Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

Republicans don’t trust women.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Fani Willis claps back at Trump chihuahua, Jim Jordan.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Consistently wrong since 2002

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Reader Interactions

147Comments

  2. 2.

    r€nato

    Aren’t we at war?

    Isn’t it unpatriotic to heckle a president at a time of war? I’m pretty sure it is. At least, it was up until January of this year.

  3. 3.

    kid bitzer

    man, south carolina has really been the breeding-ground of traitors since the beginning, hasn’t it?

    and what we’re seeing here is the same thing: they’d rather tear the country apart then have to treat black people as people.

  4. 4.

    jwb

    It’s sort of weird to circle the wagons after he’s apologized, isn’t it? Unless they’re planning on walking back the apology.

    As someone mentioned in one of the earlier threads, it will be interesting to see if Rush demands an apology for the apology.

  5. 5.

    JK

    At one point, several Republicans also held up and waved copies of their healthcare proposal.

    The Republican Party has become an absolute national disgrace.

    I expect Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck to sing the praises of Joe Wilson tomorrow.

  7. 7.

    MikeJ

    RESPECT THE OFFICE!

    A guy with a sign at an anti war rally once said something intemperate about Bush, so it’s only fair that an MOC yell and interrupt a joint session of congress.

  8. 8.

    ninerdave

    After 8 years of telling everyone they were traitors if they didn’t wear flag pins and address George W. Bush as “dear leader”, these lunatics support having Congressmen heckle the president.

    did you think it really would be any different? The Red State “analysis” of the speech is really amusing though.

    Shorter Erick:

    “The speech was a failure, because it was. Obama is lying. I don’t believe a word he says, and he’ll never mention tort reform, except when he did, but since he’s a liar he’ll never do anything about it”

  9. 9.

    Citizen_X

    @JK: Is that what those things were? They waved them several times, like they were totems. It was downright creepy.

  10. 10.

    ellaesther

    I love how embarrassed Joe the Biden looked, just shakin’ his head, after the Joe Wilson outburst.

    “Aw geez, man, we try to get you cleaned up, try to take you some place fancy…. You see? This is why you can’t have nice things!”

  12. 12.

    DougJ

    did you think it really would be any different?

    Actually, most Congressional Republicans condemned Wilson. And they were calling everyone traitors too under Bush.

  13. 13.

    kid bitzer

    i think they should take a page from bush’s practice.

    if republican members of congress want to attend obama’s speeches, they have to do so in “free speech zones”, locked cages, located several hundred yards away.

  14. 14.

    SenyorDave

    I’m surprised Erick Erickson didn’t manage to get a goat-fucker reference in. Seems like lots of far-right pundits are quick to bring up bizzare sex practices when they go after people they hate (think Rush’s constant references to bending over and taking it).

  15. 15.

    General Winfield Stuck

    Bob Bennett (RINO-UT) was the only Republican who stood up and clapped when Barack Obama bashed Sarah Palin over the death panels. That jackass should be taken out in a primary.

    And the Lord said teh wingnut will shat it’s own house be taken out one by one by one from within.

  17. 17.

    JK

    If John Boehner, Roy Blount, and Eric Cantor were not first class assholes they would order Joe Wilson to deliver an apology to Obama and his colleagues on the floor of the House of Representatives.

  18. 18.

    jrg

    They must hate America. Why else would someone disagree with the President?

    I mean, if they are going to criticize Obama, shouldn’t they do it in a free speech zone or something?

  20. 20.

    GregB

    I am surprised that President Obama didn’t take the opportunity to shove his black member down the GOP’s collective throats.

    It would have made their day, it’s all they talk about.

    -G

  21. 21.

    Marked Hoosier

    I read that a republican also walked out in the middle of the speech.

    You stay classy republicans!

  22. 22.

    r€nato

    @SenyorDave: dude, if you think bending over and taking it is bizarre… you must never have heard of furries.

    But I get your drift. And I definitely don’t ever want to see again
    “Rush” and “bending over and taking it” in the same sentence.

  24. 24.

    The Dangerman

    I know there’s a lot of speculation around these virtual parts about peak wingnuttery; calling the President a liar in a Joint Session of Congress may be it. That some on the Right are getting a stiffy over this act just goes to show their total moral bankruptcy. Can you imagine if a Democrat had done similar in the run up to the Iraq war; he or she would have had death threats from the Right.

    In a highly delayed answer to “Polish the Guillotines” (sorry, probably butchered your handle); no, The Dangerman handle wasn’t inspired by the movie (though, thanks for the link; I need to blow up the image for my wall). It is an old Aerospace nickname from when I used to fight for what I thought was right even when it was politically unwise to do so (I was once called a World Class iconoclast by a Supervisor; I’m not sure it was meant as a compliment, but I’ve taken it that way).

  27. 27.

    Allan

    From the Republican House of Representatives’ Committee of Rules basic training manual for new Republican congressional representatives, in the section titled, Decorum and Civility in the House:

    Until the 109th Congress, it was not in order to make certain references to the Senate or individual senators. However, at the beginning of that Congress, the House removed the prohibition on making references to the Senate, leaving only the requirement that debate be confined to the question under debate and avoid “personality.” The precedents of the House allow a wide latitude in criticism of the President, other executive officials, and the government itself. However, it is not permissible to use language that is personally offensive to the President, such as referring to him as a “hypocrite” or a “liar.”

  29. 29.

    gbear

    I’ll bet that Joe Wilson had quite a few conversations with teabagger constituents before this address today where they were telling him to give Obama hell and speak up for them durring the address (in the same way that they’d spoken up in the town halls), and Wilson, being an ignorant tool, promised them that he’s be there for them. I’d bet that he went in to the address tonight already planning to blurt but just looking for the right moment. It was a grade-school level punk move – the kind where you know you’ve blown it horribly as soon as you do it.

    I really want to see these guys be forced to attempt a fillibuster.

  30. 30.

    JK

    @Allan:

    Joe Wilson’s dog must have eaten his copy of the Republican House of Representatives’ Committee of Rules basic training manual.

  32. 32.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Good speech.

    Joe Wilson should definitely go back to ambassadoring though, and he looked better with the long hair.

  38. 38.

    JGabriel

    @JK:

    If John Boehner, Roy Blount, and Eric Cantor were not first class assholes they would order Joe Wilson to deliver an apology to Obama and his colleagues on the floor of the House of Representatives.

    Don’t be surprised if Boehner, Blount, & Cantor do demand the apology anyway, despite being world class assholes.

    There’s a certain level of decorum expected at Congressional addresses, and Wilson failed to maintain it — BB&C must concede to any requests for an apology from Pelosi & Hoyer. They really won’t have a choice.

    .

  40. 40.

    KG

    best part of the Red State link:

    Bob Bennett (RINO-UT) was the only Republican who stood up and clapped when Barack Obama bashed Sarah Palin over the death panels. That jackass should be taken out in a primary.

    Just let that one marinate for a minute or two.

  41. 41.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @ninerdave:

    Shorter whoever that is at the Politico:

    President Obama is disgracefully not allowing the roughly 20% of Americans who are represented by the pathological nutjobs in Congress called Republicans who can’t even behave civilly for one speech to write the bill.

  43. 43.

    JK

    @JGabriel:

    I hope you’re right and that Pelosi and Hoyer push for this lowlife Joe Wilson to give a public apology on the floor of the House chamber.

  44. 44.

    Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist

    @JK: I hope you’re right and that Pelosi and Hoyer push for this lowlife Joe Wilson to give a public apology on the floor of the House chamber.

    I dunno, I’d rather see some really condescending fake understanding, like “we don’t judge, we realize that as a Republican you have certain … impulses …. you can’t control, but we still love you.”

  47. 47.

    r€nato

    @KG: you know, I was not sure what to make of the fact that there was a shot in the TV coverage showing all the Goopers (save Bennett apparently, but he wasn’t in the shot I saw) sitting on their hands when Obama denounced the death panels lie.

    I mean, do they pretty much never applaud the opposing party’s president unless he’s praising motherhood and apple pie and other wholesome things? Were they refusing to admit it was a big lie? Were they actually in favor of the ‘death panels’ propaganda?

  48. 48.

    Polish the Guillotines

    @The Dangerman: Heh. Better late than never. The show was pre-Prisoner MacGoohan. In the U.S. it was Secret Agent (which used the Johnny Rivers tune for a theme). Kick ass show. I highly recommend it.

  49. 49.

    J

    ‘heckle’ seems to me to be too kind a word for this.

    I know it’s too much to hope for, but it would be nice when the press covers this if they actually went on to say who was telling the truth and who, as it happened, was lying.

  51. 51.

    jl

    Did a little ‘surfin’ on the net, as the kids say. Looks like Rob Miller, FORMER Marine and Iraq war vet, who got 46% of vote against the rude and uncivil, and nasty old coot, Joe Wilson, last time, will run again. Below is a contributions page I found, and below that, moving pictures.

    Forget censures and apologies, send former Marine and Iraq war vet Miller some bucks. That will be the best revenge.

    http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19079

    (below is attempt to embed youtubes, if it totally messes up I will repost)

  52. 52.

    Midnight Marauder

    @KG:

    Bob Bennett (RINO-UT) was the only Republican who stood up and clapped when Barack Obama bashed Sarah Palin over the death panels. That jackass should be taken out in a primary.

    It really is amazing, isn’t it? Watching them furiously embrace becoming an irrelevant caricature of a legitimate political organization? Just running wild and blind into the arms of pure inanity.

    I bet Huntsman is smiling to himself bigger and bigger every day in China these days.

  53. 53.

    bedtimeforbonzo

    From one of the other threads here:

    BDeevDad: “Wow, first search suggestion when typing censure into Google is Censure Joe Wilson.”

    I’m too lazy and tired to go Googling — my wife is already pissed off that I’m not in bed (Why is it that wives don’t like it when you stay up late without them? Or when you fall asleep on the E-Z chair? Hell, she spent half the night mad at me, anyway) — but I’ve got to believe censure is very rare, other than when my wife does it to me.

    (It’s not like I’m looking at porn, although the night’s young. Plus, she’s sound asleep. Not my fault I can sleep ’til 10 and she has to be up at 6:30.)

    Back to censuring Joe Wilson . . .

  54. 54.

    r€nato

    Let’s not forget how this totally awesome day began: with California assemblyman Michael Duvall talking smack about his two mistresses into a hot mic.

    I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when he got home to his wife. That is, if she hasn’t already thrown his shit on the lawn and changed the locks.

  56. 56.

    CalD

    Politicalwire says Republicans were visibly confused about whether to applaud or not at several points during the President’s speech tonight. I rarely watch political speeches (or any other kind, I guess) but I might have to make an exception for this one. That sounds entertaining.

  57. 57.

    Polish the Guillotines

    Just saw this on HuffPo. John Dingell for the win:

    Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest serving member in House history, said he was not impressed by the GOP antics. “Well, you’ve got to understand: They’re Republicans. They’re just doing what comes natural,” he told HuffPost.

  59. 59.

    slag

    I’m not totally enraged that the guy called Obama a liar in the middle of his speech. But if you’re going to call the president a liar in front of everyone, you should at least be right: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/seven-falsehoods-about-health-care/. Also, the fact that he did it on immigration–of all things–is more than a little telling.

    Substantively, I was pleasantly surprised when Obama said that, if you can’t find an affordable healthcare option, we will provide you one. I think that kind of commitment is what we need to have.

  63. 63.

    Apsaras

    God I can’t wait for tomorrow when I can read in the Washington Post that Barack Obama called Sarah Palin a liar, and that Joe Wilson called Barack Obama a liar. The question of who was actually lying will be left to the blogosphere and other fringe news outlets as determining the truth of the matter is so not their job.

    Also a single tear will roll down David Broder’s cheek at the thought of such willful partisanship on behalf of the president. On Friday, Peggy Noonan will clutch her pearls and ask where, oh where, has grace gone.

  64. 64.

    mogden

    You know, I actually liked that part the best. Americans should heckle their political leaders. I know that guy is just a despicable congressman like all the rest of them, but still. It had a bit of the House of Commons vibe which is much healthier than the boring American House.

    And the expression on Pelosi’s face was a joy to behold.

  65. 65.

    jl

    @freelancer: I bet his forgiveness for my impertenance. Do not let him sic the Tunchinator on my fat ass.

    Also. I thought I heard a second yellout of ‘liar’ later in the speech. Anyone else hear it? Anyone know who it was? Or did my ears trick me?

  71. 71.

    Ash

    @mogden: Parliament is fun to watch. But that sort of stuff has no place in an address to Congress and the country. I really don’t give a shit if they all call each other liars and baby killers behind the scenes, but there’s a time and a place for it.

  72. 72.

    Apsaras

    And yeah, I’ll join in with the chorus that says Joe Wilson was, while rude, not wrong by heckling. Shit, if we had had more than a few democrats call Bush out in 2003… well, shit, nothing would have changed. But an actual opposition party back then would have been nice.

  74. 74.

    jl

    @slag: I agree that ‘affordable health care’ may be an important phrase.

    It might mean that Obama understands a mandate that only picks the pockets of people who will be forced to by policies in order to pad company profits will be a very bad idea.

    It might mean Obama will not accept bogus rinky dink state coops. Four or five big regional co-ops might work as well as a public option. They would have enough people to be sustainable, less likely to be bought out, less likely to be disguised version of some state monopoly company, have enough bargaining power to do something.

    But I do not trust Obama that much, so I will not hope that is what he meant. I will assume that is what he meant, and will tell my congresscritter that is what he meant, and expect that promise to be kept.

  76. 76.

    bedtimeforbonzo

    “On Friday, Peggy Noonan will clutch her pearls and ask where, oh where, has grace gone.”

    Let’s just hope said pearls are around her neck.

    (Wait. What am I thinking? Where else would Margaret Noon put her pearls?)

  77. 77.

    Midnight Marauder

    @Apsaras:

    And yeah, I’ll join in with the chorus that says Joe Wilson was, while rude, not wrong by heckling. Shit, if we had had more than a few democrats call Bush out in 2003… well, shit, nothing would have changed. But an actual opposition party back then would have been nice.

    Well, that must be a mighty strong chorus. I think what a lot of people are saying is that there’s a time and a place for that kind of thing, and an address to a joint session of Congress–not to mention the nation as a whole–is certainly not the time nor place for that. Not to mention that it is explicitly prevented by the rules and decorum of Congress.

    It’s bush-league, thru and thru.

  80. 80.

    Apsaras

    You’re right, MM. While I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more House of Commons in the House of Representatives, Joe Wilson and the Republicans have once again shown that money can’t buy class.

  83. 83.

    bedtimeforbonzo

    “It had a bit of the House of Commons vibe which is much healthier than the boring American House.”

    Get your point. But this wasn’t the House of Commons.

    Can you imagine the uproar if a Democrat had heckled Bush during a joint session of Congress?

    He/she’d be called unAmerican.

    He/she’d be called a Commie.

    Or worse — a Socialist.

  87. 87.

    bedtimeforbonzo

    Imply that Peggy Noonan might put some a strand of pearls in here pussy and it’s no problem.

    Use the S-word and it’s moderation.

    I’ll stick to the pearls.

  88. 88.

    ninerdave

    Side note to the wingnuts screaming about illegals getting medical coverage:

    Do they not understand that illegals are already get medical care the same way as the uninsured? Going to the emergency room?

  90. 90.

    slag

    @jl: No doubt. I’ve already gone to my congressional offices with my declaration of support for a public option. But I really don’t care what they call it. Can’t help but admire the use of the word “we” in Obama’s statement, though. He could have used the passive voice, but he didn’t. That’s good.

  91. 91.

    Fulcanelli

    “As for the Republicans, how can one regard seriously a frightened, greedy, nostalgic huddle of tradesmen and lucky idlers who shut their eyes to history and science, steel their emotions against decent human sympathy, cling to sordid and provincial ideals exalting sheer acquisitiveness and condoning artificial hardship for the non-materially-shrewd, dwell smugly and sentimentally in a distorted dream-cosmos of outmoded phrases and principles… Intellectually, the Republican idea deserves the tolerance and respect one gives to the dead.” – H.P. Lovecraft

  94. 94.

    jl

    Looks like Rob Miller, future Congresscritter to replace Joe Wilson The Rude and Uncivil, went from $30K to over $65K in contributions within the last hour. I contributed, so I got money riding on the race now.

  95. 95.

    JGabriel

    @ninerdave:

    IOKIYAR

    I can’t help but wonder, between all this uproar over Joe Wilson’s outburst and the actual resignation of a Republican politician over a sex scandal today, is it possible that we’ve reached the beginning of the end of “IOKIYAR”?

    .

  97. 97.

    Down and Out of Sài Gòn

    There’s a lot of heckling in the British House of Commons and in most other parliamentary democracies. But heckling generally occurs in Question Time. People outside of politics do not like their politicians heckling each other either.

    Obama wasn’t in question time. He was giving a speech. That’s why I think Wilson was out of order. If he felt like a rebuttal, he could have done it out of congress.

    One thing that I found unnerving about the speech was people standing up every time they clapped. Couldn’t applause be delivered sitting down once in a while? It would look more sincere. I know it is SOP in the USA – but it looks bizarre even when Obama delivering an excellent speech. (And with Bush… it just flat out disgusted me.)

  99. 99.

    rock

    “I can’t wait for tomorrow when I can read in the Washington Post that Barack Obama called Sarah Palin a liar, and that Joe Wilson called Barack Obama a liar. ”

    Stephanapolous(sp?) did just that after the speech. Actually spent more time being shocked at Obama , never having heard a president call someone a liar in a speech before. Fair. And. Balanced.

  100. 100.

    Calouste

    @mogden:

    You know, I actually liked that part the best. Americans should heckle their political leaders. I know that guy is just a despicable congressman like all the rest of them, but still. It had a bit of the House of Commons vibe which is much healthier than the boring American House.

    And the expression on Pelosi’s face was a joy to behold.

    There are a number of differences:
    First, the Prime Minister is a member of the House of Commons, as are most of the other members of the cabinet, except a few who are members of the House of Lords. He is also the head of government only, the Queen is the head of state, and no one would think about heckling the Queen. The President in the US combines both roles of head of government and head of state.

    Second, heckling happens mostly during Prime Minister’s Question Time, when it is some kind of free for all.

  101. 101.

    freelancer

    @JGabriel:

    is it possible that we’ve reached the beginning of the end of “IOKIYAR”?

    The end of IOKIYAR, even from the POV of beltway reporting, will be the immediate aftermath of Peak Wingnut.

  102. 102.

    Jean

    Read that when Wilson called the WH to apologize directly to President Obama, his call was routed to Rahm. Wonder how long that conversation lasted.

  103. 103.

    JK

    @Down and Out of Sài Gòn:

    I’ve watched Prime Minister’s Questions several times on C-SPAN. I think the practice of heckling the Prime Minister is stupid and I don’t care how long it’s been a tradition in Britain. If you want to show disapproval with what the President or Prime Minister is saying the most intelligent response is silence.

    Tonight, several Republicans were holding copies of a Republican bill up in the air. I found this action similarly childish and stupid.

  104. 104.

    IndyLib

    @jl:
    I donated, thanks for the link. I like to see former military come into politics as Dems. It will help bury the old saw that Democrats hate the military and are weak on national defense.

  105. 105.

    bedtimeforbonzo

    Going to bed.

    Comments 81 and 85 have been under moderation for nearly an hour.

    The moderator must be a Republican.

  106. 106.

    area man

    @Fulcanelli:

    Heh, thanks for posting that pithy rant. H.P. either did have access to eldritch insights and was predicting our present circumstance or the Republicans have remained largely unchanged since his day and before.

    Aieeee, GOPthlu, fhtagn, fhtagn!

  107. 107.

    freelancer

    @Jean:

    Revenge was heavy in the air as the group discussed the enemies – Democrats, Republicans, members of the press – who wronged them during the 1992 campaign. Clifford Jackson, the ex-friend of the President and peddler of the Clinton draft-dodging stories, was high on the list. So was William Donald Schaefer, then the Governor of Maryland and a Democrat who endorsed George Bush. Nathan Landow, the fund-raiser who backed the candidacy of Paul Tsongas, made it, too.
    Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remeber it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table.
    ”Dead!” he screamed.
    The group immediately joined in the cathartic release: ”Nat Landow! Dead! Cliff Jackson! Dead! Bill Schaefer! Dead!”

  108. 108.

    AnotherBruce

    You know, whatever else came out of this speech, It seems like the Democrats are fighting the Republicans instead of themselves for a change. Damn, it feels good. I’m beginning to think that we are going to get a good bill out of this.

  109. 109.

    Midnight Marauder

    @AnotherBruce:

    You know, whatever else came out of this speech, It seems like the Democrats are fighting the Republicans instead of themselves for a change. Damn, it feels good. I’m beginning to think that we are going to get a good bill out of this.

    A big co-sign on this one.

  110. 110.

    The Populist

    Hey righties, riddle me this…do not be upset if some far lefty like Kucinich heckles your guy/gal should you steal the next election or two.

    I read your WND articles where they talk about us all being sent to a concentration camp by the supposedly evil Obama YET it will be a Republican that does it when that day comes.

    Learn about history, learn about how the Nazis took power and stop saying somebody is lying when you had no problem during Bush and Cheney’s lie filled run.

    Sorry, the pot is calling the kettle black and you’ve lowered the bar so when it happens to your “star” i hope you never cry about it. I give Obama props for taking it all in stride. I remember when Bush was asked tough questions and he’d GLARE at that person like he wanted to have them shot.

  111. 111.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @freelancer: That was the old pre-muslin table voodoo, I think they just use the dolls now since they got a person of the dark persuasion into the White House.

  112. 112.

    slag

    @rock: Correction. Obama did not call someone a liar. He pointed out that certain statements made about healthcare were lies, but he did not directly refer to any individual. I call that a distinction and a difference.

  114. 114.

    AnotherBruce

    H.P. either did have access to eldritch insights

    He wrote some fine horror stories, but even he did not have the diabolical farsightedness to predict the coming of the Cheney.

  115. 115.

    Anne Laurie

    @JGabriel:

    Muslim Chicken Snake?… That’s a new one.

    I think Commentor Midnight 1957 has been chocking his personal MCS too much, if you know what I mean.

  116. 116.

    stickler

    Jean:

    Read that when Wilson called the WH to apologize directly to President Obama, his call was routed to Rahm. Wonder how long that conversation lasted.

    Holy crap. Link please. I’m sure, as Freelancer hints, that Rahm is capable of delivering a concise and informative response to the jackass who called his boss a liar during a joint session of Congress.

    There must be formal and informal ways of reaming an asshole like Wilson, up there in Washington, DC (plus, he’s not a gilded lily Senator, so he’s actually mortal and subject to our human laws). It would be a balm unto my soul if — just this once — Democrats could respond to Republican assholery with vigor and discipline, instead of pants-piddling surrender.

  118. 118.

    freelancer

    @Bill E Pilgrim:

    That was the old pre-muslin table voodoo, I think they just use the dolls now since they got a person of the dark persuasion into the White House.

    [sigh]

    and that’s exactly where we’re headed in this country. The Kenyan darkie has his own muddy negra rain dance that he’s going to indoctrinate our kids into his Hitler Youth way of life, and his white house dijon voodoo is set on brainwashing the obama-cult into fascistic commienism where he can get his dhimmi sheep to obey his genocidal fema camp plans to stifle all dissidents and compromise our precious body fluids.

  120. 120.

    freelancer

    @AnotherBruce:

    H.P. either did have access to eldritch insights
    He wrote some fine horror stories, but even he did not have the diabolical farsightedness to predict the coming of the Cheney.

    Lovecraft garbled the translation. Named him Cthulu.

  121. 121.

    Calouste

    @stickler:

    I expect a rather mysterious decline in the number of earmarks for a certain district in South Carolina in the finalized versions of bills.

  122. 122.

    KG

    @Midnight Marauder: since I started following politics fairly closely about 15 years ago (while, gulp, I was actually still in high school), I’ve been predicting the impending collapse of the Republican Party. But not like this. I really didn’t expect them to just go crazy. I expected a break up along the lines of the Southern Populist Christian Front against the libertarian/business types. I just don’t get it. I really don’t. All reason and logic (and yes, there use to be some among conservatives and libertarians).

    @r€nato: I think the rule is generally, you only applaud when a president of the other party is talking about mom, apple pie, and baseball (football is acceptable if you’re from SEC country). Otherwise, I don’t think you’re suppose to applaud. Unless he says we’re winning a war. Part of me does not want to believe that the GOP members of Congress are so cynical that they actually believe the death panel bullshit. But then I tap into a few contacts that I have and I realize that the GOP is long past playing members of the scout team and have basically grabbed guys from the intramural leagues to play in the Rose Bowl.

  124. 124.

    Jonnypencil

    @The Populist:

    Hey righties, riddle me this…do not be upset if some far lefty like Kucinich heckles your guy/gal should you steal the next election or two.

    I hope they do. Calling bullshit on a lie is exactly what freedom of speech is about. Joe Wilson should be congratulated for that. My only problem with it is that he appolgised. If you “progressives” had done the same, maybe you could have furthered your goals. Thankfully, for the country at large, you are a bunch of mealy mouthed pussies.

  125. 125.

    stickler

    Calouste:

    I want more than a mysterious reduction in earmarks. I want him to get the dressing-down of his life, in person; and then I want someone to put a bag of fishes on his doorstep.

    And THEN, I want his misbegotten district to get precisely three cents in Federal money until his Marine opponent whips him in the next election.

    Please, Uncle Rahm?

  128. 128.

    Blue Raven

    @stickler:

    Holy crap. Link please. I’m sure, as Freelancer hints, that Rahm is capable of delivering a concise and informative response to the jackass fuck-knuckle who called his boss a liar during a joint session of Congress.

    Fixed.

  129. 129.

    ninerdave

    @gwangung:

    You’re so cute when you think you know what you’re talking about.

    “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

    Hey!! Lookie that! the “Progressive’s” favorite amendment, unless the don’t agree with someone’s speech.

    Impinging on the first amendment starts now:

    http://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/09/09/censure-joe-wilson/

    http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×6504496

    That’s “progress” eh “progressives”?

  131. 131.

    TenguPhule

    “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

    Yes, now shut up and sit go to your freedom zone 20 miles away from anyone who cares.

  132. 132.

    TenguPhule

    Hey righties, riddle me this…do not be upset if some far lefty like Kucinich heckles your guy/gal should you steal the next election or two.

    No More Republicans in Office.

    Ever.

  133. 133.

    MikeJ

    @ninerdave:
    I don’t think anyone would have minded if Wilson had called a press conference afterward and demonstrated to the world that he is bug fuck insane. You do know that what he said was bug fuck insane don’t you?

    Anyway, if Wilson wants to show people that he is bug fuck insane, that’s fine. But even children learn that you don’t shout out while other people are talking. There are plenty of things that are legal that you don’t do because they are impolite. Or would you have preferred if Obama had taken that old glibertarian chestnut about “an armed society is a polite society” a bit more to heart when dealing with bug fuck insane MoCs?

  134. 134.

    bedtimeforbonzo

    “Tonight, several Republicans were holding copies of a Republican bill up in the air. I found this action similarly childish and stupid.”

    Viewing a replay of it right before I tried to go to bed the first time, I thought the same thing.

    I also thought that television has to do better for these events.

    Tonight’s speech — and the reaction in the hall — was news.

    At the least, we needed a split screen.

    We needed a split screen so we could see the camera zero in on that asshole Wilson, so we could see the faces of those cowards holding up copies of the Republican, so we could see that idiot with the placard “What Bill?” up close to the point of indictment.

    I watched Keith Olberman after the speech, another replay.

    He is supposed to be a left-wing standard-bearer in the MSM.

    I thought he did a wonderful job of telling how great and wonderful President Obama was.

    But I thought he did a very poor job of calling out these cowards on the right for giving the middle finger to the Office of the President of the United States.

    I was very disappointed.

  135. 135.

    Davis X. Machina

    The President in the US combines both roles of head of government and head of state

    Precisely. No one in Parliament heckles the Queen’s Speech — which despite its name is written and given by the PM — at the State Opening of Parliament. Some days the President is Head of State, some days he’s leader of the government of the day. When he’s addressing a joint session, as for the SOTU, or lats night, he’s Head of State.

    Sit on your hands, text, don’t go at all, that’s O.K. And heckle the guy on the hustings, when he’s visiting flag factories and kissing babies. Or don’t attend the joint session at all.

  136. 136.

    Michael

    I expect a rather mysterious decline in the number of earmarks for a certain district in South Carolina in the finalized versions of bills.

    Hilton Head Island and Beaufort are overloaded with geezer retirees, military and otherwise, who have sockialist healthcare and sockialist pension benefits paid for by you and me.

    Del Webb has one of those nasty-assed and gated “Sun City” places located just outside the walls, where selfish assholes can play golf and not be bothered by anyone’s grandkids (you can’t have them or your adult relatives even stay overnight – there’s a hotel outside the gate).

    They suck, and I long to run a death panel that would deal with the demographic subset that makes up the sort of people that would buy in there.

  138. 138.

    chopper

    @slag:

    Obama did not call someone a liar. He pointed out that certain statements made about healthcare were lies, but he did not directly refer to any individual. I call that a distinction and a difference.

    of course. i mean, if he said in his speech “I, as a citizen of the united states…”, would that mean he’s calling jean schmidt a liar?

  139. 139.

    chopper

    @ninerdave:

    who the hell is saying wilson broke the law? what law?

    censuring someone for being inappropriate during a session of congress isn’t a violation of the 1st amendment.

  140. 140.

    Comrade Darkness

    So, the republican members of congress, who actually have copies of the bill, and are presumably literate, are as stupid and immature as your bottom of the barrel teabagger. You know, my expectations are pretty low, but this exceeds them, in a bad way.

    I guess republicans are too busy wanking off with their lobbiests to actually learn anything about their f*cking jobs. At all levels of government.

    And glancing up I see the trolls are totally confusing constitutional law with social norms. If they all have autism I guess we can pity them for that.

  141. 141.

    Caren

    just a point of order…no minister in Britain is allowed to call another a “liar”. They can respectfully say that the facts are in error or that a bill is full of lies, but personal insults are verboten. They get you kicked out of the chamber until you apologize.

    Screaming “You lie” during an Address would have had Wilson hoisted right out of the chamber if it were in England.

  142. 142.

    Aaron

    @chopper:

    Bah, don’t let facts get in the way of wild accusations. It didn’t stop Joe “I never learned the read” Wilson, and it surely won’t stop his fluffers

  143. 143.

    LD50

    @Jonnypencil:

    I hope they do. Calling bullshit on a lie is exactly what freedom of speech is about. Joe Wilson should be congratulated for that. My only problem with it is that he appolgised. If you “progressives” had done the same, maybe you could have furthered your goals. Thankfully, for the country at large, you are a bunch of mealy mouthed pussies.

    I guess that’s why you guys won all those elections in ’06 & ’08, eh?

  145. 145.

    The Populist

    “I hope they do. Calling bullshit on a lie is exactly what freedom of speech is about. Joe Wilson should be congratulated for that. My only problem with it is that he appolgised. If you “progressives” had done the same, maybe you could have furthered your goals. Thankfully, for the country at large, you are a bunch of mealy mouthed pussies.”

    I think you misunderstand moron, I am an independent and former Republican who thinks that idiots on the right are the biggest pussies of them all. If you think I am a progressive, I will still take it as a compliment cuz those people are the real America.

  146. 146.

    The Populist

    “Hey!! Lookie that! the “Progressive’s” favorite amendment, unless the don’t agree with someone’s speech.”

    Yet, it takes an intelligent person to know when to EXERCISE it instead of spout verbal diarrhea like the typical right winger.

    It’s called fucking manners idiot. When Bush had his State of the U addresses, I don’t remember lefties EVER blurting out rude comments like Mr. Wilson did last night.

    Fuck you very much idiot sheep.

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