March 31, 2010

Teabonics: A lesson in patriotic spelling?

Behold, a photographic collection of signs spotted at tea party rallies.

h/t Wonkette

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 31, 2010

McCain: Hayworth attack 'dishonest,' 'disgraceful'

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is fighting back hard against claims made by his primary opponent J.D. Hayworth that he is soft and wavering on immigration reform —calling Hayworth's comments "dishonest," "disgraceful" and "despicable."

Hayworth, who attacked the former presidential nominee on Arizona television, accused McCain of flip-flopping on the issue of amnesty for electoral gain after news broke during the weekend that an illegal immigrant allegedly killed an Arizona citizen and the senator called for troops to be deployed to the state's border.

The McCain campaign acted swiftly, with communications director Brian Rogers blasting the following release:

"It is despicable and offensive that Congressman Hayworth would attempt to exploit a family's tragedy to score cheap political points.

"The facts are clear: Sen. McCain has called for deploying National Guard troops to the border for more than a year, and along with Senator Kyl, held a Homeland Security Committee field hearing in Phoenix on April 20, 2009, to focus attention on the critical need to stem the growing violence along our border and demand more be done.

"Congressman Hayworth should be ashamed of himself, because he clearly knows that what he's saying today simply isn't true. In fact, nearly a year ago, on April 20, 2009, Hayworth on his own radio show played footage of Senator McCain telling 12 News Phoenix that more resources were needed, including the National Guard, to secure the border.

"Congressman Hayworth's comments are disgraceful and dishonest, and demonstrate a candidate so consumed by political ambition that he'll say anything to anyone — no matter how shameful or inaccurate.”

In his TV spot, Hayworth linked McCain to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), citing a 2005 bill the two co-sponsored, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005, as evidence that McCain is "wrong" and a Beltway insider on the issue of immigration.

"That old Washington approach is one of amnesty. And I thought it interesting in the comments we heard from the senator earlier, he said for three years, he's been advocating tougher measures," Hayworth told a Phoenix news station."Well, three years ago, again, he co-sponsored the amnesty bill with the late Sen. Kennedy. That is precisely the wrong approach."

"I am heartened to hear that as of yesterday now Senator McCain has decided that gee, there could be a military presence on the border. The tragedy is, it’s too late for the Krentz family."

Hayworth also put out a release Tuesday calling McCain's stance on deploying the National Guard to the Arizona border an "election year conversion."

Request for comment from the Hayworth campaign was not immediately returned.

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 31, 2010

NRCC attacks Wilson opponent's 'porn-pushing' supporter

For a party still reeling from the alleged BondageClubGate, Republicans attacking a Democratic candidate for getting an endorsement from Larry Flynt seems a bit ... awkward.

The National Republican Congressional Committee blasted a release Wednesday taking down Rob Miller — who is challenging Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C) — for his silence on health care reform and a recent Hustler Magazine blog post by Flynt in which he deemed Wilson the mag's "A*%hole of the Month."

The NRCC release had the following as a series of bolded headlines:

"Rob Miller doesn’t like to talk ... Not about how he would’ve voted on the Obama-Pelosi health care takeover ...  And certainly not about why porn-pusher/far-left activist Larry Flynt endorsed him ... You have to wonder: Is Rob Miller running to be a voice for South Carolinians in Congress, or is he auditioning to join his friends as a silent film actor in Hollywood?"

Included were links to a stories about the Flynt-Miller connection in the Washington Examiner and The Hill.

For his part, Flynt tried to use his blog as a medium to paint Wilson as a "racist" given his "You lie!" outburst directed at the nation's first black president, his work for former Sen. Strom Thurmond and his support of the Confederate flag.

From the original Flynt post:

What bothers us about Wilson’s outburst is its apparent underlying racism, especially since nothing like this ever happened before. Consider the following: Wilson is a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization said to be riddled with radical neo-Confederates who advocate secession and defend slavery.

Beyond that, Wilson served as an aide to Sen. Strom Thurmond, a notorious segregationist and racist. In fact, Wilson was so enthralled with Thurmond’s ugly philosophy that he castigated Essie Mae Washington when she came forward to reveal she was Thurmond’s illegitimate biracial daughter. At first, Wilson said Washington was lying, but when Thurmond admitted to being the woman’s father, [Wilson] called her remarks a “smear.” And, lest we forget, in 2000 — as a state senator — Wilson was one of seven Republicans who voted to keep the Confederate flag flying over South Carolina’s State House. The measure was soundly defeated.

Though the NRCC is a separate entity from the embattled RNC, the recent scandal gives the former's choice of attack a bizarre frame.

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 31, 2010

Zut alors! Brownback hits Sarkozy, Obama on Airbus bid

Message from Congress to the White House: "Arrêtez!"

A day after French President Nicholas Sarkozy hinted that European company Airbus would place a bid to compete with Boeing on U.S. air tankers, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) blasted the idea of accepting the foreign bid.

Brownback and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) joined a group of five senators in sending a letter to President Barack Obama on Wednesday asking that he comply fully with the World Trade Organization's ruling that Airbus received illegal government subsides so that American competitors such as Boeing can compete fairly.

“This is wrong,” Brownback said in a statement. “It’s wrong to slow down this critical procurement process and it’s wrong to delay for a foreign company that receives illegal subsidies. Our entire military relies on refueling tankers which were built in the 1950s. It makes no sense to extend the deadline to allow a foreign consortium led by European governments to compete for an American refueling tanker.”

Sarkozy, who made a joint appearance with Obama in front of international media, said Tuesday that he trusted the American president would be "fair and transparent" in the contracting process and that EADS — Airbus's parent company in which France owns a 15 percent share — will bid.

"I said to him, 'I trust you.' If you tell me that the tender will be fair and transparent, then EADS will bid and we trust you," Sarkozy said at the White House on Tuesday.

Earlier in March, Brownback and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging him to reject lobbying efforts by EADS to extend the deadline for accepting bids for the KC-X aerial refueling tankers in question.

"The Europeans need illegal subsidies to compete in the marketplace and now they are asking the U.S. government to subsidize their timeline. Enough is enough and Congress will fight efforts to slow this down to appease European governments,” Brownback said.

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 29, 2010

Q poll: 4 percent favor tax hikes to slash deficit

Quinnipiac is out with a new poll on voter preferences to attack the deficit and reports — surprise, surprise — that very few people want to have their taxes hiked.

Four percent (!) favor income tax increases as the sole way of plugging the gap, estimated well north of $1 trillion this year. But 42 percent would tolerate some hikes if they were coupled with spending cuts; 49 percent favor spending cuts only.

An overwhelming majority believe the middle class will get fleeced either way.

The cross-tabs aren't yet available, so I don't know what voter intensity is when it comes to the deficit as a campaign issue. The conventional wisdom on the deficit is that it's fodder for C-SPAN but a nonissue in November. The sheer magnitude of the debt now could alter that logic.

The poll also shows the problem with trying to grapple with entitlement reform: Between 75 and 85 percent of voters want Uncle Sam to keep hands off Social Security and Medicare.

Ergo, the message is to cut everything — unless it hurts me. That's pretty much in line with the "We're good, thanks," message delivered by Scott Brown, who opposed national health care because Massachusetts already has its own program.

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March 29, 2010

"John Murtha" quoted in WaPo poll story

The Washington Post poll on the impact of the health care vote shows relatively stable, if low, national approval ratings for Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi post-passage.

But the paper's choice of the first poll respondent to quote, on Pelosi no less, was interesting, to say the least:

In a follow-up interview, poll respondent John Murtha, 52, of Orlando said: "I think she did good. I think she does what her job is, and that's to pull together her people, and get it passed. That would've been a hard job if she wasn't a good, effective speaker."

Rep. John "Jack" Murtha (D-Pa.), one of Pelosi's closest allies, died in February at age 77. Not clear if Murtha the younger is related to the former lawmaker.

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March 26, 2010

Gore raising green in un-green Vegas

Las Vegas is one of the most environmentally unsustainable big cities in the country (no water, lots of waste, air conditioning up the yazoo) but Al Gore is headed there anyway, to headline Clark County Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino on Saturday night, local TV reports.

The event is already sold out, the party reports, with a thousand people expected to attend.

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March 25, 2010

Senate R's say they won't filibuster recess

A senior Senate GOP aide is swatting aside the rumor sweeping the gallery that Republicans will filibuster — or otherwise block — the adjournment of the Senate for recess, in an attempt to stymie President Barack Obama from making recess appointments.

"Please smack whoever it was that pitched you on that stupid ass idea," writes the staffer. "It only takes a majority vote to adjourn. Someone is pitching this idea around the gallery; someone who doesn't quite get the Senate rules."

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March 25, 2010

White powder mailed to Weiner UPDATED

NBC New reports:

Law enforcement officials say a package with white powder was sent to Congressman Weiner's Queens office today.

A preliminary review shows the letter in part complained about the historic health care legislation passed by Congress this week, according to the source.

NYPD and FBI spokesman are confirming only that they are responding to the scene.

Check back for frequent updates on this breaking story.

The package sent to Weiner's office may be the latest in a series of threats directed against Democratic Congress members who voted to overhaul the U.S. health care system.

At least four Democratic offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas were struck and at least 10 members of Congress have reported some sort of threats, including obscenity-laced phone messages, congressional leaders have said. No arrests have been reported.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday condemned vandalism and threats against members of Congress who voted to overhaul the U.S. health care system. Republicans joined in, telling people to calm down and saying they too were being targeted in an increasingly venomous political atmosphere.

"I don't want this to be a distraction" to the work of Congress, Pelosi said. But she also asserted that such violence and threats of reprisal have "no place in a civil debate in our country" and must be rejected.

UPDATE: Statement from Weiner:

"Earlier today an envelope containing white powder and a threatening letter was delivered to my community office in Kew Gardens. The NYPD was immediately alerted and have responded appropriately by sending a Haz-Mat team. Any questions related to their response should be directed to the NYPD. My first priority is the safety of my staff and neighbors, and the authorities are currently taking steps to investigate and resolve the situation."

The Kew Gardens office will be closed until the investigation is completed.

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March 25, 2010

Cuccinelli: I'll prosecute anti-Perriello vandals

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli may be attempting to legally undermine Democrats' health care reform efforts, but he's adopting a zero-tolerance policy attitude towards activists who physically threaten their political foes.

A statement from Cuccinelli, h/t Mike Allen:

“In our system of constitutional government, we have civil, nonviolent ways to express our disagreements with our elected officials, including speaking up in public and at the ballot box. Threats and intimidation are not part of our political system and are not to be tolerated.

“We will do everything we can to assist in bringing the perpetrator to justice. We have contacted the local Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Virginia State Police and offered our assistance.”

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March 25, 2010

Why people like Jay Rockefeller

Meredith Shiner passes this along from the self-effacing West Virginia Democrat:

"I originally came from New York. I don't talk about that much in West Virginia."

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March 25, 2010

Cantor: Someone shot at my office

The right wing doesn't have a monopoly on crazy, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor tells CNN - revealing that his office was the target of a drive-by shooting that left a window at one of his offices shattered.

[T]he number two Republican in the House of Representatives, said Thursday that a bullet had been shot through a window at his district office in Richmond, Virginia. He also said he had received threatening messages.

He said he would not publicly release the messages out of concern that doing so would only incite further violence.

He also accused Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland - a member of the Democratic House leadership - of "fanning the flames" of violence by using threats that have been made against Democratic members "as political weapons."

"Enough is enough," Cantor said. "It has to stop."

More than 10 Democrats have reported trouble since the weekend health care vote, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, told reporters on Wednesday.

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March 24, 2010

Viagra for Vitter?

The Louisiana Democratic party has a suggestion for Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) who wants to cut off meds for sex offenders behind bars.

No Viagra for  johns. Or Davids.

Kevin Franck, a spokesman for the state party:

“If Senator Coburn believes that federal law should not allow coverage of erectile dysfunction medications to folks whose impulses have led them to break the law, then surely he would agree that anyone who has admitted or been found guilty of involvement with prostitution should not be covered either,” said Louisiana Democratic Party spokesman Kevin Franck.

“Of course, there’s a slight chance that Senator Coburn’s amendment is simply a partisan ploy aimed at neutering health care reform,” Franck said. “In which case, our only suggestion to Senator Coburn is to stop playing games and get serious.”

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March 24, 2010

Newt: Biden's F-bomb shows Obama "ego level"

From the Department of Contorted Disses:

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich wasn't charmed by Joe Biden's BFD yesterday seeing it as an indication of the administration's narcissism.

"Well, I mean, forgetting the vulgarity for a second," Gingrich told FOX. "I think it tells you the ego level, and the sort of 'look at us, look at us' attitude of this administration."

He didn't say 'Boy, what a great moment for the country'. He didn't -- I mean, if you look at his whole body language and his whole attitude -- these are like guys in a team sport who are glad they won."

Really? You can't hit Biden for "vulgarity," sure. But it was a big deal, maybe a bad BFD, as Newt say, but it rates pretty high on the political Richter Scale.

h/t GOP12

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March 24, 2010

Mikulski: GOP 'from Mars'

If men are from Mars, women are from Venus, Republicans are also from Mars and Democrats from "planet Earth" — well, I guess that leaves the average observer of the Senate floor universally confused as to where they fit into this strange little planetary continuum.

Wednesday morning, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) declared of Republicans, "I think that party is from Mars, and we're from planet Earth," before concluding in an impassioned, and at times bizarre, speech that on planet Earth, people have a right to health care.

It remains to be seen if this new GOP-as-aliens talking point floated by "Senator Barb" — as she referred to herself on the floor — will have as much steam as the Democrats-as-socialists meme being pushed by Republicans in opposition to health care reform.

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 23, 2010

New Deal? Fair Deal? Big F'in Deal?

Click http://www.abigf$#ingdeal.com —but with the proper letters in place of symbols. Poor Joe Biden, with the one-liner that will go down in infamy.

It appears people are having way too much fun with this (i.e. "I'm just a [BFD] bill." /SchoolHouseRocked!). That, or D.C.-types are preparing for a world in which they have to fill their time with things that aren't health care reform related.

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 23, 2010

Anti-semitic sign outside AIPAC

"God hates the Jews," is one of the nicer ones. Not clear who the protesters standing outside the DC convention are.

UPDATE: It's apparently the Westboro Baptist Church guys.

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March 23, 2010

Dems urged to hype terrorist kills

From POLITICO Hill reporter Kasie Hunt:

The best way to sell President Obama's war on terror? Hype hit lists and body counts, according to a new Democratic strategy memo out Tuesday.

Almost three times as many terrorists were killed in Obama's first year as there were in all of President Bush's second term, according to the memo from the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, with more than 600 killed in 2009 compared to 230 killed between 2004 and 2008.

Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, killed in August. Top Al Qaeda official Sadam Hussein Al Hussami, killed this month. Saleh al Somali, senior Al Qaeda operations planner, killed in December. Mullah Omar's deputy, captured in February. The memo puts the words "killed" and "captured" in boldface type.

"For members of the public who are not following the war news closely, they may not know about our successes. This must change, both for substantive and political reasons," writes Andy Johnson, Third Way's national security program director.

The memo urges Democrats to learn the Vietnam War's key lesson: the battle for public opinion matters as much as the fight on the ground. "Without popular support, a war cannot be sustained. And while significant majorities currently back the President’s approach, it is vital that Americans remain confident in the course we are on," Johnson writes.

Candidates can also use the administration's stepped-up terrorism fight to stem the public's diminishing confidence in the Democratic Party's ability to keep the country safe. A Third Way poll from earlier this month showed a returning "security gap" between Republicans and Democrats, with the public more likely to trust Republicans. But the poll also showed that highlighting war on terror successes wins over 61 percent of independent voters.

"The president and his party can reap real political benefit from talking more about their successes in the fight," Johnson writes.

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March 22, 2010

Fire Pelosi!

Visitors to the Republican National Committee web site are getting a special treat when the RNC front page loads: a redirect to a new "FIRE PELOSI" site, replete with the image of the speaker surrounded by flames.

The page's tag line? "40 Seats Means No More Madam Speaker" above a giant countdown clock to Election Day 2010.

The hub for the RNC fund-raising endeavor also features a map of the United States asking "Who wants to fire Speaker Pelosi the most?" and a plea for a "tweetbomb" using the hashtag "#FIREPELOSI."

With flames overwhelming the layout, the whole set up looks vaguely reminiscent to the Armageddon one imagines House Minority Leader John Boehner predicted with the passage of health care reform.

UPDATE: The RNC's "GOP Action Team" blasted an e-mail entitled "40 in 2010 to Fire Pelosi!" addressed "Dear Fellow Patriot," and reporting that in the 12 hours since health care reform has passed, the committee has raised $402,010 through the "Fire Nancy Pelosi Project."

[Meredith Shiner]

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March 22, 2010

Neugebauer: I was 'baby killer' heckler

Stunning confession from pro-life Rep. Randy Neugebauer: He was the guy who shouted "baby killer" at anti-abortion Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak in the House chamber last night.

An apology, just e-mailed to reporters by his office:

“Last night was the climax of weeks and months of debate on a health care bill that my constituents fear and do not support. In the heat and emotion of the debate, I exclaimed the phrase ‘it’s a baby killer’ in reference to the agreement reached by the Democratic leadership. While I remain heartbroken over the passage of this bill and the tragic consequences it will have for the unborn, I deeply regret that my actions were mistakenly interpreted as a direct reference to Congressman Stupak himself.

“I have apologized to Mr. Stupak and also apologize to my colleagues for the manner in which I expressed my disappointment about the bill. The House Chamber is a place of decorum and respect. The timing and tone of my comment last night was inappropriate.”

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