So, did anything exciting happen in Washington DC this past weekend? ;D Well, there has been & will be plenty of opportunities for pre - mortems, post - mortems, and everything in between until (or if) a HCR bill actually gets signed into law. Let's chat up some fun birthdays first & discuss the event that prompted one of the most ironic & iconic images ever!
I was actually a bit more of a twinkle in my parents' eyes on this date for this event; Mom was pregnant with me on December 21, 1970 when Elvis Presley met with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office to discuss fighting drugs. Yea, "the King" had been fighting SOMETHING before he'd seen Dick Nixon that day! ;D
Phil Donahue, true liberal hero & talk show icon, is 74 today.
Samuel L. Jackson is 61 today; I lurved him in Pulp Fiction! If you like bad - a$$ness (just made up that word), click on the link; if you don't like "language" or violence, don't.
Finally, "Jack Bauer" aka Kiefer Sutherland is 43 today. And, yes, I cannot wait for 24's return next month - YAHOO!! Unlike the previous administration & the FAUX News feeble - minded, I know 24 is fiction & entertainment. I'm sure this ad really made their tiny heads spin! ;D
Ain't this clip a lovely transition to what I'm sure will be a hot topic tonight?! Let's Countdown.
Lawrence O’Donnell is Keith’s "elf" (of sorts) for these next few days, I’m sure – thanks! I hope Santa leaves something nice in your stocking. ;D
#5 "Health Care: Passing a Milestone" AKA "House Calls" AKA "Prescription for Disaster?" - Mr. O’Donnell began the show with a "No $hit, Sherlock" moment when he announced the GOP in the Senate was going to use every delay tactic they could think of to prevent a vote on the HCR bill. Uh, they’ve already been doing that! Why stop now? When you’ve got "Senator" "Doctor" Coburn supplicating the Almighty to get someone to not show up to vote, if they don’t come up with more creative delay tactics, I’ll be sorely disappointed. ;D Yea, we’ve passed a milestone; the process was more like passing a kidney stone.
And, I’m still willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that a final HCR bill will not reach President Obama’s desk for his signature. There are too many people on both sides of infinite issues in both Houses of Congress that are insisting if they don’t get their way on their issue of choice, they will vote against whatever comes out of the conference committee. If there’s not a decent public option, progressives in the House may bolt. If the abortion language doesn’t change, pro – choicers & progressives in both the House & the Senate may bolt. If the abortion language DOES change, Stupak, Nelson, and the other male medieval mind – setters may bolt.
If there IS a public option, Joementum may bolt. Y’all see how many dozen ways this could & probably will go down in flames? Any GOP "suggestions" to this bill should be met with Santa dropping a deuce down (or up) their chimneys. Do you want the illustration? ;D I don’t even think the final vote on the bill in the Senate (if we ever get there) will be 60 – 40. I could see some "Dems" voting no. Senate Majority Leader Reid is a happy camper; enjoy that happiness while it lasts, honey.
President Obama is a happy camper, too. He actually took some GOPers to the wood shed? Well golly! Maybe, he is learning! OK, I’ve got a question; well, I’ve got a hell of a lot of questions, but I’ll start with just 1. Who’s in charge of making sure the health insurance companies hold to that 80% ratio? O...M...G... Instead of a botox tax, there’s a tanning booth tax??!! That is too funny! Whoever came up with that BRILLIANT gem should get to be Senate Majority Leader or Speaker of the House! That is GREAT; take THAT, Small Price to Pay Boehner! HA! I think Mr. O’Donnell answered my question. The states would be in charge of making sure health insurance companies actually follow what little rules they could be subjected to in any reform. Wasn’t Senator Ben Nelson a state insurance hack in a previous life? Great...
President Obama might try to reintroduce a Dorgen – esque drug importation act to the conference committee? Well, THAT would be refreshing since he’s seemed to be less – than – enthusiastic about that option to this point. Here’s Rep. Maxine Waters. Senator Nelson made out like a little bandit, didn’t he! And, as I alluded to above, he’s already threatening to "just say no" if any of his pet stuff in the Senate bill gets yanked or changed in the conference committee. I’ve asked this question before, too, and I don’t remember getting an answer, so I’ll ask again. Just who EXACTLY will be in that conference committee – well, other than Rahm (*&^%$#@!)? I don’t see Rep. Waters being ready to compromise too much more on anything in the public option area. She’s not real crazy about the tax on union health care plans; neither am I. I’m way more for taxing the millionaires some more! 100% of Nebraska’s Medicaid expenditures will now be paid for by the federal government?! Lordy, I bet Senator Nelson didn’t even invite Senate Majority Reid out to dinner after he reamed him! DAMN! Our Great Orange Satanic Leader has been busy over these last few days; he was on MTP this past weekend! We all need to remember as far as these "Cadillac" union health plans that a lot of workers have already given up raises to get the benefits of these plans. I’m with Markos (Moulitsas); tax people making over $100K/year with those "Cadillac" plans! Don’t make the middle class suffer more than they already do.
#4 "Grand Obstructionist Party" AKA "Party On" - Wow, 3 GOP Senators were actually willing to vote for cloture in order to not have to make Senator Byrd get up in the wee hours of the morning? I wonder who they were? Seriously, who do we have to contact to make sure Senator Coburn’s license to practice medicine gets yanked? Senator Dick Durbin wasn’t real thrilled with what Senator Coburn had to say, either. Senator McCentury was complaining about the GOP being frozen out of the process – AGAIN. Honey, the American people are getting real tired of that tune. You deserve this from Santa at all of your houses!
Senator Snowe sort of smacked down Senator McCentury’s argument; well, she’s been elevated to nearly the status of President during this process. That’s the LEAST she could do. Here’s Chris Hayes, and the cold shower’s running! ;D I like how Chris said the public is experiencing "general fatigue." Honey, I’m way past "general fatigue." I’m full onto to feeling wrung out & put away wet & coming to the conclusion that 99.9999999% of the politicos on both sides of the aisle are full of $hit. Senator Coburn said that Medicare recipients would die sooner because of this bill; well, I’ll give him a bit of credit. It’s been awhile since he’s rehashed the ‘ol "pull the plug on grandma" argument, so he’s sort of restrained himself! Chris made a great point about the broken Senate! And, here’s an illustration to prove the point.
#3 "Snowball’s Chance" A guy brought a gun to a snow ball fight in Washington DC. Maybe, he’s the guy Senator Coburn was praying for? The guy turned out to be a plain – clothes detective. Any chance that guy will be suspended – at least?!
#2 "Palinocchio" St. Sarah from Wasilla earned the liar of the year award with her death panels! I’m sure she’s very proud of her contribution to the political discourse this year. ;D Grandma ExGov TurkeyLover even beat out birther supreme Orly Taitz! Damn! Now, that IS an accomplishment. Rep. Joe "You Lie!" Wilson got sort of an honorable mention, too, along with Lonesome Rhodes. Hello to Margaret Carlson! Long time no see! YES!! I LOVE MARGARET CARLSON! She made the same point I’ve been saying for weeks around here! With all the death panel & pulling the plug on grandma spewage being tossed about over the summer, and the Obama administration not doing a damn thing about it until it was too sparkin’ late, the HCR debate, which was going to be nasty anyway, was even more nasty; and, it was SO...NOT...NECESSARY. VP Biden made the list, too, for his airplane comments in the early days of the flu stuff.
#1 "2009 Wack Job Jamboree" AKA "Whackjob from Wasilla" - We get a little sneak preview of the December 28 "best of the worst" or "worst of the best" of 2009 show with a little St. Sarah from Wasilla retrospective. Yea! I could use a good laugh! Here’s a revisit of David Letterman VS. Grandma ExGov TurkeyLover. Ah...and that lovely "I’m not a quitter" speech in the process of quitting her day job – LOVE IT! My gawd, "that woman" is such a waste of space.