So Republicans are twittering away like mad men, because we all know the path to power is nonsense condensed into rapid fire 140 character snippets. However, they apparently do not have teh google:
Republicans earlier this year tried to convince hero Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger to run for a congressional seat in California.
Sullenberger, a registered Republican whose textbook landing in the Hudson River in January was labeled a miracle, made it clear through his business manager that he was not interested, according to multiple sources familiar with the effort
Sully Sullenberger is a union man (and this is from Nancy Pelosi’s youtube channel):
As much as the Republicans hate unions, Sully might as well be a Gay Muslim ACLU lawyer.
Warren Terra
In other, happier Sullenberger news:
General Winfield Stuck
And the search for the perfect Stepford Raygun wingnut goes on. I just hope the Anti-Christ doesn’t show up here in the states and become a national hero for saving the day in some way. Then Gawd help us all if he’s also a registered wingnut.
Some folks thought it might have been George Bush, but almost choking to death on that pretzel pretty much pooh poohed that notion./
Calouste
The Republicans and technology remind me of that manager I used to work for in the late 90’s who printed out all his emails (probably also only did it once or twice a day like in the olden days when the internal mail was delivered once or twice a day). Able to use the technology, completely unable to grasp all its consequences.
Surreal American
While Republicans hate unions, they do love the occasional union member and they have no shame in trumpeting that affection when it fits their agenda. For example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Palin#Career
SGEW
Is this purposeful B.O.B. bait?
Ash
I’m completely baffled by the Republican adoration for this guy. Not that he doesn’t deserve it, but why are they acting like he could be their next great white hope? Someone explain please.
Mark S.
@Ash:
Look at the current roster of GOPers. When Jindal, Palin, and Cantor are your rising stars, anyone who is the least bit competent looks like the second coming of Ike.
(They still like Ike, don’t they? Or have the Birchers really taken over?)
DougJ
are twittering away like mad men
I’ve never seen any twittering on the show, though I can imagine Pete Campbell getting into it.
WyldPiratd
For fucks sakes, John. Everything the Rethugs do and believe is geared towards maintaining and extending power.
The Dems aren’t much better, just less adept at it.
The facts are pretty goddamned clear that the assholes representing us are totally bought and paid for by various corporations. Their raison d’etre is fucking over the people they represent.
General Winfield Stuck
@Surreal American:
The GOP is desperate for new voter blocks. The problem is, that the ones they have now are known not what they are for, but what groups of other Americans they’re against. The dems mostly have voting blocks of people for something and not against other groups of peoples — unless it’s being against those that are against others, ie wingnuts.
It’s all very complicated for the right, balancing not losing what they have and finding new voters that meet approval. When you invite racists and xenophobes into your party and add them to anti working middle class plutocrat money persons, it’s like painting yourself into all four corners at once. And then they end up screaming frothers, living by opportunistic chance, from one news cycle to the next, and wind up getting branded crazy people. Which is the current state of affairs.
Dreggas
@Ash:
Hero worship and this guy is the current hero of the day. Just like “Joe the Plumber” was the hero of the day for asking obama a question. It has nothing to do with substance merely the facade.
feebog
@marks
It’s not the incomptence. They have a brown guy, a woman and a jew as their rising stars. Instead of embracing the diversity, the rich old white guys who really run the party will run in droves towards the Mittster or Newt.
The Grand Panjandrum
I was doing some research on the team that T-Paw is putting together because both Politico and WaPo had pieces about it. Evidently Pawlenty hired Patrick Ruffini as one of his internet people so I went and took a look at his blog. And guess what the latest post was about?
The post is a real gem. Remember the post where Cole asked both Henke and Ruffini to disavow some of the worst of the teabagger and birfer stuff? Well read this and tell me he plans on disavowing the tea baggers? I think not. He’s convinced that we are about to witness the dawning of a new era of Wing Nut hegemony on the internets. They are stuck with hoping like ONE sane person will run for public office and that is why we see all this nonsense about Sullenberger, Petraeus, and Powell being the ideal candidate to win. Instead they are weighed down by Palin, Bachmann, Joe the Heckler, McConnell and the entire assorted band of creeps.
The Democratic leadership may be a bunch of weak-kneed candy asses, but so far the only legitimate opposition that threatens the agenda is from within.
Gwangung
Republicans need to realize that a sane candidate is necessary, but not sufficient.
The Bearded Blogger
@Mark S.: There will be at least one wignut athlete with moderate to acceptable accomplishments (in sports, of course) who will be touted as the next GOP hero in the following couple of election cycles.
SGEW
Why does no one talk more about Gary Sinise?
beltane
Sullenberger, to his great credit, also made it clear that he did not owe his success in landing the plane to his Lord and Savior Jeebus Christ. When asked if he prayed during those critical moments, he answered that if he had taken the time to pray, everyone would have died. This must count as some kind of immediate disqualification in the party of Palin and Huckabee.
joes527
@SGEW:
Mission to Mars. That’s why.
Shawn in ShowMe
Well, Kurt Warner does seem to be at the tail end of his NFL career. And even though he is an unabashed theocrat he is a helluva nice guy who gives back to the community and is capable of forming coherent sentences. He fits the wingnut wish profile to a “T”.
SGEW
@joes527: Thanks for that reminder. Thanks a lot. I actually saw that movie.
(scrubs brain w/ steel wool)
JK
Jesus Christ. Is this the standard the Republicans want to employ now? One impressive act is sufficient to get the Republican nomination to serve in Congress. Fuck qualifications, fuck experience, just recruit people who are famous for 15 minutes.
Why don’t Republicans try to recruit Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama or Carrie Prejean or Joe the Plumber?
The Republican Party has become the Shithead Party. There isn’t a single fucking original idea in the whole goddamn Republican Congressional Caucus. Their whole goddman strategy is to criticize Obama for every fucking decision he makes. Scumbag John Boehner is pissing and moaning about Obama’s trip to Copenhagen to make a pitch for Chicago to host the Olympic Games.
The entire Republican Congressional delegation is worth less than a bucket of urine.
General Winfield Stuck
@joes527:
Yes, he blasted off with his little alien buddy, who, btw, had more than a passing resemblance to Glenn Beck, imo/
Josh E.
The linked article says he’s a registered Republican. There are a handful of Republicans who aren’t completely insane about unions.
Jim Once
And he’s from Iowa – Cedar Rapids, to be exact – which could make the caucuses interesting, and might lead to Linn County actually voting Republican for once. On the other hand, an awful lot of people around here know him, concede that he’s a nice guy, but just don’t see him as presidential material.
r€nato
@JK:
This surprises you? This is the party that requires its deep thinkers to be thin, attractive females who dress provocatively; the party which runs the prodigal son of its most aristocratic dynasty for president; the party whose response to Barack Obama was Michael Steele (and Alan Keyes before him). Likewise Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.
This is the party which lives by the cheap gimmick.
WereBear
Mmm, perhaps the downside of Batshit Crazy is becoming apparent.
For the past few cycles they have run stealth candidates; Bush was about as compassionate as a Bond villain, McCain was no maverick after he kissed every Xantian ring and became a shadow of his former self. They can’t run anyone who can be upfront about what they are really about.
And that kind of twisted acting ability is no less abundant, but Limbaugh, Beck, and Palin are proof that there’s more money in being figureheads of leisure.
A knotty problem for them. Bwahahaha!
JK
@r€nato:
I’m just at the end of my rope with the Republican Party. It has become an abomination and an obscenity.
Peter J
But since the rest are, I guess they would end up doing to him what they’re currently doing in NY-23.
Mike G
Sullenberger, to his great credit, also made it clear that he did not owe his success in landing the plane to his Lord and Savior Jeebus Christ.
I wanted to vomit when whatever pandering media haircut asked him that question.
Almost as much as when Chimp’s first reaction to hearing that 24 Air Force spyplane crew were being held in China, asked an aide, “Can we get them bibles?” How about getting them out of China, dumbshit.
JSDreyer
@ JK
Dude, where have you been the past 15 years? The Republicans are no longer interested in candidates that can think for themselves. Here’s the plan.
1. Get them elected.
2. Tell them which way to vote.
Done.
Arclite Hawaii
Since when did Glenn Greenwald become a muslim?
kommrade reproductive vigor
That iz teh sad. They just need to issue a casting call. Or better yet, a reality show where the winner gets to run fora seat in Congress.
Jim Once
Off topic – I buried a friend today whose depression did not kill her, but breast cancer treated too late because doctors and insurance company claimed she was overreacting due to her mental condition. Still . . . this:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/01/broun-emergency-room/#comments
She was a wonderful, generous, compassionate person. I will miss her so terribly. Goddamn those who say no to real health care reform.
ds
“She was a wonderful, generous, compassionate person. I will miss her so terribly. Goddamn those who say no to real health care reform.”
If the magic hand of the free market + the power of prayer doesn’t deliver you awesome health care, you’re probably some sort of gay communist black illegal immigrant.
I AM NOT YOUR ATM!!!!!
Ruckus
@JK:
I’d say maybe a half a cup, there’s no way I see how they add up to a whole bucket.
Ruckus
@Jim Once:
Sorry about your friend.
I often wonder how many of us actually know someone who has died due to the crappy health care industry we have.
My sister met the same fate as your friend, so that’s two, on what 5 minutes?
So…. How may others here have known the loss of a friend or relative due to HCI?
Ruckus
No edit function here.
Meant an hour and 5 min.
heckblazer
I dunno, I think the GOP can overlook union membership if its convenient. After all, the the current governor of California is a union member, and St. Reagan was a union boss…
jrg
Horse shit. Did you miss the part when Michael Steele proudly announced that the GOP are the proud defenders of medicare?
They are nihilists. They don’t give a fuck.
Roger Moore
@JSDreyer:
You forgot the:
3. Call them a RINO and threaten to cut off their funding if they show the slightest hint of independence.
The Republican Party
Ve believe in NUSSING.
slag
My question is: Why is this dude a Republican in the first place? Ronald Reagan…air traffic controllers…ring a bell? Now he’s concerned about his wage loss after he’s essentially voted for it for years? Have Republicans ever been at all secretive about their intent to destroy the middle class? I guess maybe before I was born.
Balconesfault
Do Wingnuts even believe in Bernoulli’s principle?
I’d have figured their answer to “how do planes fly” has to do with angels, and God’s will.
Which is a little disconcerting when that’s the guy verifying the fuel supply calculations before takeoff.
ds
“My question is: Why is this dude a Republican in the first place? Ronald Reagan…air traffic controllers…ring a bell? Now he’s concerned about his wage loss after he’s essentially voted for it for years? Have Republicans ever been at all secretive about their intent to destroy the middle class? I guess maybe before I was born.”
I’ve met people who said they voted for Bush because they care about the environment.
A pro-choice friend of mine was somehow convinced that Ronald Reagan legalized abortion nationwide when he was president, and that it was illegal beforehand.
Most voters have only a very vague sense of where the two parties stand on issues of consequence and how the resulting policies will affect them personally. They mostly vote on how the economy seems to be doing, or how they stand on whatever hot button issue is generating a lot of media attention at the time of the election.
If you asked a representative sample of voters which party they thought was better on union issues, you’d get mostly blank stares.
geg6
Ruckus: An ex-student and later good friend of mine who was a quadriplegic died a few months back. He was in the hospital battling one of the many dangerous infections that people with trachs get when he was informed that his insurance had reached its lifetime limit. His choice? Send his family into homelessness and bankruptcy so he could get Medicare or go home and die. He decided to die so his family would have a future. Death panels, indeed.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
@SGEW:
I can hear Brick Oven Bill’s doppler effect. The fap-fap-fapping seems to be getting closer.
bob h
My Dad was a pilot in the days when the airlines were strictly regulated and salaries were kept artificially high by restraint of competition. Nevertheless, none of them would acknowledge this central role of government in sustaining their compensation, and all were diehard Republicans, rich targets for IRS audits.
Now that competition has brought salaries down, pilots are singing a different tune.
Shinobi
Maybe they are trying to use the MS search functions. Silly Republicans.
gbear
@The Grand Panjandrum:
TPaw seems to have a friendly relationship with Rachel Maddow and he’s occasionally on her show. I hope she has him on and starts grilling him about the gawdawful staff of disgraced ex-Rove goons that he’s putting together.
Pawlenty has been a ongoing trainwreck in MN since he became house majority leader during our Ventura experiment, but the moves he’s making now are still surprising in their wingnutty awfulness. Even previous republican governor Arne Carlson has been trashing him in public for abandoning the state in a time when hard decisions need to be made.
Deborah
@Ash:
Have you heard of Sullenberger? Do you have a positive feeling about him?
How about all other living Republican office holders?
It’s like Petraeus for Pres, though at least someone bothered to find out Sully’s voter registration.
There’s something deeply surreal in the demands for utter purity on the one hand and any warm body people don’t already hate on the other. Should be interesting midterms. (That said, please, someone take out Bachmann.)
matoko_chan
General Winfield Stuck….the common denominator is they all love Jesus.
The GOP is becoming the New Evangelical Christianist Republican Party. Their party platforms are dictated by by their thralldom to the low information base of white evangelical xians.
The GOP is becoming a uniformly theocratic party where the leadership is forced to endorse xian religious doctrine like creationism, homophobia, LIFE! and virtual chattel slavery of women and children, America-the-judeo-christian-nation and their own version of shariah law.
Also: Most likely presidential candidate for the New Evangelical Christianist Republican Party.