So yesterday former Virginia Governor Bob "Transvaginal screenings" McDonnell was sentenced to two years for being a douchebag. Oh sorry, for taking illegal donations. Same thing.

Courtesy of The New York Times:  

Bob McDonnell, the former governor of Virginia who was convicted in September on corruption charges, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Tuesday in one of the most spectacular falls of a statewide elected official in the history of the commonwealth. 

Mr. McDonnell, 60, was given the sentence by Judge James R. Spencer of Federal District Court. He was found guilty of trading favors in return for $177,000 in loans, vacations and gifts from a wealthy family friend who was trying to promote his vitamin supplement business.

At one time this guy was quite literally one of the top choices to run for the GOP nomination.

And now he is just another Republican criminal serving time in prison, who tried to throw his wife under the bus to escape a conviction. 

Like I said, douchebag.

Yesterday we lost a liberal giant.

Courtesy of USA Today: 

Mario Cuomo, the three-term New York governor and father of the state's current governor, died of heart failure Thursday at the age of 82. 

Cuomo is among the most iconic New York governors of the 20th century, known for his liberal views, soaring speeches and deeply held beliefs that made him among the most prominent Democrats of his time. His death came the same day as his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was inaugurated for a second term. 

Cuomo died at his home in Manhattan with his family at his side, according to the governor's office.

A great man, who did great things for the people of New York. 

Today might be the day for Sarah Palin to wipe a little egg off of her face.

Today is primary day in Nebraska, and Palin has placed her bet on two different races.

One of her picks is Ben Sasse, who polls show is ahead of the other GOP contenders by about 11 percentage points. Millions of dollars have been spent for advertising on his behalf, and he not only has Palin's almost worthless endorsement, he also has the far more important Ted Cruz endorsement.

In other words this could finally put some numbers up on the Sarah Palin scoreboard.

The other primary is for Governor of Nebraska. And once again Palin's pick, Pete Ricketts, is holding steady.

Ricketts has attracted quite a lot of big name support, from the likes of Scott Walker, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, and of course Ted Cruz.

However much, if not all of that support, is due to the fact that his father, Joe Ricketts, is one of the biggest Republican donors in the country.

Which means, of course, there is a chance Ricketts might emerge victorious as well.

So like I said this might be the day that Sarah Palin's losing streak comes to an end. Well at least temporarily.

I don't think that even if both of these men end up in the winners circle tonight, that it will significantly change the narrative about Palin's poisonous endorsements.

However you can bet the farm that Palin, and her supporters, will be trumpeting any victories as if she were the Nostradamus of politics.

More on the real Obamacare "death panels."

Courtesy of Americans Against the Tea Party:  

This 32-year-old mother of three was trying to sell a vacuum cleaner when she died, one of her three jobs she worked in order to financially support her family. Dill died due to a treatable heart condition she had but could never receive care because she could not afford insurance. 

Charlene Dill only made $9,000 a year and was working three jobs. She even tried applying for Obamacare but was denied due to her “high income.” This is a perfect example as to why Florida needs to expand the Medicaid plan, but the Republican Party, once again, is ignoring the issue. 

Kathleen Voss Woolrich, Dill’s best friend, tried to help raise money in order for Dill to pay for the care she needed. Woolrich used crowdfunding sites to try to raise the money; instead she raised money for her friend’s funeral. Woolrich rightfully blamed Florida politicians for Dill’s death. “You see the main argument Republicans use is that it’s some lazy person who needs Medicaid expansion. That those of us living without healthcare or dental care are lazy. But my friend, a single beautiful mother, worked three jobs,” Woolrich wrote in a moving blog post after Dill’s death. 

“I am burying my best friend because of the policies of the Republican Party. I am burying my best friend because had Medicaid expanded, her needs would have been met.”

Such an unnecessary end to a young life.

As somebody who also falls between the gap left by my Republican Governor's refusal to adopt the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. I totally relate to this poor woman's situation.

I voted for this President twice, and supported the plan to implement the Affordable Care Act all the way, only to find that I, like many others, will not benefit simply because I happen to live in a state where Republicans rule the day.

Because of these heartless POS there are many of us here, and in other red states, who could get sick and die simply because of their refusal to support a plan advocated by a hated ideological enemy.

It is a tragic shame that this young mother died, and I believe that every death that would have been prevented by an expanded Medicaid, is a homicide that the governors of their states should be held accountable for.

Are there death panels?

You bet your ass there are. Only we know them by another name, Republican administrations.

Wendy Davis wants to bring major changes to education in Texas. For that reason alone she deserves a ton of support.

Courtesy of Click 2 Houston: 

State Sen. Wendy Davis announced several education proposals Thursday aimed at recruiting new public school teachers in Texas, including guaranteeing admission to state universities for top students who want to teach, raising teacher pay and offering student loan forgiveness. 

The Democratic front-runner for governor didn't say how much her ideas would cost. She said she intended to use "existing state resources" and would not seek a tax increase. 

"I do believe that education must be the No. 1 priority that we address as a state," Davis said at a round table at the University of Texas at Arlington. 

Davis said high school students in the top 20 percent of their classes should be guaranteed admission to the University of Texas at Austin or other state institutions and a job teaching in a state school after graduation. 

She said the state should forgive one year of student loan debt for every teacher who works two years in a qualifying school, and that loan forgiveness should be available to potential teachers in all fields of study. 

Davis said Texas teachers were underpaid and decried stories of some teachers working a second or third job to make ends meet, saying they "simply aren't earning enough." According to the National Education Association, the national teachers' union, starting Texas teachers were paid about $1,000 less than the national average during the 2011-12 academic year. 

She also wants to boost the number of teacher's aides and school counselors in the state.

If you had asked me even a year ago if it were possible for there to be a candidate so amazing that I would actually want to move to Texas to vote for them, I would have laughed in your face.

Wendy Davis is one such candidate. 

If you are reading this while living in Texas I implore you to do everything you can to help this woman get elected as governor.

I think it will do wonders for the children of your state, for the women in your state, and for the Democratic party in your state.

Well it looks like it won't be too much longer before the Republicans won't have Obamacare to kick around anymore.

Courtesy of the LA Times:  

Despite the disastrous rollout of the federal government's healthcare website, enrollment is surging in many states as tens of thousands of consumers sign up for insurance plans made available by President Obama's health law. 

A number of states that use their own systems, including California, are on track to hit enrollment targets for 2014 because of a sharp increase in November, according to state officials. 

"What we are seeing is incredible momentum," said Peter Lee, director of Covered California, the nation's largest state insurance marketplace, which accounted for a third of all enrollments nationally in October. California — which enrolled about 31,000 people in health plans last month — nearly doubled that in the first two weeks of this month. 

Several other states, including Connecticut and Kentucky, are outpacing their enrollment estimates, even as states that depend on the federal website lag far behind. In Minnesota, enrollment in the second half of October ran at triple the rate of the first half, officials said. Washington state is also on track to easily exceed its October enrollment figure, officials said. 

You know whenever I see statistics like this I  cannot help but think of all of the millions of Americans who could have been helped to get health care if only those Republican governors had allowed the expansion of Medicaid in their states and had set up state exchanges of their own.

I just hope that the people in their states are paying attention, and are prepared to punish them come election day.

Alaska rated number five among MOST corrupt states. So proud. Update!

Courtesy of Business Insider:

To get a true sense of the most corrupt state, we need to know how many convictions there have been on a population basis. So we went back to Justice Department data cited by Madigan, to see which states saw the greatest number of convictions per 100,000.

I happen to know that Alaska is VERY corrupt, so for Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Kentucky to beat us is REALLY saying something. Especially considering the fact that we actually had a group of politicians who referred to themselves as the Corrupt Bastards Club.

Did anybody else notice that the top eight out of ten are ALL states with Republican Governors? 

I'm sure that's simply a coincidence. Right?

Update: Oops I stand corrected, apparently Kentucky has a Democrat in the Governor's mansion. My bad. 

Secret PAC pays Georgia governor to block Obamacare. I'm saddened that this does not surprise me.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R)’s family and business partner have been receiving payments from a secret Political Action Committee called Real PAC. Half a million dollars of the money donated to the PAC has come from corporate health care interests which — like the governor and Georgia state Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens — oppose the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare.” 

According to investigative reporter Jim Walls of Atlanta Unfiltered, the PAC hasn’t filed taxes or the required financial disclosures in two years, and the information it did file for 2011 was incorrect. 

Contributors to Real PAC include Aetna, Humana, Blue Cross, United Health care and other interests that want to keep health insurance premiums and other costs as high as possible. Bryan Long of activist group Better Georgia told Raw Story that the list of donors shows who Gov. Deal really works for. 

“He goes out and he does their bidding,” Long said, “He’s working for them instead of working for the 650,000 Georgians who don’t have insurance at all or access to the Medicaid expansion.” 

“What’s remarkable about this isn’t that there’s money in politics,” he continued. “We all know there’s money in politics. He knew that this was so wrong that he didn’t want to tell anyone. He tried to keep it a secret for two years.”

Okay folks if this is happening in Georgia you know, you just KNOW, it is happening in every other state with a Republican governor as well. 

I would bet dollars to donuts that my Governor is on the take. These insurance companies see the writing on the wall and they are going to do everything in their power to try and stop the administration from implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Hopefully the few good journalists still left in these states will see this and launch investigation of their own.

President Obama outmaneuvers Republican Governors attempting to resist accepting Obamacare.

"Gotcha!"

Courtesy of TPM:  

The White House's top health official made clear on Monday that it would not fund a partial Medicaid expansion for states that choose not to embrace the new funding under the Affordable Care Act.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote a letter to governors saying the administration "continue[s] to encourage all states to fully expand their Medicaid programs." 

In an accompanying blog post, she declared that "the law does not create an option for enhanced match for a partial or phased-in Medicaid expansion to 133 percent of poverty." 

In other words, the states must take all or nothing. That sets up a dilemma for Republican governors, who have to decide whether to stonewall Obamacare or accept the generous funding to cover their low-income uninsured residents.

So now the Republican governors, many of who campaigned by saying they were dedicated to fighting against Obamacare, have to either cave in and accept the funding or explain to their constituents why THEIR access to heath care coverage is significantly less than that of their neighboring states.

Damn he's good!

Checkmate bitches!

Update: Here is more from Cindy Mann, the director of the Center for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Services courtesy of HuffPo:

"Some states have asked whether they could get the 100 percent federal match and expand Medicaid coverage to less than the 133 percent of poverty level specified in the law," Mann said. That amount is "a rate that Congress reserved for the full expansion, and so we are going to remain true to that intent of Congress," she said. There is no deadline for states to decide on the Medicaid expansion, and they can join at any time, she said.

So essentially it appears that the administration is going to let public pressure force these contrarian Governors to eventually cave in and accept the full benefits of the Affordable Care Act or risk their political futures.

Nicely done!

Nikki Haley: "I did not have sexual relations with that man!" Sarah Palin: "Eeeww of course she didn't, he is one of those disgusting bloggers! Yuck!

Okay so I am sure that many of you have already heard that a certain well known right wing blogger has blabbed to the world that he once did the nasty with South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley.

According to Will Folks:

"Yeah I did her!  Hell EVERYBODY did her! So what?"

Wait..I am sorry that was the wrong quote.  Here we go.

The truth in this case is what it is. Several years ago, prior to my marriage, I had an inappropriate physical relationship with Nikki.

That’s it.

Not exactly a Penthouse Forum letter now is it?

However it WAS enough to force a response from the very married Ms. Haley:

"I absolutely did NOT let him gently caress my silken skin with his keyboard hardened fingertips while he gently bit my neck and slowly unbuttoned....oh my is it getting hot in here?"

Whoops, sorry I did it again.  Just where is my head at today?  Here is the actual quote.

I have been 100% faithful to my husband throughout our 13 years of marriage. This claim against me is categorically and totally false.

It is sad, but not surprising, that this disgraceful smear has taken form less than a week removed from the release of a poll showing our campaign with a significant lead. It is quite simply South Carolina politics at its worst.

These attacks - and those sure to follow - are an effort at distraction, but I will keep my focus on what matters, and that is delivering South Carolina's government back to our people. That's a fight I have fought for the last five years. That's why I entered this race for Governor. And that's what I will continue to do, despite any outrageous and false claims that are thrown at me.

So there you have it!  He said he DID make hot, sweet, South Carolina style love to her, and she says that she is married and has ONLY been dutifully servicing her husband's needs for the last thirteen long, long lonely years.

So with two completely different stories, how in the hell could WE possibly discern which one is the truth? I mean they are both right wing nutjobs, and NEITHER of them offers any real proof, so we are left completely unable to figure out which one is the truth teller and which one is the liar.

If ONLY there were some sign from above (or perhaps even from Facebook) that would help us to discern which of these two people to trust.  Hello, what is this?

Rachel Maddow follows up her Americans for Prosperity piece with a little more information, and confirms that Sarah Palin WILL show up for Rick Perry.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You know I could watch Rachel verbally spank Tim Phillips all day long.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"Geese ridden resignation speech". You gotta love it.

Governor Mark Sanford admits to having an affair. Well at least the Argentinian part of this story turned out to be true.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Okay they cut right to the chase in this video embed, but I watched the press conference while on the elliptical machine at my gym and it took this guy FOREVER to finally tell everybody where he had been and with whom.

At one point I literally yelled at the TV for him to get to the damn point! (I may have to apologize to a few people the next time I go work out.)

So another so called "Family Values" Republican bites the dust. Anybody surprised? Yeah me neither.

Is it wrong that I am jealous of South Carolina right now? Why can't my Governor do something as cut and dried as banging some guy in Tijuana and lying about it? Just think how much simpler it would be to get rid of her.

But if this kind of thing keeps up our Sarah may really BE the only choice the GOP has left to nominate in 2012. Damn it, I need to get busy!

Combining all of the stories to explain the disappearance of Mark Sanford it appears that he was hiking naked, while writing a book, in Argentina?

Sanford, in an exclusive interview with The State Media Company, said he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money.

We have had a lot of fun with the disappearance of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, but it just turns out that the guy left his wife and kids during Father's Day, and lied to his staff, while he took a little time off to visit South America. IS that so wrong? Oh yeah!

Any bets on just how much more bad news for Sanford's political career is going to come out in the next few weeks?

Update: I missed the Daily Show last night so I did not know they had done this segment. But now that I have seen it this post simply cries out for its inclusion.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Governor Mark Sanford Is Missing
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

HE'S BACK!!!

I just heard on MSNBC that missing South Carolina Governor, Mark Sanford, is okay and will return to his office in the next few days.

So finally our very brief national nightmare is over, and we can all breathe a sigh of "I really never gave a shit about this story".

I am sure that Mark Sanford will explain to his constituents, and the American people, just why he disappeared right before Father's Day (leaving his children alone and fatherless), and what he learned during his sabbatical. Did he see God? Did he have some sort of revelation? Were there hookers involved? I think the people of South Carolina and the cable news channels have a right to know.

So the only question now is how can Sarah Palin get the limelight back from that media whore bitch Mark Sanford?

Should she take a walk along Turnagain arm and get stuck in the mudflats like these people? (I know one local blogger who would really love that!)

Should she get lost in the woods of Wasilla, miraculous get rescued by Willow (Who we will all mistake for Bristol), and somehow manage to blame it all on Obama's Stimulus package?

Or should she step off of a curb in her Franco Sarto red high heels and snap her ankle so that she can get some of that sweet Lisa Murkowski and Sonia Sotomayor sympathy?

Oh well however she does it you can count on the fact that Governor Sarah will grab back that spotlight somehow. You betcha!

Update: Oh you are going to love this!

Adam Fogle, writing for the Palmetto Scoop, asks, "Why would a sitting governor just up and disappear to the mountains without telling a single soul — including his family?"

"Well, The Palmetto Scoop have discovered the answer to all the secrecy: the governor may have gone for a naked hike," Fogle writes. "No, really."

I am sorry. I am laughing too hard to type anymore.

Illinois is moving forward with impeachment of their Governor. See Alaska? It can be done!

Four Illinois Democratic State representatives sent a letter Thursday afternoon to fellow party members in the statehouse seeking to gauge their desire to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested Tuesday on corruption charges that include attempting to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Rep. John Fritchey, a co-author of the letter, said he expects near-unanimous support; the letter-writers have asked for responses by noon on Friday.

The four make the case that impeachment is the best option for dealing with the open Senate seat. If Blagojevich isn’t impeached but is stripped of his power to appoint a successor to Obama, a special election could take four to five months and cost up to $50 million.

And if Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan attempts to remove him from office through the Illinois Supreme Court, it’s unclear how long that would take or what the outcome would be, Fritchey said.

He predicted impeachment proceedings “could be concluded in a matter of weeks rather than months.” A side benefit from House Democrats taking the initiative: “We have a Rod Blagojevich problem. Should we not take decisive action, there exists the possibility that this could become a problem for the Democratic Party.”

Are you paying attention to this Alaska Republicans?

The Democrats of Illinois recognize that keeping a corrupt, unethical Governor in place damages ALL of them and are moving to remove that stigma from their state.

We also have an unethical, untrustworthy Governor in our state and it would certainly be in the best interests of all Alaskans to have the stigma of Sarah Palin removed as well.

I know for a fact that there are a lot of Alaska politicians on both sides of the aisle who would like to see the Sarah Palin blemish removed so that Alaska could start working on repairing their image in the eyes of the world.

Besides since the national Republicans like her so much, let THEM have her.

White powder sent to Governor's office turns out to be...........nothing at all.

State health officials say white powder discovered in a letter sent to the Alaska governor's office in Juneau tested negative for biological and toxic substances.

The powder was tested at the Department of Health and Social Services' Public Health Laboratory in Anchorage.

Health officials conferred today with the FBI, which gave permission to reopen a state office building where the suspicious powder was found Tuesday in a letter. The building is about one block from the Capitol.

A sample of the powder showed negative results for anthrax, plague, smallpox and other biological and toxic agents.

Health officials say final test results are expected within a few days.

Hah! I knew it!

Nobody is going to waste perfectly good Anthrax on Sarah Palin, she is self destructing just fine on her own.

Of course the envelope WAS addressed to Governor Murkowski, so may be it was intended for Frank and just got lost in the mail. That would be a more reasonable excuse to send an envelope of deadly powder. EVERYBODY hated that guy!

Jon Stewart and the Daily Show have some more fun at the expense of Rod Blagojevich. Could not happen to a more deserving guy.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

(D-IL) Weed

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

But hey, at least he did not "molest a ded horse".

See there is always a silver lining!

All 50 Senate Democrats ask Rod Blagojevich to step down. Senate Republicans, happy not to be the ones in legal trouble, offer to buy him a drink.

Dear Governor Blagojevich:

We write to insist that you step down as Governor of Illinois and under no circumstance make an appointment to fill the vacant Illinois Senate seat. In light of your arrest yesterday on alleged federal corruption charges related to that Senate seat, any appointment by you would raise serious questions.

It is within the authority of the Illinois legislature to remove your power to make this appointment by providing for a special election. But a decision by you to resign or to step aside under Article V of the Illinois Constitution would be the most expeditious way for a new Senator to be chosen and seated in a manner that would earn the confidence of the people of Illinois and all Americans. We consider it imperative that a new senator be seated as soon as possible so that Illinois is fully represented in the Senate as the important work of the 111th Congress moves forward.

Please understand that should you decide to ignore the request of the Senate Democratic Caucus and make an appointment we would be forced to exercise our Constitutional authority under Article I, Section 5, to determine whether such a person should be seated.

We do not prejudge the outcome of the criminal charges against you or question your constitutional right to contest those charges. But for the good of the Senate and our nation, we implore you refrain from making an appointment to the Senate.

On behalf of all Alaskans I would like to extend a heartfelt "Thank you" to Governor Blagojevich.

Thanks to you sir, OUR governor is no longer considered the most ignorant, unethical governor in America.

I mean she is stupid, but you are a complete dumb-ass!

And she may be unethical, but you sir are a corrupt, unscrupulous, flim-flam man.

So thanks Governor for making OUR governor, look so much better by comparison.