Politics for Dumbies

I know this is two political-based entries in a row and I’m sorry to bore you, but I just had to write about the wonder that is Sarah Palin.

It’s so amazing to me that this Hillbilly was almost the Vice President of our country. Her popularity in certain sects of this country is absolutely astounding.

She is not very good at thinking on her feet, gets easily trapped by the media, and is so full of contradictions, it’s ridiculous.

There are two stories this week that really showcase her absurdity. The first isn’t a big deal, but is fairly humorous to me.

In a recent speech, Palin teased Obama about his use of a teleprompter, which is pretty stupid in the first place. Every politician prepares a speech before they go on stage. They either use paper or a teleprompter to guide them through it, which is far from an issue..even if Palin wants to make it one.

Her “calling out” of Obama was silly anyway, but what made it better was:
A. Palin has used teleprompters before and
B. She was caught with notes written on her left hand

So, a teleprompter is ridiculous, but a cheat sheet scribbled on your palm is ok? What makes it even better were the things she wrote on her hand. They were her “core believes” as a politician (cutting taxes, etc). Shouldn’t your core believes be something you don’t need to write down to remember? She looks like a 17-year-old running for Senior Class President.

The other piece of Palin news this week was her crusade against the word “retard.” Her son has Down’s Syndrome, so the use of that word really hits home for her. She berated (rightfully so) Obama’s cheif-of-staff Rahm Emanuel for calling liberal activists who wanted to run ads against conservative Democrats “fucking retarded” in a closed-door meeting at the White House.

Sure, Palin called Emanuel out on Facebook for this transgression, (which only aids my comparision of her to a 17-year-old running for class president), but that just shows how out-of-touch she is. Her heart was in the right place.

Ok, no problem so far. Palin has taken an issue that means something to her and is trying to hold people responsible. Just a few days later, Palin showed one of the main problems with politics.

Democrats and Republicans will blindly follow their party under almost any circumstances. No one wants to work together or cause ripples within their own party. It’s idiotic, counterproductive and affects the American People. Republicans will do just about anything to sabotage anything Obama wants to do and shoot down almost every Democrat-led initiative. And Dems do the same.

Back to Palin…Rush Limbaugh went on a tirade during his radio show about the issue in which he said “retarded” or some variation multiple times and even said there should be a “retard summit” at the White House.

For those who don’t know, Limbaugh is a conservative radio host who’s ideals are most in line with Palin’s. He is very powerful within the Republican party.

Palin had a chance to blast Limbaugh and condemn him for using the term and show that she will hold everyone accountable regardless of which side of the aisle they are on. Instead, she decided to defend Limbaugh’s use of the word that she compared to the “N-word.”

Palin said Limbaugh’s use of the word was okay because it was used for satire.

Way to stick to your guns Palin. She jumps all over a staffer in the Democratic White House, but lets the conservative talk show host off the hook. Anything to stay in line with the party, I guess.

Pathetic.

Until politicians stand up for what is right and not what their party wants, we’re never going to get ahead.

A for effort?

It’s no secret I am not the biggest fan of the politicians in South Carolina. They continually do bone-headed things and make poor decisions. I do have to give some credit (albeit minimal) to Senator Jim DeMint.

I took exception to two things he has done, especially his voting against the so-called Franken Amendment. For more background on the issue, check out this old entry.

I sent an e-mail to both Senators DeMint and Lindsay Graham. It took four months, but DeMint (or more likely, someone in his camp) actually responded. The following is his response:

“Thank you for contacting me about the Franken Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill.  I appreciate you taking the time to contact me about this important matter.

Like you, I believe that sexual assault is one of the most heinous and unjustifiable crimes. I support the tough prosecution of laws to provide justice for victims and prevent future occurrences.  As a husband and father, I consider rape indefensible and believe guilty parties should be punished to the full extent of the law.

The Franken Amendment was designed around the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, who was sexually assaulted at work and mistakenly believed that the arbitration agreement with her employer prevented her from having a court hearing.  However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the agreement did not prevent her from taking her employers to federal court.  Additionally, the Court ruled that arbitration clauses are between two parties and cannot prohibit the prosecution of crimes.

I voted against this amendment because our laws already protect victims of sexual assault. The real intent of the Franken Amendment was to prevent the Department of Defense from paying companies with existing contracts if those companies use arbitration, an idea that has been promoted at the encouragement of trial lawyers for years. Senator Franken was given the opportunity to rewrite the amendment so that it focused on rape prevention, but he refused. It should be noted that under President Obama, the Department of Defense opposed the Franken Amendment as well.

Thanks again for sharing your views with me.  Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to keep American families safe from violent crimes.  Please contact me again in the future about anything important to you or your family.  It is an honor to serve you and the people of South Carolina.

Sincerely,
Jim DeMint
United States Senator”

So, he gets credit for responding and at least feigning interest in what I had to say. I completely disagree with his “real reason” he voted against the amendment, but he tried.

I am Jack’s Disgust

Politics are polarizing. Almost every issue has two distinct sides and there is rarely a clear “right” stance on an issue.

It’s rare that an issue arises that is a no-brainer for either side of the political spectrum.

Or so it would seem…

Here’s some background on the issue from ThinkProgress.org

“In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. In an apparent attempt to cover up the incident, the company then put her in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and ‘warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.’ Even more insultingly, the DOJ (Department of Justice) resisted bringing any criminal charges in the matter…”

Because Ms. Jones was a contracted worker, there was some fine print in her contract with Halliburton which stated that she could not sue the company for any injury that occurs in the workplace. She could only bring the company to arbitration. Thankfully, her lawyers brought the issue to court and they ruled in her favor saying “her alleged injuries were not, in fact, in any way related to her employment and thus, not covered by the contract.”

I’m sure we can all agree that whole situation is pretty disgusting and that some form of change is needed with these contracts. Senator Al Franken (yes, the former SNL cast member) introduced an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that would punish contractors if they “restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.”

Once again, I think you would all agree that this is a good idea. In fact, some of us are probably wondering why this amendment even had to be discussed. This should be common sense. If an employee is raped on the job, they should have the right to sue the company and if said company tries to restrict them in anyway from doing this, they should be punished.

For some absurd reason known only to them, 30 Senators voted AGAINST this amendment. THIRTY! We aren’t talking about a lone insane yahoo, but 30 people who are trusted to make decisions on our behalf.

To say I am disgusted, upset, or dumbfounded is an understatement.

How could you possibly vote against something like this? There is ZERO argument that could be made to convince me otherwise. I know there are some politicians out there who will oppose anything that is put forth by the other party, but come on, this is just disgusting.

For those curious, here are the 30 a-holes who voted against the amendment. Unsurprisingly, such stand-up individuals as John Ensign are present.

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

Once again, I am extremely proud of the douche bags that run my new home state of South Carolina. Senators DeMint and Graham – you continue to shock me in your disappointing and idiotic decisions and stances on issues. Forget faking decisions on my and other South Carolinians’ behalf, neither of you are fit to run a lemonade stand, let alone this state.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/07/meet-the-senators-who-vot_n_312976.html

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/07/meet-the-senators-who-vot_n_312976.html

America Loses!!

Why in the fuck are people happy that Chicago did not win the 2016 Olympic bid? Idiots. So, people are so Anti-Obama that they would root against our country (which is in a recession) getting an extremely beneficial entity. How asinine is that?

The Olympics bring in MONEY. The Olympics foster excitement and national pride. So, what exactly is the reason for NOT wanting them in this country?

As much as I hated George Bush, I wouldn’t automatically hate something he supported. That’s stupid and close-minded. In fact, George Bush SUPPORTED CHICAGO’S BID FOR THE OLYMPICS. Not once did I think, screw the Olympics, Bush is an idiot!

Are conservatives Anti-American now or something? Are some of them willing to turn their back on the country in some fashion just because they don’t believe in Obama’s health care ideas?

When I don’t support an unjust war that was launched by my country on false information and lies, I’m told I’m Un-American….but people who cheer America losing an Olympic bid are a-okay!

Watch the idiocy here.

Also, this gem…

Just when I thought the douchebags that run my new home state were done making fools of themselves, I was so epically proven wrong.

Jim DeMint..welcome to Douchebaggers Club. You may recognize the other members: your fellow South Carolinian Politicians! There’s Mark “hiking the Appalachian Trail” Sanford, Joe “You lie!” Wilson, and Lindsey “The Geneva Convention is more a set of guidelines” Graham!

Here’s why DeMint has joined such an infamous group…

“Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has announced that he is heading down to Honduras to encourage those who helped fund and supported the coup against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to resist American pressure to return Zelaya to office.” (source)

DeMint is going to tell a foreign group to RESIST AMERICAN PRESSURE. Isn’t this some form of treason? This jackass is going to fly to another country and try to convince this group to resist his own country…

Is treason too harsh? I mean..what else could this be?

“Nazism is not a Metaphor”

For those of you who associate yourselves in any way with these types of people…well, you’re an idiot.

I am in no away anti-Republican.

I am anti-Crazy. And lately, a lot of hardcore right wingers, conservative talk show hosts (Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, et al.), and right wing corporations have overdosed on a shitload of crazy pills.

These talk show hosts and corporations are comparing Obama to Hitler and his health care plan to the Nazi movement. They have also said the new health care plan will push people into suicide and aid in killing the elderly. I wish I was joking.

These guys/groups get these ridiculous ideas into the public’s head and they eat it up. People are dumb. I’m sorry, but most humans are incredibly idiotic. We’ll believe anything we see on TV or read on the Internet. These “shock quotes” the groups are saying are internalized and repeated by the masses.

Comparing someone to a Nazi invokes very specific emotions and these emotions are not exactly minor. This can not be underestimated. People, at the behest of these conservative clowns, are showing up at Democratic Town Hall Meetings in angry mobs. They drown out speakers with their chants and have even started fights.

There have also been incidents of burning effigies of Democratic representatives and death threats.

It is only a matter of time before something worse happens. These talk show hosts have to stop invoking thoughts of the Nazi movement, which have essentially incited mini riots.

Please take a moment to watch this news clip about these issues. I know it’s kind of long, but its interesting (and quite scary). Check out the first 5 minutes or so at least – it is shocking.

Nazism is Not a Metaphor

Mouth Meet Foot

The Governor of my fine state continues to dig his ditch even deeper.

Mark Sanford refuses to shut his mouth and continues to talk about the affair he has been having with the woman from Argentina. His press conferences have been filled with PLENTY of TMI. After I read every quote, I shudder thinking about what his poor wife and children are going through.

They must be devastated already, but he won’t shut up about his mistress that it can only be adding to their pain. It’s terrible.

Here’s the latest:

1. Sanford compared his story to that of King David. “Disinterested in governing, King David either seduced or raped Bathsheba, resulting in her pregnancy, his attempts at a cover-up and his eventual assassination of her husband, a military leader” (source). Eventually, King David admitted his sins and all was forgiven! Horray!

So, I get that you are the governor of a SUPER Christian state, but that doesn’t mean you can just invoke some story from the Bible and expect to be forgiven.  It was a pathetic attempt to justify what he did.

THEN came these gems…

Earlier today he admitted “that he had visited with his Argentine mistress more times than he initially disclosed and that he had had inappropriate flirtations with several other women as well.”

I appreciate the honesty, but those are details maybe you keep between just your wife and yourself. He then goes on to say, “This was a whole lot more than a simple affair; this was a love story. A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day.” He followed that up by saying his mistress was his soul mate, but he is trying to fall back in love with his wife.

Wow, I bet Mrs. Sanford was flattered to hear that and must be ever-so excited to patch things up.

ASS. HOLE.

What the fuck must his kids must be thinking? This guy is quickly becoming one of the biggest douches in history.

—

So, for those of you who voted for the McCain/Palin ticket you must have been on to something. Apparently, Palin doesn’t just have God on her side, but she also speaks directly THROUGH her.

Someone released an e-mail she wrote to friends after the birth of her son, Trig (oh and what the fuck is up with childrens’ names? Trig/Track/Piper/Bristol/Willow??) But I digress…in this e-mail, “she wrote the e-mail not in her own name but in God’s, and signed it “Trig’s Creator, Your Heavenly Father.”

I don’t know even know how to make fun of this. I can only steal a line from the Hangover – “You are literally too stupid to make insult.”

Republicans Gone Wild!

Stupid Is As Stupid Does Vol. 2…enjoy…

This edition will deal with the recent spat of Republicans getting into hot water. You know, the same Republicans that claim family values are of the utmost importance…until they decide otherwise.

First up, is a story that broke last week.

Hypocrisy, thy name is Ensign.

John Ensign that is. This upstanding gentleman is the Senator of Nevada. Last week Mr. Ensign admitted that he had carried out a nearly year-long extramarital affair with a female member of his campaign staff.

Normally, this is where the story stops being interesting. It’s not shocking that yet another politician admits that he cheated on his wife. This is obviously a moral issue and I bet every person here would have a different opinion in regards to what a politician’s next step should be.

Should they automatically resign? Does their personal life matter if they are still doing their job well? These are questions that could be debated forever. However, the reason I have such anger is because the story does not stop there.

Not only did he have an affair with someone he works closely with, but she was married…to another one of his employees! Oh, and the husband wasn’t just an employee, he was Ensign’s freakin SENIOR AIDE. If this is how he treats those closest to him, how can he be trusted to treat the general public well?

Still not angered? Is this story still kinda “ho-hum, no surprises here”? Don’t worry it isn’t done.

According to a Washington Post story, the woman’s salary doubled during the time she had the affair with Ensign. Her husband also got additional pay during this time and their son was put on the payroll.  No red flags there…

So, to recap – this moron completely abused his power and had a hand in giving the whole family extra money. It can safely be assumed that he did this to take care of his mistress and to ease his guilt over what he was doing behind the father and son’s backs.

What’s that you say? Shouldn’t Ensign get bonus points for randomly admitting the affair? Most politicians lie in the face of overwhelming evidence that they are cheaters before finally admitting the truth, so this was a nice change of pace, right?

Yea..no. Soon after his press conference, some media outlets reported that the husband found out about the affair and was threatening to go public.

Oh, but it’s not done. Here’s where the hypocrisy comes in…

Ensign was EXTREMELY vocal during the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal back in the late 90s. He called out Clinton for his actions saying, it was “an embarrassing moment for the country…I think we have to feel very sad for the American people.”

He even went so far as to say Clinton should resign – “I came to that conclusion recently, and frankly it’s because of what he put his whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through…He has no credibility left.”

So, regardless of where you stand on this issue, how could you not demand that this man resign? If he doesn’t, he is a complete hypocrite and HE will be the one with no credibility left. How can you publicly call someone out and demand they quit their job and then not follow your own advice?

Politicians have their word and that is about it. The public has to trust them to not only do what is right for the community/country, but also practice what they preach. His attacks on Clinton seem so empty now and it would be hard to rally behind this jackass the next time he calls someone else out.

If I was a constituent in Nevada, I would be calling for this man’s resignation letter IMMEDIATELY.

—

The next story hits close to home because it involves South Carolina’s Governor. Republican Mark Sanford has had a crazy week.

A few days ago the media in South Carolina started reporting that Governor Sanford was essentially missing. NO ONE knew where the hell he was. Not even his WIFE. However, no one seemed to be concerned. It was odd to say the least.

The details slowly started to come out yesterday and it got weirder and weirder. Here is a timeline that I stole from The State, which broke most of this story:

“Thursday

Sanford leaves the Governor’s Mansion in a black State Law Enforcement Division Suburban assigned to his security detail. A precise time is unavailable.

Friday

Law enforcement officials get no response to phone and text messages sent to Sanford.

Saturday

The governor’s office reports to police that there is no reason for concern but provides no details.

SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) chief Reggie Lloyd confirms that Sanford’s whereabouts are known.

Sunday

Lt. Gov. (aka the man who should be in charge when the Governor is missing/hurt/otherwise unable to do his job) Andre Bauer learns Sanford’s whereabouts are unknown.

Monday

Monday morning — Reporters hear rumors that Sanford’s location is a mystery.

2:30 p.m. State Sen. Jake Knotts issues a statement raising questions about Sanford’s absence, asking who is in charge of the executive branch of S.C. government.

2:40 p.m. The State newspaper posts an online article saying Sanford has been out of reach for four days.

2:50 p.m. The governor’s office issues a statement that Sanford “is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle. … We are not going to discuss the specifics.”

3 p.m. The Associated Press reports that first lady Jenny Sanford says she does not know where her husband is, but he is taking time away from their four boys, “to write something.” She says she is not worried.

Midafternoon Sanford security officials are told by the governor’s office that he is OK. No details are provided.

3:40 p.m. The lieutenant governor’s office says Sanford’s office says it has spoken to Sanford and knows where he is.

5 p.m. As media inquiries escalate to include national news outlets, Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer issues another statement. It says in part, “Before leaving last week, (Sanford) let staff know his whereabouts and that he’d be difficult to reach.” He declines to elaborate. Sawyer also doesn’t know whether Sanford is still in the country.

10:05 p.m. The governor’s office issues a statement saying Sanford is hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Staff members do not know where Sanford is on the trail and will not say whether he is hiking with anyone.

Tuesday

9:42 a.m. The governor’s office issues a statement saying staffers have spoken with Sanford and he will return to work today.

Wednesday

Gov. Sanford arrives in the early morning at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for the drive back to Columbia.”

Yikes! Sanford held an odd, rambling press conference today to explain where he was. Well, as it turns out Sanford was in Argentina…visiting a married woman with whom he has been having an affair with for the last year. (For those who are curious, Sanford’s wife has known about it for 5 months.)

There are so many issues here. Once again, there are obvious moral issues –  cheating on your spouse, lieing to those closest to you (telling his staff he would be hiking the Appalachian Trail when in actuality he was in another country), and allowing your subordinates to look incomptent – but these things could be debated in regards to if we, the public, needs to know about them.

What can NOT be debated is that because Sanford completely abused his power, possibly broke some laws, and did not pass along his plans to staffers which meant NO ONE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE STATE WHILE HE WAS GONE, the public needed to know.

He was completely unreachable while he was out visiting his mistress, which means if there was some kind of state emergency, the State of South Carolina would have been screwed.

The Lt. Gov should be the next in charge, but if he is unprepared or unaware that he needs to step in, valuable time could have been wasted.

What type of emergency could have happened? Oh, I don’t know…maybe an out-of-control wild fire…or a hurricane since it is hurricane season. What’s the big deal? Can’t the rest of the state government step in?

Well, remember when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and how devastating it was to that city? Imagine the same scenario made worse because the Governor was nowhere to be found and important decisons were delayed due to the fact that no one knew where the Hell he was or how to reach him!

The whole state and federal government was in tact and bracing for Hurricane Katrina and we still fucked it up!

To me, this situation is unforgiveable. Sanford should resign for these irresponsible transgressions.

I don’t know how, but I am going to make my opinion known to the Governor’s office. Even if it is just a letter or email to other legislators, I plan on submitting something.

Side note – He is just as big of a hypocrite as Ensign. He did the whole “Clinton should resign” dance and called out a few other politicians for lieing to the public or cheating on their wives. He also had campaign ads toting his Christian values and honesty. Douche. Bag.

Affairs are nothing to laugh at or ignore when they involve those governing our towns, states, and/or country, but it’s an issue that could be debated. Do we need to know about their personal lives if it does not affect our own lives, prevent their jobs from being done, does not abuse power, or does not involve using any State-issued funds? Where does privacy end?

“Luckily,” these two situations don’t need to be debated. These two men took their affairs above and beyond the basic moral implications.

Both should resign effective immediately.

Stupid is as stupid does: Vol. 1

I’ve decided to start yet another series. This one will detail the moronic things people do/say. Enjoy!

FACTS:

1. People are dumb.

2. It’s fun to make fun of stupid people.

3. Racists are extra dumb, so they are even more fun to make fun of.

You probably heard about the shooting that took place at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. If note here is a quick recap: An elderly, racist douchebag (some refer to this walking bag of douche as a “man”) walked into the museum and attempted to kill anyone within site. Thankfully, due to the quick-thinking of the guards at the museum, the tragedy wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Clearly, this “man” (88 year-old James von Brunn) is a complete and utter idiot. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact.

But the story and his idiocicy does not stop there. Police found some handwritten notes in his car which were filled with all sorts of gems.  I’m going to focus on the “best” part:

“The Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America’s money. Jews control the mass media. The First Amendment is abrogated — henceforth” (source).

Where to begin? I guess we’ll break it down piece-by-moronic-piece.

“The Holocaust is a lie” – This shouldn’t have to be dignified with a response. Apparently, “evidence” and “proof” are foreign concepts to this man.

“Obama was created by Jews” – So…Let me get this straight…Our President was manufactured by a group of Jewish people? Like immaculate conception? Or is he some kind of robot? I mean either way color me impressed. Somehow we were tricked into voting a robot or some sort of mythical being into our Presidency. Normaly, I’d be mad at this revelation, but this is so damn clever and impressive I just can’t be upset.

“Obama does what Jew owners tell him to do” – Well this makes sense. I mean Jews created him, so why wouldn’t Fraken-Obama listen to them. Frankly, at this point I’m thinking about converting. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be part of religion that just materializes human-beings from nothing and usher them into the White House?

“Jews captured America’s money. Jews control the mass media.” – Playing into a popular stereotypes here. I’m disappointed because he’s just being lazy with this excetrp. I was expecting something more outlandish. He definitely lost some momentum.

“The First Amendment is abrogated — henceforth.” – AND HE’S BACK IN THE GAME! This guy just abolished the First Amendment. That. Just. Happened. Wow. So, even though the Jews control our President, our money, and the mass media, this jackass somehow has the power to completely erase a section of The Bill of Rights. Impressive.

So, good luck next time your try to evoke your right to free speech, because it’s gone.