The House of No: Exploring GOP Obstructionism

With the election less than two months away the Republican party has been hitting President Obama on the jobs numbers repeatedly. Despite having 28 months of consecutive job growth the unemployment number is still over 8%. Though there has been growth it's not where it should be, and definitely not where it could be. Last week during his speech at the DNC, the president laid out his case for reelection as a choice, countering the Republican strategy of making this election a referendum on the Presidents economic record. While making his speech President Obama made the argument that we are not done yet, and that if we choose him again, he can finish his work of fixing the economy. What was strangely absent was the red elephant in the room. The Republican obstructionism that has sought to stymie every effort to ease the suffering of the everyday American. The plan to stop Obama at any cost.  Mitch McConnell said it best.

Since declaring this to be his, and the Republicans top priority, it's no surprise that we have seen no action, no attempts, no bills to help spur job creation since the passage of the much maligned stimulus. Which oddly as Rachel Maddow points out many whom have asked for and benefited from, even VP pick Paul Ryan. Every bill that would be used to help the American people, is shot in the Senate, not even proposed in the House. Instead of crafting bills to help people underwater on their mortgages, or investing in infrastructure that would create jobs, Republicans instead focused on...abortion.

So jobs bills no, anti-abortion bills yes. So how could the party of Lincoln go out of its way to stop the economic recovery just to make the president lose in November? It's partly political, the right wing is banking on the idea that they can trash the economy and then blame it not only the president, but on the Democrats too. Former President Bill Clinton said it best in his speech "In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president's re-election was pretty simple: we left him a total mess, he hasn't cleaned it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in." 

It's also personal. From attacking his character, his values, his patriotism, and even his place of birth. The Republicans have painted him as an enemy of the state. It may be great politics, and it sure does a great job at ginning up the base, but it makes it impossible to govern. 

It's because of this radical demonization of an actually centrist governing president, who's core legislative accomplishment, health care reform, was a Republican think tank hatched idea that was implemented in Massachusetts under then Governor Romney! Since the right wing news, spearheaded by Fox news and radio pundit Rush Limbaugh have compared Obama to Hitler and Stalin, it makes it pretty hard for any Republicans in Congress to back any idea endorsed by the President, regardless of if it's a good idea, or one they came up with. 

Republicans have literally painted themselves into a corner, if they work with Obama, the base, who believes all the bile spewed by the right wing media will primary them so fast their heads will spin. The result is that moderate Republicans, true fiscal conservatives and those who actually want to govern, either can't, or they get chased out of the party.

The GOP is backed into a corner, where the only option is to say No to everything until they win, regardless of who it hurts. Though I think it's ultimately going to backfire onto them, the only questions are when, and how much damage will they do the country until then?

This is why I now dub the Republican controlled house, "The house of No."

                                                               

The Bain Files: a look into Mitt Romney

Before I start, I want to give full credit to the guys at Gawker for digging up this story. It's an amazing piece that shows just how the wealthy shield their money from U.S. taxes so that they pay more, and we pay less.

For weeks the media has been asking to see Mitt Romney's tax returns, to see just where he stores his vast wealth from U.S. taxation and as a result of that, just how much he actually paid in taxes compared to those who would be voting for him.

Although the Romney's have consistently said no to "You people" when it comes to the state of their finances;  citing that whatever they release is so bad that it will just give the Obama campaign more ammunition to use against them, despite that fear, just the fact that they will not even provide transparency has led to many people into speculating about what Mitt is actually hiding; if anything.

Just so happens it seems to be worse for him than any of us realized.

There is so much information in those Bain files and I can admit that it is too much for me to sit down and read at one time, I am not a tax guy, but I know a fraud when I see it.

I also happen to know a little thing about hypocrisy.

But what really has struck me is the fact that his investments in the Caymans were strictly made to avoid U.S. taxes.

"The Partnership is a qualified intermediary and intends to conduct it operations so that it will not be engaged in a United States trade or business and, therefore, will not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax on its income from United States sources.... Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands, there are no income, estate, transfer, sales, or other Cayman Islands taxes payable by the Partnership." 

How can Romney make the case that he wants to invest in America and help American business when his businesses are all based in shell corporations that go out of their way to avoid U.S. taxes?

Another way Mitt has avoided paying taxes is using something called an Equity Swap, essentially an agreement to transfer the losses and gains on a particular asset or set of assets without actually transferring ownership. These help offshore hedge funds avoid paying taxes by disguising who owns the stock in order to help clients avoid a withholding tax. 

Like I said, I don't quite get how it works, but it's already seems pretty sketchy. 

So how is all this stuff actually relevant? 

This shows the type of character that Mitt Romney is, a ruthless businessman that does everything in his power to make every last penny. He's calculating, cold and efficient. He's willing to invest in things that he publicly opposes, like cigarette companies and casinos, and even a company that disposes of aborted fetuses.

So much for Pro-life.

All of this shows that Mitt Romney is as moral as the corporations he owns, not intrinsically good, not completely bad, but amoral. As Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks always says. Corporations are amoral machines, their only purpose is to make as much money as possible. So to is Romney, only out to make the most money the best way he can, and the only thing left for him to do in order to maximize profit, is to become president and ensure taxes on himself and his businesses are the lowest possible. He is the embodiment of the corporation.

So when you think about the election and where Mitt Romney's real motives lie you have to realize two things. It's not about leadership, it's not about America. 

It's about money.

In case you missed it you can find the Gawker Article here.

Todd Akin: Symptom of a larger issue

Yes, another post on Todd Akin, as if we didn't give this jerkoff enough attention already, but he's just the gift that keeps on giving.

Despite the stupid remarks he made about "legitimate rape" (as if there is such a thing) and his subsequent backpedal ultimately culminating in an apology ad for his blatant misunderstanding of human female anatomy. Mr Todd, "the liberal media is after me" Akin is still in the race for the Missouri Senate seat occupied by Democrat Claire McCaskill.

Yep, he's still running after being urged by both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to drop out, Even Fox news host Sean Hannity has urged Akin to drop out on his show.

So why the hell is the right wing eating one of its own despite the fact that the Republican party platform is right in line with Akins beliefs?

Because Akin has committed the cardinal sin of Republican politics, honesty.

This wasn't a gaffe, it was honest admission to how little Republican politicians in Washington know and care about women's bodies, and their rights to make their own decisions about them.

See the Republican party believes that women should have rape babies, and possibly die from unhealthy pregnancies. That's not pro-life, that's destroying one life at the expense of another.

They also believe that once a woman has that baby that she shouldn't get government assistance, cause, ya know, big government and all.

Republicans know that Akins' position is extreme, and extremely unpopular, which is why even though they believe the same thing they know it's politically toxic. Why else did Scarborough call his own party the "Stupid Party."?

Because as a Republican it's stupid to tell the truth.

That's why they run as progressives or outright lie, throwing out words like socialism, marxism and even comparing the Democratic party as full of freedom hating communists and nazis. While they continue to take positions that look more and more like 1930's Germany (anti-abortion, anti-union, anti-gay, anti-liberal, pro-war, anti-worker)

That's why demonization of the other party is a central tactic of the Republicans. "Obamacare will create death panels, Obama wants to raise your taxes, Obama wants to give your money to people on welfare who don't work." All of this shifts the focus away from their own massively unpopular policies, like cutting taxes for the rich, privatizing Social Security and making Medicare into a voucher system.

And they wrap it all up with words like "free markets" "capitalism" and "small government"

There's nothing small about a government that forces itself into a woman's Uterus.

But I guess that's not considered legitimate rape.

GOP War on Women continues

If anything shows how little, old white guys know about the struggles of women in America, it's this asshole. Todd Akin.

Twitter has exploded today from Akins apparent "gaffe" where he said "“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, (pregnancy from rape) is really rare, If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Wow, how ignorant is this guy?

This little gem came from a discussion on KTVI-TV where Mr. Akin had been explaining his no exception policy on abortion. Yep, another one of these pro-family idiots who think that making women bear rape babies as well as banning contraception will help America become great again.

This is idiotic. The GOP says they are pro-life and pro-family, but they pass policies that hurt families, and demonize single mothers trying to raise the children they chose not to abort. Which is it GOP? Would you rather those single mothers abort their kids or support programs that prevent pregnancy, or in the event of it happening, aid for the child in the form of food stamps and welfare programs that keep those kids out of poverty.

Forcing a woman to have the rapists baby is a punishment for the woman, and for the unborn child too. I couldn't imagine growing up knowing my father was a monster, and that my mother never wanted me. It's such a complicated situation and it shouldn't be the choice of the state whether or not she should have that baby. This is big government at its worst.

How the people could have ever elect this Tea Party dick bag is something I cannot ever fathom.

It just seems like the GOP only cares about children while they're in the womb. Fertilized eggs are people, corporations are people, but women are not. What woman could ever vote for these misogynists?

Thankfully many women are taking notice, and even choosing president Obama over Mitt Romney in polls taken, they know what is at stake, their freedom of choice and control over their own bodies is on the line. I may not like abortion, hell I don't know any Liberal who does, but it is and should stay a legal, safe choice especially under the circumstances of rape and incest.

Because when you take a woman's right to make decisions for her own body, you take away her freedom, and her dignity. And that alone is worth fighting to protect.

*Addition*

So Akin immediately came out with a back-pedal of his legitimate rape comment, but I'm thinking the damage has already been done to this guys prospect for election. He'll be running against Claire McCaskill for the Missouri Senate seat in November, if he doesn't bow out that is. I'd actually like him for him to run, because he'll most likely lose, and lose hard, and if he somehow wins then well...Missouri apparently will deserve the misery this guy will bring. Sorry guys, but if you let these people in by staying home...

This is why it's so important to get out and vote, especially with so much on the line. We cannot let another year like 2010 happen where these TeaParty extremists can get in and bring our women back to 1850.

Another awesome fact about Akin is that apparently he's worked with now VP Paul Ryan to redefine rape, making this election even more crucial.

The thing is, that Akin is not a minority in the GOP, at least according to Democrat of California Jackie Speier. She's pretty sure that most Republicans think the same way as Todd Akin and Paul Ryan; that abortion should be illegal no matter the circumstance.

It's this anti-choice attitude in the Republican party that has led to extreme bills like the personhood bill, saying that a fertilized egg is a person with full constitutional rights, and that abortion is murder and so is emergency hormonal contraception. They also feel normal hormonal contraception should be banned as well as the IUD. The effects of these bills if passed would throw women back into the home as they would no longer have the freedom to choose when they want to have families, it throws up barriers to work and essentially puts them back into the home, "barefoot and pregnant", just what some of the good ol' boys want.

I cannot stress how important it will be to vote, even if you don't like the other person, just remember, it could be worse. You could end up with Todd Akin