An editorial from the The Atlantic that we should ALL read.

Courtesy of The Atlantic:  

The Republican Party, as an institution, has become a danger to the rule of law and the integrity of our democracy. The problem is not just Donald Trump; it’s the larger political apparatus that made a conscious decision to enable him. In a two-party system, nonpartisanship works only if both parties are consistent democratic actors. If one of them is not predictably so, the space for nonpartisans evaporates. We’re thus driven to believe that the best hope of defending the country from Trump’s Republican enablers, and of saving the Republican Party from itself, is to do as Toren Beasley did: vote mindlessly and mechanically against Republicans at every opportunity, until the party either rights itself or implodes (very preferably the former). 

Of course, lots of people vote a straight ticket. Some do so because they are partisan. Others do so because of a particular policy position: Many pro-lifers, for example, will not vote for Democrats, even pro-life Democrats, because they see the Democratic Party as institutionally committed to the slaughter of babies.

We’re proposing something different. We’re suggesting that in today’s situation, people should vote a straight Democratic ticket even if they are not partisan, and despite their policy views. They should vote against Republicans in a spirit that is, if you will, prepartisan and prepolitical. Their attitude should be: The rule of law is a threshold value in American politics, and a party that endangers this value disqualifies itself, period. In other words, under certain peculiar and deeply regrettable circumstances, sophisticated, independent-minded voters need to act as if they were dumb-ass partisans.

The title of this article is "Boycott the Republican party."

And that is exactly what the article is advocating.

For very good reason in fact.

As you can see from the article below, the Republican party is now the party of Donald Trump, and therefore also the party of Vladimir Putin.

This is NOT the Red Scare of the 1950's for which Joseph McCarthy was justifiably vilified.

Unlike that case there is overwhelming evidence that we are under constant attack from a foreign entity determined to turn us against each other, and to undermine our democracy.

If the Republican party is unable to recognize that, or protect us from that, they have no right to represent us in Washington, or even in local state offices.

The scales of injustice.

And keep in mind this is the party that constantly brags about its pro-life agenda.

I guess lives are only precious while they are in the womb.

Donald Trump is driving young Republicans away from the GOP.

Courtesy of McClatchy: 

As the Trump presidency hits the one-year mark, the Republican Party confronts a yawning generational gap that has been exacerbated in recent months by Trump’s incendiary comments on race-related issues and the party’s official support for an accused child molester in Alabama’s Senate race. 

Now, as few as a quarter of voters under the age of 30 approve of Trump’s job performance. And among young Republicans, Trump’s approval rating has plummeted 12 percentage points since the spring, according to Harvard’s Institute of Politics poll released last month, down to 66 percent. That’s certainly robust, but well below Trump’s overall GOP approval rating that hovers around 80 percent. 

“In a sentence, they are certainly not doing well,” said John Della Volpe, the polling director at the Institute of Politics. “That would be an understatement.”

Gee, funny that a vulgar, racist, habitual sexual abuser would not connect with today's more enlightened youth now isn't it? 

Republican Congressman says the litmus test for the GOP is no longer ideological, it is about loyalty to Trump.

Rep. Charlie Dent: “Before Donald Trump became president, the litmus test for Republicans was— it was really about the ideological purity and conformity. Now the litmus test has changed. The issue is loyalty to the man.” (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/ecuG9LWy2Q

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 24, 2017

Courtesy of Newsweek: 

One of President Donald Trump’s biggest critics from within the Republican Party, Rep. Charlie Dent (R–Pennsylvania), said the new “litmus test” for the GOP is who supports Trump, rather than the party’s “ideological purity and conformity.” 

Speaking on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, the retiring Congressman said, “Now the litmus test is changed. The issue is loyalty to the man, to the president, and for some, loyalty's not enough, you have to be angry and aggrieved.

"Dent said that Trump was “a factor” in his decision to retire from Congress after the end of his term next year and assessed the state of the country as “paralyzed” by polarity. 

“The polarization has reached the point of paralysis. There doesn't seem to be the bipartisan collaboration up front that we need on a lot of big issues,” he said.

If you think about it this is a fairly troubling assertion.

As much as we may have disagreed with the Republicans point of view on social issues, and what constitutes morality, at least they seemed to have a firm position.

But really all of that disappeared when Trump came on the scene, and now holier than thou evangelicals and big business supporting capitalists are eagerly supporting a thrice married, constantly bankrupt, possible Russian asset, as he destroys the credibility of the country they claim to love.

Have you ever had that moment when you thought you could not possibly lose any more respect for a group of people, and then suddenly discover that you can?

Barack Obama says that if he'd watched Fox New he would not have voted for himself either.

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi, Obama took shots at the network, which is widely criticized for its negative coverage of Democrats. 

In discussing social media and traditional media outlets, Obama said that networks like Fox News have created “information silos,” where different groups of people are getting different information based on what they consume. 

“Those who watch Fox News and those who read The New York Times occupy completely different realities,” he said. 

He pointed specifically to Fox News, saying that the network portrays him “in weird ways.” 

“If I watch Fox News, I wouldn’t vote for me,” he said. “I would watch it and say who is that guy? This character Barack was portrayed in weird ways. It is all edited and shaped. ... The point is, you get multiple realities.”

This is absolutely dead on. The President Obama as presented by Fox News seemed to have absolutely no similarity to the one that existed in the real world.

And that is also true of their characterization of Hillary Clinton, who in their eyes appeared to be a cold hearted criminal, incapable of telling the truth.

Fox New is of course Donald Trump's cable news outlet of choice, because they are essentially Trump TV these days, and before that they worked as a propaganda arm of the Republican party.

I actually do not think that Fox News should be allowed to call itself a "news" outlet or to be invited to cover political events as journalists.

In fact the only reason they should be invited to the White House Correspondent's Dinner is to park the cars and bring drinks to the actual reporters who show up for the celebration.

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake caught on a hot mic admitting that the Republican party is "toast."

Courtesy of ABC News:

Flake, R-Ariz., was at a tax reform event in Mesa, Arizona on Friday night when he was caught bashing the president in a conversation with friend, Mesa Mayor John Giles. 

"If we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast," Flake was caught saying by ABC affiliate KNXV.

Well, he's not wrong. 

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough quits the Republican party many years too late for it to make a difference.

.@JoeNBC announced that he's leaving #GOP to become an Independent. @StephenAtHome's full interview with Joe and @morningmika airs tonight! pic.twitter.com/OhLgXvYakH

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) July 11, 2017

Courtesy of WaPo: 

Joe Scarborough, the conservative co-host of MSNBC’s political commentary show “Morning Joe,” is leaving the Republican Party. 

He made the announcement Tuesday night during an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” alongside his co-host Mika Brzezinski. A two-minute clip of the segment was teased on the program’s Twitter account earlier Tuesday. 

Scarborough tore into what he characterized as a complacent Republican Party unwilling to stand up to President Trump. 

“You have to ask yourself, what exactly is the Republican Party willing to do?” Scarborough said to Colbert. “How far are they willing to go? How much of this country and our values are they willing to sell out?” 

“Aren’t you a Republican?” Colbert asked. 

“I am a Republican, but I’m not going to be a Republican anymore,” Scarborough said to loud applause from the audience. “I’ve got to become an independent.”

First off that was a very weak statement for somebody who is supposedly so fed up with his former political party.

Second if he were REALLY fed up he would register as a Democrat, instead of taking the easy way out and calling himself an Independent.

And third it is really too late for this to matter anymore.

From the time that Scarborough started "Morning Joe" in 2007 he has been almost schizophrenic when sharing his political pint of view.

Sometimes he has obviously been carrying water for the GOP, and other times, mostly when it is safe, he has been a vocal critic.

To his credit Scarborough was an early critic of Sarah Palin, and McCain's decision to pluck her from the wilds of Wasilla and deposit her on the national stage, but he was also an early fan of Donald Trump and provided him with a platform from which he later launched his campaign for president.

If Scarborough were really a man of conviction he would have bailed on the GOP after it became clear that his party members covered for Bush's lie that there were WMDs in Iraq.

Once again Scarborough is playing it safe by supposedly leaving the GOP at a time when literally EVERYBODY with any conscience should be leaving the GOP.

The GOP for some reason decides to attack Hillary Clinton for not fixing health care even though their candidate is now president. She responds perfectly.

“We’ve got to fix what’s broken.” Where's your plan, @HillaryClinton? pic.twitter.com/CmRB4mCsZd

— GOP (@GOP) July 5, 2017

So for some bizarre reason the GOP decided to send out that tweet.

It pissed me off a little so I responded with my own tweet.

If you had not allowed your Russian buddies to steal the election, you would now be seeing her plan. And I be it would have been awesome! https://t.co/uYMuwjQ4cC

— Gryphen 2009 (@Gryphen2009) July 5, 2017

However apparently Hillary also got wind of it and she responded by linking to the health care proposals that she developed as a candidate.

Here are some of them:  

Defend and expand the Affordable Care Act, which covers 20 million people. Hillary will stand up to Republican-led attacks on this landmark law—and build on its success to bring the promise of affordable health care to more people and make a “public option” possible. She will also support letting people over 55 years old buy into Medicare. 

Bring down out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles. American families are being squeezed by rising out-of-pocket health care costs. Hillary believes that workers should share in slower growth of national health care spending through lower costs. 

Reduce the cost of prescription drugs. Prescription drug spending accelerated from 2.5 percent in 2013 to 12.6 percent in 2014. It’s no wonder that almost three-quarters of Americans believe prescription drug costs are unreasonable. Hillary believes we need to demand lower drug costs for hardworking families and seniors. Read more here. 

Protect consumers from unjustified prescription drug price increases from companies that market long-standing, life-saving treatments and face little or no competition. Hillary’s plan includes new enforcement tools that make drug alternatives available and increase competition, broaden emergency access to high-quality treatments from developed countries with strong safety standards, and hold drug companies accountable for unjustified price increases with new penalties. Read more here. 

Fight for health insurance for the lowest-income Americans in every state by incentivizing states to expand Medicaid—and make enrollment through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act easier. 

Expand access to affordable health care to families regardless of immigration status. Hillary will expand access to affordable health care to families regardless of immigration status by allowing families to buy health insurance on the health exchanges regardless of their immigration status. 

Expand access to rural Americans, who often have difficulty finding quality, affordable health care. Hillary will explore cost-effective ways to make more health care providers eligible for telehealth reimbursement under Medicare and other programs, including federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. 

Defend access to reproductive health care. Hillary will work to ensure that all women have access to preventive care, affordable contraception, and safe and legal abortion. 

Double funding for community health centers, and support the healthcare workforce: As part of her comprehensive health care agenda, Hillary is committed to doubling the funding for primary-care services at community health centers over the next decade. Hillary also supports President Obama’s call for a near tripling of the size of the National Health Service Corps.

Great job GOP. Now you have not only reminded the American people that you have no plan for bringing affordable health care to the American people, but also that the candidate who could have accomplished that represented the Democrats in the last election.

And damn would she have made a magnificent President!

John Oliver explains the new GOP health care plan as only John Oliver can. Update: The CBO weighs in.

Courtesy of Slate:  

On Sunday night’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver broke down some of the major issues with AHCA—the “Ted Cruz of healthcare legislation.” One of the biggest is that the proposed system of flat-tax credits could really harm lower-income Americans while benefitting insurance companies and the wealthy. And while Paul Ryan may be excited about “defederalizing,” “block-granting,” and “capping,” pushing up to $370 billion worth of Medicaid costs onto the states over the next ten years doesn’t quite get Oliver’s engines revving in quite the same way, because Ryan’s plan could mean millions of the country’s poorest citizens will lose their coverage. 

In fact, many of the people who will be hurt the most by the AHCA are lower-income Americans, older Americans and those living in rural areas, people who broadly fall into the category of Trump’s America. “Which is pretty frustrating,” noted Oliver. “It’s like if the people of Pompeii voted for the volcano.”

Actually you know a conservative health care bill is dead in the water, when both Rand Paul and Sarah Palin say it is dead in the water.

Which is a good thing, since the creators of this plan are essentially the very definition of a "death panel."

Update: I wrote this yesterday before the CBO had released its report. Now that it has things appear even worse that John Oliver reported.

Here is how Vox's Ezra Klein explained it: 

The AHCA would increase the uninsured population by about 24 million people — which is more people than live in New York state. But the raw numbers obscure the cruelty of the choices. The policy is particularly bad for the old, the sick, and the poor. It is particularly good for the rich, the young, and the healthy. 

Here, in short, is what the AHCA does. The bill guts Medicaid, halves the value of Obamacare’s insurance subsidies, and allows insurers to charge older Americans 500 percent more than they charge young Americans. 

Then it takes the subsidies that are left and reworks them to be worth less to the poor and the old, takes the insurers that are left and lets them change their plans to cover fewer medical expenses for the sick, and rewrites the tax code to offer hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts to the rich. As Dylan Matthews writes, it is an act of class warfare by the rich against the poor. 

The result isn’t just 24 million fewer people with insurance: Of those who remain insured, the pool is tilted toward younger, healthier people who need help less, because many of the older, poorer people who need the most help can no longer afford insurance. As German Lopez notes, a 64-year-old making $26,500 would see his premiums rise by 750 percent. 750 percent! And with that 64-year-old gone, premiums are a little bit lower, because the pool is a little bit younger.

Grim isn't it?

Currently the White House is trying to discredit this CBO report, but as it turns out their own internal analysis was even worse:

A White House analysis of the GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare shows even steeper coverage losses than the projections by the Congressional Budget Office, according to a document viewed by POLITICO on Monday. 

The executive branch analysis forecast that 26 million people would lose coverage over the next decade, versus the 24 million CBO estimates.

Donald Trump promised that nobody would lose coverage and that more people would be insured.

Of course only an idiot would have believed he was telling the truth.

Sarah Palin dismisses new GOP health care bill as "RINO-care" and compares it to socialism.

I find this a little surprising since Palin's sugar daddy has endorsed this bill that Paul Ryan cobbled together, but perhaps this shows that she is done throwing her crusty panties at him and getting nothing in return.

I am quoting from a Breitbart article so as always remember to have your hazmat suit firmly fastened before clicking the link because the place is saturated in toxic racism.

Palin starts off by naming some fairly valid points about Congress: 

“I do want to speak about this, but I am tempted to say not another word from our fearless leaders about this new form of Obamacare that I’m going to call RINO-care—not another word from them until we are definitively told that there is no provision whatsoever allowing Congress to exempt itself whatsoever with this law,” Palin said. “As with anything else mandated by Congress, every single dotted I and crossed T better apply to them, too, and not just the people who they are lording this thing over because remember this is government-controlled health care, the system that requires enrollment in an unaffordable, unsustainable, unwanted, unconstitutional continuation of government-run medicine, and even in this new quasi-reformed proposal, there is still an aspect of socialism. That’s the whole premise here.”

Yeah I kind of agree that any health care program put forward by Congress should also apply to them. However she kind of goes off the rails by suggesting that a government run health care program is "unwanted" and "unsustainable." Clearly that has not been the case in just about every industrialized nation in the world that offers government run health care.

(You know like the one in Canada where her father sought care for his family back in the day.)

Having said that she is undoubtedly correct that this GOP version is doomed to failure.

In response to Ryan's plan that those who refuse to sign up for the GOP plan must pay a fee to the insurance companies, Palin makes another, and I can't believe I am saying this, reasonable point: 

“This 30 percent additional fee will be collected by some in the private sector, which will mean politicians are allowed again to pick the winners and losers, and it makes you wonder who’s lobbying hardest for aspects of this new bill because obviously there are special interests involved. Otherwise, certain private sector segments of our economy wouldn’t be rewarded as they will be with this fee, instead of going to the IRS going to private companies,” Palin said. “It would be really helpful if every single one of these politicians would do like the NASCAR drivers do—and it’s been said before—but let them wear their sponsors plastered all over their three-piece suits when they show up so we know what side they’re on and who they’re actually doing their bidding for.”

Okay that whole NASCAR thing is from way back in 2009, but she is not wrong here.  (Again, I can't believe I am saying this.)

In fact liberals argued against Big Pharma's influence during the Obamacare debate.

And once again it appears that Palin is using similar arguments against this bill: 

“The people want to know with this RINO-Care, we know that it helps Big pharma and big lobbyists who need big government to stay in business. We want to and have the right to know who’s actually putting pen to paper and writing this because we know the politicians don’t write the laws.”

 I swear if I have to agree with this woman one more time I am going to gouge my eyes out.

A little later in the article I finally get to completely disagree with Palin, which puts me back in my wheelhouse.

“There is much that we agree on,” Palin said. “Thank the Lord, we all agree that Obamacare is devastating one-sixth of our economy. That’s what health care encompasses. Once the government took it over—it obviously is unaffordable, unsustainable and unwanted. So, from the get-go, thank the Lord we all have that in common, and we want to do away with Obamacare. I would ask Paul Ryan’s forgiveness if I come across sounding like I’m just whining and complaining about a problem without proposing a solution."

Ah, much better.

Palin then offers her "solution" which of course is to return all of this to the states to decide individually, ignoring the fact that many states have no interest in getting involved in health care, and that with a smaller pool the insurance premiums will not be lowered nearly as much as they could be with a federal single payer program.

Then Palin seems to remember whose ass she is supposed to be kissing, and does a little knob polishing.

“He will step in and fix it,” Palin said. “I have great faith that President Trump is one who will fulfill campaign promises. He already has a track record of doing so well in these first months, I’m just really proud to have been part of the constituency that wanted him in there and worked hard to get him in there. So, yeah, I’m sure that President Trump is going to do the right thing and listen to all sides, of course, but understand, especially, that as a businessman, he’s going to understand whether this makes sense in his vision of how to grow businesses and how to get government off our back and back on our side."

Okay I don't know what "track record" Palin is talking about here since all Trump has done so far is to sign executive orders, one which already had to go back to the drawing board, and pick Russian operatives to fill his cabinet.

The one thing that I took from this interview is that it is likely reflective of how a number of Tea Party conservatives are viewing this bill and if that is the case it does not bode well for it going forward.

And once it fails, then the Republicans are back to square one with the Affordable Care Act.

If they repeal it without a replacement they will disenfranchise millions of voters and likely lose both the House and the Senate.

But if they replace it with a program worse and less affordable than Obamacare then they are likely to disenfranchise millions of voters and still might lose the House and the Senate.

All in all they are like the dog that chases cars and has no idea what to do once he catches one.

Donald Trump laying the groundwork for after he loses the election.

It's gonna be great, just me talking 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's gonna be yuge!

Courtesy of CNBC:  

Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has informally approached one of the media industry's top dealmakers about the prospect of setting up a Trump television network after the presidential election in November. 

Mr Kushner — an increasingly influential figure in the billionaire's presidential campaign — contacted Aryeh Bourkoff, the founder and chief executive of LionTree, a boutique investment bank, within the past couple of months, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. 

Their conversation was brief and has not progressed since, the people said. Mr Bourkoff and Mr Kushner both declined to comment. 

However, the approach suggests Mr Kushner and the Republican candidate himself are thinking about how to capitalise on the populist movement that has sprung up around their campaign in the event of an election defeat to Democrat Hillary Clinton next month.

We have been hearing about this possibility for months but I think this is the first concrete evidence we have seen which demonstrates that Trump realizes he is about to lose and has this plan to start his own media empire once he does.

This might mean that not only is Trump determined to destroy the Republican party from within, but also has plans to do the same to Fox News afterward.

More popcorn anyone?

Russian government hacks DNC computers.

Wait, they got what?

Courtesy of the Washington Post:  

Russian government hackers penetrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee and gained access to the entire database of opposition research on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to committee officials and security experts who responded to the breach. 

The intruders so thoroughly compromised the DNC’s system that they also were able to read all email and chat traffic, said DNC officials and the security experts. 

The intrusion into the DNC was one of several targeting American political organizations. The networks of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were also targeted by Russian spies, as were the computers of some GOP political action committees, U.S. officials said. But details on those cases were not available. A Russian Embassy spokesman said he had no knowledge of such intrusions. 

The DNC said that no financial, donor or personal information appears to have been accessed or taken, suggesting that the breach was traditional espionage, not the work of criminal hackers. 

So I guess the question that needs to be asked is whether a story like this undermines charges that Hillary Clinton's personal server was less secure than the ones used by the State Department, which was also hacked several years ago, or of every other agency operating in Washington?

Even if it turns out that she was hacked, how could you possibly suggest that she was more careless than the DNC, Donald Trump, or the State Department?

GOP prepares for brokered convention in last ditch effort to stop Donald Trump.

Courtesy of Washington Post:  

Republican officials and leading figures in the party’s establishment are preparing for the possibility of a brokered convention as businessman Donald Trump continues to sit atop the polls in the GOP presidential race. 

More than 20 of them convened Monday near the Capitol for a dinner held by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, and the prospect of Trump nearing next year’s nominating convention in Cleveland with a significant number of delegates dominated the discussion, according to five people familiar with the meeting. 

Weighing in on that scenario as Priebus and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) listened, several longtime Republican power brokers argued that if the controversial billionaire storms through the primaries, the party’s establishment must lay the groundwork for a floor fight in which the GOP’s mainstream wing could coalesce around an alternative, the people said.

In response to this news, and realizing that it applies to his potential nomination as well, Ben Carson is threatening to leave the Republican party:

“If the leaders of the Republican Party want to destroy the party, they should continue to hold meetings like the one described in the Washington Post this morning,” Carson said in a statement released by his campaign. 

“If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replace it with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump will not be the only one leaving the party,” he continued.

Forget Netflix this is rapidly becoming the best reality show on TV!

Best case scenario as far as I'm concerned will be that the GOP establishment wrests the nomination away from Trump, who then launches a third party candidacy out of spite, allowing the Democratic candidate to waltz into the presidency without having to spend a dime on advertising.

Cartoon of the day.

Oh I like this.

Retired former Republican Senator Tom Coburn is quite unimpressed with most of the current occupants in the GOP presidential clown car. Update!

"Scares me to death."

Courtesy of Think Progress: 

In an interview with conservative commentator Andrew Wilkow last week, Coburn trashed nearly every GOPer running for president, calling them “not ready for primetime,” lacking “integrity,” not “capable,” and saying he wouldn’t support one of them even if he won the nomination. Wilkow acknowledged the impact of Coburn’s words, noting that “once you retire, you can speak your mind in a way that might be different than if you were still sitting in the Senate.”

Here's the rundown:

Rand Paul: “Scares me to death on international foreign policy. Know him well, very smart. Think he was totally wrong on NSA. Didn’t speak truthfully about what was actually the facts. Would not vote for him for president.” 

Marco Rubio: “Of all that are out there right now, probably my favorite.” 

Scott Walker: “Not ready for primetime, in my opinion. You look at what happened in Wisconsin in terms of him beating the recall and everything else, he didn’t do that. The Republicans around the country did it for him. They pulled him out of the fire. I just don’t think he’s quite ready for primetime, in my opinion.” 

Ben Carson: “I have a personal bone to pick with him on integrity that I witnessed. He made a commitment at the Prayer Breakfast not to attack the president. The speech was nothing but an attack on the president. The people who organized the Prayer Breakfast asked him not to do that. He said he would not, and then he went out and did it.” 

George Pataki: “Probably smart enough, but would never encounter the votes. Nor does he have the conservative fiscal credentials or other credentials he would need to have a coalition behind him, in my opinion.” 

Rick Perry: “Good guy. I don’t think he’s capable at that level.” 

Lindsey Graham: “Love him, but he’s right in the middle, so I don’t see how he builds a coalition. I think his effort is try to talk about foreign policy and that’s what he ought to stick to.” 

Carly Fiorina: “Smart lady. I helped her in her Senate campaign of which she was ultimately unsuccessful, but it’s because she could never get into good debates. Smart, savvy, experienced. Knows the issues that I’ve been talking about. Presents well. Doesn’t have a voting record. They’ll trash her bigtime because of her Hewlett-Packard experience.” 

Ted Cruz: “Not ready for primetime.” 

Mike Huckabee: “Possibility. Good guy, well-rounded. Could fit in the middle and could attract votes from both sides.” 

Rick Santorum: “Love him as a man. I think he feels called to try to do this. I don’t think it’s within his reach.” 

Chris Christie: “Don’t know. I haven’t followed him well. I saw his tollgate problems. I like the fact that he answers questions correctly, which very few candidates do. I like the fact that he’ll take a risk and give you an answer that’s not politically popular.” 

Jeb Bush: “I don’t think America will elect another Bush president. I talk to a lot of liberals all the time. They still loathe George Bush. And so you shut out 47 percent of the electorate with that nomination. So you only get to lose three or four percent. I just don’t think it’s a possibility.”

While I agree with many of Colburn's observations, the fact that the two he separates from the bunch as being potentially viable are Huckabee and Rubio, makes me wonder just how honest he is being with himself, and with the interviewer.  

The idea that Mike Huckabee could "fit in the middle" is laugh out loud funny, as he is one of the most extreme examples of a religious right candidate.

Still it is always nice to see the conservatives eating their own.

Update: Well it looks like Coburn was no fan of Fox News either: 

“There are certain shows on Fox I can’t watch,” Coburn told audience members at Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma. “Because they’re totally not fair and totally not balanced. What I want is, I want all the information in which I can make the best decision.”

Kind of starting to like this guy. 

Comic of the day.

Sarah Palin's recent remarks about impeachment are so incredibly embarrassing that even her neighbors in the Mat-Su Valley cannot stay quiet any longer.

There is only one small newspaper that covers the Mat-Su area and that is the Frontiersman.

Traditionally they have sort of avoided talking about Palin for the most part, but the other day freelance political cartoonist and community columnist Chuck Legge reached his breaking point.

First he starts off pointing out just why the idea of impeachment will get no traction and then he simply unloads:  

So, drop out governor, here are the facts. Under this president we have built the Not-So-Great Wall, increased the Border Patrol twofold, pumped more money into border security than any other section of the department of Homeland Security, and deported more people than any other administration ever. In addition the President has repeatedly asked for immigration reform. The Senate did pass a bipartisan bill 68 to 32 but it died in the House. Obama has also asked for an additional $3.7 billion to address the ongoing problem, but Boehner and his gaggle of malcontents have not yet seen fit to help. 

For this and the glaringly unspecific “many impeachable offenses” you think it’s time to impeach the President. Really Governor Palin? Really?! Do you remember when you had “actual responsibilities?” Do you remember a governor who presided over a bipartisan coalition in the Legislature and was able to work with both sides to actually get something done for the state? You know, the person who existed before the 2008 presidential campaign. 

Personally, I think you should sue McCain and his minions for taking a constructive, albeit ultra conservative, politician and turning you into a babbling, incoherent, egomaniacal shill for the dictatorial crazies that have hijacked the GOP. 

My point here is that even though you no longer hold office, you still have responsibilities. Not just to the teatotalers, but to the rest of us in the state and nation. When you say things people listen. For better or worse you still have influence and when you say the President should be impeached for following the law and for resorting to his constitutional prerogative when dealing with the worst Congress in history, some people buy into it. 

Next time get your facts straight before you give voice to whatever comes tumbling out of your brain. If you can’t manage to do this. If you can’t manage to resist throwing red meat to the mob then I along with a majority of Americans and a sizable number of Alaskans say “no mas” Ms. Palin. For the love of God and country, “no mas.

Occasionally we get a troll on here who insists that Palin is still well liked in Alaska, and especially around the area where she grew up despite  evidence to the contrary reported by Geoffrey Dunn, Joe McGinniss, and myself.

Well this is a fellow Alaskan from the are where she grew up and he certainly confirms the fact that they are  done with her and her treasonous talk.

"No mas" indeed.

GOP is now selling "I Miss W" t-shirts. They are officially screwed.

Courtesy of HuffPo:  

The Republican National Committee is celebrating former President George W. Bush's birthday this weekend by selling wistful "I Miss W." t-shirts to its supporters. 

"President George W. Bush led our nation through some of the most challenging moments of our nation’s history — and we miss him and his leadership," reads a fundraising pitch on the RNC's website. "By sporting this comfortable, classic, American-made tee, you can share our message and help us elect principled conservative leaders to office."

Let me be the first to totally endorse the idea of the Republican party reminding the voters of just who they put into office the last time they won the White House. 

If they want to remind everybody that the guy who tanked the economy, started two unnecessary wars, and allowed the biggest terrorist attack in America's history to take place on his watch, was THEIR guy, who am I to stand in their way?

Fucking morons!

The World's Best Christian, Betty Bowers, has a great new ad for the Republican party. "The Grand Old Party, where you can be for something while against it."

Did you catch that sly dig at Bristol Palin?

I knew that you would.

In other news they just released the updated symbol for the NEW Republican party.

Oh yeah, that works.