He Is an Idiot.

Just when we thought he couldn't sound any dumber, he just went from dumb to dumber... And even dumberer.

Outgoing Assembly Member and current NV-04 candidate Cresent Hardy (R) has been going out of his way to alienate most NV-04 voters. He blamed them for everything he thinks is wrong with America. He channeled his inner Mitt Romney when he dismissed them as "lazy 47% takers".

And believe it or not, he didn't stop there. Now, we also know Cresent Hardy insulted the judgment of NV-04 constituents by claiming their votes are mainly based on race.



Well, alrighty then. It's now official. Take it away, "Official Bitchy Smiley Faces of Nevada Progressive"!



He truly is an idiot. What was he thinking? Was he even thinking?

Here's a news flash for Cresent Hardy: NV-04 is a very diverse district. There are African-American voters, Latin@ voters, Asian-American voters, Native American voters, LGBTQ voters, and many more types of voters all residing in this district. And the more Cresent Hardy pisses more of these voters off, the fewer voters he will actually have on his side come November 4.

Please Pardon Our (Broken Smartphone).

Unfortunately, we ran into a terrible accident last Thursday. Our "mobile blogging device" slipped and fell while we were out. And sadly, our electronic companion won't be making it.

If you'd like to share condolences for our trusted "mobile blogging device", you may do so here. Otherwise, please hold tight while we await the arrival of our new electronic life partner and soulmate.

Hopefully, we won't be out of commission too much longer. It's just difficult typing on a shattered screen. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.

We hope to be back up to full speed once our new "mobile blogging device" arrives this week!

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.

When You Wish Upon... What?!

OK, kids. It's time to fire up the Wayback Machine. Let's travel back to January 2013. Remember the sordid tale of John Swallow & Jeremy Johnson?

Wait, who?!

Here's what we know so far. St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson wanted the legal equivalent of a magic wand to wave away a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into his internet marketing company, I Works. So he contacted then Deputy Utah Attorney General John Swallow (R), who then connected him with the late Check City (payday loan provider) owner Richard Rawle. 

Now here's where we descend into "he said, he said" territory. Johnson alleges that Swallow & Rawle struck a deal with him where he'd give them $600,000... For them to then bribe Senator [Harry] Reid [D] into making the FTC investigation of I Works go away. 

However, Swallow vehemently denies this allegation. Swallow's version of the story goes as this: He just thought (at the time that) Johnson was facing an unfair probe by the FTC. So he referred Johnson to his former employer Rawle. And he's even presented an affidavit from Rawle (prepared just before his death) stating Johnson paid Rawle $250,000 to hire federal lobbyists to make Johnson's case in DC.

At the very least, some sleazy wheeling-dealing was going on here. And now that John Swallow is Utah's Attorney General, he's facing the political scandal of his life. However, there's been nothing produced so far that confirms that Reid accepted any kind of bribe from Johnson, Swallow, and/or Rawle.

Yesterday, Former Utah Attorneys General John Swallow (R) & Mark Shurtleff (R) were indicted on 23 counts. They face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. And yes, this has to do with their alleged dealings with Jeremy Johnson and the late Richard Rawle.

Already, this is causing a huge political earthquake in Utah. And already, investigators are suggesting more indictments are on the way in the Swallow-Johnson corruption case.

However, some in Utah are disappointed that the federal Department of Justice declined to take this case. Even the lead investigators have suggested such. Could it possibly be...

Still, no. Even as certain figures whisper about Senator Harry Reid's potential involvement, no evidence has actually been found. We only have Jeremy Johnson's claims that Senator Reid is involved. And keep in mind that Jeremy Johnson had demanded a refund of the $250,000 he paid Richard Rawle because Senator Reid never made that pesky FTC investigation of I Works go away!

We get it. This is awful news for Utah Republicans. Many sense this case goes far deeper than some money Rawle, Shurtleff, and Swallow passed around. And certain media pundits are hungry for a big, splashy "SCANDAL!!!" involving Nevada's top elected leader.

But no matter how much certain pundits & politicians wish for a "Reid connection" here, they can't wish it into being true. Just as they couldn't turn a UNLV Foundation fundraiser into a giant "Hillary Clinton SCANDAL!!!", they can't just wish it into reality.

The 2014 Election Cycle isn't even over yet, and already some politicians & pundits are wishing for 2016 fireworks. And already, they're wishing for "SCANDALZZZ!!!" that only seem to be political mirages. Perhaps instead of wishing for that which will never materialize, they need to focus on what's actually here.

It's Finally Over.

Now, it's final. After all the weeks of worrying, it finally happened.

So why aren't Nevada Republicans happy? After all, they got their austerity. What happened to their "fiscal conservatism"?

Earlier tonight, Senator Dean Heller (R-What?) voted against the bipartisan budget deal brokered by Senators Harry Reid (D) and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) to pay the nation's bills and reopen the federal government. Why? He said he "wanted to support a deal". So why couldn't he? Why couldn't he do what even Republican Governor Brian Sandoval and other prominent Republicans have begged him to do?

Simple: He fears the wrath of the teabaggers. Apparently, Senator Heller cares more about pleasing the 21st Century Know Nothings than doing what's needed for the nation and state. And apparently, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Why?) feel the same way. They all dragged this pointless fight over nothing far longer than needed and only succeeded in causing economic harm.

But now, it doesn't matter. The House finally passed this budget deal with a margin of 285 to 144. Rep. Amodei voted against reopening the government, while Rep. Joe Heck (R-Huh?) finally voted to reopen the government.

So in the end, Rep. Heck realized he had to stop punishing his own constituents for reelecting Senator Reid and President Obama. We'll give him credit for that. We'll also give him credit for noticing the recent poll numbers showing him vulnerable in the wake of all this unnecessary economic pain.

But again, why did Heller, Heck, and Amodei string this out for this long? Did they really fight this long for extended austerity and something that's already in Obamacare? What was the point of this?

And in the end, they all held out for nothing. They got none of what they claimed they wanted. And except for the final vote from Rep. Heck tonight, they failed to deliver what even Nevada's Republican Governor admitted we needed.

So what was this about again? Oh, what the hell. It's finally over.

What's Behind the Chaos

Earlier this morning, we caught some actual glimmers of hope and wondered if perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a fast approaching train. The G-O-TEA gang behind the latest and greatest manufactured crisis finally began to crack under pressure. Multiple media reports suggest House Republican "leaders" are preparing at least some sort of short term resolution.

However, these Republican "leaders" are still trying to please the 21st Century Know Nothings with some sort of "split the baby solution" where the government shutdown continues while the debt ceiling is lifted. So even now, the stupidi-TEA continues.

However, it can't continue indefinitely. Our economy just can't take any more. Oh, and neither can the Republicans' own financial backers. This morning, The New York Times published an eye-popping article full of Wall Street insiders going on record to criticize the Republican Party they used to know... But don't any more.

Joe Echevarria, the chief executive of Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm, said, “I’m a Republican by definition and by registration, but the party seems to have split into two factions.”

While both parties have extreme elements, he suggested, only in the G.O.P. did the extreme element exercise real power. “The extreme right has 90 seats in the House,” Mr. Echevarria said. “Occupy Wall Street has no seats.” [...]

Michael J. Driscoll, a former managing director of Bear, Stearns & Co. and lifelong Republican from New York, said he would not be surprised if Wall Street executives began to shift some of the giving away from House lawmakers.

“One thing about Wall Street, it is very aware of who is working in their best interest,” he said.

Even the once traditional GOP base is feeling threatened by Republican "leaders" flailing around in desperate attempts to placate their new 21st Century Know Nothing G-O-TEA base. But if Republicans try to redefine their Shutdown Sh*tfest in a way that better pleases their traditional Wall Street allies, their 21st Century Know Nothing base will then revolt.

In their latest desperate attempt to destroy President Obama and his legacy, Republicans may be succeeding... In splintering their own party. While the likes of Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R) and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) are begging House Republicans to stop the insani-TEA, some new 21st Century Know Nothing outfit is advocating armed rebellion. And guess who House Republican "leaders" are paying more attention to?

The time for the insani-TEA to end was last week. But even now, Republican "leaders" are threatening to impose even more chaos on this nation until the bitter end. And it's all because they fear their own base(s).

Wall Street won't mind some austerity shifting as long as the manufactured crisis ends ASAP. The 21st Century Know Nothings won't mind the manufactured crisis culminating in a worldwide economic collapse so long as they can claim victory in their Culture War. Republicans can't do both, so they're caught in a dilemma... And they're holding us all hostage until they find a way to save face.

The Bitter End?

Whoops. Someone's in the hot seat... For speaking a little too much truth.

Shortly after Governor Brian Sandoval (R) sounded the alarms on the trouble that lies ahead if the G-O-TEA Shutdown continues, other Republicans sounded the alarms on Sandoval deserting their sinking ship. So of course, Sandoval's political team tried to spin it away. Yet even then, the Governor begged all of Nevada's Members of Congress to end the Shutdown Sh*tfest ASAP.

At least Governor Sandoval doesn't have to feel alone in begging his own party to stop the insani-TEA without looking too rational "liberal". Late yesterday, 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee and current US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) begged House Republican "leaders" to allow a floor vote on the very budget agreement that Republicans themselves considered a "victory" just a month ago. And even the Koch Brothers are publicly backing away from the monster they created.



This week, the once great Republican Party descended into pure chaos. The House G-O-TEA Caucus finally fell into diaspora yesterday after some realized their previous ransom demands gained their party nothing but disdain and ridicule. This likely led to House Republican "leaders" (not so) privately admitting defeat and begging Democrats for some sort of mercy.

The irony of this whole debacle is that the supposed "party of personal responsibility" refused to take any. Some of them truly believed they could get away with destroying the global economy. And others have denied the severe consequences of their crazed actions.



The insani-TEA can't last forever. We just can't afford it. What we've already endured has caused enough harm. How much more must we suffer?

In addition to the economic harm Congressional Republicans have caused the nation, they've also harmed themselves politically. Thanks to their insani-TEA, Democrats now have a chance of winning the House next year. Republicans' poll numbers have fallen into the toilet as they've become the obvious villains in this lurid American horror story. How much more of this do they really want to endure?

This is why the end game may finally be in sight. Even though the G-O-TEA faithful demand an epic fight to the bitter end, Republican "leaders" may finally be recognizing that the bitter end is simply too close for comfort. With only a week left until the Armageddon deadline, they don't have much time left to waste. And as they go to meet President Obama this afternoon, Americans are demanding that they finally call it quits.

What's Wrong

As Day 8 of the manufactured crisis full of unnecessary drama rolls on, we're starting to see interesting statements from Nevada's Republicans in Congress. When asked whether he could finally accept the compromise that Republican "leaders" seemed ready to accept just a month ago, Rep. Joe Heck's (R-Huh?) spokesman said his boss typically "never commits on bills before [they reach the] floor, but adds Heck 'has voted for every CR" that has been put on the House floor'.” OK. So what's that supposed to mean?

But wait, there's more. Senator Dean Heller (R-What?) also chimed in today, stating that "it's time to bring Joe Biden back". For what, exactly? Does Senator Heller need the Vice President to personally explain to him the consequences of becoming a "deadbeat nation".

And of course, there's "(Never) Tired of the Drama" Mark Amodei (R-Really?). When KRNV/News 4 Reno viewers asked Rep. Amodei what he was doing to end the Shutdown Sh*tfest, he just lied about the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Keep it klassy, Nevada G-O-TEA!

If it seems like Nevada Republicans in DC are looking awfully adrift lately, it's likely because their national party is careening all over the place. They're taking queues from failed comedians and clinging to discredited conspiracy theories. Even some Republicans are now making their private grievances with their party public.

So why is the federal government still shut down? And why are we so perilously close to credit default? Something is wrong with this picture.

There are likely enough votes in the House to stop the insani-TEA and reopen government. So why can't it happen yet? Why are some Republicans talking out of both sides of their mouths while others are simply talking nonsense? And why can't Dean Heller, Joe Heck, and Mark Amodei step forward to put an end to the drama they're supposedly "tired of"?

We can't afford to wait much longer.

Waiting for the End

It's been over a week now. And despite the occasional glimpses of light at the end of the tunnel, it appears that the light is just coming from the speeding train approaching us. The G-O-TEA manufactured crisis rages on, and we're all suffering as a result.

Yesterday, we debunked G-O-TEA memes on "compromise". Over the course of the past six months, Republicans blocked nineteen attempts to start bipartisan, bicameral budget negotiations. Republican "leaders" only changed their tune last week, just minutes before their Shutdown began.

Throughout the spring and summer, Congressional Republicans turned down multiple Democratic offers for budget negotiations. But now, we're supposed to believe the G-O-TEA Shutdown is all Senator Harry Reid's fault because he's "not playing nice"? If this situation wasn't so dangerous, we'd be laughing.

Yet now, Senator Reid is offering Republicans a way oit of their own manufactured crisis. Last week, they privately admitted they must end it before we reach credit default next week. And even a few Republicans have publicly admitted they're fighting a losing war. So why won't they stop the insani-TEA already?

All this time, Republicans have had the opportunity to end this unnecessary drama. But so far, they haven't done so. That's why Senator Reid is now offering them a way out. If they truly want to prevent the initiation of an economic collapse we haven't seen in eighty years, they can start by passing the very clean debt ceiling legislation they privately admitted they had to pass last week.

So why wait any longer? And why deny reality any longer? With each passing day of this manufactured crisis, the nation inches closer to complete disaster... And Congress wastes time on this crap that could be used to solve real problems.

So why are we still waiting for the end?

Wake Up Call

All this madness seems to be driving me mad! And I know I'm not alone. But at least now, Republican "leaders" are finally starting to realize the real world consequences of their manufactured crisis gone wrong.

Hot off the heels of captains of finance on Wall Street and around the world telling House Republicans to stop the insani-TEA, House Speaker (in Name Only) John Boehner (R-Agent Orange) finally signaled an end to the unnecessary drama may be near.

The [House Republican], who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Mr. Boehner had said he would be willing to violate the so-called Hastert Rule if necessary to pass a debt-limit increase. The informal rule refers to a policy of not bringing to the floor any measure that does not have a majority of Republican votes.

Other Republicans also said Thursday that they got the sense that Mr. Boehner would do whatever was necessary to ensure that the country did not default on its debt.

Representative Michael G. Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania, who was one of just 22 House Republicans this year who helped Mr. Boehner pass three crucial bills — to avert a fiscal showdown, to provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and to pass the Violence Against Women Act — with a majority of Democratic support, said he expected that he may be asked to do so again.

“Hurricane Sandy, the fiscal cliff, all of the big votes require reasonable Republicans and Democrats to come together in order to pass it and get it to the president’s desk,” he said. “This will be no different.”

As we've been saying here all along, House Republicans can end their mean-spirited manufactured crisis whenever they want. All they have to do is bring a clean continuing resolution (CR) with their preferred (austerity laced) spending target to the House floor. And that's all, folks...

Or is it? Even though John Boehner himself privately declared his support for a clean CR, the Insani-TEA Caucus apparently scared him into forcing this Shutdown Shitfest upon the nation. And G-O-TEA party "leaders" are basking in the (radioactive) glow of all the media attention while real people suffer.



Remember, this is all thanks to Republican "leaders" fearing the very deranged base theu cultivated. We are all paying the price for their stupidi-TEA.

But perhaps now, some (more) Republicans on Capitol Hill are finally starting to get it. Behind closed doors, they ripped into the new teabagger folk heroes for forcing America into an untenable position of government shutdown and brink of debt default. And they finally started to realize that this was all about a few politicians' personal gain. This was never really about any kind of "principle".

Over the course of this week, Republicans have been trying desperately to pin blame onto Democrats. That hasn't worked, especially since this all started due to Republican infighting. They're now trying desperately to save face. But ultimately, something will have to give. Either Republicans will have to drop the insani-TEA, or American governance as we know it will collapse.

At some point, the former must happen. John Boehner knows this. So now, it's just a matter of when the G-O-TEA will cut the crap and allow government to reopen.

Delusions of Danger

Here we are. It's Day 3. The madness continues. And it's all due to delusions of grandeur.

The G-O-TEA crazies responsible for the Shutdown Shitfest are trying their best to distract everyone from what they're actually doing. They're now trying to deflect blame onto Senator Harry Reid (D). And of course, they're trying to villainize President Obama.

Why are these teabaggers lying about their desired shutdown showdown, especially when they demanded this all along? There, we just answered our own question in asking it aloud. They wanted this. But because they're increasingly getting blamed for it, they're now attempting these desperate gambits to deflect blame onto Democrats.

Oh, and they're trying to deflect blame in advance of the next debacle they will force the nation into if they don't quit this embarrassing temper tantrum soon.

The debt-limit impasse could cause credit markets to freeze, the dollar to plummet and interest rates to rise precipitously, the Treasury Department said in a report released Thursday. A default might prove catastrophic, the report said, and could potentially result “in a financial crisis and recession that could echo the events of 2008 or worse.”

“As we saw two years ago, prolonged uncertainty over whether our nation will pay its bills in full and on time hurts our economy,” said Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew in a statement urging lawmakers to act. “Postponing a debt ceiling increase to the very last minute is exactly what our economy does not need – a self-inflicted wound harming families and businesses.”

The report shows that the Congressional debt-limit standoff in 2011 hurt consumer confidence, small business confidence, household wealth and the stock market, with ramifications for lending and the economic recovery.

“A precise estimate of the effects is impossible,” the report says, “and the current situation is different than that of late 2011, yet economic theory and empirical evidence is clear about the direction of the effect: a large, adverse, and persistent financial shock like the one that began in late 2011 would result in a slower economy with less hiring and a higher unemployment rate than would otherwise be the case.”

If the G-O-TEA crazies don't give up their delusions of grandeur soon, we will all suffer the consequences. Oh, and so will the rest of the world. That's why Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is now begging Congress to get its act together and stop the insani-TEA.

"In the midst of this fiscal challenge, the ongoing political uncertainty over the budget and the debt ceiling does not help. The government shutdown is bad enough, but failure to raise the debt ceiling would be far worse, and could very seriously damage not only the US economy, but the entire global economy.

"So it is 'mission-critical' that this be resolved as soon as possible."

Lagarde's speech followed an appeal by senior figures on Wall Street for a budget to be passed in Washington. Shares opened lower in New York, while the interest rate on one-month Treasury bills rose. Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, has also warned of the risks from a protracted federal shutdown.

The IMF managing director said America's recovery was being held back by over-hasty budget cuts. "Households are in better shape, the housing sector is looking brighter, and the private sector engine is humming again. And yet, growth this year will still be too low – below 2% – due to too much fiscal adjustment. This should ease up next year, with growth about a percentage point higher."

We've discussed before how and why austerity has held back the robust economic growth we need to fully recover from the last recession. But now, G-O-TEA stupidi-TEA may cause the next recession. And it's all because of their delusions of grandeur.

What started as a silly farce has devolved into real danger. And no matter how much Congressional Republicans try to spin it away, it's happening and it's all their fault.

The G-O-TEA delusions of grandeur have become flat out dangerous. For the sake of global economic security, they need to take their medication, drop the hostages, and end the manufactured crisis... NOW!

Do. The. Right. Thing. (NOW!)

While much of the rest of Washington is on lockdown thanks to the unnecessary shutdown, Congress is still open. And Senator Harry Reid (D-The Boxer) is making use of it. Earlier today, he called out House Republicans on the dirty little secret to their shutdown showdown.



We've been saying it here all along. And several constituents made sure Rep. Joe Heck (R-Clueless) heard it loud(ly) and clear(ly). House Republicans can very easily end this manufactured crisis by simply allowing a floor vote on a clean continuing resolution to reopen the federal government.

President Obama is exasperated after "bending over backwards" repeatedly to try to cut deals with them. Senate Democrats are frustrated after repeatedly giving them what they wanted. And the overwhelming majority of American people are irritated by their refusal to accept what they supposedly wanted.

Yet as of now, G-O-TEA "leaders" just don't seem to care. After all, they're busy saying stupid shit on Twitter while claiming their unhinged hatred of President Obama has "nothing to do with race". Oh, and they're still claiming they're too busy with their political street theater to actually reopen the government. How lovely (not).

It doesn't have to be this way. Remember, House Republicans can end this unnecessary drama whenever they want. So when will they finally do the right thing? That's the $986 billion question right now.

Ball's in Their Court

Were you planning to head to Red Rock some time soon? Or Lake Mead? Or maybe even the Grand Canyon or Yosemite? Forget it!

Why? Rep. Joe Heck (R-Born Again TEA-liever) refuses to acknowledge reality. And Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Boo-TEA-licious) is never truly "tired of the drama".




The nation is losing at least $300 million a day in economic output thanks to the G-O-TEA's much desired government shutdown. 800,000 people have needlessly and carelessly been thrown out of work. And the global economy (and America's standing in it) is now at risk.

Just here in Nevada, we're already beginning to feel the effects. From tourism to the military, the federal government plays a major role in holding up the state’s economy. So what are we supposed to do without it?

And why are we at this point now? Why has this manufactured crisis become a real source of pain and suffering? Oh, it's because Reps. Heck & Amodei have joined the rest of the House G-O-TEA Caucus in displaying petulant and downright bratty behavior for the sole purpose of hurting people. And now, they are out to hurt even more people.

Yet as these G-O-TEA sadists keep hurting the Ameeican people, they're also hurting their own political future. That may turn out to be their greatest miscalculation in this whole shutdown gambit. They failed to recognize that people want jobs, parks, passports, and pandas. They don't want an economic catastrophe caused by ideological lunacy.

Remember that Reps. Heck & Amodei can end this manufactured crisis whenever they want. All they have to do is demand a floor vote on the temporary budget extension that already passed the Senate. The ball's in their court.

House of Turds, Game of Bulls**t

So I was wrong. Monday last week, I was convinced the latest and greatest manufactured crisis would be over by now. That didn't happen. Instead, they forced America into a government shutdown that will hurt many millions of American families while making out nation the global laughingstock.

Because House Republicans refused to end their mean-spirited temper tantrum, they shut down the government. It's really that simple. They don't want "compromise". They want to humiliate and delegitimize the duly elected President.

Moments ago, Rep. John Larson (D-Connecticut) took to the House floor to tell his G-O-TEA colleagues to grow up.



And he's not alone. Shortly after midnight (Eastern Time), Senator Harry Reid (D) called out House Republicans for refusing to acknowledge reality.



And it's not just Democrats any more. Even former Republican leaders are calling on their party to knock it off! Republicans already got their austerity. What else do they expect?

Americans are sick and tired of this endless bullshit. The New York Daily News' cover spoke to the frustration of most Americans. And the latest Quinnipiac Poll shows just how unpopular Congressional Republicans have become.

Republicans can end this manufactured crisis whenever they want. Do they want to end it? Or do they want to continue punishing people for the "crime" of not voting for their failed policies and candidates?

The Dirty Secret Behind the Insani-TEA

Earlier today, a few House Republicans admitted the votes were there to end the shutdown insani-TEA. So why can't they just pass the Senate bill already? Who's willing to answer this?



No really, they can pass the Senate bill. After all, it already sets government funding at Sequester levels. How much more austerity do they want?

Apparently, G-O-TEA culture warriors won't be satisfied until people die. Yes, they're that bloodthirsty. Not only are they out to destroy Obamacare, they want to starve millions of American families.

A little earlier, President Obama addressed the very real possibility of the federal government shutting down tonight. He explained what's about to happen... And why.



Congressional Republicans are taking their irresponsibility to a whole new level. They really can't accept yes for an answer? And they really can't accept last year's election results?

Senator Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) refused to mince words when he addressed the insani-TEA he's had to witness on Capitol Hill.

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He calls it anarchy. I call it insani-TEA. Whatever the case, it's hurting real people. And there's no good reason for any of it to happen.

House Republican "leaders" can bring this unnecessary crisis to an end whenever they want. That's the horrific dirty secret behind all the G-O-TEA manufactured nonsense. So why won't they stop the insani-TEA?

Failed Culture War

Earlier today, we looked at the economic ramifications of a G-O-TEA led government shutdown and debt debacle. Now, let's examine why they're forcing us onto the brink of disaster. Of course, it's partially due to their ongoing temper tantrum over Obamacare (working despite their many sabotage attempts). However, there's more to this story than initially meets the eye.

Believe it or not, House Republicans not only threatened health care access for millions of Americans, but they also brought back to the forefront their other favorite war: the G-O-TEA War on Women. Oh, yes. That's right. It's back.

Late Saturday night, House Republicans slipped anti-contraception garbage into their giant garbage can of an "appropriations bill". Do they not remember how Mitt Romney joined in on the G-O-TEA attacks on contraception... And lost the last Presidential Election? Most Americans know contraception saves lives and saves money because most American women have used it. That's why most Americans got sick and tired of Rush Limbaugh's attacks on women's health care 18 months ago.

Don't believe me? Believe the latest Bloomberg Poll. Only 22% of Americans want even more restrictions on contraception and abortion. Oh, and that's not all.

Also according to that Bloomberg Poll conducted late this month, 55% of Americans support marriage equality while only 39% oppose. While the struggle for LGBTQ civil rights continues, the American people are increasingly acceptive. And the G-O-TEA's hangup over one word is causing another major problem for their party.

Republicans bet big on "TEH CUL'CHUR WARZZZ!!!" And now, they're losing. While demagoguery and xenophobia were able to win elections in the past, most Americans now are sick and tired of the same old homophobic diatribes and screeds against basic women's health care.

Yet instead of addressing their growing policy discontent, House Republicans are throwing a political temper tantrum. They're essentially forcing all of us to suffer because their policies cost them the last election. And they continue to deny they're losing their culture war.

Note to Republicans: Manufactured crises and unnecessary drama won't magically cause their failed culture war to disappear.

Big Deal, Big Irony

Earlier this month, many were worried about the crisis in Syria. Then, after President Obama threatened use of military force against the Syrian Government for using chemical weapons against its own people, the real diplomacy began. And now, a deal is being reached.

The United States and Russia have been at odds on how to force the handover [of chemical weapons]. Those two countries negotiated the deal, and France played a large role in helping come up with compromise language, the sources said.

The deal includes a resolution with so-called Chapter 7 authority, a reference to a United Nations provision that allows member countries to take military and nonmilitary action to confront threats to peace and security.

The U.S. and Russia reached agreement earlier this month on the outlines of a plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons. Syria satisfied the first part of the plan last week, when it gave the world a catalog of its weapons stockpile.

The agreement envisions the removal of chemical weapons from Syria by the middle of next year.

Fortunately for everyone, the combination of tough talks and hard negotiations secured a real deal. A month ago, many were wondering when World War 3 would start. Now, all five permanent members of the UN Security Council have managed to agree on something... And something that truly is a big deal.

So why can't we feel good about this? The strange irony of today is that even when President Obama can forge agreements on the world stage, he can't even count on the G-O-TEA Mad House to agree with him on basic things like keeping the government open. Just as the Senate is about to finish a temporary federal budget agreement, House G-O-TEA "leaders" are threatening to blow it up and force a shutdown.

They're not even pretending to be sane any more. They're truly caving into pure batshit crazy.

The bill, obtained by the National Review, tacks on items including a one-year delay of Obamacare; tax reform in the image of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI); approval of the Keystone pipeline; expanded offshore drilling and other pro-oil and coal energy reforms; increases in military spending coupled with deeper cuts to domestic programs; repealing a fund in the financial regulatory reform bill; means testing for Medicare; repealing the Obamacare prevention and public health fund and medical malpractice reform.

One House GOP leadership aide didn't deny the contents of the summary but cautioned that it may not be final. The aims, however, reflect the direction the House of Representatives is taking and contains important clues as to how the debate will unfold. [...]

Democrats believe the Republican plan is [batshit] crazy. And President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have repeatedly vowed not to make concessions in order to lift the debt ceiling. But Boehner is in a bind because the debt limit is a very tough vote for conservatives and he needs to dangle all sorts of enticements before them in order to win over most Republicans.

It's been nearly a year since President Obama won reelection and Democrats made net gains in Congress. Republicans lost the 2012 Election. But now, they want to re-fight the 2012 Election and threaten to blow up the world economy if Barack Obama doesn’t kill himself after directing Mitt Romney be appointed President they don't get their way?

They truly are fucking nuts. Who would have guessed Russia and Syria would be more willing to prevent global disaster than Congressional Republicans? Wow, what irony...

The Dream Still Lives (Despite Recent Nightmares).

Last Saturday, we reflected on the upcoming 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. We remembered how much our nation has grown since then. We also noticed what still needs to be done to achieve Dr. King's dream.

Today, the latter is becoming even more painfully obvious. For one, the usual G-O-TEA suspects continue to race-bait the already tragic shooting death of Chris Lane, the Australian student and baseball player attending a college in Oklahoma. He was allegedly gunned down by "three bored teens". Yet while Australian media have zeroed in on our dangerously violent culture and incredibly lax gun laws, right-wing media here are twisting facts and building up tension in a desperate attempt to prove "Reverse Racism!!! White people under attack!!!"

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And that's not all. Just over a month after his acquittal in the Trayvon Martin murder trial, George Zimmerman took his "victory tour" to the very factory that produced the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin. No, I'm not even kidding.

Part of what made the Zimmerman acquittal hard to take was the shooter’s utter lack of remorse for killing Martin. Even if you believed every word of his self-defense claim, it had to be hard to imagine having no regrets about the death of a teenager. Even Sean Hannity, who normally appears conscience free, asked Zimmerman if he had “regrets” about getting out of his car and following Martin, which led to their confrontation and the boy’s shooting. “It was all God’s plan, and for me to second guess it or judge it,” Zimmerman told Hannity, his voice trailing off.

That’s the kind of cluelessness that would lead a guy to tour the factory that made the gun he used to kill Martin, and to pose grinning with a star-struck factory worker like he’s Frank Sinatra visiting a local trattoria.

It’s particularly sad that Zimmerman’s visit came on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which was commemorated Saturday by a civil rights convening that included Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon’s parents. The issues of racial profiling, stop and frisk and stand your ground laws are animating a new movement for racial justice, and Martin has become a symbol of the way young black men are treated at the hands of police as well as vigilantes like Zimmerman. “Trayvon Martin was my son, but he’s not just my son, he’s all of our son, and we have to fight for our children,” said Fulton told the crowd.

Yet even in the wake of this, Sybrina Fulton marched in Washington. And she reminded us of what must still be done. She reminded us of the dream that still lives, even amidst her son's tragic death.

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Despite the compoinding tragedies and the constant setbacks, the dream still lives. The dream is still here. Do we want it?


Sadly, the radical right's celebration of George Zimmerman's slaying of Trayvon Martin and distortion of Chris Lane's untimely death are clear reminders of the recent setbacks. Yet despite all this, the dream still lives. Can we finally make it a reality?

Deadly Blame Game

Yesterday, a number of local constituents gathered across the street from Rep. Joe Heck's district office to demand action on gun violence. Today, we reflect on even more saddening headlines of brutal gun violence across the nation.

Last Friday, Chris Lane was shot dead "for fun". He was an Australian national and budding baseball star studying at Oklahoma's East Central University. His untimely death sparked shock and outrage in both countries, but Australians have particularly noticed a dangerous aspect of American culture that contributed to Chris Lane's death.

Frank FitzGerald, who was the principal at St Bernard's while Mr Lane was a student, said Mr Lane had been an integral part of the school leadership. He said the violence of Mr Lane's death made it particularly difficult to bear.

"I think the rest of the countries around the world just look at that country and shake their head," Mr FitzGerald said.

"How many tragedies do they have and Chris is just one of many.

"When you hear of the ones in schools where they have massacres, I cannot conceive of what that is to deal with. We had a number of tragedies over the years at St Bernard's and it cuts right through."

But of course on this side of the Pacific Ocean, the usual G-O-TEA suspects have been quick to pile on the race baiting. They've even gone on bizarre rants over fried chicken and vegetables! After all, they're still trying to spin away the brutal death of Trayvon Martin. And of course, they have to find something to divert attention from the root cause of both their deaths, along with the untimely deaths of many more people in this nation.

Also this week, we saw another school shooting. This time, it was in Decatur, Georgia. Yet this time, there were no deaths.

How did that happen? Antoinette Tuff was able to talk down the shooter. And she was able to talk him down without using a gun. So of course, this has caused many G-O-TEA heads to explode.

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Tuff is, of course, the bookkeeper at Ronald McNair Discovery Learning Center in Decatur, Ga., whose work talking shooter Michael Brandon Hill into surrendering to police Tuesday was captured live on a stunning 911 tape that’s gone viral. The fascination at the heart of Tuff’s tale, the reason it’s riveting, is the way she used compassion and empathy to disarm a mentally ill man intent on killing. “Was the potential there to have another Sandy Hook? Absolutely,” the local police chief told reporters as he praised Tuff.

In this story, the only thing that stopped a bad guy with a gun was a good woman with a heart. Or to entirely rewrite Wayne LaPierre’s dumb Manichaean NRA propaganda: The only thing that stopped an emotionally damaged, despairing and unloved young man with 500 rounds of ammunition was a compassionate woman sharing her own story of damage and despair, and telling him she loved him.

Oh, and then there’s this: As we try to recover from the unnecessarily polarized aftermath of the Trayvon Martin killing and George Zimmerman’s acquittal, it’s worth noting that Tuff is a black woman who helped save a young white man from harm at the hands of police. Of course, the race-baiters at Fox News, who were so agitated about the crimes of young black men a few weeks ago, have hardly rushed to emphasize that a young white man opened fire at a predominantly black school – let alone that he was helped to save his own life by an African-American woman (for example, check out how they approach these facts here).

But of course, the usual G-O-TEA suspects have rushed to race-bait in the Chris Lane case. And of course, they continue to refuse to address the root cause of his death, the near miss at Antoinette Tuff's school, the police shootout here in Henderson that Desert Beacon discussed this morning. After all, it's easier to play deadly blame games than to get Congress to actually do something to save lives.

La Estupidez, Se Duele.

This is not a new story, far from it. Rather, this is the endless monster that we must encounter again and again and again. Because G-O-TEA "culture warriors demand unprecedented ideological purity and endless political warfare, the 112th and 113th Congresses are shaping up to be the most fruitless and least effective sessions of Congress we've ever seen.

Instead of doing anything worthwhile, the 21st Century Know Nothings demand actions that harm American families and hinder economic recovery. And they're demanding all this destruction all to hurt President Obama politically.

Why? Why are they so hell-bent on endless crisis and dangerous destructive behavior? New York's Jonathan Chait recently attempted to explain what we once considered unexplainable and unimaginable.

The rational way to view these events is that Republicans have marginalized themselves. But the hard-liners see it differently. In their minds, every bill that passes is a betrayal by their leaders. They know that letting Democrats carry bills through the House has been the leadership’s desperate recourse to avoid total chaos, and since chaos is their leverage, they are now working feverishly to seal off that escape route. This year, an increasing proportion of conservative media is given over to conservative activists’ extracting pledges from Republican leaders not to negotiate with Democrats. In the wake of the tax-cut deal, Republican leaders in both houses had to pledge that they would not engage in any—to quote the ubiquitous buzzword—“backroom deals.” Since all deals get made in back rooms (there is no such thing as a front room, and leaders in Western cultures like the United States habitually transact their business in rooms), this means no negotiation at all.

A recent joint op-ed by National Review editor Rich Lowry and his Weekly Standard counterpart Bill Kristol denounced the bipartisan immigration bill that passed the Senate as “a stew of deals, payoffs, waivers, and special-interest breaks.” This echoed the conservative critique of all major Obama-era legislation—Liz Cheney, launching her Wyoming Senate race last week, called on Republicans to stop “cutting deals”—but it applies just as well to any major bill in American history, including the ones passed by the sainted Ronald Reagan. Crafting a major piece of legislation means cutting some side deals. That’s how lawmaking works. But conservatives have increasingly come to see the entire process as a morally unacceptable compromise of their ideals. “The idea of Boehner’s negotiating with Pelosi over how to proceed is implausible,” a recent story by Jonathan Strong, a National Review reporter, noted as an aside. “It would telegraph weakness.” [...]

In the actual world, the economy is recovering and the deficit, currently projected at half the level Obama inherited, is falling like a rock. Yet messianic Republican suicide threats in the face of an imagined debt crisis have not subsided at all. The swelling grievance within the party base may actually be giving the threats more fervor. The reign of the Republican House has not yet inflicted any deep or permanent disaster on the country, but it looks like it is just a matter of time.

As we've discussed many times before here, it's a
minor miracle that our economy has recovered at all considering all the austerity we've had to endure. If it weren't for all the austerity the G-O-TEA "culture warriors" have been demanding, we'd likely be seeing stronger and more stable economic recovery.

But that's not all. Apparently, austerity programs alone aren't destructive enough for the 21st Century Know Nothings. They also want comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) dead. And they're willing to great lengths to kill the bill.



We've noted before how CIR will benefit the economy. Even several prominent conservatives have made this point. But at this point, the 21st Century Know Nothings care more about their precious ideological purity than any real economic stimulus.



And now, House G-O-TEA "leaders" are not just making excuses for their intransigence. They now expect us to celebrate it!

And of course, Nevada's G-O-TEA Congresscritters (Joe Heck & Mark Amodei) are following their lead. Sure, every so often they claim they "support reform". But when push comes to shove, they just do what the 21st Century Know Nothings tell them to do. And as a result, CIR is stalled in the House.

This is no way to run a Congress. This is no way to run a country. This is just plain stupid. What will it take for them to learn?