Shocking: GOP doubles down on obstruction

Having failed to invalidate the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court, and having just lost big at the ballot box in their attempts to de-legitimize and hobble President Obama, Wingnut Republican Governors are now dedicating their efforts to botching the ACA's implementation at the state level. Meanwhile, in congress, John Boehner initially declared Obamacare the “law of the land” and expressed a willingness to compromise on "revenue" but quickly walked those positions back and re-affirmed his party's commitment obstruction and general mayhem. Listen to Mitch McConnell, one of the main architects of the GOP's comeback in 2010 through outright obstruction...

Early New Year’s Resolution – Fix it

I'm not a big fixer or repairer of things, so this "Fixer's Manifesto" is very aspirational for me. I have some jeans that I was getting ready to toss out, so maybe I'll start with those. 1. IF IT'S BROKEN, FIX IT! BECAUSE EVERYDAY PRACTICAL PROBLEM SOLVING IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FORM OF CREATIVITY THERE IS. 2. IF IT'S NOT BROKEN, IMPROVE IT. A SMALL, CLEVER TWEAK CAN IMPROVE HOW SOMETHING WORKS FOR YEARS TO COME. 3. GIVE YOUR PRODUCTS A LONGER LIFE. IF WE DOUBLE THE LIFE OF OUR STUFF, WE HALVE WHAT GOES TO LANDFILL. ...

So. Who Will Be the Next Speaker of the House?

Today's bare-bones News-Journal story reports that both Pete Schwartzkopf and Helene Keeley are seeking the position. The News-Journal does not report that each candidate has a slate. If my sources are correct, and it's not certain that they are, each slate has at least one major head-scratcher on it. Here they are: Speaker: Pete Schwartzkopf Majority Leader: Valerie Longhurst (??!!) Majority Whip: Quin Johnson vs. Speaker: Helene Keeley Majority Leader: Bryon Short Majority Whip: John Viola (??!!) I don't know who will win, but I believe that this contest represents the first clear emergence of different factions within the Caucus.

The Republican Worldview

The basic Romney/Limbaugh/Sher Valenzuela, worldview involves using government to give things to their wealthy friends who "deserve" free money and access to no bid contracts. That's why they naturally think that President Obama's job is to give money to his "friends." Obama's friends, of course, are low-life moochers who don't "deserve" government largess. "Gifts" to rich people are not gifts, but the natural order of things. Atrios made this observation, and it really makes sense.

Republicans giving Sarah Palin a second look

If I thought praying would help, I'd pray my ass off for this to happen...
The Republican Party has been doing a lot of hand-wringing and finger-pointing since the presidential election. Half the conservative columnists and bloggers say the GOP lost because it overemphasized social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. The other half says the party didn't emphasize them enough. And everyone denounces Project ORCA, the campaign's attempt to turn out voters via technology. But I've got a suggestion for cutting short the GOP angst: Sarah Palin for president in 2016. You think I'm joking? Think again.