Right-winging Bitter Clinging Proud Clingers

Half wit, half term ex-Alaska governor Sarah Palin, wordsmither of "refudiate", Shakespeared another neologism during her 1/19/2016 Trump endorsment.

[Sarah Palin] And you quit footing the bill for these nations who are oil-rich, we're paying for some of their squirmishes that have been going on for centuries. Where they're fighting each other and yelling "Allahu akbar", calling jihad on each other's heads forever and ever. Like I've said before, let them duke it out and let Allah sort it out". [NYT Commentary] Here, Mrs. Palin accomplishes many things unusual for a political speaker: She recites the Arabic phrase for "God is great", and, more notably, coins a new word, squirmishes, a cross between squirm (which means to wriggle the body from side to side) and skirmish (which means a brief fight or encounter between small groups). Twitter embraced the new term instantly. (The Most Mystifying Lines of Sarah Palin's Endorsement Speech by Michael Barbarojan. NYT 1/20/2016).

Frightening that she could have actually been elected VP. Although this time around the GOP electorate might go for the Canadian-born, Green Eggs and Ham reading Ted Cruz. Not that there are any good Repub choices... but is this guy even eligible?

In any case, please find below some humorous takes on the Palin endorsement (via YouTube)...

Video1: Yosemite Sarah Palin (0:27).

Video2: SNL Palin Trump Endorsement Cold Open (5:09).

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin.

DSB #33

Flint Water Crisis Proof Republicans Are Evil & Hate Poor People

OK, so the title of this post might be a little hyperbolic, but not by much. Perhaps I should revise my title to read "some Republicans are evil and hate poor people". Which is, incidently, quite Randian of them. Anyway, if you don't know what I'm talking about, what follows is a summary of the Flint water crisis.

[The] drinking water contamination crisis in Flint MI started in April 2014 after Flint changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water (which was sourced from Lake Huron as well as the Detroit River) to the Flint River. The corrosive Flint River water caused lead from aging pipes to leach into the water supply, causing extremely elevated levels of lead. (Wikipedia/Flint Water Crisis).

What we're looking at here, IMO, is negligent homicide at the direction of the MI governor, Rick Snyder. For which people should go to prison (people including the governor).

When Governor Snyder took office in 2011, one of the first things he did was to get a multi-billion dollar tax break passed by the Republican legislature for the wealthy and for corporations. But with less tax revenues, that meant he had to start cutting costs. So, many things - schools, pensions, welfare, safe drinking water - were slashed. Then he invoked an executive privilege to take over cities (all of them majority black) by firing the mayors and city councils whom the local people had elected, and installing his cronies to act as "dictators" over these cities. Their mission? Cut services to save money so he could give the rich even more breaks. That's where the idea of switching Flint to river water came from. To save $15 million! It was easy. Suspend democracy. Cut taxes for the rich. Make the poor drink toxic river water. (10 Things They Won't Tell You About the Flint Water Tragedy. But I Will by Michael Moore. HuffPo 2/01/2016.

BTW, they (Snyder and his administration) knew pretty early on that there was a serious problem, but they decided to keep it quiet, while switching some (big business interests like GM) back to the good Lake Huron water.

Can you believe the level of indifference/depravity this took? Yeah, that's why I'm with Michael Moore on this... he says Snyder should be arrested and prosecuted. Hell, if it were possible for Snyder to receive a fair trial I think he could be convicted of murder and receive the death penalty. Of course that ain't going to happen.

Apparently Cher tweeted about this and suggested that Synder be executed by firing squad (with the use of the hashtag #FIRINGSQUADWORKSFORME). OK, so 88% of criminologists do not believe the death penalty is an effective deterrent and (as a Progressive) I am opposed to the death penalty (for this reason, among others). But I'm going to go ahead a SAY that in Snyder's case I think we should make an exception. But only because it will outrage Republicans.

SWTD Tags: Michael Moore, Republican Racism.

DSB #32

Rep Alan Grayson On The Republican Charge That Hillary Clinton Did Something Illegal Or Dishonest Re Benghazi

The following is an excerpt from comments made by Rep. Alan Grayson on the Thom Hartmann Radio Program, 1/15/2016, in regards to the Republican's fake Benghazi investigation. (Note that I edited these comments for brevity and clarity).

Caller: I want to commend you on your Benghazi committee ethics complaint and I'd like to know what the status of it is.

Alan Grayson: It's under consideration. We will not hear back until they've reached a conclusion. For those who are not familiar with this - Kevin McCarthy, when he was planning on running for Speaker, admitted on national TV that the purpose of the Benghazi Committee was to make Hillary's numbers drop. That isn't an appropriate purpose for a taxpayer funded investigation - to hurt an opposing political candidate (SWTD #314).

Recognizing the ethical implications, I submitted a complaint against McCarthy and the head of the committee [Trey Gowdy] and the following day McCarthy dropped out of the Speaker's race. He clearly recognized that this was a problem. When he dropped out and held a news conference to explain his decision a reporter asked him whether the Benghazi Committee controversy had been the basis for his decision, and his surprisingly honest answer was that "it sure didn't help".

But the fact is that the problem is still there because the committee is still there. It's gone on longer on the 9/11 Commission and there is still the possibility that it will be used to try and alter the outcome of the the 2016 presidental election in an unfair way - using taxpayer dollars to tip the scales against the Democratic candidate [should that candidate be Hillary Clinton].

I have read every single classified document regarding Benghazi. I'm on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I have free access to that information. It took me a long time, but I went into the bowels of the Capital where we keep the secure information, and I read every single cable and email and so on. It's pretty clear to me that Hillary did nothing wrong.

Wherever you stand regarding the presidential nomination, it's improper for the Republicans to use their control of the House of Representatives - which they obtained through gerrymandering and dirty money - to attempt to harm the potential Democratic presidential nominee.

[End Alan Grayson Comments]

Alan Grayson also mentioned the fact that he is the only member of the House of Representatives who raised most of his campaign funds in 2014 from small contributors and that he hopes to do the same this year in his Senatorial bid (for Marco Rubio's seat). Grayson added that the only Senator who the same applies to is Bernie Sanders. (Politifact article: Alan Grayson says he is No. 1 in the House for small donations. Politifact says: TRUE).

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Bernie Sanders, MSNBC, Thom Hartmann.

OST #100: Concerning The Willis Hart Obsession With Rightwing Spun Fiction Re Hillary Clinton "Lying To Benghazi Families" (1/28/2016).

DSB #31

Thoughts On A Bloomberg 2016 Presidential Campaign Via The Thom Hartmann Program: "It's A Joke" & "It's Just Ridiculous"

The following is an excerpt from comments made by the former Republican Representative from Ohio's 18th district Bob Ney (now with Talk Radio News) on the Thom Hartmann Radio Program, 1/26/2016.

Thom and Bob discuss the speculation that Michael Bloomberg may run for president as an Independent. (Note that I edited these comments for brevity and clarity).

Thom Hartmann: It seems to me like the Bloomberg speculation is just a vanity thing, trial balloon, slash joke.

Bob Ney: I really hope people from across the political spectrum pile on to put an end to him today. I really do. Because it's an ego thing. That's for sure. I think this is the most ridiculous thing. I don't think this is going to be viewed as legitimate.

[End 1/26/2016 THP Excerpt]

My thoughts on a possible Bloomberg potus run? It's one of the signs that the plutocrats have WAY too much money. That one of them is contemplating spending a Billion dollars to NOT be elected president!

Money that won't do much good, as most of it will go to mega multi-media corporations (for ads) and high paid Insider political consultants. I'm positive he could put this billion dollars to better use AND feed his ego at the same time. I mean, there are some people who bow down and worship the oligarchs who use their money to ensure their legacy (and, incidentally help some needy people in the process).

Seems to me that a joke bid for the presidency might be a good idea for a uber-wealthy person who wanted to do some damage to his legacy.

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Thom Hartmann.

DSB #30

Republican Congress To Pass Legislation Which Would Effectively Bail Out Volkswagen? (Proof The GOP Is In The Pocket Of Big Business/The Wealthy)

An excerpt from a 1/4/2016 Fiscal Times article titled A Bailout for Volkswagen? Congress Wants to Do Something Absolutely Crazy"...

When Volkswagen admitted to cheating on air pollution standards tests in September, it opened itself up not only to government punishment, but lawsuits from 500k US purchasers of its "clean" diesel vehicles. Volkswagen has yet to fix the vehicles to bring them into emissions compliance, and even if it does, that will likely create a lower-performance car than consumers paid for. ...a bill in Congress consisting of a little more than 100 words would not only prevent [Volkswagen clean diesel buyers] from seeking justice but also cripple virtually all class-action lawsuits against corporations. It's known as the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act, but lawyers and advocates call it the "VW Bailout Bill". ... [According to one lawyer] "This [legislation would be] devastating because it sets up all class-actions to fail"... (Article by David Dayen).

The class actions are setup to fail because, instead of suffering similar injuries, all the participants in the class action must suffer the same injury under the proposed legislation.

[The legislation would require] that everyone in the suit have identical injuries or losses, such as experiencing a broken leg because of a car's faulty brakes. People with broken arms would have to file a separate lawsuit against the carmaker. (Orwellian-named Fairness in Class Action bill aims to restrict consumers' access to court. LA Times 6/30/2015).

Sounds to me like who this legislation is supposed to make the process more "fair", by rigging the system (more) in the favor of corporations. That the GOP Congress is proposing this to protect Volkswagen (or at least make any class action filed against it that much harder to push forward on) is an action I find particularly odious. Given the fact that Volkswagen did not make a mistake but perpetrated a deliberate deception.

Further proof that Republicans dance to the tune of Big Business (and, apparently this is something the Chamber of Commerce wants as well).

This legislation, put forward by House Republicans Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and Trent Franks of Arizona who say the bill is "a much-needed improvement to the US legal system".

"Much needed" by their corporate masters, I think.

SWTD Tags: Rigged.

DSB #29

We All Knew It Was Only A Matter Of Time (Re Trump Saying Hillary "Lied" About Terrorists Using The Donald's Rhetoric To Recruit)

During the 3rd Democratic debate (which took place on 12/19/2015, in Goffstown NH at St. Anselm College; aired on ABC News and was moderated by journalist David Muir, anchor of World News Tonight) Hillary Clinton made the following comment...

ISIS is "going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists". (No evidence for Hillary Clinton's claim that ISIS is using videos of Donald Trump as recruiting tool By Louis Jacobson 12/19/2015.).

According to Politifact "extensive Google searches did not turn up any evidence" that this was occurring, and therefore they rated the statement "false". But we all know it was only a matter of time before a terrorist group DID use Trump's words to recruit.

The Republican presidential contender brushed off the appearance of an African militant group's video to recruit Americans that shows him calling for Muslims to be banned from coming to the US. (Trump brushes off militant recruiting video citing his words AP Story 11/3/2016).

So, perhaps Hillary misspoke, and what she should have said was that terrorists WOULD use Trump's words to recruit. If she had there wouldn't be any BS about Hillary "lying"... we'd all have realized that, if they were not already doing so, it was only a matter of time before some terrorist group used Trump's words.

Donald Trump, in calling for banning all Muslims from entering the US makes no distinction between the small percentage of radical Muslims and the vast majority who are peaceful. Trump's rhetoric is hateful, ignorant and divisive... and it plays right into the hands of the radicals. But those on the right love it, which is why he's saying it. They're doing the same thing with their pushback to accepting Syrian refugees.

Jeborah Bush says that Donald Trump "isn't a serious candidate", but I say he's serious as a heart attack... because the Republican party has been using hate of "the other" to appeal to voters for some time now. Hate for African Americans (since Nixon's Southern Strategy), hate for gay people, Hate for hispanic "illegals", hate for Muslims and hate for women (not wanting them to be able to decide for themselves what they do with their own bodies).

They do this because many of the people who vote Republican do so against their own interests. Many of these people being of an economic class that would (directly) benefit from a stronger social safety net.

Trump is only using the blueprint that's been in place for many decades. A blueprint the GOP has had to resort to because their economic ideas are losers and primarily benefit rich people and corporations.

Which is why I don't really give a crap about "lies" that are actually "duh, of course they're going to" predictions. And say that Politifact can stuff their "speculative left-of-center rhetoric" (which is how they described HRC's statement a mere 15 days ago). Also, WTF makes what she say "left of center"? Did Politifact acknowledge the fact that hate for the other is Right-of-center (in that only the Right party is using it to get votes)?

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Donald Trump.

DSB #28

On Ben Carson's Misunderstanding Of What GDP Represents

Note: This commentary concerns the 3rd Republican Party presidential debate, which was held on 10/28/2015 in Boulder at the University of Colorado.

During the debate Ben Carson discussed his tax plan (which involves abolishing the IRS) and replacing it with a "tithing" system. Because, according to Carson, "I think God is a pretty fair guy".

But Carson's tax plan is just another example of how he doesn't understand economics (among a plethora of things we SHOULD expect a person who is QUALIFIED to be president to know).

Ben Carson: If you talk about an $18 trillion economy, you are talking about a 15 percent tax on your gross domestic product [GDP], you are talking about $2.7 trillion. We have a budget closer to $3.5 trillion. But if you also apply that same 15 percent to several other things, including corporate taxes and including the capital gains taxes, you make that amount up pretty quickly. So that's not, by any stretch, pie in the sky. (Does Ben Carson's tithe-based tax plan lead to a $1 trillion hole? by Linda Qiu. PolitiFact 11/4/2008).

The answer to the question "does Ben Carson's tithe-based tax plan lead to a $1 trillion hole?" is YES, it does. And, that Carson speaks of how much revenue his tax plan would generate based on our 18 trillion dollar economy also shows he doesn't know what GDP represents.

Definition of Gross Domestic Product: GDP is the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. GDP is usually calculated on an annual basis... GDP includes all private and public consumption, government outlays, investments and exports minus imports that occur within a defined territory. Put simply, GDP is a broad measurement of a nation's overall economic activity.

The PolitiFact article quoted above also points out that there are other portions of our GDP beside government spending that is currently untaxed.

[in addition to government spending] not all of GDP is taxable... To apply his rate to all $18 trillion, Carson would have to tax health insurance premiums, pensions... to name a few.

BTW, Carson wants to cut government spending by around 30 percent, which would reduce our GDP. As if taxing government spending made any sense, given the fact that it's money the government got by taxing.

Carson's tax plan is a total stretch and completely pie in the sky, as he bases it on taxing the ENTIRE economy which includes government spending! This guy might be quite smart when it comes to his area of expertise (neurosurgery), but when it comes to the areas of knowledge a president needs to possess, Carson displays not just a lack of knowledge, but pure idiocy.

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Ben Carson.

DSB #27