer up my friend:
http://dingo.care-mail.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf
November 5th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Between the bullshit coverage of what Olbermann called the Coup de Twit of Bachmann et al– and failing to give any air time to Grayson’s Coup de Capra on the House floor and yet one more piece of bloody proof of how derailed the mental health of this whole country is I felt Nausea. Then I pulled Reck-Malleczewen’s Diary of a Man in Despair off the shelf…
Cold comfort.
People and animals are agonizing deaths from drought induced starvation and Americans can only think to call health care a Nazi ruse.
We are in The Year of Vomit
November 5th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Correction:
People and animals in other parts of the world are dying agonizing deaths from apocalyptic drought conditions and Americans can only think to call health care a Nazi ruse.
November 6th, 2009 at 1:13 am
In fact, I’ll be very surprised if any get arrested.
That’s because you’re stupid , ignorant, and dishonest, Bob. OTOH, no one here is surprised that you were wrong.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:39 am
“That’s because you’re stupid , ignorant, and dishonest, Bob.”
No silly. Bob was just making a common sense judgment based on past experience, as humans are wired to do.
In the past, who has been on the streets and in the hallways and committees of Congress making mayhem, interrupting traffic, gov’t business and getting arrested b4(pun intended)?
You are beside yourself with irritation and disappointment the right has been awakened by all the left’s hope and change, using the lefts tactics against them……for the FIRST time. The difference of course is they don’t resort to destroying others property and desecrating their nations symbol.
Your bitterness is not against Bob, it’s been embedded for years.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Rob@7:39PM
You don’t really believe all that cartoonish astrology stuff do you.
November 6th, 2009 at 7:01 am
America wakes up to another mini 9/11.
Allahu Akbar…again…and again…and…
November 6th, 2009 at 7:16 am
for the FIRST time.
Apparently Jim is not aware of what took place in Palm Beach County November 27, 2000. That was a mob designed to intimidate a governmental process and it worked. It was your side that did it with the help of numerous Republican party operatives.
This is why I find it hard to take you seriously, JR. Your memory is beyond selective; it’s intellectually dishonest.
November 6th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Sorry, make that Miami-Dade County where the Brooks Brothers Riot took place.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Astrology no. Astronomy yes.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:02 am
“Apparently Jim is not aware of what took place in Palm Beach County November 27, 2000.”
This was the case Randy, you little editor you. The rest of your comment was unnecessary silliness.
If my memory was selective, ie, I purposely ignored a demonstration by the Republicans almost 10 years ago because it would make my premise wrong, then it is not beyond intellectual dishonesty, it is intellectual dishonesty by definition.
Intellectual laziness? Maybe, assuming I have the time to search back 9 years before commenting on a blog.
Btw, don’t confuse the Tea Party movement with the Republican Party. You only need look back a few days to NY23rd to not make this mistake.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am
It was just having a little fun Rob. Of course you’re right.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Intellectual laziness? Maybe, assuming I have the time to search back 9 years before commenting on a blog.
Or perhaps you should avoid speaking in absolutes. I haven’t kept count, but this is not the first nor the second time I’ve corrected you in a similar fashion, which is probably why I don’t think it’s mere laziness.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Rule of Thumb:
In my view right-wing, reactionary demonstrators always suck, far-left demonstrators more-often-than-not suck and liberal demonstrators are invariably doing the Lord’s work. For whatever reason, actual conservatives don’t go out and demonstrate. It’s not their nature.
It really is that simple, Jim.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:29 am
To lighten things up – or perhaps more accurately – in the spirit of the above discussion, check this out – John Stewart doing his Glenn Beck….
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911060002
November 6th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
“You don’t really believe all that cartoonish astrology stuff do you.”
Well Nancy Reagan sure did!
November 6th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
“# Jim R Says:
November 6th, 2009 at 7:01 am
America wakes up to another mini 9/11.
Allahu Akbar…again…and again…and”
Let me see…let me count the ways Lord Jesus has been invoked before an atrocity has been committed.
Killing an abortionist was apparently doing the “Lord’s work”.
The last two thousand years of history is washed in the blood of those invoking Jesus to justify their crimes and psychopathy.
Most serial killers have in their psychic make up the influence of a twisted, punitive Christianity.
You totally derailed with that disgusting remark, Jim.
You are like the hate filled cretins that line up for Palin rallies or support congressmen who don’t know that the preamble is part of the Declaration of Independence rather than the Constitution.
At some point you need to get to grips with reality.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
And by the way…the Virginia Tech and all the other mass murders going back to the nice Christian boy in the Texas Tower were not Muslims. They were derranged white Christians with the exception of the Virginia Tech boy.
You hyperbole is revolting.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Give ‘em enough rope.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I’m curious about this allegation that Major Hasan shouted the phrase “Allahu Akbar.” Is there some confirmation that he actually said that before he started shooting? Is it possible that in the confusion and hysteria (I say hysteria because I’m assuming the moments of a mass shooting must be hysterical.) the notion that that phrase was uttered was attributed to him. Is it possible that survivors and responders to the scene projected this phrase? Perhaps as an after the matter attempt to begin to rationally understand the episode, people thought he must he said that. Aren’t emotions capable of distorting facts?
Remember that the Columbine tragedy gave birth to a whole raft of mythologies and legends that have been completely debunked. Who doubts that this whole event at Ft. Hood will go through quite a series of revisions?
November 6th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Rob, Maddow, Mathews and Olbermann have been covering it quite a bit and his religious fervor has been confirmed.
CNN (for good or ill) had an internet interview with a former neighbor who said tho he was a nice, quiet guy he was religious…fasting for Ramadan…kept a sort of prayer banner in Arabic (I don’t know what the proper term for it is) in view etc etc.
Also coming out is he was clearly a conflicted man, solitary, colleagues or superiors felt he was not equipped to do the work, were reluctant to assign him cases tho he graduated with honors.
He was given poor evaluations. In short, red flags as to HIS mental health and suitability to do the work demanded was in question years ago.
Supposedly he joined the army out of high school. Why…is the question one would like to know. Supposedly since 2001 he was trying to “get out” of the military.
Anyway the pieces of the puzzle coming out in odd bits with no connecting logic or questions being asked.
What does seem to have been confirmed is he was religious; against the war and felt it was against Islam. ALLEGEDLY
Sounds like a borderline personality to me…
November 6th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
An analyst just reiterating that Hasan was desperate to get out of the army, did not want to deploy and was adamant that he did not believe in the mission etc etc. But because they are so short personnel they just ignored he was a loose cannon.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6517405/Fort-Hood-shooting-Nidal-Malik-Hasan-was-not-a-terrorist-Palestinian-cousin-says.html
Another point of view talking to his relatives in Ramallah.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Anna–
Really? Thanks for pinning that down. He said those words?
I don’t do cable but I’ll go along with your inference.
Why I thought to question it:
First reports I heard said “the story is fluid.”
There were as many as three shooters…
One or two were killed, one in custody…
Then, the number of shooters changes — now it’s one shooter, who’s been killed off dead…
Nope, wait he’s alive, in a coma…
With all of the above changes in the story, up pops a quote that he said, “Allahu Akbar” I dunno, but it seemed quite a significant detail, especially plucked out of all that chaos.
Skepticism about some of the narration kicks in at some point.
Just saying.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:03 am
…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:07 am
“…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Is this your version of the Reverend Wright’s “…the chickens have come home to roost.” Serge?
Or are your referring to the UN chickens going home to roost from Afghanistan, their resolve lost from lack of resolve by the leader of the free world Serge?
Or are you referring to the chickens that came to roost in Washington in 2008 Serge who prefer to deny a war on terrorism even exists, providing music to terrorist ears.
Whatever your intent Serge, one thing is for sure, al Quaeda and the Taliban believe they have either chickens roosting in Washington or, at a minimum sympathy for the behavior of the free world’s leader pre 2008, emboldening them to finish the job of taking Afghanistan back to the middle ages followed by Pakistan et al in time.
One only need to look to Iran and N Korea to understand what happens when the resolve to deal with, rather than rationalize and deny, a serious threat to world peace and freedom is lost, and the can gets kicked down the road till it becomes nuclear.
But at least we will have health care reform… and a debt so high we can no longer become the threat to world peace ourselves, music to the lefts ears.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Or are you referring to the chickens that came to roost in Washington in 2008 Serge who prefer to deny a war on terrorism even exists, providing music to terrorist ears.
My God, you are full of shit. There have been arrests several arrests made of alleged terrorists in the past few months, five cases alone in one week in September.
By my count that’s 291 days in office without a terrorist attack on American soil. Evidently this president reads his PDB’s.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Rob your refs from very early reports just stuff being floated since then some hard refs have come to light where research was done to get statements about those who had been in contact with him.
I think it interesting that a UK paper (conservative but a good rep for hard news reporting) actually chased down his background that sheds more light than all the bullshit being bandied in US news reports.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Jim R – I usually reserve this for Woody, but you’re increasingly sounding like a perverted asshole with shit for brains. Go fuck yourself with your Limbaugh talking points. You make me sick.
November 8th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Reg – I usually reserve this for Limbaugh, but you’re increasingly sounding just like him, a calcified partisan that has lost most all objectivity.
I know the President has a tough job, mostly handed to him by my partisans, and I understand with his past associations with far leftist he could be worse. But he has the qualities to rise about the Chicago “never let a crises go to waste” crowd.
He is spending the country into bankruptcy with unnecessary projects right now, scaring the hell out of business that might otherwise be investing in the future providing jobs, and scaring the hell out of NATO and Europe looking for US leadership. Hell he couldn’t even accept an invitation by Germany to join in the anniversary celebration of the very symbol in the West’s historic fight for peoples freedom.
You can do better Mr. President. You’re good enough, smart enough, and the right people already like you. The others have got to respect you.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I usually reserve this for Limbaugh, but you’re increasingly sounding just like him, a calcified partisan that has lost most all objectivity.
More poppycock. Time and again you make a generalized statement without any foundation much like the one I filleted at 9:21 a.m. yesterday and you have the nerve to call others hyperpartisan?
A friendly suggestion: hop on the self-awareness train the next time it rolls by,
November 8th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Jim – the GOP are the ones who have invariably driven up the deficits – consistently growing them as % of GDP since Reagan started it. And always using the crank “Democrats are spending us into oblivion” rhetoric to do it. That’s been the problem. Unless and until you acknowledge that, whether you agree with their agenda or not, Democrats are the party of fiscal responsibility and lower deficits and the GOP doesn’t want to pay governments bills, with no ability to lower the actual cost, you’re in total denial. I’m really sick of arguing this shit with babies and ignoramuses who just repeat the same old tired talking points brewed up by corporate funders of “think tanks” that are tasked with the mission of keeping people like you terminally stupid.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Wilhelm Reich: Listen, Little Man!
… wilhelm reich confronts the reactionary psychology of the “common man”
some good stuff, too, from the Murder of Christ on those who need to believe the lies…
Woody, Jim R et al: Lissen up little men….