Did you know that Paul Ryan wants to end Medicare….

…..or phase it out for folks under 55?

Word on the net now has Ryan Targeted in Wisconsin. Paul Ryan’s district narrowly went for Obama in 2008.

Rob Zerban thinks he can knock off a Wisconsin giant next fall.

And Democrats on Capitol Hill agree that this 42-year-old businessman, a former Republican with limited experience in county politics, could be their best shot at defeating House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R) in more than a decade.

[…]

Indeed, as Ryan’s national profile balloons, his 2012 re-election campaign in Wisconsin’s 1st district could be growing more difficult.

The seven-term Congressman is now the face of the GOP plan to transform Medicare, an issue largely blamed for an embarrassing Republican defeat in western New York’s special election last week. And recent polling suggests that Ryan’s popularity among independents and Democrats, a group he will need to hold his moderate district, is falling.

“The more he’s front and center on Medicare, the better chance I think I have,” Zerban said.

Democrats certainly believe they have an opportunity to nationalize the Wisconsin House race, driving resources and energy from across the country into a swing district Ryan has held relatively comfortably since 1998. And they believe that fallout from New York’s GOP debacle will help.

If I were advising this Zerban guy, I’d make sure all the voters knew that Paul Ryan is the architect for the GOP’s to cut taxes for rich folks and Medicare for everyone else to pay for it. If you are under 55, you better cut back on spending and double or triple your 401K contributions today, because you’ll paying twice as much for health insurance (if you can find it) under the Ryan plan.

I wonder if folks in Wisconsin know about this.

Cain at 2nd in Iowa

That is what the internets are saying right now. There is a market for the Crazy Vote in the GOP primary. If it consolidates behind a single candidate, this is big trouble for the GOP.

Wingnuttery of the Week

Via Powerline Blogger John Hinderaker:

I'm not sure why nearly all pundits are convinced that Palin isn't running for president, but I hope they are right. She is never going to win over the fringe voters that will be decisive in 2012. But that's OK. Sarah Palin has a unique ability to communicate with and motivate a significant chunk of the electorate that is critical to the GOP's hopes in the next couple of election cycles. She will do a great service for her country if she devotes her efforts to tying the left up in frustrated knots, while helping to deliver for conservative candidates the voters with whom she has a unique relationship. Which, at this point, seems to be exactly what she has in mind.

Actually, it’s the Fringe Voters – the far right fringe voters - that are her base. However the reason she would have trouble getting elected President is because she scares the beejesus out of a large portion of the electorate. Outside the wing-net, this portion of the electorate is not usually labeled as “the fringe.”

Ryan Lizza is a Cold S.O.B.

Sticking the shiv to Mitt Romney in the NewYorker:

If it were not for Romney, with crucial assistance from the Heritage Foundation and George W. Bush, it’s extremely unlikely that Obama would have passed his universal health-care law last year, although the two laws differ in important ways. The basic architecture, however, is the same.

And then the Teabaggers came and thus Romneycare ceased to be a center right market based solution to health insurance reform and became the Death of Freedom, instead.

Scopes Trial Conservatism Discussed

Why does the Republican Party Hate Science?

Here’s one theory (and its just a theory):

The truth is, the current incarnation of the GOP, frozen in its pose of perpetually indignant outrage, doesn’t want additional perspective, more data and nuance, and — Heaven forbid — dissenting voices. The impulse to marginalize, condemn, ridicule, and finally choke off dissenting voices is not only what’s behind Senator Coburn’s war on the NSF, it’s behind the GOP-sponsored culture war that has sucked much of the oxygen out of the national discourse for more than a decade now.

Republicans don’t like science and scientists because they are sources of data that are independent of GOP-approved propaganda mills like Fox News. Pesky scientists and academics are always popping up to dispute the Roger Ailes-approved buzz-quote of the day — on climate change, on health care, on the effects of poverty on the rapidly evaporating middle class, on the diversity of American families, and on the importance of funding basic research instead of commercially-driven ventures constrained by short-term considerations like ROI.

Today’s GOP has a visceral distrust of scientists for the same reason that it has a visceral distrust of the “lamestream media” (particularly deeply reported news organizations like The New York Times), teachers, organized labor, regulatory agencies, National Public Radio, and protest movements that are have not been astroturfed for Fox News’ cameras by Koch Industries: They’re not with the program, whatever this week’s program might be — more windfalls to Big Oil, justifying torture, or floating amendments to officially brand gay people as second-class citizens.

Science, you could say, has a built-in left-wing bias, because it does not appeal to simplistic notions of God, country, tribal supremacy, or any of the other lesser angels of our nature that the GOP finds handy for its get-out-the-angry-vote drives. (The backers of a spectacularly mean-spirited effort to put a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on the 2012 ballot in Minnesota — despite the fact that marriage equality is already illegal in that state —admitted that fundraising concerns were a motivating force in ramming the bigoted amendment through the House at the last minute, even against the wishes of Republicans in districts that are open-minded about marriage equality.)

Putting it a little more politely, I believe that opposition to science stems from a populist reaction to the fact that it takes eggheads using dark arts like science to run the Country.

How does the healthcare system work, how does Wallstreet work, what’s the deal with global warming, etc., – the average fella’ will have a hard time answering these questions without generalities. It takes dedicated people (experts) with years of study a particular discipline to answer these questions. Yet it is ordinary folks that go to the polls to, in theory, decide policy matters that affect science, finance, healthcare, etc. How does one make an informed decision on wallstreet reform if you haven’t studied finance for a decade or three? You can’t. You have to rely on experts whether it’s the pointy headed bureaucrat at the EPA setting air standards or the fmr Harvard Professor overseeing the President’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The average fella’ doesn’t have a say in these matters anymore – it’s the egghead calling the shots instead of the people at the polls. So it is the Eggheads that get the blame.

You see patterns – right wing populism against Science – start to emerge in the 1920s most notably in opposition to the teaching of Evolution and the Scopes trial. This marks the beginning of movement conservatism in America.

Karl Rove Senses Sarahgeddon?

"There's a difference between crowds and what you need to run a campaign.

Some of the biggest campaign crowds that you've ever seen in modern, American politics occurred in the 1972 election, and they were crowds for George McGovern, who was going down to a huge defeat.

So you can't equate size of crowds, necessarily, with your acceptance by a broader populace."

Rove is talking about Sarahgeddon (noun) [sair ə gédd’n]

Definition:

(1) A term describing the prediction of tribal elders that would follow the nomination of Sarah Palin as the Republican Party Presidential Nominee. (2) A catastrophic event following the presidential nomination of Sarah Palin. (3) An apocalypse signaling the End of Times for the GOP or at worst the end of the current Republican coalition.

Used in Everyday Conversation:

In the Bible, the battle Armageddon occurs between the forces of good and evil that is predicted to mark the end of the world and precede the Day of Judgment. Contrast that with Sarahgeddon in which the forces of ignorance, fear and greed unite under the banner of Sarah Palin bringing forth a Day of Judgment for the Republican Party ending in its destruction with only the meek left to wander the wilderness preaching the dogma of tax cuts and free market fundamentalism as a panacea for all the ails the world.

via

These People Are Very Lucky People

What the best way to end a Mitt Romney question and answer session? This way - Early:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney‘s forum meeting in Des Moines was cut short Friday after a fire alarm went off in the Iowa State Historical Building, forcing an evacuation.

Romney was in Des Moines Friday to answer questions posed through a forum hosted by iowapolitics.com and the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Though giving heavy indications he will enter the political race next week, Romney all but confirmed his candidacy. But while he said he would be a familiar face in Iowa throughout the rest of year, he did not confirm if he will attend the GOP Ames Straw Poll, or the February 2012 Iowa caucus.

During a question and answer session, a fire alarm went off throughout the building. The former governor evacuated with supporters and members of thee media, continuing to sign autographs and pose for photos for several minutes before climbing in a light-colored SUV headed for Cedar Rapids, where Romney has scheduled appearances Friday evening.

Must have come as a relief to the poor folks trapped in the room with Willard.

Flirting with DISASTER

Maybe Republicans should nominate Paul Ryan. Or Sarah Palin. Maybe we need to get the passions of 2009-2011 out of our system once and for all. Maybe it’s just excessively rationalistic to imagine that human beings can think their way out of their problems in advance. Maybe Benjamin Franklin was wiser when he said (using the word “master” in its older sense of “teacher”): “Experience is a hard master, but fools will have no other.”

Comrade David Frum on the 2012 Presidential Election

Why is Comrade Frum using the term “we” when referring to the GOP. Doesn’t he know that he’s at best a RINO and at worst a liberal to his former Republican colleagues?

As far as the Benjamin Franklin quote goes, he maybe right. That’s what the eggheads that study political science tells us. Party Preferences moderate after experience teaches otherwise.

Is Sarah Planning to Launch Half a Campaign for President?

Let’s face it. If Sarah declares for president, odds are that she’ll just quit half way through the campaign. It’ll be fun to watch, like a slow moving train wreck, but ultimately that’s all it’d be. So will she do it?

After forcing out Gingrich and Santorum for presidential aspirations, her employers at Fox say Sarah’s staying put:

Fox News Channel said Thursday that Sarah Palin will remain on air as a paid contributor, despite renewed speculation over whether she will run for president.

Palin’s political action committee announced she was launching a week-long bus tour Memorial Day weekend, beginning in Washington and heading to sites of historical significance on the East Coast.

The return to public appearances comes as she prepares to debut a flattering movie about her career next month in Iowa, and reports said she was buying a house in Arizona.

Asked by CNN if there was any change in Palin’s role or if there was discussion of a deadline for a decision by Palin, Fox News Executive Vice President of Programming Bill Shine said in a statement, “We are not changing Sarah Palin’s status.”

I think Sarah likes being a Lamestream Media Figure and all the attention she gets from the wingeratti.

On the other hand, if she does run I wonder what excuse she’ll give when she quits the race. No doubt the Meanstream Media will be at least partly to blame when she quits. But if Sarah holds true to form, she’ll most likely blame her opponent(s) for wanting to harm her children.

Question of the Day:

What’s the biggest difference between Obamacare and Romneycare?

Obamacare does not cover abortions. Rim shot.

Mitt just can't catch a break. I wonder if his friends will mention this during any debates.

There is a Downside to that failed Rapture

If last weekend’s Rapture had gone as scheduled and taken the faithful to heaven while leaving the rest of us behind, the American electorate would be markedly transformed. While I am not familiar with the fine print governing who gets swept up and who stays behind but I think it safe to say that some GOP candidates wouldn’t be with us anymore. GOP primary could turn into Gingrich’s (who changes wives like religions) for the taking or a 2 man dogfight between Gingrich and Romney, if Mormons are excluded from Rapture Participation on a technicality. If it was up to me, I’d let them in, but it is not up to me. Anyway the good folks at Public Policy Polling got to thinking about what the electorate would look like separating Raptureites from reality based folks.

Here is what they found:

11% of voters though think the Rapture will occur in their lifetimes, even if it didn't happen last weekend. 66% think it will not happen and 23% are unsure. If the true believers who think the Rapture will happen in their lifetime are correct- and they're the ones who had the strongest enough faith to get taken up into heaven- then that's going to be worth a 2-5 point boost to Obama's reelection prospects. That's because while only 6% of independents and 10% of Democrats think the Rapture will happen during their lifetime, 16% of Republicans do. We always talk about demographic change helping Democrats with the rise of the Hispanic vote, but if the Rapture occurs it would be an even more immediate boost to Democratic electoral prospects.

Obama's lead over Romney is 7 points with all voters, but if you take out the ones who think the Rapture will occur in their lifetime his advantage increases to 9 points. That's because the Rapture voters support Romney by a 49-35 margin. Against Gingrich Obama's 14 point lead overall becomes a 17 point one if you take out take the 'Rapturers' because they support Gingrich 50-37. And Obama's 17 point lead over Palin becomes a 22 point spread without those voters because they support Palin 54-37.

Palin is the only person we tested on this poll who is actually popular with people who think the Rapture is going to happen. She has a 53/38 favorability with them, compared to 33/41 for Romney, 26/48 for Gingrich, and a 31/58 approval for Obama. Palin's problem is that her favorability with everyone who doesn't think the Rapture will happen is 27/66 [MINE- note the presence of the crazification factor here].

While few voters think the Rapture is coming, they're pretty darn confident that they're going up to Heaven if it does. 66% think they would be taken up to only 13% who think they'd be stuck down here and 21% who are unsure. It would really change the political landscape if everyone who thought they were going to be Raptured was correct. With the 34% of voters remaining here on earth Obama leads Romney 53-35, Gingrich 56-31, and Palin 61-26. You're talking a blowout of epic proportions next year with the third of voters that would remain.

There is a downside to everything, I guess. No rapture means we are stuck with an ungodly amount of Palin supporters for the time being. But if the rapture comes before November, that may be a different story.

Growing Unrest threatens Wisconsin Strongman’s Grip on Power

The people of Wisconsin are growing ever more restless. Will they remove Scott Walker from the Governor’s Mansion?

Scott Walker's popularity has continued to decline over the last three months and Wisconsin voters now say they would vote to recall him if there was an election today. They also say they would pick either Russ Feingold or Tom Barrett over Walker in a head to head match up.
43% of voters now approve of the job Walker is doing to 54% who disapprove.

50% say they would support a recall to 47% who are opposed. That Walker's disapproval is 54% but the support for recall is only 50% shows there are still some voters who dislike him but wouldn't go so far as to support removing him from office, but there aren't many.

The Downward slide in support continues for the Mubarak-like figure.

Quote of the Day

"Last night at a Texas Rangers game, did you hear about this, former President George W. Bush, he almost got hit with a foul ball. Almost got hit, yeah. Bush vowed revenge on the batter but you know Obama's going to be the one to actually get him."

~ Conan O'Brien

Wingnuttery of the Week

Beware of Fmr Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Some say he’s a Republican in Name Only, a RINO:

“There’s a rhino on the prairie, some say it’s a powerful beast. Others say it it’s just a donkey with a thick leathery coat.”

Via The Corner

I’ve been to the Zoo and am assured that a rhino is nothing like a donkey.

Paul Ryan is a Brute!

Look what he does to Grandma!

Actually I don’t think this is Paul Ryan in the ad. More likely it’s a Ryan look-alike that pushes Grandma off the cliff. I guess what the ad is saying is that Ryancare would really suck.

How bad a whupping Was Last Night’s election?

Paul Ryan's Medicare Phase Out plan went down in flames last night as Democrat Kathy Hochul won the special election for NY-26^th Congressional district. She won fairly handily last night, despite the fact that the district has been a GOP stronghold.

This will be spun a variety of ways, but according to wing-net the result is a decisive Beat Down for Republican Jane Corwin and Ryancare by extension:

It’s bad enough that Hochul is running even with Obama’s totals from the best Democratic year in the past three decades. But the comparison to 2010 is truly frightening. Republicans were competitive in two statewide races last year, those for comptroller and attorney general. Fueled by the GOP wave, the Republican candidates in those races received 66 and 60 percent in NY-26 — well above McCain’s 52 percent in 2008 and George W. Bush’s 55 percent in 2004. Hochul is running 15 points ahead of the lowest performing 2010 Democrat, and, because of Davis, Republican Jane Corwin is running about 18 percent below the lowest performing Republican.

The verdict is clear. For whatever reason, the blue-collar independents and Democrats who voted Republican in droves last year did not vote GOP tonight. And many blue-collar Republicans voted for Davis rather than Corwin.

Some NRO Guy

Saddled with Ryan’s Medicare Phase Out Jane Corwin underperformed the lowest performing 2010 republican by 18 points. Truth be told, this should have been a cakewalk for her and I suspect it would have been but for one factor: she embraced Ryancare. Ouch. Ryan's plan is almost comically villainous. It has to be for an 18 point turn around.

This type of unforced error, endorsing Ryancare, is, I believe a result of pounding way too much tea or kool-aid. I tell you the Wingers seriously need to turn off the Foxnews and the AM Radio.

TeabaggingWorks Targets Willard Milton Romney

As is his signature “Romneycare” health insurance reform was enough to alienate the GOP base from Mitt, now Dick Armey’s Tea Bag Outfit is after him as well:

A top goal of the nation’s most influential national Tea Party group is to stop Mitt Romney from winning the Republican nomination for president.

Interviews with top officials at FreedomWorks, a Washington-based organizing hub for Tea Party activists around the country, revealed that much of their thinking about the 2012 election revolves around derailing the former Massachusetts governor.

“Romney has a record and we don’t really like it that much,” said Adam Brandon, the group’s communications director.

FreedomWorks is led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) and Matt Kibbe, an economist and former Capitol Hill aide. More than 30 employees, as well as a fresh class of several interns, work out of spacious seventh floor offices near the U.S. Capitol. The group knows they cannot impose their will on the fiercely independent conservative organizers fueling the Tea Party. But they say the activist base is just as anti-Romney as they are.

Via HuffPo

The Goal of the GOP establishment is now clear. Dilute the Vote. Get as many batshit crazy mothers as can be found into the race and pray that the crazy vote is spread out amongst the field.

Gingrich, check. Bachman, check. Palin, check. Roy Moore, check. Ron Paul, check. Herman Cain, check. Rick Santorum, check. Find some more and fund them too, but make sure whoever is picked is really really crazy. The Republican Nominee in this year’s Colorado Governor’s Race that thought the UN was planning to takeover Denver would be a good choice. Round them all up and place them on the Ballot.

And then by comparison Romney will seem like a reasonable choice to about a third of primary voters and squeak by. It maybe Willard’s best hope since last weekend’s failed rapture at winning the GOP nomination. If anyone can weasel his way through these odds, its Willard Romney.

Rudy 2012?

According to NY wingnut congressman Peter King:

"Giuliani isn't just thinking about running for president next year: It's his obsession and he's already mapping out a strategy to knock off GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney in New Hampshire." According King, "running and winning this time is 'almost a full-time business for him.'" […]

"He would focus on New Hampshire almost entirely," said King at a Monday night dinner organized by the conservative American Spectator magazine. "He is very close to running."

I guess this is better than his strategy last time – wait until the Florida primary to campaign. But how is a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage candidate going to play amongst the Base? I don’t think it will be pretty.

Bob Corker Slides 1 Spot to Number 2

Congrats to Bailout Bob (R-TN), as his friends call him. He is no longer public enemy number 1 in the wingnut-O-sphere. He’s now public enemy number 2:

Surely conservatives can find somebody decent to beat the heck out of Bob Corker in a primary in Tennessee. Corker is terrible. He pushes the Senate GOP left and toward capitulation. He is contemptuous of conservatives. He’s bad news.

Conservatives need to rally in Tennessee and take out Bob Corker. If keeping Heather Wilson out of the Senate is priority number one, number two is ridding the Senate of Bob Corker.

Erick Erickson via RedState Blog

The wingers still want to teabag Bailout Bob in the primaries, but this is ain't bad news for Ol’ Corkey! He’s taking a back seat to New Mexico senate challenger Heather Wilson.

When it comes to Wilson, I can see why Erickson is hot under the collar. She’s basically Mitt Romney in a dress. However as NM is trending blue in a presidential year, putting a wingnut on the ballot instead of Wilson may not be the best idea….if you want to win. However it does not look like Erickson is not concerned about winning when Purity is at stake.

Some folks would rather have a majority and accomplish some policy objectives. Not Erickson, he’d rather be pure of heart even if it means putting 75 democrats to 25 hardcore teabaggers in the Senate. I think I’d like to see him get his way.

Purity!

The Despair of the Wing-net

"With Governor Daniels deciding over the weekend not to run, it is slowly dawning on the Republican mind that the party’s choice may effectively come down to Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty. This prospect produces a range of emotions running from disappointment to panic"

~ Rich Lowry, NRO Guy

Lighten up Rich. There is still Michele Bachman, Roy Moore, Rick (in)Santorum, Herman Cain, Newt, and Ron Paul to consider. These candidates fit in quite nicely with today’s GOP. And who knows, Rich’s former favorite Sarah “Starbursts” Palin may enter the race. This should please him.

Prediction of the Week

"I think 2012 will be a bigger victory for Republicans than 2010. I think we'll pick up a dozen Senate seats, and 30 to 40 House seats."

Newt Gingrich on CNBC

But the only way this scenario can happen is if Gingrich is not on the ballot. If Gingrich is on the Ballot, the GOP is doomed.

As to the election, a lot will depend on the economy. If it is improving, the demographics at the polls in 2012 will be different from those in 2010 and will favor Democrats.

Soon Everyone will realize that Ryancare Sucks

The Eggheads Weigh In:

[Ryancare] ends guaranteed health care coverage for seniors and replaces it with a voucher for them to shop for insurance on the street.

Importantly, the value of those vouchers start well below where they need to be to enable seniors to afford coverage comparable to Medicare today (in fact, beneficiaries costs would have to double), and their value falls increasing behind coverage costs over time.

Suppose you send me to the grocery store to buy you a gallon of milk. Milk costs $3.50 a gallon but you give me $2. I spend the whole day “denying business to inefficient providers”—i.e., grocers who all charge more than that—and at the end of the day, bring you back a pint.

Now, instead of milk, where I’ve got the information I need to be a smart shopper, suppose you give me the same under-priced voucher but ask me to bring you back a plan for treating that strange pain you’ve been experiencing on your left side on humid days.

There’s no “denying business to inefficient providers” in the Ryan plan because there’s no market discipline that average folks with incomplete information armed with an inadequate voucher can enforce on a private health insurance market that’s…well, different.

No doubt. Healthcare is different from pricing Milk or a repair for your car after a fender bender. It is obvious that handing out healthcare vouchers or ryancare coupons won’t ameliorate this difference.

However what people don’t get is that Ryan is a starry eyed utopian. For his Utopia to exist, the market for health care must be free and unfettered. Government coercion in setting Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates currently binds the Market in chains rendering it unable to set a true market value on Care. How can the Market be free if bean counters in D.C. are forcing efficiencies on Providers using the power of the government? It cannot and thus we are enslaved.

Under Ryancare, if enough people want a service, like affordable healthcare, an entrepreneur will figure out the most efficient way to provide that service. The market is magic and a clever person will always find a way to make a buck while matching supply with demand. If the government would just get out of the healthcare game, a free market solution would emerge that would be super awesome. Paul Ryan can’t tell you what that solution is yet, because the Market Magic hasn't been unleashed to invent it. The first step toward free market nirvana is to abolish Medicare and get rid of those damn bean counters in D.C. This is the purpose of Ryancare.

So yes, some seniors will find that it is hard to buy enough coverage to meet their needs with their Ryancare coupon and will end up buying a pint of milk instead of a gallon, but that’s life.

Not in it to Win it?

What is the downside to picking “Truth” as your campaign Motto?

This:

"Republican Tim Pawlenty launched his campaign today with a pledge to 'Tell Americans the truth,' which explains his slogan, 'Tim Pawlenty for President, I'm not going to win.'"

~ Conan O'Brien

The Economy is most likely going to determine the 2012 election. If the economy continues to recover, Obama has a good shot at re-election. If it stagnates or gets worse, a generic (non-crazy) Republican will likely beat him. Time Pawlenty is as generic a Republican as one can find.

Support A Culture of Life!

These budget cuts are part of the Ownership Society. Once the child is born, s/he’s on their own:

House Republicans are targeting domestic nutrition programs and international food assistance as they try to control spending in next year’s budget.In a bill released Monday, Republicans proposed cutting $832 million – or 11 percent – from this year’s budget for the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food for low-income mothers and children. The 2012 budget proposal for food and farm programs also includes a decrease of almost $457 million, or 23 percent, from international food assistance.

The legislation would cut $2 billion from food stamps, or about 1.3 percent of the feeding program’s giant $67 billion budget.

You can’t call yourself pro-life if you support cutting off assistance to the poorest and most needy children. You can’t call yourself pro-life if you oppose organizations that provide pre-natal care to the needy. You can’t call yourself pro-life if you only care about children until birth.

Tim Pawlenty Hates Farmers or Loves Teabaggers

He was for it before he was against it, but going after Wingnut Welfare is a tricky game:

"The truth about federal energy subsidies, including federal subsidies for ethanol, is that they have to be phased out. We need to do it gradually. We need to do it fairly. But we need to do it.

[...]

It can't be done overnight. The industry has made large investments, and it wouldn't be fair to pull the rug out from under it immediately. But we must face the truth that if we want to invite more competition, more investment, and more innovation into an industry - we need to get government out.

We also need the government out of the business of handing out favors and special deals. The free market, not freebies from politicians, should decide a company's success. So, as part of a larger reform, we need to phase out subsidies across all sources of energy and all industries, including ethanol.
We simply can't afford them anymore."

The Baggers are sure to love the part about ending ethanol (corn) subsidies. However as Iowa is made up of Corn growers, we’ll see where it gets him.

UPDATE: With Pawlenty bogged in 6th place in Iowa polling, this is likely a play for NH and beyond.

Former Mayor of Saskatoon Belted

Current GOP hopeful, Tim Pawlenty loves Taxes - raising them, that is:

One thing is certain about Monday’s Presidential announcement by former Governor Tim Pawlenty: he will not bring up the fact that he presided over one of the larger tax increases in Minnesota’s history. Yes, that is quite correct.

During his two terms as Governor, property taxes rose a stunning $2.5 billion – more than the previous 16 years combined

[…]

It is my belief that the President we elect in 2012 should have compelling leadership skills and a demonstrated background of financial excellence. This requires not only an appreciation of America’s financial problems but also a willingness to place the nation’s long-term well being ahead of short-term political gains.

Unfortunately, Governor Pawlenty falls short of this expectation. There is nothing personal in my assessment. He is smart and pleasant. I appointed his wife to a state judgeship and I supported his first run for Governor.

However, I come from the more traditional wing of the Republican Party and truly believe in fiscal discipline and that the office of the Presidency should go to our nation’s best and brightest and not its most ambitious.

Fmr Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson

I see Willard Milton Romney behind this attack.

Of Course, Ending Medicare Was not going to be Popular

Quote of the Day

"I couldn't believe these idiots -- I don't know what else to call them -- they're idiots... They actually made their members vote on it. It was completely stunning to me."

~ Ed Rendell expressing disbelief over the House Ryancare vote.

The internets tell me that GOPsters had advance warning that the Paul Ryan Budget would be very unpopular, but Boehner and Ryan made their members vote to end Medicare, anyway.

Drink enough Tea, watch enough Foxnews and listen to too much AM Radio and this is what happens. These guys own their vote to end Medicare and cut Medicaid in half in order to finance Tax Cuts for rich folks. It is worth Repeating over and over.

Does Tim Pawlenty have a Willie Horton Problem?

The Former Mayor of Saskatoon may have issued a questionable Pardon (to say the least):

Jeremy Giefer served time in jail in 1994 for having sex with a 14-year-old girl. But you wouldn’t know it to look at the record of the man now charged with sexually molesting his daughter more than 250 times over the last eight years.

That’s because two years ago, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Attorney General Lori Swanson, and then-Chief Justice Eric Magnuson unanimously voted to wipe Giefer’s record clean, granting him a pardon extraordinary.

One reason Giefer wanted his record cleared? His wife wanted to open a childcare center in the house where they live–the same house where Giefer allegedly molested his young daughter throughout the six years prior.

[…]

As it turns out, Giefer’s wife–the woman he pleaded guilty to statutorily raping in 1994–had already opened a family childcare center next door to their Vernon Center home two months earlier, according to state licensing information.

Susan Giefer has told law enforcement that she was unaware of any sexual activity between her husband and daughter. She declined to comment for this story.

Hard to imagine that this won’t come up during the primary. You know that Sneaky Bastard Mitt Romney will be working on a way to mainstream it.

Daniels Wimps Out – Won’t Run in 2012

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels announced that he won’t run for President this time around to the chagrin of Lamestream Media figures around the net. We are told that this leaves a void in the Grownup niche in the GOP presidential field. However, these days, this is an oxymoron, because Daniels was never a serious challenger. Let’s count down the strikes against Daniels.

1. He has Middle-Eastern Ancestry. This should not be a strike amongst sane folks, but sane folks get drowned out in a GOP primary.

2. He called for a Truce on Social Issues enraging hardcore wingers.

3. No Charisma. Put him in a beauty contest along side Bachmann and Palin and see what happens.

4. More Adultery. While this tends to be a theme in GOP primaries, the shoe is on the other foot this time. Would wingers rally to a cuckold who forgave his wife after being humiliated? As the WSJ put it:

What does it tell us about the character of a prospective president? Or, to put it more pointedly: If a man would take back a woman after such a betrayal, is he tough enough to lead the country?

5. And Most importantly, Daniels is one of the intellectual Fathers of the failed Bush Economic Plan. Remember when there were budget surpluses as far as the eye could see? Daniels helped put an end to that. Not on his watch, dammit! Actually of all the strikes against him, wingers probably won’t care about this badge of shame.

Add these up and I don’t see the guy with a natural constituency in the GOP, Lamestream Media excepted of course. The GOP is what it is these days. It is not surprising that he wimped out.

Looks Like its Dog Food Time for Grandma and Grandpa

Right Wing Utopian Paul Ryan and the GOP may be playing Chicken with Grandma and Grandpa’s Social Security checks:

It appears that Republicans are determined to hold the nation’s credit rating hostage to their demand that federal spending be slashed before allowing the debt limit to rise. Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, is already warning Wall Street that a “technical default” is likely; that is, some bondholders may not get their interest payments precisely on schedule.

The Treasury continues to warn that a financial apocalypse will occur if the debt limit isn’t raised soon, but Republicans pooh-pooh such concerns as political grandstanding. They maintain that as long as the Treasury has sufficient cash flow to pay interest on the debt, then Treasury can simply put off paying its other bills for a while and default will be avoided. […]

Where OMB may have some important flexibility is with spending for some Department of Defense projects that have multi-year appropriations. For example, if DoD is building an aircraft carrier the funds need to be appropriated for the entire project even though it may take several fiscal years to complete. OMB apportions the funds as needed to pay for various phases of the building. There is about $800 billion of future year appropriations in the budget. Assuming these funds are spent at an even rate throughout the year, there may be $200 billion or so of appropriations that can be shifted into fiscal year 2012 that may provide Treasury with flexibility to manage its cash.

The real problem is Social Security. It’s unthinkable that Treasury would fail to make Social Security payments on schedule; too many of the elderly live from hand-to-mouth on them and there’s no way Republicans would risk their wrath. But Treasury is inevitably going to be forced at some point to choose between paying Social Security benefits or making interest payments and may face an untenable situation. A May 17 report from investment bank Morgan Stanley explains the dilemma Treasury will face:

“Some have argued that the Treasury can manage its cash in a way that avoids default…. However, the approach they are advocating does not seem workable to us. Treasury’s cash flows are too lumpy to simply prioritize one form of spending over another. For example, we would expect a significant political outburst if the Treasury withheld monthly Social Security checks at the beginning of the month (even though there was sufficient cash on hand to make the payments) just in case they needed the cash to make debt service payments at mid-month. Such a scenario is highly impractical – and probably not even legal.”

When Treasury faced this problem back in March 1996, it told Congress that it could not make Social Security payments unless Congress passed a law specifically exempting such payments from the debt limit. Congress acted instantly. It will undoubtedly be forced to do so again if the debt fight is protracted, which it probably will be.

A missed Social Security check or Three may not mean much to a young whippersnapper like Paul Ryan, but it will to lots of folks. I suspect they’ll be mighty angry if Ryan actually goes through with it and snatches their checks.

Gingrich Has a Real Shot at the Nomination…..

….if the rapture happens this weekend, like some wingnuts are betting, and his competition for the GOP nomination ascend to heaven leaving Newt behind.

It may be Newt’s only hope.

[h/t – various places on the internets]

Does Sarah Have the Fever?

Magnetic Refrigerator Poetry of the Day:

"Oh, that's a great question. I think my problem is that I do have the fire in my belly. I am so adamantly supportive of the good, traditional things about America and our free enterprise system, and I want to make sure that America is put back on the right track, and we only do that by defeating Obama in 2012. I have that fire in my belly.” ….

"It's a matter for me of some kind of practical, pragmatic decisions that have to be made. One is, with a large family, understanding the huge amount of scrutiny and the sacrifices that have to be made on my children's part in order to see their mama run for president. But yes, the fire in the belly? It's there!"

The Teabaggers need a candidate, so why not Poor Sarah?

Uh-Oh. Mitt Romney is a Flip-Flopper!

The Internets tell me this is on the Air in parts of Real America, South Carolina to be exact.

Newt Gingrich Vanity Trivia

Question of the Day: Newt Gingrich actually fancies himself as a modern day equivalent of the founding fathers of the nation. Sick, I know, but which founding father does Newt Gingrich compare himself to?

“I think I’m closer to Benjamin Franklin than to George Washington....I’m a contributor to my country and to my times. If it turns out that there’s a moment when it makes sense to run, then I’ll run. But if I end up never being able to run, then it won’t devastate me.”

Not George Washington, but rather Ben Franklin? Obviously, Washington is off the table. Even someone as shameless as Newt wouldn’t compare himself to Washington when the obvious come back is “how can a Draft Dodger compare himself to General Washington.”

While Newt’s comparison to Ben Franklin is absurd, he does compare quite favorably to other Revolutionary era figures, as in the French Revolution. Given the fact that the unwashed misfits and morons that make up the Tea Party have turned on him for his vocal opposition to Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare, I think a better comparison for Newt is as Robespierre or Danton.

After the Jacobins turned on these two former leaders, the unwashed mob cut off their heads. This comparison kinda fits Newt a lot better these days. Watch out for your former followers Newt, I hear some of ‘em may be sharpening the Guillotine.

Gingrich Campaign is like Fine Wine

Sure People Think Newt's and Presidential Ego Project Sucks, but …..give him time. People will appreciate his Candidacy more as it ages.

“My reaction is if you’re the candidate of very dramatic change, it you’re the candidate of really new ideas, you have to assume there’s a certain amount of clutter and confusion and it takes a while to sort it all out, because you are doing something different,”[…]

"It's going to take a while for the news media to realize that you're covering something that happens once or twice in a century, a genuine grass-roots campaign of very big ideas. I expect it to take a while for it to sink in."

Newt Gingrich

No…..time is not going help the Newt campaign unsuck. It will still stuck, maybe even worse as time goes by.

He speaks with forked tongue

Newt Gingrich on “right-wing social engineering:”

"Any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood, because I have said publicly those words were inaccurate and unfortunate"

To Quote What Newt Actually said is to lie.

Does this mean that a person who says the same things that Newt is saying is a liar? Does this mean that when Newt speaks he is, by his own standard, lying?

Taking this one further step. Why should we believe what Newt is telling us now is true? I think he is lying to us now when he tells us what he said in the past was a lie. Why would one ever believe what Newt says?

This is where President Obama has failed. His stimulus plan should have included more cash for mental health programs to help people like Poor Newt.

House GOP Proposes Liquidating Utah to Pay the Debt

Quote of the Day:

"I don't think Treasury has been up front with us. I am not convinced the sky will fall in on August 3."

"I'm not an economist, but I have maintained a household. The federal government owns 70 per cent of Utah, for example. There are federal buildings. If you need cash, let's start liquidating."

Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fl), House Tea Bag Caucus.

While I am not necessarily opposed to selling Utah or parts of it, I think most patriotic Tea Partiers will conclude that this is a bad Idea.

For instance, what happens if the Muslim Brotherhood is the highest bidder or China or Iran or even worse, France?

What happens if the United Nations purchase large sections of Utah and starts posting Blue Helmeted Troops there? Ross has not thought this through very well. He owes the patriotic tea partiers more than this nonsense. I know he's just a Freshman, but really.

On the other hand, the thought of seeing Orrin Hatch speaking in defense of his new Overlords, perhaps the Muslim Brotherhood, seems very enchanting.

Bumper Sticker of the Week – Actually Ryancare Sucks

VOTE REPUBLICAN – END MEDICARE

It’s not misleading! I know that serious people are supposed to be shocked, shocked at the Democrats calling the Ryan plan a plan to dismantle Medicare — but that’s just what it is. If you replace a system that actually pays seniors’ medical bills with an entirely different system, one that gives seniors vouchers that won’t be enough to buy adequate insurance, you’ve ended Medicare. Calling the new program “Medicare” doesn’t change that fact.

What was the Leadership in the House of Representatives thinking when they allow a vote on Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare and replace it with health insurance coupons or Vouchers as they’re mainly called? Who thought it was a good idea to tell grandma that Medicare is gonna go away and instead the government would hand out coupons good for 30-40% off the price of health care services?

Paul Ryan and 99% of House Republicans, that’s who. On one hand you have guaranteed coverage and on the other hand, under Ryancare, you’d have 80 year-olds using their Ryancare coupon to negotiate for health care with insurance company bigwigs. Which one will grandma prefer?

Looks like a lot of folks drank more kool-aid that they should have. Pointing this fact our over and over is not unfair…..because it’s a fact.

Question of the Day: Are there any adults left in the GOP?

Aren’t there any adults left in the Republican Party who could tell Paul Ryan that it is never acceptable for a chairman of the House Budget Committee to talk like this? Such crazy talk from somebody in such position has the potential to plunge the country into a recession. Fortunately, the markets seemed not to take Rep. Ryan seriously. Next time we may not be so lucky.

Via the Heretical FrumForum on Paul Ryan’s threat to default on payments for US government debt for 3 or 4 days if he does not get his way.

Answer: Not really. There may be some grown-ups remaining in the GOP, but the unwashed teabagging Mob is in charge now. The sooner these RINOs figure this out, the better.

Ryan is not seriously interested in negotiation and compromise. He is a starry eyed Utopian - bent on right-wing "social engineering."

Food Stamp use on Rise - BUSHDIDIT! BUSHDIDIT! BUSHDIDIT!

I knew there had to be a simple answer, here.

With the number of folks needing a helping hand from the Food Stamp program on the rise, it is not surprising that Newt Gingrich, opportunist that he is, would blame President Obama for this increase. Newt is hardcore into the wingnuttery. If something feels good to say and it serves his short term interests, he'll say it.

But is Newt up to his old tricks here or is President Obama to blame? No, Obama is not to blame for the increase. The number of folks needing food stamps closely tracks with the unemployment rate. And with the worst job losses in decades, it is not surprising to see an up-tick in folks needing help. That’s the logical answer.

But logical answers aren’t always fun (see Newt Gingrich above), especially when you can blame someone. Now who should I blame? Let’s take a look at this chart. It tracks unemployment vs food stamp usage. Notice the two correspond quite closely. That is until 2001, when a sinister trend started to emerge.

And just what happened in 2001? Simple, George Bush became president. Unemployment and food stamps were tracking closely until 2001. But in 2001 with the unemployment rate falling, food stamp usage started its upward spike, that continues to this very day. It must be all Bush’s fault! I knew there was an easy answer here. Thanks a lot Junior.

Newt is such a douche bag.

Gringrich: Time for a new Contract On America

Newt Gingrich of Georgia, the latest entrant into the 2012 Republican presidential race, says he will offer a new “Contract With America” similar to the 1994 document that helped him become the first Republican House speaker in 40 years.

Gingrich, who formally announced his candidacy yesterday, said on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” that he would ask Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio to join him with an agenda that a Republican Congress would pass and a Republican president would sign into law.

“If we had a contract in the fall of 2012 and we had an election on core principles, we would have a mandate on the very first day,” said Gingrich, 67.

Link

For there to be an election on “core principles”, one must first possess “Core Principles.” Unfortunately for Gingrich, this makes his participation in such an election an impossibility.

Is America Ready for another Texas Governor as President?

Nature abhors a vacuum:

As many grass-roots Republicans remain in search of a conservative candidate with the pizazz to go toe-to-toe against President Obama, a man from deep in the heart of Texas who was tea party before the tea party was cool appears to be giving the presidential race some thought.

Gov. Rick Perry has insisted on multiple occasions that he has no interest in the presidency, but RCP has learned that political associates have begun to nose around quietly on Perry's behalf.

A Texas pol who is close to Perry has been telling a few key strategists that the nation's longest-serving governor sees a vacuum and is waiting to be summoned into the race. This source believes that could happen by late summer. Without fellow Southerners Haley Barbour or Mike Huckabee in the race -- and with Newt Gingrich's early troubles raising further doubts about the current lineup -- there could be a glaring niche for Perry to fill.

According to another well-connected Republican, at least one Perry confidant has been very quietly making inquiries about the political terrain in the nation's first voting state of Iowa.

The last one we had as President, didn’t work out so well. Check that; the administration of the last Texas Governor to be president turned out to be a disaster, actually.

Bachmania Looming Larger

With the exit of Haley Barbour, Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump from the GOP presidential field, and Newt Gingrich now playing the save medicare card, the opportunity to consolidate the crazy vote becomes a little more feasible. Sure there is plenty of bat shit to go around, but there is also an opening on the loony fringe. Who will fill it - Rick Santorum, Hermann Cain or perhaps Michele Bachmann:

Get ready, Republicans. Hurricane Michelle is heading toward your primaries.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Tea Party favorite and something of a surrogate for Sarah Palin, is getting ready to jump into the presidential contest. Her advisers put out the word on Monday that a run was “very likely” and a D.C.-based consultant tells Power Play that Bachmann associates have been shopping for services.

“This is now beyond speculation. They are doing this,” the consultant said.

While Bachmann is a polarizing figure in the party, her candidacy is quite logical. With Mike Huckabee bowing out of the race, Palin showing no outward signs of launching a campaign and Newt Gingrich seeming to burn up on entry into the race, that leaves former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with an almost unobstructed view of the social conservative voters who dominate Iowa’s caucuses.

Bachmann’s candidacy is also helped by the fact that Donald Trump has renewed his contract with NBC and ended the most successful publicity stunt of his career.

The eggheads that study this stuff tells us that odds are high that GOP Primary voters will be less likely to settle on a moderate at the expense of a true believer this year. Party preferences harden if the party has been out of power for a short period of time (like now) while preferences moderate with the passage of time as the base becomes willing to compromise to get back in power. Two Candidates Fit the Bill. Santorum and Bachmann. One of ‘em has a shot at this thing.