July 2014 - Page 5 of 10

Perry Sends Troops to Texas Border

July 22, 2014 Buck Banks

1,000

Number of National Guard troops Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is deploying over the next month to the Texas-Mexico border to combat criminals that Republican state leaders say are exploiting a surge of children and families entering the U.S. illegally,” the Austin American Statesman reports. Perry “rejected suggestions that Texas was militarizing local communities by putting National Guard troops on the ground or that crime data along the border doesn’t justify additional resources.”

Obama Bewildered Clinton, Biden Would Consider a Prez Run

July 22, 2014 Buck Banks

I think that, for both Joe and for Hillary, they’ve already accomplished an awful lot in their lives. The question is, do they, at this phase in their lives, want to go through the pretty undignifying process of running all over again.

— President Obama, quoted by the New Yorker, expressing “bewilderment that his friends would want to subject themselves” to another presidential campaign.

Some Americans Still Think Obama Is Not a U.S. Citizen

July 22, 2014 Buck Banks

23%

Of Americans still believe that Barack Obama is not an American citizen, with another 17% who aren’t sure, a new Rasmussen survey finds. However, 60% reject that theory as false.

Biden to Putin: ‘You Have No Soul’

July 21, 2014 Buck Banks

Mr. Prime Minister, I’m looking into your eyes, and I don’t think you have a soul.

— Vice President Joe Biden to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Kremlin in 2011, quoted in a Biden profile in the New Yorker.

Paul: Use Your ‘Big Head’ to Fix Government

July 21, 2014 Buck Banks

Don’t be depressed with how bad government is. Use your ingenuity, use your big head to think of solutions the marketplace can figure out, that the idiots and trolls in Washington will never come up with.

— Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

Hart: Clinton Too Cautious on Issues

July 21, 2014 Buck Banks

She’s always trying to find the mythical center on controversial issues — and if you do that, someone else is going to take the bouquet for courage.

— Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-CO), quoted by the Washington Post, on Hillary Clinton being too cautious.

Americans Say Businesspeople Best Suited to Govern

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014 Buck Banks

81%

Of Americans say the country would be governed better if more people with business and management experience were elected, according to Gallup. Meanwhile, 63% say the country would be better governed with more female political leaders.

Unfortunately, We Just Happen to Have Such a Party

July 20, 2014 Trish

Only a complete moron, or a political party filled with complete morons, would allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.

— “Margie,” commenting on a story about United Healthcare’s decision to abandon its previously slow entrance into state health insurance exchanges and go from participating in only four states this year to nearly half next. Kaiser Health News estimates that if UHC been in more states in the first year of implementation of the Affordable Care Act, its premiums would be five percent lower.

Let’s Do Math! Republicans, Please Grab a Pencil

July 20, 2014July 20, 2014 Trish

bushbike — Former Pres. George W. Bush on one of his many breaks, which often involved falling off a mountain bike, falling off a Segway, strumming a guitar while New Orleans drowned, and choking on pretzels.

The Obama family is on vacation. That means it’s time for Republicans and tea partiers to take a break from obstructing legislation, nomination approvals, and any other work in Congress (including suing the president for taking appropriate executive action to counter their inaction) to express ginned-up outrage that the people’s business won’t be done if the president takes a few days off.

It’s also time for the rest of us to do some math, based on figures researched by Politifact’s Truthometer:

Number of vacation days, in whole or part, enjoyed by Pres. Obama at this point in his term, which on July 20, 2014 happened to be exactly six years and seven months: 92
Number of vacation days, in whole or part, enjoyed by Pres. George W. Bush at the same point in his term: 367

Let’s put these numbers in context.

[…]

Captured on Video: Why Rich Tea Partiers Make Such Bad Elected Officials

July 18, 2014July 18, 2014 Trish

FOX 13 News

If this video — from a FOX affiliate! — doesn’t explain why Florida Democrats and independents are willing to embrace the previous flip-floppin’ governor (Charlie Crist) to get rid of the current one, nothing will.

Warning: Rick Scott’s countenance will haunt your sleep.

1,000

I think that, for both Joe and for Hillary, they’ve already accomplished an awful lot in their lives. The question is, do they, at this phase in their lives, want to go through the pretty undignifying process of running all over again.

— President Obama, quoted by the New Yorker, expressing “bewilderment that his friends would want to subject themselves” to another presidential campaign.

23%

Of Americans still believe that Barack Obama is not an American citizen, with another 17% who aren’t sure, a new Rasmussen survey finds. However, 60% reject that theory as false.

Mr. Prime Minister, I’m looking into your eyes, and I don’t think you have a soul.

— Vice President Joe Biden to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Kremlin in 2011, quoted in a Biden profile in the New Yorker.

Don’t be depressed with how bad government is. Use your ingenuity, use your big head to think of solutions the marketplace can figure out, that the idiots and trolls in Washington will never come up with.

— Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

She’s always trying to find the mythical center on controversial issues — and if you do that, someone else is going to take the bouquet for courage.

— Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-CO), quoted by the Washington Post, on Hillary Clinton being too cautious.

81%

Of Americans say the country would be governed better if more people with business and management experience were elected, according to Gallup. Meanwhile, 63% say the country would be better governed with more female political leaders.

Only a complete moron, or a political party filled with complete morons, would allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“If you are committing fraud against the American people, all of us in public leadership should be trying to stop it and throw you in prison for enriching yourself off the American taxpayer.”

— Vice President JD Vance, on Fox News.

“Your generation has a great bullshit meter, because you’re fed bullshit online all day. And the Democratic Party brand right now is so bullshit.”

— Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D), quoted by The Atlantic, speaking to college students.

“We are done, Americans are done with endless conflict in the Middle East, spending trillions of dollars, American lives… this is insane and we have to call it for what it is.”

— Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), on CNN.

Numerati

+175,000

“The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas during President Donald Trump’s administration so far,” Fox News reports.

$4,600

11

30%

A new American Research Group poll finds just 30% of Americans say they approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president and 67% say they disapprove.

61% to 35%