From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Mount Meathead Erupts. Again.
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"The state of Maine saw the governor once again throw a temper tantrum."
---Maine Senate minority leader Justin Alfond (D)
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"Respect my authoritah!!!"
With time dwindling on the legislative session and a lot of work yet to be done, the Eric Cartman of America's governors, Paul LePage, decided it would be a swell idea to wallow in the mud Friday during a press conference that was described as "unhinged," "bizarre" and "sputtering."
You could almost hear us all up here saying in unision, "What is it now?" I dunno…something about Democrats not approving a Public Utilities Commission nominee fast enough, and not going along with his scheme---already rejected multiple times by voters---to abolish the state income tax. It was all just too much for Drama queen Saint Paul to bear, so he grabbed a microphone and treated reporters to another "Screw you guys, Ah'm going home" moment:
LePage accused Democratic lawmakers of playing politics, but he then promised to veto any bill that reached his desk that was sponsored by a Democratic lawmaker during the three remaining years of his term as governor. He said that promise pertains to the state's budget bill as well, which is sponsored by Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, the House chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.
If he holds true to his word and vetoes the budget (which has to be completed by the end of the month), LePage would be directly responsible for causing a government shutdown. Republicans---they
do so love their shutdowns.
The media is having none of it, as exemplified by The Bangor Daily News (hardly a bastion of liberalism) which called it the "LePage meltdown" and treated it with all the gravitas it deserved:
Glass houses and stones, geese and gander, black pots and kettles all come to mind after watching Gov. Paul LePage attack Democratic lawmakers during a rant and insult filled press conference at the Blaine House Friday. […]
Perhaps worst of all, but not surprising given the governor’s history of personal insults, was LePage saying House Speaker Mark Eves “should go back home to where he was born” and that Senate [minority leader] Justin Alfond, both Democrats, “should be put in a playpen.” This type of talk and behavior is “not helpful to the people of Maine,” to use LePage’s own words.
The question now is whether the governor has become an embarrassing carnival barker or whether Republicans stick with him, no matter who he insults or threatens.
Well, there is a third option. It's called
both.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Monday, June 1, 2015
Note: Caution. This note. Makes frequent. Stops. Sometimes unexpect. Edly.
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11 days 'til Zoom Zoom!!!
By the Numbers:
Days 'til Ramadan:
16
Days 'til the
Oregon Mountain Cruise Car Show in Joseph:
11
Minimum gallons of water that have fallen on Texas in the last month:
35 trillion
(Source: National Weather Service Fort Worth)
Donald Trump's un-favorability rating among voters:
69%
(Quinnipiac poll)
Date on which Canada will no longer charge tax on feminine hygiene products:
7/1/15
Number of
World of Warcraft subscribers:
7.1 million
Date and time of Rachel Maddow's first-ever on-air sneeze:
5/28/15 9:20pm ET
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Puppy Pic of the Day: As usual, The Onion sounds totally plausible…
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My favorite June of all.
CHEERS to June! Dad and the flag get their day, gay pride breaks out across the country (June 20 here in Portland) and Atlantic hurricane season starts today (We already had tropical storm Ana last month, so the official first storm of this season is...wait for it...
Billy). It's Candy Month, Adopt-A-Cat Month and Accordion Awareness Month. Ramadan starts in 16 days. Plus: according to my wall calendar the Queen gets two freakin' holiday celebrations, one in New Zealand (today) and one in Australia (the 8th). There's a full moon tomorrow, so be prepared to amble into the back yard and wink at Neil Armstrong. Sequel mania hits the
Jurassic Park, Ted and
Insidious franchises, which is a polite way of saying don’t hold your breath for any original take-your-breath-away movies this month. Oh, and a special message from our Maine mosquitoes: "Come on up---we'd love to have ya for a drink sometime."
P.S. "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon!" So who drew the black spot this year? I gotta get these rocks thrown and then park my butt in time for Judge Judy.
JEERS to premature departures. I didn’t know a whole lot about Beau Biden except his Attorney Generalship in Delaware, his military service, and his dedicated dad. But everything I heard was positive, and knowing that his star was bound to rise to great heights makes this tough. Via Joe:
Beau with his dad in 2008.
It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life. The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words. We know that Beau’s spirit will live on in all of us—especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter.
Beau's life was defined by service to others. As a young lawyer, he worked to establish the rule of law in war-torn Kosovo. A major in the Delaware National Guard, he was an Iraq War veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star. As Delaware’s Attorney General, he fought for the powerless and made it his mission to protect children from abuse.
More than his professional accomplishments, Beau measured himself as a husband, father, son and brother. His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father's saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did. In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.
He was only 46. As with the passing of so many other departed family, friends, icons and heroes, all I can muster is the usual two words:
fuck cancer.
CHEERS to an idea that was ahead of its time. On June 1, 1869, Thomas Edison received a patent for his mechanical voting machine. He lost money because no one wanted to use it. Democrats found it too easy to hack and Republicans found it too hard to hack.
CHEERS to food for news junkies. 35 years ago today---in 1980 at exactly 5pm ET---CNN started our information addiction by broadcasting round-the-clock news under the guidance of Ted Turner. Back in the early days they had A-list anchors like Bernard Shaw, Mary Alice Williams and Lou Waters. Their coverage of the Challenger disaster and Gulf War I was riveting. Today their #1 anchor is
Don Lemon, who recently wondered aloud if a missing Malaysia Air jetliner has been abducted by aliens. Dear god, Ted, what happened?
CHEERS to #3. Over the weekend former Democratic Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley declared his candidacy for president, joining Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in the race. According to Think Progress, there are five things you should know about him, including: he's a big LGBT rights supporter, he ended the death penalty, he's a fan of raising the minimum wage, is pro-immigration-reform, and he's an advocate of gun control. But I have a major quibble with that last point, because when it comes to guns he's clearly a big open-carry fan:
Did I say quibble? I meant,
where do I send my donation???
CHEERS to the constitutional separation of drums and guitars. Fifty-four years ago, at 12:01am on June 1, 1961, FM stereo was enjoyed for the first time by WGFM radio listeners in Schenectady, New York. (Chicago's WEFM had to wait an hour to join the revolution because of the time-zone difference.) Rush Limbaugh broadcasts on a handful of FM stations, and I understand it's quite an experience. He snarls in your left ear and froths in your right.
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Ten years ago in C&J: June 1, 2005
CHEERS to overriding Mitt the Twit. In Massachusetts, the Legislature overrode a Governor Romney veto, paving the way for the state to become a leader in stem cell research. Their first major project oughtta be isolating and replacing the GOP Habitual Liar Gene.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to the best weird political ad of the season. This is some group called "America's Liberty PAC," and it released this utterly-unimprovable piece of genius to promote their guy Rand Paul's effort to (successfully, apparently) kill the Patriot Act:
The only way that'll be topped is if Carly Fiorina releases Demon Sheep 2. Well, assuming it's in 3D.
Have a tolerable Monday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
The question facing a team of expert movers in Cheers and Jeers: How do you move an iconic, 400-ton kiddie pool? The answer: Very carefully, and very slowly---about a foot every minute.
---CBS News
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