I have been thoroughly enjoying the Chinese firedrill, Keystone Kop, routine by the minority Republicans. It's been a real gas. I predicted long ago that the one good and positive accomplishment of George and Dick would be the total destruction of the Republican Party.
I just never knew how humorous it would turn out to be.
Yesterday's Republican House leadership press conference was comedy gold. Seriously. I haven't laughed out loud like that in a long time. The Republicans may be in the minority but at least they keep the electorate amused with their entertaining antics. You have to give them that.
The setup.
President Obama, who is proving to be a pretty smart fellow, mentioned recently, in response to GOP criticism of his budget proposal, that his "critics" criticize , but they don't set forward an alternative budget plan.
MSNBC contributor, Lawrence O'Donnell, a former senate aide, predicted on Monday or Tuesday that the GOP would never bring forward an alternative budget proposal, nor should they.
If only they would have listened to O'Donnell.
Watch the first 38 seconds of the following video where the Ohio Bonehead, minority House leader John Boehner, says this…."Two nights ago the President said, 'we haven't seen a budget yet out of the Republicans',…well, it's just not true because (Bonehead lifts up blue folder)…here it is, Mr President."
Chevy Chase and the old SNL team couldn't have done it better. And for a second, I thought the Bonehead was TRYING to be funny. Alas, no. The blue folder the Bonehead held up didn't contain any budget numbers. None. No budget projections, no deficit projections….nothing. Don't believe me….read it for yourself.
Paul Ryan(R-WI) is the guy who has been designated to actually write the GOP's alternative budget proposal. Here's what he said yesterday…..
"The problem is that somewhere along the line, someone got the mistaken impression that we were going to roll out a budget alternative today," he said. "What we all signed off on was a preview—the real [alternative] is coming next week."
Still, when he was asked what purpose today's preview served, Ryan directed me to Pence's office: "You've got to ask the conference this question, I can't answer that question."
Gives a whole new comedic edge to Bonehead's, "here it is Mr. President,"…..doesn't it? I think the Bonehead would have received a better response from the confused press corps gathered for the "announcement"…..if he would have simply said, while holding up the blue folder, "Two nights ago the President said, 'we haven't seen a budget yet out of the Republicans', and THIS isn't it either."
I'm sayin'…….funny stuff that.
But the Republican day yesterday came jam-packed with joke lines. It wasn't only the Bonehead snapping off unintended lines of humor. Michael Steele, 2nd in command at the GOP compound under Comedien-King Limbaugh, and the alleged RNC chairman, did his best Carnac imitation in explaining his heretofor nutty and contradictory comments. Put the coffee down for a second and watch Mikey's Johnny Carson impersonation…..
When Steele insulted the defacto leader of the Republican Party, Comedien-King Limbaugh,….when he said gays were born gay,….when he said that abortion was a matter of choice, when he apologized for insulting Comedien-King, when he flip-flopped on the gays and abortion statements……when Mikey made all those confusing and seemingly contradictory statements….it was all part of Carnac Mikey's "strategy". Part of the Great GOP Carnac's master plan.
Carnac Mikey…."I'm very introspective about things…I'm a cause and effect kind of guy, so if I do something, there's a reason for it. It may look like a mistake, a gaffe, but there's a rationale, a logic behind it."
You must admit, if you've been paying attention,……that is some funny sh*t. Steele, as most Republicans are coming to agree, is a full metal jacket disaster. But….but…THAT disaster, according to Carnac Mikey, is all part of his Mini-Me strategic plan.
Perhaps, just perhaps, the Republicans will soon propose a new agency of the federal government. Something they can really sink, you know, their teeth into. A new agency where Republicans can really shine, strut their stuff, feature their strong suit, as it were. And wouldn't you know it…..The Reverend has a suggestion for this new agency's name….
The Office of Sh*ts and Giggles.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
The GOP's imaginary budget rollout was indeed laughable, as was Steele's claim that his contradictory statements are just "strategy." I never thought Steele was a good choice for RNC chair, but he's turning out to be even worse than I anticipated. He's as bad as DNC chair Howard Dean, and that takes some doing.
What's also laughable is your statement that Rush Limbaugh is the defacto leader of the Republican party. Not even close. He's just a popular radio talker. He doesn't run anything.
And Obama, that "pretty smart fellow" of yours, is running this country into the ground in only two short months, from a fiscal standpoint. That isn't smart at all, and it sure isn't funny. My only question is whether he is doing it by design or by ignorance.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Obama say that the financial services sector is 40% of our GDP? If so, shouldn't we be altering our tax system to reflect this situation? Since wages are stagnant, and likely to remain so, shouldn't we look to the new lions of the economy for government revenues? Once again I propose the renewal of the Securities Transaction Excise Tax which was eliminated in 1966. I would also support taxing capital gains at the same rate as any other income. I would also set a marginal tax rate of 50% for any income over $5 million. Getting out of this mess is going to cost a lot of money and it should come from the people who have profitted from the economic climate of the last 30 years.
A lot of lefties are confused about Rush these days, King. Ever since he outwitted the President of the United States in that ugly bickering match they had a few weeks back.
Obama finally ran up the white flag and cried no mas!, so hopefully he'll know not to tackle radio talk show hosts anymore, unless he can handle them.
The whole thing is a national embarrassment–a gasbag like Rush besting the President of the United States–but it's the world we live in now, I suppose.
"the new lions of the economy"….that's a good one, frank. Obama said the financial industry accounted for 40% of all corporate profits. Astonishing, really. Ponzi economy…..would be another reaction.
Count me in on your proposals. It WILL take a mountain of money, IF we're going to climb out of the hole.
To the Rushbots…..you're kidding, right? I mean, you gotta' be kidding. Because, what I saw was every Rush-criticism spewing GOP'er having to come back on bended knee to apologize to the Comedien-King. How embarassing for the Republican Party. Did you guys miss those blubberings?
Yessirree…..Rush outwitted Obama…yep, that's what he did alright. Naturally, what really happened was a popular-with-the-wingnut-set radio mouthpiece for the powerful became the representative figurehead of an entire political party. A figurehead who the nation disapproves of by 2-1. Intelligent move there on Rush's part.
Obama is at 64% approval…..Congressional Republicans are down around 20%, while the Democrats are approaching 50% approval. So, yeah, Rush really, really, really showed that new Democratic president.
Nice ambush try on Howard Dean, King. Of course, his 50 state strategy helped build the grassroots necessary for Obama to win and Democrats to increase their majorities…..but, you know, he screamed once….so sure, he's as bad as the totally clueless buffoon, Mikey Steele.
Filibuster proof senate in 2011 baby.
Rev,
Actually, I'm hoping that the GOP would get its head out of its ass long enough to become a promoter of fiscal integrity. It would be great if they would contribute ideas to minimize the increase of debt. It's going to take better minds than mine to determine how much spending is needed and how much debt is acceptable.
Right Rev. I think Dean's a clown because he screamed once. Here are a few Deanisms for you.
"I think with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, you can't play, you know, hide the salami, or whatever it's called."
"You know, the Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're a pretty monolithic party. Pretty much, they all behave the same, and they all look the same. … It's pretty much a white Christian party."
"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks."
"I'm a metrosexual."
"We've gotten rid of (Saddam Hussein), and I suppose that's a good thing."
"The idea that the United States is going to win the war in Iraq is just plain wrong."
"This president is not interested in being a good president. He's interested in some complicated psychological situation that he has with his father."
"Now that we're on dog pee, we can have an interesting conversation about that. I do not recommend drinking urine…but if you drink water straight from the river, you have a greater chance of getting an infection than you do if you drink urine."
"You think people can work all day and then pick up their kids at child care or wherever and get home and still manage to sandwich in an eight-hour vote? Well Republicans, I guess can do that. Because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives."
Let me know if you want 10 more dumb things Dean has said.
Except for the metrosexual stuff…..I'm still looking for potentially dumb stuff Dean said. I pretty much agree with everything he said.
Dean is a righteous guy. Great American.
"I'm hoping that the GOP would get its head out of its ass long enough to become a promoter of fiscal integrity." SO we are still blaming the Rups even after the Dems have taken control. Marxists I mean Dems are spending mountains of cash and have no way of paying for it. Obama and the rest of the Neo-com(munist)doesn't want the Reps help. Just ask them. Think about it, you'll remember what they said when asked for their participation.
And that's why you can't be taken seriously.
Rev, I meant, not joe. joe's on the money.