When the Tea party first rose up in opposition to President Obama's
health care law (not to mention
his blackness), it seemed
harmless enough.
The Republican party embraced the baggers, and harnessed their anger for gains in the mid-term elections—wresting control of the House from Nancy Pelosi and the evil Democrats.
Finally, they would be able to repeal Obamacare, and repeal it they did; more than 30 times before the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality.
Undeterred by this legal setback, or by Obama's subsequent re-election, Republicans pressed on, voting several more times to repeal the law—all to no avail.
Now, with mere days to go before Obamacare's implementation, they believe they've found a "winning" strategy.
According to their thinking, by forcing a government shutdown (for reals, this time), the law will be stopped in its tracks, and President Obama will bear all of the blame for the ensuing damage to the economy.
Never mind the fact that none of this is true.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre; Mother of Aurora, CO Shooting Victim Sandy Phillips; Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT); Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA); Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Roundtable: Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard), Kim Strassel (Wall Street Journal), Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Tavis Smiley (PBS).
Face the Nation: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV); Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK); Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ); Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; Roundtable: Nancy Gibbs (TIME), Bobby Ghosh (TIME), David Sanger (New York Times) and John Dickerson (CBS News).
This Week: Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA); Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA); Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich; Gwen Ifill (PBS); Jonathan Karl (ABC News).
Fox News Sunday: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX); Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO); Roundtable: Brit Hume (Fox News), Amy Walter (Cook Political Report), Republican Strategist Karl Rove and Former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH).
State of the Union: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Joe Hagan (New York Magazine); Former Chief Spokesman to President Bill Clinton Joe Lockhart; President of the American Conservative Union Al Cardenas; Republican Strategist Kevin Madden; Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile.
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will be preempted by the Emmy Awards.
On Comedy Central...
Jon Stewart ripped CNN's often inaccurate coverage of the Navy Yard shooting.
The Daily Show
Monday: Preempted
Tuesday: No Guest
Wednesday: Experimental Rock Band Atoms for Peace
Thursday: Actor/Comedian Robin Williams
And Stephen Colbert weighed in on the Biblical implications of the Syria conflict.
The Colbert Report
Monday: Preempted
Tuesday: Rock Band Metallica
Wednesday: Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Thursday: Ocean Researcher Chris Fischer
Elsewhere...
Michigan state officials are seeking to regulate sexual activity—for the children!
One of the paramount purposes of marriage in Michigan — and at least 37 other states that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman — is, and has always been, to regulate sexual relationships between men and women so that the unique procreative capacity of such relationships benefits rather than harms society. The understanding of marriage as a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the rearing of children born of their union, is age-old, universal, and enduring.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana...
Starbucks' request that customers leave their guns at home is not sitting well with one state lawmaker.
Louisiana State Rep. Jeff Thompson (R) is urging conservatives to boycott Starbucks and instead go to coffee shops that have "gun friendly" owners. [...]
"The home of the most expensive cup of coffee is apparently now the home of one of the most dangerous as well," Thompson said in the statement.
Thompson plans to host "Guns & Coffee" events in the next few weeks where he will buy supporters a cup of coffee and discuss the current debate over gun laws.
"I hope residents in Bossier and across Louisiana come out for a free cup of coffee," Thompson continued in the statement. "You won't find me in Starbucks… not when I know they openly try to make villains out of law abiding citizens who own guns. I choose to support small business owners who share a love of our Louisiana heritage, the great outdoors and join in my efforts to defend our right to protect our families."
And, speaking of guns...
Now that his conviction has been overturned, former Rep. Tom DeLay is looking forward to getting his back.
Now that a federal appeals court has acquitted former Rep. Tom DeLay of violating campaign finance laws, he said Thursday he was ecstatic about the return of one constitutional right.
"I can get my concealed weapon license back," the Texas Republican said at a news conference in Washington, D.C.
DeLay, who said he was at a prayer meeting when he learned of the appellate court ruling from his lawyer, said being out of politics for eight years had not embittered him, though he did not intend to run for office again.
"Because I'm walking with the Lord, I had no burden," he said at the news conference. "He's had the burden. He carried it."
Take a load off.
- Trix