Forty-Three Ted Cruz Hard Right House Republicans Planning to Sue President Obama for Doing His Job as President

When I think it is impossible for the Republican Party to get any dumber, along comes some of the House Republicans to prove me wrong once again.  One of those jerks is running for the Oklahoma Senate seat being vacated by Senator Coburn at the end of the year -- Republican James Lankford of the 5th District.  BTW, when is he going to resign?  The Speaker of the OK House, TW Shannon, resigned to run for the seat but not heard a peep out of Lankford.  TW would make a much better Senator than Lankford any day of the week. Would bet TW is happy to be out of the OK House and having to deal with some of the hard right because he is not that hard right -- it must have driven him up a wall.    Will bring you more on the OK Senate races as it gets closer to our summer primary and probably gets nastier.

Some of the hard right House Republicans have jumped over the cliff with their latest attacks on President Obama for doing his job.  One of my favorite writers, Jason Easley, Politicususa had this to say:

Forty three House Republicans Want to Sue Barack Obama for Being President

Forty three House Republicans are sponsoring a bill that if passed would force the House to sue President Obama for behaving like a president. 

According to The Hill, “Forty-three Republicans have cosponsored the resolution since Obama’s State of the Union address, where he threatened to enact policies if Congress didn’t act. The “Stop This Overreaching Presidency (STOP)” measure, introduced by Rep. Tom Rice (S.C.), now has 104 co-sponsors, including Senate GOP hopeful Reps. Jack Kingston (Ga.), James Lankford (Okla.), Steve Stockman (Texas), Paul Broun (Ga.), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Phil Gingrey (Ga.).” 

The House Republicans are upset because Barack Obama had the nerve to act like a president. They are angry that he delayed the employer mandate, implemented the DREAM Act for the executive branch, let people keep their substandard health insurance policies, and ended work requirements for welfare recipients. 

Courts have ruled for decades that presidents have the constitutional power to delay the implementation of a law. Like all presidents, Obama’s executive orders only cover the executive branch. President Obama didn’t implement the DREAM Act for all of the country, just for the executive branch.  Read More

It dawns on you that these current hard right Republicans in the House and Senate could care less what the Constitution says about three equal branches of Government.  No place does it say the House is Supreme to all other branches but you would never understand that from the hard right rhetoric aka lies coming from the mouths of the Senator Ted Cruz Republicans in the House:

House Republicans are trying to sue the president for exercising his constitutionally granted powers. This is another attempt to delegitimize this president. Republicans are upset that the president is working around their obstruction, so they are taking him to court to try to get him to stop behaving like a president.

How much influence has Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) had on this current action of suing the Presiddent since he convinced the House to shut down the Government last fall?  My guess is a lot seeing some of the people involved.  In doing the research I found this 5 Feb 2014 article from the Houston Chronicle's, Texas on the Potomac Blog:

Cruz report accuses Obama of “assault on Texas”Posted on February 5, 2014 | By William T. Brown 

Sen. Ted Cruz has issued a report on “The Obama Administration’s Assault on Texas.”
The freshman Republican from Texas  is the ranking minority member of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee which deals with the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights. 

This report, the third in a series written by Cruz on what he sees as Obama overreach, “ goes through 10 cases where the Obama administration has advocated for overbroad views of federal power and has been over and over again repudiated by the federal courts,” Cruz said in a Fox News interview.  Read More

Question of the Day:  Can a sitting Senator can also be Speaker of the House since the Speaker does not have to be an elected House Member?   Seems that Ted Cruz is already the de facto head of the hard right in the House so why not be Speaker?  Cruz must be livid at Speaker Boehner for finally getting the courage to go against the House's hard right to pass a clean Debt Ceiling Bill as Cruz was determined not to let a clean bill pass.  Then Cruz lost in the Senate, when Minority Leader McConnell grew a backbone for a few hours and rounded up votes to stop a Cruz filibuster.  Now the hard right who has raised more money than the Chamber and middle of the road Republican groups are out for blood in the 2014 election wanting to elect hard right ideologues and don't care if they beat Democrats in November as long as they stand on principle.

These excerpts from the article at Alternet, Tea Party and the Right, basically say what many of us who were lifelong Republicans until 2010-2012 have been saying:

This week, the Tea Party aligned Senate Conservatives Fund called on House Republicans to force out Speaker John Boehner in an email that read, “Unless we install a new leader who will actually go on offense, Democrats will never fear us and we will never have any leverage.” 

We may be witnessing the genesis of another temporary or permanent fracture of the Republican Party, for what was once a happy coalition of secular and social conservatives, united to defeating Obama and liberalism, has turned into an openly hostile civil war for control of party, and by all measures the Christian Right/Tea Party faction are winning in their objective of purging what they believe are Republicans In Name Only. 

This is a war establishment Republicans cannot win for not only is the Christian Right/Tea Party faction the most reliable and agitated voting bloc within the party, but also they’re now out raising Chamber of Commerce-sponsored establishment candidates thanks to a cabal of hyper-religious organizations, the Club for Growth, and the Koch brothers. Since August, the Koch’s Americans for Prosperity has spent more than $27 million on ads, which puts it on pace to outstrip its overall $38.5 million spent on the 2010 election. 

It’s worth noting that there barely remain any open shirted “moderate Republicans.” Almost two-thirds of House Republicans voted against bipartisan efforts to reopen the federal government and prevent the U.S. defaulting on its loan obligations. The non-partisan Mann and Ornstein write in Its Worse Than it Looks, “The Republican Party has become an insurgent outlier – ideologically extreme; contemptuous of the inherited social and economic policy regime; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of facts and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”

Lost count of the number of times since 1998 that I have been in dust ups with the 'my way or no way' crowd on conservative websites for their stupid mantra of not caring if their candidate wins as long as they stand on principle.  My shock is that they are now in charge of the Republican Party.  According to everywhere I turn, the hard right have outraised the establishment types led by the Chamber who were attempting to wrest control of the Republican Party away from the hard right.  Looks like a dismal failure from establishment groups after what I am hearing from people I know in various locations.

Koch Bros are willing to let the hard right have their theocracy as long as they get what they want -- no Government rules and regulations so they are free to pollute at will and kill the vibrancy that has always been the hallmark of American ingenuity.   Koch Bros who want more money for themselves discovered they could get the hard right to be their puppets because it is obvious the hard right are more inclined to be puppets when you use the right mantra then think for themselves.  They have been sitting in hard right churches for years being told what to think and what to do.  Cannot fathom that.

Took me years but finally found out my trouble here in Oklahoma from the time we moved to Norman was with the hard right Republicans who make up most of the GOP in Oklahoma.  I am an independent thinker and that falls outside the norm for loyal GOP party members who are told which candidates to support. Here is an example:  In 2006 in the GOP primary for Governor, a nasty hit piece went out around the state by some County Chairs in support of Ernest Istook for Governor.  I was supporting another candidate.  When I got sent the letter as the Vice Chair of the County, the nitwits at OK GOP had left in faint grey lettering - Paid for by the Ernest Istook Campaign for Governor.  OK GOP and some County Chairs had sent out an obvious partisan Istook document and the worst part is a good many Republicans believed the document.  You cannot fight stupidity.

I can think of a few others that had the same trouble with the hard right who is now firmly in charge the OK GOP and calling the shots in the Governor's office.  The allegiance to ALEC and the Koch Bros in this state by some of the Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature along with some statewide elected officials is mind boggling.  Cannot fathom being led around by some ideological group -- guess that is why I gave up Rush Limbaugh years ago -- found myself yelling at my radio in the car -- very seldom listened at home since the early 90's when he had all the parodies which were funny -- my all time favorite was the one on Ross Perot, "They are coming to take me away."  It was hilarious but Limbaugh hasn't been funny in years -- now he is just a shrill hard righter spouting lies and hate.

In 2007/2008 after supporting Rudy in the primary and getting clobbered by so many people on conservative websites, I started backing off posting where I had posted for years.  The Washington Post even had me as part of the purge of the GOP in the fall of 2006 from a website but I was in FL not posting.  It took awhile but almost immediately after the mid terms, I realized that the Republican Party had left me a long time ago and I just wouldn't admit it.  Was never a hard right ideologue -- always considered their 'my way or no way' mantra stupid and still do.  No way to run a Government.

Meeting more and more Republicans who live in the hard right red states who have had it and are changing parties or supporting Democrats in 2014.  This hard right takeover that leaves no room for independent thinking is my last straw.  Wish I could say it has been fun to be a Republican in Oklahoma but I would be lying.  At times it has been horrible, terrible, and nasty with attacks from the hard right that I cannot fathom toward more centrist GOP.  First time in my life to be considered a liberal Republican is in Oklahoma.  When you meet the Tea Party/Religious Right here you understand why.  You finally wake up one morning and realize I cannot deal with these people any longer.  Mine came in the spring of 2012 when I decided to support President Obama and drive my neighbors nuts. Never regretted it for a moment.  The words I use are 'Freedom, Liberated, and Relief'  as I can now express my feelings and not be called names by those on the progressive side.

Finished Reading Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist's new book, The Party's Over -- How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat.  Enjoyed the book from start to finish and found myself agreeing with the current Democrat candidate for FL Governor over and over again. Gov Crist speaks my language.  You understand when someone as high profile as the former Governor can write a book like this that you are on the right track with supporting Democrats across America in 2014 and telling the GOP to 'Shove It!"

Is the Tea Party the face of corporate oligarchs? Raw Story has the Answer!

When I read this article at Raw Story, light bulb went off more then it has already.  As someone who has been around the Tea Party and been at meetings with the Koch's AFP, you can put their knowledge of how Government works in a thimble.  Some of the dumbest statements have come out of Tea Party members of Congress or those running for office on the Republican ticket.  I have been thinking the more they are elected to Congress, the dumber they get.

When you stop to think about it, most intelligent people wouldn't be caught dead in the Tea Party movement because they are followers not leaders for the most part.  Old fashioned Republicans wouldn't be caught at some of their rallies with the likes of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin or if you really want dumbed down you go to one with Michelle Bachmann and Louis Gohmert of Texas.  Some of the crap you hear from the hard right you have to wonder if they are serious.  Question one of their followers and you find out they are serious and you are left to shake your head at abject stupidity. Noam Chromsky has pegged the Tea Party and shows they are basically fronts for the wealthy GOP like the Koch Brothers.

Here in Oklahoma the Congressman from the 5th District James Lankford is running for the seat being vacated by Dr. Coburn.  Here is his background:

Lankford's move is not surprising given the ambition that propelled his rapid ascent to House leadership in only his second term in Congress. But the soft-spoken Oklahoman is hardly a political animal. He spent more than a decade as a Christian camp director before feeling God "calling" him to run for Congress

He had this to say when asked about impeachment because he thinks it would help Obama but my question is why didn't he tell them nothing has risen to high crimes and misdemeanors as the President obstructing but the GOP House and GOP Members of the Senate are so why haven't they reached the high crimes and misdemeanors they accuse the President of doing.  I am less then impressed:

“There is great debate whether [Obama] is at a level of high crimes and misdemeanors,” Lankford said.  

Instead he talks about a great debate about impeachment like the House would like to impeach him. For what?  Is it because those poor white GOP males cannot stand a black in the White House?

All I can say is that the 2014 election including the primary is going to be interesting especially with the 5th District Lankford is leaving starting to turn more Democrat -- it does have a lot of former Democrats and if they decide to return to their roots after the hard right has taken over the GOP in Oklahoma, it could make for an interesting election.

When I read this article, I am so happy not to be supporting the GOP and their candidates.

Noam Chomsky: The Tea Party is the ‘petit bourgeois’ face of corporate oligarchs (via Raw Story )

The Tea Party is just the popular face of corporate power in the United States, says political philosopher Noam Chomsky. “I wouldn’t call them revolutionary,” Chomsky said, dismissing a suggestion that the conservative political faction had anarchist…

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Is the GOP Tea Party on Life Support? Not Even Close -- More Spin from GOP!

The vast majority of Republicans in the House, however, allowed that shutdown to happen. Most establishment lawmakers have sat by quietly for years as the party was pushed to the extremes, too afraid of a primary to speak up. Many benefited from secret super-PAC spending provided by the likes of the Koch brothers, or took Tea Party stands without ever really believing in them, all because they liked being back in power and didn’t particularly care what kind of bargain would keep them there.

Former Rep LaTourette sounds good if you are a Republican but you have to remember for years he was Speaker John Boehner's Lieutenant in the House and would do what was necessary to protect him. Is this is what is going on today as they want to raise large sums of money and run ads against Tea Party candidates.  How about getting a backbone and standing up to the Tea Party and the Koch Bros so people know you are serious?  That looks unlikely to happen.

A new Republican group called “Main Street Advocacy” is about to begin running ads against the hard-liners who have done so much to embarrass the party. One of the ads puts losing candidates like Todd Akin and Sharron Angle in a “Hall of Shame,” and ends with the word “defund” — a reminder of the failed attempt to end health care reform, which led to a widely reviled government shutdown. 

“We want our party back,” the group’s leader, former Representative Steven C. LaTourette of Ohio, told Eric Lipton of The Times. “And we are going to do what it takes to accomplish that.”

Call me the skeptic as I don't think any of the GOP have the backbone to stand up to the Koch Bros who are calling the shots and the reason I refuse to support any GOP in 2014!  As stated in an article below we have a case in Oklahoma with a GOP ALEC Governor who has backtracked on what she said about threatening school administrators to basically shut-up or lose school funding.  Then comes along and says she didn't say that and people who say that she did are wrong.  That is how I see what happened in the House of Representatives that led the shut down -- try not to take the blame for what they did.

The minute former Speaker Denny Hastert said there was NO Hastert Rule that required that you have to get a majority of your conference to bring a vote to the floor, he effective yanked the rug out from under Speaker Boehner and his conference.  Then he revealed he never talks to Boehner.  OOPS!  We are starting to see that the House is filled with a group of Republicans who run back to their district saying one thing and voting differently in DC like no one has access to the internet.  Seems Republicans are really stuck in the Way Back Machine.

This from the David Firestone article at the NY Times made me laugh:

Standing up to the speaker and taking a public position on divisive issues would require actual courage, which is rarely on display in the Republican Party. Instead, the moderates would rather raise corporate money and hide behind the anonymity of a TV ad, making fun of easy targets like Christine O’Donnell, notorious for declaring that she was “not a witch.”

Lost track of the number of times I have referenced the "I am not a witch" O'Donnell since I first saw the video and she was dressed in black.  I still chuckle today -- that was a classic video.

Been sitting here today reading and listening to the fallout from elections last night and seems I have a different take on which race to look.  IMHO the key race with the numbers that count is the Lt Governor statewide race in Virginia which gives a better indication of what it is like for a Democrat to take on a hard right Tea Party Republican who won at the Virginia convention for Lt Governor. Republican Jackson, who turned out to be extremely hard right which even caused the GOP candidate for Governor Cuccinelli to back away from him lost big.  Democrat State Senator Northam ran a quiet race and ended up winning the Lt Governor's race 55.14% to 44.49% -- there is your real difference when you have a candidate like Northam who is well liked.

Democrats were concerned about McAuliffe running because of baggage from the beginning.  Looks like even though Cuccinelli was hard right who made some really dumb statements, being a Clintonite hurt McAuliffe with some independents and disgusted moderate Republicans.  Democrats would be well advised if they want to pick up those extra house seats to choose their candidates looking to the general election.  Don't Democrats understand that independents and moderate Republicans don't like the Clintons any better then the Democrats like GW Bush -- call it a standoff.  Independents are an important part of the electorate you need in some states to win.  I say no more Bush's or Clinton's - have had enough.

The Democrats need younger blood to run IMHO as they have some outstanding candidates on their bench versus the hard right of the Republican Party who is still in charge of the GOP.  Last thing we need is an aging baby boomer running with baggage for President from either party.  Don't be fooled into thinking Christie is a moderate who has a hard right base who will push him further to the right. He is pro-life, anti-gay marriage, anti-raising the minimum wage, etc. but he takes credit for it after the Court struck him down on gay marriage and his veto gets overturned on various issues.  Christie will not be able to to play it down the middle if he runs for President.  His record will catch up with him.

Washington Post article by Reid Wilson hails the fact that today would be the time to sell Christie if he was a stock as he most likely has reached as high as he will go:

Chris Christie just won a higher percentage of the vote than any Republican running in New Jersey since 1985. He won a huge majority of independent voters. He made inroads among African Americans, Hispanics, women, even Democratic voters. The northeastern-centric media universe will hail Christie as the savior of the Republican Party. 

All of that is why, if he were a stock, today would be the perfect day to sell shares in Chris Christie. 

Christie has plenty of assets that will serve him well as he prepares his all-but-inevitable presidential bid. He is aggressive at a moment when Americans crave decisive leadership. He is certain of where he stands in an era that abhors flip-flopping. He is highly intelligent and savvy enough to avoid an “oops” moment. He’s even more popular than the average presidential candidate is before launching a bid. 

But the reality is that Christie faces enormous hurdles if he wants to run for president, which means today, as he basks in the glow of an adoring media spotlight after his historic win, is probably at the apex of his political career — at least until he wins his first early nominating process.

These are just a few of my takes on last night.  The days of the Tea Party GOP would be numbered if there were any backbones left in the GOP leadership but when you are bought and paid for by big donors, it doesn't leave much wiggle room when you put your career head of the Country.  There is another example of that coming once again from Pete Sessions (R-TX) (what is with the TX water?):

"Everything we do in this body should be about messaging to win back the Senate,” Sessions said. “That’s it. If you don’t want Benghazis to happen or you want an investigation for Benghazi, if you want an investigation on the IRS as opposed to the excuses that [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid [D-Nev.] is all about, if you do not like what’s happening at the [National Security Agency], then you gain the Senate.” Rep Pete Sessions

Republicans are not there to Govern but obstruct to take the Senate back.  Show the GOP the door from the Congress straight to the unemployment line in January 2015.

Judge Key Leaves GOP to Run as Democrat in San Antonio while FreedomWorks Matt Kibbe Details Plan for Tea Party Takeover of GOP

“My principles have led me to the Democratic Party,” Key said

When Judge Key of San Antonio says that the Republican Party has left him, that is probably the biggest understatement of the year.  There are thousands of us like Judge Key that can no longer call ourselves Republican after the hard right lunge of the Republican Party to a radical agenda that is going backwards in time to where minorities and women could not vote.  

From comments I have seen on the internet over the last ten years, the desire of many white male Republicans and third party members has been that only white males should be allowed to vote since all the Founding Fathers were white males.  Thought it was a joke gone wrong and treated it as such.  Lo and behold, they were serious and those people now are leaders in the 'old' Republican Party with 'old' ideas they still adhere to from the 'old' South.  Many still want to fight the Civil War and see if they can win this time.  In fact, they are acting like they are fighting a Civil War to take over the Country and put only southern white males in charge.  Many of them still consider Mitt Romney an epic fail as he may have been a white male but he was no southerner and governed more liberal then a centrist.  How he managed to convince people he was hard right is beyond me unless he was lying as Governor of Massachusetts.  Maybe he is just a liar all the way around. 

Judge Key tells the truth on what has happened to the Republican Party and how as a Party they have left him.  The hard right Platform approved at the Convention should tell any centrist we are not welcome in the GOP.  In fact, it should tell any fiscal conservative that if they are in a Red State and don't support social issues, they are not welcome.  Matt Kibbe, Head of FreedomWorks makes that quite clear in his interview on Chris Matthews last night (see video at Raw Story link below):

“We’re in the process of repopulating the Republican party with people that stand for something,”  Matt Kibbe

That statement sent me the roof along with his comments of upgrading elected officials from Red States which means hard right candidates instead of elected officials who work for what is best for all Americans not just the hard right.  No wonder people like Judge Key have finally had it with the GOP when they keep hearing elected officials like Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Marco Rubio, along with Govenor Rick Perry, and Lt Governor David Dewhurst go totally hard right with their off the wall rhetoric.  All of them and other hard right GOP are supported by the Koch Bros FreedomWorks headed by Matt Kibbe and other Koch organizations like the Tea Party, Americans for Prosperity, Heritage Foundation with their Heritage Action PAC along with numerous other Koch affiliated organizations all pushing the hard right agenda to end Government as we know it today.

If I lived in San Antonio, I would definitely be out working to elect Judge Key as a Democrat  His words are refreshing on how he sees the law.  Had enough ideologue justices to last a lifetime.

“I have tried to live a life of principles,” Judge Carlos Key says in the opening of his new ad. 

The Bexar, Texas County Criminal Court #11 jurist goes on to explain how intolerance in the Republican Party both on the local and national levels has convinced him to leave the GOP he once called home, and run for re-election as a Democrat: 

I can no longer be a member of the Republican Party.  

For too long, the Republican Party has been at war with itself. Rational Republican beliefs have given way to ideological character assassinations. Pragmatism and principal have been overtaken by pettiness and bigotry. Make no mistake: I have not left the Republican Party. It left me. 

I cannot tolerate a political party that demeans Texans based on their sexual orientation, the color of their skin or their economic status. 

I will not be a member of a Party in which hate speech elevates candidates for higher office rather than disqualifying them. I cannot place my name on the ballot for a political party that is proud to destroy the lives of hundreds of thousands of federal workers over the vain attempt to repeal a law that would provide health care to millions of people throughout our country.

Key is clearly referencing the government shutdown led by the refusal of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the House Republican “Suicide Caucus” to fund the Affordable Care Act, which has sunk the party new lows in several polls. 

He’s also alluding to recent comments by Republican City Councilwoman Elisa Chan that were secretly recorded during a meeting about San Antonio’s non-discrimination policies:

You know, to be quite honest, I know this is not politically correct. I never bought in that you are born, that you are born gay. I can’t imagine it. 

I don’t think homosexual people should do adoption. … You’re going to confuse those kids. They should be banned. 

If you wanted to choose that lifestyle, we don’t want to discriminate you, but you shouldn’t affect the young people. How terrible. … They’re going to be confused. You see two men go into a bedroom. You see two women kissing. Is that not confusing? It’s confusing. 

So disgusting. 

“My principles have led me to the Democratic Party,” Key said, before giving out his Twitter handle and website address. “I can only hope more people of principle will follow me.”

Turned Hardball on last night while finishing up dinner and ended up sitting down watching the interview with Freedom Works Matt Kibbe and The Daily Beast Michael Tomasky.  Kibbee laid out in detail the Tea Party plan to take over the Republican Party which you might as well say Koch Bros plan as they are behind all these groups.  He left no doubt about how they are going to challenge any GOP in a Red State that is not hard right.  There will be plenty of money to take on incumbent GOP who are not hard right enough according to Kibbe.  I know what I would do -- I would tell the GOP to shove it and do what Judge Key is doing -- run as a Democrat.

This interview with Kibbe is unbelievable -- arrogance personified along with disdain for any one who is not hard right.  

FreedomWorks CEO promises Chris Matthews: Tea Party will ‘upgrade’ southern GOP by 2014 (via Raw Story )

Despite reports that his group is nearly broke, FreedomWorks CEO Matt Kibbe predicted in an interview with MSNBC host Chris Matthews on Monday that his group would help Tea Party Republicans dominate the GOP within a year. “I think it’s a process…

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Enough Already - Time for House GOP to "DO THEIR JOB" - Vote for a Clean CR and Debt Ceiling Hike

This is my letter from Saturday to my Congressman Tom Cole, Republican from the 4th District of Oklahoma.  I have been sending him emails voicing my disgust now for two weeks but doubt if it makes a difference:

You are probably as tired of hearing from me as I am writing but you need to understand how many of the civil service I know feel about the attacks that have been coming their way from the GOP.  They are totally disgusted.  I can only speak for white collar civil service and the hours many of them put in over 40 each week because of cutbacks.  I was one myself and my husband had 33 years before retiring and there were times on source selection and other programs he worked through the weekend without additional pay. 

 There are many more like him at all the places we have been assigned and yet GOP members of Congress attack them as worthless and overpaid.   

The answer is simple - do your job - pass a Clear CR and Debt Ceiling Hike and then negotiate.  If you hadn't negotiated in bad faith earlier, this would not be a problem but when Boehner said he got 98% of what he wanted - you tainted any further negotiations.  What makes the GOP cave to the Tea Party - we all know the answer to that -- lack of backbone and refusing to stand up for the American people.   

You are the only person of our delegation who even voted for VAWA so I know you are not hard right.  Please join Peter King in speaking up instead of going along to get along.  Our district deserves better.   

Not one penny should be going to members of Congress after 1 October when you cannot pass a budget and refused 18 times to go to Conference Committee on the Budget so you could shut down Government as a Conference.  Obvious from the Saturday night video you were enjoying the possibility of a shutdown just as much as the TP.  What happened to the Tom Cole I worked for to send to Congress? 

How would you like to be working and not getting paid or be a veteran and not sure you will see another check?  If the GOP lets this Nation default all of you should resign immediately for being too stupid to pass clean bills and stop wanting something in return. 

GOP according to Boehner got 98% the last time so now you want more?  That veterans bill was a sham cutting $6.1B more then agreed.  The GOP Conference doesn't have a clue about the oath they took as you take the Nation toward default. 

Do your job! 

After I sent this, I discovered that the GOP in the House had changed the rules at the last minute to make it near to impossible for the Democrats to bring anything to the floor as they decided everything had to go through Cantor.  This is NOT what our founding fathers envisioned.  The House is supposed to represent the people but the GOP House only represents the wealthy and the hard right of the GOP like the Tea Party, social conservatives, and religious to name a few.  The rest of us in red districts are not represented by today's Republican Representatives until we live in the NE where you still find a few common sense GOP compared to the Red States.

This video says it all and shows a contempt the Koch Bros GOP House has for the American people to change a rule right before the shutdown:

Sen Cruz (R-TX) Hurls Insults Minutes After Starting his Speech on the Floor of the Senate

Within minutes, he had compared President Barack Obama’s health care reform law to slavery during the Civil War and Nazis during World War II.  Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), 24 Sep 2012, Floor Speech, US Senate

When are the spineless Republicans in Senate leadership going to admonish Cruz for such a nasty performance on the floor of the US Senate?  I am not holding my breath because I don't see McConnell having the backbone to do a thing.  That is the problem with today's Republicans in Congress -- lack of a backbone to stand up to extremists except for a few like Senator McCain.  What happened to civility in the Senate where they used to fight like cats and dogs and go out to eat that night?  Looks like with the hard right takeover of the GOP, civility has gone out the window as we are left with a lot of malcontents who don't know when to shut up like Cruz.

If you want to see how far the hard right GOP House has gone, just take my word for it when I do a post from a Senator Schumer email.  Four years ago I would have bet that never would have happened but with the Republican Party moving to the extreme hard right, I find myself agreeing with Schumer not any Republicans.  

Conservatives today have jumped the shark and have going into the water to be eaten if they follow Senator Ted Cruz and the other Tea Party members of the Senate and House: 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Tuesday announced that he would give a very long speech to oppose the the government budget over Obamacare “until I am no longer able to stand.”
Within minutes, he had compared President Barack Obama’s health care reform law to slavery during the Civil War and Nazis during World War II. 

Update (4:05 p.m. ET): Cruz’ speech cannot be officially considered a “filibuster” unless it delays Senate business. In this case, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has already locked in a vote for Wednesday morning. That can only be stopped if 41 senators object, which is highly unlikely.

Cruz took the floor at 2:40 vowing to talk until he cannot stand but has now yielded to Sen Lee (R-UT).  That didn't take long.

Cruz may be one of the despised Senators ever from both sides of the aisle.  Anyone want to ask Senator John McCain what he thinks of Cruz?  Better have earmuffs on because the language could get pretty salty.

“He fucking hates Cruz,” one McCain aide told the magazine. “He’s just offended by his style.” 

At the time, McCain had publicly referred to Cruz and other Republicans as “wacko birds.”

Agree 100% with John McCain -- he is right on when talking about the Tea Party people in the Senate who are a disgrace to the Senate.  Have never seen so many junior senators act like they own the Senate as I have with the Tea Party elected Senators -- doing the same thing in the House where they have backed leadership into a corner to do their bidding as they are took weak to fight.  These two men below are symbolic of a larger problem in the Republican Party -- Tea Party and wealthy donors have moved the Party too far hard right.

The unappeasables have all joined together to take down any common sense left in the Republican Party and installed their own brand of obstruction it its place.  You cannot deal with these people whose supporters are some of the nastiest people I have witnessed.  These two men below need to be held responsible for caving to the Tea Party immediately to keep their jobs.  They have zero backbone and helped speed the takeover IMHO!

Senator Schumer is correct about the hard right Republicans who don't care about damaging the economy as they just want to get their way even though the American people don't support defunding Obamacare or they will shut down Government threat.  Vast majority of the American people want some common sense in DC as we are seeing none from the GOP leadership.  This email from Senator Schumer says it all:

Sharon, In all my time in the House and Senate, I have never seen a group of people more bent on damaging the American economy than the hard-right Republicans in the House right now.
Not only did House Republicans just pass an extreme spending bill that would defund Obamacare, but they've said if we don't go along, they'll shut down the government or even default on the bills our country owes -- either of which would be devastating for our economy. 

But the hard right doesn’t have the numbers to run the show on its own. That means House Republican leadership's refusal to stand up to them is what's opened the door to gridlock and potential economic disaster. 

As these fiscal deadlines approach, we Democrats are standing strong, we’re standing together, and we will not blink. We will not let House extremists' "my way or the highway" approach strip 30 million people of health insurance or deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions. 

We are not going to be held hostage. Help show House leadership the American people are standing strong with Democrats and against defunding Obamacare. Sign my petition today. 

A clear majority of supporters voted earlier this week to use any damage Republicans cause to the economy against them in the 2014 midterm elections. But if enough moderate Republicans will work with Democrats in the next several weeks, we can show the hard right in the House for what it really is: a small number of obstructionists. 

Democrats want that, the White House wants that, and in their heart of hearts, Republican leadership wants it too. They know this is a fight that's bad for their party, a fight that's dangerous for the country, and a fight they will not win. 

But Republican leadership will take the path of least resistance. 

The hard-right House members are standing strong, so we must stand even stronger. We need to go beyond elected officials in Washington -- we need voters throughout the country to pledge their support for this stand, too. 

Sign my petition today. Pledge your support for Senate Democrats' stand against House Republican efforts to defund Obamacare or devastate our economy with a shutdown or default. 

Extremists are playing politics by trying to defund Obamacare when they should be focusing on protecting our economy. We must take a stand. 

Thank you for your support, 

Chuck Schumer

There are a lot of us who have never seen a group like these hard right Republicans who are now in Congress.  Koch Bros picked a real bunch of nasty people  to support.  How much do the Koch's hope to gain off of a shut down of Government which is what we should all be asking.  

Republicans Experiencing TEA PARTY wrath at Town Halls on not Overturning Obamacare!

Rep Tom Cole (R-OK) says Senate R's efforts to cut funding for Obamacare or close gov't is “the political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum” (Twitter Chad Pergram)

Excuse me if I sit here and laugh at the leadership of the Republican Party who were so quick to latch on to the Tea Party movement and throw longtime, more moderate conservatives of the GOP under the bus.  We were not religious right or social conservatives but just part of the base they could count on each election to be there to vote along with working for candidates.  Now a lot of us are gone and Republicans in Congress especially the House are left to feel the wrath of the Tea Party at Town Halls for not repealing Obamacare which they promised.  

The powers in charge of the Republican Party in 2010 wanted a new flavor and they got it - hard right GOP and third party loons morphed into the Tea Party capturing seats throughout the Country.  These are some of the most obnoxious members of Congress who refuse to understand how Government works and worst part is they don't care as they are there to obstruct.  They are part of the 'my way or no way' group of hard right Third Party many of us have seen for years.  Now they are in charge.  Saw comments from some Tea Party that when the House passed a bill it was going to become law and no one could do anything about it.  Some refused to attend the bi-annual orientation in DC for all Freshman from both parties to learn how the Congress works favoring the Tea Party/Sarah Palin orientation instead.  That should tell you all you need to know about some of the hard right loons now residing in the halls of Congress.  

In 2010, I helped Senator McCain's campaign in the GOP primary against former Rep Hayworth because I couldn't stand him after a speech in Oklahoma.  As a major player in the Abramoff scandal didn't believe he had a place in the Senate.  Then there was the problem he was too far hard right which did me in completely so I wrote articles detailing what Hayworth stood for which were sent all around Arizona from a sister blog which is no longer active.   I realized after that campaign when Senator McCain was reelected, he was going to be one of the saner voices in the Senate, but even that has taken over two years.  Recently, he helped forge an agreement in the Senate to clear the logjam of Obama nominees that had been blocked.   He is sounding more and more like the Maverick McCain we knew who never would have chosen Sarah Palin as his VP candidate.  

Two of the worst GOP candidates, "I am not a witch" O'Donnell and Sharron Angle of NV are considering running again.  About time for Joe Miller in AK to raise his head again but he has to wait as his mentor  Palin who supported Miller fully is thinking of running for Senate so you can add another unethical loon to the mix.  Pass the popcorn if Palin runs because Lisa Murkowski who beat Miller as a write-in candidate would love to be part of the opposition to Palin.  That would be the highlight of the campaign season.  Palin might win the primary thanks to the Tea Party but the "I can see Russia from my front porch" is not going to win the general.  

All of this is 'poetic justice' to the powers at be in the GOP who went along and even welcomed the Koch Bros/Karl Rove/Ailes of Fox News 'brilliant' idea to launch a Tea Party as part of the grassroots.  What they didn't realize that a lot of these third party types under the wing of the Koch Brothers would take over the GOP and send hard right loons to DC to obstruct President Obama every step of the way.  Rove must be regretting the day he went in on this little charade of the Tea Party grassroots forming all on their own because they have turned on him.  He should have thought twice about this scheme since the Koch Bros were involved. 

As for this former member of the GOP Grassroots and now big time supporter President Obama, I am laughing at this and ready to say "I TOLD YOU SO" when I was chastised royally for not getting behind the Tea Party and going over to what is known as the 'dark side' by supporting Democrats in 2012 starting at the top when I joined Republicans for Obama and OFA to help with his reelection. 

My favorite part of the Presidential campaign was the debate when Romney had his chest puffed out about Benghazi and President Obama said "Proceed Governor" - knew then Romney was going to lose that debate big time and lose the election to a man I have come to admire even more as the weeks have turned into months.  What President Obama has had to put up with from Republicans in Congress should be a crime.  Their obstructionism, outright lies, failure to negotiate in good faith, and attacks against the President with their phony scandals are attacks on the American people as they have slowed the recovery from massive debt they helped create with the former President spending like drunken sailors in six years. 

The monster the GOP created is now turning on them:

The Tea Party Turns on the GOP 

If the first few town halls of the August Congressional recess are any indication, Republicans are “[struggling] to contain the monster they created.” 

The monster in question is the unhinged, fact-free Tea Party juggernaut and its irrational and unceasing opposition to Obamacare. The GOP civil war over defunding Obamacare is breaking out into the open at town hall meetings across the country. 

ThinkProgress’ Aviva Shen has the details: 

After 40 failed votes to repeal Obamacare, several Republicans are threatening anew to block government funding unless the health reform law gets defunded. This threat is nothing new; Republicans have repeatedly demanded that every appropriations bill include a provision to repeal Obamacare since the law was passed. Tea Party lawmakers in 2011 emphasized how dire the situation was, calling for a “blood oath” to “choke Obamacare.”

Now, these empty threats are coming back to haunt Republicans who fear they will lose their seats if they take the government hostage. Several new town hall videos show lawmakers grappling with furious demands from constituents to shut down the government like the GOP said was needed to defund Obamacare. 

(snip) 

Tom Cole (R-OK) called it “a temper tantrum.” Republican governors have also warned that their state economies would suffer enormously if the party takes the government hostage. 

BOTTOM LINE: As a new poll out today underscores, the GOP’s obsession with repealing — or even trying to shut down the government in order to defund — Obamacare is a political loser. This isn’t 2010 and the GOP’s repeated efforts to deny the security of quality, affordable health care to millions of Americans are dragging the party down.
Excerpt:  Read more at Think Progress

Around 33% of Republican identified voters do not want to repeal Obamacare.  Would I be wrong to think that a good portion of them are going to vote Democrat even though still registered Republican? They have seen the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Members of Congress, and other people in leadership throw them under the bus in favor of the hard right at the urging of the Koch Bros.  I would say that is a safe bet and why polling on who is going to win the House and Senate may not be very accurate in 2014.  In the last six months I have met more former Republicans on line that have the same feelings I do against today's Republican sell-outs who are on their way to destroying the Republican Party.  We will not be voting for Republicans in 2014 or 2016 and most of us never again with the state of today's Republican Party.

From Hart Research Associates:

Simply put, the large majority of voters do not want Congress to repeal Obamacare. 

Only 36% of all voters say they would prefer Obamacare to be repealed, whereas a 40% plurality would prefer to leave the law as is (15%) or make just minor changes (25%). Another 18% of voters support making major changes in the ACA. Among the key group who are undecided in the 2014 generic Congressional ballot, only 39% want to repeal Obamacare. And although a 67% majority of likely Republican voters want to repeal Obamacare, that still leaves one-third of the GOP that does not want to repeal the law.

Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare now put them at an electoral disadvantage, and engaging on this issue actually improves the standing of Democratic candidates. 
Our generic congressional trial heat shows a relatively narrow, three-point advantage for Democratic candidates (44%) over Republicans (41%) nationwide. However, when the choice in the 2014 election is presented as “a Democrat who favors fixing and improving Obamacare rather than repealing it altogether” versus “a Republican who wants to totally repeal Obamacare,” voters favor the Democratic candidate (51%) over the Republican candidate (36%) by 15 percentage points.  

Voters who support the Democratic candidate in the generic trial heat continue to support an anti-repeal Democratic candidate over a pro-repeal Republican by 89% to 3%.  

However, voters who are undecided in the generic trial heat prefer an anti-repeal Democrat (40%) to a pro-repeal Republican (30%) by 10 percentage points, and 14% of Republican voters in the generic trial heat say they favor the anti-repeal Democrat when the election is framed around candidates’ positions on Obamacare. 

Voting 40 times in the House to repeal Obamacare and now threatening to hold hostage the raising of the debt ceiling has cost the Republican Party dearly and most GOP leaders have their heads buried so far in the sand they don't see it or won't admit their selling out to the Tea Party to win control in 2010 was a bad deal.

Voters express overwhelmingly positive feelings toward Democrats who will work to improve Obamacare and facilitate its implementation, and help constituents understand how the new law will affect them.  

 By a three to one margin, voters say they would be favorable (60%) rather than unfavorable (19%) toward “a Democrat who, as an elected official, wants to help individuals and small businesses in their state understand how best to deal with Obamacare and take advantage of its benefits.”  

By nearly a two to one margin, voters would be favorable (53%) rather than unfavorable (28%) toward “a Democrat who favors fixing and improving Obamacare rather than repealing it altogether.” 

Looks like voters are smarter then the politicians and the wealthy donors who pull their strings.  The Internet has changed the way politics is run today but the GOP doesn't seem to have a clue.

Voters feel intensely negative toward Republican candidates who have worked to repeal or undermine the law, especially those who are unwilling to help their constituents take advantage of the benefits and protections available to them under the ACA.  

Seventy-one percent (71%) of voters express unfavorable feelings toward “a Republican who, as an elected official, refuses to help individuals and small businesses understand how best to deal with Obamacare and take advantage of its benefits.” Even among voters inclined to support a Republican candidate, three in five (61%) have a negative impression of incumbents who are making it harder to implement the law.  

Two-thirds of all voters (including 60% of undecided voters) have an unfavorable impression of “a Republican who repeatedly voted to cut the funding needed to effectively implement the law, and refuses to provide information to employers and individuals about it.”  

A large majority of voters (62%) also feel negative toward “a Republican who favors totally repealing Obamacare and would go back to letting health insurance companies do whatever they want.” 

Look at those numbers above as if you were a Republican candidate who was in Congress before the Tea Party took over.  Are you going to run again knowing you have to sell out to the Tea Party and wealthy donors or are you going to do with Senator Olympia Snowe did from Maine and retire from the obstructionist Senate?  How many Republican members of Congress will even stand up to the Tea Party in their Town Halls giving them the facts that the House has no ability to stop Obamacare. Their refusal to tell the truth at the beginning while coddling the Tea Party got them into this mess and, in turn, sucked in the American people because they cannot even pass a simple Farm Bill with SNAP included or jobs bills for veterans and American people.  They made their own bed and now the American people are paying for their stupidity.

Voters outline several major concerns about the potential effect of Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare, and Democratic candidates should force their Republican opponents to own up to the consequences of their positions. 

Voters’ most significant concerns about repealing Obamacare are the potential that people who are sick or have preexisting conditions could lose their insurance, that insurance companies could raise rates capriciously, that insurance companies would waste members’ premiums on bonuses and administration instead of care, and that insurance companies would be allowed to discriminate against women by charging them more for care.  

These changes are troubling, not only to large majorities of Democratic and independent voters, but also to nearly half of Republican voters. 

See the graph at Hart Research Associates for an eye opener on how far the Republicans have gone with wanting to repeal Obamacare which would make changes to health care the American people in large numbers do not want including 33% Republicans.

There is a solution -- oust the Tea Party from the Congress and elect common sense people to get this Country back on track faster.  Obstructionism of the Republicans in Congress including the threat to shut down the Government if Obamacare is not scrapped needs to end today.  That is the sensible solution but the hard right Tea Party has threatened to stay home, so Republicans in Congress are once again appeasing their new base by refusing to tell the truth.  These are not men but wimps!

Congressional Republicans Undermine President Obama at Every Turn with Refusal to Compromise

“In the end it didn’t pass (background checks) 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 said.

This is the confirmation that some members of the media have refused to acknowledge that there are a group of about 22 Republican Senators who will do anything they can to keep bills from passing that will help President Obama in any way.

Oath of Office 

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

"I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office" have gone MIA with some Senators whose sole purpose continues to wreck havoc with President Obama's term in office.  Somehow I missed that being part of their duties.

Since President Obama was elected hate groups who call themselves Patriot Groups along with militias have been on the rise.  White supremacist groups are alive and well while Republicans in Congress close their eyes and in some instances encourage these groups with their rhetoric.  Throw in conservative talk radio and Fox News with their lies and hate who have played to the lowest common denominator which has led to real problems.  Republican members of Congress are trying to bring the Government to a standstill with their obstructionism based on lies and rhetoric.  They along with GOP Governors and members of state legislatures have done nothing but bash President Obama from Day One spewing hate and lies which has hurt the Country but they don't seem to care as long as Obama doesn't win anything.  Senator Toomey may have tried to walk back his comments but they are still out in the open.

The rise of hate groups is frankly frightening.  The people behind this movement throwing dollars around like the Koch's are fostering more hate that could lead to more shootings and bombings in this Country.  Hate can make people do some pretty heinous acts.  Koch's IMHO will back any group that is against the Government regulations they abhor.  As they try to buy newspapers now, even people who were not paying attention are waking up to the Koch Bros being bad for America.  Koch's and other major GOP donors want what is best for their companies including the right to pollute our water and air.  They have bought politicians to do their bidding along with various groups like Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Works, aligned with ALEC who is wrecking havoc in our states, and Super PACs to buy more politicians.  The Koch's are not the American Dream but the American Nightmare along with their Republicans puppets.

From the Southern Poverty Law Center 2011 Report:

The Patriot movement first emerged in 1994, a response to what was seen as violent government repression of dissident groups at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992 and near Waco, Texas, in 1993, along with anger at gun control and the Democratic Clinton Administration in general. It peaked in 1996, a year after the Oklahoma City bombing, with 858 groups, then began to fade. By the turn of the millennium, the Patriot movement was reduced to fewer than 150 relatively inactive groups. 

But the movement came roaring back beginning in late 2008, just as the economy went south with the subprime collapse and, more importantly, as Barack Obama appeared on the political scene as the Democratic nominee and, ultimately, the president-elect. Even as most of the nation cheered the election of the first black president that November, an angry backlash developed that included several plots to murder Obama. Many Americans, infused with populist fury over bank and auto bailouts and a feeling that they had lost their country, joined Patriot groups. 

The swelling of the Patriot movement since that time has been astounding. From 149 groups in 2008, the number of Patriot organizations skyrocketed to 512 in 2009, shot up again in 2010 to 824, and then, last year, jumped to 1,274. That works out to a staggering 755% growth in the three years ending last Dec. 31. Last year’s total was more than 400 groups higher than the prior all-time high, in 1996.

Lot of people joining these groups today from the hard right were not active in politics before the Tea Party exploded on the scene.  Many of them stayed home and didn't vote if there were not hard right candidates on the ballot.  A lot of so-called 'Patriot' groups  have come out of the Tea Party movement which was financed by the Koch Bros and hatched as an idea by Fox News on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange which, in turn, has led to their growing numbers.  These groups were out in force to defeat President Obama but failed miserably as common sense American voters threw their conspiracy theories out the window.  Who would have thought that members of Congress would be espousing some of these same conspiracy theories.  Now the groups threatened current elected officials with primaries if they vote against what they want.  These groups are out of control as the leaders and others played on their willingness to believe conspiracy theories no matter how bizarre.  No one knows what is next for the Patriot Groups and militia if they don't get their way.

SPLC has taken a look at some of these conspiracy theories - to most people they are unbelievable but when you have members of Congress like Bachmann (MN), Gohmert (TX) or Broun (GA) along with others espousing these theories,  concern begins to grow.  Since President Obama was re-elected by large numbers many of the hard right have gotten much worse which I didn't think possible.  The hard right cannot stand the fact that a man they believe is unfit to be President was re-elected.  These people are not facing reality including some who ran for President as a Republican when you read their conspiracy theories and listen to their hate rhetoric:

Generally, Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order,” engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines. Antigovernment groups do not necessarily advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, though some have. Many warn of impending government violence or the need to prepare for a coming revolution. Many antigovernment groups are not racist. 

A particularly prominent conspiracy in the antigovernment movement is that the United Nations, which is usually seen as spearheading the “New World Order,” is imposing a global plan, called Agenda 21, to take away citizens’ property rights. There is a UN program with that name to develop sustainable communities across the globe. Agenda 21 was agreed to by political leaders from dozens of countries, including the first President Bush. But in typical fashion, these antigovernment activists have twisted it into a global conspiracy. 

Other notable conspiracies found in the antigovernment movement include the idea that the government is secretly planning to round up citizens and place them in concentration camps run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Another conspiracy alleges that there are plans to merge the United States, Canada and Mexico into a single country. Fears of impending gun control or weapons confiscations, either by the government or international agencies, also run rampant in antigovernment circles. As a result, many antigovernment activists believe that being well armed is a must. The militia movement engages in paramilitary training aimed at protecting citizens from this feared impending government crackdown. 

The antigovernment movement hit its previous high of 858 groups in 1996, the year after the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, was motivated by extreme antigovernment beliefs then circulating in the militia movement. He was also inspired by the racist novel, The Turner Diaries, modeling his attack on a scene from the book. 

The antigovernment movement of the 1990s, typified by the proliferation of militias, was fueled by a string of incidents, including the 1993 government assault on the Branch Davidian compound, that were seen as evidence of an out-of-control government willing to attack citizens. Other factors included the struggling economy in the early 1990s, particularly in Western states, and the election of President Clinton, who was perceived by these activists as a liberal intent on seizing their weapons.

Since we had conspiracy theories with President Carter, President Clinton, and now President Obama there is one continuing theme - they are Democrats.  Is this what drives these groups?  Are the hard right so convinced that Republican candidates for President are bought and paid for by the NRA so they don't have to worry about gun control?  Seems they missed the part that President Reagan didn't believe in the general public having assault rifles and supported an Assault Weapons Ban.

Used to laugh when the media talked about the mind numbed robots that listened to Limbaugh but they have a good point.  He used to have parodies which were funny.  I still remember the one about Ross Perot, "They are coming to take me away, away" which was funny.

Today Limbaugh is filled with hate against the President or anyone who dares to disagree with him (Limbaugh).  His rants are so far over the top he is hemorrhaging sponsors who refuse to be associated with such a mean and nasty person.  Yet the hard right follows his orders like lemmings as he touts himself as the only person who could be right.  He is part of the GOP War on Women. Wonder what Bain Capital thinks today of their investment in Clear Channel prior to the 2008 primaries who gave Limbaugh a huge contract worth $400 million in July 2008.  Would say it was a very bad investment with little to no return since Romney lost the primary in 2008 and the Presidential campaign in 2012.

How much violence especially against individuals are we seeing today that goes back to the hate we are hearing and seeing from Republican members of Congress, Governors, state legislatures, conservative talk radio, televangelist who seem to preach more hate then love today, along with hard right candidates for office like we witnessed in 2012?  Those Presidential debates with some of the dumb comments sent me over to Republicans for Obama where the people were sane with common sense realizing that the Republican Party we are knew had gone hard, hard, hard right.

Joe Scarborough, the former conservative Congressman, elected in 1994 thanks to the Contract with America that had no social issues is having the same problems with today's Republican Party that a lot of us are facing.  Those members like Scarborough who pledged to serve only three terms were replaced by more hard right social conservatives whose numbers are growing each election in Congress. Even then it is nothing compared to today's Senate where people like Tea Party Ted Cruz (TX) were elected in 2012 and Tea Party Rand Paul (KY) and Mike Lee (UT) elected in 2010 are turning out to be a total disaster for Republican rebranding.

Speaking of Joe Scarborough, yesterday's show with a video of Ted Cruz attacking the Senate including Republicans as squishes is a must view.   Tea Party backed Cruz is now thinking of running for President as a 'man of the people.'  One problem with 'man of the people' - he is a graduate of Harvard Law, clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist, was Solicitor General of Texas appointed by Texas Attorney General Abbot, and received his undergrad degree from Princeton.  How can the Tea Party members swallow that Cruz is a 'man of the people?'  Shows how gullible they are if they swallow his rhetoric.  He has over 50% rating of lies when he talks.  As you will see in this video he added to those lies with his comments about the Republican Conference coming after him.  He went way overboard as a 4-month Senator, but he has done one thing both sides agree:

The Washington Post‘s Jonathon Capehart said Cruz has firmly established his reputation in his four short months on Capitol Hill. “If there’s bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill it’s that Sen. Cruz is a bit of a jerk, well, maybe he’s not a bit of a jerk, he is a jerk. Democrats don’t like him, but Republicans really can’t stand him.”

Tea Party elected officials across the board in Congress are pretty classless but I think Cruz takes the prize for being the most classless, arrogant, "my way or no way" total jerk in the Senate.  It is obvious Cruz is lying at his Town Hall about what happened in the Conference but it doesn't bother him at all as he tries to score points with his hard right base.  He found a gullible bunch of people who will believe anything he says which is shocking that anyone could swallow Cruz's koolaid:

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

Some day when the history of the Obama Presidency is written, he will be wearing a white hat and the Republican Congressional obstructionists the black hats as the people who tried to destroy the County as we know it for their own and wealthy donors gains. History will not portray the Republican Party well starting at the beginning of this century as they have gone farther to the right with each passing year and social issues are now number 1 in a lot of their minds. Are Cruz, Paul, Lee, Gohmert, Broun, Bachmann, Palin, and others the beginning of the end of the Republican Party?

Sequestration Meeting with Obama Cut Short as McConnell and Boehner Had Flights to Catch After Working Three Days This Week

Unlike previous budget clashes over the last two years, neither Obama or the Republicans showed any interest in trying to negotiate a last-minute deal. Obama said a country like America should not be forced to run its economy making deals on a month to month basis and he is looking for a long-term solution: what he referred to as a balanced approach, a combination of spending cuts and new taxes.

Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) did the bidding of the Koch Bros and other big donors in a short meeting at the White House on Sequester and then left to catch a plane.  Since Boehner abdicated the role of the House in the Sequestration process to the Senate and GOP Senators made sure no bill passed out of the Senate, it is up to the President to order the cuts throughout the Government.

May I make a few suggestions?

• Stop all Air Force air travel for members of Congress - no more boondoggles on the taxpayers nickle.
• Demand that Congress cut even more then DoD - say 18% which would be double.  Trim their office and committee staffs which have grown over the years since GOP took over under Bush.  My bet is the American people would be happy too see the Congress budget slashed.  If Rand Paul did not use $600K  for office/staff, it is time the rest cut corners.  Sen Rubio (R-FL) going to Israel and Jordan on our nickle right before sequestration shows a total disregard for the American taxpayer.  He is all about Rubio and nothing else just like a spoiled selfish brat.  He votes against Hurricane Sandy relief and then goes to Wall Street to raise money.  
• Cut all emergency aid for states where members of Congress voted against Hurricane Sandy relief
• Shut down Cabinet people testifying to Congress - no need to hold hearings and waste money
• Suspend production of F-35 which has not completed flight test.  DoD lowered the Specs because the F-35 couldn't meet the original specs and now fleet is grounded due to a crack in a fan blade in the engine.  Stop millions going to Lockheed and other big Defense Contractors on programs they are over budget and behind schedule.  Lot to cut at Defense - cannot wait to see SecDef Hagel start slashing unnecessary programs.
• Suspend and cancel all big oil/gas subsidies.  Note:  This should be permanent
• Don't approve Northern Keystone pipeline - not enough inspectors
• Time for GSA who controls all Government buildings/transportation/utilities to cut transportation used by Members of Congress.  Stop reimbursement for travel as well.  Cut back on utilities as Congress doesn't need heat or cooling in the Chambers since they only work three days a week.  BTW, Senate has not approved new head of GSA as they have an acting director since April 2012 like ATF has had an acting director for seven years.

Those are just a few suggestions and could come up with plenty more out of Defense.  Very happy that SecDef Hagel was confirmed before sequestration happened as you are not going to fool him - he knows how Congress and DoD operates.

As someone said on Twitter, the USPS employees want to work six days a week while the GOP in Congress want to work three days a week.  Time for new Dem leadership in the Senate as Reid is almost as bad - only one with a backbone is Nancy Pelosi.  House and Senate Dems are mostly staying in DC to try and get something done.  Reid got snowed by McConnell on the filibuster because of the NRA and the Country is paying for it today because of the Senate had been able to pass a bill instead of not getting 60 votes to pass, the pressure on the House would have been huge on Sequestration.  Reid was played for a fool by McConnell.

Republican House is out of town now as they have spent their three days in DC.  Time to get Friday and Monday off back in their Republican districts where no one can find most of them.  What a bunch of scum who live off the taxpayers of this Country while all they care about is making sure that their big donors keep tax loopholes while the rest of the Country suffers.  Where is the House Budget?  Excuse me, as I forgot that Boehner said let the Senate do it when it comes to Sequestration even when bills dealing with the budget are to originate in the House.  It seems the Constitution that gives the House the primary role in the Budget is just a pesky document until it says something they want like the 2nd amendment.  Even then they have a lack of reading comprehension - a well regulated militia is the State National Guard not the rogue militia that the Tea Party loves.

Speaking of reading comprehension how did the House GOP come up with the fact that taxes were raised for the wealthy when it was the Bush tax cuts expiring.  Big difference between expiring and raising taxes from scratch.  IMHO, taxes for the wealthy should have risen even more.

Republican House members Cantor and Ryan have now taken responsibility for sequestration idea - so much for Boehner blaming Obama.  I am happy to see that Obama has now come out publicly blaming the GOP for 'dumb' and 'arbitrary' spending cuts.  Tea Party is getting what they want with a tanked economy along with slashed Government spending that will hurt seniors, middle class, and children the most, but preserves tax loopholes for the wealthy.

Obama blames Republicans for ‘dumb’ and ‘arbitrary’ spending cuts
By Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian Friday, March 1, 2013 15:44 EST 

President warns US to prepare for drawn-out standoff after futile meeting with congressional leaders over scheduled cuts 

Barack Obama is due to sign an order before midnight on Friday to implement $85bn in spending cuts, a move he described as “dumb” and “arbitrary” and that he blamed on the intransigence of Republicans in Congress. 

Speaking at a White House press conference after a futile meeting with congressional leaders, Obama warned Americans to prepare for a drawn-out confrontation that could last for months and will be painful for working-class people. 

Federal agencies will spend the weekend redrawing their budget plans and beginning the process of sending out letters to federal workers giving them 30 days notice of shorter hours, furloughs and even lay-offs. The White House budget office also has to inform Congress of where the spending cuts are to be made. 

The hardest-hit department will be the Pentagon, which will have to find more than $40bn in savings between now and September, about 9% of its overall budget. But almost every government department, from aviation to the park service, will be hit, with cuts amounting to about 5% of their overall budgets. Only Medicaid and welfare benefits such as food stamps are exempted. 

Obama met Republican congressional leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner and their Democratic counterparts Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi at the White House on Friday morning but it was a largely pointless exercise. The meeting broke-up after less than an hour without any hint of a deal in the offing. 

The impact of the budget cuts, known as the “sequester”, will be felt almost immediately in some areas but most will be a slow burn, not coming into effect until next month. 

Obama, after being asked why he had not been able to push the Republicans in negotiating, said: “I am not a dictator. I’m the president.” He could not force them to sit down in a room to do a deal, he said. “So ultimately if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say ‘We need to go catch a plane,’ I can’t have secret service block the doorway.” 

“We will get through this. This is not going to be an apocalypse, I think as some people have said,” Obama said. “It’s just dumb. And it’s going to hurt. It’s going to hurt individual people and it’s going to hurt the economy overall,” he said.

Read More at Raw Story

Robert Reich's article from yesterday details the Sequester and the Tea Party Plot that is driving this.  Remember when you see Tea Party to automatically say Koch Brothers who are behind the Tea Party and have bought and paid for many members of the GOP along with other big donors.  Obstructionism, arrogance, and stupidity are alive and well in today's GOP.  Can you say John Birch Society in action?

The Sequester and the Tea Party Plot  

Robert Reich 

Thursday, February 28, 2013 

Imagine a plot to undermine the government of the United States, to destroy much of its capacity to do the public’s business, and to sow distrust among the population. 

Imagine further that the plotters infiltrate Congress and state governments, reshape their districts to give them disproportionate influence in Washington, and use the media to spread big lies about the government. 

Finally, imagine they not only paralyze the government but are on the verge of dismantling pieces of it. 

Far-fetched?  Perhaps. But take a look at what’s been happening in Washington and many state capitals since Tea Party fanatics gained effective control of the Republican Party, and you’d be forgiven if you see parallels. 

Tea Party Republicans are crowing about the “sequestration” cuts beginning today (Friday). “This will be the first significant tea party victory in that we got what we set out to do in changing Washington,” says Rep. Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), a Tea Partier who was first elected in 2010.Sequestration is only the start. What they set out to do was not simply change Washington but eviscerate the U.S. government — “drown it in the bathtub,” in the words of their guru Grover Norquist – slashing Social Security and Medicare, ending worker protections we’ve had since the 1930s, eroding civil rights and voting rights, terminating programs that have helped the poor for generations, and making it impossible for the government to invest in our future. 

Sequestration grew out of a strategy hatched soon after they took over the House in 2011, to achieve their goals by holding hostage the full faith and credit of the United States – notwithstanding the Constitution’s instruction that the public debt of the United States “not be questioned.” 

To avoid default on the public debt, the White House and House Republicans agreed to harsh and arbitrary “sequestered” spending cuts if they couldn’t come up with a more reasonable deal in the interim. But the Tea Partiers had no intention of agreeing to anything more reasonable. 

They knew the only way to dismember the federal government was through large spending cuts without tax increases. 

Nor do they seem to mind the higher unemployment their strategy will almost certainly bring about. Sequestration combined with January’s fiscal cliff deal is expected to slow economic growth by 1.5 percentage points this year – dangerous for an economy now crawling at about 2 percent. It will be even worse if the Tea Partiers  refuse to extend the government’s spending authority, which expires March 27. 

A conspiracy theorist might think they welcome more joblessness because they want Americans to be even more fearful and angry. Tea Partiers use fear and anger in their war against the government – blaming the anemic recovery on government deficits and the government’s size, and selling a poisonous snake-oil of austerity economics and trickle-down economics as the remedy. 

They likewise use the disruption and paralysis they’ve sown in Washington to persuade Americans government is necessarily dysfunctional, and politics inherently bad. Their continuing showdowns and standoffs are, in this sense, part of the plot.   

(snip) 

I suggest the President forget about a “grand bargain.” In fact, he should stop talking about the budget deficit and start talking about jobs and wages, and widening inequality – as he did in the campaign. And he should give up all hope of making a deal with the Tea Partiers who now run the Republican Party.Instead, the President should let the public see the Tea Partiers for who they are — a small, radical minority intent on dismantling the government of the United States. 

As long as they are allowed to dictate the terms of public debate they will continue to hold the rest of us hostage to their extremism.

 Read More from Robert Reich

If that is not enough to make your blood boil, then read the real truth about the founding of Tea Party that has been discovered during an investigation.  The results are going to surprise you but when you connect the dots, it makes sense.

IMHO Koch Brothers, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Scaiffe Foundations, Pete Peterson and others who have loyalty to the John Birchers are behind what is happening to the Nation right now.  These big wealthy donors want unions destroyed along with the minimum wage and middle class to have an elitist group of people with all the money who run the Country while we get the scrapes.  Right now President Obama is standing in their way along with Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in the Senate like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and others who are fighting for the Middle Class against the wealthy GOP donors.

We need to make our voices heard in 2014 and kick out the Tea Party not only from the Congress but from the State Houses.  It is time for a coalition to form of like minded citizens no matter the party who see the danger coming from the hard right and Tea Party members of Congress.  All the various groups working together can defeat the Tea Party and, in turn, the wealthy Republican donors who are driving this campaign to wreck America for their own selfish reasons.