I read the HEADLINES this morning that Anthony Weiner has resigned from his House seat. Thank goodness that “distraction” is now over and the Dems can resume their laser focus on creating jobs-hopefully in this country; protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; and continuing their unwavering support for working people. Democrats have purged their party of a lying jackass who is admired for his fiery policy positions by progressives but not so much by his congressional colleagues. Their moral compass has been reset– to campaigning and fund raising 24/7 and I’m sure it’s going to be nothing but distraction free sailing to November 2012.
The Republican moral compass, if it exists, will have to be surgically extracted from the nether portions of their iconic elephant. My personal feeling is that is like looking for a leprechaun in all the wrong places. How else do you explain the Republican National Congressional Committee’s support for the racist and sexist attack ad against Democrat Janice Hahn? They think it makes a good point about her support for gang intervention policies. This “klassy” ad is not viewed as a distraction by the Repubs. In fact they think it brings up a good point! Why would they suppress a good point? Free speech and good points everybody!
Of course the congressional Republicans did recently invoke an arcane franking procedure that would strike words like the “end of Medicare” and “voucher” from a Democrat mailing to constituents which discusses the Ryan Medicare Plan which would be the end of Medicare and which is based on a voucher system. Can you really talk about their moral compass if the needle is permanently set on hypocrisy, their true North?
I would like the Democrats to be laser focused and I’m not really expecting them to push back against this ad anyway because we can count on them to be more feckless than focused. But I sure as hell think progressives should go after this one big time. Maybe there are a few people associated with the making, distribution and subsequent endorsement of the ad who will be shamed into disassociating themselves from it, publicly apologize and resign- or even find their very own moral compass!
The Republicans continue to come off as a bunch of losers, but unless we start holding them accountable now for the “Give me your cash bitch” mentality, welcome to campaign 2012! Is it too early to start throwing up in a bucket?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m torn: On the one hand, it was going to take a while for Weiner to regain his credibility and form to the point where he would once again be the party’s pit bull against Republican hypocrisy. I mean, who’s gonna take up the mantle now of pushing for Justice Clarence Thomas to be held accountable for his intransigence? His effectiveness in Congress would have been severely diminished for a while.
On the other hand, why not allow him the chance to rebuild his brand and credibility? Why not allow him to rehabilitate himself and his image while keeping his nose to the grindstone and maintaining a low profile for a while? Why force him from office when his constituents pretty strongly favor him remaining in office?
What he did was stupid and self-destructive. Borderline unethical, but not quite. Certainly not illegal, and there are currently members of Congress that have done much worse, yet no one forced them to resign. I mean, it’s not like he cheated on his wife with hookers or anything.
As to the anti-Janice Hahn ad: Chris Hayes had an excellent piece on MSNBC’s “The Last Word” last night. One key point: The ad most certainly DOES NOT have a point! Some of the most successful anti-gang/anti-violence campaigns across the country have utilized former gang members as mentors to keep young people from joining gangs. This program they’re referring to happened to be one of the many huge success stories. But even better, it was a program funded by the LA City Council as a whole, and had nothing to do with Janice Hahn specifically, other than the fact that she joined the rest of the council in unanimously voting to approve it.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
P.S.: I think I’m in love with Melissa Harris-Perry!
Those people who made the video need to be gangsta slapped.
Now, Weiner: dude lost his focus if not his mind. Who wants to see his junk?
Who wants to see his junk Ernie? How about Andrew Breitbart , the slime bag who has been vindicated by the Weiner “scandal” and has been exalted to real honest to god journalist status. That speaks volumes to me.
C’mon, now……..even now the only ones who take that clown seriously is the Faux News set. Nothing he does resembles actual journalism.
Speaking of Breitbart and his heavily edited and made up scandals: The Government Accountability Office just released a report that “found no reason for congressional abolition of ACORN.” Score one more for scumbag Breitbart. Someone really needs to take this guy down….
You are absolutely right Andy that someone needs to take this scumbag down. And it is not only about Acorn- how about Shirley Sherrod? Weiner sure as hell didn’t help and Breitbart, full of himself, isn’t going away.
Oh, I have the perfect song for this….
“Well politicians got lipstick on the collar
the whole media started to holler
But I don’t give a fuck who they screwin’ in private
I wanna know who they screwin’ in public
Robbin’, cheatin’,stealin’, white collar criminal, McDonald eatin’, you
deserve a beatin’
Send you home a wheepin’, with a fat bill for your Carribean weekend
For just about anything they can bust us
false advertising sayin’ ”halls of justice”
You tellin’ the youth don’t be so violent
then you drop bombs on every single continent
Mandatory minimum sentencin’
’cause he got caught with a pocket full of medicine
Do that again another ten up in the pen
I feel so mad I wanna bomb an institution singin’
-Michael Franti & Spearhead
Hey Jon- what brought you out???? The allusion to republican leprechauns? I’ve missed you! And I want to append the video to the Franti and Spearhead lyrics you quoted. This aint just about a weiner roast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQrF4Jtb95I
More Breitbart: Matt Taibbi’s “Supreme Court of Assholedom” is taking up the matter of Anthony Weiner, and whether he is indeed an asshole for, among other things, “legitimizing Andrew Breitbart.”
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/preview-is-anthony-weiner-an-asshole-20110615
Andy- I totally love Melissa Harris-Perry and Matt Taibbi. They are incredible voices in the wilderness.
REALITY!!
my.firedoglake.com
( Gov. Peter Shumlin: Real Healthcare reform )
( Health Care Budget Deficit Calculator )
( Briefing: Dean Baker on Boosting the Economy by Saving Healthcare )
START NOW!
As you all know. Had congress passed a single-payer or government-run robust Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone on day one, our economy and jobs would have taken off like a rocket. And still will. Single-payer would be best. But a government-run robust Public Option CHOICE! that can lead to a single-payer system is the least you can accept. It’s not about competing with for-profit healthcare and for-profit health insurance. It’s about replacing it with Universal Healthcare Assurance. Everyone knows this now.
The message from the midterm elections was clear. The American people want real healthcare reform. They want that individual mandate requiring them to buy private health insurance abolished. And they want a government-run robust public option CHOICE! available to everyone on day one. And they want it now.
They want Drug re-importation, and abolishment, or strong restrictions on patents for biologic and prescription drugs. And government controlled and negotiated drug and medical cost. They want back control of their healthcare system from the Medical Industrial Complex. And they want it NOW!
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL NOT, AND MUST NOT, ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE TO STAND WITHOUT A STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION CHOICE! AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
For profit health insurance is extremely unethical, and morally repugnant. It’s as morally repugnant as slavery was. And few if any decent Americans are going to allow them-self to be compelled to support such an unethical and immoral crime against humanity.
This is a matter of National and Global security. There can be NO MORE EXCUSES.
Further, we want that corrupt, undemocratic filibuster abolished. Whats the point of an election if one corrupt member of congress can block the will of the people, and any legislation the majority wants. And do it in secret. Give me a break people.
Also, unemployment healthcare benefits are critically needed. But they should be provided through the Medicare program at cost, less the 65% government premium subsidy provided now to private for profit health insurance.
Congress should stop wasting hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money on private for profit health insurance subsidies. Subsidies that cost the taxpayer 10x as much or more than Medicare does. Private for profit health insurance plans cost more. But provide dangerous and poorer quality patient care.
Republicans: GET RID OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE.
Democrats: ADD A ROBUST GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION TO HEALTHCARE REFORM.
This is what the American people are shouting at you. Both parties have just enough power now to do what the American people want. GET! IT! DONE! NOW!
If congress does not abolish the individual mandate. And establish a government-run public option CHOICE! before the end of 2011. EVERY! member of congress up for reelection in 2012 will face strong progressive pro public option, and anti-individual mandate replacement candidates.
Strong progressive pro “PUBLIC OPTION” CHOICE! and anti-individual mandate volunteer candidates should begin now. And start the process of replacing any and all members of congress that obstruct, or fail to add a government-run robust PUBLIC OPTION CHOICE! before the end of 2011.
We need two or three very strong progressive volunteer candidates for every member of congress that will be up for reelection in 2012. You should be fully prepared to politically EVISCERATE EVERY INCUMBENT that fails or obstructs “THE PUBLIC OPTION”. And you should be willing to step aside and support the strongest pro “PUBLIC OPTION” candidate if the need arises.
ASSUME CONGRESS WILL FAIL and SELLOUT again. So start preparing now to CUT THEIR POLITICAL THROATS. You can always step aside if they succeed. But only if they succeed. We didn’t have much time to prepare before these past midterm elections. So the American people had to use a political shotgun approach. But by 2012 you will have a scalpel.
Congress could have pass a robust government-run public option during it’s lame duck session. They knew what the American people wanted. They already had several bills on record. And the house had already passed a public option. Departing members could have left with a truly great accomplishment. And the rest of you could have solidified your job before the 2012 elections.
President Obama, you promised the American people a strong public option available to everyone. And the American people overwhelmingly supported you for it. Maybe it just wasn’t possible before. But it is now.
Knock heads. Threaten people. Or do whatever you have to. We will support you. But get us that robust public option CHOICE! available to everyone on day one before the end of 2011. Or We The People Of The United States will make the past midterm election look like a cake walk in 2012. And it will include you.
We still have a healthcare crisis in America. With hundreds of thousands dieing needlessly every year in America. And a for profit medical industrial complex that threatens the security and health of the entire world. They have already attacked the world with H1N1 killing thousands, and injuring millions. And more attacks are planned for profit, and to feed their greed.
Spread the word people.
Progressives, prepare the American peoples scalpels. It’s time to remove some politically diseased tissues.
God Bless You my fellow human beings. I’m proud to be one of you. You did good.
See you on the battle field.
Sincerely
jacksmith – WorkingClass :-)
Resignation – yeah, right.
What did the Weiner get for his “resignation?”
Mama Bear already has a FAT JOB with Obama/ Hillary – what did they promise Papa Bear for his “resignation” – “Enquiring minds want to know?” (National Enquirer)