Political Ruminations

Quote of the Day – Message to House Democrats

Josh Marshall:

“If I'm understanding their plan, the House Dems felt they needed to get rid of Anthony Weiner because he was getting in their way of telling the public about the House Republicans' plan to phase out Medicare and replace it with vouchers. Well, he's gone. So I guess it's back to making that case 24/7? Right?”

Anthony Weiner Resigns

Yet the prostitute-banging Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) remains.

Today at 2PM, Rep. Anthony Weiner is expected to announce his resignation from Congress following revelations that he sent lewd texts to women he met over the internet. The move comes after nearly every prominent Democrat — from Leader Nancy Pelosi to DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to President Obama — called on Weiner to step down.

Nevertheless, the chairman of the GOP, Reince Preibus, attacked Democrats for inaction, saying, “We’ve got leadership and a Democratic Party that are defending a guy that deserves no defense.”

Today’s events stand in stark contrast to the treatment of Senator David Vitter, who admitted in 2007 to being a regular customer of a notorious prostitution service. Immediately following Vitter’s admission, McConnell was asked about Vitter on ABC News and flatly refused to address the issue or offer any criticism of Vitter’s conduct:

ROBERTS: Are you comfortable with him staying in the Republican Caucus?

MCCONNELL: Senator Vitter has addressed the issue that you’re referring to, and I’ll let him speak to that.

ROBERTS: Right. Is this something that you think he can recover from? I mean, does the Republican Party, the Republicans in Congress take a hit because of this?

MCCONNELL: Well, you’ll have to ask Senator Vitter about what he had to say about the episode that I think you’re referring to. He would be the one to address that. [continue reading]

Resignation occurring on ABC News now. It is a spectacle, with Weiner barely able to speak above the hecklers screaming at him.

Morning Quote: MrBrink

MrBrink on the media obsession with Anthony Weiner:

“When Newt makes the media rounds, nobody is asking him about his lack of loyalty to his ex-wives or what he was thinking. Nobody asks David Vitter if he's still banging hookers. Nobody is asking Joe Scarborough about that dead girl in his Florida office. On and on. Nothing sticks to loyal conservatives, and when it does, it's because they are found to be gay, and that's only because conservatives are predisposed to hate gay people.
They get to go about their media lives like nothing ever happened, influencing the power structure in America.

Anthony Weiner has been asked over and over, not about Clarence Thomas, or any number of issues, but about whether or not he's guilty of flirting with women. There's a mound of evidence incriminating right wing operatives on his right, (Supreme Court justices!)...and some harmless Twitpics on his left.

The corporate media plays America like a drum, and there is no such loyalty on the left(I'm talking to you, Ed Schultz) to veer away from the corporate media's obsessive defamation of liberal views.”

As Rachel Maddow says, IOKIYAR » it’s only okay if you’re a Republican

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Quote of the Day – a Message for Nancy Pelosi

Josh Marshall:

“Number of days Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-LA) remained a member of the House of Representatives without caucus leader Nancy Pelosi calling on him to resign after FBI agents raided his home and found $90,000 in cash in his freezer : 1249.

Number of days before calling on him to step down from the House Ways & Means Committee: 294.”

Yes. He’s talking to you, Nancy Pelosi. We want the People’s Advocate, Rep. Anthony Weiner, to STAY.

Morning Quote: Republican Hypocrisy

Two years ago, Senator John Ensign (NV) admitted to cheating on his wife, and having a sexual relationship with the wife of one of his Senate staffers. His mistress was also working for Ensign’s campaign.

At that time, currently the number 2 Republican in the House, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA) was asked by Chris Wallace (FOX News) if Sanford should resign from office. Cantor's response to that question:

“Look, I mean, is anyone happy to see all that have happened?  No.  It‘s not good.  But, listen, we have our thoughts with their families and they themselves.”

Wallace then asked Cantor why Cantor would not "walk the walk" and ask both Ensign and Sanford to step down(both Sanford and Ensign had done their press conferences by the time Cantor was on Wallace's Fox News show). Cantor's response to Wallace was only too predictable:

“Well, listen—I mean, again many the instance of the people of South Carolina and Nevada, I mean, it‘s up to them.  I mean, those are the elected individuals by those states.”

About a week after Ensign's confession press conference, Republican Governor Mark Sanford (SC) admitted to the nation that he had not only cheated on his wife, but that he then lied to his constituents, and the nation in an attempt to cover it up. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) was asked if Sanford should resign from office. Cantor’s response was to say that it was up to Sanford’s constituents (as Cantor also said re Ensign):

“As far as his remaining governor, Brian, it‘s up to the people of South Carolina and that will play out.  But, listen, Governor Sanford apologized yesterday.  We ought to be, you know, really dedicating our thoughts and prayers to his family right now going through a difficult time.”

So, in both of these cases, Cantor made sympathetic noises, and suggested that it’s up to the people whether or not these two cheating lawmakers should resign, never once stating that they should do so.

Two years later, here comes Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), a man who held a press conference admitting to his chatting and sexting (not even actual physical cheating……..NO adultery that we know of), and the lies he told to cover it up. Surely Rep. Cantor would treat him the same as he did Sen. Ensign and Gov. Sanford, right? Of course not. When asked if Weiner should resign, Cantor was quick to throw him under the bus:

“I think it is up to Congressman Weiner and his constituents to make that decision.  I don‘t condone his activity.  I think he should resign.”

I know it shouldn’t, but the blatant hypocrisy of Republicans never fails to surprise me. sigh…

Watch Maddow take this apart:

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Image courtesy of MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show. IOKIYAR acronym > it’s only okay if you’re a Republican

Adding....If you feel as I do, and you want to see Rep. Weiner keep on working for the people, and you don't want to see him resign, be sure to visit the Facebook page which was created in order to encourage Rep. Weiner not to resign, and to show support.

Yet they have the nerve to go after Rep. Weiner

This - “Ohio Congressman Is Convicted in Sex Case, but Aide Says He'll Run for Re-election”, emphasis mine:

E. Lukens, Republican of Ohio, was convicted today in a case in which prosecutors said he had sex with a 16-year-old girl.

A jury deliberated for one and a half hours before finding him guilty of contributing to the delinquency and unruliness of a minor at his apartment in Columbus on Nov. 6. The offense, a misdemeanor, carries a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. He will be sentenced after a presentencing investigation.

Quote of the Day II

Chez Pazienza on America’s public sex scandals:

“For the record, I really am tired of public "sex scandals" -- particularly ones where there was nothing unlawful involved -- further diminishing our cultural discourse in this country and distracting the already easily distracted and titillated dingbats in the mainstream political press. And I can't stress intensely enough how this belief is in no way a sudden reaction to the fact that I happen to like Anthony Weiner. Yes, the occasionally sordid sexual escapades of our elected officials are a breeze to point and laugh at, but reacting with shock to the notion that somebody is capable of infidelity or enjoys, quite frankly, getting laid as often and as creatively as possible is just laughably puritanical.”

Via Ben Cohen

Quick Take: One for the team

Returning to MSNBC after his suspension over the “slut” drama, Ed Schultz immediately went over the top and called for Anthony Weiner’s resignation.

Updated: Breitbart blackmailing Congressman Weiner

Isn’t this illegal? News Hounds, emphasis mine:

But poor Breitbart – the guy who threatened to blackmail President Obama, the guy who hoped to bring down the institutional left in three weeks (more than a year ago) – is just so unfairly persecuted. “There’s a lot of vetting going on because even when you get a story airtight, they still attack you.”

Morning Quote: Anthony Weiner

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) talking to a TPM reporter (after an address at the Center for American Progress) on what may happen re the Affordability Care Act if any of the current lawsuits end up in our corporatist, predominantly right-wing, Supreme Court:

The Supreme Court unfortunately is a corporate-dominated arm of the Republican Party right now. I put nothing past them. But they would have to take a Bush v. Gore like leap to strike down the constitutionality of the whole law. Even the mandate is a pretty thin reed.

I second the bolded sentiments. Nothing.

Teabagger Republican House Votes to Defund NPR

The House voted today to defund NPR. James O’Keefe’s video purportedly exposing unethical behavior by NPR, was debunked, so why would they defund NPR?

In a largely symbolic move, the House today voted to block all federal funding for NPR, a week after the embattled public radio station found itself the subject of a conservative activist's sting that led to the ouster of its chief executive.

The bill passed by a 228-192 vote. No Democrats voted for it. Only 7 Republicans voted against the measure

Bob Cesca:

Once again, the Very Serious House Republicans have acted based upon a known fraud and scam artist who selectively edits his videos in order to frame otherwise innocent officials. James O'Keefe inspired this vote, and now 228 Republicans have attached their name to his latest scam. They're a major political party and they control the House of Representatives. When will the traditional press highlight how unserious these people are?

Adding….O’Keefe’s latest fake sting involves the Right’s favorite billionaire whipping boy, George Soros, and has also been debunked.

Adding also.... Just found video of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) mocking the Teabaggers (over the defunding of NPR) on the House floor today.

 

We're Coming to Take Your Gold! Reps. Waxman and Weiner Grilling Goldline Today

The morons at Goldline need to be in a jail cell rather than selling their wares on every damn right wing media outlet in the country.

[Yes, I know. Wishful thinking.]

From Mother Jones:

Glenn Beck's favorite gold company is getting hauled up to Capitol Hill Thursday for a grilling over its allegedly deceptive business practices. And top on the list of questions for company officials is likely to be: Do you really think President Obama plans to confiscate people's gold?

That members of Congress would be seriously considering such a question during a hearing is a sign of how strange the political times are. But concern over gold confiscation, once relegated to paranoid Beck fans, has gone mainstream, all thanks to the aggressive marketing and rapid growth of Goldline International. The California-based precious metals company is one of the largest sponsors of the right-wing talk radio and TV empire, especially Beck's share of it. And scaring people about potential government gold confiscation is one of its most successful sales pitches.

Go Weiner and Waxman!

VIDEO: Anthony Weiner Goes Off on Obstructionist Republicans Over 9/11 Health Care Bill

Republicans continue their mantra of "No, NO, NO" to anything proposed by Democrats. Yesterday, on the House floor, Rep. Anthony Weiner [D-NY] made it clear to Republicans that they are nothing more than completely obstructionist assholes, refusing to yield the floor, and calling them out for what they really are. "No! The gentleman will sit down! I will NOT yield!"

From a commenter on Bob Cesca's blog:

They sit silently, letting the ignorant wing of their base talk about insurrection, revolution, armed resistance...
Well, fuck that noise. And fuck the stubborn, petulant, malfeasant manner in which the GOP pretends to operate.
The time has come to get ALL the way up in their stunned Boehner, McConnell, Cantor faces.

Four months to midterms - like the last 20 seconds of the round. Time to come off the ropes and unload some heavy combinations. No more jabs...no more rope-a-dope. Time to open up some cuts and crack a few ribs.

AP report:

WASHINGTON — A bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to people sickened by World Trade Center dust fell short in the House on Thursday, raising the possibility that the bulk of compensation for the ill will come from a legal settlement hammered out in the federal courts.

The bill would have provided free health care and compensation payments to 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who fell ill after working in the trade center ruins.

It failed to win the needed two-thirds majority, 255-159. The vote was largely along party lines, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats supporting the measure.