Skip to content

Miss-spoke

Monday, August 20, 2012

I have some sympathy for politicians who make verbal gaffes. After all, everybody says things they regret later.

So I’m curious about what people think of current Congressman and GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin, who was asked why he opposes abortion even in the case of rape. Akin claimed that “from what I understand from doctors, (pregnancy from rape) is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Akin later claimed that he “misspoke”.

Really? I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I’m having troubles. In the past, Akin praised an anti-abortion militia group that participated in invasions of abortion clinics. Akin also voted for an anti-marital-rape law, questioning whether women used accusations of rape as a legal weapon in a messy divorce.

But what really makes me shake my head is that Akin is a current member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Really.

The other thing that is ironic in this case is that one reason Akin won the GOP nomination for the Senate is that Democrats, including his upcoming opponent Clair McCaskill, donated $1.5 million to his campaign, helping him win over more moderate candidates. Of course, McCaskill expressed outrage at Akin’s rape statement, but isn’t that a bit disingenuous given that she donated to his campaign? When does something stop being good strategy, and start being dirty politics?

UPDATE: According to the reliable electoral-vote.com:

Earlier this year, every House Republican and 16 Blue Dog Democrats voted for a bill that would have redefined rape in federal statutes to be “forcible rape.” If this bill had become law, then statutory rape, the rape of a drugged or mentally impaired woman, or any rape where the rapist did not use physical force would not be considered rape. The bill died in the Senate. When Akin said “legitimate rape” he undoubtedly meant “forcible rape” as defined by the House bill but forgot the exact terminology.

Congressman, and now vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, was a co-sponsor of that bill.

But what’s really hypocritical about this is that the Republican Party platform is going to contain a call for a constitutional amendment forbidding all abortions, even in the case of incest or rape (including forcible, legitimate, or whatever). So why are they shocked at Akin’s statement?

Share
Filed in Irony | Comments (14)

Late Night Political Humor

Monday, August 20, 2012

“Mitt Romney has picked Paul Ryan as his running mate. Experts say Ryan can add something vital to this campaign that Mitt Romney lacks: a personality.” – Jay Leno

“Have you seen these guys, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan? They look like father and son dentists.” – David Letterman

“Mitt Romney kept his selection of Ryan as his VP nominee secret for more than a week. You know how he was able to keep it secret? He had it hidden next to his tax returns.” – Jay Leno

“Paul Ryan likes to hunt and we all know that a vice president who hunts is always a good choice.” – David Letterman

“Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential pick, Paul Ryan, criticized President Obama for not doing enough to create jobs. In response, Obama said, ‘Didn’t you just get a new job?'” – Jimmy Fallon

“Paul Ryan is full of excitement, he’s drawing big crowds. The only thing holding Paul Ryan back now according to political experts is Mitt Romney.” – David Letterman

“Speaking of Paul Ryan, a new poll actually found that 42 percent of Americans do not approve of Mitt Romney’s running mate, which isn’t too bad considering most Americans don’t approve of Paul Ryan’s running mate.” – Jimmy Fallon

“We’re learning more and more about the Wisconsin Congressman. Apparently, he’s a huge Green Bay Packers fan. See, that shows you how far the Republicans have progressed – this time, their VP is a cheesehead. Remember, last time it was an airhead. That was totally different.” – Jay Leno

“Tell me one area where Paul Ryan and Sarah Palin would disagree? I cannot find one area. So somehow he’s the smartest guy in the party and she’s the stupidest woman on earth, but they agree on everything.” – Bill Maher

Ever since it was announced Sarah Palin will not be speaking at the Republican Convention, the Romney campaign has been flooded with thousands of texts and emails demanding that she be allowed to speak… all from President Obama.” – Jay Leno

“New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is going to be the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, and wherever Chris Christie goes you know what that means. That’s right, unlimited bread sticks.” – David Letterman

“I think Chris Christie is a good choice for the keynote speaker. I mean, is there a better symbol for belt tightening than Chris Christie?” – David Letterman

Police in Florida have arrested a man who said he finally achieved his goal of shoplifting in all 50 states. You know what you call someone who steals from all 50 states? A congressman.” – Jay Leno

“North Korea could test a nuclear missile in two weeks. North Korea says this launch will go much better than previous ones because they got twice as much Diet Coke and Mentos.” – Jimmy Fallon

Share
Filed in Humor | Comments Off on Late Night Political Humor

Soledad O’Brien on a Roll

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Last week I posted a video with Soledad O’Brien interviewing John Sununu, and challenging him when he repeated lies Republican talking points.

Well, it looks like CNN acting like a source of real journalism wasn’t a fluke. This week, O’Brien challenged Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to explain his claim that Paul Ryan’s plan for Medicare wouldn’t turn it into a voucher system:

It is hilarious when Chaffetz tries to change the subject, saying “Let’s keep to the facts that President Obama did take $700 billion out of Medicare.” But O’Brien doesn’t let him get away with that talking point either, pointing out that the same $700 billion saving is in Ryan’s budget, which Chaffetz himself voted for, twice.

The same week, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty also tried to claim that Obama had cut $700 billion from Medicare. When O’Brien objected, pointing out that the Congressional Budget Office would disagree with Pawlenty, he accused the CBO of “mumbo jumbo in the bureaucracy” and suggested that O’Brien didn’t understand English (she is of Latino/Irish/African descent, but speaks only English fluently).

Strike three.

Share
Filed in Irony | Comments (23)

Critical Thinking

Sunday, August 19, 2012

In 2009, Republican legislators in Kentucky passed a law that required testing of high school students to evaluate if those students are ready for college. That sounds very good!

But now the results have come back, and some members of the GOP are upset because the test requires the students to have a good knowledge of evolution in order to do well in college biology courses. Well, duh.

But the GOP doesn’t see it that way:

The theory of evolution is a theory, and essentially the theory of evolution is not science — Darwin made it up. My objection is they should ensure whatever scientific material is being put forth as a standard should at least stand up to scientific method. Under the most rudimentary, basic scientific examination, the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny.

This despite the fact that the chairman of the University of Kentucky biology department, who served on the committee that developed the standards, pointed out:

The theory of evolution is the fundamental backbone of all biological research. There is more evidence for evolution than there is for the theory of gravity, than the idea that things are made up of atoms, or Einstein’s theory of relativity. It is the finest scientific theory ever devised.

In a stunning statement, one state senator claimed “we don’t want what is a theory to be taught as a fact in such a way it may damage students’ ability to do critical thinking.” They want creationism to be taught so that the kids can be “critical thinkers to be able to reason between the two.”

But wait, it gets better. Their solution is to have the testing company develop a test personalized for Kentucky. I’m just trying to imagine that.

Share
Filed in Hypocrisy | Comments (13)

Four More Years

Saturday, August 18, 2012

I fully admit that this is blatantly political, but he is just so darned cute:

Share
Filed in Humor | Comments (7)

Late Night Political Humor

Saturday, August 18, 2012

“Mitt Romney is hoping to energize Republicans by announcing Paul Ryan as his running mate. Seriously? That’s like trying to spice up a bowl of oatmeal with more oatmeal.” – Jimmy Fallon

“On Sunday, Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate. Forty-three percent of Americans have never heard of Ryan and the others thought he was the private that Tom Hanks brought home from Normandy.” – Jimmy Kimmel

“How many of you have the Paul Ryan fever? They say that Paul Ryan will humanize Romney. And I thought, hell, an amoeba could humanize Romney.” – David Letterman

“Paul Ryan’s plan is to cut government spending with his razor-sharp widow’s peak. … You could open a can of beans with that.” – Jimmy Kimmel

“I like the looks of this Paul Ryan, the representative from Wisconsin. He reminds me of who your sister would date in college. He looks like one of those guys who pretends to be a doctor on an infomercial. He reminds me of the guy at Olive Garden who comes over to see how everything was.” – David Letterman

“His eyes are just so blue. It’s like looking into a Smurf’s anus.” – Jon Stewart

“Romney and Ryan kind of look like a father and son in an ad for Super Cuts.” – Jimmy Kimmel

“During the announcement, Mitt Romney said that he and Paul Ryan are ‘America’s Comeback Team.’ You know, as in ‘come back in four years and try again.'” – Jimmy Fallon

“Paul Ryan, like Mitt Romney, and like President Obama and like Joe Biden, is a good family man. We have four good family men in this presidential race. See, what about me? I don’t need family men, I have a monologue. I need more Herman Cains, I need John Edwards.” – Jay Leno

“In college Paul Ryan drove the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. So he and Romney have something in common. Both have the experience of driving a car with a dog on the roof.” – David Letterman

“Mitt Romney had a horse competing in the Olympics. He didn’t win. But next year, he’ll be competing in ‘Dancing with the Stars.'” – David Letterman

“Athletes from the United States did very well in the Olympics. They won more medals than any country. So congratulations to all the Olympic medal winners/future “Dancing With the Stars” contestants.” – Jimmy Kimmel

“After Romney’s horse finished 18th it refused to release its tax records.” – David Letterman

“Usain Bolt won the gold for the men’s 100- and 200-meter dashes for the second Olympics in a row. You know, he has been running since he was in elementary school — kind of like Mitt Romney.” – Jay Leno

“It was a great Olympics – Team USA finished the games with 17 more medals than China. China said it was tough to swallow – especially when they had to make all of our “We’re #1” T-shirts.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Wasn’t it thrilling when the U.S. Women’s team took home the gold in gymnastics? A group of American teenagers getting a higher score than Chinese kids? That never happens.” – Jay Leno

“How about those Olympics, ladies and gentlemen. Didn’t London look like the place to be? New York City was in the running for this Olympics. But here’s what happened. We got outbribed.” – David Letterman

“Congratulations to Mexico. They upset Brazil to win a gold medal in men’s soccer. And after the Olympics ended, the Mexican soccer team, of course, returned home to their houses here in Los Angeles.” – Jay Leno

Share
Filed in Humor | Comments Off on Late Night Political Humor

Get out the vote, or throw out the vote?

Friday, August 17, 2012

“That’s the price you pay to prevent something that doesn’t happen.”

But my favorite part is the legislator who designed the bill even brags about it allowing Romney win the election. At least he’s transparent!

Share
Filed in Hypocrisy | Comments (1)

Big Lie

Friday, August 17, 2012

[LOLGOP has a great rant about Republicans and budget deficits. Enjoy! –iron]

The Big Lie of the Day: Republicans Balance Federal Budgets

The Lie: Republicans have a plan to balance the federal budget and care deeply about fiscal responsibility.

The Truth: The last Republican president who ever balanced the budget was Dwight Eisenhower.

Between 1998 and 2000, President Bill Clinton’s Treasury Department paid off more than $360 billion in debt. As a result of 115 straight months of economic expansion that began after an increase in the top income tax rate — which was virulently opposed by the right — the huge deficits left by 12 years of Republican rule had been transformed into a surplus.

Within months after taking office in the narrowest victory of nearly any U.S. president—by only one vote in the Supreme Court—George W. Bush had begun to turn that surplus back into deficits that grew and grew, despite funding two wars on emergency supplemental bills that were not figured into the budget.

Vice-President Cheney laughed off the promises that the Bush tax breaks would pay for themselves and the budget would be balanced: “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.” But deficits do matter to Republicans…whenever there is a Democratic president.

Since they woke up from a coma on the day President Obama was elected, Republicans have pushed two Big Lies: The President is responsible for the deficit, which is nearly entirely the result of Bush-era choices that the Republicans refused to abandon, and the deficit is responsible for the poor economy.

In both instances, the opposite is true.

Using the deficit as a battering ram, the GOP pushed for the rapid adoption of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, which would ignore the true causes of the deficit—tax breaks, the wars and an unfunded Medicare expansion—and demand huge cuts to Medicaid, Pell Grants and every service the government provides.

Paul Ryan proposed a budget plan with these draconian measures yet impartial experts warn that his budget doesn’t balance for decades. The largest expenditure in the Ryan budget is interest on the national debt.

Eager to prove how conservative he is, Mitt Romney signed up for a balanced budget plan that works even faster than Ryan’s, by cutting even more government services. And he pledges to do it without asking rich Americans like himself to ever pay a nickel more in taxes.

Like the majority of Republicans in Congress, Romney has signed a pledge to never say aye to any new taxes. Forget asking the rich to contribute what they can. Under Romney’s plan they’ll pay even less. Of course, to do this Romney would have to demand that the working poor and the middle class pay up to $2000 a year more to make the math work.

And when does Mitt Romney’s budget balance? Don’t ask Romney senior adviser Ed Gillespie (who also advised George W. Bush). Yesterday Gillespie told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, “ Uh … Wolf, I’m not sure of that myself, actually. I’ll get that to you though and I’m sure it’s on our website.” Don’t count on it.

Why? Romney purposely released a budget that can’t be scored, and thus makes no serious projections. No one can say he isn’t a Republican now!

Republicans have long abandoned any impulse to open a real discussion about the federal budget in hopes of distorting the debate. They’re attacking cuts that eliminate wasteful spending in Medicare, while proposing trillions in cuts that would do real damage. They’re blaming deficit spending for a bad economy that only deficit spending can help us to escape. They’re promising to balance the budget with Paul Ryan’s smile and the magic of trickle down economics.

And how did that work out last time?

Share
Filed in Irony | Comments (2)

Atheist Worship

Friday, August 17, 2012


© Joel Pett

Ayn Rand, right-wing hero, was an outspoken atheist with a very low opinion of religion — “Faith is the worst curse of mankind, as the exact antithesis and enemy of thought.”

She was strongly in favor of abortion rights, saying:

Abortion is a moral right—which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved; morally, nothing other than her wish in the matter is to be considered. Who can conceivably have the right to dictate to her what disposition she is to make of the functions of her own body?

She also strongly disliked Reagan and urged her supporters to not vote for him.

Why doesn’t this bother social conservatives?

Share
Filed in Irony | Comments (2)

Twins Separated at Birth?

Thursday, August 16, 2012

We report, you decide. That, my friend, is fair and balanced!

Share
Filed in Humor | Comments Off on Twins Separated at Birth?

What Kind of an Irresponsible Lunatic is Paul Ryan?

Thursday, August 16, 2012

How can we trust one of the people who helped run up our massive deficit in the first place to fix the problem? Especially when his proposed budget would make the deficit even larger.

What kind of irresponsible lunatic would put Paul Ryan a heartbeat away from the presidency?

So why did Romney pick Ryan? Because their initials together reminded him of the hood ornament on a Rolls Royce?

Here are ten reasons why Romney might have picked Ryan. Although from what I can tell, the main reason has already become obvious — Ryan is helping Romney rake in the conservative money big time. And that may be the only really important thing to Romney.

But here are ten reasons why picking Ryan might backfire on Romney. And in fact, bookmaker Paddy Power has already cut the odds of Romney winning the presidency since the selection of Ryan.

UPDATE:


© Adam Zyglis

Share
Filed in Irony | Comments (2)

It’s All Obama’s Fault

Thursday, August 16, 2012


© Nick Anderson

This would be even funnier if it weren’t so true. I’ve been reading a few conservative blogs lately, and they are literally unbelievable.

Share
Filed in Humor | Comments Off on It’s All Obama’s Fault

History-making Congress

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

We are on track to have a record breaking 112th Congress. What record are they breaking? The record for least productive Congress since WWII.

In 2012 so far, only 61 bills have become law. And in all of 2011 (right after the Republicans took control of the House) only 90 bills became law.

The previous Congress (the 111th), which Democrats controlled, passed 258 laws in 2010 and 125 in 2009, even with all the Republican filibusters in the Senate.

Not surprisingly, the approval ratings for Congress are also at historical lows. They just hit 10% according to a new Gallup poll.

UPDATE: More on why this is the worst Congress ever.

Share
Filed in Irony | Comments (7)

How Not to Argue with Reality

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Facts are stubborn things.

The GOP game plan with facts seems to be to make some up, then repeat them so many times that people start to believe them. And usually the media lets them get away with it. But CNN’s Soledad O’Brien actually challenges these falsehoods! OMG, a real journalist?

But it is interesting to listen to how John Sununu responds to reality when faced with it — by calling names and repeating his talking points:

Share
Filed in Hypocrisy | Comments (11)

Pro-Life Obama v. Romney

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

[I am reprinting this article by Nicholas P. Cafardi from the National Catholic Reporter in its entirety because it is perfect. It is beyond hypocritical that politicians regularly claim they believe in one thing, while their actions directly support the opposite. And shame on us for letting them get away with it. — iron knee]

Which presidential candidate is truly pro-life?

Aug. 10, 2012
By Nicholas P. Cafardi

COMMENTARY

A few weeks ago, I publicly defended Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York against onslaughts from the left that accused him of paying off pedophile priests to leave the priesthood when he was the archbishop of Milwaukee. As I explained then, the archbishop was simply recognizing the rights to sustenance that a priest, good or bad, child abuser or not, has from the diocese according to the Code of Canon Law. We might not like it, but sustenance is the law of the church, and then-Archbishop Dolan was following the law.

Now I find it necessary to defend Cardinal Dolan, whose openness and personal character I truly admire, from onslaughts from the far-right, those folks who have created their own parallel magisterium in which the Catholic church sings one note: Making abortions illegal is the highest, truest (maybe only) teaching of our church.

Dolan is taking flak from the parallel magisterium for inviting the president of the United States, Barack Obama, to the traditional Al Smith Dinner this year, along with the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. According to the parallel magisterium, it is also a doctrine of the faith that Obama is pro-abortion and Romney is pro-life, and the church and its bishops and cardinals can associate only with the latter and not the former.

Let me say a few things about that comparison. First of all, I don’t know anyone who is pro-abortion. Think about what that word means. It means you favor women becoming pregnant so you can help them abort their child and maybe profit from it. It is an ugly word, and it is used to emotionalize the debate when what we are really talking about is people who do not favor criminalizing abortion because they believe criminal statutes are ineffective ways to solve social evils. This makes them pro-choice, not pro-abortion.

There is no doubt Obama is pro-choice. He has said so many times. There is also no doubt Romney is running on what he calls a pro-life platform. But any honest analysis of the facts shows the situation is much more complicated than that.

For example, Obama’s Affordable Care Act does not pay for abortions. In Massachusetts, Romney’s health care law does. Obama favors, and included in the Affordable Care Act, $250 million of support for vulnerable pregnant women and alternatives to abortion. This support will make abortions much less likely, since most abortions are economic. Romney, on the other hand, has endorsed Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan’s budget, which will cut hundreds of millions of dollars out of the federal plans that support poor women. The undoubted effect: The number of abortions in the United States will increase. On these facts, Obama is much more pro-life than Romney.

But let’s not stop there. Obama does not financially profit from the abortion industry. Romney does. Bain Capital, in the time Romney was listed as its legal head and even when he was attending Bain board meetings, was an owner of Stericycle, a major disposer of the dead bodies of aborted children in the United States. (See: Romney Invested in Medical-Waste Firm That Disposed of Aborted Fetuses, Government Documents Show.) Bain owned a share of Stericycle until 2004, selling its interest for a profit in the tens of millions of dollars. We can parse what Romney’s 1999 “retroactive retirement” from Bain means, but he still gets an annual payout from the firm. To the extent those dollars are part of Bain’s Stericycle profits, a strong argument exists that Romney is an abortion profiteer. How pro-life is that?

And it has long been known that millions of Bain Capital’s original outside funding, solicited by Romney himself, came from wealthy El Salvadorian clans, some of whom, while they were funding Bain, were “linked to right wing death squads.” (Salt Lake Tribune, 1999; See also: Mitt Romney Started Bain Capital With Money From Families Tied To Death Squads.) Death squads killed tens of thousands of mostly poor people in El Salvador. They also killed priests, nuns and Archbishop Oscar Romero. How pro-life is that? How pro-life is taking the money of these people and doubling or tripling it for them? And did any of their Bain profits fund more death squads? Before we endorse Romney’s “pro-life” claims, isn’t it important for us to know that?

So speaking as a temporary, part-time member of the parallel magisterium, I think that if anyone should be disinvited from the Al Smith Dinner, it is Mitt Romney. Based on the above record, he, and not Obama, is the anti-life, “pro-abortion” candidate.

The fact is, the personable Dolan did right to invite them both. The Al Smith Dinner is not a religious event. It is a political dinner at a ritzy hotel where folks who look gawky in tuxes make jokes and raise money for a good Catholic cause. No one should think that, by inviting the “pro-abortion” Mitt Romney to the dinner, Dolan is endorsing him and all of his “pro-abortion” anti-life positions.

[Nicholas P. Cafardi is a civil and canon lawyer and a professor and former dean at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh.]

Share
Filed in Hypocrisy | Comments (2)