David Axelrod, the Obama campaign’s senior strategist, summed up the 2012 GOP race perfectly in a Washington Post article on Tuesday:
“The longer this [Republican] race goes, the more you’re going to see these Republican candidates mortgage their general-election campaign to try and win the nomination...”
What he and a lot of other Americans have realized in the course of the Republican debates is that all these bigoted, racist, Dominionist bells can't be un-rung.
Newt Gingrich Calls Poor Parents Poor Parents
One of the latest racist pronouncements came from Newt Gingrich who, contrary to everything Conservatives supposedly stand for, is leading in the GOP polls. The Christian Science Monitor reported this statement Gingrich made to an Iowa group:
"...poor children have "no habits of working and have nobody around them who works," and aren't used to getting paid "unless it's illegal."
I'm still amazed every time I read that quote.
This is what Candidate Gingrich thinks of America's poor; in his eyes they"re lazy, immoral, unethical, lousy parents who deal drugs. This is a man who wants to be President. Like I said, you can't unring that bell.
If he gets the nomination, he will then turn around and feign concern for the very people he has shown remarkable disdain for. I for one won't let people forget what he really thinks, none of us should.
Republicans Declare the Unemployed are all Uneducated Drug Users
You know those diplomas you have in a box somewhere? You'd better find them because the Republican House thinks if you're unemployed, you must be uneducated. Oh, and a drug user too.
Republicans have passed their ABSURDLY NAMED "Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act".
Think Progress reports:
"The GOP plan would cut roughly 20 weeks of benefits out of the unemployment insurance program... A second step in the process would cut another 20 weeks of benefits, ultimately reducing the program from 99 weeks to just 59. In addition, the bill requires those without a high school degree to be enrolled in a GED program to be eligible for benefits, and allows states to do drug screenings or tests as a condition of eligibility if they choose."
Not that these ridiculous requirements will pass constitutional muster, but do they really have to play these idiotic games?
Teamsters President Jim Hoffa had this to say,
"...the bill cuts unemployment benefits by 40 weeks, requires recipients to have a high school diploma or GED and charges them for re-employment services. Republicans insisted on these cuts."
"Our economy will continue to stall unless we put money in the pockets of people who will spend it,"…"This is a callous move by House Republicans, who apparently don't care if America's middle class disappears."
I'm betting the GOP house disappears before America's Middle Class disappears.
In God They Trust
According to CBN, a group of pastors has endorsed Michele Bachmann because,
"The Scriptures make it clear that we should choose leaders who fear God, are capable, trustworthy and keep his commandments..."
(Shouldn't they be endorsing a Girl Scout then? Because they just pretty much eliminated all Republicans.)
"We’ve longed for a candidate who wouldn’t compromise on [our]liberty, [our]morality, or national sovereignty."
They also said
"Christians understand our duty is to vote virtue and leave the results to God."
Which means they understand not only that she doesn't stand a chance in hell at the nomination, but "leaving the results to God" means they'll end up voting for a serial adulterer over a President with actual family values. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Gingrich- Conservative Champion
Christopher Ruddy wrote a gushing ode to Newt Gingrich on Newsmax Sunday, claiming Newt's a "Genuine Conservative"- whatever that means. It's worth a read for Independents and Swing Voters looking for affirmation that Gingrich will be just as bad for the country as any other Republican or Tea Party nut.
He gives Gingrich most if not all of the credit for the Kemp-Roth tax cuts, welfare reform, and the budget surpluses of the late 90s (I really would have sworn we had a President at the time). He claims the economic growth came from "slashing taxes"-surprise! What he conveniently leaves out is,
"As part of the 1993 Economic Plan, President Clinton cut taxes on 15 million low-income families and made tax cuts available to 90 percent of small businesses, while raising taxes on just 1.2 percent of the wealthiest taxpayers."
These are not the type of tax cuts a President Gingrich would endorse.
He continues:
"He campaigned to end the crippling moratorium on offshore drilling at his American Solutions think tank."
(Because he was getting paid to)
"...opposed the Kennedy-Bush illegal immigrant amnesty plan."
(Because he has an amnesty plan of his own)
"...he developed a solid, clear, concise, and conservative argument against Obamacare."
(Because it made him money)
"He has pledged to eliminate the capital gains tax."
(Now there's a shocker)
"...and end the death tax."
(You know- so people like Paris Hilton can take their inheritance and create all those new jobs - like hiring a dog-walker, and someone to keep her shoes organized)
But best of all-
"...his campaign’s “21st Century Contract with America” contains a growing list of executive orders for “Day One” that would radically alter the course of our post-Obama nation — and every single one is Reaganesque."
(my emphasis)
I actually laughed at that one; there are currently 6 proposed "executive orders" including eliminating the Czars (yawn) and two that, of course, are anti-women. Ruddy doesn’t bring up the serial adulterer thing, but I'm sure that's coming in his next Gingrich campaign endorsement article.
Bachmann Huffing
Michele Bachmann got a little too close to the hairspray fumes again before the Republican debate Saturday, and in her euphoria at just being there, hallucinated out loud about being a business woman since she was 5. From Raw Story:
“I’m 55-years-old,” Bachmann noted. “I’ve spent 50 years in the real world as a private business woman living a real life and building a real business.”
First of all, of course she would hallucinate about doing real things, as opposed to the alternate universe she actually lives in; but I don't think even Newt Gingrich would put her into the workforce at five.
The fact that Republicans keep propping these borderline bi-polar women up as viable candidates for President just reiterates the fact that the GOP has no respect for women. Put her out there, let her make a fool of herself, and that'll put an end to that female President nonsense. (Except for the Tea Party of course, they actually understand her.)
As Raw Story points out:
"She worked as a tax litigation attorney for the Internal Revenue Service between 1988 and 1993. In 1993, she put her career on hold to become a full-time mother. By 1999, Bachmann had entered the political arena..."
Incidentally, this "stay-at-home Mom" wasn't really that "stay-at-home", she only lasted six years, a big no-no in GOP Land, but they don't hold their own to the same standards they try to dictate to everyone else. Besides, by that time Bachmann was getting an endless stream of baby sitters from the foster care program. But I digress.
Anyone can make a verbal slip, but hers border on mania*. Suppose one day a President Bachmann "slipped" and blurted out "We're going to nuke your country!" -while welcoming the Queen of England to the White House. How do you put that genie back in the bottle?
I don't know about you, but I don't want a President that makes the entire country cringe every time he/she opens their mouth.
*Today's word: Mania
Some of the symptoms according to Psych Central:
• Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
• More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
• Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
• Attention is easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant items
I'm just sayin'.....
Talking about Delusions of Grandeur...
Donald Trump has convinced himself that he is such a big political player, that turning down his Presidential Apprentice debate caused Romney's poll numbers to plunge. To Mr. Trump I say,
Donald, there have been few things throughout history that the majority of Liberals and Conservatives could agree on, but I think I can say you're one of those few things. And no, that's not a compliment.