Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Text STOP to opt out of updates on war plans.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Let there be snark.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

All hail the time of the bunny!

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

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Children

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This is what it’s come to in the House (via):

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the party’s vote counter, began his talk by showing a clip from the movie, “The Town”, trying to forge a sense of unity among the independent-minded caucus.

One character asks his friend: “I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later.”

“Whose car are we gonna take,” the character says.

After showing the clip, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), one of the most outspoken critics of leadership among the 87 freshmen, stood up to speak, according to GOP aides.

“I’m ready to drive the car,” West replied, surprising many Republicans by giving his full -throated support for the plan.

If we’d only shown these guys the volleyball scene from “Top Gun”, we could have ended DADT years ago.

Reader Interactions

77Comments

  2. 2.

    Spaghetti Lee

    Witnesses report that a single tear rolled down his cheek, and slow, reverent french horn music played in the background.

  4. 4.

    Dexter

    And I see a “Support Congressman Allen West Today” ad just below the post. Does Cole gets some money out of that asshole’s campaign coffer if I click on the linky?

  5. 5.

    shortstop

    If we’d only shown these guys the volleyball scene from “Top Gun”, we could have ended DADT years ago.

    Fucking hilarious, and a nice next generation of Stewart’s comment on that scene a week or two ago.

    Witnesses report that a single tear rolled down his cheek, and slow, reverent french horn music played in the background.

    Just as funny.

    Seriously, though, how could West resist something like that? These insane Code of Brotherhood assholes are so predictable.

  6. 6.

    Anne Laurie

    Haven’t yet seen the movie, but doesn’t it basically involve a bunch of professional criminals “liberating” the property of galtian overlords because they are trapped in a lawless, disfunctional environment?

  8. 8.

    me

    If they were shown the war room scene from “Dr. Strangelove” maybe they’d seal themselves in a mine shaft.

  11. 11.

    jwb

    Corner Stone: I asked you on a previous thread, but I think it’s been abandoned: I’m just wondering how you figure Boehner and Canter have been playing their roles like they don’t know the script if the fix is in. Are they not in on the deal? If not, who is? If they are, how can they both appear so incompetent and yet pull off a deal like this in secret?

  14. 14.

    Spaghetti Lee

    As long as we’re playing this game, is there some movie that involves a cult or bunch of religious fanatics straight up killing themselves off? Wasn’t there a Jonestown documentary made a while back?

  15. 15.

    jl

    These kind like to make money off their heroism, if the teabagger leadership is any guide. I wonder if anyone how many are writing up movie treatments?

  16. 16.

    Mike

    Six days left until Obambi caves in.

    He did that weeks ago. The problem is you righties haven’t figured out the fact that you won. Take the trophy and gloat. Why the hell won’t you do that? It makes no sense!

  19. 19.

    slag

    @Reality Check: You are so right on, Reality Check. So right on! And you know what else? You’re good enough; you’re smart enough; and gosh darn it, people like you!

    Now, let’s find some common ground. What is it about “Obambi” that you hate the most? Is it the secret Kenyan Muslim thing he’s got going on? Or the secret Liberationist thing? Or maybe the Marxo-Fascist-Socialist thing? What is it exactly? I want to understand your feelings. I think we just might be able to find some common ground here. No…scratch that…I KNOW we will be able to find some common ground here.

    Tell me, do you like old, white people? Let me say, I’ve encountered many an old, white person and have enjoyed meeting them all! Who’s your favorite old, white person? If you can even choose, that is. I don’t want to put any pressure on you.

  21. 21.

    Ed Marshall

    Oh shit, they have been reading Anders Behring Breivik’s manifesto. Get your kids out of daycare tomorrow.

  22. 22.

    Ed Marshall

    @Mike:

    Because it’s all lies. Honest people don’t work in ten year estimates. Liars work in ten year estimates, and specifically liars who are claiming to be cutting costs or saving over ten years. This whole thing is a joke. Wait and be able to read the cross-tabs on anyone’s plan. Every last player in this game is playing some stupid ass game with charts and numbers and none of them actually ever want to have to face a public who got screwed by it.

  23. 23.

    Ecks

    @Cliff in NH: woha. That’s actually way more fitting than I thought. It goes from being general “I got yo back bro” (because these republicans are so community minded, y’know) to “lets violently assault some working class Americans” (hello GOP meal ticket).

  25. 25.

    CatHairEverywhere

    Mc Carthy is my rep. Blech. Very safe seat in safe district, so he completely ignores anyone who calls with a concern. His local staff is condescending and rude. I contacted him about the debt ceiling, but I felt like I was wasting my time…

  26. 26.

    donr

    I don’t want Allen West driving that car. I’ve seen Toonces the Driving Cat. I know how this ends.

  27. 27.

    jwb

    slag: I approve of this new tack. What, say, RC, will you humor us with some new tricks? You’ve become oh so boring. This might spruce up your tired routine.

  28. 28.

    CT Voter

    @25–Why not waste some of their time? It can be fun—you’re not wasting your time, you are wasting theirs. I’ve had fun wasting the time of Lieberman’s office by calling even though I know it may not change his actions today, it might have an effect tomorrow.

  30. 30.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    “I’m ready to drive the car,” West replied, surprising many Republicans by giving his full -throated support for the plan.

    “Over a cliff!”, West added, bellowing, “Who’s with me?” Then West, flushed with delirium, ran from the building. His stunned colleagues heard the distant cry of Wolverines!

  32. 32.

    jacy

    @clayton:

    I’m betting reality chex is a bored 15-year-old who breaks into mom and dad’s liquor cabinet when left alone in the evenings and just randomly buzz-posts until he passes out. If only they’d subscribe to Cinemax, we’d never hear from him again.

  33. 33.

    catclub

    Does any one else think that when Obama rolled the GOP on the continuing resolution ($365M in actual cuts rather than $38B in nominal cuts), that the GOP decided he is just much smarter than they are (and knows the actual number sin the budget and how pieces go together) so they refuse any offer from him because they fear it will later turn out like the continuing resolution?

  34. 34.

    Sad Iron

    Nice. I think a film about dishonesty and robbery is appropriate for the Republicans.

  35. 35.

    Ed Marshall

    @catclub:

    I’d go one further, the “balanced amendment” diehards are the ones who know it, and they know that Boehner’s plan is a bunch of bullshit to.

    They are hanging themselves on this imaginary cross, because they know that all the plans are bullshit. They are hoping to play some game of screw your neighbor, where when everything gets unpacked they can say “I was for the crazy, moronic, plan that everyone knew couldn’t happen because I saw this coming”. The game is that they can’t all do this, and that if they actually become the deciding vote that destroys the country they are out of job.

  36. 36.

    BobinSJ

    The Fucking World’s economy’s in their hands, ans they have the audacity to play a fucking Ben Affleck clip? We’re fucked. That’s all. We’re fucked.

  39. 39.

    danimal

    Reality Check is like a Triple A troll who got called up to the bigs. (S)he can’t hit the Major League fastball and looks real bad hacking at a curve.

    Time to go back to the minor league blogs, you ain’t cutting it here.

  41. 41.

    jwb

    danimal: The one unforgivable trait in a troll is to be boring, and RC is most certainly boring. Has one trick and doesn’t even play that very well.

  42. 42.

    beltane

    @jacy: You are absolutely correct. My 15 year old son just revealed to me that he and one of his friends regularly troll on other sites. If I ever find that he is trolling here, I will be certain to take proper remedial action. Being that it’s summer vacation, Reality Check probably doesn’t have anything better to do.

  43. 43.

    beltane

    Oh, tonight my trolling son and I watched that episode of Star Trek Voyager where they encounter a damaged Borg cube that is entirely manned by adolescent Borg drones. The parallels with the House Republicans were unmistakable.

  45. 45.

    El Cid

    Did they ever figure out whose car they were gonna jack? Because you can’t have a driver for one if you don’t have a car.

  46. 46.

    RalfW

    Fidelity Investments put this out as part of a larger FAQ about the possible default:

    Second, the impact of not raising the debt ceiling would be tremendously negative for the U.S. economy. The U.S. runs a budget deficit equal to roughly 9% of GDP, implying that the economy is currently receiving a massive boost from government spending that is not financed by tax revenues. If the U.S. were to stop its net borrowing overnight, the U.S. would in effect have to cut that 9% of GDP of government spending down to zero, which would be a massively austere fiscal adjustment that most likely would plunge the U.S. economy into recession over time. In my view, that would be negative news for stock prices because it would translate into rapid deterioration in corporate profits.
    -Dirk Hofschire, CFA, vice president, Fidelity Asset Allocation Research

    Huh. Fidelity thinks a Federal default could lead to a rapid deterioration in corporate profits. Hoocoudaknowed.

  47. 47.

    JohnR

    “..the independent-minded caucus.”

    but it says he’s a Republican – is that a misprint?

  48. 48.

    Martin

    Heh. TPM has picked up the story:

    A couple things. First, that’s not the complete movie quote. Here’s the complete quote:
    __
    Doug MacRay: I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we’re gonna hurt some people.

    And DougJ wonders if these guys have an escape plan.

  50. 50.

    Martin

    I’d go one further, the “balanced amendment” diehards are the ones who know it, and they know that Boehner’s plan is a bunch of bullshit to.

    Especially when it’s 2% of GDP shy of balancing the budget, which means they need a larger than Bush Tax Cut sized tax increase to actually balance the damn budget.

  53. 53.

    Corner Stone

    @jwb: This isn’t like a finely tuned David Mamet joint. They just have to know the ending, not the babble in between.

  54. 54.

    Konrad

    @danimal

    A good troll is one who gets responses, a bad troll is someone people don’t feel like talking to. So, if you ignore him, he’ll go away. But some people can’t resist the urge to poorly insult someone.

  55. 55.

    beltane

    A few years ago, in New Delhi, they were having a problem with monkeys entering the parliament building, stealing people’s lunches, ransacking offices, and other things you would expect monkeys to do. Because the monkeys were sacred and could not be physically harmed in any way, the only way they could put a stop to them was to bring in a few bigger apes to scare the little monkeys away. Maybe there is some kind of lesson here for us.

    This is actually a true story I saw on the BBC website, complete with an accompanying video of monkeys tossing around briefcases, etc.

  58. 58.

    PanurgeATL

    So TPM asks why they think this scene is inspirational. It’s about trust and loyalty. It’s about the idea that the measure of a person is his willingness to ask “how high” when A Friend Needs Help–or, alternately, his willingness to fall in line without asking any questions when an authority calls on him. Either they’re not bothered by the context or they just don’t think about it.

  59. 59.

    Cliff in NH

    Don’t forget, the republicants are are doing all of this to protect people making a million+ dollars a year.. more than $8 a minute …

    Where are the ads about rethuglicants protecting people who make more than the minimum wage every minute of every work day from paying about a ~3% Higher tax rate???

  60. 60.

    Cliff in NH

    15%? that sounds like a great tax rate for someone with a billion in gains!

    /snark

  61. 61.

    Rome Again

    trying to forge a sense of unity among the independent-minded caucus

    I thought Grover Norquist already DID that?

  63. 63.

    de stijl

    I’d have been actually impressed if McCarthy had played Andrew W.K.’s Party Hard. And done some hair whippin’.

  64. 64.

    Martin

    @PanurgeATL:

    Either they’re not bothered by the context or they just don’t think about it.

    Well, yeah, but there’s zillions of scenes where the same trust and loyalty is played out toward a noble goal rather than hurting people for revenge. And that’s sort of the point – even with something so trivially simple as this, the GOP still manages to reveal their inner agenda.

  67. 67.

    jl

    67: If that is the same Kevin McCarthy (R California, Bakersfield area) I read about a while back, he started out as moderate Republican. He changed when the cultural winds of the GOP changed, and never looked back. No principles at all, from what I read about him.

    Name seemed familiar, but suddenly it registered. Is he the same California McCarthy who changed his spots to keep his political gig?

    Edit: can’t tell from Wiki bio, anyone know?

  69. 69.

    dead existentialist

    One character asks his friend: “I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later.”

    “Whose car are we gonna take,” the character says.

    Ha ha, muthafucker left out the 1st character’s last line: ““I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later. We’re gonna hurt some people.”

    And then it’s all about masks and jumpin’ colored dudes. See #17 Cliff above. Metaphor of the Tea Party at link:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFtZxJGsPGc

  70. 70.

    TenguPhule

    A few years ago, in New Delhi, they were having a problem with monkeys entering the parliament building, stealing people’s lunches, ransacking offices, and other things you would expect monkeys to do. Because the monkeys were sacred and could not be physically harmed in any way, the only way they could put a stop to them was to bring in a few bigger apes to scare the little monkeys away. Maybe there is some kind of lesson here for us.

    We need to stock bears in DC Offices to eat their lower Republican cousins and keep the population in check?

  71. 71.

    Comrade Nimrod Humperdink

    @ TenguPhule

    What better to terrorize Republicans with than Godless Killing Machines? And the best bear wins an intimate dinner with an unarmed Ted Nugent.

  72. 72.

    TenguPhule

    And the best bear wins an intimate dinner with an unarmed Ted Nugent.

    I thought his arms were part of the dinner. *Badumbum-crash*

  73. 73.

    jimmiraybob

    Drive the car? I would assume West would want to be the one holding the gun to grandma’s head while his cohorts grab the social security check. Maybe a shot to grandpa’s leg to help loosen her grip.

  75. 75.

    Bokonon

    I am just surprised they didn’t show the “burn-the-bar-down” scene from Goodfellas.

    Or maybe the dead-guy-in-the-trunk scene.

  76. 76.

    jinxtigr

    It gets creepier and creepier. I gotta stop paying attention to this politics, it’s fuckin’ with me.

    I thought it was pretty startling when I thought the clip was of some heroic act, and illustrated the sentimentalism of unthinking wingnuts. I was thinking some soldier film.

    You’re telling me they motivated the tea freshmen by showing them a GANGSTER film where the guy says we’re gonna hurt some people- and that is what it took?

    :P

    fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck…

  77. 77.

    Stentor

    I was trying to think why his name seemed so familiar to me, and it finally hit me tonight after I was watching the 1978 version of Invasion of The Body Snatchers, Kevin McCarthy is the name of the guy who played in the original version, and had a cameo in the re-make!
    Kevin McCarthy and his new crew, Invasion of The Budget Snatchers! Hah! Instant Classic!

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