Tag: Congress
Good News, Bad News for Cruz
15 points
The rise in UNfavorability experienced by Sen. Ted Cruz (Tx-Tea) among Republicans who do not align themselves with the tea party, in a new Pew poll. In June, 16% were unfavorable to Cruz, while today, 31% are. The tea party itself also fell among Republicans, with only 27% of those who think of themselves as liberal or moderate Republicans approving of the movement, compared to 46% in June. The good news for Texanadian Cruz is that among the shrinking league of tea party members, his popularity rose from 47% to 74%.
To the Rest of the World, the U.S, Government Looks Insane and Weak
To the rest of the world, the United States looks insane right now. They’re dealing with real problems that their political systems are struggling to solve. The United States’ political system is creating fake problems that it may choose to leave unsolved…At best, the United States is slowing its recovery — and that of the rest of the world. At worst, it’s going to trigger another global crisis.
— Ezra Klein, in The Washington Post.
Cook: Where’s the Adult Behavior and Respect for Office?
Increasingly we are seeing more members, in both chambers and both parties, leadership as well as rank and file, who seem to have little sense of customs, traditions, and responsibilities of the institutions that they have been given the honor or privilege to serve. We are seeing more and more behavior and tactics that truly bring disgrace on the institution. Much of the same can be said about this White House as well …. There is nothing new about divided government; it has been the rule more than the exception for much of modern history. But how it is handled has changed — we aren’t seeing adult behavior from any of the three corners of this House-Senate-White House triumvirate.
— Pundit Charlie Cook.
Five Minutes That Removes All Doubt About Who Is Wrecking the American Government
This ends just as it’s getting good, but it’s still the most important five minutes you’ll ever spend to understand what the Republicans are doing to end democracy as we know it, and to overthrow the system of government that America once represented.
John Oliver: 10% Approval But 90% Re-Election Rate? Yes.
John Oliver, of Daily Show fame, is also half of a funny, intelligent podcast called The Bugle. Comedian Andy Zaltzman, who lives in England, is the other half, and John recently explained our government shutdown to his countryman.
He particularly pointed out the depressing legacy of legislative redistricting, and how it’s left even the worst representatives invulnerable to losing office. Oliver:
It’s a pretty bold move for Congress to do something that pisses almost everyone off on this kind of scale for no kind of rational reason, but again, that’s hardly surprising. There is no incentive for them to be anything other than awful. Just look at the numbers.
Congress currently has a ten percent approval rating. Apparently that is lower than the approval rating for colonoscopies, which actually makes sense because the more you think about it, both Congress and colonoscopies deal with assholes, but the American public can at least acknowledge that colonoscopies serve a practical function.
Also, colonoscopies exist to make assholes better; Congress just seems to make them worse. And yet, Andy, and yet, even with this mere ten percent approval rating, members of Congress also have a ninety percent re-election rate. How is that fucking possible? Andy, they’re somehow batting 900 while striking out every time they’re at bat. That doesn’t obey the basic laws of mathematics.
Kentucky Proves Republicans Were Right About Obamacare
There’s no shortage of jokes about Kentucky.*
Q: What do a divorce in Kentucky, a tornado in Kansas, and a hurricane in Louisiana have in common?
A: Somebody’s fixin’ to lose the trailer.Q: What do you get when there are 32 Kentuckians in a room together?
A: A full set of teeth.We are a nation lost in tea party mission creep, as the Party of No struggles to figure out its evolving hostage demandTwo Kentucky guys were driving in the pickup, drinking a couple of long-neck Buds, when they came upon a police roadblock. The driver told his friend to peel off the label and stick it on his forehead, then stash the bottle under the seat, and he did the same. When it was their turn at the roadblock, the officer said, “Have you boys been drinking?” The driver replied, “No sir, we’re on the patch.”
So it came as small surprise that many in Kentucky who bombarded the state’s phone line and website to sign up for health coverage on Oct. 1 specified that they did not want Obamacare. Instead, they insisted, they wanted to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
[Kentuckians, please note: Emergency FOXectomies are not covered under Obamacare.]
Kentucky’s response proves Republicans were right on almost every point.
Republicans Own the Shutdown. Next Question?
Never been a president who won’t negotiate the debt ceiling? Never been a president who had to.
Let the record show that, as usual, Pres. Obama and the Democrats are telling the truth. This government shutdown is 100 percent on the shoulders of the Republicans, and it could end as soon as Speaker John Boehner (R-Oh) allows the House of Representatives to vote on it. Period.
And as far as his assertion, in the “Breaking News” section shown, that there has never been a president who won’t negotiate with Congress to pay the bills it authorized, please further note that there’s never been a president who had to.
Still Drawing Checks
With the shutdown, the government’s been waylaid,
And many a furloughed staffer won’t get paid.
But don’t worry about Congress,
They won’t suffer in this mess.
Despite the shutdown, they still draw their $174K.
