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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Pre-Speech Open Thread

Pre-Speech Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  September 8, 20116:14 pm| 26 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Assholes, Our Failed Political Establishment

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(Ben Sargent via GoComics.com)

There’s going to be so much competition for Biggest Republican Jackwad tonight, Diaper Dave Vitter tried to sneak a head start. With his usual finesse & skill:

Alleged Senator Will Grudgingly Attend Obama’s Speech Instead of Watching Football
__
A small handful of Congress’s most childish and impudent Republicans have decided that they have better things to do tonight than to listen to the president’s ideas on how to spur job growth. South Carolina senator Jim DeMint refused to attend the joint session of Congress unless Obama writes his proposals down on paper first. Illinois representative Joe Walsh said he refuses to be a “prop” for Obama and decided to hold a forum with local small businessmen instead. And then there’s David Vitter, the family-values, prostitute-patronizing senator from Louisiana. Vitter decided not to attend the speech tonight because he wanted to watch football…
__
But then something awful happened: That wily ol’ sonofabitch Harry Reid decided to schedule a vote on patent reform for right before Obama’s speech, and a symbolic vote of disapproval over raising the debt ceiling for immediately after, as a way to compel Vitter and the other Republican child-men to actually attend…

Kudos to Senator Reid, for giving the Las Vegas bookmakers an edge on tonight’s “Which Greedy Old Prick will be the first to disgrace himself during the President’s Speech?” odds. Click the link to NYMag‘s Daily Intel for full details, and jazz hands.

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Next Post: Speech Livestream Open Thread »

Reader Interactions

26Comments

  1. 1.

    lamh32

    September 8, 2011 at 6:17 pm

    speaking of “boycotting” the speech. I see that Boner issued a release earlier to day urging his GOP congresscritters to mind there manners and not skip the joint session.

    That and Reids vote scheduling just may make some of the putz show up…jackasses.

    I’m guessing maybe Boner’s office got some calls damning him for members of his caucus not showing up.

    Top Republican urges no boycott of Obama speech

    US House Speaker John Boehner urged fellow Republicans not to boycott President Barack Obama’s jobs speech on Thursday and said he hoped for “common ground” with the White House on boosting the economy.
    “He is the president of the United States, and I believe that all members ought to be here,” said Boehner. “As an institution, the president’s coming at our invitation. We ought to be respectful, and we ought to welcome him.”

  2. 2.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    September 8, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    And favorites on who which GOPer is going to start screaming at Obama in the middle of tonight’s speech? I think the Right is so stoked with rage they are just about to.

  3. 3.

    Southern Beale

    September 8, 2011 at 6:23 pm

    Here’s another big protest for the mainstream media to ignore, because the protestors failed to wear tricorn hats and knee britches…..

  4. 4.

    FlipYrWhig

    September 8, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    I’m kind of interested to see if there’s a push for more “green jobs” in the speech — because it would help me make sense of what was going on with that whole pollution-regulation affair.

  5. 5.

    Zifnab

    September 8, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    While it’s fun to watch Republicans squirm, I’m not really clear of the purpose of compelling attendance. So all the GOoPers show up. They all boo in unison. They all act like clowns. The base eats that shit up, and apparently no one else gives a fuck.

    They’re assholes at the back of the class throwing spitballs. What do you hope to gain by compelling attendance?

  6. 6.

    Nutella

    September 8, 2011 at 6:29 pm

    Not about the speech but since this is an open thread, did you all know that Alan Grayson’s five children are named Skye, Star, Sage, Storm, and Stone? The last two are twins.

  7. 7.

    Jenny

    September 8, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    I’m getting a kick out of the Bush people attacking Parry on social security. After all, it was the Bush people who launched the assault on Social Security by trying to privatize it in 2005.

    “Republican primary voters have in the past shown themselves very tolerant of candidates with less than perfect mastery of the facts. But those other candidates had something else going for them, even Sarah Palin. What did Perry have?” ~ David Frum

    Gawd. What a kick to the nutz — a GOP insider saying Parry is dumber than Palin.

    http://www.frumforum.com/perry-unprepared-underwhelming#more-103317

  8. 8.

    trollhattan

    September 8, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    Completely O/T, see if this doesn’t clutch at the ol’ heartstrings, just a little.

    http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201109070232.html

  9. 9.

    cathyx

    September 8, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    Thank goodness I have to go to my daughter’s back-to-school night tonight and miss the speech. I mean darn, I have to miss it.

  10. 10.

    lamh32

    September 8, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    The President’s Speech

    by BooMan

    My impression after talking to senior White House officials is that the president is going a little larger than we’ve been led to expect. I’m not authorized to give details of the plan, but I think it will be worth watching his speech because he will be making some news…

    I believe the ideas in the president’s speech will be put into a Senate bill and it will move with Reid and Durbin’s leadership..

    The president is going to spend the next couple of months pushing this bill, and we can either support him in those efforts or we can stand on the sidelines flinging poo.

    I’ll let you make up your mind after you see the speech and learn what’s in the bill…

  11. 11.

    BGinCHI

    September 8, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    Walsh is the biggest fucking dickhead, even if someone else tries to dethrone him tonight.

    His abject fucking stupidity and selfishness knows no bounds.

    He’s like a dick superhero.

  12. 12.

    nancydarling

    September 8, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    @Nutella: A family member named his little girls Byrdie Blue and Cricket Sue. My sister’s comment: “I hope they don’t have another one, they’ll probably name it Tater Tot”.

    With the passage of time, the names now seem perfect—can’t imagine calling them anything else. They are spunky little girls and I guarantee any crap coming their way about their names will be handled.

  13. 13.

    The Dangerman

    September 8, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    Can’t bring myself to watch any speech about proposals that won’t pass Congress; honestly, this feels like a mistake (and I’m a card carrying Obot; Chair of the local Chapter) to hold a joint session as opposed to, say, a Town Hall someplace.

    Oh, the question; Biggest Jackwad? Vitter already shot his wad, so I’m going with Ol’ Faithful, Cantor.

  14. 14.

    JimPortlandOR

    September 8, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    Remember the asshole who shouted out “You Lie” as the last joint session?

    Who will be the racist asshole to outdo this by calling out “Commie (N-word”)?

  15. 15.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    September 8, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    Jackass Paul Broun still won’t show.

  16. 16.

    Lol

    September 8, 2011 at 6:46 pm

    From the comments I’m seeing…..

    Firebaggers before: The President needs to be bold and show leadership! Go big or go home!

    Firebaggers After: $450 billion? LOL. Like the GOP will ever pass that. Why Is he wasting his time?

  17. 17.

    Redshift

    September 8, 2011 at 6:51 pm

    @Jenny:

    I’m getting a kick out of the Bush people attacking Parry on social security. After all, it was the Bush people who launched the assault on Social Security by trying to privatize it in 2005.

    I’d guess their beef is that he’s being crass and obvious about destroying it, instead of lovingly describing how great it would be to make people hand it over to Wall Street.

  18. 18.

    KCinDC

    September 8, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    @The Dangerman, since no proposal that will actually help the economy can pass the House GOP, what would you prefer? With the Republicans in a position where they have the power and the political incentive (along with the indifference to human suffering) to block any attempt to improve the economic situation, all that’s left is to somehow educate the voters that the people responsible for that situation are the congressional Republicans.

    It’s not going to be easy, since people always blame the president rather than members of Congress they’ve barely heard of, and the media certainly won’t be cooperating, but what’s the alternative?

  19. 19.

    Cris (without an H)

    September 8, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Since it’s an open thread: Song quiz at cleek’s (41st birthday edition)

  20. 20.

    Linda Featheringill

    September 8, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    @lamh32:

    The comments by Booman are interesting. We’ll see what happens.

  21. 21.

    wrb

    September 8, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    For anyone who wants to go somewhere very different:

    I threw this up at the very end of the dead female vocalists thread:

    Over the years the memory of Janis’ power faded. Then the fantastic Festival Express movie came out a few years back. Jesus. And she was so sweet and vunerable too. Which I’d also forgotten. I hadn’t listened to her since the 70s. Anyway the thread got me thinking. For the enjoyment of those who want to go elsewhere for a bit.
    Cry Baby

    Who could follow that?

    Tell Momma

    Kosmic Blues

  22. 22.

    Chad N Freude

    September 8, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    @Southern Beale: Ignoring this protest isn’t such a bad thing. It’s a real live example of actual Union Thuggery, which is how it would be pitched by the media and then forever after by the Republicans. The fact that it is a renegade action unsanctioned by the Union would not be acknowledged.

  23. 23.

    FlipYrWhig

    September 8, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    He’s like a dick superhero.

    Bitten by a radioactive dick, Joe Walsh attained unflappable pen1s powers!

  24. 24.

    Elliecat

    September 8, 2011 at 8:05 pm

    @nancydarling:

    I guarantee any crap coming their way about their names will be handled.

    Do kids get crap about their names any more? I guess I’ve spent too many years in schools with lots of low income and minority kids, many of whom have totally made up names. I’ve never heard a kid make fun of another kid’s name and only the newest (generally white, middle class) volunteers or teachers even remark on the craziest of names.

  25. 25.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 8, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    @Nutella:

    Alan Grayson’s five children are named Skye, Star, Sage, Storm, and Stone? The last two are twins.

    Wait, I thought they were Slye, Smurf, Scarf, Splooge, and Scab.

  26. 26.

    PWL

    September 9, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    What amazes me is the way these Repubs feel free to diss the President the way they do.

    I’m not aware of this kind of behavior ever being exhibited toward a President before. Don’t think this says too many good things about the state of politics or governance in this country–or about the kind of people who belong to the Republican party.

    I also hope these fools realize the day may come when the shoe is on the other foot,and that “what goes around comes around.”

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