Fiscal Cliff Kind of Averted!
Merry Fiscal Cliff(mas)! (via Red Green & Blue)
Hooray (kind of)!!! The so-called “fiscal cliff” has been averted (for now). A deal was reached at the very last minute, and, to save us all from their own manufactured crisis, Democrats and Republicans came together in peace and harmony (HAHAHAHAHAHA!) and voted to increase taxes on the richest…
Republican House Committees: Dead End for Climate Legislation
Surprised? No. But there was some part of me that held out just a little hope that someday, somewhere out there, a reasonable Republican congressman (HA!) would find him or herself in a position of power to do something about, or at least, support, some small effort to mitigate climate change. Alas…
Election News, Updates, Rumors, Gossip
If you can’t get enough politics today from the newspapers, radio, facebook, messenger ravens…follow me (@heffbombs) on twitter! Follow @heffbombs I’ll keep you informed throughout the day…
Happy Election Day!!!
Mitt’s Final Push
Election 2012: Mitt’s Last Stand (via Red Green & Blue)
(I’ve recently been writing for a blog called Red, Green and Blue, part of Important Media Network…check it out!!)
Mitt Romney is getting desperate. Sure, national polling is close, with only a slight edge for Obama becoming apparent in recent days. However, the electoral college – that archaic remnant of the early days of our Union – not so much. Romney looks to have a depressing Tuesday night ahead of him. At least, if […]
How to “win” a debate: Lie. Repeatedly.
Mitt Romney and His Magical Mystery Tax Policy (via Red Green & Blue)
(I’ve recently been writing for a blog called Red, Green and Blue, part of Important Media Network…check it out!!)
Well, it was quite a debate. We laughed, we cried…we winced…we wondered “Did Obama really let that BS stand?”… We heard some surprising news from Mitt Romney too. It turns out that what he’s been saying all along about his tax policy was incorrect! Mitt Romney is going to cut everyone…
Massachusetts Senate Race – Climate Policy Battleground
The Massachusetts Senate race has just become a battleground in the fight against climate change. In the debate between Democratic nominee Elizabeth Warren and incumbent Republican Scott Brown last week, Warren brought up a great point about the consequences of voting for Scott Brown (and by extension…
Tax Cuts for the Rich: Republican Argument Falls Apart
SHOCKING NEWS: Tax Cuts for the Wealthy Only Help the Wealthy (via The Inspired Economist)
(I’ve recently started writing for a blog called The Inspired Economist, part of Important Media Network…check it out!!)
Yes, yes…another day, another incredibly well-executed, painstakingly researched, critically-praised study published that just flies in the face of everything Republicans blindly promote at the urge of their billionaire overlords believe in.
Ready for the big surprise?
Tax cuts for the rich don’t help the economy. They make the rich richer and promote income inequality.
Climate Change…Real, Dangerous…Hilarious?
Romney Mentions Climate Change in Convention Speech…For Laughs (via Red Green & Blue)
(I’ve recently started writing for a blog called Red, Green and Blue, part of Important Media Network…check it out!!)
It was a strange night at the Republican National Convention in Florida, what with Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair… “President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans — [pauses for audience laughter(!)] — and to heal the planet. MY promise is to help you and your family.” HAHAHAHAHA…
Catching up: the good, the bad, the ugly
What a week (or two…or nine…)!! Republicans feed the crazy, Obama accepts reality, solar goes big (in the Middle East)…a guy asks his friend to shoot him in the leg so he “can feel what its like to be shot”…Ahhh, the sweet, gorgeous insanity of politics (and whatnot) rages on.
A lot to catch up on…and its not slowing down. Where to begin? Here’s the good, the bad, the ugly (in no particular order):
- Worst-kept secret: In case you thought that republican members of congress were not putting the interests of big oil companies ahead of the country, a senior staffer to Senator Jim Inhofe (r-Jerktown), sent the following email message out to two dozen oil and gas industry lobbyists: “Moving forward, we—your partners—would kindly ask for better coordination and communication from you to prevent the Obama administration from pulling similar stunts (collaborating with industry on regulations) in the future.” Yes, that’s right…”your partners.” Republican congressmen and oil and gas lobbyists are “partners” and need to coordinate their strategy to fight against government regulations protecting our health and safety. Nice.
- Now that’s a good sign… Wow, who knew that the Citizens United decision would have such a horrific, yet measurable effect on politics in the United States? If you’re like me, you were relived to hear that the highest court in the land decided that political giving should be both anonymous and without limit. Best idea ever? WRONG. 47% of contributions to political groups (like SuperPACs) are now from undisclosed sources…it was 1% in 2006. Probably just lots and lots of hard-working Americans, chipping in $50 here, $100 there…or is it a small cadre of mega-billionaires…or perhaps a hostile foreign government? Thanks a lot, Supreme Court!
“I Misspoke”: The End of Lying
Did you know that you never have to admit responsibility for any action if you are a public figure? Go ahead and lie through your teeth. Feel free to ridicule and mock minorities. Give whatever boneheaded response to questions comes to mind if you have no idea what you’re talking about.
You can EASILY get out of it later. No harm, no foul. You “misspoke” is all…happens to everyone.
“To misspeak is human”? I’m old enough to remember the infamous “I can’t recall” repetition orgy from politicians and officials testifying to Congress during the Iran-Contra Scandal (yikes…kind of dates me). The new ad nauseam refrain seems to be “I misspoke”. It’s a way of weaseling out of virtually any uncomfortable situation that showcases one or more of a) your complete and embarrassing lack of knowledge about a particular subject that you should know about, b) your knack for lying through your teeth, or c) your general insensitivity/bigotry/astounding jerkitude. It isn’t that you’re “sorry”, it’s not that you “didn’t know,” and clearly not that you were “actually saying something you believe in your heart to be true.” No…you merely “misspoke.”
Here’s some recent classics:
- Congressman Paul Ryan (r-WI)
apologized“misspoke” when he said military generals were lying to Congress (quite a charge, eh?) in claiming support for a reduced defense budget. Clearly, by saying they WERE NOT being truthful, he meant to say they WERE being truthful, but that he didn’t agree with them…I guess. Oops. Human Etch-a-Sketchrepublican presidential contender Mitt Romney “misspoke” when he said, while discussing his economic policy, “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” (Because THAT would be wrong.) What he meant to say, of course, was “Let them eat cake.”- Brian Kilmeade (general idiot – Fox and Friends)
apologized“misspoke” when he infamously said on his show “Not all Muslims are terrorists. But all terrorists are Muslims.” He meant to say, “I’m a bigoted idiot with no concept of the reality of modern terrorism.” - Lest you think HeffBombs has some kind of liberal bias (THE HORROR!), former Democratic senatorial candidate for Vermont Richard Blumenthal
lied“misspoke” when he (repeatedly) claimed to have served in various war zones in Vietnam during the war. He, in fact, served on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Oops. Whatever, a simple mistake…made several times…in front of large crowds… - Another bad case of the opposites: former pizza baron/GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain (wow…seriously?) apparently misspoke when he suggested he would be willing to negotiate with Al Qaeda on certain matters. Of course, everyone knows that negotiation is bad and never accomplishes anything under any circumstances. Clearly he meant to say “Terrorists Bad, Pizza Good!!”
- Not exactly misspeaking per se, but an absolute gem nonetheless…Jon Kyl (r-AZ) gave a rousing speech on the Senate Floor during the debt-ceiling crisis in which he said “If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that’s well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” Ooooh, not quite. Its three percent. But no problem, just a classic case of misspeaking, right? Clarifying the remarks further, his office reported “His remark wasn’t intended to be a factual statement.”
I guess they were all “just saying…”
HeffBombs 