Login HereRep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL), a member of the fabulous 30 Something Dems Working Group in the Congress, has a question for everyone: what should he and the rest of the 30 Something Dems do with the humongous Rubber Stamp Republican Congress stamp now that the Democrats will be taking control of Congress come January?
It seems the 30 Somethings have grown fond of their very large stamp prop, and think that only the very best send-off is merited. Because we all had some fun with the Rubber Stamp Republican Congress stamps -- oh yeah, good times! (here, here, and here, the last being Matt Stoller's Excellent Rubber Stamp Delivery Adventure) -- I just knew that our readers would have some great ideas for the Republican Rubber Stamp retirement planning. I mean, honestly, haven't we all been waiting for this moment for weeks now? It's like presents just came early for everyone to unwrap, isn't it?
You can add your suggestions at the form that the 30 Somethings have provided or e-mail them at: 30SomethingDems AT mail DOT house DOT gov.
Can't wait to hear what everyone suggests!
And a heads up: there will be much more to come on this one. A giant rubber stamp like this deserves the full treatment in its send-off, don't you think? The Rubber Stamp Republican Congress stamp deserves nothing less than the best possible means of disposal -- they certainly have earned it. Cheers!
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maliki is a dead man if he goes back to bagdad.
All hail the rubber stamp! By the end of the campaign, everyone was saying it!
I’d kind of like to wait and see if we end up with a rubber-stamp Democratic congress first. Just to make sure that things are at least going in the
rightproper direction, you understand.How about give the oversize stamp to Jim Webb so he can ram it up Chimpy’s ass side ways?? Then he can go around the world w/ his purple ink staid butthole. You really can’t top that so don’t try.
A Viking funeral is the only way. Put it on a boat, set it on fire, send it out to sea.
Or maybe we can get the former GOP ranking House members to join it in an act of group suttee.
As the Dems come to town in January and the rubber hits the road, I’d say it would also be time for the Rubber Stamp to hit the road…
Personally, I’m casting my vote for putting it in the National Archives, as an ever-present reminder of what happens when you decide to be a rubber stamp instead of doing your freaking jobs as elected officials.
I realize that my music is freely available at my website, but folks have said there should be a CD in case someone wants to send the music to their friends for the Holidays.
Love Songs From Grund Zero
Archives*, but with the stipulation that we can use it again if necessary.
*As part of their future blogger era collection
I’m for donating it to GWB’s library.
Dru at 11 — MWAHAHAHAHA! Should we put that in the Craptastic Political Legacy Wing?
We should probably keep it around in case it gets subpoenaed.
Run the idea past Stuart/Colbert on Comedy
Central. National exposure and lots of fun.
Speaking of great symbols, what happened to the Kiss Float?
Give it to Joe Lieberman. But definitely keep it within reach, just in case there are some dems who really like that corporate money and forget who sent them.
Christy- sounds like just the right place for his crowning achievement.
Put the thing in the Capitol lobby in a glass case with one of those helpful little signs that explain everything for future generations:
Super-glue it to the floor so the next crew of bubble-headed sycophants can’t remove it.
As a warning to future generations it’s not quite a head on a spike at the city gates, but it won’t get stinky and icky after a few days, either.
I wouldn’t get rid of it. Keep it around for 08 to remind folks of what they voted against in 06.
I can see it now: Dems, “In our first 6 weeks we passed the first rise in the minimum wage since the Clinton Administration. What did they do for 6 years?” Then they hold up the rubber stamp.
Do a series of statement/questions like that.
OT/ Jimmy Carter is on Al Franken now.
Send it for a tour in Iraq. Take pictures.
Put that sucker right in front of the door on the last day of this Congress. Make sure every damn one of them has to walk right past it on the way out.
Have it bronzed
Let Nancy Pelosi use it as a gavel to open the joint session of Congress when Bush delivers his 2007 State of the Union address.
Christy Hardin Smith @
8
Alongside The Kiss Float, so that the exhibit is “fair and balanced” and bipartisan. Wouldn’t want RGJoe to feel excluded!
Troops
Home
NOW
Let’s name Washington National Airport after it! or put it on the dime
Al Schroeder @
14
I like this. Rep. Meek should go on the Colbert Report and present the Stamp to Colbert for his snarkives. Colbert can put it up on the shelves with the reset of his objects and look at it fondly when he longs for the days of Republican rule.
It should volunteer to fight the war it rubber-stamped. Shouldn’t they all?
GrandmaJ @ 16
Yeah, GrandmaJ: give it to Joe. Or use it on him.
minor technical quibble: the imprint part of a real stamp would be the reverse image of the text. but “ssergonC nacilbupeR pmatS rebbuR” with backwards letters doesn’t really roll of the toungue, so never mind.
I believe the Rubber Stamp transcends ComCentral, and belongs to the Nation. Or, perhaps al-Sadr might have a use for it?
Christy Hardin Smith @
8
Maybe instead of locking it away in the archives, it should be placed on a pedastal at (Reagan) National Airport by the baggage pick-up, so all the arriving members of Congress can see it every Monday when they fly back to town from their districts.
Kind of an “Abandon Hope, Ye Who Forget” monument.
The other place to put it, for similar effect, would be in the Rotunda.
LindaR @ 27
Anyone have a contact at the Colbert Report?
I think the Report is an appropriate final resting place for The Stamp.
punaise @ 30
This from the punster with the oge-retla who visited LDF during his self-imposed hiatus?
Destroying it by fire or ax is too easy and sends the wrong message. I suggest they turn it into something useful like wooden pens for all the new freshman as a subtle reminder that they are in Congress to do real work.
TeddySanFran @ 34
guilty as charged!
punaise @ 36
does that put you over your credit limit?
it could be the centerpiece of the holiday creche.
Peterr @ 37
credibility limit was maxed out long ago
EPU’d
Rayne @ 60
Sooo, the Saudis can summon Cheney, but Congress can’t?
Just checking.
punaise @ 38
Gold, Frankincense and Stamp
egregious @ 40
All Congress can do is
exorciseimpeach him.punaise,
re your “ssergonC nacilbupeR pmatS rebbuR”
Wouldn’t that be “ssergnoC nacilbupeR pmatS rebbuR”?
twolf1 @ 41
God bless, uh, myrhh-ica
Ornament on the national Christmas tree. Fix it up with sparkly lights that blink on and off.
Scarecrow - well actually I would like to put big red rubber stamp on top of him, but that would be ungracious I guess. I probably do not trust him much so probably not the best of ideas. I meant more of a ‘GIVE it to him…’ type of sentiment.
OT - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sends an open letter to the American people.
“I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it,” he said. “The U.S. administration does not accept accountability before any organization, institution or council … Is there not a better approach to governance?”
egregious @ 43
it was just a test to see if you were paying attention…?
All Congress can do is
exorciseimpeach him.President Bush: They say physical activity is good, to y’know, exercise your demons.
Hehe. Cheney prolly figures he has a better chance getting contracts for Halliburton out of the Saudis than from a Democratic Congress.
On another subject, so now that Russia has been caught irradiating people on London streets and on airplanes, do we have to add them to the Axis of Evil and fight them too? Hah! Maybe that’s the plan. We’ll have a real enemy, with tanks, nukes an’ all to fight, once again (not to mention a dictator who looks like Vlad the Impaler)! And we KNOW they’re hiding WMDs…
egregious @ 40
punaise @ 48
!!noitnetta gniyap saw I
I wish I could forget the rubber stamp Iraq war Demos. But I can’t seem to do it.
Gore/Clark. Clark/Feingold. Edwards for AG. I think Fitz is good too.
I see the Repubs have gotten rid of some baggage (Frist) for 2008. Now… if only we (Dems) could get rid of a bit NY 2008 luggage.
TRex @ 5
Sounds like a great way to party. Perhaps we can suggest that this be done after the first session that Dems are in control of Congress. Invite everyone including the press.
Stamp, apply directly to the forehead.
Stamp, apply directly to the forehead.
Stamp, apply directly to the forehead.
Blub @ 50
In the name of all that is Holy, please don’t go this way even in jest. I have spent the last 20 years of my life trying to build a bridge of peace and reconciliation between the U.S. and Russia. I have lost part of my health and most of my sanity doing this work.
It would take so little to undo all my work. Like an administration that insults all other heads of state?
Sorry, it’s hard to keep my sense of humor when I see something about them being our enemy in the future.
It’s almost like we are LOOKING for enemies. Is that it?
If I may go OT for a moment… The time has come to retire my poor computer. It has been overtaken by a virus and it will not let me google, or even search the web without substituting its own version of the search. YUCK. It needs to go away to my son-in-law’s computer room (he is in the computer security business) and have a massive brain replacement.
Also the cost of Charter Cable High Speed internet just went up, AGAIN, and is now $40. On top of T.V. access which is $58/mo for a slightly expanded version but not the complete package which is over $100.
Is $40 for internet in line with other high speed access. I only have one phone line so if I go for the very cheap option, I cannot talk on the phone and be on the web at the same time. NOT that my phone is ringing off the hook or anything, but annoying anyway.
I haven’t been conversing much but am usually lurking. If I totally disappear within the next week or so, I will pop up probably in February after all my Christmas bills are paid.
TRex @ 5
I was definitely thinking “burning,” but you’ve perfectly completed the concept.
I think that’s the point and the danger. This administration LOOKS for opportunities to make enemies… that’s how it thrives… whether that enemy is Iraq under Saddam, Iran or, perhaps, in the future, the Russian Federation. I wouldn’t put it past them.
egregious @ 55
I say don’t retire it. Use it as a constant reminder of what came before, and a warning to this administration.
Peterr @ 32
Better make it the Rotunda. How many Congresscritters actually hang out in their districts on weekends, anyway?
punaise, egregrius, TeddySF, etc.
The late, great Steve Goodman would love all this backtalk . . . There’s got to be a YouTube out there somewhere of him singing “Talk Backwards.”
Hey everybody wherever you are
They’ve got a new way of talking and it’s gonna go far;
you take the letters in the words, turn ‘em around;
say the last one first and check out the sound,
Talk Backwards
I know what you’re thinking; that it sure sounds strange;
You talked forward so long that it’s hard to change.
But it’s just like metric once you get the drift:
You twist your tongue and give your palate a lift.
You take your favorite phrase, read it in the mirror,
practice that about a half a year,
and then sdrawkcab gnikiat mi em ta kool -
You’re a regular talking bassackwards fool
Talk backwards
Talking backwards is the new sensation,
Talking backwards is sweeping the nation
You amaze your friends when you start to rap
Don’t say pass the butter, say rettub eht ssap.
Rettub eht ssap?
Rettub eht ssap!
And if you’re out with a girl and she’s a little bit shy
Don’t say I love you; say uoy evol I.
Uoy evol I and I always will,
Now see if that doesn’t take off the chill.
Talk backwards.
Just the other day I was walking down the street
And there was this little girl I thought I’d like to meet.
I said “Excuse me miss but eserd taht teg uoy derehw.
thgin ta tuo emoc yeht srats ekil era hteet ruoy.”
And I said “Am I getting through to you yet?”
She said “You’re a gent in the first degree
And I love it when you talk backwards to me.”
Talk backwards.
You never can tell, but one of these nights
Those who talk backwards will demand their rights.
They’ll rise up angry and get a solution
in the form of an amendment to the constitution,
that guarantees ‘em freedom of reverse elocution;
and then every T.V. show that airs
will have to be captioned for the forward impaired.
Talk backwards.
In my darker moments, I think we go beyond just looking for enemies, to creating them.
GrandmaJ,
That doesn’t sound like a virus to me. If you have WindowsXP try restoring you computer to a date before the problem began.
http://www.microsoft.com/techn.....ysrst.mspx
Christy Hardin Smith @
8
I was thinking of the Smithsonian…but the National Archives works.
GrandmaJ @ 56
The high costs of high speed internet service is something that really needs attention. There’s no excuse for it. High internet fees are for many a form of de facto segregation, descrimination and disenfranchisement.
egregious @ 62
Yes, it’s good business for the defense contractors who own the corporate media who contribute to the political campaigns. A Moebius strip kind of thing.
Smithsonian came to mind first but I think it could be recycled right now for rubber stamp journalists.
Cozumel @ 63
Or perhaps just re-format the whole thing if that doesn’t work. ;)
Fun stuff. My submission:
I think it properly belongs in President Bush’s half-a-billion-dollar Presidential Library, along with his copy of “My Pet Goat” and all his coloring books. It could go in the “My Most Bestest Legacy” wing.
OT: From WaPoo - Chuck Hagel wants run for President, too.
:-)
GrandmaJ @ 56
GrandmaJ,
That’s not too bad for cable. It’s kinda the going rate down here in Mpls. Broadband is definitely faster than DSL (5 to 10 time, depending on time of day). I offset my phone costs by going with Vonage. That cut my Qwest bill in half and if you don’t need unlimited long distance, you can get that down to about 14.99 a month for basic Voice over IP. Your son in law can probably put the router in for you.
Other than that, high speed costs money, but it’s like leaving Plato’s cave; you just can’t go back.
UptownNYChick @ 15
Now, there’s a thought. Put the Rubber Stamp on a trailer and hitch it up behind the Kiss Float if Holy Joe ever runs for prez again.
GrandmaJ:
There are insidious sites which will substitute their search engine, and it’s dang close to a virus in effect. You can fix it, but it’s a pain; a friend of mine ran into this once. Antivirus, yes, and a firewall program too. You may have to do some registry editing (hazardous: be very careful doing this).
(Sometimes it’s easier to do ‘Format C:’ to fix the problem that way.)
GrandmaJ — find a teenager with mad computer skillz to help you; think you have a “hijacker” malware affecting your system, from the sounds of your description. Need to run several anti-malware routines like “HijackThis” to be rid of it.
Also check with your telephone company on DSL pricing. DSL uses your same phoneline, but does not interfere with ability to make phone calls while you are online. You should be able to get this for no more than $15/month if you have AT&T in your area. If they offer that for roughly that price, go back to your cable provider and tell them you need to cut costs, will kill the highspeed if they can’t do better on price; they may offer a “customer retention” pricing package, and if not, you go with DSL. The idea is to get your entire communications-entertainment cost down, phone-internet-cable pricing; use the phone-internet bundle as leverage against the cable-internet bundle to your advantage.
I think they’d better keep it handy against creeping Broderism.
OT..TSF, Yes, the Patio one of my old favorite Sunday brunch haunts. Thanks for the update.
Can I relay my living room floor with it so I can bounce beerskies across it?
from a DKos diary:
Computer security S-I-L gets a Mac mini for holiday gift for GrandmaJ. (Keeps M$ unit for his own uses.)
‘Offered for your consideration…’
So is Clusterfuck drunk again? Unfit for human company?
Dear Congressman Meek and Congressional Colleagues:
Please enshrine the Rubber Stamp in the Capitol Rotunda as a reminder to all Congresspersons that there is no more ignominious way to lose a 12-year majority than the Stamp.
The Stamp, while effective during your excellent late-nite adventures on the House floor, deserves a place in history as well as a place in the Congressional workplace. Please treat it with the dignity and respect it deserves.
Thank you for all your efforts. Thank you for your service to the United States of America, and please convey my thanks to your Thirty-Something colleagues as well. You moved us to action. We will not forget your patriotism.
Sincerely yours
Teddy
San Francisco, CA
Proud and humble constituent of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
Rayne @ 74
That’s great advice, but my family would kill me if we went back to DSL. Cable has us over a barrel for speed. I’ve got five desktops and four laptops and a VoIP router on our little ad-hoc network and DSL would crash with Club Penguin, RuneScape, Mom on Simon Delivers and Daddy typing madly away at FDL (and occasionally working). The damn think is a virus in itself. It has infected our lives.
Considering the lame-duck GOP Congress is packing up their marbles and going home without even bothering to pass any FY’07 budget bills (and FY 2007 started October 1st!), maybe the rubber stamps could be retooled to read “SORE LOSERS”.
rwcole @ 80
When wasn’t he?
I was just reading about the Jim Webb incident. He essentially called Bush a jerk to his face in front of the Freshman Class.
Mos Def Not Obama!
Holiday Activism!
Webb should challenge GW Clusterfuck to a fist fight- bout time america finds out what kinda man Clusterfuck is!
Global Power Barometer
GrandmaJ,
I had this happen a couple of years ago. Here’s where I went for help:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/
And if that doesn’t work….
The place I’ve found help is at the library computer lab; they’ve given me names of reliable service techs who were not expensive.
“Sooo, the Saudis can summon Cheney, but Congress can’t?”
Let’s remember this when Cheney refuses to appear before an investigating committee.
Actually I’ve had Comcast cable modem and DSL, and I really don’t notice much difference in speed or signal drop-off. I now have digital TV, DSL and landline all coming over the the phone coppers. It works fine. And more channels than I had with Comcast. But I do not like the costs, which are about the same as cable.
GrandmaJ @ 56
I think that price ($40/month) is a good one for the U.S. I pay about $55 a month for DSL, and paid slightly less back when I had cable Internet access via Crapcast. You might want to see if your phone company is offering some sort of voice/Internet/TV bundle, but I don’t think you’ll do significantly better.
egregious @
62
It is your efforts — and many efforts of others like you — that allow us to see our “enemies” as people, though. Please don’t stop reminding us of who our governments want us to fight — each other! And how foolish and unlevelheaded that is, especially when efforts like yours are moving us forward every day to a new paradigm of peace, understanding, and goodwill.
We could create a timeout corner for Right Wing Republicans where they would have to sit on the stamp. (Not you, Mark Foley and Ted Haggard!!!)
Dr. Bong @ 70
I’ll say this. I prefer Hagel’s views on Iraq over a certain NY Senator’s.
Comcast is currently bundling cable/internet/phone for $99/mo for a year. after that, who knows…
Oklahoma kiddo @ 90
I’ve thought about going that way, but we need more TV like we need collective holes in the head; even the dog watches the boob-toob in my house. I DON’T like paying Comcast but they are really much faster in my area. I’ve gone to various broadband speedtest sites during the day and my connection is frequently running well over standard T1 speeds. And that’s running most of my units on wireless with a bottleneck at 54mbps. Until I can get a satalite neural shunt, I think I’m stuck.
Unless someone with a blog following and a knowledge of class action wanted to take the bull by the tail…hmmmm!!!!????
I saw a PBS thing on the internet about a month or so ago. Apparently Japan offers much, much faster internet service for less money than we do. There’s some internet company out of La. that is pioneering low cost super fast internet service at less cost than most of us are forced to pay.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 90
The only time I’ve noticed a slowdown is when I’m downloading a Linux image or a large movie file. DSL works fine, and I haven’t had anywhere near the dropouts and unreliable service I had from my late, lamentable cable Internet provider (rhymes with “bombast”). So the mild disadvantage of having big downloads take longer isn’t that much of a problem for me. As always, YMMV.
I’ve heard that there is now an inexpensive device that allows you to get all your high speed digital media by simply plugging into any electric wall socket. Last I heard it was becoming popular in Japan…
more OT-
Willamette Week.
It’s nice to see a little justice. Go Gerry Spence!
punaise @ 95
Is this what they call a ‘hook’?
Donate it to George Bush’s presidential library. Assuming he gets one.
Maybe the Rubber stamp ought to go roaming like the gnome. A world tour with photos of it and the results of its use.
I look forward to the inauguration of the George Bush Penitentiaral Library
Oklahoma kiddo @
101
Yes. Most of these deals work that way, and not just with Crapcast. After the trial period, the service becomes significantly more expensive. Lately, the companies that offer them don’t even feel the need to explain in fine print on their advertisements what the price will eventually be. The best bet is to go to their websites and find out what they’re charging normally before accepting such a deal.
punaise @ 104
Not actually a bad idea. Phillip Morris could sponser as you would, invariably, need to pay your late fees with smokes.
johnSwifty @ 106
it would be a correct shun all facility
The George Bush library, I was thinking would be more like a toilet with bookends on the tank and a few books (as suggested above). perhaps they could just use the portapotty he travels with, and spend half a billion dollars on a shiny gold plunger.
Christy, What happened to the hundreds of smaller stamps? I bought four of them, and I don’t remember hearing much about them after Matt Stoller’s delivery. Did they get used?
As a former curator, I think the rubber stamp would be an appropriate donation to the National Archives, or to the proposed Bush Presidential Library/Think Tank in Dallas. The interpretive labels that people have suggested are also very good. In the museums where I have worked we have always recorded as much information about the object as possible from the donor. And objects such as the rubber stamp or the Kiss float could be loaned to other institutions for temporary exhibitions, such as one in the Capitol or even at National Airport, provided there was sufficient security for the artifact.
But I am really intrigued by the idea of the rubber stamp media, the inside-the-Beltway punditocracy who have been zealously touting endless administration & Republican Party spin. Perhaps there’s reason to create another giant rubber stamp, commemorating their contributions to the seemingly innumerable problems the Bush/Cheney cabal have created. Let’s hear it for the “aideM pmatS rebbuR”rubber stamp!
punaise @
107
Ouch! Direct hit. You’re starting early. Do you just work up a list of about a dozen or so of these on a topic and then just wait for some sucker to take the bait?
Thank god it isn’t French renaissance playwrights again. The only good French literature was written by Henry Miller.
(Ok, Hugo and Dumas are gods, but that’s it!)
What’s next: Cell Block W?
Will the uniforms be made of Spandau?
johnSwifty @ 111
How about the Group W Bench?