Right Wing World: Presidential Politics Off The Rails

If this were my first or second year of blogging, I'd probably be typing my fingers into stumps, trying to keep up with the utter insanity overtaking Republican politics right now. But it isn't. I'm actually in my ninth year, and no longer feel compelled to hit this stuff quite so hard. I'm actually kind of glad I don't. It's making me crazy enough as it is.

Listen, I am aware that a lot of what's going on in the world is scary, confusing, complicated and difficult to process. It's just as hard as a hobbyist blogger (i.e., no more professional training than your average talk radio boob or FOX "News"-babe) to figure out what to write. The president spoke from the Oval Office last night, ordinarily something I'd write about. But I listened to the conservative response, which was uniformly negative, naturally, and just threw up my hands. Because, surely the president knows nothing and we really should be following what Joe Scarborough or Sean Hannity thinks we should do, right?

Image from source, Washington Post

Trouble is, the people auditioning for the actual president's job are quite arguably worse than the idiots in the conservative media. Any pretense at looking "presidential" is out the window. Any caution for how their words are perceived internationally is ignored. Even reality itself seems rather malleable in Right Wing World. You've got Trump ready to ignore Muslim Americans' civil rights, you've got Ted Cruz talking about nuking and "carpet bombing" (a war crime) swaths of the Middle East. Conservative standard-bearers--allegedly strict constitutional constructionists--want to throw out religious freedom (unless it's made-up Christian "persecution"). Everything has gone topsy-turvy. And it just keeps getting worse.

I get really bummed when I read internet polls or comments sections, and see these "conservatives" on board with this shit! This is allegedly the cautious party, the party afraid of change, the ones about "rule of law" and "personal responsibility" saying and doing whatever it is that their frothing-at-the-mouth, batshit crazy base will eat with a spoon. Regardless of whether or not it's the most anti-American, potentially unconstitutional, often internationally illegal and quite literally illogical claptrap ever spewed in politics.

Maybe I need to come back to this thing more often.

[Excerpt]

Donald Trump is a disaster for Republicans. And they can’t do a thing about it.

Donald Trump seemed to signal a new -- and even darker -- phase of his front-running campaign for the Republican presidential nomination Monday when he released a statement insisting that Muslims should be banned from entering the country under any circumstances "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on. . ."

Read more at: Washington Post

Right Wing World: Politicians Pander to Fearful GOP Fringe in Texas

I hesitated when writing "Fringe" in the headline. Because, clearly, the fringe has been wholly assimilated into the Republican mainstream these days. What would you have to believe to be considered a fringe right-winger these days? I mean, when you've got a batshit crazy conspiracy theory being given promotion and credence by elected officials and presidential candidates? You've gone around the bend, and I don't think you're coming back. So, please spare me the "both sides are the same." They really aren't. Find me a left-wing Louie Gohmert. You can't do it.

[Excerpt]

Conservatives Keep Pouring Fuel On The Texas Takeover Fire

The Pentagon has no plans to stage a military takeover of the Lone Star state. There are no tunnels covertly being constructed under West Texas' shuttered Wal-Mart stores.
So why are the fringes of the Internet still abuzz with rumors that the U.S. military is on the cusp of imposing martial law in "hostile" Texas under the guise of a training exercise dubbed "Jade Helm 15"? Representatives of the military and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R), whose state is expected to host part of the planned training exercise, have sought to tamp down speculation that "Jade Helm 15" is anything other than a standard training exercise. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Rick Santorum Gets Tea Bagged

For decades, conservatives pandered to the kooks and the crazies on their far right, throwing them red meat, and wooing their vote. When the Tea Party was born (immediately after the election of a black president, don't tell me it's a coincidence), suddenly, the nutbar fringe went front-and-center. The establishment tried to co-opt the brand, and sometimes has managed to weave them in while staying in control. But the rabble really weren't supposed to ever get actual power, ever have much of a say.

I don't know the right analogy, whether it's Frankenstein's monster, or more akin to a cancer or a zombie virus. But these batshit crazy people are getting more common, and closer than ever to the levers of power.

Listen to this tea bagger's insane rant, and watch how likely (repeat) presidential candidate Rick (don't Google me) Santorum dares not shut her down for fear of alienating a voting bloc.

[Excerpt]

Frothy Mix Gets Teabagged



Probable GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum appeared this past weekend at the South Carolina National Security Action Summit, an annual event held by Frank Gaffney and the Center for Security Policy. . .

Read more at: Joe.My.God.

Nevada Republican's State Assembly Speaker Openly Racist, Sexist, Homophobic*

Image from source, Think Progress

Nevada has faced a number of oddball candidates for office, from the Chicken Lady, Sue Lowden to the certifiably batshit crazy Sharron Angle. And for decades, we've had the Hansen family, from the "Independent American Party," which should absolutely, positively not be confused with your run-of-the-mill independents. The IAP is a very fringy party, where you thought fringes were impossible. And the Hansens tried for years to get into mainstream politics.

Undoubtedly some have, and there is a new one. I wasn't able to confirm that he's part of the same family, but if not he'd fit right in. Ira Hansen is the new Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly. And he simply is pure hard right wing id. No filter, no dog whistle, all right there in the front window.

Whew. Unbelievable.

[Excerpt]

Incoming Nevada Speaker Said Democrats Have ‘Master-Slave’ Relationship With ‘Simple Minded Darkies’

Nevada Assemblyman Ira Hansen (R), who the assembly’s Republican caucus selected as their choice to be its next speaker earlier this month, has a long history of racist, sexist and homophobic statements chronicled in a long list published by the Reno News Review. Among other things, as part of a broader statement of support for school vouchers, Hansen claimed that “[t]he relationship of Negroes and Democrats is truly a master-slave relationship, with the benevolent master knowing what’s best for his simple minded darkies.” Indeed, according to the News Review, Hansen keeps a Confederate battle flag on his wall, which he says that he flies “proudly in honor and in memory of a great cause and my brave ancestors who fought for that cause.” He also “tends to use the term ‘Negro’ and often does not capitalize it. . .”

Read more at: Think Progress

*Obviously, "racist, sexist, homophobic" are all subjective judgments by me, your editor. Though I'm not sure another conclusion could be drawn.

US House Stenographer Flips Out, Storms Microphone

It would have been much more fun if she'd been a little easier to understand on the C-SPAN camera. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "Oh, Papa Tuney, we got a looney!"

[Excerpt]

US House Stenographer Rushes Mic, Shouts About Mocking God And Jesus



As the shutdown votes were being tabulated in the US House tonight, a chamber stenographer rushed the microphone below the speaker's chair and began shouting about mocking God, the US Constitution, and her savior Jesus Christ. . .



Read more at: Joe.My.God

The GOP Has a Crazy Problem

Crazy Eyes herself, from source, Raw Story

Well, yeah, I've been saying this for years!

[Excerpt]
 
Republicans’ big problem with crazy
 
If you’re looking for a Republican congressman who truly embodies the ethos of the Tea Party, Maryland Representative Andy Harris is a pretty good pick. Harris, you see, is no fan of “big government” and he’s definitely not a fan of Rinos (“Republicans in name only”).

Harris made a national name for himself in 2008, when he successfully launched a primary campaign against insufficiently conservative 18-year congressional veteran Wayne Gilchrest. Although Harris lost in the general election, he was more successful two years later, joining his Tea Party contingent in the House of Representatives. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Virginia is for BORING Lovers?

There's got to be an easier (and more
Constitutional) way to "keep kids safe."

I swear, the GOP is getting meaner and weirder, and leaning toward batshit crazy, particularly at the state level. I mean, how do you explain an attorney general, aspiring-to-be-governor, who wants to reinstate a sodomy law. Not the kind of sodomy you're thinking of (though it's that too), but basically the really broad definition that includes just about everything but the missionary position. Who is the target audience for lawmaking like this? What in the world is the base this man covets?

[Excerpt]

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Campaigns On Effort To Restore Ban On Oral Sex

In an unusual move, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R), his party’s nominee for governor, launched a new campaign website Wednesday highlighting his efforts to reinstate Virginia’s unconstitutional Crimes Against Nature law. The rule, which makes felons out of even consenting married couples who engage in oral or anal sex in the privacy of their own homes, was struck down by federal courts after Cuccinelli blocked efforts to bring it in line with the Supreme Court’s 2003 Lawrence v. Texas ruling. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

What Happens in Vegas: TWO Wacky Republican Conventions!

I had a little trouble writing the headline, because I don't know that "Republican" is the right adjective. I mean, sure, one of the groups has it in their name. But with nutbars and fruitcakes in their lineups, like Wayne Allyn Root (he's at both!) and Joseph Farah of World Nut Daily, I think these are a couple of fringy affairs. Of course the fringe on the right is difficult to distinguish from the mainstream. Featured guests (though they seem to be slowly backing out) include some fairly powerful elected officials.

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

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

American Spectator Presents Tea Party Straw Poll

Being a liberal blogger, I've managed to get on quite a few unusual mailing lists, some on purpose, some not. One of them is The American Spectator, which I'd classify as an "establishment" Republican periodical. But to show what a fine line there is (if there is any distinction at all) between that group and "Tea Party conservatives," I'm not sure what it could be. Because this arrived co-branded.

Click to embiggen.

It's a 2016 presidential straw poll. And the list contains a mixture of boring conservatives, and absolutely batshit crazy tea baggers. I voted for the craziest one, Jan Brewer. Just because, y'know. . .what is that insane woman doing on a list like this?

I think by now it is clear that while "true" tea partiers might consider themselves separate and apart for the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove and Frank Luntz--who pull the strings from behind the scenes, and mold the conversation--the Tea Party is just the branded face of conservatism. There is no real distinction. Though I'm sure Rove et. al., would dearly love to cut the crazy out of the public face, they need them for their crazy base!

We liberals and progressives thought that the rogues gallery that emerged on the stage of the 2008 and 2012 Republican primaries was simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. Check out this list.

Click to embiggen. Be afraid, be very afraid!

So, That Happened: Glenn Beck's Vocal Chords are Paralyzed

Oh, come on! How am I supposed to report this little news nugget, and not come off like a jerk? Do I pretend that I think Glenn Beck has any value as a media personality? Do I ignore the irony of a batshit crazy voice being silenced? Do I not mock the faux (or real) air of seriousness in his video? His stolen-from-Bob-Dylan flash card drop? Do I acknowledge the fact that even though Beck is silenced, he'll get to milk this for publicity anyway? Or do I just pose a series of questions that gets me off the hook, without having to answer any of them?

The last one. That'll do.

Ps. I made it about a third of the way through, I couldn't take it any more.

Glenn Beck is Caught in a Conspiracy Theory Moebius Strip

So, according to Glenn Beck, there is a conspiracy afoot. See, his conspiracy theory is that the mainstream media is conspiring to make Beck out to be a conspiracy theorist. See, and the proof that this is happening, is that Beck--by revealing his conspiracy theory--is in fact a conspiracy theorist. But then, if Beck really is a conspiracy theorist, then. . .Oh, I'm lost now.

Epic suffering Beck image from NewsCorpse

[Excerpt]

Glenn Beck’s Latest Conspiracy Theory: The Media Is Conspiring To Label Him A Conspiracy Theorist

Before anyone asks — No, that headline is not from The Onion. And the best way to demonstrate the lunacy in Glenn Beck’s most recent harangue is to let Beck do it himself: “The media has a story line and an agenda, and they will get to it. And they certainly don’t want anybody to ever think that anything is ever planned. The media has their own agenda, and if the media has a storyline, it just writes it in. And currently the storyline is ‘conspiracy theorist. . .’"

Read the rest at: NewsCorpse

Michele Bachmann Not Running for Re-Election in 2014

Wha?!? Really? It's a blow to comedy, that's for sure. Maybe Marcus can now be free to let his glorious rainbow flag fly?

[Excerpt]

Michele Bachmann Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2014


Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) announced early Wednesday that she will not seek re-election in 2014. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Louie Gohmert is Apparently Insane

If you put your ear to his mouth, you can hear
the ocean. Image from Business Insider.

Yeah, I know. What else is new, right? I swear, this guy is like Berkeley Breathed character.

[Excerpt]

The Most Bizarre Moment From Attorney General Eric Holder's Congressional Hearing

Attorney General Eric Holder's hearing before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday grew heated, as members of Congress grilled him on everything from the Justice Department's obtaining of Associated Press phone records to President Barack Obama's Labor Secretary nominee, Thomas Perez. . .

Read more: Business Insider

In Case You Missed It: Lawrence O'Donnell's Rewrite of Rand Paul's Filibuster

Rand Paul took an additional step toward filling his dad, Ron Paul's shoes by mounting a political stunt of a filibuster this week. One person who was not impressed--to say the least--was MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell. If you'd like to see why, just watch Lawrence's brief introduction, followed by the babble and baffling batshittery that is Rand Paul. In his own words.

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

Rand Paul Ends 13-hour "Filibuster"

Image from source, NY Times

"Filibuster" usually means to talk and talk, and not yield the floor. But it hasn't meant that in the Senate for quite some time, where a Senator doesn't even have to reveal himself to declare the threat of a filibuster, and it's just a done deal. It's kind of pathetic. So, to the rescue is second generation batshit Senator Rand Paul. I'm not opposed to discussion over the CIA's use of drones, that's actually something that needs to be hammered out, and clearer in scope before. . .well, before someone like Rand Paul ever becomes President. So, good on him for the topic, and I guess good on him for the revival of a lost political form (last performed by Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2010).

But Paul in bonkers, after all, and the transcripts of his political theater piece will be unlikely to produce a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. And please, what is that thing on his head?

[Excerpt]

Rand Paul Ends Filibuster Of John Brennan Confirmation After Nearly 13 Hours

A small group of Republicans, led by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, stalled the Senate on Wednesday by waging a nearly 13-hour old-school, speak-until-you-can-speak-no-more filibuster over the government’s use of lethal drone strikes — forcing the Senate to delay the expected confirmation of John O. Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. . .

Read more at: The New York Times

In Case You Missed It: Jon Stewart's Reaction to Glenn Beck's Utopia

I'm playing a bit of blogger catch-up, what with an event on Monday, and some unexpected mid-week work on Wednesday. So, I'm a little late with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's reaction to the proposed right-wing CrazyTowns, "The Citadel," and Glenn Beck's "Independence." I've commented here on the blog about how counter-intuitive and bananas these armed, walled fortresses would be, but I can't touch Stewart's take. If you missed it, take a look.

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

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

CrazyTown II: Idaho Edition!

Click to embiggen. Image from source.

In case you missed it, Glenn Beck isn't the only one proposing a massive, self-supported, armed fortress of liberty and freedom. Conservatives are weird. I'd say "scary," but this is just too funny.

[Excerpt]

IDAHO: Survivalists Plan Armed Fortress

Idaho survivalists have launched a website detailing their plan to create an armed fortress city surrounded by a "defensible perimeter" complete with gun towers. . .

Read more at: Joe.My.God

Glenn Beck Wants to Build CrazyTown!

Too bad you're crazy. Too bad you're loony as hell. Image from RawStory

I'll be honest, I never saw the appeal of Glenn Beck. I caught a few of his early HNN shows, back in the day. I braved the insanity/inanity of his FOX "News" program. I have never listened to his radio show, or partaken in his online "television" program, but I've seen enough clips and excerpts to form a generally informed opinion: he's a loon. Batshit crazy. The butter has dripped off of his noodle.

Or, he's just a craven (albeit weird) manipulator, adept at wrangling money and attention from other crazy people. Beck's organized events have been grandiose, overblown and oddly vague. He reminds me of a faith healer or charlatan psychic, making vague predictions, and finding conspiracies in mundane things. He's certainly not averse to leaps of logic, extreme supposition, and strawman arguments. And he's good at taking any news story of the day, and bending and shaping it to fit his preformed narrative. Or, alternatively, shapes the narrative around the facts, making it up as he goes along.

It is scarier to me that Beck gathers such a fervent audience. Because Beck himself is--as Keith Olbermann used to say--Lonesome Rhodes. He's schtick. He may or may not believe what he himself is selling, but he's in it for the fame and fortune. So his latest scheme is just--oddly enough--the next logical step. But it isn't really original. Las Vegas has been attempting this sort of thing for years, a sort of self-contained living center, complete with amusement rides, shopping, movies, leisure. Beck has just married that idea to a 60s commune crossed with a heavy dose of Waco's Branch Davidians. And apparently, the key to freedom and liberty is to lock yourself in self-contained, walled off compound.

[Excerpt]

Glenn Beck hopes to build utopian city-theme park hybrid

Conservative personality Glenn Beck last week announced grandiose plans to construct a self-sustaining “city-theme park hybrid” that would reflect traditional American values. The city, to be called “Independence,” draws heavily from ideas espoused by Walt Disney and libertarian novelist Ayn Rand. The project is expected to cost more than $2 billion. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Right Wing World: Conservatives are Pissed at John Boner Boehner

This they're mad about? That John Boner Boehner purged some of the crazy-pants from his committees. Did they not notice how obviously and spectacularly bad at his job Boehner is? Of course, this particular move is an actual good one, so maybe that explains it. Everything is all topsy-turvy in Right Wing World!

[Excerpt]

Image from Politico

Right ballistic over John Boehner ‘purge’

House Speaker John Boehner is under fierce attack from conservatives in the blogosphere and on Twitter over his “purge” of several conservatives from top congressional committees, as well as for his offer to fend off the fiscal cliff. . .

Read more at: Politico

BirtherFest '12 with Pat Boone and Sheriff Joe Arpaio!

Let's just get this out of the way: "Birthers" are gullible, very likely racist fools, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio is King Moron. I don't say this because I don't like them (for the record, I don't) or from a place of ignorance and supposition. I've been following the birther phenomenon since its infancy, and have personally interacted with them both in their spaces and in mine.  They are tremendously argumentative, but don't argue logically. If you squash one of their (many, varied and often self-contradictory) parts to their theories, they change the subject. They have no problem with ignoring things that don't fit their narrative, and experts at hammering in puzzle pieces that don't really fit. They're insulting when you get a lick in, and falsely inquisitive and "concern trollish" if you manage to calm them down.

Image from Phoenix New Times
Click to embiggen.

The difference between a birther and any other conspiracy theorist is that in other conspiracies: 9/11 truthers, JFK conspiracy believers, moon landing deniers; all have at least semi-plausible reasons for their beliefs, at least at their beginnings. The moon landing was pivotal in the space race, and in the Cold War, making people wonder if it was faked in order to win that battle. The "magic bullet" theory in the JFK assassination is seemingly impossible. The events of 9/11 are difficult to explain, such as how it is that our military was unable to intercept four hijacked planes, how WTC 7 collapsed, and several other issues. All of those theories snowballed to ridiculous lengths, and all have those nagging self-contradictory (and implausible) elements. But all of them have parts that can make an otherwise sane, rational person go, hmmmmm. . . 

Birtherism isn't much like that. Oh, maybe for a minute, when the President's long-form birth certificate was found to have (gasp!) layers!!!1!!11! you might do a Scooby-Doo "HUNH?!?" Until you figure out that it is merely due to the scanning process (debunked myself, here). But there was no reason to suspect that Barack Obama was born anywhere other than Hawaii, as he has always maintained. There is no plausible storyline or evidence that puts Mrs. Obama in Kenya in August of 1961. None. Zero. Zip. Remember, this was a time of much more limited (and expensive) air travel and communications technology. The fact that two different papers had birth announcements proclaiming (in 1961!) Obama's birth puts a nail squarely in the birther coffin. Except, that birtherism is sort of undead, impervious to truthy wooden stakes and rational silver bullets. They are basically now, after-birthers, and they cling to their multiple theories even though they've all been disproved. If you don't believe me, you can check out virtually every birther nugget--all debunked--at ObamaConspiracy.org, as I've said several times before.

Still, amazingly enough, though their numbers have thinned, the after-birthers have got some heavy hitters on their side. Well, such as they are. There's a BirtherCon coming up in September, and the average age of its two biggest stars, one-time singer Pat Boone and Arizona's batshit crazy Sheriff Joe Arpaio--is 79 years old. I don't know if these men and the others appearing at the event are so stupid and/or gullible to believe in what they're saying. They may just be in it for the acclaim and the paycheck. But the swarm that attends is going to be made up of some very scary dudes.

[Excerpt]

Joe Arpaio, Pat Boone and Teabaggers Galore Hold BirtherFest September 22 at Celebrity Theatre

. . .The flier for the event promises that the 78 year-old Christian crooner will sing as well as speak. Wonder if he'll do any tunes from his 1997 album In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy. Always loved his cover of "Smoke on the Water." Not sure who the old biddies will be swoonin' for more, Boone, or geriatric heartthrob Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who'll be presiding at the event as Birther-in-Chief. . .

Read more at: Phoenix New Times