The Message

Remember this? Let's take another trip to the Nevada progressive archives. First, let's stop at October 2010. Remember then State Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio's (R-Reno) huge announcement?

Let's now jump to January 2011 to note Senator Raggio's shocking exit from the Legislature.



When Senator Bill Raggio passed away in February 2012, we noted the legacy he left behind... And the legacy so many in his party wanted to ditch behind.

Seriously, this is what has me worried. Yes, Bill Raggio was conservative. Yes, Bill Raggio did use his budget votes as leverage to pass right-wing legislation. And yes, Bill Raggio liked to spend our tax dollars up north when they were really needed in Clark County.

However at the end of the day, Bill Raggio was always someone who was interested in making Nevada's government work. And not too long ago, there were other Republicans, like Kenny Guinn, who believed the same and demonstrated the ability to reach across aisles to keep Nevada functioning.

But last session, we were left wondering if a significant chunk of Legislature Republicans even wanted any kind of functioning government. And again, with Raggio gone, we had to wait for that Nevada Supreme Court ruling just to extend the tax deal that Raggio brokered in 2009. And with Raggio gone, what used to be a Nevada tradition of legislators constantly crossing aisles and party lines to get stuff done gave into California style "mortal combat governance".

Early this year, we were confronted by this again when another Nevada political legend, Former Lt. Governor Sue Wagner (R), decided to leave the Republican Party.



And she was soon followed by Neena Laxalt. Today, Neena Laxalt is following that up with a Las Vegas Sun op-ed that she signed onto, along with six other Laxalt family members.

During our journey, we have found a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that best captures the essence of a core value that has guided us throughout our lives — the value of speaking up for what is right. He wrote, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

In the spirit of King’s words, then, we can no longer be silent as we seek to maintain the integrity of our home state of Nevada.

Therefore, we collectively speak up to support Ross Miller as the most qualified candidate to be our state’s attorney general. [...]

Know that our message does not originate from a Republican, Democratic or even family affiliation. It has to do with the most basic question all voters must ask themselves when they step into the voting booth, “Who really is the best qualified candidate for attorney general for the state of Nevada?”

Wow. So it's happening again. And this time, it's Laxalt family members rebuking the very party they once led. And not only that, but they're even having to rebuke one of their own as both he and the party have lost their way.

Four years ago, the party lost the late Bill Raggio as he and others endorsed US Senator Harry Reid (D) for reelection. Earlier this year, the party lost Sue Wagner and Neena Laxalt. Today, several members of the Laxalt family can't even endorse their own family member who's running for Attorney General. And to our shock, the Nevada Republican Party still isn't getting the message. What else will it take for the message to resonate with them?

The Grift That Keeps On Taking

It's time for us to embark on another archeological dig. Today, let's jump back to July 2010. Back then, Sharron Angle was running her outrageously delusional campaign for US Senate. And back then, she was relying on help from some rather shady friends.

One of her shady friends from that remarkable 2010 campaign was Sal Russo. And he had his crew of shady friends help him prop up Angle and their other endorsed candidates for that cycle. In July 2010, we warned everyone about them.

Russo runs a PR firm in Sacramento, and utilizes his right hand men (and women) in Tea Party Express. There's "grassroots coordinator" Joe Wierzbicki, the same guy who works at Russo's high priced Sacramento PR firm, the same guy who tried to help George Bush drum up support for the Iraq War, tried to swiftboat Barack Obama the same way John Kerry was swiftboated, and is now organizing his luxury coach buses to go across the country and spread lies about Democrats like Harry Reid.

And then there's Howard Kaloogian. He aligned with the radical right and corporate powers that be in the California Legislature. And in 2003, he teamed up with Russo's PR firm, Enron pollster Frank Luntz, talk radio "shock jock" Melanie Morgan, and Newt Gingrich to engineer the recall campaign that ousted California's duly elected Governor and replaced him with Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

And in 2006, Kaloogian himself ran for Congress in a special election in San Diego County. Russo joined him yet again, hoping that he'd slip in. But oops, one of Howard's lies about his "time in Iraq" caught up with him. [...]

[...T]hey lied about Bush's war in Iraq, they lied about what they actually saw there, they lied their way into the California Recall that saddled that state with "Arnold", and now they're lying about what their little "tea party" is really up to.

Oh, and now they're trying to dupe us into believe Harry Reid is some sort of "Satan Incarnate" and Sharrontology is our only way to salvation. But when we look behind the curtain, we have to notice the corporate fat cats funding the "Tea Party, Inc." gravy train supporting Sharrontology.

Back when Howard Kaloogian ran for a San Diego, California, based Congressional seat in 2006, he defended his vigorous support for extending the Iraq War by showing all the progress he witnessed firsthand there. The problem with his "firsthand" account was that it was a complete lie. You see, Howard Kaloogian's photos of a "peaceful Iraq" were actually photos of an Istanbul, Turkey, suburb.

And that's not all. Later in that 2006 campaign, Howard Kaloogian was caught falsifying his list of endorsements. Several Republicans came forward to announce they never actually endorsed Kaloogian. So there was also that.

However, not even that was enough to keep Sal Russo. Nope, they teamed up to start a slew of PACs, including the now notorious Tea Party Express.



Tea Party Express has come under scrutiny in recent months over just how much of the money it collects from donors ends up in the pockets of Sal Russo and his top lieutenants. But now, there's evidence showing that the "TEA" tinged gravy train doesn't stop at Tea Party Express.

When Howard Kaloogian wasn't trying to buy a seat in Congress with a phony "Iraq" photo, he was joined at the hip with Sal Russo at Move America Forward. Move America Forward was originally designed to promote continuing American involvement in the Iraq War. But in 2008, it shifted gears and became yet another anti-Obama PAC...

Except that it didn't want to be known as just another anti-Obama PAC. It wanted to be known for "supporting the troops". So Move America Forward started its own "charity" to "support" active duty military serving abroad. But now, we have a better sense of who Move America Forward's "charity" is actually supporting.



Surprise, surprise! Sal Russo, Howard Kaloogian, and the rest of the Move America Forward grifter crew were only using their charity to further enrich themselves. Oh, and of course, it didn't hurt that they successfully conned a whole lot of "TEA" flavored media pundits into endorsing the grift. (We're being charitable here, as this story would be even more disgusting if we were to discover all these pundits were also in on the grift.)

There's so much irony to be found throughout this story. However, we must end on this note. Senator Harry Reid (D) had been working tirelessly to pass a VA bill to help veterans access the health care they need. He's also worked with Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) to open a badly needed VA clinic in Pahrump. And Sal Russo dispatched his Tea Party Express tour buses to attack Senator Reid for "failing the troops"?

Ah, Sal Russo & his network of "TEA" tinted con artists. They're the grift that keeps on taking.

Decoded

Yesterday, they reached a new low. We've been tracking their dog whistles for some time. But yesterday, one of them finally dropped the whistle and spoke it in plain English.

While other G-O-TEA politicians have continued with the coded language based attacks on President Obama, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Alabama) decided to simply decode the dog whistles. Of course, supreme G-O-TEA dog whistler Laura Ingraham begged him not to decode the dog whistles to the general public. But alas, he didn't listen to her.

And now, the reason for Republicans' hardening opposition to comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) has become crystal clear.



Believe it or not, Rep. Brooks then doubled down on his "War on Whites" platform this morning. And why not? This isn't the first time Rep. Mo Brooks spilled all the beans on what the real G-O-TEA immigration plan is.



This also isn't the first time we've heard a G-O-TEA politician repeat verbatim the misleading and xenophobic rhetoric from John Tanton and the late Barbara Coe.



This was just a rare instance when a G-O-TEA politician accidentally gave us a sneak peek of what's happening behind the curtain. This is a chance for us to examine what's behind the veneer of "rebranding".

Back in April, Cliven Bundy decoded the G-O-TEA dog whistles. That's why they quickly cut him loose after that media fire storm. They stuck by him while he was bringing in dangerous Patriot Movement militia outfits to Southern Nevada to fight his "Range War" against the rule of law. They stuck by him when he brought in Richard Mack for "security". No, they only cut Cliven Bundy wanted to tell everyone "something about the negro".

Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) was publicly campaigning alongside notorious anti-immigrant Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) yesterday. He's also done plenty of his own pandering to the 21st Century Know Nothings by doing everything possible to kill CIR. But when two DREAMers showed up to decode their anti-immigrant dog whistles, Senator (and likely 2016 Presidential candidate) Rand Paul ran away from them while Rep. Steve King grabbed a DREAMer Erika Andiola's arm and yelled about conspiracy theories John Tanton had whispered into his ear gibberish.



G-O-TEA politicians are all too happy all too often to communicate in coded dog whistles to their "TEA" addicted base (cases in point: Sharron Angle & Mitt Romney). But when one of them forgets to do the dog whistle and instead cracks the code to all the rest of us, the rest of them panic... Not because of the policies they're all espousing, but because their revelations make for "bad optics".

Unfortunately for them, they just decoded themselves. And we can all see what's truly behind their "tough talk on immigration".

Full Circle of Hate

Already, it's gone from a humanitarian crisis to a political football. And now, the usual G-O-TEA suspects want to make #Murrieta into their new rallying cry.

Just keep in mind that this didn't start with the Murrieta bus blockade. This didn't even start with the growing media attention to the Central American migrant children. No, the 21st Century Know Nothings have been around for some time. And they've been making the same arguments against scores of immigrants that they're now using against the migrant children.

In Murrieta last week, the Mayor and anti-immigrant protesters were claiming fear of "diseases". This didn't come from nowhere. For many years, the Federation for American Immigration Rwform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), and Numbers USA have been spreading their signature message of hate. And it's no coincidence that they're all so eerily on message like this. They can all trace their origins to one John Tanton, a well known racist/white supremacist who's been attacking communities of color since 1969.

During the early years of Tanton's anti-immigrant advocacy, he operated in the dark shadows of American politics. But in 1994, one Barbara Coe launched a campaign that would forever transform California and American politics. In 1994, Coe launched both the California Coalition for Immigration Reform and the campaign for Proposition 187. Suddenly, John Tanton's radical xenophobic "philosophy" was making national headlines and California public policy.



That's because Prop 187 passed in November 1994. But soon after it was passed, it was halted in federal court and later invalidated. Barbara Coe would then go on to embrace "fringe of the fringe" conspiracy theory powered extremism (Hello, Orly Taitz!) before she passed away last September. And as a result of the California Republican Party's then unapologetic support of Prop 187, it's becoming increasingly irrelevant in the multicultural California of today.

Yet even though Prop 187 and its #1 cheerleader have met their demise, their legacy lives on. Barbara Coe essentially launched Jim Gilchrist's political career. Jim Gilchrist encouraged the "unique brand of activism" pushed by Shawna Forde. And the anti-immigrant movement built by the likes of Tanton, Coe, & Gilchrist encouraged Sharron Angle to shock Nevada & the nation with her incredibly xenophobic US Senate campaign.



Oh, and John Tanton hasn't gone anywhere. In fact, Tanton's network of anti-immigrant outfits succeeded in convincing most Congressional Republicans (and even a few conservative Democrats as well) in 2006 to kill a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) proposal that then President George W. Bush championed. And John Tanton's network has deep ties to the Minutemen movement that Jim Gilchrist founded.

Even Gilchrist himself later admitted that his Minutemen movement attracted a number of fringe characters. Those fringe characters include neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and convicted murderers J.T. Ready & Shawna Forde.

The Minutemen movement has also "graduated" "movement leaders" like Connie Foust. She had been part of the Minutemen vigilante patrols along the Arizona Border. But now, she's in charge of the Virgin Valley TEA Party. And earlier this year, her Virgin Valley TEA Party rallied hard behind Cliven Bundy and his radical right militia fueled "Range War" against federal law.



Is it really any surprise that Cliven Bundy is now endorsing the Murrieta bus blockade? Both have been merrily endorsed by Fox "News". Both have embraced dangerous extremists and their radical anti-government ideology. Both are angling for an epic political comeback. And both celebrate extreme xenophobia.

Now, the full circle of hate is complete.

Who's the "Good Guy With a Gun"?

No one can say we didn't sound the alarms. When Sharron Angle first mentioned "Second Amendment Remedies", our ears perked. And not for any good reason. We could read between the lines.



And frankly, it wasn't that hard to do so. She tried walking her comments back, but only out of political damage control. She never acknowledged the danger lurking within those words.

In recent days, we've seen "Second Amendment Remedies" return to center stage. Most notably, we've witnessed Cliven Bundy and his gang of "outlaw cowboys" declare a "Range War" against the federal government for daring to enforce the law.

Last month, we were introduced to Richard Mack, the ex-Sheriff from Arizona who's best known for his ties to the xenophobic and incredibly anti-government "Patriot Movement". When Mack took a leadership position at #BundyRanch, we knew this was going to turn violent... And racist.

Now, we're finding out about another key player at #BundyRanch. His name is Brad Rogers. He's the current Sheriff of Elkhart County, Indiana. And he actually took time off his actual job last month to fly into #BundyRanch and sing the praises of Posse Comitatus.



Before wading into #BundyRanch, Rogers was (in)famous for being schooled on actual Constitutional law on national TV. Perhaps that's why he made the pilgrimage to Bunkerville? He just needed a "meeting of the minds" with famed "Constitutional law expert" Cliven Bundy?

Whatever the case, we find it quite ironic that someone who's charged with enforcing the law has been endorsing outright violation of the law instead. And he flew into town all the way from Elkhart County, Indiana, to do so.

And that's not all. Already, the "Patriot Movement" is using #BundyRanch as a springboard for "Operation American Spring". And what might that be? It's basically an attempt to force President Obama and all Congressional leaders out of office.

Fortunately, this "Operation American Spring" doesn't seem to be attracting much support outside the fringe of the fringe. And there's increasing evidence suggesting the Bundy Gang's "Range War" may finally be nearing its last legs (literally). Still, it's frightening to think that we've come so close to seeing "civil war" erupt right here in Nevada. And it's downright irritating to see how G-O-TEA lawless behavior.

Oh, and we've yet to hear anyone at NRA explain who the "good guy with a gun" is at #BundyRanch. We still eagerly await that.

Is #BundyRanch Just #TeaPartyWoodstock?

They had traveled from various corners of the nation. They brought plenty of colorful signs, along with big guns. They came in buses, cars, and even a few motorcycles. And the national media showered them with the attention they so craved.

Of course, we're reminiscing about the "Showdown in Searchlight" that happened just over 4 years ago. G-O-TEA Culture Warriors from across the nation wanted to send Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) a "message", so they descended upon Senator Reid's hometown. Michele Fiore made her bug debut. Sue Lowden tried so hard to buy the baggers' love. But ultimately, their hearts belonged to Sharron Angle. And most of the people there couldn't vote for any of them.

Sound familiar yet? We're seeing the same dynamics, and even some of the same characters, reemerge at #BundyRanch. Sharron Angle's "Second Amendment Remedies" have taken center stage. Assembly Member Michele Fiore (R-Las Vegas) shocked the entire nation with her bizarre defense of Cliven Bundy's brazen lawlessness. And a number of other Republican politicians have jumped in to grandstand while the Koch funded astroturf outfits have tried to use this "SCANDAL!!!" to further their ideological agenda.

Oh, and let's not forget the TV "infotainment" channel that's been trying to turn Cliven Bundy's temper tantrum into a ratings bonanza.



To be fair, there is one key difference. In 2010, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors left Searchlight after their day long "Teabag-a-palooza". But now, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are still running wild around Mesquite. And they're still packing heat.

In a way, this has been an opportunity for some to relive their "counterculture days" in a whole new way. This has been their long fantasized chance to "Stick it to the man!" and celebrate "FREEDOM!" Perhaps this is just #TeaPartyWoodstock? (Or at least #TeaPartyAltamont?)

Think about it. Envision the colorful signs. Listen to the blaring music. Picture the crowd of rebels with (?) a cause. And notice their zeal in challenging authority. Are the throngs of 'baggers who've been rushing to #BundyRanch just "hippies gone right wing"?

If only we were just talking about a rowdy rock concert. Instead, we're talking about people rallying behind people advocating armed rebellion against the United States. And we're left wondering this: Whatever happened to peace, love, and understanding... And paying one's bills?

Clear & Present Danger

We could definitely see this coming. Ever since they caught wind of Cliven Bundy's attempt to subvert federal law at Gold Butte, G-O-TEA media personalities have been sharing their wet dreams of "Second Amendment Remedies". And a number of G-O-TEA politicians have gone out of their way to celebrate the extreme right "Patriot Movement" Militia's "victory" over the rule of law.

Apparently, we're not the only ones who have been thinking about the frightening consequences of the lawlessness that's been infecting Bunkerville in recent days. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow took a closer look last night at what's really at stake at #BundyRanch. And she gave her audience a history lesson regarding the shady forces and extreme ideology fueling the #BundyRanch conflict in the Mesquite area.





Not only are Cliven Bundy and his "TEA" fueled allies completely wrong on the facts and wrong on the law, but they're also sending out a dangerously wrong message. That message is the same one we heard 19 years ago this week in Oklahoma City.



Before 9/11, this was the worst terrorist attack on US soil. And it was no hidden secret that Timothy McVeigh was motivated by the kind of extreme "Patriot" ideology that we've been catching glimpses of at #BundyRanch.

This is why we've been urging G-O-TEA politicians who have all too eagerly endorsed this lawless "uprising" to reconsider what they're advocating. Cresent Hardy & Michele Fiore may think it's cute to grandstand alongside the Bundy Gang and their new extreme right militia BFFs, but it's not. Rather, they're cozying up to what all the rest of us see as a clear & present danger.



What's happened at #BundyRanch this past week has gone far beyond "protest". It's not a mere "uprising". And it's anything but legal.

This is dangerous. There's really no way to candy-coat it. The extreme fringe of the far right who have once again gained national prominence thanks to Cliven Bundy's nationally televised temper tantrum are not interested in mere protest. And it's time for all the rest of us to recognize the clear & present danger of legitimizing this kind of behavior.

"Second Amendment Remedies"

Last Saturday, Americans across this nation were shocked to witness the violence that broke out in Bunkerville over the BLM's attempt to rein in Cliven Bundy's illegal Gold Butte cattle run & tax evasion scheme. Apparently, it's not enough that Bundy's family has benefited from so much "big government welfare" for over 100 years. He's also wanted "legal recognition" to violate federal law with reckless abandon. And last weekend, he brought in some "TEA" drinking friends from other parts of the nation to provoke armed conflict with federal public servants.

Even though the BLM operation has been discontinued for now, the law will eventually catch up with this lawless bunch. Bundy & his "TEA" powered allies may face federal criminal charges for their attempt at provoking insurrection.

But of course, the wannabe #BundyRanch insurrectionists don't see it that way. They claim they're just taking advantage of what Sharron Angle (in)famously referred to as "Second Amendment Remedies".



And they're not the only ones who have been "going there" recently. Frazier Glenn Miller also resorted to "Second Amendment Remedies" when he opened fire on a Jewish community center & retirement village in Overland Park, Kansas, yesterday. The longtime white supremacist/Ku Klux Klan/neo-Nazi leader shot 3 people dead before police arrested him.



Once again, we're reminded of something evil in our society. Once again, we're reminded of what happens when we encounter a "bad guy with a gun". And once again, we're reminded of the lengths the NRA and the rest of the gun lobby will go to maximize their profits.

Are G-O-TEA politicians here in Nevada and elsewhere still proud of being "what stood in the way" between us and saner gun laws? Do they actually believe the bile filled rhetoric they spew when they praise Cliven Bundy's "Second Amendment Remedies"? Do they truly favor the ability of criminals like Frazier Glenn Miller to easily access dangerous firearms?

Think about it. What we saw this past weekend in Bunkerville and in Overland Park was the logical conclusion of "Second Amendment Remedies". And that should make us all remember what makes a civilized society (and what can tear one down).

Dead Horse

We're not trying to beat a dead horse. We swear. Take a closer look. We're not beating it. We're just calling attention to it.

So where's the horse? Look here.

And yes, don't bother there. Even as national media figures sing the praises of Governor Brian Sandoval (R), he continues to face trouble at home. And he can thank his party's own "TEA" powered base for that.

And that's not all. The "TEA" is also spilling into #NVLeg (again). Just as State Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) was hoping to showcase his favored 2014 candidates, the G-O-TEA base struck back. And it did so in a brutal manner.

But then again, we were never actually surprised by any of this. In fact, we've been saying this for some time: Don't believe all the hype surrounding "Republican rebranding". Jeez, even the Republican National Committee has admitted its "rebranding" has been nothing but a big fat #FAIL.

But of course, it's also claiming this doesn't matter one bit. And why's that? Oh, 2014 is supposed to be a great red "TSUNAMI!!!" (Never mind that there's no real evidence suggesting this.)

Again, we saw this coming. Even as national party "leaders" have been begging for change, G-O-TEA politicians have instead allowed the 21st Century Know Nothings to take control of the party. And not only have they taken control of the party, but they've also forced the party to continue fighting a "Culture War" that everyone else realizes it lost long ago.

We saw this coming. And now, everyone can see this on full display. Even she sees it now. (And of course she does, because she loves being in charge!)

We're not trying to beat a dead horse. We're just pointing out the usual suspects who are beating that dead horse... And hoping you don't notice them doing so.

What a Fool Believes

The drama. It just keeps overflowing. And they just can't stop themselves from churning out even more of it. They're addicted to the drama, we tell you!

Of course, we're talking about the drama addicted Nevada Republican Party. When they're not fighting mythical enemies and nonsensical conspiracies, they're fighting each other. And even when their own supposed leader, Governor Brian Sandoval (R), tries to take his party in a saner direction, they rebuff him and instead down more of Sharron Angle's signature Kool-Aid full of crazy.

So what is that crazy Nevada Republican Party up to now? Once again, it's cannibalizing itself over its new pre-primary endorsement policy. The former Nevada Republican Party Chair admitted on Twitter that the current Nevada Republican Party Chair "has little power". The Washoe County Republican Party passed a resolution condemning the State Republican Party's endorsement plans (while also condemning Sandoval's). And once again, we're seeing pure chaos erupt all over social media.

Queue the other Mr. McDonald...



Indeed. What a fool believes... We're seeing manifest itself in today's Nevada Republican Party. Crazy is king, folly is celebrated, and ignorance is bliss. No wonder why Senator Dean Heller (R) sounded so foolish last month when he tried to defend the crazy chaos of his party.

But then again, he's not alone. Just today, US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) simultaneously attacked and praised the very 21st Century Know Nothings who will determine his political future. He has to figure out how to win his own primary, yet he's afraid of the havoc they're wreaking in other primaries. And suddenly, his bizarre "gun show" at CPAC starts to make sense.

Meanwhile in Florida, Republicans are already bickering over an election that's yet to conclude tomorrow. And House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) already has a case of the sads. Perhaps he can join some discouraged Nevada Republicans for a drink at Las Vegas Country Club so they can all feel better. (Oh wait, that already happened.)

We've seen a whole lot of foolish behavior from G-O-TEA Culture Warriors and their favorite pandering politicians lately. And this is no accident. Republican "leaders" thought they could ride the wave of "TEA" to victory. They just forgot to consider what happens when they drink too much "TEA".

The drama. It just keeps overflowing. It overflows like the dangerously spiked "TEA" that's drowning the Republican Party locally and nationally. Perhaps they were a little too willing to accept what a fool believes.

Sharron's Siren Songs

At least he's trying. Even as the rest of the Nevada Republican Party drives quickly into Crazytown, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) continues to steer clear of the Sea of "TEA". And he continues trying to "soften" his party's image, even as other prominent Nevada G-O-TEA politicians continue drinking more hard "TEA" from their 21st Century Know Nothing base.

Today, Governor Sandoval wants to let the world know that he won't make life easy for 2016 Presidential Candidates campaigning in Nevada if they don't pledge to turn the proposed Interstate 11 (I-11) Freeway into a reality. For years, officials in Nevada and Arizona have discussed a potential freeway linking Reno, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. But when The Great Recession first hit, the proposal started collecting dust. But now, Governor Sandoval wants to use what he sees as his bully pulpit to turn I-11 from a few patches of road improvements into a fully developed multi-lane freeway.

Of course, there's a problem with Governor Sandoval's plan to add Southwestern infrastructure to the 2016 campaign narrative. That's problem just happens to be Sandoval's own Republican Party. While he's begging G-O-TEA 2016 contenders to talk about infrastructure, a leading G-O-TEA 2016 contender continues to obsess over Former President Bill Clinton's sex life during the 1990s. No, we're not kidding on this.



But wait, there's more! Two other leading G-O-TEA 2016 contenders (and sitting Governors) are bickering over whose scandal looks worse. And they'll all have to keep up with their G-O-TEA base on such important matters as banning abortions because of racial stereotypes, taking seriously a washed up D-List celebrity who keeps his name in the news by making even more outrageous accusations of President Obama, rewriting the history of The Civil War, and espousing long ago discredited theories of "nullifying federal law".

Unfortunately for Brian Sandoval, the above mentioned "SCANDALZZZ!!!!" full of crazy show far greater appeal to the G-O-TEA base than an interstate highway that millions of Americans in this region might actually put into good use. And since his party long ago decided to ditch sound economics for austerity laced voodoo, that just makes Sandoval's case to his own party for more federal investment that much tougher.

While a number of Nevada Republicans throw the "RINO" label around when describing Brian Sandoval, we prefer using this label: LINO, or "leader in name only". Why? Even though certain Republican consultants in DC and media pundits in DC & Las Vegas tout Sandoval as a "rising star & Republican leader", he can't lead his own party out of paper bag. Sure, he'd like to lead them out of a paper bag... But since the G-O-TEA base demands that they stay in the paper bag in order to remain "pure", they stay in the paper bag.

Try as he might, we doubt Governor Sandoval will go far in his effort to make the Nevada Republican Party seem relevant again. As long as they listen to Sharron Angle's siren songs, they'll keep tuning him out. And as long as national G-O-TEA politicians keep listening to her siren songs (which are heavily promoted by the voters they're competing for) as well, they'll also tune him out.

The Wrong Angle

Last month, she reemerged. And she didn't return empty-handed. No, Sharron Angle introduced a voter ID voter suppression initiative. And she definitely succeeded in stirring up a hornet's nest.

But will Angle's initiative actually succeed? That remains in doubt, especially in the wake of two law suits being filed against it.



Both law suits challenge what plaintiffs consider to be an unconstitutional usurpation of power, since it commands the Legislature to enact something that the Legislature itself is supposed to decide. And both suits declare Angle's initiative to be an unfunded mandate (as it has no funding mechanism for its voter ID program), which would also constitute a constitutional violation. The ACLU of Nevada and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights have filed one suit, while a group of private citizens and activists filed the other suit.

We're left to wonder how much thought "Our Lady of Perpetual Campaigning" put into this initiative. We already knew that it targets a nonexistent problem. We also knew that this would instead create problems for thousands of Nevada voters who are simply trying to exercise their legal right to vote. But now, we're discovering another problem with Sharron Angle's "great idea": It may very well violate the very constitution she claims to hold so near & dear to her.

But then again, we are talking about someone who's still claiming nonsensical conspiracy theories as "evidence" that somehow the 2010 NV-Sen election was "stolen" from her. She still refuses to admit that she list that election all on her own. And now, she's demanding an initiative that's unnecessary and potentially unconstitutional as well.

Funny enough, Angle and her Nevada G-O-TEA disciples have been the ones crying about "integrity". Have they ever examined the integrity of their own voter suppression proposal?

Wig Under That Wig

Pay attention, hunties. There's a reason why our favorite philosopher has said, "Do not remove your wig... Unless there is another wig underneath your wig!"

Now watch... And learn.



Since we all know reading is fundamental, we must ask this question: When did the "Disney Nickelodeon Meltdown Club" suddenly morph into the Nevada Republican Party? We can't help but wonder. And come on, there's no way we could have missed the hot mess on Twitter that managed to ensnare Ray Hagar and Jon Ralston!

So what happened? Once again, Chuck Muth is f**king it up. Apparently when he's not slandering people he doesn't even know, race baiting to new extremes, or simply lying through his teeth about The Education Initiative, he's "The Campaign Doctor".



And this week, "The Campaign Doctor" has been busy promoting his candidates on various shady corners of the internet. But when he started throwing shade in all the wrong directions, he turned out to be the one left in the dark. (Yet even in the dark, we could still see that bad paint job on that mug.)

And once again, we're left to wonder why the Nevada Republican Party allowed Chuck Muth & his cohorts to conquer the party and remake it in their own image in the first place. Once upon a time, it was the party of Kenny Guinn, Bill Raggio, and Sue Wagner. It was the party of #winning. And even though it was a conservative party, it was also a party that stood for some sort of sound governance.

But now, the Nevada Republican Party has devolved into nothing more than a crazy clown car circus. And gawddammit, grrrl, they can't even lip sync for their lives!

We saw again this week who their true leader is, so we're not surprised that there's still no @NVGOP rebuke of the sh*tshow Chuck Muth starred in online. If anything, they're reveling in it. But in putting on such a show, they forgot a critical rule of engagement: If one truly wants to impress the judges, one best not remove the wig... Unless there's another wig under that wig.

Drop the Kool-Aid

They can't say we didn't warn them. We did. In fact, we did multiple times. We distinctly remember this somber warning from May 2012.

[... W]inning elections doesn't happen by just demanding "purity" and throwing a temper tantrum when that doesn't happen. Believe it or not, temper tantrums don't win elections. This is something we often have to grapple with on the left, but now we're seeing this unfold on the right at a level that I've never seen before. [...]

Ron Paul's supporters care deeply for their libertarian beliefs, and they're set to accept nothing less than full fealty to those beliefs. But in pursuing complete ideological purity, they're also set to lose a whole lot of elections because they simply don't care about that stuff. This is why Nevada Republicans are in such dire straits. And it should serve as an important lesson to all the rest of us trying to balance ideological wishes with political reality.

Hey, we tried. It just sucks for them that they refused to listen to us. Instead, the Nevada Republican Party keeps doubling down on crazy.

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.

This is why we weren't surprised by the debut of the new Nevada Republican Party pre-primary endorsement questionnaire. This is also why we weren't surprised by the decision of Neena Laxalt and Sue Wagner to leave the Nevada Republican Party. And this is why we're not surprised by the newest episode of "Republicans Eating Their Own".

As the state and national Republican Party continue to fracture into "a million little pieces", Republican "leaders" keep trying to find hot new ways to put all those pieces back together. They've tried new technology. They've tried new "principles". They've tried "rebranding". They've tried "reinvention". And it probably won't be long before they try an "intervention from Jesus".

Have they ever thought about trying to quit their addiction to Sharron Angle's Kool-Aid? No matter how hard they try, no amount of meaningless cosmetic changes can cure the illness that's been caused by the poison they've been drinking for far too long. If they want to survive, let alone heal, they need to drop the Kool-Aid.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words.

Last week, we looked at the increasingly evident failure of the Republican Party's "rebranding campaign". Even as party "leaders" have attempted to "soften their image" and "change the optics" of the Republican brand, the 21st Century Know Nothings have been pulling G-O-TEA politicians in the opposite direction. And so far, it looks like the 21st Century Know Nothings have the upper hand.

Case in point: Sharron Angle. She refuses to go away. Instead, she's become the de facto leader of Nevada Republicans. And now that she's hawking a brand new voter ID voter suppression initiative, Nevada Republicans will have an even harder time trying to convince minority voters that they "care about all Nevadans" and actually care about earning their votes. Why bother with that when Sharron Angle can just prevent them from voting in the first place?

And that brings us back to Sue Wagner. Her departure from the Republican Party should serve as a wake-up call. Once upon a time, she was considered to be the rising star most likely to become Nevada's first female Governor. But now, she's just another example of Republicans' rebranding FAIL.

On Tuesday, Republican "leaders" were hoping that Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers' (R-Washington) "official Republican response" (as opposed to all the other ones) would help quell all the talk of their party's "rebranding" failure. Instead, it's been overshadowed by this Republican response.



Rep. Michael Grimm's shocking, violent confrontation of a reporter has not just turned the media's attention to Grimm's own troubled past, but also to the Republican Party's troubled present. This week was supposed to be all about the "new face of the party". Yet ironically enough, the "new faces" shown this week look an awful lot like the old ones we've come to recognize.

This week, the usual crew of "Republican leaders" are claiming their party is not trying to shove some crazed Culture War down Americans' throats, the critical mass of their own party continue to prove the opposite. After all, actions speak louder than words.

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!

Bloody Consequences

It's happening again. It's like clockwork. It goes on and on. And Senator Harry Reid (D) once again had to deliver the predictable bad news today.

.@SenatorReid on gun safety bill: "I would love to bring it back up. But I can't do it until I have the votes."

And he won't have the votes until more politicians on Capitol Hill develop the courage to kick their NRA habit. So what else is new?

Sadly, another shooting is. This time, it was at a mall in Northern New Jersey.

People forced to take cover inside the mall posted to Twitter throughout the night as they waited to be evacuated. One woman, Kathryn Jean Lopez, posted: “Folks are nervous in here please just say a prayer. ... There is screaming.” She posted a dark photo from inside the Nordstrom store showing several people seated on the floor checking their phones.

Jonathan Astacio, a manager at the Brookstone store at the mall, said he heard what sounded like four gunshots near the store around 9:20 p.m. Mr. Astacio said he saw police officers searching the mall.

He and other employees at the store moved into a back stockroom, he said.

Alexa Tom, 28, a sales associate who works at Neiman Marcus in the mall, said that she saw security guards running through the store locking down all the doors after 9 p.m. The store’s security team brought the more than 50 people left in the store to the first-floor shoe department, where they stayed for about an hour.

Fortunately, no one was injured this time... Except for the shooter himself, Richard Shoop. This was his planned suicide. And he apparently wanted a host of witnesses to it.

At least no one else was hurt... This time. But as we know all too well these days, that isn't always the case. Just don't try explaining that to G-O-TEA icon Ron Paul. He thinks this is all about "freedom".

“Jefferson obviously was a clear leader on the principle of nullification,” the former Texas congressman said of the third president. “I’ve been working on the assumption that nullification is going to come. It’s going to be a de facto nullification. It’s ugly, but pretty soon things are going to get so bad that we’re just going to ignore the feds and live our own lives in our own states.” [...]

...He stressed that the constitutional “right to keep and bear arms” was not for hunting, but to allow rebellion against tyrannical governments. “The Second Amendment was not there so you could shoot rabbits,” he said. “Right now today, we have a great threat to our liberties internally.”

Ron Paul said this at a campaign rally for Virginia G-O-TEA Gubernatorial Candidate Ken Cuccinelli... But he might as well have said it on the stage with his ideological soulmate, Sharron Angle. After all, they share the same affinity for "Second Amendment Remedies". And they both fail to see the bloody real world consequences of their dangerous rhetoric and equally dangerous policy prescriptions.

Every so often, Senator Dean Heller (R-NRA) and Rep. Joe Heck (R-NRA) will say something about the need to do something about gun violence. Yet when push comes to shove, they vote the NRA-Sharron Angle-Ron Paul party line. And in turn, Harry Reid doesn't have the votes to pass anything. And we all continue to live with the bloody consequences of inaction.

Crazy

She's back! What, you really thought she could stay away for long? Oh, no. Sharron Angle just couldn't help herself.



She's actually been praising the insani-TEA that nearly forced America into Armageddon. Never mind that Nevada's Republican Governor, Brian Sandoval, begged Congress to stop the insani-TEA. And never mind that their financial sugar daddies on Wall Street begged them to stop as well. The G-O-TEA took it all the way to the brink... Until Senator Harry Reid (D) finally saved the day and prevented Armageddon.

This unnecessary drama cost Nevada and the nation dearly. Yet when they were provided the opportunity to end the unnecessary drama and reopen government, both Dean Heller and Mark Amodei voted against reopening the government and paying the nation's bills. Why?

Sure, they tried to sound reasonable to the media. However, no amount of media spin can actually spin away the reality of their crazy gambit. Might this be why Joe Heck suddenly flip-flopped changed his position at the last minute?

Yet until last night, none of the real world consequences of their insani-TEA mattered to any of Nevada's Republicans in DC. Why? They were only following Sharron Angle's lead.

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.



Typically, we want logical, rational explanations for what happened. But today, we simply can't provide one. Rather, we can only point at the crazy of it all.

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.

So what will it take for (more of) us to realize just how crazy it is to allow so much crazy to amass so much power in our government? Who's crazy enough to want even more?

Will Republican Civil War Harm Immigration Reform?

It was likely bound to happen. Last week, we saw a slew of excuses as the "tea party" revved up its campaign to kill comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) this Congress. Various Republican Congresscritters have mentioned everything from "TER'RIS!!!" to "TEH GAYZZZ!!!" to "BROWN PPLZ R STEEL'IN OUR JOBZ!!!" as excuses to weasel out of whatever commitment they made earlier to at least consider CIR.

And now, we have a new excuse in the making. The (Whose?) Heritage Foundation has released a new set of excuses for the G-O-TEA to oppose any & all CIR. Oh, yes. That's right. They're fucking up fudging the numbers in order to decry the Gang of 8 CIR bill as "TAX-N-SPND LIB'RULZZZ!!!" (Wonkblog debunked the number soup of Heritage's report earlier today.)

Yet in doing this, Heritage (of the "Tea Party") is making some surprising new enemies.

Within hours of Monday’s press conference, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s immigration group, which includes former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour (R) and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, condemned Heritage’s report as “fundamentally flawed.”

“Newly legalized immigrants would further expand the economy and our tax base, particularly after earning full access to the institutions that helped make America the world’s greatest mobilizer of human potential,” the group’s members, who have yet to release their own immigration proposal, said in a statement.

The conservative American Action Forum last month released a report by former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin claiming that a comprehensive immigration overhaul would reduce the deficit by $2.5 trillion thanks to increased economic growth. The libertarian CATO Institute also published a lengthy critique of Rector’s 2007 methodology, claiming it “produced a grossly exaggerated cost to federal taxpayers of legalizing unauthorized immigrants while undercounting or discounting their positive tax and economic contributions.”

Critics also noted that Heritage released a background report in 2006 by Tim Kane and Kirk A. Johnson that asserted “[t]he argument that immigrants harm the American economy should be dismissed out of hand,” including low-skilled migrant workers identified as a massive drain by [Robert] Rector. Derrick Morgan, Heritage’s vice president for domestic and economic policy, told reporters Monday that its findings came “during a time of boom” and should be reconsidered in light of the 2008 financial collapse.

The gaping chasm between Heritage’s findings and those of other right-leaning experts reflects how much immigration has divided conservatives who are typically on the same side of fiscal issues. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), for example, has a long relationship with DeMint and recorded a video introduction to Heritage’s Spanish-language site just last year. But these days he’s posting debunkers of their findings on his website and criticizing their methodology in TV interviews.

Steve Benen so far has characterized this as "Heritage versus the GOP". While I typically agree with Benen on these kinds of matters, we must part ways on this. Sure, some Republican leaders are eager to get CIR done in hopes of fixing their party's "Hispanic Problem". However, I suspect TPM's Benjy Sarlin was more accurate in describing this as "sparking a conservative civil war".

Why? I can't help but think of last Wednesday's May Day rally in Downtown Las Vegas. While a small handful of Republican operatives joined with the crowd and proudly displayed their Brian Sandoval (R-Flip-flop) stickers, the base of their own party could occasionally be heard as they were trying to heckle Senator Harry Reid (D-Searchlight Strong) as he was making the case for reform. Last Wednesday, we could clearly see a house divided against itself in the Nevada GOP.

And it's not just here. Even Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Kill Medicare) has been falling out of favor with the very "tea party" that propelled him to national political stardom because he's willing to consider CIR! And the local DC gossip rag even mentioned various "tea party" darlings as possibilities for killing reform this year.

And that leads us to what Greg Sargent said earlier today. Long story short: Republicans are at a crossroads.

Ultimately, the prospects for immigration reform have always turned on whether enough Republicans are willing to swallow hard, cross the citizenship Rubicon, and accept the consequences for the right. This [Heritage] report doesn’t change that basic dynamic. It will give an army of talk show hosts and bloggers opposed to reform plenty of ammunition to kick up a whole lot of noise against the proposal, to be sure.

But it’s just as true today as it was last week that reform is only going to happen if enough Republicans ignore all that ["tea party"] noise and decide that short term pain from the base is well worth dealing with in order to give the party a chance to at least begin repairing relations with Latinos, at a time when demographic realities are looking extremely daunting over the long term. And make no mistake — it’s only the far right who opposes a path to citizenship; polls show solid majorities overall, and even substantial numbers of Republicans.

If far right Republicans in the House kill reform, that would be the worst possible political outcome for the GOP. The noise from the far right may have just gotten a bit louder, but the consequences for Republicans of allowing the noise to kill reform haven’t changed at all.

And if far right Senate Republicans kill immigration reform there like they did with gun safety reform, then their party will really have hell to pay going forward. But then again, we're talking about the general electorate. Right now, many House and Senate Republicans are most worried about a "tea party" primary challenge. And that's why CIR is facing a new round of trouble on Capitol Hill.

The local DC gossip rag also posted today the Gang of 8's plan to secure a supermajority of Senators for their CIR bill. And guess who's on top of their target list? Yep, Senator Dean Heller (R-46%) is there. So now, it's just a matter of whether he sides with good policy and long-term smart politics... Or if he continues running scared of Sharron Angle.