Ted Cruz Continues Fight Against Al Franken on Net Neutrality

I dislike everything about Senator Ted Cruz. Superficially, I'm annoyed by his perpetually creepy face and his annoying, mosquito-buzzing-by-your-ear voice. More seriously, it pisses me off how he plays to his base. But does he believe his own patter? Is he a patronizing douche, who calculatedly throws red meat to the savages? Or is he an egotistical ignoramus who believes that whatever claptrap falls out of his mouth is the truth?

Say what you want about Senator Al Franken, but he's genuine. He knows what he's talking about, and he believes in what he's saying. In the case of Net Neutrality, Franken--who has championed the idea for years--is explaining what it is, in reality. Ted Cruz calls it "ObamaCare for the Internet," and makes rotary phone analogies, neither of which makes a lick of sense in regard to the subject. Cruz is outmatched here, but to paraphrase President Obama again, "Please proceed, Senator."

[Excerpt]

Ted Cruz Hits Back At Al Franken On Net Neutrality

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) responded on Monday to comments made by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) about net neutrality, the latest exchange in what is becoming an ongoing, public back-and-forth. The debate began when Cruz dubbed the concept "Obamacare for the Internet." Franken said in an interview on Sunday that Cruz has no idea what he's talking about. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Facepalm: Michele Bachmann Embarrasses Herself (And Us) One More Time

Michele Bachmann is not running for reelection to Congress in 2014. But that doesn't mean she's going to stop embarrassing herself, or the country. Just take a look at this. Marcus, come get your beard wife! She's doing that thing again!

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Crazy Eyes, Remixed

Video found (and headline stolen from) JoeMyGod.com

Gay Marriage in the USA: Minnesota Makes 12 (Plus DC!)

Image from source, ABC News

Whatever spin the anti-gay groups like the badly named National Organization for Marriage come up with, there is no denying it. There is a wave of momentum in the struggle for marriage equality. On top of four (out of four!) successful electoral fights in November 2012, and both DOMA and Prop 8 about to be decided by the Supreme Court in June, we've had three states affirm same-sex marriage in the space of two weeks.

While no one knows what to expect from SCOTUS, it is widely believed that one way or another, California will be added to the tally to make thirteen states plus the District of Columbia. Whether the DOMA ruling expands that number further, paves the way, or puts up a road block remains to be seen. Almost nobody expects a broad ruling that expands marriage equality in one fell swoop (though that would be great!). But few expect for DOMA to be outright upheld either. In fact it's ironic that the DOMA case hinges upon an unfair tax law, a usually conservative issue.

But while we wait, we can celebrate! Same-sex married couples are now legally recognized in over 25% of the country (by state/district). When California joins that column, we will really add to the tally, not just of states but of people. Now, if my home states of Ohio and Nevada could step it up a little (the ground troops are working on it!).

[Excerpt]

Minnesota Senate Votes to Allow Same-Sex Marriage

After a day of passionate yet respectful speeches on both sides of the issue, the Minnesota State Senate voted 37-30 to legalize same-sex marriage today, overcoming the last hurdle before the bill moves on to Gov. Mark Dayton, who supports giving same-sex couples the freedom to marry. Minnesota would join 11 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing same-sex marriage, meaning that about 18 percent of the country’s population has the option to marry regardless of gender. . .

Read more at: ABC News

Minnesota Poised to Become 12th Marriage Equality State (Plus DC)

Image from TheWeek.com

The speed that marriage equality is sweeping the nation (and in some cases, the world) is a little dizzying, and has made me worry that the blog could be over-focused on the topic. Though "the gay" has always been a part of the blog, it was never the focus. But the news cycle won't let me get away from it.

Minnesota's House has just passed marriage equality, and it is assured passage in their Senate, and by the Governor. That will make them the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage, plus the District of Columbia. It's awkward to keep putting that plus DC in there, but until it's a state, there you go. . . Anyway, when you factor in the almost certain re-addition of California in June, and the possible passage in Illinois, then this could really be the year of the "tipping point." But let me tell you, for everyone who thinks things are moving "too fast," I will agree on one hand that things seem to be snowballing, and disagree on the other.  As a gay man approaching 50, I feel like this is dragging out. Though AIDS dealt the gay community a colossal hit (and continues in some measure) in the 1980s, there was progress being made on gay rights then.

Though recent accomplishments have been remarkable, I can't help thinking things shouldn't be dragging out for decades. We are nearly 45 years since Stonewall. Isn't it time we put this issue into the record books, and moved past homophobia and religious overstepping? Still, kudos to Minnesota, who will have almost certainly wrapped it up in their state early next week. You put us over 25% of the country!

[Excerpt]

Minnesota House Passes Gay Marriage

A historic vote Thursday in the Minnesota House positioned that state to become the 12th in the country to allow gay marriages and the first in the Midwest to pass such a law out of its Legislature.
Lawmakers approved it 75-59, a critical step for the measure that would allow same-sex weddings beginning this summer. It's a startling shift in the state, where just six months earlier voters turned back an effort to ban gay marriage in the Minnesota Constitution. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Rep. Keith Ellison Rips Sean Hannity a New One

Lou Costello and Keith Ellison, from The Daily Caller

Here's an odd one. On Tuesday, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) was on Sean Hannity's show, and was extremely combative with the host, after Hannity aired a very distorted view of President Obama (surprise!). It is odd firstly because people like Hannity are rarely really taken to task, live on TV, on their own network. It is odd secondly because both sides--conservatives and liberals--were delighted by the segment. I'm giggly as a school girl when Hannity gets even a modicum of comeuppance. I think he's a doughy, mean-spirited moron. Conservatives somehow think Hannity came off the victor. . .I don't see how, but. . .okay. To me, Ellison's only error was even classifying what Hannity does as yellow journalism. He's no journalist, not even a bad one.

[Excerpt]

On-air fireworks erupt between FNC’s Sean Hannity and Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison


Live on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel show on Tuesday night, Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison ripped into Hannity for airing a video of President Barack Obama’s remarks on the sequester to the tune of the “Carmina Burana” overture “O Fortuna” by Carl Orff.

Read more: The Daily Caller

Chris Kluwe's Pro-Marriage Equality Radio Ad

Image from Minn Post

I've never been a football fan, but this guy is great, and so is his message.

Rick Santorum Wins All Three Meaningless Contests!

Oh, GOP. What has become of you? Your front-runner can't get up to speed. Your also-ran is thoroughly unlikeable (as is the front runner). You've got a crazy old man with a rabid (but small) following. And you've got a church fart who couldn't win the general election if Barack Obama came out as a gay, vegan atheist. Really, GOP? Rick (don't Google me) Santorum? Thrice??? And for the comedy kicker, none of the contests is even binding! Seriously, WTF?

[Excerpt]

Breaking News: Santorum Wins All Three Caucuses

The dark horse, Rick Santorum, has won all three of tonight’s contests, in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. In Missouri, Santorum handily won with 57.4% of the vote. Mitt Romney had 26.4% and Ron Paul, 12.7%. In Minnesota, Santorum had 45.1%, Romney 17.0% and  Newt Gingrich, 10.7%. . .

Read more at: Addicting Info

Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann Makes it Official!

Michele Bachmann, talkin' to God, presumably.

Oh, joy! Oh, rapture! The wackiest of the wack-a-doos from the Republican Presidential hopefuls has made it official. Yes, Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)--who is only a household name because of her crazy antics--has mistaken notoriety for popularity. Anthony Weiner thanks you, Ms. Bachmann! You just became the news cycle.

[Excerpt]

Michele Bachmann Steals Show at GOP Debate to Announce Presidential Run

Rep. Michele Bachmann used the opening seconds of tonight’s first Republican debate to make news: She’s officially seeking the GOP presidential nomination.


The Minnesota congresswoman was invited to the debate as an undeclared candidate, despite ample evidence that she was planning a White House bid, and she used the first question posed to her to announce she had officially filed to run. . .
 
Read more at: ABC

Tim Pawlenty is Running for President

You down with T-Paw, dogg? Image from CBS

Surprise! We're now up to two declared candidates besides Barack Obama who are not batshit crazy, Tim Pawlenty and  Willard "Mitt" Romney. Willard has a couple of issues that may hurt him. Like, he lost last time to Grampa Simpson McCain. And he's a Mormon (not necessarily casting aspersions, but I know it's an issue with "the base"). Aaaaaand, there's Romneycare, that suspiciously like Obamacare thingybobber he passed in Massachusetts. TPaw doesn't seem to have those major flaws, but he has the charisma of a bar of (unscented) bath soap, and has made at least one embarrassing attempt to go all gangsta (for a white guy) to toughen his image.

But up against the crazies like Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and others (none of whom have thrown down yet), and the unappealing like Newt Gingrich, TPaw's only real competition is Mittens and maybe Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has the disturbing ability to make extreme things sound almost reasonable, so I'm worried about him. I'm not so worried about Pawlenty, except that he's so mild, he might just win.

[Excerpt]

Pawlenty says 'I'm running;" campaign downplays it



Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty may be running for president, but he's not ready to be official about it.



Pawlenty moved quickly Tuesday to knock down a CNN story that appeared to show him officially entering the race.

During an airing of Piers Morgan Tonight, taped earlier in the day, the talk show host remarked on Pawlenty's low standing in early polls. He asked if Pawlenty would consider being real estate tycoon Donald Trump's No. 2 on a ticket. The former governor laughed and responded, "I'm running for president. . ."

Read more at: CBS News

Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann's State of the Union Response

Why are there two responses to the President's State of the Union Address? And why is one from the rattling brain pan of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann? Hell if I know. This is the Tea Party's--or rather, the Tea Party Express'--response, rather than the GOP response. As though there's a difference. Let's see what sort of plan Miss Cuckoo Bananas has for us, shall we? I haven't watched yet, so I'll comment after. . .



Urrrpppp. . .That was a little hard to take. Why is she looking over my left shoulder? Distracting. Anyway, I don't trust any facts or figures from this woman without a fact-checking organization. Her history bears me out on that one. Also, Ewa Jamma? Honestly. Anyway, thanks to Joe.My.God. for finding the video so that I didn't have to look anymore, and also for the "Crazy Eyes" nickname. Perfect.

Michele Bachmann Rewrites History: Founding Fathers Fought Slavery?

Crazy Eyes, making shit up (Raw Story)

Recently, I wrote a post trying to puzzle out why Sarah Palin continues to be treated as relevant even though she has nothing of substance to say. I found a decent answer for that, even though I didn't write it myself.  But Palin isn't alone as a politician saying and doing crazy and/or stupid stuff, and getting press for it anyway. She's just one of the few who is out of office (I guess you could throw Newt Gingrich in with her).

Michele Bachmann is a sitting Congresswoman, who inexplicably keeps getting reelected. She looks nuts, she sounds nuts, and she just keeps coming up with them. Like Palin--but on a much smaller scale--Bachmann can say something utterly outrageous, crazy, stupid or untrue, and it doesn't seem to hurt her. She probably just solidifies the opposition and the support of those who already were in that camp. But I don't understand this. Check out what she had to say below. It's nuts. She's bananas. Or she's outrageously dishonest. If it's the former, what is she doing in Congress? If it's the latter, exactly how much respect can she have for the intelligence of her supporters?

[Excerpt]


Bachmann: Founding fathers ‘worked tirelessly’ to end slavery

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) said the United States was founded on racial and ethnic diversity and that the founding fathers were responsible for abolishing slavery.

Read more at: Raw Story

A Recount in Minnesota: The Sequel

Image from the Washington Post

One of the stories I followed closely on the blog was the 2008 Al Franken/Norm Coleman battle for US Senator from Minnesota. I've been a fan of Franken's since the early days of Saturday Night Live, and followed his political career from his series of books, to his radio show on Air America Radio. Were it not for that, I probably wouldn't have known who Norm Coleman was.  But reading about him after hearing who he was, my opinion of his was rather low. Rhymes with coosh.

Anyway, in the epic battle that followed the 2008 election, the votes were so close (with Coleman marginally ahead), a state-required recount was ordered. Along the way, Coleman loudly played the victor, and Franken was a bit more subdued.  Franken eventually prevailed, and eight months later was seated as a Senator.  Right-wing world spun off its axis declaring dirty tricks, voter fraud and anything else they could think of, though evidence doesn't support that conclusion.  They're still sore about it.

But did you know that it's happening again, in the same state? Me either. This time its the governorship, and isn't making much of a media splash. But the story--and its players--is a pretty interesting read. If the Democrat wins, the Republicans will squeal that he stole it. If the Republican wins, they'll high-five and have libertygasms all over the place (and they'll claim the Dems tried to steal it).  Either way, it could be interesting to watch.

[Excerpt]

Lights! Camera! Action! 'Recount'

Now playing in a political theater near you: "Minnesota Recount: The Sequel."



Like most sequels, the cast might not be quite as star-studded as the original, and the plot lines and the suspense might be, well, lamer. . .

. . .Democrat Mark Dayton leads Republican Tom Emmer by close to 9,000 votes, or 0.42 percentage points — according to unofficial results from Tuesday's gubernatorial election, a difference that requires a state-funded hand recount of every ballot. . .

Read more at: TwinCities.com

No More Frankens? The Real Story.

Image from Politico

The Republicans are still sore about the Sen. Al Franken (DFL-Minn.) victory after a long recount in 2008.  All through the state-mandated procedure, they were crying foul, claiming dirty tricks and cheating. Former Sen. Norm Coleman played along, going so far as to pretend that he'd won, and that Franken was a sore loser who should give up. Then, after it was all said and done, Franken won, and Coleman got involved in organizations that make those charming political ads we've been treated to for the last several months.

There's a group out there called No More Frankens determined to stop a similar thing from happening again. Which is puzzling, since what happened in Minnesota is what is supposed to happen, by law. But the "voter fraud" bogeyman--though he is rare indeed--is a prime issue for a lot of conservatives. I think it's mostly a pretext for voter intimidation from the right, but hey, just my opinion.  But before we get into what are sure to be several contested races on Tuesday (and bellyaching likely from both sides), what really went down in Minnesota in 2008?  Here's one take.

[Excerpt]

NoMoreFrankens? A Closer, Factual Look At The Minnesota Senate Recount



It seems almost certain that there's going to be a recount - or two or three -- come Wednesday somewhere in the United States, maybe in Nevada for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, maybe in Alaska where write-in ballots could determine Sen. Lisa Murkowski's fate, and even, some pundits believe, Sarah Palin's.



It's going to be fun. . .

Read more at:  TPMCafe

Tarryl Clark Fights "Crazy Eyes" Michele Bachmann

Yeah!  There is so much crazy to fight with Minnesota's Michele Bachmann, it had to be difficult for Democratic opponent Terryl Clark to choose just what to say about her. But the issue of Social Security is a good one, a nice solid hit. And since Bachmann looks crazy in most photos, a liberal sprinkling of them in this ad serves a dual purpose.  I just hope we see more of these kinds of ads.  Clear, concise and effective.

Senator Al Franken on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Tuesday, the Republicans in the Senate (joined by two gutless Democrats) filibustered the defense bill.  Two amendments to the bill, the "Dream" act--an immigration bill--and a authorization to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) caused friction, but the reasons given for the filibuster don't really jibe with reality.  More on that later. First, one of my favorite Senators, Al Franken of Minnesota, had good things to say about ending the archaic policy. I thought I'd share.

Minnesota Jims Agree: No to Michele Bachmann!

Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann has been running a novel series of campaign commercials featuring a (admittedly cute) bowlegged guy named Jim.  Jim points out the supposed flaws of opponent Tarryl Clark, with iPod like graphics, while pointedly avoiding the cr-a-a-a-z-y antics of Bachmann herself. They're catchy, simple, and relatively unoffensive.  But apparently, bowleggedy Jim isn't actually a "Jim" at all, and the real Jims of Bachmann's Minnesota district are speaking up. These Jims aren't as cute, but the counter punch is.



And here's Bachmann's fake Jim in a typical ad:


Found at: Joe.My.God.

Sen. Al Franken at Netroots, on Corporations and Net Neutrality

Good stuff.

Did Illegally Voting Felons Put Sen. Al Franken Over the Top?

Image from source, FOX "News"

Ugh, here we go.  Here's what the always "fair and balanced" (ahem) has to say. . .

[Excerpt]

Felons Voting Illegally May Have Put Franken Over the Top in Minnesota, Study Finds

The six-month election recount that turned former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Al Franken into a U.S. senator may have been decided by convicted felons who voted illegally in Minnesota's Twin Cities.



That's the finding of an 18-month study conducted by Minnesota Majority, a conservative watchdog group. . .

Read more at: FOX "News"

I will certainly hold a skeptical attitude until something other than a "conservative watchdog group" weighs in.  But you can count on FOX "News" to pound this story just like they did the (fake) ACORN story, the (fake) "New Black Panthers" controversy, and endless others.  Things I wanna know:  1) Is it being alleged that Franken has orchestrated or knew anything about this rush of felonious voters? 2) Is it being alleged that these illegal voters only voted for Franken? 3) If not, how many illegal voters voted for Norm Coleman? As many as voted for Franken? More?  These are important questions toward the relevance of the story.

Michele Bachmann Has Energy Solution: Drill Here, Drill Now!

Looking like a weird kind of showgirl, with a big plant growing out of her head, Michele Bachmann (R-Teabaggistan) is seen here signing on to Newt Gingrich's blah-bitty-blah group of some sort, encouraging drilling for oil all over the danged place. Never mind that any oil "drilled here" just goes on the global market and does very little for our price at the pump. Never mind the big, spewing BP oil geyser in the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, Bachmann is batshit crazy, so of course no one would take her seriously. Right? Right?