One of my right-wing palsies told me that ALL bills need to be passed by a 2/3 majority in order to make sure EVERY VOICE is being heard. Otherwise, there will be far too many massive, throbbing packages shoved down too many throats. Of course, this gentleman will be the first one to abandon any precept of fairness once his friends get back into power.

Ever notice how the people who think government is inefficient and useless are the ones most dedicated to making it that way?

Shorter Bill Kristol: The damn liberals found my old article where I said we should oppose health care at all costs because it would make the Democrats too popular.

Maybe if I write something vague about vote numbers that sounds like it’s about democratic principle I can get them to forget my old article. It’s worth a try.

Shorter Washingont Post: Pile More Neocon Turtles!
~

Universal health care is _just_ like civil rights, in the way that oodles of GOP people hate it.

Shorter shorter Bill Kristol: democracy only works when Congress acts on behalf of corporations.

if the democrats had 95 votes for Universal Nickel Beer night, Kristol would insist that they need 100 votes.

If only Democrat votes were counted as only 3/5th of a real American’s vote, this problem would be solved.

If TeaTard protesters don’t like your legislation, it’s UNCONSTUSHULL:

Tea Party Protests: ‘Ni**er,’ ‘Faggot’ Shouted At Members Of Congress

Sam Stein | HuffPost Reporting

Abusive, derogatory and even racist behavior directed at House Democrats by Tea Party protesters on Saturday left several lawmakers in shock.

Preceding the president’s speech to a gathering of House Democrats, thousands of protesters descended around the Capitol to protest the passage of health care reform. The gathering quickly turned into abusive heckling, as members of Congress passing through Longworth House office building were subjected to epithets and even mild physical abuse.

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-M.D.) had been spit on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-G.A.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a ‘ni–er.’ And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a “faggot,” as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president’s speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

“It was absolutely shocking to me,” Clyburn told the Huffington Post. “Last Monday, this past Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus of Claflin University where fifty years ago as of last Monday… I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit ins… And quite frankly I heard some things today I have not heard since that day. I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus.”

“It doesn’t make me nervous as all,” the congressman said, when asked how the mob-like atmosphere made him feel. “In fact, as I said to one heckler, I am the hardest person in the world to intimidate, so they better go somewhere else.”

Asked if he wanted an apology from the group of Republican lawmakers who had addressed the crowd and, in many ways, played on their worst fears of health care legislation, the Democratic Party, and the president, Clyburn replied:

“A lot of us have been saying for a long time that much of this, much of this is not about health care a all. And I think a lot of those people today demonstrated that this is not about health care… it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful.”

Frankly, I’m disgusted by the out and out RACISM of people like John Lewis & James Clyburn, because not liking it when a TeaTard calls you N***** is racist and UNCONSTUSHULL.

Plus, homosexuality is completely banned ever since those gay Dutch troops massacred all those innocent Wall Street investors in Srebenica.

Also, it is immoral, illegal, unconstushull, and against the BIBLE to suggest that such behavior means that the average TeaTardican is either racist or in the process of losing their mind given the huge, massive package that OBAMA IS RAMMING DOWN THEIR THROAT.

Truer Bill Kristol: We failed to defeat civil & voting rights, but we think we might have a chance against this one.

Bill Kristol: Wrongness you can set your watch by. Sincerely, he must :Þ??

El Cid, I had a comment, but never mind, I know when I’ve been pre-emptively beaten.

Your line about the gay Dutch troops massacring Wall street investors was pure brilliance.

And yeah, I saw the brain-scrambling quote you’re referencing. I love the Dutch official response. Basically an “I’m so ashamed of your country” comment on our broken political process and sad out of touch wingnuts.

Shorter Bill Kristol

he should get even shorter than that

FYWP.

I meant of course that Kristol could :Þε∞

I couldn’t help myself. I always have to comment on Billy’s columns if only to tell him what a retard he is. Which I more or less did again, in responding to some of the more unhinged commenters:

“It is true and factual that large, “historic” legislation has always passed with bipartisan support…”

Republican flawed logic trick #347: pretend that because something is demonstrably true, the converse must also be true.

I’ll accept at face value that large, “historic” legislation has always passed with bipartisan support, whether or not it’s factual, because the answer to this rubbish doesn’t require google. That answer being that JUST BECAUSE large, “historic” legislation has always passed with bipartisan support, it does not logically follow that any legislation that passes WITHOUT bipartisan support cannot be large or “historic.” As a matter of reality, the fact that legislation of this importance is having to be passed by one party alone will make it “historic,” so there goes that shibboleth, undone by its own faulty interior logic.

Just because you have not observed a thing before, it is not proof that the thing does not exist. Bipartisanship does not in and of itself determine which legislation is “historic”, or large, or important. It just means that one party is so in thrall to ideology that they are straitjacketed from considering any changes whatsoever that are needed in order to save obviously failing systems. And that’s being generous. The other view would have it that they are so in thrall to their corporate ownership that they dare not take a step in the direction of levelling the playing field for the people they allegedly were elected to represent if it displeases their corporate masters.

Personally, I think it’s both.

I have to say I also find the complaints about mandates quite amusing coming from conservatives. For one thing, again the interior logic is flawed – you currently pick up the tab for the uninsured through shifted costs which drive up your premiums. A mandate is the only thing that will stop the huge cost-shifting that goes on in the current system. Also, it requires that those shiftless people who don’t make big salaries pitch in at least a little something for their own coverage, which is more than they pitch in now when a hospital writes off their ER costs by shifting them to the insured patients. A mandate is like a conservative wet dream, because it picks up those turnips and squeezes them until the blood spurts out. So I’m quite surprised you don’t like it. After all, with your constant shrieking about “socialism!!!!” all more efficient funding mechanisms were off the table, and we were left with mandating people to do business with insurance companies as the only way left to stop you from having to pick up ALL the costs of the uninsured.

Arguing with you guys is like watching a guy punch himself repeatedly in the face while shouting, “stop hitting yourself!”

Hooray! Bill Kristol wrote:

And I predict the great majority of what passes tomorrow — if it does, and that’s by no means a given — will never become settled law or public policy.

which is almost as good as if he wrote that I will never, ever boink Scarlett Johansson.

“…given the huge, massive package that OBAMA IS RAMMING DOWN THEIR THROAT.”

With all due respect, you left out THROBBING and TURGID. Also, aren’t people supposed to be FORCED TO THEIR KNEES for the RAMMING? I don’t read teh soft porn, true, but I could swear that those are really important components in the fantasy. Not that wingnuts actually, you know, FANTASIZE about this, but if they *did* I’m sure these would be important parts of the visual…

Hey Doctorb,

You’re exactly wrong — if Kristol wrote that you will never, ever boink Scarlett Johansson you better start sprucing up your bedroom and clearing out your calendar because her phone call is just around the corner.

I am not kidding. If he predicts HCR won’t become settled law or public policy it’s as good as done. Bookmark it, libs!

I am not kidding. If he predicts HCR won’t become settled law or public policy it’s as good as done. Bookmark it, libs!

“Nate, you’re in the wrong house again!”

Apparently if something isn’t 100% Teatard-approved it doesn’t “count.” And is a “parliamentary trick.” Or is a some sort socialist/fascist/racist/Muslim threat to our democracy. And it’s unconstitutional. And it’s POOPY!!!!!

Health care isn’t like civil rights

Civil rights and health care aren’t like Bill Kristol.

Fuck Bill Kristol. With the rusty exhaust system from a ’74 Caprice.

Civil rights and health care aren’t like Bill Kristol.

In that nobody likes Bill Kristol rammed down their throat?

Video of totally-not-racist TeaTards screaming various pleasantries at some non-white members of Congress.

Being mostly a lurker (is that like a voyeur–ooh I feel naughty!!!), I was disappointed that the Sadly comments on Brad’s post were kinda low. Then I read the comments at the Post, which thoroughly eviscerated Prince William of Always-Wrongville as well as you all Sadlies usually do, and I achieved, you know, the satisfaction that you all usually provide me. Hey but don’t worry you all-DKW, Smut, El Cid, Chris et al-are still my main things, so carry on!

Although I agree with the spirit of the post, I feel I must point out (as Glenn Greenwald has on countless occasions) that Smelt It v. Dealt It was effectively overturned in Smelt v. Double Deadly Dog Fart, and should therefore not be cited as precedent.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

You’re demonstrably, horribly wrong! About everything! Always!

But El Cid,

Speaking of our everyday racist crap — I’m driving in to work this afternoon (Saturday) and at one of the major intersections near my house there’s a man/woman (indeterminate) sitting in a wheel chair also with crutches shifting about on the corner. Affixed to the wheelchair is a large, garden variety picket sign comprised of the words Obama or Obamaites and a giant black and white picture of an empty noose!

America, fuck yeah!

This is a comfortable boat. This is my favorite boat. So much so, that I think that I shall never leave this boat.

It helps the true scene I’ve painted above to be more comical and pathetic — while also pitiful and disgusting — to note that this person is alone and largely ignored. Just a lone wolf out there wheelchair-crutching.

The Shorter: what’s not to trust? It’s not like I’m gonna click on a link to Kristol. Those are tens of seconds that I would never be able to re-live. At least I enjoy my time here.

The Tea “Party” is showing its true colors.

The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.

This ticks me off a bit- I imagine the assailant comes from one of those “tough on crime” states that (inspired by racism) doesn’t allow felons to vote. The thought of a Teabagger stricken from the voters’ roll because of an assault would be really heartening.

It would be even cooler if this assault was in fact some sort of third strike. And as such, this strike requires that the Teabagger be out — out in prison, perhaps.

I guess that “Shorter Bill Kristol” must not, as I had first thought, referred to measuring the height of his soul, because, of course, he would then have to actually have one in order to measure it.

And, minor correction, I believe that he was proceeding from the well-known case of Spelled It v. Yelled It, and its appeal, overturning the decision in Spelled It, U. Libs Make Me Sic v. Neener Neener Poo-poo (remanding the case back to a lower court to determine actual throat rammages).

also see rubber v. glue

Not to mention bro’s v. ho’s

Sheesh, that was my point. Bill Kristol’s got a great track record of being wrong far more often than you’d expect from random chance (p<.001), so it makes me think HCR, such as it is, will be passing.

My Shorter Kristol: Ha, ha, the Dems fell into our trap and are passing health care reform! Finally, we’ll be able to repeal it and make health care even more restrictive than it is now, because that’s what the people want!

From the link,

“@gason65 It is up to both sides to call out their haters. We must speak out forcefully and without hestitation [sic].”

Speaking for myself, I’m damn tired of my side calling out the haters while the other side eggs them on.

Last time a “hater” came out of the left side of the spectrum was Jeremiah Wright – Obama initially condemned the speech while refusing to condemn the man himself, then, as pressure mounted, relented and condemned Wright as intolerant and prejudiced – we moved on.

The exact same thing happened in reverse in the 2000 Republican presidential primary. McCain started out denouncing Jerry Falwell (“Integration will destroy our race”) and Pat Robertson (“I think just ‘one man one vote,’ just absolute democracy, would not be wise”) as intolerant and bigoted; under intense pressure from his base, he relented; the base nevertheless passed him by and went for George Bush instead, who’d been sucking up to them the entire time. In order to even be considered in 2008, McCain had to reverse his position completely and endorse Robertson.

For both sides to crack down on their haters is all well and good, but it can get slightly tedious when we repeatedly crack down on ours and they not only fail to do the same but if anything prop them up, encourage them and carry their message far and wide.