GOP Lawsuit Against Obama: Third Time's The Charm

After two failed attempts to persuade a lawyer to take their case, House Republicans have finally reeled one in.  Now it's Full Speed Ahead in the GOP lawsuit against President Obama.  Paid for by YOUR tax dollars.

Nancy Pelosi summed the whole thing up in much more printable language than I would have used:

“This lawsuit is a bald-faced attempt to achieve what Republicans have been unable to achieve through the political process. The legislative branch cannot sue simply because they disagree with the way a law passed by a different Congress has been implemented.”

And she accused Republicans of “prioritizing the special interests and the howls of impeachment-hungry extremists before the needs of the nation.”

That's putting it mildly.

Nancy Pelosi: “Friends Don’t Let Friends Bend Over”

Nancy Pelosi (D—Vertebrate) thinks some of her fellow Democrats — including Obama — have been doing too much bending, stooping and cheek-spreading, in the desperate hope that Republicans will quit stealing their lunch money and tripping them in the cafeteria. How’s this strategy working out for them? It’s a good thing the Democrats have done so much compromising and appeasing; otherwise Congress would be completely polarized. Rightwing talking heads would be saying terrible things about Obama and congressional Democrats.

Thank God that hasn’t happened.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey said Pelosi will lead Democrats in:

“…pulling on the president's shirttails to make sure that he doesn't move from center-right to far-right. We think if he'd done less compromising in the last two years, there's a good chance we'd have had a jobs bill that would have created real jobs, and then we wouldn't even be worrying about having lost elections.”

Congress still hasn’t acted on the Bush tax cuts. Pelosi wants to be sure Obama doesn’t bend over and “compromise” by making the tax cuts permanent for millionaires. Rep. Elijah Cummings said:

“Pelosi can provide that balance with the White House. Democrats want to make sure that they've got somebody at the table with the president, looking him eye-to-eye and saying basically, 'You've got some people who have been very, very loyal to you — not just progressives but moderates, too — and they truly believe that that's not the right thing to do.’”

He also said Pelosi might enable Obama to play the Good Cop to Pelosi’s Bad Cop:

“In his negotiations with the Republicans, Obama needs to be able to say, 'Look, you say you're not going to compromise, but I've got Nancy Pelosi over here who is very passionate about these issues, and I have to listen to what she's saying.’”

Health Insurance Companies: “Go Ahead, Cut the Baby in Half”

To everybody with at least two brain cells to rub together, it’s been obvious since the early 1990s that the health insurance industry has only one interest: gouging as many people as possible for as much money as possible. Period.

Their interest in health care is about the same as a loan shark’s heartfelt concern that everybody should have as much money as they need.

If the HMOs’ cutthroat mentality wasn’t obvious fifteen years ago, it became crystal clear last August when thousands of HMO lobbyists and their inbred mouthbreathing followers “concerned everyday citizens” staged a bunch of “spontaneous” demonstrations and town hall disruptions.

And the health sharks’ ruthlessness and jugular mentality became even more blatant just a few days ago. Two days before the final committee vote on health care reform, the HMOs released a last-minute “report” showing how devastating it would be for every American if the HMOs’ profits were jeopardized.

This was a “report???” How about a “report” from one of those drug cartels, showing the incredible health benefits of shooting heroin at least three times a day.

And you’ve gotta love the timing. It’s exactly the same as those last-minute “hit pieces” that political candidates send out just a day or two before an election. The opponent doesn’t have time to respond, so thousands of voters go to the polls thinking “Oh my God, he raped and murdered his granddaughter and then threw the corpse at his ex-wife?!?!? That does it, I’m voting for his opponent.”

There hasn’t exactly been a Solomon anywhere in this health care debate. But even without one, the health insurers have shown their true colors. They’ve become that infamous mother who didn’t care if the baby was cut in half as long as that other woman couldn’t have him. “It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!” screamed the HMOs.

Referring to the HMOs’ last-minute tantrum and pout-fest, Nancy Pelosi said:

“Anyone who had any doubts about the need for such an option need only look at the behavior of the health insurance industry this week. The idea that we would have health insurance reform without a public option becomes less likely. If you are going to mandate that people must buy insurance, why would you throw them into the lion's den of the insurance industry without some leverage with a public option?”

You Go Girl.

Congressional Democrats: Do Something or Get the F#$&#$#! Out

E.J. Dionne has a blunt message for our Democratic “leaders” in Congress. He also has some sympathy for their self-created dilemma. Yes, it’s hell to be a spineless boneless jellyfish.

As he puts it: “Republicans chortle as they block Democratic initiatives — and accuse the majority of being unable to govern. Rank-and-filers are furious their leaders can't end the Iraq war.”

The Democrats can't pass any legislation because Republicans keep stalling their bills with one parliamentary move after another. This fact by itself should be a PR advantage for the Democrats. But as usual, they just lie back and let the Republican Spin Machine paint them into a corner. “Tax and spend,” “they don’t support our troops,” “nanny state,” yada yada yada.

Republicans seem to know zillions of obscure parliamentary rules that can be invoked on every possible occasion. “It’s Tuesday and we haven’t had lunch yet. Section 37D Paragraph 24 clearly states…”

So why can't the Democrats do this? Congressional Republicans had Clinton practically paralyzed during the last six years of his presidency. What do they know that the Democrats don’t know? Or maybe they have spines and the Democrats don’t.

Dionne says: “In an ideal world, Democrats would pass a lot of legislation that Bush would either have to sign or veto. The president would have to take responsibility for his choices.”

Fortunately for Dumbya, his Congressional drones are protecting him from any personal responsibility. Since they keep most legislation from even getting to his desk, he can just sit there spilling whiskey and learning songs about Condi. (Bonus Question: Name the Tom Waits song alluded to in the previous sentence.)

And the Democrats’ razor-thin majority in the Senate isn't helped when Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama are too busy running for president to be bothered with their mundane jobs in the Senate.

No wonder people are fed up with the two party system. Oh, there're some differences between the two. On the right we have a bunch of stormtroopers marching in lockstep. On the left, a bunch of spineless blobs call out “how high sir?” whenever the stormtroopers say “Jump!” And jumping without a spine ain't easy.

Do the Democrats stand a chance in 2008? According to Dionne, this is what they have to do:

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should ...use the Christmas break to come up with a joint program for 2008. They could start with the best ideas from their presidential candidates in areas such as health care, education, cures for the ailing economy and poverty-reduction. Agree to bring the same bills to a vote in both houses. Try one more time to change the direction of Iraq policy. If Bush and the Republicans block their efforts, bring all these issues into the campaign. Let the voters break the gridlock.”

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Nancy Pelosi: Jeopardizing the Peace Process?

Nancy Pelosi sure did push some buttons with her famous trip to Syria. Bush doesn’t want ANY outside interference in his plan (whatever the Hell that is) for the Middle East. Hey, things are going great over there; let’s not jeopardize anything.

Now if any Republicans want to go to Syria, that’s cool. But Democrats — stay the F%$#!#$!! out! And this includes any Democratic ex-president who might have an excellent track record for peace agreements.

Jimmy Carter was ordered by Bush not to go to Syria. He said: “I have known President Bashar al-Assad since he was a college student, and I thought it might be helpful if I went and urged him to support the peace process in the Middle East. But for the only time in my life as a former president, I was ordered by the White House not to go.”

That’s sort of like Barry Bonds offering to help a Little League player with his batting stance — and getting told to F%$#!##!! off.

Now, thousands of rightwing bloggers have dutifully followed their Master’s Orders to display that picture of Nancy Pelosi wearing a head scarf when she was in Syria. For them, here's a little primer from the “DUUUHHH!!!” category:

Most Moslems are offended by the sight of any exposed body part, including long hair. Most women have their hair covered. Pelosi was just following the motto of “when you're in Rome…” More American travelers should be this perceptive about following local customs.

Wearing a head scarf in Syria is no different than being in Japan and taking your shoes off before entering someone’s house. You don’t wear revealing clothing when you're in church, and you don’t walk around most Moslem countries with your long hair flowing.

Understand now?