Friday Cat Blogging

Kittens aren't happy when a puppy breaks up their fun.

Greatest Mitt and Ann Romney Caption

The Aristocrats have the best Mitt and Ann Romney caption ever.

Quote of the Day

"It's not just a bad deal, this is really an insulting deal... Robert E. Lee was offered easier terms at Appomattox and he lost the Civil War. The Democrats won by 3% of the vote and they did not hold the House. Republicans won the House. So this is not exactly unconditional surrender, but that's what the administration is asking of Republicans."

Charles Krauthammer, on the Obama administration's first offer to the Republicans during the fiscal cliff talks.

You can agree or disagree with the merits of President Obama's offer to Republicans. What Krauthammer shouldn't do is compare the fiscal cliff negotiations to the bloodiest war on American soil. Krauthammer is a hack of epic magnitude.

George LeMieux's hysterical Answer

George LeMieux shows an amazing level of chutzpah by saying he would have beat Bill Nelson.

Question: Do you believe that the Senate election would have turned out differently had you been the Republican nominee?

LeMieux: Of course I do! Anybody who ran for office and tells you differently shouldn’t have run. I think the race would have been a lot closer; I believe I was the best person to face Sen. Nelson. It would have presented a really good comparison, I believe.

LeMieux dropped out of the primary because he was too weak of a candidate to go against Connie Mack. Mind you, Mack barely registered a pulse beat during the entire campaign. It is no exaggeration to say that LeMieux couldn't beat an empty suit in a Republican primary.

Somehow LeMieux believes these weaknesses in his candidacy would help him beat an incumbent Democratic Senator; with President Obama on the top of the ticket. Never mind, Nelson's advantages or Obama For America getting Democratic voters to the polls. Lemieux dropping out of the GOP primary is the qualification that makes him the most bad ass general election candidate to ever to walk the planet Earth.

How did Eric Giunta of The State of Sunshine not bust out laughing when Lemieux gave his answer about he is able to beating Nelson. Did Lemieux also tell Giunta that he killed a Lion with his bare hands or computer-hacked into Wikileaks? Really, why stop at beating Nelson? I like to hear from LeMieux what other feats of greatness he has performed.

Talking Heads - Heaven

Stop Making Sense is head and shoulders the greatest concert movie of all-time. David Bryne proves himself to be a great singer with this concert movie.

Progress Energy Doesn't Pay Property Tax

It must be nice to be Progress Energy. Progress Energy is withholding payment on property taxes owed to Citrus County, Florida.

Monday, Progress Energy paid $19 million toward its $35 million property tax bill. The company feels the property appraiser did not fairly value some pollution control equipment, two aging coal-fired power plants and a damaged and idle nuclear power plant.

In fairness, Progress Energy may have a valid case. That doesn't give Progress Energy the right to just refuse to pay property taxes. Imagine if you refused to pay the full extent of your property taxes. You would likely be looking at jail time. This is forcing Citrus County to cut essential services.

Citrus County Sheriff Jeffrey Dawsy pulled told said 30 law enforcement members may be laid off. Two fire stations are facing possible closing.

"That to me is grave," Dawsy told a news conference, "The citizens of this community, if they didn't care about fire or law enforcement, should be outraged that their safety is now in danger."

Dawsy said he is voiding contracts with Progress Energy to assist the company in emergency services. Progress Energy has a damaged power plant. This is troublesome.

I'm amazed that Progress Energy constantly gets the state to approve rate hikes on cunsumers. When it is time for Progress Energy to pay they stiff on their bill.

Disgusting Excuse For Reform of Assisted Living Facilities

Gov. Rick Scott formed the Florida Assisted Living Workgroup after cases of violations in poor assisted ling facilities. The Florida Assisted Living Workgroup have released their recommendations.

Among the other recommendations: Create a professional board that would have oversight of facility administrators and seek legislation to address “tort reform” —generally placing limits on liability lawsuits —against facilities. The workgroup also issued recommendations last year, but the House and Senate did not reach agreement on a bill to increase oversight.

How is tort reform suppose to keep disabled people living in assisted living facilities from getting physically or sexually abused? Tort reform does protect assisted living facilities from massive lawsuits or state fines. Tort reform is about protecting an industry that donates to political campaigns.

If you want to find out what assisted living facilities are violating state law you are going to have a problem. The Workgroup recommends shielding facilities from the prying eyes of citizens wanting to know about complaints. From the Workgroup report.

Enable a public record exemption for AHCA complaints. Complaints filed with AHCA are currently not protected from disclosure. Consider adding confidentiality to AHCA complaints equivalent to that of the Ombudsman.

A big reason the Workgroup was started was because former State Sen. Ronda Storms was outraged about Miami Herald articles on patients in assisted living facilities experiencing abuse and living in poor conditions. Storms is a pro-business conservative. However, she did not advocate for deregulating assisted living facilities.

Said Storms, “I’m a person that believes where we can deregulate we should deregulate, but not when it comes to human safety, to health and welfare of vulnerable populations. I think that if we’re talking about regulating grass cutters, that rises to a different level than regulating child welfare, elder services. There has to be some common sense here. We’re not just talking dogma, right?”

Instead of Storms' common sense approach. The Workgroup is looking for ways to give state money to assisted living facilities and ways to avoid imposing fines. From the Workgroup report.

3. Maintain current law that fines will only be imposed for low-level citations if uncorrected, to focus penalties on poor performers without adverse impact on competent providers.

4. Work with long-term managed care plans, once selected by AHCA, to promote the number and use of ALF beds through reimbursement and other incentives, so that the plans increasingly serve as appropriate diversions to nursing home care as well as serving those on waiting lists for nursing home care.

This is disgusting.

Alan Simpson v. Grover Norquist

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Alan Simpson publicly disses Grover Norquist on Andrea Mitchell's show.

Mitchell:

Do you have any impure thoughts about Grover Norquist?

Alan Simpson:

Plenty. But you know, here’s a good guy with a very bad idea and he was gathering up those signatures back in the ’80s and the early ’90s when inflation was zip, when unemployment was zip, and anybody who would sign anything before they come to Congress and hear the debate and participate in it hopefully and get in to the floor, management and the amending process and the conference committee, those people I mean why would you do that? It’s like selling your soul!

Now Grover, I said, would be irrelevant in two years, and I say that– he’s got about another year and a half to go– he will be irrelevant. This guy is a zealot. A zealot is one who, having forgotten his purpose, redoubles his efforts, and he sees the crumbling of the great house of cards.

It’s like Jarvis out in California back in the late ’70s. He’s left schools destitute, he’s left institutions destitute. You can’t come in and play this kind of a game when everything has changed in America, and this time everything has changed because it’s all coming to pass on December 31st, and Grover-babe is losing a person a day and he knows it. So what does he use to cover that? Cutesies. Little smart Alecs. I know that. I don’t know who else does that. I have done that.

He is becoming irrelevant. And you can see it in his eyes. He knows the game is up. Because good people of good faith have decided that instead of being Republicans, or Democrats, they’re Americans. And instead of being beholden to Grover Norquist and the AARP, they’re beholden to the United States of America. Those guys are going to take their lumps.

"Grover Babe"? Interesting choice of words.

Rep. Peter King went after Norquist today. I often wondered when establishment Republicans were going to get tired about being pushed around by Norquist. It looks like I now have my answer.

Grover Norquist v. Peter King

This was a rather dumb comment by Grover Norquist. The anti-tax zealot had this exchange with Piers Morgan about Rep. Peter King.

Norquist hit back, telling CNN's Piers Morgan, "I hope his wife understands the commitments last a little longer than two years or something."

"That was a bit below the belt, Grover," Morgan objected.

King fired back.

“I don’t think he’s ever met me, certainly he’s never met my wife. And he better hope he doesn’t. She’ll knock his head off," King told Politico.

It is never a good idea to bring in spouses into political fights.

King is one of the most prominent Republicans to break Norquist's anti-tax increase pledge. For this Norquist has called him a "weasel." Obviously, King did not kindly.

"I really don't care about Grover Norquist. It was a cheap thing to do," King said. "He's being a lowlife."

Norquist thinks he can still bully elected Republicans and get them to yield. Thatdoesn't work anymore. A wiser man would play nice and learn how to console Republican fears over the leverage President Obama now has on taxes. Norquist is neither wise or nice.

Jobsite Rocks: Benefit for Jobsite Theater

Jobsite is hosting their yearly Jobsite Rocks. The benefit concert, social event and raffle will raise funds for Jobsite Theater's next season.

8pm doors, 9pm show

Sat., Dec. 1, 2012

Single Tickets: $8 at the door

New World Brewery, Ybor City

Musical guests include Poetry N Lotion, TYPES (featuring Scott Harrell) and Karaoke Jockey Extraordinaire, and Stevan Polansky.

If you're real nice you might get David Jenkins to do Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips again. Unlike Coyne, don't expect David to be packing a grenade.

Heartbeat Bill Dies

The Ohio Legislature came to its senses and shelved the Heartbeat Bill. the legislation would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus came to realize that Planned Parenthood does other medical services besides abortions.

Ohio State Sen. Tom Niehaus*: "I think you have to look at the entirety of the work that is done by Planned Parenthood, and I believe that they offer much-needed services that are not available other places. So I chose not to take up the bill in lame duck."

Harry Reid Calls For End on Susan Rice Attacks

Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham are going off into conspiracy land with their attacks on Susan Rice. Sen. Harry Reid has had enough. Reid sent out this press release.

The personal attacks against Ambassador Rice by certain Republican senators have been outrageous and utterly unmoored from facts and reality. I am shocked that senators would continue these attacks even when the evidence—including disclosures from the intelligence community about the information she presented —have made it clear that the allegations against Ambassador Rice are baseless, and that she has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Ambassador Rice’s service as United States Ambassador to the United Nations has been impeccable. She has answered all questions raised in relation to the Benghazi attacks completely and repeatedly. The Senate committees of jurisdiction are in the midst of examining the events leading up to the Benghazi attacks, and I agree with those— including the ranking Republican members of both the Intelligence and Homeland Security committees—who have said we should let the committees do their work. There should be no place for such blatant partisanship in oversight of our nation’s intelligence community.

The election is over. It is time to drop these partisan political games, and focus our attention on the real challenges facing us as a nation.

I'm a progressive that would have no problem if President Obama showed Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner or Attorney General Eric Holder the door. Rice was not in charge of security of the Benghazi consulate. The CIA approved the talking points Rice used that McCain and Graham ha e taken issue with. The consulate of under Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's duties. NcCain a.d Graham do not want to pick a fight with Obama's most popular cabinet member. The fact that they targeted a black woman says much about their true motives.

Quote of the Day

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"So how do you deal with someone who comes to stop government? … Grover wandering the earth in his white robe saying he wants to drown government in the bathtub. I hope he slips in there with it."

Alan Simpson, expressing some less than kind feelings about Grover Norquist. Matthews was left speechless by Simpson's comment.

Pelosi Wants Vote on Tax Cuts for 98 Percent

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is urging Republicans to extend tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans. Now.

“Republicans can prove that they’re prepared to work in good faith on the fiscal crisis facing our country by calling up a vote to extend the middle-income tax cuts now,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters at her Capitol briefing Thursday.

Pelosi wants the tax cuts on those making above $250,000-a-year to expire. Tom Cole is urging fellow Republicans to vote on the 98 percent tax cuts before the new year.

“I think we ought to take the 98 percent deal right now,” he said of freezing income tax rates for all but the top 2 percent of earners. “It doesn’t mean I agree with raising the top 2. I don’t.”

As a negotiating tactic, if the Republicans voted on the 98 percent tax cuts then the game is over. They would never have the Senate votes or be able to override President Obama's veto. Taxes on the top 2 percent would go up and Republicans wouldn't be able to do anything about this. Cole must this. I would love to see Republican internal polling on protecting tax cuts for the rich.

Naked Protest on Speaker Boehner

This is the best news story of the day. A group of naked protesters stormed into House Speaker John Boehner's office.

BuzzFeed reporter Chris Geidner, who was tweeting from the scene, reports that the protesters were demonstrating against budget cuts to federal funding to fight AIDS, and entered the office chanting: “Boehner, Boehner, don’t be a dick. Budget cuts will make us sick."

No word on if Boehner wasat his office at the time of the protest. I imagine all the nudity would have made Boehner go from orange to beet red.

Rick Scott's Tuition Pitch

Gov. Rick Scott challenged community colleges to create a $10,000 bachelor degree. The question is what is Scott's reasoning.

"I am issuing a challenge to our state colleges to find innovative ways to offer a bachelor's degree at a cost of just $10,000 in fields that will provide graduates with the best opportunity for employment," Scott said.

Of course, Scott offered no state funding to help community colleges meet his challenge. The only thing I can think of is Scott thinks college education works like McDonald's. Lower prices and people will come. I haven't ate at McDonald's for years because the food is cheap because it sucks.

Roberto Martinez, of the Board of Education, called Scott's $10,000 bachelor degree pitch "a gimmick." That sounds about right. Scott isn't actually proposing anything. College tuition in Florida is cheaper than other states. Making Florida tuition cheaper will achieve what exactly? Martinez described Scott's pitch is designed to "be used as a sound bite." That sounds about right to me.

Tom Ricks Call Out Fox News

Former Washington Post national security reporter Tom Ricks goes on Fox News and publicly calls out the network for politicizing the Benghazi tragedy. The results are hysterical.

Side note: Fox News is really starting to crumble after Karl Rove's public meltdown.

Update: FNC executive VP of news Michael Clemente, ofFox News, claims Ricks apologized to them. Rick states that is not so.

“Please ask Mr. Clemente what the words of my supposed apology were. I’d be interested to know,” he said. “Frankly, I don’t remember any such apology.”

Fox News is doing damage control by falsely stating that Ricks begged for forgiveness. Judging by his appearance on Fox News, I don't think Ricks is concerned about pissing off the network.

The Fluid - Is It Day I'm Seeing

You can find this song on the Sub Pop 200 album.

Quote of the Day

"This bears repeating: Paul Ryan unfollowed Mitt Romney. That is hilarious."

Ian Donovan, reporting that Paul Ryan unfollowed Mitt Romney on Twitter.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

I am glad that military defense spending is being used to answer such important questions as "Did Jesus die for Klingons, too."

The 100-Year Starship Project: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has spent more than $1 million to "foster a rebirth of wonder" and to make space travel to other solar systems feasible in the next century. To that end, the agency paid $100,000 to sponsor a strategy workshop in September featuring a session called "Did Jesus die for Klingons, too?" on the theological threat to Christianity that the discovery of life on other planets might pose. A related conference devoted to the future of space travel included a workshop on "what intersteller explorers might wear." (Hint: Not polos and khakis.) The event featured an "intergalatic gala" for which attendees were asked to come in "starship cocktail attire."

Sen. Tom Coburn released a report titled "The Department of Everything". In the report, Coburn identifies $70 billion in wasteful defense spending. The report is worth reading for some of the sheer bizarre things that tax dollars were spent on in the name of defending America.

War on Christmas: 2012 Edition

What would the holidays be without Fox News presenting their yearly bogus "War on Christmas."

The Lord Speeds In Mysterious Ways

This is my favorite story of the week.

Melissa Miller drove 100 MPH in a 30 MPH zone. Miller gave the police a very interesting reason for her speeding.

After she was stopped, an officer quoted her as saying she was speeding "because I was letting the Lord spirit guide me," according to a police report. She attributed her lengthy horn blowing to "the Lord telling me to do it."

Unfortunately for Miller the Lord wanted the police officer to arrest her.

Quote of the Day

"George Soros wouldn't know a Wal-Mart if he bought one. Let's face it. Is he our self appointed labor secretary? Why doesn't Obama just appoint him as the destroy America czar? He hates this place. Activists hate Walmart because it's the proxy for America that represents success. I would love to protest activists, but it's impossible to find where and what they do in order to protest them."

Greg Gutfeld falsely linking George Doris to the Walmart worker strike that will take place on Black Friday.

Rick Scott's Sudden Love For Federal Government

I thought Gov. Rick Scott hated the federal government. Why is Scott so happy about a Navy Credit Union?

Gov. Rick Scott came to Pensacola to tour the Navy Federal Credit Union’s Brian L. McDonnell Center Campus on Tuesday.

Scott held a news conference after touring the facility, saying Navy Federal’s expansion plans would create 700 new jobs and be a $6.75 million investment in the community, the release stated.

Scott is taking credit for jobs he had nothing to do with creating. I look forward to Scott taking credit for the creation of the Navy.

William S. Burroughs Thanksgiving Prayer

Wonkette has posted the William S. Burroughs Thanksgiving prayer. Burroughs has a much different take on the holiday than most. You might not want to listen to Burroughs describe people shitting out there food before your meal.

Occupy Tampa Member Arrested For Chalking

This seems silly. Occupy Tampa member Nathan Schwartz was arrested in May for writing in chalk near the downtown Bank of America building.

Schwartz was charged with two misdemeanors-trespassing and criminal mischief. About a dozen members of Occupy Tampa stood in solidaritywith Schwartz at his hearing.

Schwartz’s lawyer requested photographic evidence of the chalking. The chalk arrow mark has most likely washed away by now. Schwartz and his attorney plan to fight this on First Amendment grounds. The City of Tampa intends to prosecute this case. Your tax dollars at work.

Quote of the Day

“I should try it because, do you know how fabulous I’d look. I’d be so skinny. I mean, the camera adds ten pounds.”

Andrea Tantaros, mocking people that live off of food stamps.

Fox News launched into conspiracy theories after Mayor Cory Booker announced he would eat off of a food stamp budget. The contempt for 47 percent of Americans is alive and well at Fox News.

Occupy Tampa Black Friday Protest

Occupy Tampa will be meeting at Voice of Freedom Park to protest Black Friday. Occupy Tampa has several different activities planned.

The details for our Black Friday actions are solidifying. The actions will be taking place Thursday Evening and Friday Morning. Thursday evening we will have actions going in Tampa, as well as a Light Brigade contingent heading to Orlando to assist with an action up there. For the Tampa actions, we'll meet up at Voice of Freedom park at 9pm and go over the details. Friday morning at 7 AM we'll have a series of carpools going to support a big action with Our Walmart in Orlando.

Check with the Occupy Tampa website and Occupy Tampa Facebook page.

Write A Caption: Mitt Romney

A less than happy looking Mitt Romney pumping his own gas.

New Tone In Tallahassee

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford are wisely steered away from inflammatory rhetoric against their Democratic colleagues. After the defeats suffered by Republicans around the country it is smart politics for Gaetz and Weatherford not to sound like Allen West or Joe Walsh. Both men are stressing bipartisanship. However Weatherford himself pointed out that he will still push for conservative legislation.

There is a glimmer of hope from Gaetz and Weatherford.

Along with Gaetz, Weatherford wants to eliminate fundraising committees used by lawmakers. Weatherford said they aren’t transparent.

It’s unclear how exactly Weatherford could enhance transparency, but his shift has nevertheless impressed League of Women Voters of Florida president Deirdre Macnab.

The fundraising committees have been used to help get certain members enough influence to gain leadership positions in the Florida legislature. Gaetz and Weatherford will be term-limited out and don't have to worry about gaining leadership posts. They are free to eliminate the fundraising committees. Lobbyists are granted access and no transparency. Not that it matters, both Florida political parties host galas for lobbyist to come and hand checks to them.

There is no guarantee that Gaetz and Weatherford will follow through. That will be up to activists. This Franklin D. Roosevelt quote to Sidney Hillman sums up what activists must do.

ROOSEVELT: "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it."

Norm Roche = Winning

Norm Roche was one of the four Pinellas County Commission members that voted against flouride in public water. Commission members Nancy Bostock and Neil Brinkfield joined Roche in the vote. Bostock and Brickfield were voted out of office. Their Democratic opponents Charlie Justice and Janet Long used the flouride issue to paint their opponents as tea party extremists. Hysterically, Roche tells Creative Loafing that there was no mandate to put flouride back in public water.

Roche gave a blustery speech to his fellow Commission members. Roche told them that he didn't care if he came off like a "right-wing tea party extremist." It is safe to say that Roche has crossed that threshold a long time ago.

Comedy gold came when Roche asked to put the flouride issue up for a public referendum vote. Not one member of the commission seconded the motion.

Roche is another Republican that frames defeat as victory.

Spielberg and Day-Lewis Q & A on Lincoln

Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis discussed the making and history of Lincoln.

More From the Marco Rubio GQ Interview

Peter Schorsch spotted this comment from the Marco Rubio interview.

GQ: Who’s your best friend?

Marco Rubio: My wife. We talk every day.

GQ: Besides your wife.

Marco Rubio: [South Carolina Senator and Tea Party favorite] Jim DeMint. He’s a great source of wisdom as a person who’s had to make decisions that have made him unpopular in his own party. Jeb Bush is another guy I admire for his ability to analyze issues and call them for what they are.

DeMint is a source of wisdom? I remember Treasury Secretary having to give DeMint an economics 101 lesson on how the debt ceiling works. From Geithner's letter to DeMint.

In your letter, you suggest that the debt limit should not be raised, and instead that federal debt be "capped" at the current limit. You further propose that after the government's borrowing authority is exhausted in August, the United States should for some indefinate period pay only the interest on its debt, while stopping or delaying payment of a broad swath of other commitments the the country has made under the law.

I have expressed my concerns about this idea before, but I will restate them to be clear: this "prioritization" proposal advocates a radical and deeply irresponsible departure from the commitments by Presidents of both parties, throughout American history, to honor all of the commitments our Nation has made.

The debt limit applies to past decisions of Congress. Increasing the debt limit is necessary to allow the United States to honor obligations previously authorized and appropiated by Congress.

DeMint doesn't realize that he is advocating that the federal government default. Under the Consitution, the federal government must pay its debts. Furthermore, DeMint doesn't know that the debt ceiling involves past spending approved by DeMint and other members of Congress. This is Rubio's source of wisdom.

Section 4 of the 14th amendment makes clear that debt shall be paid.

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.

DeMint and Rubio are both economic illiterates. No wonder they bound so well.

Dick Morris At Mind Control Conference

I never turn down a chance to mock Dick Morris. The world's worst pollster appeared via video at Republican Majority Leader of the Georgia State Senate, Chip Rogers', and conspiracy theorist Field Searcy's conference on how President Obama was going to use mind control. Apparently, Rogers and Searcy believe Obama is going to use the United Nation's Agenda 21 to unleash mind control on the masses.

Searcy explains how this plan would work.

“The Delphi technique was developed by the Rand Corporation during the Cold War as a mind-control technique,” the conservative activist insisted. “It’s also known as ‘consensive process.’ But basically the goal of the Delphi technique is to lead a targeted group of people to a pre-determined outcome while keeping the illusion of being open to public input.”

One slide presented at the meeting compared Obama’s alleged plot to “Stalin’s Five Year Plan” and “Mao Tse Tung’s Great Leap Forward.”

If this doesn't make sense it is because it is utter nonsense. Searcy also believe that Obama's birth certificate isn't real. The fact that people like Searcy are welcomed by elected Republicans like Rogers tells you how far off the deep end the GOP has gone.

Marco Rubio: Man of Science

Sen. Marco Rubio is either ignorant about science or is afraid of offending the Christian Right. Rubio tells GQ about the age of Earth.

"I'm not a scientist, man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States," Rubio told GQ's Michael Hainey. "I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all."

Rubio continued, refusing to take a stance on the planet's age, which scientists have long estimated at 4.54 billion years.

"Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that," he said. "It's one of the great mysteries."

I have noted Rubio's willful ignorance of economic science. Jamelle Bouie of The American Prospect crunched the numbers of then Senate candidate Rubio's economic proposals. If Rubio had his way he would make the debt 79 percent of the GDP.

Unsurprisingly, Rubio's plan doesn't come close to meeting those targets. Insofar that Rubio's plan saves any money, it's by canceling TARP and making drastic cuts in social services. Even then, those cuts would only save $640 billion. By contrast, Rubio's plan to extend the Bush tax cuts and repeal the Affordable Care Act would increase the debt by $3.4 trillion. At best, Rubio's plan would bring U.S. debt to 79 percent of GDP by 2018.

I wrote about the silliness of Rubio proposing a Constitutional amendment to balance the budget. Not only did a Constitutional amendment have no chance of ever becoming law; it would give the federal government no flexibility in times of war or economic crisis. Rubio is advocated Milton Friedman-style economic nilihism during his campaign. Of course, it was all for show. Rubio stopped talking about a Constitutional amendment once he got into the Senate.

Rubio is a guy that proposes elimating the debt by making the debt 79 percent of the GDP. Should we really be surprised that we can't provide an answer for how old the universe is.

Blast From the Blast: John McCain Goes Off

John McCain goes nuclear when asked by New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller about his conversations about being John Kerry's 2004 Democratic presidential running mate. I can't imagine why McCain wouldn't want to answer this question when he was running as a Republican in the 2008 presidential election? Perhaps it could be McCain's own party would realize his less than 100 percent loyalty. Remember that McCain also toyed with the idea of caucusing with the Democrats.

Patrick Murphy Lead Over Allen West Increases

This is getting comical. The latest recount has increased Patrick Murphy's final tally. The Allen West campaign is challenging the recount.

Minutes after the noon deadline passed, attorneys for West headed to the St. Lucie County Courthouse to request an emergency hearing on the issue. It is not known if a hearing has been scheduled.

Florida law does allow an exemption to the deadline in an emergency and West’s attorney are expected to argue that the exemption applies.

That exemption defines emergency as “any occurrence, or threat thereof, whether accidental, natural, or caused by human beings, in war or in peace, that results or may result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to or loss of property to the extent it will prohibit an election officer’s ability to conduct a safe and orderly election.”

I enjoy conservatives suddenly questioning if voting machines make errors. Of course they do. I have written about voting machine irregularities before. I don't want West anywhere near public office. I do believe West has a right to a recount. That said, when the recount strengthens Murphy's lead it is not a good sign for West.

We should have experts check to see if the voting machines are working properly in the Murphy-West election. That does not mean supporting West's insane idea of impounding the ballots while a recount is being done.

Friday Cat Blogging

This is what happens when a bunch of cats are high on catnip.

John McCain Blows Off Benghazi Briefing

President Barack Obama called out Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. John McCain for their politically motivated attacks on Benghazi. CNN asked McCain why he missed a briefing on Benghazi, McCain had a public meltdown.

“I have no comment about my schedule and I’m not going to comment on how I spend my time to the media,” McCain said.

Asked why he wouldn’t comment, McCain grew agitated: “Because I have the right as a senator to have no comment and who the hell are you to tell me I can or not?”

When CNN noted that McCain had missed a key meeting on a subject the senator has been intensely upset about, McCain said, “I’m upset that you keep badgering me.”

We saw this in the 2008 campaign. When McCain goes toe to toe politically with Obama he chokes in a very big way. If the Republicans want a national security attack dog then it needs to be someone else but McCain. Personally, I see McCain blowing off the briefing as proof Ochoa lack of seriousness of national security issues. This is old news to me.

Bill Young on David Petraeus Scandal

Rep. Bill Young was briefed by acting CIA Director Michael Morell. What Young said was not encouraging.

"I still don't know where this goes. I have a concern that it might go far deeper than we think. Not the personal issue but the issue as it relates to intelligence and national defense," Young said in an interview Tuesday night.

Young cannot talk about his briefing with Morell. What could be getting the attention of the CIA is Paula Broadwell's comments on Benghazi. Broadwell claimed the attack was a reprisal for the CIA taken two Libyan militia members as prisoners.

"Now I don't know if a lot of you heard this, but the CIA annex had actually -- had taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to try to get these prisoners back. So that's still being vetted," she said.

That was not reported at the time. The CIA is unlikely to ever confirm such an operation. Another sign that Broadwell received classified information is from the FBI search of her computer.

The contents of the classified material and how Broadwell acquired it remain under investigation, said the officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment publicly. But the quantity of classified material found on the computer was significant enough to warrant a continuing investigation, the">ad officials told Reuters.

Petraeus was interviewed today and denied he gave Broadwell access to classified information. Broadwell admitted to the FBI that she stole documents. What I would like to know is how Broadwell got a security clearance and only had it revoked after the affair became public.

Updates From Equality Florida

You can now get text updates from the LGBT civil rights organization Equality Florida.

"Please text the word EQUAL to the number 99000 to get Equality Florida updates. We have had tremendous success this year across the state and this election cycle and need to keep this train towards full equality at full speed. www.eqfl.org Thanks!" -EQFL's Field Coordinator Michael Farmer.

Steve King's Hysterical Hispanic Vote Misinformation

Apparently, Rep. Steve King can't read an exit poll. King said Republicans lost the Hispanic vote by a "marginal" amount. Got that kids.

"We saw a marginal loss of the Hispanic vote, so people say we can't build a coalition again unless we make those accommodations," he said. "We should look at what happened with the conservatives who stay home. What happened with the biggest gender gap in history? What happened with the Ron Paul coalition, and the libertarians?"

The Pew Research Center found that President Obama won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote. Romney only received 27 percent of the Hispanic vote. King has an interesting definition of marginal. Of course, King is an anti-immigration tea party Republican in a red district. What is good for King's political prospects doesn't hold true for the rest of the GOP.

Cat Power - 3, 6, 9

It isn't much of a stretch to think the lyrics of this song are about Chan Marshall's battles with alcoholism.

Quote of the Day

"Many losing candidates became elder statesmen of their parties. What lessons will Romney have to teach his party? The art of crawling uselessly? How to contemn 47 percent of Americans less privileged and beautiful than his family? How to repudiate the past while damaging the future? It is said that he will write a book. Really? Does he want to relive a five-year-long experience of degradation? What can be worse than to sell your soul and find it not valuable enough to get anything for it? His friends can only hope he is too morally obtuse to realize that crushing truth. Losing elections is one thing. But the greater loss, the real loss, is the loss of honor."

Garry Wills, on Mitt Romney.

Romney had only one true constituency and that was his rich donors. In a conference call to his donors, Romney left no doubt that he believed his infamous 47 percent remark.

Romney argued that Obama’s healthcare plan’s promise of coverage “in perpetuity” was “highly motivational” to those voters making $25,000 to $35,000 who might not have been covered, as well as to African American and Hispanic voters. Pivoting to immigration, Romney said the Obama campaign’s efforts to paint him as “anti-immigrant” had been effective and that the administration’s promise to offer what he called “amnesty” to the children of illegal immigrants had helped turn out Hispanic voters in record numbers.

“The president’s campaign,” he said, “focused on giving targeted groups a big gift — so he made a big effort on small things. Those small things, by the way, add up to trillions of dollars.”

Giving tax cuts to people like himself is not a gift. For someone who refused to say how much his tax plan would add to the deficit; I find it hilarious that positions once held by Republicans on immigration and health care are freebees.

More on Romney's conference call.

“With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest, was a big gift,” he said. “Free contraceptives were very big with young college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents’ plan, and that was a big gift to young people. They turned out in large numbers, a larger share in this election even than in 2008.”

Women have to pay for their birth control through their health coverage. Students have to repay their student loans. What Obama did was add birth control to the Affordable Care Act and stood against Republican attempts to increase student loan fees. Romney views these groups with disdain.

Update: Republican strategist Ana Navarro goes off on Mitt Romney.

Mr. Romney, Pres. Obama didn't win Hispanic vote b/c he offered "gifts". Obama won b/c u offered NOTHING. Hispanics work hard for their $.

Is there anybody that Romney will not piss off?

Update: Gov. Bobby Jindal comes out against Romney's "gifts" statement.

“I don’t think that represents where we are as a party and where we’re going as a party," Jindal continued. “That has got to be one of the most fundamental takeaways from this election: If we’re going to continue to be a competitive party and win elections on the national stage and continue to fight for our conservative principles, we need two messages to get out loudly and clearly: One, we are fighting for 100 percent of the votes, and secondly, our policies benefit every American who wants to pursue the American dream. Period. No exceptions."

Republicans are free from having to defend the buffoonish Romney. They can publicly kick his ass to their heart's content. I can't say I blame their anger. Romney really was that bad of a candidate and he is still damaging the Republican brand after the election.

The Second Term Obama

We may finally be seeing the tougher President Obama that progressives have demanded. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. John McCain made it clear that they intend to go after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice over the Benghazi attacks. Obama had these words directed at Graham and McCain.

But when they go after the U.N. ambassador, apparently because they think she’s an easy target, then they’ve got a problem with me. And should I choose — if I think that she would be the best person to serve America in the capacity — the State Department, then I will nominate her. That’s not a determination that I’ve made yet.

Damn. Where has this Obama been the past four years.

Why anyone takes McCain and Graham seriously on national security is beyond me. The truth is they are clueless on national security issues. Think Progress is very friendly with the Obama administration and is going after McCain and Graham for defending Condoleezza Rice's intelligence failures on the 9-11 attacks and Iraq WMD intelligence.

Rice was pressed after stonewalling to releal the title of the August 6, 2001 CIA PDB. The title of the PDB is "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US." The PDB warned of future al-Qaida was planning future attacks and hijackings. Rice's testimony to the 9-11 Commission was untruthful and embarrassing.

Rice went on CNN with the unfounded claim that Iraq had a nuclear weapons program in development. Rice made this famous comment to Wolf Blitzer.

"The problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."

As we now know, there were no nuclear weapons in Iraq. Rice commits two of the biggest intelligence failures in U.S. history and is rewarded with a featured speaking role at the RNC.

Just for fun: watch the Youtube video of Sen. McCain telling Wolf Blitzer that Americans can walk freely in Baghdad during the height of the surge. CNN's Michael Ware's informs Blitzer that an American "would barely last twenty minutes out there." No one should take the man that advocated staying in Iraq 100 years seriously.

Tea Party Nation Declares Sucession Movement Is About Love & Realism

A member of the Tea Party Nation, with the awful online handle CAP BLACK THE HOOD CONSERVATIVE informs us that the secession movement is based on love and realism.

Far from a hate fest, Secession 2.0 is about love: love of country; love of traditional values; love of an evolving universal identity called American that anyone of any color; class or creed can become.

This identity has been enriched by pilgrims; slaves; confederates; abolitionists and other contributors to the culture. Their common theme was liberty, addressed from diverse perspectives.

Is Secession 2.0 based in racism or realism?

It's based in realism- the reality that government must listen to Americans who didn't vote to trade freedom for oppression in this last presidential election.

If the secessionists really loved America so much they wouldn't want to leave after a Democrat wins the White House.

If the online secessionist movement wasn't racist they wouldn't act so negatively to a black President winning a second term.

There is this passage from the post that I found amusing.

Conservatism is a multi-ethnic community. Lately, Its major public figure is arguably embattled Congressman Allen West, who is Black last time I checked.

I helped cover the Republican National Convention for The Contributor. Vlogger Freedom and I literally only found one black Republican around Channelside drive. We had a better chance of running into Code Pink than a delegate who was a minority. The RNC featured Joe Arpaio as an honored guest. Arpaio has made a career of violating the civil rights of Hispanics. We interviewed Arpaio and he bragged about his civil rights violations. The interview was a disaster. and you can he me very poorly asking Arpaio about the Justice Department investigation into his office.

Romney is wondering why he lost Hispanics. Letting Sheriff Joe Arpaio attend the convention is a good reason why Romney kissed the Hispanic vote goodbye. So I don't buy the argument that the conservative movement is inclusive. Tea Party Nation has backed Arpaio claims that President Obama's birth certificate is a fraud. Racism and being poor sports about losing the election is at the heart of the tea party and sucession nonsense.

Stop Alex Sink: Veterans Day Pandering

Why is Alex Sink making comments on Facebook about Veterans Day. Especially after the holiday. From Sink's Facebook page.

Over the weekend Bill and I attended events at which our veterans were honored, and we were so inspired by the public's support of our men and women currently in uniform, as well as the many Americans who have served our country and returned to civilian life. At the Florida Next Foundation we want to emphasize the importance of employers in our state understanding the valuable experiences our re turning veterans bring to the workplace...leadership, technical skills, communications, problem solving in crisis situations, hard work, and dedication to a mission. It might take a little extra effort to translate a veteran's "resume" to a civilian job opening, but I'm sure it's worth it! Would love to hear any experiences you have had with our American heroes!

Sink's bogus think tank is nothing more than a way to keep her in the spotlight. This woman is is determined to run for Governor again. Yet unlike Charlie Crist, she did nothing to help President Obama win Florida. Sink's 2010 campaign strategy was publicly dissing the President and blowing off the NAACP. Sink did everything she possibly could to offend blacks.

I call bullshit on Sink's claim on Florida First helping get veterans employment. I want Florida First to release the number of veterans they helped get jobs and the companies that hired them. I want to vet this. I find it offensive that Sink would use veterans to further her gubernatorial ambitions. News flash to Alex Sink: your party will not nominate you again.

Update: I meant "employment" and not "elected" in the original version of the post.

Florida Secession Movement Nonsense

The Buzz reports that a Nicholas J. has created a petition on the White House websit e for Florida to seceed from the United States.

We the people of the great state of Florida, do see that in today's world the Federal Government has not led our citizens justly and with honor. We therefore as free men and women of our great state do believe that it is time to take matter upon ourselves to ensure our continued freedom, and to enact our own laws and here buy govern ourselves without the federal government's involvement in our internal matters from this day forward.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Benjamin Franklin: 1775

The stupidity of the sucession movement is beyond words. The people that want to secede from the United States never think how a new country is going to start an economy, mititary and government. They will be shocked when they learn that the new Florida currency is worth pennies to the U.S. dollar. These people never takes these mattersinto consideration because they are unserious.

Quote of the Day

"And if another Republican man says anything about rape other than it is a horrific, violent crime, I want to personally cut out his tongue. The college-age daughters of many of my friends voted for Obama because they were completely turned off by Neanderthal comments like the suggestion of 'legitimate rape.'"

Karen Hughes, former political advisor to President George W. Bush

The sad thing is I don't see the sexism from old Republican men ending anytime soon. It really says something when former Bush advisors Hughes and Matthew Does think the Republican Party is too extreme. Who would ever think the Bush political team would become the GOP moderates.

Romney's Fantasy-Based Campaign

The Romney campaign falsely believed that The Drudge Report and the late Andrew Breitbart's media empire was going to replacement mainstream media. Anyone who saw Karl Rove's meltdown on Fox News knows that is not going to happen. You can only bullshit people for so long before reality comes crashing down. Lenny Alcivar, spokesman for the Romney campaign thought otherwise.

When this election is over, one of the lessons that will be learned by the mainstream media is that they no longer have a toe-hold on how Americans receive their news. Never before –in a way that has taken Democrats off stride –have we seen the confluence of an aggressive online community, led by Breitbart, and an aggressive campaign team not willing to cede an inch of ground to Democrats. This combination has created a new political reality. We no longer allow the mainstream media to define the political realities in America. The rise of Breitbart, Drudge and others, combined with an aggressive Romney campaign is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the conservative movement. If I talk to Breitbart about an issue, thousands more will hear our message than if we give a quote to one of the hill rags.

Alcivar's interview with Breitbart News reminds me of an infamous encounter journalist Ron Suskind had with a President Bush staffer. That staffer is believed to be Rove.

The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he define d as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment priniples and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality --judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''

Just like the Bush administration, the Romney campaign wanted to create their own reality. That is why they believed in skewed polls and bogus political consultants. The result was Obama winning a second term. Living a in fantasyland is what people do when they don't have empirical evidence on their side.

Job For Hurricane Sandy Victims

Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent out this tweet for Hurricane Sandy victims looking for work.

Unemployed as a result of Sandy? Call 1-888-469-7365 & find out ab avail. jobs cleaning p storm-affected areas: bit.ly/R2qeNE

You can visit the New York Department of Labor website for more information.

Bill Kristol Flips On Taxes

First it was Sean Hannity flipping on immigration. Now Bill Kristol supports raising taxes on the rich.

"It won't kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "It really won't, I don't think. I don't really understand why Republicans don't take Obama's offer."

"Really? The Republican Party is going to fall on its sword to defend a bunch of millionaires, half of whom voted Democratic and half of whom live in Hollywood and are hostile?" he asked.

Republicans don't have a lot of leverage. President Obama can decide to let the Bush tax cuts expire and tell Congress to vote on keeping the middle class tax cuts in place. The question is will he cave? That is very likely.

The truth is Republican policy positions suck. Hispanics were tuned into the racist overtones on immigration during the Republican primaries and voted for Democrats. The American people heard how the Bush tax cuts were suppose to increase the Clinton surplus. We then had a deficit. Mitch McConnell said we should increase taxes on "job creators." Never mind that unemployment has fell from the Clinton levels during the years the Bush tax cuts were in place. This is a party that isn't serious about sound policy. That is why the laughable Paul Ryan is elevated to the level of policy wonk. The Republican Party doesn't do policy. They pander to their base and lobbyists.

Romney Tattoo Face Guy Eric Hartsburg

Here is a story on the Eric Hartsburg. He got the Romney logo tattooed on his face. Hartsburg sold a portion of his face to an anonymous Republican. The result is the tattoo of a losing presidential campaign. What a disaster.

Patrick Murphy Declared Winner

Allen West is out of Congress. Patrick Murphy has been declared the winner. Murphy sent out this press release.

“As expected, the Election Night results have been confirmed,” said Murphy. “It is now time to put the campaign behind us. I am honored that the voters of the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches have chosen me to be their voice in Congress. Regardless of whether they voted for me or my opponent, I am committed to representing the interests of all residents of Florida’s 18th Congressional district in Washington.”

Flashback: Reagan Administration Ignore AIDS

In October of 1982, White House spokesman Larry Speakes had this exchange with a journalist during a press briefing.

Journalist: Larry, does the President have any response to the announcement [from] the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta that AIDS is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases.

Speakes: What's AIDS?

Journalist: Over a third of them have died. It's known as the "gay plague." [Laughter] No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wonder if the President is aware of it?

Speakes: I don't have it. Do you? [Laughter]

Props to the journalist for being ahead of the curve and asking an important question. It is absolutely shameful that Speakes and the media treat an incurable disease as a joke. The media should have been all over this story in 1982. Instead, they willfully chose ignorance.

Democracy Now has a feature on Reagan's horrible AIDS legacy.

Friday Cat Blogging

A young deer trapped a young bobcat underneath a basket. Cuteness ensues.

Exiting Gloatfest 2012

Inevitably, after one party wins the presidential election, the firebrands of that party spout off about all the reasons why they won and how the country is shifting.  Whether or not all of the gloating this time around is bullshit remains to be seen, but I'd like to address one part of the post-election coverage I hate and that's use of the word "landslide".

Obama's reelection is being called a landslide because of his 332 electoral college votes.  But 87 of these EV votes are from the swing states -- CO, FL, IA, NV, NH, OH, VA, and IA -- which Obama won.

Interesting fact that isn't mentioned: If you add together the difference between Obama and Romney's popular votes in those swings, it equals 794,134.  So the 87 electoral college votes from swing states that Obama won hinged upon the whims of less than a million voters.  In a country with a population of over 300 million, the population of a medium sized city essentially just decided our presidential election.

Couple this with two other facts: 6.5 million less people voted in 2012 than they did in 2008, and the troubles of Romney's running a weak campaign were compounded when he completely bungled their own GOTV effort.

So, instead of a "landslide" and a popular mandate based on shifts in the percentage of whites and minorities voting, one could also say that the Republicans ran a weak candidate who didn't connect with the people in an election that many Americans were disinterested in, and this candidate shot himself in the foot on election day.  Obama's administration and candidacy also must be taken to task for the electorate's lack of interest in the 2012 race.

This isn't a landslide, ground swell, population shift, or whatever else the gloaters among us may think it is -- this is people staying home and being more interested in watching Honey Boo Boo because both parties aren't offereing shit to help us anymore.

Just saying. 

Roseanne Cash - Green, Yellow, Red

I heard a radio interview with John Kilzer long ago. He said he was drunk and staring at a traffic light outside his Nashville motel room window when he wrote this song.

Quote of the Day

“I believe the minimum result will be 53-47 [percent] Romney, over 300 electoral votes, and the Republicans will pick up the Senate. I base that just on just years and years of experience.”

Newt Gingrich, on Fox News on October 25.

Obama Thanks Campaign Staff

It is rare to see President Barack Obama loose is steely-eyed cool. Obama got teary-eyed thanking his campaign staff at his Chicago headquarters. Obama told the young staffers that the great things they will do will exceed his accomplishments.

Bullshit Mountain on Election Night

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Watching Karl Rove go down in flames is hysterical. Fox News failed on such a grand scale on election night because the fantasy bubble their were creating got popped by American voters. The Mitt Romney landslide predicted by Dick Morris never happened. The myth that Fox News sold about Obama not being mainstream could not be held when the President won the popular vote and electoral college. This is what happens when a propaganda outfit pretends to be a news network.

Sean Hannity Flips on Immigration

Sean Hannity apparently got the memo that bashing Hispanic people is a losing proposition for Republicans. Hannity made this statement on his radio show.

“It’s simple to me to fix it,” Hannity said. “I think you control the border first. You create a pathway for those people that are here — you don’t say you’ve got to go home. And that is a position that I’ve evolved on. Because, you know what, it’s got to be resolved. The majority of people here, if some people have criminal records you can send them home, but if people are here, law-abiding, participating for years, their kids are born here, you know, first secure the border, pathway to citizenship, done.”

“You can’t let the problem continue — it’s got to stop,” the conservative radio host added.

That has been the long held position on Democrats and rationale conservatives> Welcome to reality, Mr. Hannity.

John Renaud - In Sadding Around

Youtube musician John Renaud recorded his cover of the Jawbreaker classic. This is one of the best covers I have ever heard.

Quote of the Day

"Sean Hannity is about to have Herman Cain on to talk about New Black Panther voter intimidation. This is going to be amazing."

Matt Binder, on Twitter.

Let the wonderful conspiracy theories begin.

President Elect Romney's Website.

Taegan Goddard took some screen shots of the Mitt Romney President Elect website before it was taken down. This is one to save for the ages.

Dean Chambers Admits He Was Wrong

President Barack Obama was elected to a second term. Dean Chambers predicted a Mitt Romney victory. In an interview with Bussiness Insider, Chambers admits he prediction was wrong.

"Nate Silver was right, and I was wrong," Chambers said in a phone interview.

Chambers note believes their was more Democratic momentum.

"I think it was much more in the Democratic direction than most people predicted," Chambers said. "But those assumptions — my assumptions — were wrong."

What happened was that the Obama campaign's ground game was excellent. In many parts of the country the Obama campaign surpassed their 2008 turnout. If Team Romney actually took their ground game seriously Mitt Romney would be the president-elect. Instead, Romney dragged his party down ob ballots across the country. Mitt Romney was the best thing to ever happen to Barack Obama. Romney is the worst Republican candidate since Bob Dole.

Chambers takes Scott Rasmussen's polling to task.

"He has lost a lot of credibility, as far as I'm concerned," Chambers said. "He did a lot of surveys. A lot of those surveys were wrong." "He has lost a lot of credibility, as far as I'm concerned," Chambers said. "He did a lot of surveys. A lot of those surveys were wrong."

Rasmussen's credibility was shot long before last night.

Side note: I will give Chambers credit for admitting he was wrong. We aren't about to see a confession from Dick Morris anytime soon.

Romney, Ohio, & Trump

The media has declared President Obama the winner. The Mitt Romney campaign is contesting the vote in Ohio. Romney has other problems. Obama just pulled into the lead in Virginia. The college electoral map is so bad for Romney that Ohio will not likely help him.

If Romney is going to start contesting votes then Donald Trump is going to have to hold off on his calls for armed revolution against President Obama.

He lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012

It is amazing that Trump is taken seriously in Republican circles.

Update: Dave Weigel tweets this bad news for Team Romney.

Nobody tell Rove, but the Ohio GOP has conceded and gone home.

Romney Headquarters Not Talking To Media

George Zornick of The Nation tweets this. Team Romney is in shock and shutting down.

On CNN, Candy Crowley says the Romney campaign has stopped answering calls and emails within the last hour.

Wow.

Romney Party Not Worth the Cost

They are passing out Romney chocolates twitter.com/rumpfshaker/st…

— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) November 7, 2012

Media have to pay to get into the Romney campaign election night headquarters. For their money they get tiny pieces of candy that look like condom packs.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is locked in a tight race with Democratic President Barack Obama, will be holding his election night gathering at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, where access costs anywhere from $75 for a chair in the ballroom to $1,020 for permission to use the media filing center. Broadcast news organizations will be paying up to $6,500 for workspace.

Rich people like Romney are the cheapest and greediest imaginable.

West - Murphy Race Still Being Tallied

Allen West leads Patrick Murphy 50.33 to 49.67. The race has not been called yet.

Karen Castor Dentel Wins FL House District 30

Karen Castor Dentel (sister of Rep. Kathy Castor) wins the Florida House seat for district 30. Here is the statement from Florida Democratic Party chairman Rod Smith.

“We congratulate Karen Castor Dentel on her decisive victory tonight. Throughout her career, Karen has been a strong advocate for children and families in central Florida and she will take that same leadership to Tallahassee.

“Karen’s victory tonight is not just a win for middle class families but for those who are tired of the broken politics of the Republicans in Tallahassee. After waging what was one of the most despicable campaigns in American politics - fueled with special interests cash - Will Weatherford and the Republican’s false, disgusting attacks against a mother and schoolteacher will not be forgotten.

Dentel's victory is particularly sweet after The Committee to Protect Florida falsely linked her to convicted rapist Jerry Sandusky. CPF is a PAC run by incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford. It is nice to see Dentel beat this garbage.

Tammy Baldwin Wins

AP calls it for Tammy Baldwin.

AP reports that Tammy Baldwin will become America's first openly gay Senator.

This is certainly not a tea party year.

Elizabeth Warren Wins

NBC declares Elizabeth Warren the next junior Senator of Massachusetts. Many people thought that Warren never had a chance with this race. Warren is the netroots biggest victory. Markos Moulitsas made electing Warren a top priority.

Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas explained that of all the House and Senate elections this year, her race was the number one priority among progressives.

“Nobody else even comes close,” he said. “We put her up with [Sens.] Franken, Merkley, Boxer, Brown, the two Vermont senators – the solid core of progressives.”

Warren raised $6,521,723 on Actblue. That is a staggering number.

Bill Nelson Wins

Sen. Bill Nelson wins a third term. Early reports are that Nelson beat Connie Mack by 800,000 votes. That is what you call an ass kicking. Blogger Peter Schorsch had a harsh assessment of Connie Mack.

Congratulations to Bill Nelson, GFY to Connie Mack, the worst Fla. Senate candidate in years.

First Katherine Harris. Now Connie Mack. Does the Florida Republican establishment go out of their way to find the worst possible candidate to run against Nelson? Can we expect Alan Keyes to run against Nelson in 6 years?

Update: Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, released this statement.

The people of Florida should be very proud to have re-elected a fierce advocate for their state in Senator Bill Nelson. Senator Nelson has always put Florida first, and fought tirelessly for Florida’s economy and for the seniors and middle class families of his state. Even though deep-pocketed Republican special interests spent many millions trying to deceive voters, Senator Nelson’s optimism and relentless drive won the day. I look forward to continue working with him in the United State Senate.

Joe Donnelly Leading Richard Mourdock

CNN.com has Joe Donnelly leading Richard Mourdock 50 percent to 44 percent. 32 percent of the vote has been counted. I hope the trend stays that way. Mourdock called rape a gift from God.

“I struggled with myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that is something God intended to happen.”

Lois Frankel Leading Adam Hasner

From Howie Klein.

#FL22- Progressive Lois Frankel starts off ahead of lunatic fringe wingnut Adam Hasner- 62.2%- 37.8%

Bye Bye David Rivera

Marc Caputo reports that it appears to be over for Florida's troubled Congressman David Rivera.

David Rivera is looking pretty doomed, losing to Joe Garcia 54-43% with all early ballots in. Tough to see Election Day catchup

Rivera still has to deal with a federal corruption investigation. His problems might have just begun.

Congratulations to incoming Congressman Joe Garcia.

Ronda Storms Losing

This delights me to death. Ronda Storms is losing to Democrat Bob Henriquez.

Bob Henriquez takes 11% plus lead on Ronda Storms in Early Vote in #Hillsboroughcountyfl Property Appraiser race #Tampa

Storms has a lot of name recognition in Hillsborough County. Henriquez is a good candidate, but I would have never have imagined him beating Storms by double figures. I wonder if it is because people are getting tired of Storms' antics or if the Obama GOTV drive is that good?

Panic Setting In For Romney Campaign

Jonathan Martin of Politico tweets this email he got from a Romney campaign staffer.

A senior GOPer w close ties to Romneyland emails a single word: "worried."

This is going to be a long night for conservatives.

Obama's Midwest Firewall

Ohio and Wisconsin are part of what the Obama campaign's Midwest firewall. If Team Obama can hold on to both states they are in good shape to win the electoral college. Ohio appears to be in the win column for President Obama. Apparently, someone from the Romney campaign leaked Ohio's internal tracking to CNN.

CNN: Through Sunday, Romney's internal tracking had Obama winning Ohio by 5 points.

Pasco County Swings Republican

Mitch Perry writes that Republicans outvoted Democratsin Pasco County, Florida by 8 points.

No, that's not just early voting/vote by absentee calculations - Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is actually posting in something like real time - as real as it gets, I suppose - the total number of votes cast today, Election Day, in Pasco.

As of 4 p.m., 81,950 ballots had been cast in total by Republican voters - that includes early voting, absentee, and votes at the polls. Democrats were at 41,650. Broken down percentage wise, that's 43 percent for Republicans, 35 percent for Democrats.

No Democrat has won Pasco County since Al Gore won by under a thousand votes. I'm actually surprised to learn that Gore won the county in 2000. Pasco County is very rural and conservative. Romney needs to do well in counties like Pasco, in order to win Florida. Short answer: Obamanever hadachance in Pasco County

Quote of the Day

"Today is the day for America to stop leading from behind."

Rick Santorum

For a hetrosexual guy, Rick Santorum sure knows how to make his tweets sound homoerotic.

Chris Christie vs Romney Staffers

Gov. Chris Christie lashed out against Mitt Romney campaign staffers. Christie described Romney's team as "know-nothing, disgruntled” people.

"So all this other noise, I think, are coming from know-nothing, disgruntled Romney staffers who, you know, don’t like the fact that I said nice things about the president of the United States,” Christie said at a news conference on Tuesday. “Well, that is too bad for them."

Ouch.

Christie told The Hill that he told Romney he would not attend any campaign events if Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey. I don't have a dog in this fight. But it is interesting to see how Team Romney is going after Christie.

Jay-Z - “99 Problems But Mitt Ain’t One”

Tomorrow is election day. I will be blogging the results live tomorrow. So tune in.

Mitt Romney (Sort of) Basks in Rick Scott's Charisma

I mentioned earlier my delight at the possibility of Gov. Rick Scott campaigning with Mitt Romney today. Scott shared the same stage as Romney. However, the two never appeared together. That is a shame. That would have been the photo op for the ages.

"Over 4.4 million Floridians have already voted," Scott said. "Why have they voted? They know we have to have a change." He mixed messages, bemoaning loss of jobs but touting dropping unemployment in Florida.

Despite his gusto, Scott never appeared on stage with the candidate. Scott introduced Romney but then a long biographical video played before the candidate took the state. Still, despite Scott's popularity problem in the polls, Romney thanked included him in the shout-outs before launching into his own stump speech.

Now is not the time for idealism

And I never thought I would say that.

Back in 2000, when I campaigned for Ralph Nader and became a local Green Party official afterwards, it was the perfect time for idealism.  Computers and the corporate Information Technology sector was new and growing rapidly, hoping to replace the manufacturing jobs leaving our economy and offer new people entering the workforce a quick way to become members of the middle class quickly.  After eight years in office, Clinton balanced the budget.  Nobody thought that our government would be stupid enough to launch two massive and useless wars in foreign countries.

The time just seemed ripe for the advancement of progressive causes -- to spread more equality throughout American society.  To limit our military involvement around the globe.  To address environmental issues.  America seemed like it was finally at the point where we could advance these issues.

Then, of course, Bush stole the 2000 election...  It's not like Al Gore was a spectacular candidate.  And back then, everyone who supported Nader would have told you that Bush and Gore were the same because both candidates ran moderate, non-threatening campaigns.  I remember Bush saying in a debate that he wasn't for military interventions followed by nation building.  (It must have been one of those debates that I wasn't on the street, protesting.)

Bush ruined the balanced budget with an abhorrent tax cut, and he used 9/11 as an excuse to needlessly invade two countries.  Lack of banking and corporate regulations during his administration led to an enormous real estate bubble that, when it popped, threatened to bring the entire global economy into a depression.  In short, Bush really fucked America over and the effects will continue to reverberate decades from now.

For Obama's part, he's not the ideal president; nor is he an idealist.  What needs to be asked, though, is if Obama is the president that we need right now.  Is America at the point where idealism can help us?

I think the biggest difference between Obama and other candidates was shown with the auto industry bailout.  Romney would have allowed the auto industry to shutdown.  This is what should be called "brutal capitalism".  Before the Great Depression and FDR's administrations, the American economy was dominated by cycles of growth periods going into recessions, then depressions, then back to a recession and into full-blown growth again -- but the depression periods were brutal.  America almost didn't make it out of the Great Depression until FDR laid down a government supported social safety net that allowed the economy to bounce out of a recession before becoming a full blown depression again.

Roosevelt's social safety net, it should be noted, was idealism that worked.  The time was right for it.

Without the social safety net, depressions start a domino effect: One factory closes and people lose their jobs, then the supplies of parts for those factories shut down; more jobs lost.  Lower grade retail and service jobs are next, since laid off factory workers are no longer buying goods because they don't have money.  The economy just cascades downwards from there...  When a factory shuts down, it's hard to bring it back online.

Obama understood this dynamic with the auto bailout, and he understood the government's necessary role to step in and keep these factories open.

Romney and the Republicans don't understand this.  They have no concept of a social safety net, and hardly anyone living right now has first hand experience with the brutal capitalism.  The current make up of the Republican Party is so seeped in the throes of Ayn Randian objectivist dogma that they willingly lack the historical perspective of the Great Depression, and the state of capitalism before the social safety net was put into place, that they would follow their unfounded beliefs straight off the cliff and allow factories to shut down.  They just don't believe in the domino effect caused by brutal capitalism since they choose to ignore all of the empirical evidence that proves such.

This is not the mindset of an adult.

During FDR's time, the adult decision was idealism and a guided shift to enlarge the role of government in the economy.  Right now, the only idealistic shift in government being offered that has a chance of winning at the polls is a reversal of FDR's social safety net.  That kind of idealism isn't the adult choice, and though I don't think the ideology of the two major parties differs all that much, I do see a big difference in the maturity of both major party candidates.

Neither candidate is perfect.  Hell, neither candidate is ideal.  But only one of these candidates is an adult, and it sure as hell ain't Romney.

A decade or two from now, I hope America can return the point where a jump to more progressive ideals is logical.  We were there in 2000, but we've lost too much ground since then.  I kinda have to vote with my wallet, full stomach and roof over my head at this point -- because I am not backtracking on any of that -- and hope for another chance to vote for idealism later in my life.