Write A Caption: the GOP

Monty Python fan Litbrit tweeted this masterpiece.

Quote of the Day

"Even though Cain won’t be the nominee, his candidacy tells us a lot about the psychology of GOP activists. Our team wants someone authentic, creative, fresh, bold and likeable. And we don’t have much tolerance for too many facts or too much information. In politics, a bumper sticker always beats an essay. Cain’s 9-9-9 is a bumper sticker; Romney’s economic plan is an essay. Perry’s rationale for giving the children of undocumented workers in-state college tuition rates is an essay. No hand-outs for illegal aliens is an effective bumper sticker."

Ed Rogers, Republican consultant.

Rogers can publicly say that Republican voters are stupid because he knows they do not read the op-ed section of the Washington Post.

Why Cut, Cap & Balance is Clownish Legislation

How unserious are Republicans about the debt ceiling. The House Republicans "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill states that they won't raise the debt ceiling until they get a balanced budget amendment into the Constitution.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall not exercise the additional borrowing authority provided under subsection (b) until the Archivist of the United States transmits to the States H.J. Res. 1 in the form reported on June 23, 2011, S.J. Res. 10 in the form introduced on March 31, 2011, or H.J. Res. 56 in the form introduced on April 7, 2011, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, or a similar amendment if it requires that total outlays not exceed total receipts, that contains a spending limitation as a percentage of GDP, and requires that tax increases be approved by a two-thirds vote in both Houses of Congress for their ratification.

It would takes about 25 years to supermajorities in Congress to and pass the bill and the state to ratify the amendment. The debt ceiling needs to be raised on August 2.

What would Republicans do and Obama caved and actually agreed to not sign a debt ceiling increase until a balance budget amendment was in the Constitution. Wall Street would freak on the Republicans. The tea party would demand that Republicans stand on principle. Republicans would probably run from their own balanced budget amendment proposal. The GOP could turn the base away from a balanced budget amendment under the absurd logic that they can't support their own proposal because Obama supports it. This is why you don't legislation and the Constitution for publicity stunts.

Republicans' Jobs Plan Has No Jobs Plan

The Republican National Committee unveiled its site "Hope Isn't Hiring." Attacking President Barack Obama on the economy is smart politics. However, that is all the RNC does. Nowhere on the site does the RNC make the case for the Republican Party's economic policies. It is hard to fill a pages with chants of tax cuts and less regulations. The web site does take the time to attack Obama on social issues.

The Case Against Obama: Social Issues


Despite It Being The Law Of The Land, Obama Refused To Continue To Defend The Defense Of Marriage Act In Court

Obama Repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell While U.S. Troops Are Still On The Battlefield

Despite Obama’s Misleading Rhetoric, ObamaCare Will Provide Federal Funding For Abortions

Obama Rescinded The Conscience Clause, Exposing Doctors And Nurses To Discrimination

Obama Has Repeatedly Nominated Liberal Extremists To The Federal Bench

Obama Opposed California’s Prop 8 And Has Expanded Government Recognition Of Same-Sex Couples

Obama Ordered Federal Tax Dollars To Support Embryonic Stem Cell Research Until A Federal Judge Intervened

Obama Supports Planned Parenthood And Its Federal Funding Of Abortions

Obama Is Against School Choice And Giving Parents Control Over Their Children’s Education

Many Americans No Longer Feel That The President Shares Their Values

If Obama spent more time discriminating gays then jobs would magically appear.

A few facts: Obama signed an executive order forbidding any federal funds from the Affordable Health care Act from funding abortions. The exception being in the case of rape and incest. Obama's execiutive order was a step back for reproductive rights.

Obama budgeted money so 1,716 District of Columbia students could attend private schools. Obama caved from his original position against D.C. student vouchers. Obama is a supporter of charter schools.

Part of the administration's educational reforms also include plans to close the poorest performing 5 percent of schools in the nation, turning some of them into charter schools.

"There's no silver bullets here," the president said. However, he said, "There are some charters that have figured out how to do a very good job. What we've got to do is look at the success of these schools and find out how do we duplicate them... What I'm interested in ... is fostering these laboriteies of excellence."

The Conscience Clause is unconscionable. This would allow doctors and nurses not to performs abortions and other medical procedures that is their faith. Even if the patient's life is in danger. This policy is also unpopular. This Tampa Bay community was outraged when a rape victim was wrongly jailed and an Orient Road Jail nurse refused to give her the morning after pill. Republicans are so scared of the Christian Right that they are attacking Obama for not supporting a policy that would mandate a rape victim would carry a child to term. How this Republican policy is suppose to create jobs is beyond me.

Most Conservative Members of Congress

The National Journal has compiled a list most conservative members of Congress. You will be shocked to learn the list is made up of old white Republican guys.

Tied for first

John Barrasso
Saxby Chambliss
John Cornyn
Mike Crapo (best name ever for a pol)
Jim DeMint
John McCain
James Risch
John Thune

9. Tom Coburn
10. Roger Wicker

Quote of the Day

"And if the GOP block the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, despite the careful Pentagon study, a slow roll-out of its provisions, and support from the Joint Chiefs chairman and the defense secretary, then we will find out something else. The contempt the GOP has for gay lives, gay citizens and those who wear the uniform of the United States is as deep and as vile as we ever thought it was. Yes, I'm angry at this general nihilist partisanship, and wounded once more by these people's profound, obsessive homophobia. But I cannot, alas, say I am surprised. The degeneracy has been building for a long time. It is just the stench of it right now that overwhelms the nostrils."

Andrew Sullivan, on the Republican Party's homophobia.

What Passes As Journalism In the Beltway

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

Rachel Maddow calls out Politico for just running quotes without checking facts. An off-the-record Republican staffer claimed to

The roots of the partisan standoff that led to the postponement of the bipartisan White House summit scheduled for Thursday date back to January, when President Barack Obama dominated a GOP meeting in Baltimore and delivered a humiliating rebuke to House Republicans.

The one-sided televised presidential lecture, which many Republicans decried as a political ambush — Obama’s staff wanted the event to be broadcast and GOP aides agreed reluctantly at the last minute — has left a lingering distrust of Obama invitations and a wariness about accommodating every scheduling request emanating from the West Wing, aides tell POLITICO.

“He has a ways to go to rebuild the trust,” said a top Republican Hill staffer “The Baltimore thing was unbelievable.”

The original version of the Politico article had the GOP staffer claim that House Republicans didn't even know Obama was going to come to speak at their event. That is rather surprising considering Republicans invited Obama. Rep. Mike Pence sent out a press release announcing Obama would be at the retreat.

House Republicans are grateful that the President of the United States has accepted our invitation to meet with the Republican Conference later this month.

House Republicans look forward to presenting the president with our proposals to protect our nation, create jobs, control federal spending, lower the cost of health care, achieve energy independence and strengthen families.

What House Republicans are really angry about is that they offered the invitation with the thought that Obama would not come. Republicans thought they could get good PR by using the retreat to prove Obama is not bipartisan. Unfortunately for Republicans, Obama is bipartisan to a fault and much better on television. Obama won a debate with a bunch of Republicans that aren't used to getting called out on their talking points.

Obama's 60 Minutes Interview

Obama is a student of Abraham Lincoln's administration. Obama should pay attention to what happened during the Clinton years. President Bill Clinton faced massive Republican resistance on health care and gays in the military. For an administrfation that vowed not to repeat the same mistakes of the Clinton administration they are doing a good job repeating the same political mistakes.

In a 60 Minutes interview, Obama said he was shocked by the political price Democrats had to pay for the health care bill. Was Obama under the impression health care reform was a big winner for Democrats in 1994? The Republican landslide of 1994 doesn't register as people were really grateful Clinton tried and failed at health care reform.

"I made the decision to go ahead and do it, and it proved as costly as we expected - probably actually a little more costly than expected, politically," he said.

The interview gets worse. Obama was expecting cooperation from Republicans.

"I couldn't get the cooreration from Republicans that I had hoped for," he said. "And that was costly, partly because it created the kind of partisanship and bickering that really turn people off."

If Obama didn't spend so much time running for President; he might have noticed Republicans weren't in a bipartisan mood when Democrats were in the minority. It is like Obama lived in his own fantasy cloud during his tenure in the Senate and didn't pay attention to how little bipartisanship there is with both parties.

Obama Press Conference

Obama's press conference today has been posted on Youtube. I haven't seen it yet. I am going to live blog the presser as I watch it.

Obama "looks forward" to working with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.

Mitch McConnell looks forward to using the Senate to make Obama a one term President.

The speech sounds very somber. Obama sounds tired. Last night wasn't good for Democrats.

Obama "very eager to sit down with members of both parties." Sorry Mr. President, but Republicans are telling their base you will not get anything passed.

Obama "eager to hear good ideas from Republicans. Does he like the GOP's ideas of shutting down the Department of Education and the IRS?

Obama: "Is their hope for civility." The Jon Stewart message.

Obama talks about bipartisanship. How about forcefully speaking about what he stands for.

First question is did voters rejects Obama's agenda. I don't think it is the agenda so much as the message.

Obama takes responsibility for the economy. Obama doesn't mention he passed biggest tax cut and deficit shrunk on his watch.

Taking responsibility for the economy is noble. However, Obama owns it. The Bush people hysterically tried to blame their economic problems on Bill Clinton.

Obama making the Republican argument that the stimulus made government "obtrusive." Don't make Michael Steele's argument for him.

Obama: "We didn't change how things got done." That is good honest criticism. Obama can still be populist by making the argument to change Washington. Even if Obama can't pass major reforms fighting for it will help him in 2012.

Question on health care repeal. I don't believe Obama you give in to Republicans on the legislation that may define his presidency.

Another health care question. It is obvious Obama believes he can win a health care fight with Republicans.

Question on chances on another stimulus. Obama goes into speaking about his horrible deficit commission.

Obama: "What are our priorities. What do we care about." The republicans care only about 2012.

John Boehner was a highly incompetent House Speaker. It won't change the second time around. Obama can politically out-maneuver him like Clinton did to Gingrich. The question is will Obama resort to that. Unlike Clinton, we have never seen Obama get angry enough for a partisan fight.

We are seeing Obama's reaction to the midterms is to move to the center. Obama wasn't exactly Paul Wellstone is first two years in office.

Obama's energy proposal is more drilling in America. Nuclear power is another energy option. Obama will give these concessions and then be called a socialist by Republicans.

Obama says he didn't push hard enough for transparency in Washington.

Jake Tapper asks Obama about the losses. Obama says, "It feels bad."

Obama on Bush tax cuts. Obama doesn't wanted to see middle class taxes spike when economy is bad.

Obama ducks question on if EPA will regulate emissions.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell question.

Obama says he's "a strong believer" in ending DADT. That is why Obama fought the DADT repeal ruling in court and pressured Alcee Hastings to drop his DADT repeal amendment.

Obama making the case the economy was in "freefall" when he came into office. Good.

Obama started out weak. He is now defending his policies. He needs to do more of this.

Obama say Republicans must have ideas. Obama still being bipartisan, but implying Republicans have to be more than party of no.

Obama makes John Boehner/slurpee joke.

Obama giving his pro-business spiel. I agree with Obama that the free market needs to pick up. What happens when the free market doesn't hire there is 10 percent unemployment. Obama should have created another FDR jobs program. Obama's neoliberal tendencies was tax cuts and expecting the private sector to hire by throwing stimulus money out there. The stimulus saved the economy, but it didn't turn the economy around.

Obama let's his guard down by talking about how he tries to collect with people while being in the bubble of the White House. Bush would never say these things.

Obama closing his statements.

The last few minutes when Obama let his guard down was him at his best. No Republican can humanize a message and speak from the heart the way he does. Obama's intentions to move to the center concern me. The Republicans aren't focused on governing. The GOP is thinking about 2012.

Quote of the Day

"Listening to Obama, he believes that he's supposed to work with the (Republicans) now. Listing to (Republicans), they believe they're there to destroy him now."

Joe Bardi, of Creative Loafing

Mitch McConnell made it clear getting the economy back on track is not the Republicans first priority.

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

There comes a point where Obama doesn't sound as if he is trying to be civil. Obama now sounds like he just can't accept reality.

Mr. President, the Republicans just aren't that into you.

Quote of the Day

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

Mitch McConnell

This is the entire Republican agenda and why they are obstructing everything Obama is trying to do. McConnell didn't say the "single most important thing" the GOP wanted to do was create jobs, reduce the deficit or even the standard lower taxes. Beating Obama in 2012 is their focus. The problems of the nation are secondary.

Republicans Heart Bill Clinton. Really?!?

The New York Times has a story of Republicans remembering how swell of a guy Bill Clinton was. Orrin Hatch told The Times Clinton will go down in history as a better president than Barack Obama. Paul Ryan had this staggering statement.

“The first two years of his term were one thing, but the rest of his presidency was tempered with moderation, and the nation benefited.”

A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that Bill Clinton is America's most popular politician. If Republicans diss Clinton, the former president can point out how much better America was when he was in charge.

MSNBC's Cenk Uygur showed video of Clinton stumping for Democrats and it doesn't sound like he likes Republicans all that much. That whole impeachment thing might have something to do with it.

Thought of the Day

Amanda Marcotte tweeted that female Republicans are no calling themselves "Steel Magnolias." I tweeted this response to Marcotte.

@AmandaMarcotte Conservatives calling themselves "Young Guns" & "Steel Magnolias." Is this an 80s movie revival?

Marcotte tweeted back.

@pushingrope Of course, many aren't young or from the South.

I'm sure you remember the grey-haired Congressman Kevin McCarthy trying to pass himself off as a young gun. Who is he trying to kid?

The RNC could do a great service to the country by getting elected Beltway Republicans a Netflix subscription. To any Beltway Republicans reading this. There have been movies made past the year 1989. There is a great one in the theatres right now called Inception. It may not star any of the actors in The Breakfast Club, but I'm sure you will enjoy it. And please stop using the names of bad 80s movies for marketing purposes. Most twenty-somethings don't know who Emilio Estevez is.

Quote of the Day

"Congressional GOP knows they can get away with most anything and the public will probably still choose them over Obama in 2010."

Erick Erickson, on Twitter.

Erickson is absolutely right. Obama hasn't made Republicans pay a political price for being the Party of No.

Arizona Republicans Sponsoring Homeless As Green Party Candidates

The New York Times ran an article on GOP operative Steve May has been recruiting homeless people to run as Green Party candidate. The Green Party is so dysfunctional that they can't field candidates for races. May knows it is easy to get these homeless people on the ballot. May is hoping some progressive Democrats will vote for the Green Party candidate (translation: May's homeless candidate) and take votes away from the Democrat on the ballot.

May freely admits to recruiting these candidates.

“Did I recruit candidates? Yes,” said Mr. May, who is himself a candidate for the State Legislature, on the Republican ticket. “Are they fake candidates? No way.”

Exploiting homeless people for political gain. Steve May is one poor excuse of a human being.

Quote of the Day

"But let us be clear about one thing: The tea party movement is not seeking a junior partnership with the Republican Party, but a hostile takeover of it."

Dick Armey, in his Wall Street Journal op-ed.

An anonymous K Street consultant wrote an article in Playboy explaining how he is pulling the strings of the Tea Party. Armey is another person who is directing the Tea Party through Freedom Works. The Tea Party has grown from its humble beginnings into a force the Republican Party fears. The question is does Mitch McConnell and John Boehner realize the Tea Party doesn't need them?

Quote of the Day

"That’s such crap. Say you’re the 'Party of No.' Of course you are. Everyone knows you are. Stop lying."

Conservative blogger Erick Erickson, on the Republican Party denying they are the Party of No.

Joe Barton Protecting His Best Interests

Republicans have been bending over backwards in defending BP. The Grand Old Party thinks BP shouldn't have to set up a $20 billion escrow account to pay victims of the oil spill. Rep. Joe Barton went as far as to publicly apologize to BP CEO Tony Hayward for the White House making BP set up the escrow account.

"I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation would be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown," Barton said.

"I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure," the 13-term congressman said. "That... amounts to a Shakedown. So I apologize."

How does Barton think the financial damage will be paid for. Barton is saying if a corporation "does something that is legitimately wrong" it should not be subjected to political pressure. Does Barton think the problem will magically go away on its own?

Anadarko Petroleum has been one of Barton's top campaign contribitor since 1989. Anadarko Petroleum is 25 percent owner of the Macondo Prospect; the site of the Deepwater Horizen rig that is ground zero for the oil spill. It is easy to see why Barton does not want oil corporations to be financially responsible for spills.

Update: Vice-President Joe Biden drops the hammer on Barton.

“There's no shakedown. It's insisting on responsible conduct and a responsible response to something they caused. And I find it outrageous to suggest that if in fact we insisted that B.P. demonstrate their preparedness to put aside billions of dollars, in this case $20 billion, to take care of the immediate needs of people who are drowning.”

Barton is now doing the walk of shame and issuing an apology.

“I apologize for using the term ‘shakedown’ with regard to yesterday’s actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my apology to BP,” the statement from his office read, ““I regret the impact that my statement this morning implied that BP should not pay for the consequences of their decisions and actions in this incident.”

Update: Florida Rep. Jeff Miller (R) calls on Barton to step down as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“I condemn Mr. Barton’s statement. Mr. Barton’s remarks are out of touch with this tragedy and I feel his comments call into question his judgment and ability to serve in a leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee,” Miller said in a statement. “He should step down as Ranking Member of the Committee.”

Update: Organizing For America head David Plouffe is calling for Barton's resignation as rankng member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“But big oil knows exactly who its allies are,” Plouffe – Obama’s former campaign manager writes, “Notably, companies like Halliburton -- the folks responsible for cementing the Deepwater Horizon rig -- are directing their political committees to deliver thousands of dollars to GOP candidates this cycle. Barton himself has received more than $100,000 from the oil and gas industry this election cycle. Barton should apologize to the people of the Gulf and he should step down as the highest-ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.”

Plouffe is close to Obama and members of the White House's political team. The White House must have given Plouffe the green light that Barton was fair game.

How Politically Tone Deaf Are Republicans?

Republicans do not understand how angry Americans are at BP for the Gulf Coast oil spill. Greg Sargent reports the Republican Study Committee called the escrow account "Chicago-style political shakedown." Rep. Michele Bachmann called the escrow account a "redistribution of wealth."

The President just called for creating a fund that would be administered by outsiders, which would be more a redistribution-of-wealth fund. And now it appears like we'll be looking at one more gateway for government control, more money to government. If there were a disaster, why is it government is the one who always seems to benefit from the disaster, and that's of course what cap and trade will be.

Did government financially benefit from the 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina disasters? The answer is no. The clean up cost billions. The Coast Guard and other military personal used to help with the BP clean up is costing the taxpayers. The escrow account is set up to financially compensate people who lost their jobs or had their properties damaged because of oil damage. Gov. Bobby Jindal shouldn't have to ask Louisianians to pay to clean up the damage of the marshlands. If BP dumped oil in Bachmann's backyard, I seriously doubt she would allow BP to pay for damages because it would be socialism. If Bachmann wants to defend BP and tell the people that are economically affected by the spill to fend for themselves then good luck campaigning with that message.

GOP Unleashes America Speaking Out

The Republican Party has released the web site America Speaking Out. The goal of the web site is to get the GOP's 2010 election year message out. As usual, Republicans fail epically with new media.

Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy described ASO.

“This is an open community and a debate of ideas; you submit the idea, you debate the idea, you put it into your network and you’ll continue to have that dialogue,” said project chairman and Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).

The web site allows open posting. The Huffington Post reports one post said the Civils Right Act was "UNCONSTITUTIONAL, PROGRESSIVE and HITLER." Apparently, wingnuts aren't aware that Hitler would not congratulate Jesse Owens or other African-American winners at the 1936 Olympics. Another poster suggested Orwellian level surveillance on Muslim Americans. So much for the Republican Party for building a big tent.

ASO is not run by the RNC or a political action committee. This is paid for by tax dollars. Republicans use the legal pretense that ASO is to shape policy. Thomas Mann and Meredith McGehee explain how this couldn't be further from the truth.

Congressional scholar Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said it is not credible to say the agenda is not intended for the 2010 campaign cycle.

“Its only purpose is as a campaign document,” Mann said in an e-mail. “They are in no position to shape policy before the election. It is a defensive move, to deal with the criticism that they are the party of ‘no.’”

But Meredith McGehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center, said Republicans have to maintain that the document is not meant for the campaign trail, even if it is only a charade. “If they don’t, they are in danger of using taxpayer funds for campaign purposes,” she said.

Blogger Steve Benen reports that Congressman Mike Pence would not elaborate on how the ASO web site will be paid for. This is why I never take Republicans seriously when they talk about fiscal conservatism.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele had similarly disastrous relaunching GOP.com. GOP.com had a future leadership page that was empty. The web site also mislabeled Jackie Robinson a GOP hero. The site was so amatuerish that it was hacked into. The GOP is a top to down party.

The reason grassroots activism and the internet work better for the net is because Democrats needs the votes and contributions of people not in the upper tax bracket. Democrats will not vote in force if they do not believe the candidate talks to grassroots issues. If Obama made offshore drilling and sending more troops to Afghanistan his two central campaign issues then John McCain would be President. Republicans rely on redistricting, fearmongering and winning presidential elections by razor thin margins. A conservative can post a comment about clawing back money from Goldman Sachs on ASO. The current Republicans are more concerned with getting Wall Street campaign dollars then creating regulations to prevent another economic meltdown. The open dialogue with voters is an election year sham.