Obama furthers ban on tobacco, strikes at heart of America and free choice

Oh, wait... that was Nixon. On April 1, 1970, Nixon signed a law that banned cigarette advertisements as of January 1st the following year.

Can you imagine the outrage from the Tea Party movement if Obama did anything remotely close to that? Socialism. Totalitarianism. Nazi tactics.

But that IS the tea party - fake outrage at a president because of the color of his skin. What else is there? Let's look at their criticisms of Obama.

Health care; based on a plan by the Heritage Foundation in 1993 to counter the Clintons. The Heritage plan became Mitt Romney's Massachusetts plan, which is the core of HCR. But because a black guy did it....

Trying terrorists in civilian court; Bush tried almost a hundred terrorists in civilian court. he only tried 3 in front of military tribunals and 2 of those were sent home after being found guilty. But because a black guy tries to do it....

Stimulus plan; even the American Enterprise Institute, the conservative think tank, said the stimulus worked. Beyond that, they've set Obama up in a no-win scenario. The teabaggers hate the stimulus, but had he not passed one and the economy collapsed, guess whose fault it would be? The answer does not rhyme with Tush. Blame the black guy, no matter which way he goes.

We could go on and on, but the point is made. The right is willing to sacrifice the good of the country in order to destroy Obama.

Country First - right Senator McCain?

Here there be jobs; the hopey-changey stuff works

Although unemployment holds at 9.7%, this is the best jobs news since 2007, as a net 162,000 new jobs were added last month.

Benen

Look at the graph. See where it starts to uptick? That's the passage of the stimulus plan. This has to drive conservatives nuts since it throws off the whole "where are the jobs?" meme. One does not dig out of a hole that size in 60 days. In fact, at the point where we switch presidential administrations, the graph becomes a near inverse.

A Saturday on the lunatic fringe

Media Matters

Drilling response shows GOP doesn't want solutions, only wants to harm Obama

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, one of Sarah Palin's rallying cries was "Drill baby, drill" - a call to open up the U.S. coastline to oil exploration and drilling.

This is a reversal of a 2008 campaign promise to protect our coastline. So, isn't this a win for Republicans? Shoudln't they be thrilled?

Politico

Sarah Palin is blasting President Barack Obama’s oil drilling decision as a “stall, baby, stall” plan that is little more than a cover for enactment of climate legislation now pending in the Senate.

“I’ve got to call it like I see it,” she wrote. “The administration’s sudden interest in offshore drilling is little more than political posturing designed to gain support for job-killing energy legislation soon to come down the pike. I’m confident that GOP senators will not take the bait.”

Then there's this whopper from John Boehner where he criticizes the President for DELAYING energy production.

The Hill via Cesca

Obama's decision "continues to defy the will of the American people," Boehner said in a statement, pointing to the president's decision to open Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters, while leaving Pacific and many Alaskan waters largely closed to exploration.

"It's long past time for this Administration to stop delaying American energy production off all our shores and start listening to the American people who want an “all of the above” strategy to produce more American energy and create more jobs," the House GOP leader added. "Republicans are listening to the American people and have proposed a better solution – the American Energy Act – which will lower gas prices, increase American energy production, promote new clean and renewable sources of energy, and encourage greater efficiency and conservation."

Are you kidding me? According to Republicans, there is literally no good solution to any problem, save Obama killing himself and leaving the Presidency to Zombie Ronald Reagan.

Drilling: Repubs criticized Obama for being opposed. Now that he's opened it up, he gets blasted.

Health care: the 2010 HCR Act is based in large part on Mitt Romney's Massachusetts plan which was based largely on the Heritage Foundation's counter-proposal to the Clinton health plan.

They're getting much of what they want, and it's not enough. What they really want is Obama's hide, the good of the country doesn't even finish a close second.

Bastards.

GOP patronizes lesbian bondage clubs, criticizes Dems for booking hotel rooms

A political consultant working for the RNC billed them almost $2000 to reimburse expenses at Voyeur, a lesbian-themed bondage nightclub. That's problem #1. Problem #2 is that the RNC reimbursed him for it. Problem #3 is the hypocrisy of it.

The Republican party is the family values party. Presumably, family values doesn't entail two leather-babes gettin' it on in public. Unless, you know, they're hot lesbians. Portia DeRossi, not Chaz Bono.

The money has been returned and the RNC is investigating why someone with ties to Michael Steele is billing for (and getting reimbursed) for sex-themed club expenses.

Showing that they don't get it, the Republicans are attacking the DNC for booking hotel rooms.

Republicans, listen: It's not that you bill expenses. It's that you bill expenses to lesbian-themed sex clubs while trying to claim that you're a family values party while you deny equal protection for the very lesbians you get off watching. That's hypocrisy.

The All-White Basketball League. Yup, you read that right.

Huff Post

In January, basketball fans were greeted with the shocking news that a man sought to create a whites-only basketball league. The outrageous plan elicited a loud public reaction, with Charles Barkley calling the league "blatantly racist." The league's commissioner, Don "Moose" Lewis, eventually admitted that the league promotes segregation and simultaneously proposed a whites-vs.-blacks game called "snowball vs. bro ball."

The league, which has yet to actually set up shop anywhere, escaped media attention during much of the following months, but it's back in the spotlight thanks to "The Daily Show." Scroll down to see Jason Jones speak with the league's commissioner, who continues to defend the league.

Conservative media activist corners Franken, deliberately misstates bill

Conservative activist Jason Mattera attempted to make a name for himself by cornering Senator Al Franken and asking him about a provision in HCR that "sets up a $7 billion slush fund for jungle gyms". It's obvious that Mattera was pulling a stunt when he referred to Franken as "Senator Smalley". To his credit, Franken didn't take the bait. Despite the best (futile) efforts of his staff, Franken didn't back down either.

Media Matters factchecked and found

The provision Mattera himself reads refers to giving grants to "provide physical activity opportunities" in order to reduce chronic disease. After falsely claiming that the bill contains a provision "giving $7 billion to fund jungle gyms," Mattera reads the provision he's referring to, which contains no mentions of "jungle gyms." In the "Creating Healthier Communities" portion of the Senate version of the bill, under the section "Community Transformation Grants," entities receiving grants may use them toward activities such as "creating healthier school environments, including increasing healthy food options, physical activity opportunities, promotion of healthy lifestyle, emotional wellness, and prevention curricula, and activities to prevent chronic diseases."

Jon Stewart on right wing health care violence

That bitch is just asking for it. If she wouldn't talk so much, I wouldn't have to hit her.

Newt Gingrich says something just like that about right-wing violence. See, it's all the Denmocrats fault for, like, legislating and stuff. Who do they think they are to, like, pass laws? They're asking for it. They're always asking for it. I don't wanna hit her, but she just begs for it.

ThinkProgress via Cesca

I think the Democratic leadership has to take some moral responsibility for having behaved with such arrogance, in such a hostile way, that the American people are deeply upset. So let’s be honest with this. This is a game that they’re playing. People should not engage in personal threats. I’m happy to condemn any effort to engage in personal threats. But I think the Democratic leadership has to take some real responsibility for having run a machine that used corrupt tactics, that bought votes, that bullied people, and as a result has enraged much of the American people. And I think it’d be nice for President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid to take some responsibility over what their actions have done to this country.

ThinkProgress has a reel of the right-wing stoking violence:

teaparty.org founder: "I've never seen any racial slurs" at tea party events; his sign: "Niggar"

Media Matters

The Washington Times' Joseph Curl reported that "Dale Robertson, founder of teaparty.org, said no one knows who might have yelled out racial epithets during" a recent Capitol Hill tea party protest. Curl later quoted Robertson as saying, "These people could be anybody. I wouldn't put it past the Democrats to plant somebody there. ... They're trying to label the tea party, but I've never seen any racial slurs."

Below is Dale:



Dale rhymes with Fail.

President signs health insurance mandate into law - 212 years ago

Paul O'Rourke

In July, 1798, Congress passed, and President John Adams signed into law “An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen,” authorizing the creation of a marine hospital service, and mandating privately employed sailors to purchase healthcare insurance.

This legislation also created America’s first payroll tax, as a ship’s owner was required to deduct 20 cents from each sailor’s monthly pay and forward those receipts to the service, which in turn provided injured sailors hospital care. Failure to pay or account properly was discouraged by requiring a law violating owner or ship's captain to pay a 100 dollar fine.

Glenn Beck, the Tea Party and lots of government handouts

Media Matters

The audience was typical of a large Beck fan gathering -- predominantly over 50 and white and heavy on retirees, the jobless and military veterans, or the kind of people who now often receive government benefits like Medicare or unemployment checks that would likely get hammered if policymakers actually listened to Beck's budget scheme.

Most of the attendees were eager to voice their resentments at the portrayal of Beck fans as either racist or as capable of violence -- but many of them clearly feel rage toward the Obama administration.

Perhaps none more so than 71-year-old Phillis Kluft, who raised four kids as a single mom in East Haven, Connecticut, and moved six years ago to The Villages, Fla., a retiree-laden epicenter of Beckmania where she now is a leader of the Tri-County Tea Party of Florida. Kluft said she believes that supporters of President Barack Obama want Washington are mainly seeking handouts.

"I saved money for my old age and didn't go on a vacation or buy a new car," she said, her voice rising in intensity. "It really galls me that these people sit on their ass and expect other people to take care of them!," the grandmother said, then adding to whoops of approval in Section 107, "I am so disgusted with this Obama bullshit!"

Let me please be clear, I am NOT suggesting that anyone who had paid into Social Security for a lifetime is on a government dole.

What I AM outright saying is that someone who relies on Social Security for their income should not be running around and criticizing social policies, since they've subscribed to one for their entire adult life and are now benefiting from it, living primarily on the income provided by it.

I will also say that Ms. Kluft should also consider that the average worker pays in enough to cover just less than 11 years of retirement. (The Heritage Foundation calculates that a 40-year-old male with an income just under $60,000, will contribute $284,360 in payroll taxes to the Social Security trust fund over his working life, and can expect to receive $2,208 per month in return under the current program). If she lives more than another 5 years, she'll be drinking my milkshake, so to speak. At that point can we condemn her for "sitting on her ass" and letting me take care of her?

Just something to think about.

Hypocrisy Watch: Jobless Teabaggers rely on gov't help to get by

Several articles have come out in the last few days (Benen, the New York Times and the Washington Post among them) regarding leaders of the Tea Party movement. what's repeatedly pointed out is that these people are not working - something that should be obvious because of the massive amounts of time on their hands. Having a job myself, I've found it difficult to attend any rallies. One of the more striking themes though is that these anti-government, anti-Socialism leaders are receiving government benefits.

First up is the guy who'se been advocating violence, including most recently, breaking thousands of windows in government offices - a Kristallnacht of sorts - to try to 'coerce' Congress into repealing health care reform. (Here's a link to some of the scarier things he advocates)

The Washington Post ran a profile of Mike Vanderboegh, a 57-year-old former militiaman from Alabama, who disapproves of the new Affordable Care Act. Vanderboegh, who describes himself as a "Christian libertarian" and has been part of various clandestine militia groups, has been encouraging those who agree with him to throw bricks through the windows of Democratic offices nationwide.

It's about what you'd expect from someone like this, and Vanderboegh is unapologetic about his extremism. In his interview with the Post, he makes multiple references to people who "are armed and are capable of making such resistance possible and perhaps even initiating a civil war."

But here is the kicker. He's on disability because of health problems! He receives benefits for one program and uses his newly-free-and-government-paid-for time to oppose a program that would help him! Dear sweet Zeus....

Vanderboegh said he once worked as a warehouse manager but now lives on government disability checks. He said he receives $1,300 a month because of his congestive heart failure, diabetes and hypertension.

Then there's the guy who lost his job and then 1) called his Congressman to 2) get government health care so he could spend his time opposing government health care.

Make any sense to you? No? Me either. By th3 way he now gets 3) Social Security, and presumably 4) Medicare. Which is... say it with me... government-run health care.

When Tom Grimes lost his job as a financial consultant 15 months ago, he called his congressman, a Democrat, for help getting government health care.

Then he found a new full-time occupation: Tea Party activist.

Mr. Grimes, who receives Social Security, has filled the back seat of his Mercury Grand Marquis with the literature of the movement, including Glenn Beck’s “Arguing With Idiots” and Frederic Bastiat’s “The Law,” which denounces public benefits as “false philanthropy.”

“If you quit giving people that stuff, they would figure out how to do it on their own,” Mr. Grimes said.

He and others do not see any contradictions in their arguments for smaller government even as they argue that it should do more to prevent job loss or cuts to Medicare. After a year of angry debate, emotion outweighs fact.

“If you don’t trust the mindset or the value system of the people running the system, you can’t even look at the facts anymore,” Mr. Grimes said.

Mr. Grimes is, however, looking for a job. You just won't guess where he's looking. Private sector?

Nooooope.

He's looking for the government, whose value system he doesn't trust, to 5) bail him out. AGAIN.

Mr. Grimes, for his part, is thinking of getting a part-time job with the Census Bureau.

Communist Obama to make U.S. an $8 billion profit on Citi bailout

Communism fail

Washington Post via Cesca

The Obama administration is making final preparations to sell its stake in the New York bank, according to industry and federal sources. At today's prices, the sale would net more than $8 billion, by far the largest profit returned from any firm that accepted bailout funds, and the transaction would be the second-largest stock sale in history.