Ask not what you can do for your country.

Ask what you can do TO your country.

That cartoon, is spot-on.

They’re acting like petulant children who don’t get their way. Which is pretty much how they’ve always acted, they were just getting their way for the past 8 years (arguably 30 years).

Shoter GOP: while you common folks pinch pennies, let us eat steak.

Tax cuts and deregulation got us into this mess, now tax cuts and deregulation will get us out, right?

Christy, are you trying to make him cry?

Shocked? No. Appalled? As usual.

I hear McConnel is especially fond of their “water works treatment.” billed as …An experience from the past.

Tax cuts and deregulation are always their answer. Now, what was the question?

I see him as Wile E. Coyote stepping off a cliff, holding a sign that says, “Don’t worry I’ll get us back on the ground.”
Yeah, but not alive.

Sure hope the GOP is enjoying their romp in the cushy digs at The Homestead Resort and Spa. Note to Boehner: I hear the 1766 Men’s Manicure is just the thing to polish off one’s perma-tan panache

.

Interesting. I wonder how many of them know the Homestead was a luxury prison for “enemy aliens” in WWII?

Maybe not relevant, but it’s what the Homestead means to me—my dad was a history buff, a young man in WVA in WWII, and whenver we drove by it on a trip to visit the old places, that’s the story he invariably told about the hotel.

Hmmm–are they all there right now? Maybe we could throw up a Progressive Army cordon around it and keep them out of our hair for the next 4 yrs?/s

Fortunately, there are not many Hispanics in the Republican Party. Otherwise, Mr. Sun Tan would be advised of the old Spanish-language ballad of “Me Quede llorando en la basura.” Translated, “Ya’ left me crying in the trash bin.” And that’s where the Republicans have now made their home…the trash bin of history.

Jaango

Here’s more evidence of why McConnell wanted to go there:

To maintain the tranquility of “taking the waters” in the colonial tradition, swimming is not permitted at Jefferson Pools.

Adult Soaking Hours
For 18 years of age and older. Clothing is optional during this time.

while you common folks pinch pennies, let us eat steak.

Not surprising, after all those years of kissing Newt, Denny, Dick, Tom, and Roy’s butts, John needs something to take the taste out of his mouth.

Oh, dear, Christy… According to your linky the “Sportsman treatment” concludes with

an invigorating twenty-five minute massage focusing on an area of your choice

Good gawd — these are Republicans we’re talking about… The vice cops are gonna be busy…

This political dance must be straight from the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. The Irish have a term for it – GUBU, the explanation is too long but is the acronym for adjectives used to describe a situation. They are: Grotesque; Unbelievable; Bizarre; and Unprecedented. GUBU is obviously the State of the Nation

GOP adds new demands for stimulus bill
$2.5 billion for new voting machines that can be remotely controlled from GOP headquarters.
$3.75 billion to go through voter registration lists eliminating those registered as dems.
$2.9 billion to hire blackwater for security at rethug events.

Well, they have to find a happy ending somewhere… *G* (Couldn’t help myself.)

This link is pretty relevant, too – from Paul Krugman’s blog:

/

He links to a an article from 2006 with various modern robber barons explaining why they are worth millions of dollars in pay and bonuses.

Aaargh! what did I do wrong that the link didn’t show up? Try again:http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/proud-of-a-new-gilded-age/

hope that worked:

It does seem awfully Mad Hatter in the “no room, no room” apoplexy of their “us versus the rest of you cretins” attitude, doesn’t it?

I’m for further deregulation. Let’s get rid of speed limits and make stoplights optional.

…for Republicans.

LOL!

I’m for further deregulation. Let’s get rid of speed limits and make stoplights optional.

For the most part drivers in Chatham County have already done that. It makes for some interesting commuting, I’ll tell you! Turn signal? What’s that?

Boehner really needs to lay off the booze. And the tan – he’s beginning to look like an old saddle.

Boehner reminded Republicans that they are no longer in the business of legislating and should focus almost solely on communicating their message with voters.

“We are in the communications business,” Boehner told the crowd during his opening remarks. “We can build a new Republican majority one issue at a time.”

in other words, they are in the business of getting democrats out of office

this is more then just getting re-elected because they WILL get re-elected if the country takes the turn for the better

this is about getting the democrats UN-elected.

that’s what’s really going on here, you know they can get more done under for their consituents under obama then they did under bush but that’s not what they’re here for, they are here to get elected, get democrats un-elected

I’m for further deregulation. Let’s get rid of speed limits and make stoplights optional.

for that matter money is a regulation, ownership is a regulation, them keeping their company from being taken by someone with as bigger bat is a regulation

I say get rid of all the regulations that give them their profit…I think they would just love that deregulation as well

Oh, I do love that, should practice my accent so that I’m ready the next time a Repug tells me that the stimulus package isn’t going to help those that need it most.

“Me Quede llorando en la basura.”

Hmmm-mmm.

You mean, he’s not made of old rawhide?

In related news…looks like the RNC is about to elect Michael Steele as it’s new chair.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo…..ps-out.php

Now, Boner will be able to say, “See we’ve got a Black guy in charge, too.”

Yeah, like that’s gonna work for the GOP.

Oh dear, you have really insulted old saddles everywhere.

There seem to be a lot of these articles about what Repubs should do.

I’ll just be happy if our new president and Congress leadership (Pelosi sounds like she’s getting it, at last) just quit paying them any attention at all in passing legislation. We don’t need them. And they have just made it clear that we can’t get them. Ignore them!

Then, of course, we need the MSM to ignore them, too. When do they start talking to more Dems than Repubs on tv and radio?

Rush is the only one who has told the truth – sorry. They will do everything they can to see that the Dems don’t succeed at anything. They will vote no on all bills just for pure spite.

Yep. What was that endof campaign slogan of McCain’s…”Party First”, wasn’t it?/s

You want to see the rest of what they’ll unleash on the country? Here, check out what one of their conservative think tanks is unleashing on Michigan:

101 Recommendations to Revitalize Michigan

We’re their favorite destination now for implementing the Shock Doctrine.

Any predictions on how pure spite will go over with the voters in 2010?

WEll, you’ve done it Christy.
THIS is my NEW favorite post of yours. EVAH!
LOLOL!

this totally rocks.
man!
no one on the world wide web does snark like Christy Harden Smith and Jane Hamsher!
i’m on the floor here.
need help getting up.
i’ve fallen and don’t have one of those things!

So, how are all the racist GOP-ers going to stomach Michael Steele as their party chair?

-G

By the way, Steele used to be a Democrat. There must be some things he said back then that can be dredged back up to sow discord amongst the GOP-er faithful.

-G

Gee, what a surprise! Skipping right to the proposal for “Labor Reform,” I see (shock!) that first on the list is to pass “right-to-work” laws.

Should I bother looking at any of the others?

Never heard of the think tank, before. Especially like their wish to put “growth and freedom-friendly policies.”
Bush has destroyed the meaning of “freedom”-even the rethugs should understand that.

From this perspective, it does.

What was that Robbie Burns bit?

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!

I think it won’t go over well at all. We seem to have moments of great clarity in this country and people have caught on – for right now. Don’t think it will change between now and 2010.

Glad you enjoyed it. Honestly, the gall of saying that at a luxury resort retreat was more than I could resist for mockery.

Thanks for all the diggs on this, gang. Much appreciated!

I hear the 1766 Men’s Manicure is just the thing to polish off one’s perma-tan panache.

1766 Men’s Manicure
Your hand is your business card. Experience an exfoliation from the elbows to the fingertips followed by a relaxing lower arm and hand massage. This manicure concludes with nail trimming, shaping and buffing.
30 minutes – $45

I have to say, if both arms are included that doesn’t look like a bad value

*goes to make reservation*

They do a lovely paraffin manicure at The Homestead, but I didn’t see it on the men’s spa listing, btw. Honestly, they do have a lovely spa there. (Have been there for business, and it’s a nice resort — a wee bit pricey, though, for the optics of “party of reason” messaging. *G* Ooopsie.)

That reminds me – I didn’t see any “clothing optional” pool times for women, or any special “Women’s spa.” Does that just mean that the default meaning of “spa” is that it’s for women?
Still, I’ll bet it’s major clientele these days is male.

“We are in the communications business,” Boehner told the crowd during his opening remarks. “We can build a new Republican majority one issue at a time.”

My bold. Boehner finally tells the truth.

I think we just had Boehner give a deposition regarding Republican control of all US communications. Hmmmmm…

I think Mr. B deserves a reminder:

For each person present at the Obama Inauguration, each individual represented 239 US citizens who approve of how Obama is doing right now. That’s 238,451,499 that approve sir. Compare that number to the 55,000,000 registered Repugs. Obama approval rating is 4.33 times greater than the size of your party.

Communicate all you want. We are not listening.

There is a side of the bathhouse just for women, and a side just for men for the mineral waters soak. Jefferson designed the bathhouse himself as part of the overall design of the resort.

And, I can tell you from personal experience, that clothing is optional. The day I went down to look at the bath house when I was there, there was a lady enjoying it Full Monty style.

tiz a spa for men, just men I might add, I suspect you will see rove and his boytoy press secretary there with video camera hanging on the lounge

And, I can tell you from personal experience, that clothing is optional.

ROFL!

Dems take note. Future meetings should be held in Detroit or NOLA and make sure some service outreach is tied into the gathering.

No spas allowed.

They have these little cotton “bathing outfits” that you can wear that look like old-fashioned rompers from the 1800s, honestly. Or you can wear your bathing suit — but the sign does say that clothing is optional. And one particular patron — much to the dismay of two older ladies and one of the women in my group — availed herself of that privilege.

I found the ensuing hoo haw kind of funny, actually…honestly, we all had the same bits. So who really cares?

Michael Steele and John Boner, revitalzing the GOP. Bhwaaahahahahah! snicker!

I wonder how many reichwingnut heads exploded this afternoon when Steele was elected RNC chair. How does the party that disenfranchises all non-whites deal with a man of colour at its head? This is gonna be interesting.

btw, I do not know if they have the same type of suit options for men. But that would be really funny, if so…because the little cotton rompers with their calico prints would look hilarious on any number of the folks in attendance. *G*

This will play well in the South.

OT – I just heard the end of an interview (on The World, radio) with a JAG representing an Afghan Guantanamo prisoner. He said he expected that Pres. Obama, unlike his predecessor, would treat his client fairly.

Somehow, I found myself thinking, first, of how these military lawyers have to risen to a challenge they surely did not expect when they joined up, at great risk to their careers.
And, I wondered if Aaron Sorkin might do a play/film about the 21st century dramas at Guanatanamo.
(sorry, I couldn’t resist commenting after hearing that)

Oh, thanks Christy – have to leave for errands – what an image I will carry with me. ROFL again!

Well, most of the old dfh’s I know never had a problem shedding clothes at rivers, swimming holes or hot springs. We were a lot younger then, however.

We’ll see. I’m definitely keeping my ears open cuz I know a lot of racist wingnuts. They deny any such thing but it’s hard to hide.

The Constitution specifies in Article VI, clause 3:

“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

For other officials, including members of Congress, it specifies they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” At the start of each new U.S. Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, those newly elected or re-elected Congressmen – the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate – must recite an oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

According to my take on this Rep Boehner, no “communications business” is stated as your chief responsibility.

Trust me when I say that this particular business excursion was not exactly a DFH-rich environment. *G*

So you don’t thing they will put his photo on the wall next to St. Ronnie’s?

With you bein’ an attorney an’ all I wouldn’t think so. *g*

I found the ensuing hoo haw kind of funny, actually…honestly, we all had the same bits. So who really cares?

Whellllll…Do you really mean bits are bits?

LOL, methinks not.

Is there any truth to the story that he was really born in Mogudishu to an al Qaida father

Speaking of Ronnie RayGuns, I thought about buying Will Bunch’s new book Tear Down This Myth. Figure I’ll ask my little library to get it. Just can’t visualize a book about Ronnie on my bookshelf.

Will’s book salon here will be March 1st, just FYI. :)

Now there’s a nice little comment that some dfh troll could lay on, say, Little Green Turdballs. *g*

LOL!

Heh, hehhhh…

I saw you mention that earlier. That might change my mind but I don’t really care how screwed up RayGuns really was. What I know already is enough. 1 Mar is a Sunday so I should be around for it.

As opposed to a round tuit.

OT Rudy noun verb 9/11 on CNN saying that we should disallow Wall Street bonuses because that means these people will not eat out so much and won’t be leaving tips. Unfrickinbelievable.

OOPS we should allow

And as for who they’re “communicating” with, remember that for the low, low price of $25,000, lobbyists can buy a Gooper their way into the gathering.

I had to laugh at David Neiwert’s comments about Steele’s election.

From Crooks & Liars

I have to admit I’m surprised. I thought Republicans would find the Deep Southern credentials of Katon Dawson, the Dixie-loving South Carolina chair, irresistible like catnip.

Well, there may be an upside: Conservatives, you would hope, will now at last retire the “Barack the Magic Negro” schtick.

Then again, they aren’t the most self-aware bunch, are they?

Anyone know much about the Republican House “retreat” up in Hot Springs, Virginia this weekend? Apparently they are charging lobbyists $25,000/head for the privilege of hot-tubbing with Boehner, Gingrey, and the like.

Maybe some of that fake tan that Boehner has will come off in the spa…so they can get some of what Ronald Reagan did with his hair.

One hint to the lobbyists, if they want an even tan with Boehner they have to make sure that they put their heads UNDER the water.

New post

Ah, but the original Robber Barons of the Industrial Age of America actually built infastructure and built good businesses. They also knew that a healthy middle class who had adequate income could make them richer by being able to purchase the goods and services they were offering.

Today’s Robber Barons do not seem to grasp that if you outsource all the good paying jobs and you break the unions and make who is ever left work for minimum wage while making sure the amount doesn’t change for 10 years leaves no one who can pay for your goods and services. And that leaves them where exactly?