Good piece by Charlie Cook on the GOP’s nonsense.
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?
The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.
The unpunished coup was a training exercise.
Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!
They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.
Trump should be leading, not lying.
The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.
Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.
The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.
Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.
Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.
This blog will pay for itself.
When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.
People are complicated. Love is not.
Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker
The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.
If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.
Their shamelessness is their super power.
Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”
Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.
Accountability, motherfuckers.
Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.
Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.
Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.
Just Some Fuckhead
Kos just used the term “ScandalGate” without crediting me. These arrogant motherfuckers with all their money and internetz disgust me.
Fucker.
Villago Delenda Est
Their hatred of Obama blinds them utterly to the damage they are doing to themselves.
Which means they should keep it up.
Maude
The GOP is trying rev up the IRS scandal the day of tornado news. How stupid is that?
Emma
Hush. Don’t interrupt your enemy when he’s committing suicide.
Steve in the ATL
And no one at National Journal knows the difference between “uninterested” and “disinterested”?
Tone In DC
@Maude:
Too true. Maybe some of the G00per bottom feeders will try to connect the twisters with the administration, and say that Obama’s kenyansoshulist massive package of legislation down their collective throats caused the tornadoes.
Butch
Well, the proper meaning of “disinterest” is actually impartiality, but speaking of the meaning of words, doesn’t there have to be some actual wrongdoing for something to rise to a “scandal?”
Villago Delenda Est
@Steve in the ATL:
Apparently not. You can’t expect Journalism majors to be literate nowadays, because they’re too busy in the makeup trailer.
Redshirt
What are you talking about? It’s all Fox News talks about. According to senior Senators, these scandals are worse than Watergate, times like 20! Maybe you should change the channel from the Liberal Media and get the real news.
Here’s a hint – the NY Times is not “real” news.
Villago Delenda Est
@Tone In DC:
Bonus points for double-entendre juicyness.
“Excuse me while I whip this out…”
dmsilev
It’s been said many times before: Barack Obama’s true superpower is the ability to drive his opponents insane and make them shoot their own feet off.
Yatsuno
Didn’t Charlie Cook just tell the Republicans to throw a bunch of shit at the President until something stuck?
Suffern ACE
I don’t know. MSNBC’s former viewers aren’t interested in scandals, that much is true. There is that other network that attracts a lot of eyeballs that way.
Patrick
I guess it was a blessing in disguise that the Republicans tried so hard with the birth certificate nonsense. Average Americans could care less about the racists in the GOP. But the more the GOP pushed that issue, the less credibility they got, not only with the birth certificate issue but also with other issues such as Benghazi etc etc.
The boy who cried wolf…
quannlace
Anyone get the RightWing memo for today? Reel off a list of tornados that were much much worse than the one that struck Oklahoma yesterday. ‘Back in 1866, 130 people were killed in Wisconsin…blah, blah.”
In other words, Climate Change? Pfffffft! And anyone who dares to mention it is politicizing this terrible tragedy.
danimal
Double down, GOP, double down.
jl
I’ve heard some actual reporting on some of the scandals that push back against the GOP BS narratives.
There was a news report on CBS radio last night interviewing an recently retired IRS employee from the Cincinnati IRS office who said the whole partisan witch hunt aspect of the story is BS. Though I see more BS scandal mongering from ABC and of course Fox News on the intertubes today.
And there is some good links and discussion of the AP ‘scandal’ on TPM front page today.
The GOP has sunk so far into its own garbage narratives, it has gone insane. It’s not ‘over reaching’ anymore, it is batshit crazy BS on everything, right out of the gate.
Edit: and the really sad thing is that, at least as far as the AP investigation, there are some scandalous aspects to how the investigation was done, but the GOP is really just fine with government going right up to the line in using its overly broad investigative powers, but they will dishonestly gin up a narrow partisan scandal out of it, if they can. The AP’sstory was irresponsible I cannot see how publishing at that exact time served any genuine public interest, and I think the public will understand that. However, that does not mean the government did not walk right up to the line in terms of what it can and cannot do.
El Caganer
For people who keep claiming that they learned their lesson from the Willard Romney fiasco, they sure do believe a lot of their own bullshit.
Forum Transmitted Disease
When I’m being held hostage by psychos I’m not going to pipe up and tell them the car is almost out of gas.
jl
@Forum Transmitted Disease: Dude, half of them are out back trying to push the car down the road now! I think that is worthy of note.
piratedan
the wingnut tears in the comments are pretty much the same as everywhere else, why aren’t more of these people setting themselves on fire?
cathyx
With all these scandals, I’m becoming scandal deaf.
Villago Delenda Est
@piratedan:
I blame oppressive OSHA regulations.
Hill Dweller
Colbert did a good job mocking the BENGHAZI! and IRS “scandals” last night.
Conversely, Jon Stewart, for the 4th time in the last 5 shows, treated them as if they were legitimate, in a desperate attempt to look “balanced”.
IowaOldLady
Please proceed, wingnuts.
Villago Delenda Est
@El Caganer:
I think they learned their lessons, then promptly forgot them and went back to their old self-destructive habits.
As I often told my soldiers, I don’t mind much if you make mistakes, just so long as you learn from them. These guys don’t learn from their mistakes to spite people like me.
pluege
I think it a mistake to classify republican/conservative derangement as “hatred of obama”. Sure that is the latest manifestation because obama is occupying what they think is rightfully theirs – the power of POTUS, and sure its even worse because obama is ‘not even white’, but republican/conservatives were just as nuts over the Clintons, and would be no matter who “the other” is. republican/conservatives are just nuts – violently, viciously, irrationally, certifiably nuts and it doesn’t matter who their chosen opponent is, what their policies or positions are, and or what they do. To the wingnut dirtbag, everyone not like them is the enemy that must be stopped at all cost.
Chris
“Fuck public opinion.”
/wingnuts
carolus
It’s not for public opinion. The GOP is merely trying to keep its wingnut base engaged.
Redshirt
@pluege: True. What’s even better is their “Tribe” can only get smaller, since anyone who exhibits the least amount of humanity or intelligence or moderation is instantly branded a “RINO” and kicked out.
For example, Rubio is on the outs. Cruz is the new golden boy.
Chris
@carolus:
True. It’s their guarantee against primarying.
GregB
@carolus:
You misspelled enraged.
Hill Dweller
It turns out Issa didn’t just know about the Treasury IG’s investigation back in July of last year; his staff was routinely apprised of said investigation’s progress.
That sweet little revelation came out in today’s senate IRS hearing.
the Conster
I think the sound of the economic recovery humming in the background turns what the Republicans are saying into the adult voices in the Peanuts cartoons, and the press, determined to legitimize every utterance, is shackled to them as they all become a joke.
Mike E
@Yatsuno: They’re not doing it right™.
Shakezula
There is plenty of GOP blood. All of the Republicans that were driven out of office by TeaBagghists for starters.
Bwahaha. Ha ha.
jl
@Hill Dweller: Issa is so G-damned incompetent at ginning up a good scandal. God, or the FSM, or all his banked karma from previous lives, (whatever it is, I don’t care) sure gives Obama blessed enemies.
I called Issa a thug, liar and dumbass a few days ago. ‘Dumbass’ was incorrect. Issa is a dunce.
NCSteve
The volcanic wingnut fury expressed in the comments to that story is precious.
catclub
@Villago Delenda Est: If Charlie Cook was a journalism major, wouldn’t it have been about 45 years ago?
Shakezula
@Hill Dweller: I saw that and chuckled long and hard. I fully expect Issa will reply the memo wasn’t headed “HALP HALP TEA PARTY PATRIOTS ARE BEIN’ OPPRESSED,” therefore it amounts to a cover up of the cover up. Times 11.
MikeJ
@Yatsuno:
Actually he said they needed to filter it through the press so it wouldn’t look like they are as crazy as they are.
quannlace
“I think they learned their lessons, then promptly forgot them and went back to their old self-destructive habits.”
*******************
Yup, the ‘lessons’ lasted as long as their outreach to Hispanics.
the Conster
@dmsilev:
Obama-fu. By refusing to give them any fuel for their rage he’s got them burning themselves out, and normal people appreciate it.
Villago Delenda Est
@catclub:
To be fair to Charlie, he probably didn’t write the headline, the author of the article usually has nothing to do with that, it’s handed off to some intern or Jimmy Olsen type.
Villago Delenda Est
@jl:
I think Issa reached his Peter Principle point when he was stealing cars.
jl
@MikeJ: I think that was Clive Crook, not Charlie Crook. I get all these pundit types and bloggers confused too, hard to keep them straight. I think Crook gave the helpful (edit: and feasible?) suggestions that the GOP could launder their BS scandal mongering about BS non-scandals through the press (after the GOP burned the press down to the bone with the “Benghazi!” email BS).
Edit: also too, BS its all BS. There could a real Obama scandal, and the GOP would ignore it for BS. They are so corrupt and insane and invested in their crazy vile agenda, I think they would do that in a second.
MikeJ
@catclub: Only if he graduated at 14.
Bobby Thomson
@Steve in the ATL: fuckin’ A
Hoodie
@Redshirt: They have a general beef with reality coupled with a tendency to see intention behind everything. Obama is a manifestation of a reality they don’t want to deal with — that their own little snowflakes must not be that special — so it has to be a nefarious plot.
Michael G
I am starting to think this could actually be some 11th dimensional chess on the part of the republicans. Wait, wait, hear me out…
They’ve got some scandal brewing in the wings, and the best way to make sure nobody gives a fuck when it finally breaks is to burn us out on scandals altogether. This is the only way pushing things like “umbrellagate” makes any fucking sense.
/Pessmist
scav
If we’re lucky, the visible fruiting body may soon emerge from GOP head — they seem to be at the “death grip” phase of infection.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
jl
@Michael G:
I think there is a big scandal: irresponsible GOP budget cutting, at least for IRA and “Benghazi!” And blocking appointments, for IRS and State.
For example budget cuts and no permanent leadership leads to targeting ideologically loaded key words to focus on groups most likely to be fraudulently applying for tax-exempt status.
The ex-IRS worker interviewed in the CBS news report said there was no ideological or partisan agenda she could see at all. They were just totally swamped, could not direction from headquarters, so they just started thinking stuff up on the fly to get through the humongous workload with inadequate staffing.
jl
@scav: Thanks. I think the life cycle of disgusting parasites that do horrifying things to their hosts is a good source of metaphors for the current state of the GOP. I will keep that in mind for future comments.
What is the weird thing that grows all through a crab, castrates it and takes over its brain? I think it is some degraded species of barnacle. I’ll read up on that for insight into the GOP.
jl
@jl:
“at least for IRA” should be “at least for IRS”
If they are still paying trolls to monitor the blogs (or is it too far away from the next election) I hope we don’t read about the Obama IRA scandal tomorrow. If so, my bad.
Mike in NC
One of the wingnuts who commented on the Cook article complained that allowing early voting was “for lazy people”.
Just another ridiculous part of their disenfranchisement effort.
Patrick
@jl:
Exactly. The real scandal is that the GOP has blocked Obama’s choice to lead the IRS. No wonder the IRS has no direction.
But why be surprised? Ever since the lead up to the Iraq war, I don’t expect a damned thing even remotely similar to real journalism from our media. They are a joke.
Not once have I heard them address the issue of blocking Obama’s choice or the fact that the IRS chief was a Bush appointee.
Redshirt
@Hoodie: Yes, closed propaganda loops. “Everyone I know, everything I watch, everything I read tells me Obama is worse than Hitler/Stalin/Mao times 15. Therefore, that he got elected and re-elected as President is conclusive proof of fraud.”
Or, “the MSM is not covering Benghazi like Fox News is, therefore clear proof of a Liberal Media agenda”.
When you’re all in on the crazy train, everything’s proof of your theory.
Villago Delenda Est
@jl:
This is a reasonable, plausible explanation for the IRS “scandal”.
Naturally, it is rejected by the shitheads of the GOP.
I, Floridian
@Michael G: When have they ever made sense?
Patrick
@Mike in NC:
Just stunning!
So we went through all that effort of defeating the British as well as Hitler. And in spite of that sacrifice, now some people want to make voting in our country as difficult as possible! Where the hell is the logic in that? It makes you wonder what was the point of defeating the Nazis and the British?
The Red Pen
Best wingnut comment so far:
Yes, there are a lot of hilarious wingnut comments, but this gets a bonus for originality.
jl
@Patrick: Thomas Jefferson wrote (though I don’t have the reference at hand) that even fools have as much right to vote as anyone else. So, I will defend teabaggers’ right to vote. Sorry they don’t believe in the American Way.
jl
@The Red Pen: I will defend that person’s right to vote!
scav
@jl: I will, in turn, thank you for Rhizocephala and, in fact, all the parasitic crustaceans. There are some doozies from even a brief scan.
The Red Pen
@jl: I can’t comment from where I am, but if I could, I would have pointed out that Hurricane Sandy lasting so many months is a clear sign of climate change.
jl
@scav: thanks. Rhizocephala: teabaggers, crab: GOP,
Seanly
I have a couple of acquaintances on Facebook who spought the stupidest crap about these scandals. And my “independent” FIL only watches Fox since CNN is so liberal…
Of course, when it came out that the BENGHAZI!!! memos were revised, none of them reposted to say oops.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@jl:
Lest we forget, Issa is the dumbass who funded the recall of California Governor Gray Davis only to have Arnold Schwarzenegger drink his milkshake.
EriktheRed
@Yatsuno:
That’s what I was thinking, too.
Do we LIKE Charlie Cook now?
jl
@EriktheRed: Yatsuno was right, it was Charlie Cook dishing out (IMHO bad and corrupt) advice to the GOP.
feebog
Benghazi is done. The distortion of the White House emails by Republican staffers has put that miserable excuse for a scandal out of it’s misery. The AP “scandal” will continue to have legs because the media has a dog in the fight and will fluff the story as long as possible. I do think there is an opportunity to turn the IRS “scandal” around by making it a conversation about obvious political organizations getting tax exemptions as a 501c4.
Bottom line is that none of these “scandals” have had the least amount of impact on the 96% of Americans who rarely follow politics. Yes, I pulled that 96% number out of my ass, why do you ask?
becca
@Redshirt: Good.
Ted Cruz is a character straight out of a Pogo cartoon strip.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Cook refers to the AP wiretap story. Unless I’ve missed something, there were no wiretaps involved. But I guess “phone record subpoenas” is so un-sexy. The other word to watch for is “audits” with the IRS thing. Harder to get people angry with “slow-walked applications for tax free status by groups of political activists”.
gogol's wife
@Steve in the ATL:
Thank you! I knew somebody on Balloon Juice would express my outrage for me.
gogol's wife
@Yatsuno:
Someone said that was taken out of context and it wasn’t really advice but just a description of what they’d do, or something like that.
Hungry Joe
@Villago Delenda Est: Actually, interns and Jimmy Olsen types don’t write headlines — copy editors do.
bcinaz
Republican hatred and fury will just continue to expand with each election that keeps them out of the White House. The twisting and warping that is already occurring will just accelerate. Everything may be at stake with the next census. We are already suffering under minority rule, how much worse will it be when Republicans are a much smaller minority controlling a much greater share of state legislative power.
Vivid Blue Dotty
@Higgs Boson’s Mate:
I have not forgotten. But I do very much enjoy being reminded.
JGabriel
Charlie Cook:
This is why Democrats need to stop trying to ‘cross the aisle’ and ‘compromise’ on a ‘Grand Bargain’.
We’re not gonna get anywhere with Republicans until they fear us.
David Koch
what about Bully-Pulpit-Gate and Overtons-Window-Gate!
for the love of god, doesn’t anyone care!