Hard Right DeFacto House Speaker Sen Cruz and Reps King and Bachmann Now Lead the GOP on Immigration!

"Only cowards scapegoat children and only those who are ashamed of themselves do it after hours on a Friday night," Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said on the House floor. "In the end, the Republican position on immigration can be summed up as 'deport 'em all,'" he added later.

Republicans in Congress have time for useless bills as you see above, but when it comes to getting actual work done they are MIA like on the Border Bill, Veterans Jobs Bill, Infrastructure and the list goes on and on.  BTW Cong Cantor is leaving the House this month since he was defeated but leaves a legacy of these bills above behind. Friday night was a perfect example of the types of bills they want to pass knowing full well they are appealing to their hard right base and have zero, zip, nada chance of passing the Senate. There is no better example of worthless GOP in the House then the Border Bills the House passed including one that Governors on the border like Rick Perry would get millions to spend on the National Guard to defend the United States against children.  

Friday night after most of America was not paying attention they passed a Border bill that would end DACA and deport over 500,000 Latinos in this Country who are working to get an education and make a better life for themselves who have nothing to do with the border crises caused by those fleeing Central American countries.  

Good luck with this one, Republicans, now that you've handed the entire issue of immigration over to Ted Cruz, Michele Bachmann, and Steve King. In a 223-189 vote, the House Republicans passed their $694 million appropriations bill which is never going to be implemented. Included in that bill is $35 million for Texas Gov. Rick Perry and any other governor who thinks the border needs protecting from children by the national guard. 

But that's not all. In a separate vote, they passed the anti-DREAMERS bill, 216-192. This is a particularly special one, which would go much further than just rebuking the President on the  Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The bill would "prevent the Obama administration from giving work permits or protection from deportation to young unauthorized immigrants who would have qualified for the DREAM Act." And it would block the 580,000 young people who have DREAM status now from renewing. In other words,

What was missing from their bills?  Actual solution to the border crises and money to fund that actual solution.  The Republicans let one of the most hard right members of Congress Steve King (R-IA) run these bills with Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) after Senator Ted Cruz de facto Speaker of the House and head of the House Tea Party made sure a bill that made a little more sense was killed and this draconian, mean-spirited bill was put in its place.  

House Republicans voted on Friday to strip protections from undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, putting more than a half-million young people at risk for deportation despite their longstanding ties to the United States.

President Barack Obama called that bill "extreme and unworkable," and White House press secretary Josh Earnest had similarly harsh words for the measure to end DACA. 

It is extraordinary that House Republicans are demanding that we reverse that prioritization as a price for getting the resources needed to deal with the urgent humanitarian situation at the border, reduce the immigration court backlog, and address the root cause of child migration," Earnest said in a statement Friday evening.

Then Michelle Bachmann who is under investigation for illegal use of campaign funds and is not running for reelection had this to say -- still has the class of a gnat:

Ultimately, the vote was about limiting Obama's power, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said. She said the language would prevent Obama from taking further action to suspend deportations, a move he is considering. 

"In other words, Mr. Speaker, we will put a handcuff on one of the president's hands," Bachmann said on the House floor. 

Then there has been the spin from Republicans that only Democrats are talking about the House impeaching the President.  Cong Steve King (R-IA) put an end to Boehner's spin:

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said Sunday that Republicans should take a “serious look” at impeaching President Obama if he uses executive action to expand deferrals for illegal immigrants. 

"I think Congress has to sit down and have a serious look at the rest of this Constitution and that includes that 'I' word that we don't want to say," King said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” 

King said that if Obama moved ahead with an order to prevent the deportation of more illegal immigrants amid the border crisis, lawmakers would be forced to act.  "I think then we have to sit down and take a look," King said. "Where would we draw the line otherwise? If that’s not enough to bring that about, then I don’t know what would be." 

King is one of a handful of GOP lawmakers to suggest impeachment, even as House leaders dismiss those calls. 

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) last week said the House had no plans to impeach Obama and called it a “scam” orchestrated by Democrats to fire up their base and fundraise ahead of the midterms.

Read more: The Hill

This is the same GOP House that voted to sue Obama one day and the next night Speaker Boehner tells the President he has the power to act on his own and now we have King (R-IA) now saying if he acts to defer deportation of these young people, they should look at impeachment -- all in a three day time frame.  But that doesn't come close to this statement out of Steve King as they would say in the Air Force is pure Bravo Sierra:

"Well, first of all, most of us personally like the president," King said. "It's not about mad, it's not about hate, it's about the Constitution." 

I have seen some whoppers in my time around politics but this may be one of the bigger ones with all the hate filled rhetoric we have seen out of the GOP House toward President Obama.  Just a few statements fly in the face of that comment:

GOP Rep.: Obama has no ‘American experience’During a rally, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, told supporters that President Obama’s “vision of America isn’t like our vision of America” because “he was not raised with an American experience.” 

On March 7, 2008, during his press engagements to announce his reelection campaign, King made remarks about Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama and his middle name, saying:  

I don't want to disparage anyone because of their race, their ethnicity, their name - whatever their religion their father might have been, I'll just say this: When you think about the optics of a Barack Obama potentially getting elected President of the United States -- I mean, what does this look like to the rest of the world? What does it look like to the world of Islam? I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaida, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11.  

Then on March 10, King defended his comments to The Associated Press, saying "(Obama will) certainly be viewed as a savior for them.... That's why you will see them supporting him, encouraging him." 

Steve King said on a radio show on June 14, 2010 that President Obama's policies favor black people. On G. Gordon Liddy's radio program, King said, "The president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race - on the side that favors the black person in the case of Prof. Gates and officer Crowley.

August 1, 2014:  "Mr. President, stop violating the Constitution," declared King, saying Obama has acted like a "king" and not a president. 

Then there is my favorite Twitter by Steve King on the Washington Redskin NFL Logo he blamed Obama:

Obama raids Redskins by weaponizing USPTO. Cancels Redskins logo! Free people will not tolerate a Kim Jong POTUS. 

King made a 'slight' mistake as President Obama was not involved and it gets funnier:

However, there were a few responses to King’s tweet which nailed the real problem with his crass attempt to anger and divide Americans.  King was completely wrong.  The Obama administration was not the oppressive force that King implied was behind the attack on the team owners.  That would be Amanda Blackhorse.   The decision from the USPTO will drop protections for the team so long as they use their current logo and name on any merchandise.  This will force the team to either change their name and logo or they will have no way of stopping anyone from using the racially divisive name and logo on any merchandise they choose… without any compensation to the team owners.   

My favorite response to Cong King:

Adebukola: @SteveKing Well you have the name and gender wrong. It was Amanda Blackhorse, a Native American woman.

Then the site Truthyism had this to say about the whole situation and now you know why I called Cong King's statement he likes Obama Bravo Sierra after comparing him to Kim Jong:

We are not sure how Rep. King managed to confuse President Obama with a Native American woman, and King is usually more reserved to hatred for immigrants coming over our southern borders.  We assume that King just scrolls through social media for his information, and maybe he thinks he is fighting illegal immigration by bashing Native Americans as social media implied that Megyn Kelly seemed to believe.  So… here is one for Steve “Cantaloupe Calves” King: 

That sums it up perfectly and plan to use that picture anytime I hear the pious religious hard right Republicans say "send all illegals back."  Did their ancestors all come here legally?  We know that Senators Cruz and Rubio's didn't.  Some of my ancestors came before there was a United States and fought in the Revolutionary War so don't think they had approval from the tribes to invade their land.

It dawned on me Republicans must hate the Internet as their crazy statements are preserved for people like me to go find to make a point!

I look at that picture and laugh at the stupidity of the Republican Party that continues today who still don't get it about immigration.  Are people like Cong King afraid of diversity and want to preserve the white male dominated country?  If they are, the years ahead are not going to be kind to that type of Neanderthal thinking as our Country becomes even more diverse.

Have a great rest of the day!

House Republicans Vote to Sue My President -- I Pledge to Donate/Volunteer/Vote to Oust the GOP from Leadership at all Levels

Been a busy summer and decided to take some time off from all the negativity of Republican politics against the President, Democrats, and all the American people.  Still have been posting on Twitter.  

Today I am back as the Republicans in the House chose to set a new precedent and low mark in politics even for Republicans by suing MY President and theirs even though they refuse to admit that President Obama is the President of all Americans.  Is it because he is black or a Democrat or both?  The 'my way or no way' Koch Bros Republican Party is the absolute worst I have ever witnessed and the biggest do nothings who get paid with our tax dollars.  Republicans vote to sue the President and then only work 14 days between now and the election so the taxpayers are paying for their campaigning.

I gladly have donated several times today to the Democrat Congressional Committee to oust the lowlife Koch Bros Republicans from leadership of the House so the Country can be moved forward rather than be stuck on the wayback machine where women and minorities didn't have the right to vote.  Please join me in giving whatever you can afford.

Years ago I was told my longtime Congressman in Ohio while I was in my teens that as a candidate you can get a few wealthy people to donate to your campaign and buy all the ads you want but if you want to make sure you win then asks everyone to donate even if they can only afford pennies as they have the same vote as a wealthy donor and people who contribute what they can no matter how small are going to go vote and vastly outnumber the wealthy donors.  That was Cong McCullough from the 4th District of Ohio -- last of a breed of honest Congressmen who put their constituents first.

Now that district of farmers and small towns is represented by Speaker Boehner as a family member said wouldn't know a steer from a bull.  My hometown is 90 miles from where Speaker Boehner resides and is part of a district in the western part of SW Ohio Republicans made sure did not cross into any major cities.  Perfect example of gerrymandering and the person elected not understanding the district although I can point out a couple of local bars in my home town if he hasn't found them already.

Was going to write my Congressman Tom Cole and tell him what I thought about the vote to sue but I did that earlier on campaign financing and the reply back was garbage not answering my comments same with the Sen Inhofe's response.  Now I am sending the link to this blog.  The only response I received back on campaign financing that made sense came from Senator (Dr) Tom Coburn my other Senator who wants every donation online immediately no matter how much was donated and also called for term limits for Congress.  I appreciated Dr. Tom's comments.  He treats his constituents like we have brains even if we don't always agree with him.  The other two -- Cole and Inhofe are arrogant with most of the replies coming from their staff.

Here are my comments to Congressman Cole that I decided to make public on the blog instead of wasting my time filling out his form and getting back a reply from an aide that made no sense to what I submitted.  Instead I will send this link to my blog post to hid office:

Casting a vote to sue my President and yours too even if you won't admit he won twice, makes me roll up my sleeves and open my checkbook to Democrats from this day forward. 

You spineless Koch Bros Republican puppets of the wealthy and Tea Party have no backbone to stand up and tell the truth. 

Cannot wait to get a House that will move the Country forward not backward which means ousting Boehner from the Speaker and the GOP from the majority.  The racist attitude of the GOP is the worst I have ever seen and beyond disgusting. 

You all made your bed, now you can lie in it.  Women I know throughout this country, military, minorities, young people all want nothing to do with the Neanderthal thinking of today's GOP!   

Enjoy being the party of the biggest bunch of do nothings this Country has ever seen that have trouble with the truth but the internet catches all of you in your lies including on impeachment.  Suing the President for a bill signed by President Bush has reached a new low even for Republicans 

Shame on all of you worthless Republicans in Congress and frankly in Oklahoma where oil/gas run the state and regular people are told to get lost.  Going to catch up with the GOP even here before it is through.  There will be a day when the hard right tells the rest of you to shove it because you didn't go far enough right and a lot of us are going to be laughing. 

Really dumb move!

The first link has a list of Republican incumbents and candidates calling for impeachment that flies in the face of Boehner/Rove lies while the second link shows how fast a Republican can change their mind on impeachment.  Simply unbelievable Koch Bros GOP is this stupid even for a Party that has done stupid things in the past -- this one is one of the dumbest ever for a Republican Leadership Group who has a rating in single digits and have cost the American taxpayers millions with their votes to repeal ACA and obstruction on veterans jobs bills, job bills, infrastructure, and the list goes on.  

From Politicususa:  Crushing The GOP Lie: Here Is a List of Republican Incumbents Who Support Impeachment From Think Progress:   House Republican Insists He’s Not Considering Impeaching Obama, Then Admits He Is, All In Less Than 60 Seconds

Time to oust the Republicans from any leadership at the Federal level or at state level as some of us have some of the worst governors we have ever seen -- more on that in the days ahead.  

Welcome to #1 Red State Oklahoma which Ranks #3 in Women Murdered by Men

“Nine women each week are shot to death by their husband or intimate partner,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Oklahoma and other Red States are not faring well in all of the data that is coming out recently.  The latest on gun violence again women along with other issues affecting women is not something Oklahoma should be proud.  Oklahoma already scored #1 in the amount of money cut from the public schools.  That's one ranking you don't want.  Then they come in at 49th in teacher pay and even with an election year pay raise suggested by Superintendent Barrasi who is up for reelection, they still rank 49th.  Now we are running 3rd in women murdered by men and 48th as the worst state for women to live from pay to healthcare.  Someone tell me how this State can be sold to businesses with these rankings?

Instead of social issues highlighting the agenda of the Legislature, time to get pro-active and start taking care of real issues facing our State.  You would think these rankings would wake up elected officials but they will just come back with the "Oklahoma standard" mantra which is not something I would brag about when you are at or near he bottom on so many issues that are really important.

They keep bragging about the rainy day fund but how about spending that money to improve our education which eventually would show up in how women fare in the workplace instead of being #48. Past time to lose the concentration on social issues and tell the hard right to sit down and shut up on abortion, gays, creationism, bible being taught in schools, and other religious/social issues they push to the front in every session.  Since Republicans don't seem to be able to say no to these groups maybe it is time for more Democrats to be elected.  What I have seen out of Senator John Sparks and Representative Emily Virgin Democrats from Norman, shows they have a ton more common sense then most of the elected Republicans.

These ratings along with the others should get every statewide office holder thrown out of office but will the people of Oklahoma wake up?  I have serious doubts they will.

From Channel 4 News:

Oklahoma ranks 3rd in Women Murdered by Men 

OKLAHOMA CITY – A national study released Wednesday focused on a sad reality of our country and had shocking results for the Sooner State. 

According to the new Violence Policy Center report, Oklahoma ranks third in the nation in the rate of women murdered by men. 

The study covered homicides across the country involving one female murder victim and one male offender in 2011. 

“Nine women each week are shot to death by their husband or intimate partner,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “That’s nearly 500 domestic gun violence deaths each year, more than twice the number of servicewomen killed in military conflicts since the Korean War. We urgently need better policies that protect women and their families from this senseless violence. No American, adult or child, should live in a perpetual state of fear. It’s inhumane.”

For more information on the study, visit the VPC’s website. 

South Carolina and Alaska are 1 and 2 respectively in the murder rate of women by men.  Once again top states are Red States where the NRA is very pro-active and believes the more guns the better.  Tell that to women in abusive relationships.  So sick and tired of the gun culture today and the hard right won't even agree to background checks required by all people purchasing guns at gun shows.  If I am a private seller, I don't have to take down any information and can get paid in cash which should be against the law.  As far as I am concerned the hard right gun lobby supported by the NRA are responsible for all the guns in the hands of violent people and those prone to anger issues.

Oklahoma ranks #48 in Worst States for Women

Women in the United States earn an average of 77 cents for every dollar that men make, face many barriers to reproductive health care and are significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. But the worst state for women by far is Louisiana, according to a state-by-state examination of these issues released Wednesday by the Center for American Progress. 

In terms of economic security, health and leadership representation, the analysis rates Louisiana the lowest. Full-time working women in Louisiana earn only 67 percent of what men earn, on average, and more than one in five women and girls in Louisiana are currently living in poverty. 

Only 12 percent of Louisiana's congressional seats are held by women, and the state has one of the top 10 worst maternal mortality rates in the country. There is only one OB-GYN for every 13,136 women in Louisiana, and nearly 20 percent of non-elderly women in the state are uninsured. Louisiana also requires an ultrasound, waiting period and counseling session before a woman can have an abortion. 

The report also considered in its ratings the state's minimum wage, family leave policies, percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K, the gender management gap and publicly funded contraceptive services.  

Other states that earned an "F" overall in these categories are Utah, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, South Dakota, Indiana and Georgia. 

Check out the map at Huffington Post to see where your state fares on women's issues. 

Excerpt:  Read More at Huffington Post

Where are our elected officials in Oklahoma when it comes to women?  Voting for more tough abortion laws that will get overturned and wanting to tell women how to think.  Kind of reminds me of the Mormon Church philosophy where men are to be honored and women do their bidding.  That same mentality must permeate a lot of the legislature thinking or they wouldn't be concentrating so much on women's issues that are none of their business.  Many in our legislature are so against Planned Parenthood that all they think they do is provide abortions which is far from the truth but truth and Republicans today are not on the same page.  Say anything lie or not that advances their agenda and that is okay.

Now for the ranking that shows the Republican Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doke and other Republicans are going to hate since they have been touting Affordable Care Act (ACA) was going to send prices through the roof.  Imagine that -- they lied just like other Republicans have been doing about ACA and its impact on prices of healthcare.

Tulsa has the details where in this instance Oklahoma fares very well:

Oklahoma health insurance rates will be 20 to 30 percent below U.S. average under ACA 

Monthly rates for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Oklahoma will be below the national average, and residents can choose from 53 health plans on average, according to new federal data. Monthly premiums in Oklahoma will range from $266 for the second-lowest-cost silver plan to $174 for the lowest-cost bronze plan before subsidies are applied, according to the report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report shows that rates in Oklahoma will be about 20 percent to 30 percent below the national average for the three plans listed. 

Excerpt:  Read more from the Tulsa World. 

Did you know that with ACA there will be no lifetime caps allowed or that your child can be on your insurance until they are 26?  First children with pre-existing conditions will be added and then adults with pre-existing conditions so they can get insurance without having to pay huge premiums.  If you want facts and the truth, please visit Healthcare.com to read the about the benefits of ACA and how it will affect Americans.  Time to go to the source instead of believing the crap Republicans and their big donors are pushing with their scary ads meant to keep people from getting the facts.

Because of Oklahoma's ALEC led Legislature and Governor, Oklahoma Republicans turned down running the exchanges so the federal government has taken over which is probably why the rates are so low.  In the process over 150,000 people are going to be denied healthcare because our Governor turned down the expansion of Medicaid and dollars to go with it because they cannot stand IMHO the thought of implementing a healthcare plan written and passed by the Democrats.

When Tom Cole said “It's awfully hard to repeal Obamacare when a guy named Obama is President says it all.  Then he goes on to talk about how unpopular the program is throughout America.  If ACA was that unpopular like the lies/spin of the GOP, Obama would not have been re-elected by a large margin.

Welcome to the #1 Red State Oklahoma that has been bought and paid for by the Koch Brothers, ALEC, and the Chamber.  What does that give you?  Last or near last in education and women's issues for starters. Time for common sense Oklahomans to start to take the state back starting with the Superintendent and Insurance Commissioner.   Going to take work but the truth has to get out instead of the lies from the Republicans and their office holders.

Republicans Hold Town Halls Lying About Obamacare -- OFA Sets the Record Straight

Make no mistake: The other side is spending millions on TV and advertising designed explicitly to mislead Americans. When one of these ads got fact-checked by an independent organization, the group behind it didn't flinch. They just bought more air time.  OFA Email

Received the following email from OFA.  Since they get fact checked over and over again you can bet that their information can be counted on to be right.  They are countering the millions being spent by Koch Bros to put out untrue information on Obamacare along with the Heritage Foundation tour of former hard right Senator Jim DeMint who is holding TownHalls lying about Obamacare.  When the Koch Bros chose Jim DeMint to head Heritage they picked someone in their image willing to spend

millions of dollars on a campaign of lies -- this time on Obamacare.

Since Republicans made the Affordable Healthcare Act political, how can Heritage get involved since they are non-profit or is this more of the Republicans sponsored by the Koch Brothers don't have to follow rules?  Seems to be contagious in the Republican Party.

Heritage even sponsors polling now trying to convince everyone that the American people don't like Obamacare by going into 11 Congressional Districts and doing push polling.  MSNBC was dumb enough to run results of a poll out of a Heritage group that is from the Koch Bros who own Heritage. 

The MSM is missing the boat day in and day out as they report talking points instead of doing investigative journalism that a lot of us have been complaining for a long time.   That's what happens when big business buys up the media – non-bias gets tossed out the window and they become fronts for their owners and what they want reported in many cases.  Like the days of Watergate when the print media did the investigative journalism, today it is still print and now websites that will investigate before reporting the news.  Broadcast for the most part is pretty biased.

There are some journalists I have to wonder if they ever took a college class in Ethics like a lot of Fox News.  Now CNN is following along in the footsteps of Fox News. Makes you wonder when this sloppy journalism is going to end where journalists take sides and report lies and spin for facts.  Think by and large the younger journalists are much better and quicker to make sure they have more then one source.

The graph below in the OFA email is devastating to the right but since the hard right in Louisiana blames Obama equally with Bush for Hurricane Katrina, would say there is an intelligence gap with a lack of ability to reason on the hard right.  Not sure they could understand the graph and definitely could not comprehend what it says as they have to be told what to think.  I have seen it up close and personal which makes me shake my head how they can believe some of the things they are told. 

Sharon -- 

Guess how some members of Congress are spending their August vacation: 

They're touring the country, going state by state and district by district to convince people that Obamacare isn't working -- never mind the benefits that millions of families are already feeling. 

After trying and failing to repeal the law (40 times!), they're starting to get desperate. 

OFA's Truth  Team is here to set the record straight. 

Fight back against the cynical opponents of Obamacare by sharing some truth about how Obamacare is already helping folks all across the country -- here's a perfect graphic to get started:

 

They're trying to take health care awayfrom millions of Americans -- and they're doing it by fudging the truth. 

Make no mistake: The other side is spending millions on TV and advertising designed explicitly to mislead Americans. 

When one of these ads got fact-checked by an independent organization, the group behind it didn't flinch. They just bought more air time.

The next fight is already on the horizon:  Some of these representatives are the same folks pledging not to pass any budget as long as it continues to fund Obamacare.

They'd even go as far as to shut down the government if they don't get their way. That's right -- if we don't jettison a law that passed three years ago so millions of Americans could get affordable care, some members of Congress want to take their ball and go home.

We know the American people are smarter than this -- so it's our job to make sure that they have the facts.

One of the oddest things of this whole fight Republicans picked on Obamacare is that it is essentially the same healthcare program they introduced in the 90's for healthcare but now that the Democrats have passed Obamacare, they don't like it because it doesn't have a GOP name on it -- they had a chance to be part of making a difference but Republicans in Congress were afraid of their new Tea Party base going into 2010 so they refused to work together.

Speaker John Boehner may go down in history as the worst Speaker ever with the House being the worst House ever.  Republicans deserve the title of 'worst ever' when it comes to Congress.  They are systematically destroying the Republican Party as a viable party and they don't care which is even more astonishing.  Could it be this was the Libertarian Plan of the Koch Brothers all along to destroy the Republican Party so they could have their hard right Libertarian Party as a major player.  Most Americans don't like the hard right and their wanting a theocracy.  What happened to the Republican Party standing for our Republic?  Did they forget what men and women have fought for over the years to keep our freedoms which the Republican Party of today wants to take away from women and minorities.

Time to vote the hard right GOP out of office in November 2014.  A good start would be voting Democrats into Governorships in Virginia and New Jersey in November 2013.

President Obama has finally had it with Republicans Wanting Debt Ceiling Held Hostage to Defund Obamacare

A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up the works and make this law fail, they’ll somehow be sticking it to me.  But they’d just be sticking it to you.  (President Obama)

This is the most disgusting part of the Republicans attack on the Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA). Some Republican members of Congress are lying to their constituents which is flat out wrong but then integrity and GOP can no longer should be used in the same sentence.  Those same constituents they are lying to are being hurt in States like Oklahoma where they refused the exchanges and millions of dollars.  Many of the constituents believe what they are told by Republicans and refuse to question anything as they have become convinced Republicans won't lie even when it is put right in front of their faces.  Is the dumbing down of the Republican Party in full operation mode by the Koch Bros?

Great to see President Obama finally go after the Republican attacks on the Affordable Healthcare Act after the GOP run House voted for the 40th time to overturn Obamacare knowing full well that it was another vote that meant nothing except to their base.  Some Freshman were clamoring they needed a vote to end Obamacare before the 5-week recess so they could go back to their district and tell voters they voted against it.  Wasting our tax dollars to show they voted on something that is DOA tells you how the GOP base of today processes what they are told.  It seems today's GOP base will swallow anything the Republicans tell them if it is anti-Obama.  Really stupid if they swallow the GOP can overturn Obamacare with a House vote.  From President's Obama's Weekly Address:

Many Members of Congress, in both parties, are working hard to inform their constituents about these benefits, protections, and affordable plans.  But there’s also a group of Republicans in Congress working hard to confuse people, and making empty promises that they’ll either shut down the health care law, or, if they don’t get their way, they’ll shut down the government.  (my bold)

Think about that.  They’re actually having a debate between hurting Americans who will no longer be denied affordable care just because they’ve been sick – and harming the economy and millions of Americans in the process.  And many Republicans are more concerned with how badly this debate will hurt them politically than they are with how badly it’ll hurt the country. 

A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up the works and make this law fail, they’ll somehow be sticking it to me.  But they’d just be sticking it to you.  

Some even say that if you call their office with questions about the law, they’ll refuse to help.  Call me old-fashioned – but that’s lousy constituent service.  And it’s not what you deserve. 

Your health insurance isn’t something to play politics with.  Our economy isn’t something to play politics with.  This isn’t a game.  This is about the economic security of millions of families. 

See, in the states where governors and legislatures and insurers are working together to implement this law properly – states like California, New York, Colorado and Maryland – competition and consumer choice are actually making insurance affordable.  

Today's bought and paid for Republicans continue to play games with the American people as they attack AHA, jobs, economy, healthcare, social security, medicare, SNAP Program, women's rights, minority rights and the list goes on as they do what they are told by their wealthy donors like the Koch Bros.  People like Boehner and Cantor could care less about you and me and how we are faring during their obstructionism and sequestration.  They get paid regardless and never had to take a day off every other week to save money as Federal Employees had to do in the Executive Branch as Congress controls the purse strings of the Government.

Instead the GOP House is taking 239 days off in 2013 and holding a few Town Halls during a 5-week recess because they are so tired after barely working.  Just imagine how tired the House will be after working a whole 126 days this year.  How many members of Congress are making trips overseas to interfere in foreign policy on our nickle?

Despicable bunch of Republicans in the House that their main aim is to defund Affordable Healthcare Act.  It is already saving people money in states that are not headed by a bunch of hard headed Koch/ALEC puppets who refused to implement the exchanges and thus cost their states millions and millions of dollars.

President Obama has finally had it with the "Repeal Obamacare Republican Members of the Congress" threatening to hold the debt ceiling hostage until they get their way:

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said we are on the way to fully implementing the Affordable Care Act and helping millions of Americans. Unfortunately, a group of Republicans in Congress are working to confuse people and are even suggesting they will shut down the government if they cannot shut down the health care law. Health insurance isn’t something to play politics with, and the President will keep working to make sure the law works as it’s supposed to, and he encourages everyone to visit HealthCare.gov to find out more about the law and how to sign up.

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly AddressThe White HouseAugust 17, 2013 

Hi, everybody.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been visiting with Americans across the country to talk about what we need to do to secure a better bargain for the middle class.
We need to rebuild an economy that rewards hard work and responsibility; an economy built firmly on the cornerstones of middle-class life.  Good jobs.  A good education.  A home of your own.  A secure retirement.  And quality, affordable health care that’s there when you need it. 

Right now, we’re well on our way to fully implementing the Affordable Care Act.  And in the next few months, we’ll reach a couple milestones with real meaning for millions of Americans. 

If you’re one of the 85% of Americans who already have insurance, you’ve already got new benefits and protections under this law that you didn’t before.  Free checkups, mammograms, and contraceptive care.  Discounted prescription medicine on Medicare.  

The fact you can stay on your parents’ plan until you turn 26.  And much, much more.  And it’s okay if you’re not a fan of the Affordable Care Act – you can take advantage of these things anyway. 

If you don’t have insurance, beginning on October 1st, private plans will actually compete for your business.  You can comparison shop in an online marketplace, just like you would for cell phone plans or plane tickets.  You may be eligible for new tax credits to help you afford the plan that’s right for you.  And if you’re in the up to half of all Americans who’ve been sick or have a preexisting condition, this law means that beginning January 1st, insurance companies have to cover you – and they can’t use your medical history to charge you more than anybody else.  

You can find out more about the law, and how to sign up to buy your own coverage right now at HealthCare.gov.  Tell your friends and neighbors without insurance about it, too.  And tell your kids that there’s a new, easy way to buy affordable plans specifically tailored to young people. 

Excerpt:  See WhiteHouse.gov for full transcript of speech

Heritage Foundation's head, Jim DeMint, plans to host Town Halls across the Country to defund AHA which goes against the non profit tax status of Heritage but that hasn't stopped any Republicans from moving ahead with their agenda as rules/laws don't apply to them in today's world.  Talking point papers for Republican members of Congress to use were prepared by Heritage and Groundswell plus the Koch brothers are investing millions into ads with misinformation and lies about AHA as they try to keep it from being implemented but it is an abject failure. Groundswell was outed several weeks ago:

Mother Jones’ David Corn details a behind-the-scenes conservative messaging push: “Believing they are losing the messaging war with progressives, a group of prominent conservatives in Washington—including the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and journalists from Breitbart News and the Washington Examiner—has been meeting privately since early this year to concoct talking points, coordinate messaging, and hatch plans for "a 30 front war seeking to fundamentally transform the nation," according to documents obtained by Mother Jones. 

Dubbed Groundswell, this coalition convenes weekly in the offices of Judicial Watch, the conservative legal watchdog group. During these hush-hush sessions and through a Google group, the members of Groundswell—including aides to congressional Republicans—cook up battle plans for their ongoing fights against the Obama administration, congressional Democrats, progressive outfits, and the Republican establishment and "clueless" GOP congressional leaders. They devise strategies for killing immigration reform, hyping the Benghazi controversy, and countering the impression that the GOP exploits racism. And the Groundswell gang is mounting a behind-the-scenes organized effort to eradicate the outsize influence of GOP über-strategist/pundit Karl Rove within Republican and conservative ranks.”

At least we know why so many appointees of Obama were being held up -- Republicans hoped to bring the Obama Administration to a grinding halt which didn't happen.  Thank you Senator McCain for stepping forward to get some of these people who had been appointed confirmed.

Now a group of Senators want to hold the Country hostage on the debt ceiling in exchange for ending Obamacare which is not going to happen.  Voters need to think twice about a group that would hold the Credit Rating of the United States hostage to get their way.  They all need voted out of office when they are up for reelection because they just broke their oath.  Senator Rubio doesn't listen to his own state but to former Senator DeMint from Heritage:

(Jul 30) WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) – Senator Marco Rubio’s plan to shut down the government if Congress doesn’t defund the Affordable Care Act is going up in smoke in the nation’s capital. 

Senator Rubio, along with Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, signed on to a letter that said no government funding should be passed, including raising the debt limit, unless the ACA, also known as Obamacare, was defunded completely. 

Rubio has written editorials for conservative media outlets touting his plan, but it appears a growing number of Senators are not ready to shut down the government. The plan has opened a schism between the more conservative tea party members and establishment Republicans.

Rubio hardened his stance in an interview at The Blaze:

(Aug 5)  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is taking a hard stance in the fight to defund President Barack Obama’s landmark health care law. In fact, he says he is willing to fight to the bitter end to derail “Obamacare,” regardless of the consequences. 

“There has to be some issue at which we say, ‘look, this is the issue where we draw the line’,” Rubio said on Mark Levin’s radio show Monday. “I mean, we understand about all the other things but there’s an issue where you’ve got to draw a line in the sand and say, this is it. I mean, on this issue we’re willing to fight no matter what the consequences, politically or otherwise.” 

“If that issue is not Obamacare, I can’t understand what issue it would be,” he added. “And that’s the point I tried to make. Of all the issues out there, if there was one issue that, I think, we should be willing to go to the limit on, this is it.” 

Looks like Rubio is putting his plan to run for President over what is good for the people of this Country by trying to hold the debt ceiling hostage to defund Obamacare.  He is not listening to the people of South Florida today.  What about all those senior citizens who are going to be benefit with the AHA on prescriptions, etc.  Rubio is making sure that he will not be reelected as Senator if my phone call this morning was any indication.  Long time Republicans in Florida are as mad as long time Republicans across the Country at these bunch of jerks from the Tea Party in the Senate and House who do as they are told like little puppets.  Koch's control Heritage and DeMint along with the Tea Party who control many of the GOP in Congress.

Sad situation for America and only one solution - vote the GOP out of all leadership and then we can move the Country forward.