"Rebranding" BS

Earlier this month, we noted the lower House of Congress' failure to ensure equal access to military family benefits. Yes, you read that right. The G-O-TEA led House could not even agree to that.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-Paradise) has been working on this issue for some time. And finally, she succeeded this month at securing a committee vote for her legislation as an amendment to a related veterans' bill. It then lost by one vote.

Obviously, Rep. Titus was upset. However, she's not alone on this.



And she isn't stopping on this one issue. Yesterday, Rep. Titus joined Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) in signing a discharge petition for ENDA. And as of today, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) now has 75 signatures for his ENDA discharge petition.

The catch? All 75 of those signatures are from Democrats. And House Republican "leaders" just canceled all remaining work days until after the election. How sweet. So right after Congress returns from summer recess, the House will essentially enjoy a fall recess. We wonder where else one can find so many paid vacation days.

Unfortunately for millions of LGBTQ American workers, it's far from easy to even feel safe at work. Rep. Polis has amended the House version of ENDA to close any & all loopholes opened by the US Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision. Even though President Obama did sign an executive order forbidding federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination, that still leaves millions of LGBTQ Americans throughout the nation who simply have the misfortune of living in a state without a state level ENDA and working for a company without any federal contracts.

Last November, the US Senate passed ENDA on a broad, bipartisan 64-32 vote of approval. Yet since then, the House has refused to take it up. Just like House Republican "leaders'" blithe dismissal of military equality legislation, they've been awfully swift in shooting down any & all attempts at bringing ENDA to the House floor.

Last November, the Republican Party's internal culture war burst onto national media headlines when Liz Cheney nearly disowned her sister in preparation for a US Senate campaign in Wyoming. Yet while Liz Cheney later abandoned her diastrous attempt at electoral politics to return to the cozy confines of the Northern Virginia DC suburbs, her sister Mary Cheney continues to plead with her party to make peace with the 21st century. Unfortunately for her and other Republican campaign consultants hoping to "revamp the party's image", the 21st Century Know Nothings continue pulling the G-O-TEA in more of a 19th century direction.



They're still struggling to accept marriage equality. They're still attacking transgender Americans with reckless abandon. They won't allow a floor vote on ENDA. And they can't even allow equal access to military spousal benefits. And we're supposed to believe "Republican rebranding" is real?

Sure, it's real... Bull$h!+.

Denial Is Not an Option.

Yesterday, Washoe County School District had to cancel all outdoor events. The smoke even became that thick in Reno.

The King Fire has spread to over 18,000 acres. It's still only 5% contained. A portion Highway 50 between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe is now closed. And over 1,600 homes are threatened in El Dorado County, California.



Once again, a wildfire is hitting Northern California and Northern Nevada quite hard. And this has been quite the gruesome Western Wildfire season in 2014. Washington State's wildfire season has been 6 times worse than normal this year. Yosemite just endured a major wildfire. Even the sub-arctic forests of Canada have experienced wildfires like never seen before.

Perhaps now is finally the perfect time to talk about climate change... And climate solutions? We have a growing pile of evidence showing how climate change is worsening wildfire season. How much more evidence do we need?

Last month, House Republicans actually decided to skip town for Congress' August recess without even allowing a floor vote on bipartisan wildfire aid legislation. And of course, G-O-TEA hotheads on both sides of The Capitol are still complaining about President Obama's recent executive actions on climate change.



The smoke in Reno has officially reached an unhealthful level this morning. More evacuation orders may soon be coming to El Dorado County. A growing swath of terrain from the Sacramento exurbs to the Truckee Meadows is now feeling the effects of this latest huge wildfire.

We can't deny it's happening. That's no way to fight a wildfire. So why are so many of our elected "leaders" still denying the climate change that's fueling more of these epic infernos?

Apocalypse Now

Last week, heads exploded over at Fox "Business". Host Stuart Varney wasn't expecting a Republican former EPA chief to say something rational. But alas, Former New Jersey Governor (& later George Bush era EPA Administrator) Christie Todd Whitman (R) shocked Fox "Business" with some candid talk on climate change... And climate action.



Ever since President Obama announced his climate action plan, the usual G-O-TEA suspects have turned apoplectic. They've gone Godwin. They've turned up the denial to a whole new level. They've embraced even more outrageous conspiracy theories. And of course, they've claimed this is truly just a sign that Jesus is about to magically zap them up to heaven and leave all of us heathens behind to burn.

Have any of them even tried to step away from "700 Club" (and Fox "News") and flip on the real news? Don't they realize California is already on fire? Hello, this is apocalypse now.



This past June was the hottest June on record. Drought has hit the American West quite hard. And now, wildfires are running rampant from California all the way to Washington State.

Here in Nevada, the mercury finally dropped after Reno and other parts of Northern Nevada broke records. Las Vegas even experienced some heavy rain yesterday.

We badly need the rain. Last month, Lake Mead hit a record low water level. Meanwhile up north, wildfire season began incredibly early this year. And thanks to climate change, the excessive heat, parching drought, and epic wildfires are increasingly becoming "the new normal".

So what did Congress do before skipping town last Friday? Nothing. No really, House Republican "leaders" decided to adjourn for August recess without even allowing a floor vote on bipartisan wildfire aid legislation. Needless to say, Nevada and the rest of The West are now at risk of fighting epic wildfires with no federal assistance. Instead, House Republicans (cough- Joe Heck- cough- Mark Amodei -cough) are suing President Obama for daring to #ActOnClimate.

We know the G-O-TEA base has been losing its s--t as of late over apocalyptic fairy tales. Republican "leaders" have even been throwing their support behind these fairy tales. But perhaps instead of freaking out over apocalyptic fairy tales, they should open their eyes and notice the apocalyptic images appearing throughout The West. Oh, and they need to realize they can actually do something to stop it.

Losing Points & Missing Sense

It looked like they were about to leave town without doing anything on the matter. After whining and screaming and crying about it for a month, they were about to leave town without bringing a single border bill to the House floor. And of course, House Republican "leaders" were planning to blame President Obama for their own failure to whip their own members into doing their job.

But hey, this has been Republican "leaders'" modus operandi on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) all along. They've feigned interest in passing some sort of legislation, then pandered to their 21st Century Know Nothing base when they became enraged at the thought of any sort of CIR passing, then abandoned their own "ideas" and while blaming President Obama for their own shortcomings.



But late Thursday night, there was another twist. House Republican "leaders" finally emerged with two bills... That catered to the whims & fancies of their most anti-immigrant members. The first one calls for the fast deportation of #BorderChildren without providing them with their due legal process, while the second one is yet another attempt at deporting all DREAMers. Both only barely passed and did so almost exclusively along party lines. (For the record, Reps. Joe Heck [R-Henderson] & Mark Amodei [R-Carson City] voted for mass deportations of refugee children, but not DREAMers.)

In one fell swoop (and two floor votes), House Republicans gave up any last modicum of "responsible governance" with their pandemonium on the House floor. Instead of doing anything to assist #BorderChildren and alleviate this humanitarian conundrum, they set the wheels in motion for a full crisis to explode by the end of their August recess.

But why? Why would they allow for such an unnecessary crisis? Why would they want these refugee children to suffer? And why are trying to use this as an excuse to deport American kids?

Well, why do they continue taking their marching orders from these fools?



So House Republicans (Joe Heck & Mark Amodei included) vote to sue President Obama for taking executive actions, then urge him to take executive action. They attack the President over their failure to pass CIR, then they attack him when he announces plans to right their wrongs to the greatest legal extent he can. They attack the President because refugee children have arrived at our border, then they attack him because he's reminded them that these children need legal due process (along with some tender loving care).

What does this all mean? Short answer: They're just biding their time until they vote to impeach President Obama. Longer answer: They're so terrified of their own deranged base that they've stopped caring about being consistent or making any sort of sense. And of course, they don't really care about silly things like making sense. They have more important things on their minds, important things like scoring political points. (Just don't tell them they're not even succeeding at that.)

Village Idiots

Who knew this is what a true crisis looks like? It's so shocking. It's so eye-popping. And it's oh so... Stupid.

Arizona State Rep. Adam Kwasman (R) wants to move up to Congress. Apparently, he saw yesterday's big anti-immigrant protest in Oracle, Arizona, as a great campaign photo-op. So he traveled to Oracle and called attention to a big yellow school bus. And then, this happened.



At least Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Carson City) had a tele-town-hall to hide behind when he was asked about immigration on Monday. And at least Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) was nowhere to be found when immigrant rights activists showed up at his district office yesterday. But alas, Adam Kwasman wasn't that lucky. And he certainly wasn't prepared for the revelation that the big yellow school bus actually contained local YMCA campers.



Who knew it could be so fun to stay at the YMCA? But alas, the children weren't greeted by the real Village People. Rather, they were greeted by the seemingly surreal village idiots.



The only ones missing from the village idiots' convention were Cliven Bundy and the rest of the "Patriot Movement" domestic terrorists haterade addicts. After all, we know how much fun they have at the YMCA.

But seriously, this is ridiculous. Actually, this whole display of idiocy by the 21st Century Know Nothings is ridiculous. It's as ridiculous as Adam Kwasman's Congressional campaign... And dare we say it's as ridiculous as Adam Laxalt's entire political career.

Who knew this is what a true crisis looks like? Actually, we did. And we've been pointing this out ever since the media began discussing "Republican rebranding".

As usual, you're welcome.

Troublesome "TEA"

Welcome to the newest G-O-TEA sensation. Seemingly out of nowhere, Dave Brat emerged to make national headlines. And House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Virginia) political career is suddenly over.

Already, the G-O-TEA's finest talking heads are proclaiming today as "The Death of #Shamnesty". Are they correct?

Not really. And here's why. Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) was already going nowhere fast before yesterday. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has already made that clear. So has Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin). And so has their dear loyal local lackey, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson). They don't actually cherish family values. They just want to remain on good terms with the 21st Century Know Nothings.

House Republican "leaders" never had any real intention of giving CIR a proper floor vote. HR 15 has been sitting there, just waiting for action. Yet every chance Republican "leaders" have been given to act on CIR, they've instead tried to blame someone else for their own inaction.

Yet even as House Republican "leaders" (such as Cantor) were obstructing CIR to death, they were rallying around the "imagery of reform". They were using "softer language". They were "rebranding"...

And even that was too much for the 21st Century Know Nothings. So they rallied around Dave Brat. And they propelled him to victory yesterday.

And now, they're dancing around the corpse of #Shamnesty. There's just one problem with their disgusting happy dance: It's revolting to everyone else. CIR polls well nationwide, even in Virginia's 7th Congressional District. Dave Brat may have capitalized on the 21st Century Know Nothings' unbridled xenophobia in the primary, but his hard line against CIR may hurt him in November.

Rep. Joe Heck should take note of this. Emulating Dave Brat may win him more hard core G-O-TEA fans, but it will lose him general election votes. There truly are consequences to drinking too much of that troublesome "TEA".

Heck, No

We've tried to explain this for some time. Perhaps we weren't direct enough? So we'll just leave it to OG ("Original Gleaner") Hugh Jackson to break it down.



Well, maybe we do have some more to say about this.

But first, let's head up north. We've heard Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Carson City) claim he's "tired of the drama". But this time, he really seemed to mean it.

While Rep. Joe Heck's (R-Henderson) staff called the police on #OccupyCIR protesters outside his Henderson area district office, Rep. Mark Amodei invited #OccupyCIR protesters into his Reno district office to wait while he was finishing another meeting. He then personally met with them, and then he even promised to ask House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to allow some sort of CIR floor vote.

Now of course, we must keep in mind that talk is cheap. Both Reps. Amodei & Heck have "spoken in support" of CIR (comprehensive immigration reform) without ever providing the votes to back up their talk. So we don't know yet how sincere Rep. Amodei is this time about pushing CIR forward.

But hey, at least he showed some decent etiquette. At least he was willing to open his door to constituents. And at least he personally met with them. Once upon a time, this was expected of Members of Congress.

Rep. Joe Heck often seems to forget this. Not only has he voted against the wishes of his constituents, but he has occasionally even tried to shut them out. Here's a helpful hint for Rep. Heck and his like minded colleagues: This is a major reason why Congress' approval rating continues to hover near record lows.

Already, Heck and his allies are parsing over what's common practice for any major protest. And of course, they're already trying to blame someone else for their own actions. In other words, we're witnessing standard operating procedure for the G-O-TEA.

We've tried to explain this for some time. But now, Rep. Heck and his staff made it crystal clear themselves: Their answer is NO.

Leave No Soldier Behind

As faithful readers here know, we try our best to avoid "Campaign Silly Season". But sometimes, the season becomes so silly that we can't avoid it any longer. Today happens to be that kind of day.

And we're not alone. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) couldn't hold back any longer. In fact, he tweeted this earlier today.

"We rescue our soldiers first and ask questions later. If action by justice system is needed, I prefer American justice over Taliban justice."

Whenever an American Prisoner of War has been taken, our armed forces always go all in to ensure the safe return of that POW. Always. Never before has this been "controversial"... Until now.



Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Carson City) tweeted, "Best news I've heard in a long time! #standwithbowe", soon after news broke of the Taliban's release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. That tweet was later deleted, and one of Amodei's staff then "blamed" the earlier tweet on another staff member who sent it "without knowing the terms of the release or consulting the congressman".

Believe it or not, Amodei isn't the only Republican who's flip-flopped on #standwithbowe. Senators John McCain (R-Arizona), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire) all called for the safe return of Sgt. Bergdahl... Until President Obama announced the prisoner exchange. And then, all of a sudden, a common wartime practice became some "ACT OF TREASON!!!!!111111!!!!!11".

Oh, yes. That's right. They're going there. Move over, #Benghazi. #Bergdahl is the G-O-TEA's newest & hottest haute faux scandal.

And just like their previous favorite haute faux scandals, they're not even bothering to check the facts on Bowe Bergdahl. Rather, they're just leaving it to Republican campaign consultants and hypocritical blowhard scumbags to attack Bergdahl without any actual facts. Because, of course, Obama.



Whatever happened to "leave no soldier behind"? Whatever happened to due process? And hell, whatever happened to "country first"?

We don't know exactly how and why Sgt. Bergdahl went missing. We just know President Obama made sure he was brought home safely. And ultimately, that's what matter. He made sure to leave no soldier behind. Why does anyone want to punish him for that? There's "Campaign Silly Season", but this goes way beyond that pail.

Deadline

The video below pretty much sums it all up. What else is there to add? What else can we say?



OK, maybe we have more to say. After all, that's why we have this little corner of the internet.

However, we're just in this little corner of the internet. John Boehner (R-Ohio), however, is House Speaker. He sets the floor agenda. And he can schedule a vote for HR 15 whenever he wants.

So Speaker Boehner wants immigration reform? He can have it! All he has to do is schedule a vote for HR 15.

But, no. Instead of putting his floor schedule where his mouth is, Speaker Boehner continues to play this sordid game of charades. He's still blaming President Obama for Boehner's own caucus refusing to even vote on what already passed the Senate last year. And now, he's also blaming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) for daring to call out Boehner's duplicity on immigration reform.



Republican "leaders" claim they need to "trust the President". President Obama has overseen a record number of deportations under his administration. In fact, this is why immigrant rights activists have asked the President to stop the deportations that are ripping American families and communities apart. And now, it looks like a deadline has been set for the House to act before the President takes further executive action.

Speaker Boehner and his Beltway posse can deny it as much as they want, but this deadline has been set. The only question left is this: Will they meet it, or will they try more excuses? If it's the latter, they will be the ones paying the consequences of missing this deadline.

Survival

Whatever you do, don't look behind the curtain. Don't notice the melting Antarctic Ice Sheet. Don't pay attention to the record heat. Don't bother examining the ongoing drought.

G-O-TEA politicians continue to deny the increasingly frightening reality of climate change. For them, it's about pandering to the 21st Century Know Nothings who comprise their political base. For them, it's all about political survival.



But for many in California, they're simply concerned about human survival. Last week, over 20,000 people were evacuated as wildfires emerged near Los Angeles and San Diego. We even saw a "firenado" form last week.



And it's not just California. Closer to home, the Hunter Falls Fire has burning in the Mount Rose wilderness area near Reno. It's now 47% contained. And while it may be fully contained by Friday, it's meant a rather early kickoff to Northern Nevada's wildfire season.

For many "TEA" flavored politicians & media personalities, climate change is merely a "distraction" from the pressing haute faux scandals of the day. But for those of us who have experienced wildfires, drought, and other effects of climate change, it's about survival. It's about our survival. It's about the survival of the human race.

Keep this in mind next time you see a "TEA" tinged politician engage in climate denial. They may be worried about their own near term political survival... But we need to be more concerned about longer term human survival.

Benghazipalooza

Well, surprise, f**king surprise. We've known for some time that Congressional Republicans were preparing for the rave of a lifetime on Capitol Hill. Las Vegas may now have Electric Daisy Carnival, but DC Republicans plan to rival that with their own Benghazipalooza.

At Benghazipalooza, all bets will be off. And G-O-TEA politicians will definitely be all in for all the political debauchery. Hell, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Grand Marnier) has even given the green light for the ultimate #Benghazi fundraising extravaganza!

And he's wondering why virtually no one outside the G-O-TEA base is taking his (latest) "Benghazi investigation" seriously?

We're sure Rep. Joe Heck (R-Benghazi) is really craving a ticket to Benghazipalooza. He's been getting into that groove for some time. Perhaps Rep. Mark Amodei (R-??!!) also wants a ticket to the ultimate scandalicious celebration, since he's always aiming to be Mr. #TeaParty Cool.

Never mind that many Nevada workers stand to benefit from a raise in the minimum wage. Never mind that our economy also stands to benefit from an extension of federal unemployment insurance (UI). And never mind that our economy can also benefit from pro-worker policies like comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) and nationwide ENDA.

Nope, House Republicans care more about getting their party on at Benghazipalooza. They may even go directly from Benghazipalooza to their next big rave: Impeachapalooza. We guess it's nice that they can enjoy the luxury of dereliction of duty taking extra time off work to have quality play time at their hot Capitol Hill rave. It's just too bad that all of us who live in the real world can't.

Some Helpful Advice

Here he goes again. And this time, he has "helpful advice". Lordy help us all.

In November 2012, Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey (R-Reno) suggested Democratic legislators should be more "bipartisan" by simply accepting his G-O-TEA agenda. Less than a month later, Hickey attempted to drive wedges in Carson City, between Secretary of State Ross Miller (D) & Democratic Legislature leaders and between himself & Governor Brian Sandoval (R), by trying to tie SB 303 driver authorization cards to SB 63 election reform. Before the 77th session of the Nevada Legislature began, Pat Hickey was already setting himself up to be the #1 Nevada G-O-TEA partisan bomb thrower in Carson City.

But now, Pat Hickey wants everyone to know he's ready & able to help his Republican Party fix its little War on Women problem. No really, Pat Hickey took to Twitter to offer his fellow Republicans "helpful advice" on reaching out to women voters.

"GOP needs to learn how to talk to women. Need to know "what" they feel--but also, "why" they feel the way they do." [...]

"Tips for Republicans messaging to women: Validate. Show empathy. Use stories (example: about the failure of Obamacare). Find common ground."

Ah yes, Pat Hickey thinks Republicans should "show empathy". He should know. He did for fellow Assembly Republican Jim Wheeler (R-Minden) after he made his (now infamous) statement on slavery. But when it came to immigrant families trying to survive and students wanting a better education, Hickey showed anything but empathy.

And "validate"? What does Pat Hickey seek to validate? His true thoughts on "minority outreach"? G-O-TEA politicians' deep misunderstanding (and/or misleading) of Obamacare? Or G-O-TEA politicians' resolve to attack women's reproductive health care while neglecting pretty much everything that actually matters (and can actually help people)?

What else can we say about Pat Hickey's "helpful advice"? Perhaps this: It's not really helpful. If Republicans ever want to get serious about solving their "little issues" with non straight white Christian male voters, they know what they must do. If they want truly helpful advice, they know where to find it.

The Awful Truth Behind the Hot Air

It's that time of the year again. Plenty of black ink and red ink will be spilled. Plenty of pie charts will be unveiled. And all the talk on Capitol Hill will revolve around dollars and sense.

Oh, yes. That's right. It's budget season again.

But wait, didn't Congress already pass a budget? Why yes, it actually did a few weeks ago. And it even managed to pay for its own budget. And that's quite an accomplishment for a Congress notorious for its agenda of nothing, particularly in the lower G-O-TEA run house.

So why is DC now buzzing over budgets? Since Congressional Republican "leaders" have admitted they plan to do nothing else this year, all they have left are haute faux scandals and mythical budgets (along with the usual Obamacare repeal votes and abortion/contraception ban votes). After all, they know they must do this in order to placate the 21st Century Know Nothings they need to stay in power.

Enter Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin). Ever since he took control of the House Budget Committee and muscled his way into House G-O-TEA "leadership", he's been pushing his "signature" of a middle class busting budget plan. That's why the G-O-TEA faithful have been eagerly awaiting "RyanCare 4.0"...

But alas, it may not happen this time. And why not? For one, Rep. Ryan already put his name on the two year budget agreement he made with Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Washington). Why would Ryan rip up the compromise he himself negotiated with his Senate counterpart to promote an exclusively G-O-TEA ideological wish list budget that would be dead on arrival in the Senate?

And then, there's the matter of his own G-O-TEA Caucus. Basically, they've fallen apart like Humpty Dumpty, and no one (not even Paul Ryan) can figure out how to put them back together again. And G-O-TEA "leaders" are already fearing that another "Austerity on Steroids" Ryan Budget will (again) expose the division between the (general election minded) Republican politicians trying to avoid accusations of starving Grandma to death and the "true believers" (along with those who must "fake it to make it" to win their primaries) who want even more Grandma starving austerity.

We've seen it from them before, and we're seeing it again today. It's easy for G-O-TEA politicians to criticize what they don't like, but it's rather difficult for them to offer any realistic solutions. And it's far easier to simply play politics and point fingers on Capitol Hill than actually govern in good faith.

So don't be surprised if/when the 2014 budget season on Capitol Hill turns out to be a collection of hot air. After all, G-O-TEA politicians' lofty rhetoric tends to fall flat when it becomes reality. That's the awful truth behind the hot air.

Agenda of Nothing

Who could possibly be proud of nothing? Who would boast of no accomplishments whatsoever? Who would dare to run a campaign based on nothing?

Apparently, Congressional Republican "leaders" would. No really, their agenda for the rest of the year is nothing. But then again, we've known this for some time.

Now, G-O-TEA "leaders" are admitting to the worst kept secret on Capitol Hill... And trying to turn it to their advantage. They're still trying to blame all their woes on President Obama, and they're still hoping they can demagogue health care all the way to victory this fall.

Why are they doing this? Why are Republican "leaders" vowing to do nothing for the rest of the year? And why do they think this "do-nothing guarantee" will be seen favorably by voters? Apparently, they think this will finally build "party unity".

So now, the truth comes out. The G-O-TEA obstruction agenda was never really about anything President Obama did, and it was never really about clearing space for other pieces of important legislation. It was all about trying to save face. And now, G-O-TEA "leaders" are trying to spin it into some "noble display of solidarity".

Give us a break. With so much still unsettled on unemployment insurance, job creation, immigration reform, civil rights, climate change, and more, Americans are not looking for a pretty face to be painted onto an agenda of nothing. They want action. And yes, some will even crash country club luncheons to make their disapproval of this agenda of nothing known.

So is it really a smart idea for Republicans to bet everything on an agenda of nothing?

It's Their Choice

And it's happened again. Is anyone surprised? Late last month, Former Lt. Governor Sue Wagner caused a political earthquake here in Nevada by announcing she's no longer a registered Republican. And when Neena Laxalt soon followed, we got quite the aftershock.

And this week, we have another prominent Republican quitting the party. But this time, it's in Florida. And Former Florida State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan made waves by switching her registration from Republican to Democratic. But why?

"The GOP of today is not the party I joined," said Rivas Logan, who also served on the Miami-Dade School Board. "It's not the party of my parents. It's a party that has been radicalized and held hostage by a group of extremists."

Rivas Logan was welcomed to the party by another Republican-turned-Democrat: gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist. 

"Bienvenida @anarivaslogan to the Democratic Party!" Crist wrote on Twitter. "Glad you are here my friend." [...]

On Monday, Rivas Logan called the Republican Party "a party that attacks women and minorities — and one that asked me, and my former Hispanic Republican colleagues in the Florida legislature, to turn on their own people by supporting extreme anti-immigrant policies."

What else can we say? They can't say we didn't warn them. When we said that Republicans' stealth campaign to kill comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) would come back to bite them, we envisioned this happening.

After all, who would feel welcome in a party that rewards politicians who try to use xenophobia and hatred for political advantage? And sadly for those Republicans who share the same worries as Ana Rivas Logan, this trend shows no signs of letting up. Instead, (current federal Rep. and) "King of Crazy" Steve King (R-Iowa) is running victory laps around the rotting corpse of CIR on Capitol Hill.

"It's the right position and makes sense and is consistent with a majority of our conference -- a significant majority of our conference," Rep. Steve King (R-IA) told TPM in a brief interview on Monday evening.

He claimed House Republicans oppose bringing up immigration reform by "a three or four to one" margin.

The Iowa congressman said reform opponents must keep the heat on Republican leaders so that they don't change their minds.

"We still have to man the watchtowers because things could change," he said.

Wait, what?! What does Rep. King mean by "manning the watchtowers"? Perhaps he's referring to this. The House voted yesterday to raise the debt ceiling in order for the nation to pay its bills. The final tally was 221-201, with 28 Republicans joining 193 Democrats to pass it. (For the record, Reps. Mark Amodei [R-Carson City] & Joe Heck [R-Henderson] voted against paying the nation's bills, while Reps. Dina Titus [D-Paradise] & Steven Horsford [D-North Las Vegas] both voted in favor of doing so.)

So what does the latest debt ceiling vote have to do with CIR? Think two letters and a number: HR 15. It already has bipartisan support, and it's modeled after the bipartisan Senate CIR bill that easily passed that chamber last summer. Since House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has now demonstrated that bills can pass the lower house of Congress without the "TEA Powered Total Obstruction Caucus", why can't he bring to the floor legislation that achieves what several of his backbenchers (cough- Joe Heck- cough) have said they want to accomplish?

Right now, Steve King is running victory laps on Capitol Hill because he believes Speaker Boehner is too afraid of him and his fellow 21st Century Know Nothings to actually cross them & let CIR pass. But if Speaker Boehner & other Republican "leaders" want to prove they're serious about offering America a realistic option for sound governance, then they must drop the "rebranding" nonsense and actually start governing for real. And that means they must pass long awaited & sorely needed legislation that has clear bipartisan support, even if it's legislation that the 'baggers don't like.

Either Republicans can finally let CIR pass, or they can let more members like Ana Rivas Logan leave their sorry excuse for a party. It's ultimately their choice.

Coming Back to Bite Them

No one can say we didn't warn everyone. When House Republican "leaders" unveiled their "principles for immigration reform", we sounded the alarms. And sure enough, and within days of the release of those "principles", Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) threw cold water on all those "principles".

That's why we then warned House Republicans that they can't have it both ways on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). They can't simultaneously be for it and against it. They can't say they want it, then reject every possible way to make it happen. They can't "have their cake and eat it too".

And yesterday, this became all too apparent when Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) made an offer that Republicans theoretically shouldn't refuse.

"There's a simple solution: Let's enact the law this year but simply not let it actually start until 2017, after President Obama's term is over," Schumer, the third-ranking Senate Democrat said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

A spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) rejected Schumer's idea saying it would remove the impetus for Obama to enforce immigration laws during his remaining time in office.

"The suggestion is entirely impractical, since it would totally eliminate the President's incentive to enforce immigration law for the remainder of his term," said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

To be fair, Mr. Steel has a point. Obviously, the new immigration law would remain dormant for the remainder of President Obama's second term. That would mean the President would have to enforce current law, and that would likely put additional pressure on President Obama to add to his already record breaking number of deportations made during his presidency. (Oops, we don't think that's the message Michael Steel wanted to convey.)

But then again, this isn't why Republicans are dragging their feet on CIR. We know it has nothing to do with President Obama's record of enforcing current immigration law. Rather, it has everything to do with Republicans' tempestuous relationship with their own 21st Century Know Nothing base. While Republican "leaders" know their fealty to the G-O-TEA Culture Warrior agenda causes them a boatload of problems among the general electorate, they just can't seem to quit their addiction to all that "TEA" fueled rage. (After all, that rage is now the party's base.)

And now, that rage is fully consuming them alive. We've asked this before, but we must ask it again today: How is this helping the Republican Party or the nation?

Unfortunately, Salon's Alex Pareene recently hit the nail on the head with his explanation of why CIR can't pass this Congress.

[...] “Comprehensive immigration reform” — defined as a bill making it possible for currently undocumented residents to earn legal status and/or citizenship — can’t happen now because Republicans control the House of Representatives, conservatives control the Republican Party, and conservatives oppose granting legal status to undocumented immigrants. It’s a very simple calculation, and most discussions of the political status of immigration reform could start and end with some variation on that explanation.

But people need something to talk about, and politicians need reasons to go on Sunday shows. Elected officials need to “signal” to important donors and interest groups that they are doing everything in their power to enact the preferred policies of those important donors and interest groups. There is really more incentive for Republicans to talk about immigration reform than to actually pass it. Obviously lots of Republicans do sincerely want immigration reform to pass. But those Republicans don’t have a majority in the House, and until that changes, immigration reform will be practically politically impossible. [...]

It has become incredibly difficult even to pass the recurring omnibus bills — like the farm bill, which took a few years to make it through the House, and the transportation bill, which will likely cause Congress to melt down in acrimony and dysfunction once again later this fall — that Congress uses to keep the government funded and operating. The idea that new initiatives and major reforms might be possible with this Congress is just fantasy. Comprehensive tax reform? Immigration reform? “Entitlement reform”? Various politicians will claim, over the next few months, that all of those things and more could happen before the next Congress is sworn in. They will be wrong, but the political press, in need of something to talk about, will take the idea seriously for a while anyway.

True, that. If G-O-TEA Culture Warriors can even jeopardize the full faith & credit of the US, what makes anyone think they'll let Congress pass CIR?

But wait, what if we don't need their permission to pass CIR? After all, we actually don't. It's only Republican "leaders" who imposed this artificial condition on the rest of America. And they can easily drop this artificial condition and allow a floor vote on HR 15. Or at the very least, they can allow their "pro-reform" backbenchers (cough- Joe Heck- cough) to sign a discharge petition for HR 15 so that G-O-TEA "leadership" won't be blamed for showing any real leadership on immigration reform.

But so far, G-O-TEA "leadership" won't even allow for that. And one day, they will regret it. As long as they try to kill CIR softly, it will only come back to bite them later.

Manufacture This!

And we're back. No really, we're going back. We're going all the way back to last October. Remember when we were approaching the brink of Armageddon?

Apparently, Congressional Republicans have either forgotten their own manufactured crisis... Or they remember, and they already want a sequel. Oh, yes. That's right. They're going there (again).

The GOP's apparent desire for another debt ceiling fight is confounding after the party forced one last fall and surrendered one day before the deadline without extracting any concessions. President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders insist they won't negotiate or give up anything to raise the debt ceiling, and Republicans raised (or suspended) the borrowing limit twice last year without extracting any policy concessions -- after initially threatening not to both times.

It's also notable because Republicans and Democrats wrapped up a $1.012 trillion spending bill last week, which passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The debt limit has to be raised in order to finance that spending.

The remarks from Boehner's office and other top Republicans suggest that leaders will have a hard time persuading their members not to pick another battle, even if it is futile. The Speaker said last year on Oct. 6 that the House was "not going to pass a clean debt limit increase" because there weren't enough votes to pass one. Ten days later, he brought up a clean debt limit hike and it easily passed the House, with mostly Democratic votes. Democrats don't take GOP threats of default seriously after they've proven they aren't willing to shoot the hostage.

But wait, there's more! Not only are Republican "leaders" caving into G-O-TEA Culture Warriors' demand for another manufactured crisis, but they're also launching yet another attempt to sabotage Obamacare (aka the ACA/Affordable Care Act). This time, they're demanding the repeal of a key provision of the ACA that stabilizes the insurance market and prevents health insurance premiums from skyrocketing. Oh, and this very risk corridor provision that G-O-TEA politicians now (falsely) decry as a "bailout" was actually originated by Republicans when they proposed Medicare Part D 11 years ago!

But wait, there's even more! In case this latest anti-Obamacare political stunt isn't enough hypocrisy for you, there's also this. Remember that Ryan-Murray Budget Deal that attracted plenty of Republican votes? And remember how "Ryan-Murray 2.0" had to include earmarks in order to pass (for real, this time!) earlier this month? So now, those very same Republicans who (twice) passed a budget, then added a little "pork" to make the second passage easier, now don't want to pay for their own spending? They don't even want to pay for their own beloved/hated earmarks?

How does any of this make any sense? Here's a clue: It doesn't. Congress can't pass a new budget and order new federal investment, then deny the very mechanism needed to pay for the investment. This would be like me going to the grocery store, filling my cart with all sorts of yummy goodies, then refusing to provide my credit/debit card at checkout because "I just can't afford all this." That wouldn't make sense, and neither would Congress refusing to pay for its own damned budget.

And that's why this latest & greatest G-O-TEA manufactured crisis is destined to end like the previous ones did. And we all remember those. Why is the G-O-TEA so hell-bent on losing more elections? And is this why House Speaker John Boehner (R-Sautéed to Golden) & Rep. Joe Heck (R-Known for His Constituent Service) refused to take questions from the constituents outside Las Vegas Country Club last Friday?

Living With the Consequences

Why must we still talk about this? But how can we possibly avoid it? Oh, when will it ever be resolved?

Yesterday, we explained why a Vegas Vacation can't magically make the G-O-TEA Civil War go away. No amount of political airbrushing can permanently hide the gruesome reality of a Republican Party stuck in the midst of a crippling identity crisis. And sadly, that identity crisis continues its threats to cripple our economy.

Last Friday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) tried... No, wait. He didn't even try to paint a pretty face on the extreme G-O-TEA agenda his lower house of Congress continues to regurgitate. He just darted into Las Vegas Country Club to pour more money into Rep. Joe Heck's campaign. For some reason, they didn't want to talk to the media and the constituents outside about all the amazing accomplishments of the 113th Congress.

We wonder why. After all, they managed to... No, wait. The House still hasn't passed comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). And millions of American families must continue to live in legal limbo because of Boehner's refusal to allow any vote on CIR (& Heck's refusal to do anything about this).

But hold on, they did... No, wait. Congress still hasn't passed any #4jobs legislation. Instead, they're forcing another round of cruel, painful austerity on the nation.

Come on, now. We know they... No, wait. Instead of passing any legislation that could actually create more jobs, Speaker Boehner's House (of FAIL) has only brought forth legislation to endanger the health of our people & our planet. And of course, they have to top that off with more War on Women. And if that's not enough, they'll add more "BENGHAZIEEEEEEEE!!!" to the mix. And they'll spice that up some more with more manufactured crises.

No wonder why Reps. Boehner & Heck declined to address the public before or after their quaint $2,600 per plate luncheon. Even after all their bluster of "Republican rebranding" that had become the talk of the town (DC, that is) around this time last year, Republican "leaders" have failed to change anything. And keep in mind, they're supposed to be "leaders"! Why can't they drag their own party into the 21st Century?

Are they really that afraid of the 21st Century Know Nothings? Are they willing to let their entire party choke on the xenophobic bile of their "New Southern Strategy"? Are they truly that afraid of the reality of America in 2014?

We've discussed this numerous times before. Yet as long as the Republican Party continues failing to adapt to 21st Century America, we'll have to keep talking about this. After all, we're all living with the consequences of it.

Healing, Not Killing

Yesterday, I had to go inside a hospital. My father received a call from my aunt. Her husband, who was already suffering from cancer, had just taken a sharp turn for the worse.

After consulting with doctors and deliberating, the family decided to let the tube be released. My uncle would have required even more extensive surgery, and that would have guaranteed nothing but perhaps a few more weeks of suffering. It was time.

Fortunately, the hospital staff were able to provide plenty of support. They ensured a safe and comforting environment for my family. While my uncle's passing was certainly saddening, we at least had a safe space to grieve last night.

This is what hospitals are supposed to do. And of course, they're supposed to provide a safe place to heal for those who are not terminally ill. Hospitals are supposed to aid in healing life, not provide a backdrop for violent death.

Sadly, violent death occurred in Renown Medical Center in Reno yesterday. The shooter opened fire and killed a victim before committing suicide. Two other victims are in critical condition.



How could this happen? And why? Again, hospitals are supposed to be healing environments. They're not supposed to be killing fields.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one appalled by this ghastly event. Assembly Member Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno) tweeted a statement yesterday that cut to the heart of the gruesome reality behind yesterday's shooting.

"So sad. Our community is still hurting from the last shooting. Soon, tweets about condolences become white noise, and more has to be done."

Just two months ago, a student opened fire and sparked a murder-suicide at Sparks Middle School. Meanwhile down south, we witnessed another deadly Las Vegas Strip shooting. As we discussed earlier this week, gun violence has seeped into nearly every nook and cranny of our everyday lives. Yet what has been done to curb this dangerous trend?

Perhaps this is what Assembly Member Benitez-Thompson was mentioning in her tweet. Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NRA) tweeted condolences shortly after the Sparks Middle School shooting, yet said nothing in the wake of another Las Vegas Strip shooting. Rep.
Mark Amodei (R-NRA) delivered a flowery speech on the House floor. And Senator Dean Heller had a flag lowered. Yet when all of them had the chance to do something about this senseless gun violence, they all decided to cut and run.

I'm sure they've already begun tweeting condolences. Maybe we'll get another flowery floor speech. Perhaps another flag will even be lowered. But when will we see action taken to stop this bloody insanity?

Hospitals are for healing, not killing. When did we forget this?

The Year of Manufactured Crises

After all the huffing and puffing and strutting and screaming, it happened. A deal was struck. The votes were rounded up. And after weeks of mindless speculation, Congress' latest and greatest manufactured crisis finally came to an end.

How many times have we had to talk about it here? Frankly, I lost count some time in March. However, I remember that our very first conversation of 2013 was about "The Fiscal Cliff"... And what the end of that manufactured crisis revealed to us about how Congress would (not) work in 2013.

Even while "The Fiscal Cliff" has been averted, this is still just a temporary solution. G-O-TEA extremists will be demanding whole pounds of "fiscal flesh" when the debt ceiling is taken hostage yet again again up for debate. So there will be another round of insanity to witness in the new Congress this spring.

Yet even with that being said, it may just end up being a bunch of meaningless Sturm und Drang. Why, you ask? Remember that for most of the past decade-plus in Congress (that is, when Republicans have controlled the House), Republicans have operated under the "Hastert Rule" of only bringing legislation to the House floor if it has the support of most of the Republican caucus. However, that did not happen last night. Instead, this bill passed despite most House Republicans opposing it. And in letting this happen, Boehner implicitly admitted that budget solutions can now be reached by actually reaching across the aisle for a change and bringing in Democratic votes (as opposed to simply grinding Congress to a halt just so he can engage in "tea party circle jerks").

This may be the key to unlocking the potential for better productivity in the new Congress. Both President Obama and Harry Reid see it. We'll just have to see how long House Republicans try denying this "new rule"... And how long we will have to endure the next round of meaningless "tea party circle jerks" before something (else) is actually accomplished.

Actually, it is the key... But it's yet to be used to solve anything other than manufactured crises. Instead, we've seen Congress stuck in epic gridlock thanks to endless G-O-TEA intransigence.

Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)? Oh, no. They can't do that. It's too "big and complicated" for one bill (despite the fact that the Senate passed one in June).

Farm bill? Oh, no. They can't do that. They'd rather let American consumers suffer unnecessary higher food prices than let the working poor eat.

ENDA? Oh, no. They can't do that. They still refuse to accept that LGBTQ Americans exist, let alone contribute to the American Economy. [...]

Time and time again, Republican "leaders" have chosen cheap and crass political games over real governance. It's why major policy goals, such as CIR & ENDA, are about to be left unmet. And it's why we doubt this Congress can even "succeed" at such basic tasks as passing longer term budgets.

After all, some Republican politicians are now bragging about their vision of "government that does less". Why would they want to abandon that vision to allow for a government that actually functions properly?

Never mind that we actually have real crises to solve. Because Congressional Republican "leaders" long ago lost control of their Crazy Caucus, they've manufactured crises, such as "The Fiscal Cliff", the Shutdown Shitfest, and a slew of near default debacles, in a desperate attempt to mollify them. It hasn't worked. Instead, it's revealed just how reckless and feckless the G-O-TEA has become.

We've said it before, but we must say it again today. Sharron Angle likely has more control over the Nevada Republican Party than anyone who's actually supposed to be a "leader" in Carson City or DC. As much as Brian Sandoval would like to deny it and John Boehner would like to hide it, that's the awful and crazy truth that we saw unfold over the course of this year. 

Never mind that Sharron Angle currently holds no elected office and has no official position with the Nevada Republican Party. She and her "TEA Party, Inc." BFFs have provided the ideology that's now the heart and soul of today's Republican Party. And as a result, many Republicans are still defending their crazy actions. [...]

It doesn't matter that this whole Shutdown Shitfest made for absolutely awful economics. And it doesn't matter that it ultimately made for crappy politics. For today's G-O-TEA, all that matters is that crazy is in charge. And that's what caused this whole crazy fiasco in the first place.

Ultimately, this and the other manufactured crises came to an end. Senator Harry Reid (D-The Boss) was able to find just enough not-so-crazy Republicans to force "leadership" to stand down at the 11th hour of each and every manufactured crisis of 2013. Yet with that being said, this string of crises has taken its toll on the nation. America has been forced into an era of austerity, and people are suffering as a result of this series of budget cuts. Even now, even more American families are about to become victims of the next round of austerity madness.

And speaking of austerity madness, the big 2014-15 Ryan-Murray Budget Deal is on track to pass the Senate today. It easily overcame a G-O-TEA led filibuster on a 67-33 vote. For the record, Senator Reid voted for cloture while Senator Dean Heller (R) voted to sustain the filibuster.

Even though this budget deal offers plenty of austerity, a number of Republicans (including Heller & Rep. Joe Heck) still oppose it. Why? It doesn't have enough austerity to please the Crazy Caucus, so expect another round of battles in the ongoing G-O-TEA Civil War as 2013 comes to a close.

And what about the new year? Believe it or not, 2014 may begin with (drumroll, please) yet another manufactured crisis over the debt ceiling thanks to continuing teabagger angst over the Ryan-Murray Sequester Remix. So this shitfest over manufactured crises built upon voodoo economics and political hogwash may not actually be completely over just yet. Happy Holidays!