Archive for the ‘global warming’ Category
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…
March Madness
Just because I haven’t been posting, doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. Its been a little more challenging to see the routine slime oozing through American politics, when we are daily confronted with the devastation and sadness of the situation going on in Japan right now. Nevertheless, here are a few recent gems from our dear friends on the other side of the aisle:
- More fun from the state of Kansas: Kansas State republican representative Virgil
PeckerPeck suggests the solution to illegal immigration is simply to get in helicopters and shoot them like pigs. - Do we really need more reasons to hate this guy? Rush Limbaugh thinks Japan’s natural and nuclear disaster is simply hilarious.
- Oh, this will get us where we need to go: Every single republican member of House Energy Committee denies existence of climate change.
- Robin Hood he a’int: Michigan governor Rick Snyder raises taxes on families living below the poverty line, and then lowers corporate taxes by 86%….because, why not?
- Perhaps taking the abortion debate a bit too far: Nebraska ‘s republican-dominated legislature wants to legalize the murder of doctors who provide abortions.
Ahhhhhh…republicans. Thanks for being the voice of evil in our lives.
The House of republicans
Ahhhhh…just finished basking in the warm glow of the holidays, the exuberance of New Years’ Eve and the (relative) triumphs of the lame duck, post-“shellacking” 111th congressional session – DADT Repeal, 9/11 Responders Health Care Bill, Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, Middle Class Tax Cut (oh right, and Uber-rich Folks Tax Cut too). Nice…
But today is a new day. This is the first week of the “new” republican-controlled House of Representatives. Yes, the forces of Mordor have seized control, ushered in by a remarkably forgetful voting population, riding the Tea Party/lunatic fringe wave…and they’ve got a mandate…well, kind of.
So here’s some good times to watch for in 2011:
1. Health Care Reform: Weeper of the House John Boehner’s (r-TX) top priority – deficit reduction. First order of business – repeal health care reform…at cost of $230 billion. Wait for it…”H.R. II – Repealing the Job Killing Health Reform Act”…yeah, that’s the official name…
2. Global Warming: Since incoming chairman, Jim Sensenbrenner (r-WI), voted against the creation of the House Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and led a “delegation” of global warming skeptics to climate talks in Kyoto and Copenhagen, the committee was disbanded on the first day of the new session. Second order of business: don’t let the EPA regulate greenhouse gases (and never mind the 2007 Supreme Court decision granting the EPA that authority). So, if you thought we didn’t make much progress in the last two years…you a’int seen nothing yet.
3. Darrell Issa (r-CA): Stay tuned for EVERYTHING-Gate. With the prospects of his chairmanship of the House Oversight Committee looming large in late October, Issa told Rush Limbaugh that Obama is “one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times.” So, get ready for an onslaught of investigations, and hearings…we’re talkingWikiLeaks-Gate, Fannie Mae-Gate (why didn’t Obama blame the poor?), Regulation-Gate (why all the job-killing environmental, health and safety regulations?), Afghanistan-Gate, walking-the-dog-Gate, playing-with-the-kids-Gate, Quitting-Smoking-Gate…
4. Steve King (r-IA): Just wait until this guy gets started. Yes, the new head of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law is a tad on the scary side. Some notable quotes:
- “Every time we give amnesty for an illegal alien, we deport a liberal.”
- We should electrify the border fence because “we do that with livestock all the time”
5. Louis Gohmert (r-TX): New chairman of Subcomittee on Crime Terrorism and Homeland Security. Terror Babies…need I say more?
And that’s just a small taste of what’s to come…oh my, its going to be a fun 2 years!!!