Republican Science: “Make Pi 3 and Round Planck’s Constant To 7 × 10-34 m2 kg / s”

Max Planck: "Runden die Sache ab?"

Ian Squires has a nice piece of satire up and running at Huffington Post, titled “Conservative Pie: Republicans Introduce Legislation Redefining Pi as Exactly 3.”

Satire can be problematic when posted on the web, due,  I suppose, to the rising gullibility level of the reading public or the willingness by many to latch on to the faintest wisps of conspiracy wafting on the breeze.

Writers on the web often label their work as “satire” or “humor” or “just kidding,” and when they do I usually find their stuff to be lame and generally ineffective. Good satire and humor draws you in, sets the hook and yanks you into the boat laughing. Advance written warnings and disclaimers serve only to scare the fish away.

Squire caught his limit this morning.

Some of the best satirical comedy of our time is being generated unintentionally by republican politician­s and their tea party brethren and…  sistere­n.

Part of the beauty of his piece is that the right has worked so hard presenting nincompoop propositio­ns for public consumptio­n that as absurd as the idea of legislatin­g the value of π may be, when told that it emanates from a republican source it takes on a certain verisimili­tude.

If the scientific community is largely in agreement that anthropoge­nic climate change is at work and a real threat to our future, the view of the right, driven by those who find such an idea financiall­y inconvenie­nt, is to kill the concept with legislatio­n, defunding, false advertisin­g and positively Galilean smear campaigns.

If Boyle’s law, or Planck’s constant or the Pythagorea­n theorem is going to cost the Koch brothers some dough then it’s time to spread some money to introduce legislatio­n against such subversive and expensive ideas.

If you need Fred Flintstone riding a brachiosau­rus to square your belief in a six thousand year old universe with the fossil record, just make the claim and build a megamillio­n dollar museum. Present it as fact, the republican hoi polloi will pay admission.

A large part of the republican base will believe nearly anything, if it is presented as “common sense,” anti intellectu­al and based on conservati­ve values.

It matters not that your moon rockets are now landing in Louisville­, that was probably part of god’s plan anyway.

Republicans: No Marbles Left to Lose?

This Guy Has A Bright Future With The GOP

Legislation being introduced in the various states leads me to believe that the hallucinogens Qaddafi was raving about yesterday were introduced into our water supply not Libya’s.

With birther bills, and tenther bills, public financing for private militias to protect us from government, the immigration insanity of Arizona, concealed carry of handguns on Texas campuses, and legalizing the killing of abortion providers, the Wisconsin attack on labor begins to look tame in comparison.

The party of Lincoln is losing what’s left of its marbles at an alarming rate and rapidly morphing into the party of Lincoln Rockwell. Every move they make is in favor of corporate control and authoritar­ian rule by the oligarchy.

Between the loony legislation, the nutty signs and colonial costumes, I’m thinking there’s more than a little rocket booster in those tea bags.

Republicans: “They Weren’t Taino, They Were Indians”

Republican Health Care Plan... "Bring out your dead"

With health care ‘repealed,’ GOP turns to climate change is the title of an article By Renee Schoof at McClatchy yesterday, in which She reports:

“Now that the House of Representatives has voted to repeal the health care law,  Republicans say they’re likely to move soon to another target — a rewrite of the Clean Air Act so that it can’t be used to fight climate change.”

This falls on the heels of their now stalled attempt to rescind the last congress’ progress on health care, and return to the old Republican, Tea Party and compassionate conservative favored “Bring out your dead” system.

Oh, The Horror, The Futility, The Flailing Rage

Another Day, Another Dollar

The election postmortems are rolling in as fast as the appeals to vote and donate in the days before the election. Between the flaccid faced politicians strutting their new born power and celebrity, the usual sad collection from TV’s endless supply of political experts and the vast stock of internet pundits, this carcass will be sliced, diced and inspected ad nauseum in the weeks to come.

Although it was expected, I’m disappointed in the outcome, but I am glad that it’s over even if it’s only a matter of hours before the next interminable election season begins. Our elections have become the only known human activity that continues longer than a professional basketball season.

I walked into the polls at 8:30 Tuesday morning, approached a table staffed with seriously geriatric poll workers, identified myself, received a ballot, marked it in a straight democratic fashion, turned it in and was out the door in under fifteen minutes.

I knew we had lost. There were no lines, I saw no one under thirty and I saw no faces that were racially different than my own. I knew we would lose.

Bob Cesca at Huff Post describes the “Flailing Rage Factor,” which is as good an explanation as I’m likely to get for this debacle. I see it everywhere I go. By May of ’09 Obama and the Dems were taking a beating from nearly everyone I ran into, family, friends, even some of the most respectable people I know at the local tavern had taken up the republican mantra of “cut taxes and spending.”

Barnum’s line about suckers born every minute is still operative, the only change is that the birth rate has accelerated, there are a lot more of them, the business of fleecing them is booming and will be fully subsidized by our new congress.

The video accompanying this post may seem disconnected from my point, If I have one but I was impressed with what is being accomplished in our workplaces in both the private sector and government while the empire burns.

I enjoyed it, but I noticed that my laughter is beginning to sound somewhat insane. I’m afraid it’s spreading.

Go Vote For Democrats…Go Now!

By the time I left the house to cast a ballot this today I’d received a couple dozen reminders to vote. Even if I were inclined otherwise the sheer weight of my morning email would have driven me to the polls. When I returned home there were a dozen more and they just keep coming.

I appreciate the get out the vote effort and hope that everyone, at least of the democratic persuasion, is similarly prodded and gets out and votes a straight ticket today. I’m not making predictions or holding out delusional hopes but I’ve got my fingers crossed because I believe that given more time the dems are the only hope to knock down the demons that currently beset us.

Republicans are equipped only to massage the wealthy and continue their class warfare against the working class.

Republicans since Nixon have proven to me that they are unable to govern effectively. The major reason for their inability looms large and is front and center with nearly every breath they take and nearly every sentence they utter. Republicans have no respect for government and they are not bashful in telling us of the fact.

I take them at their word and based on what they say and my personal experience with the results of their attempts to steer the ship I work as hard as I can to keep them away from the helm.

Go vote for Democrats.  Go now!

Who’s Making A Bundle On America’s Downfall?

[Editor's note: Today's morning mail included the article below by Zach Carter at CFAC. It included some wonderfully revealing graphics and charts showing which members of congress are benefiting from the financial rape of America and the destrucion of our middle class by the Sauronic villains of Wall Street.

As you mull over for whom you'll vote in the midterm election you may want to keep Zach's article in mind, you know... to compare. Bob Higgins ]

Crony Capitalism: Wall Street’s Favorite Politicians

By Zach Carter

A full 90 members of Congress who voted to bailout Wall Street in 2008 failed to support financial reform reining in the banks that drove our economy off a cliff. But when you examine campaign contribution data, it’s really no surprise that these particular lawmakers voted to mortgage our economic future to Big Finance: This election cycle, they’ve raked in over $48.8 million from the financial establishment. Over the course of their Congressional careers, the figure swells to a massive $176.9 million.
The complete list of these Crony Capitalists is below, along with the money they pulled in from Big Finance, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics (opensecrets.org). The career data goes back to 1989. Of the 69 House members who voted with Wall Street on both the bailout and financial reform, 60 are Republicans, while nine are Democrats. All 21 Senators who voted with Wall Street on both issues are Republicans, and Republicans raked in over 90 percent of the total campaign contributions. [At right above] is a chart showing Wall Street’s total contributions to this crowd for the 2010 cycle, by political party:

And here’s one showing total Wall Street contributions over the course of their careers:

Read the rest at Crony Capitalism: Wall Street’s Favorite Politicians | OurFuture.org.

The Old Republican Fiscal Piety Blues

In my experience the same Republicans who preach so loudly about fiscal responsibility and living within ones budget are nearly always at the front of the line at the great American public appropriations buffet. They address the cameras with carefully powered faces twisted into expressions of shock and concern, their mouths dripping with pecuniary piety and repeat the same mantra over and over again.

They accuse the Democratic Party of being the party of “tax and spend” and pontificate about the way they will save America by cutting taxes on the wealthy, cutting services to those who need and deserve them, then, with open grasping palms, flee into the back rooms with their lobbyist masters and grovel for their cut of the loot.

In his column at the Miami Herald, Carl Hiaasen offers a lovely and touching example of this in a tale of appropriations largess in Tallahassee, Florida:

Sally Kohn: An Ideological Intervention: Tax Cuts for the Rich

[Editor's note: Sally Kohn of Movement Vision Labs posted this excellent and hilarious video at Huff Post before lunch. It's the best, the most concise post I've read dealing with ending the Bush tax cuts, and it's in layman's language so I totally understood it. I think you will too. I think I have permission to run it, but it's so good I'm going to take a chance before I hear from her. Bob Higgins]

How stupid is the idea of extending tax cuts for the top 1% of Americans and further draining resources for the average, hard-working Americans?

To find an analogy, you need look no further than your own hand. Check out my latest popular education 101 video about why cutting taxes for the rich in the midst of our economic crisis is bad for you and our overall body politic.  Sally Kohn

Sharia Law, It’s Not Happening, Let’s Make it Illegal

Speaking at the annual right wing festival of crazy better known as the “Value Voters Summit” Newton Gingrich called for a federal ban on Sharia law in the US.

Stop and think about that for just a second… we already have a ban on religious influence in our courts, don’t we? Yes, I believe it’s called the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Obama should appoint Warren as interim consumer chief – The Boston Globe

Photo: Scott J. Ferrell / CQ/Getty

Editor’s note: The applause over her appointment will bring a positive crescendo  in the lead up to the election and the pitiful whining of her detractors on the corporate right will offer plentiful opportunity for the public lancing of annoying boils. Bob Higgins

Editorial from the Boston Globe

IDEALLY, PRESIDENT Obama would nominate Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Senate would promptly vote on her confirmation. But the election-season climate of toxic partisanship, coupled with the almost universal willingness to use a Senate filibuster to extend debate indefinitely, makes it impossible to fill the job this year. The agency would be meaningless without a head, so Obama would be justified in appointing her on an interim basis.

The appointment would be fully legal: Congress gave the president the option of setting up the agency on a temporary basis in the Treasury Department. And there is longstanding precedent, through recess appointments, of having officials serve in top jobs for extended periods before confirmation. Eventually, Obama would have to seek Senate approval for Warren to serve a full five-year term.

Read more and comments at The Boston Globe

This Dark Age Must End

Illustration: Kollwitz, The Propeller

Having shown over the last seven months, since taking control of the legislative branch that they are at least equal to the Republicans when it comes to avarice, the Democrats set out this past weekend to demonstrate that, when it comes to cowardice, to blatant, unmitigated, ass covering politics they are every bit a match for Republicans.

Who impeaches the Congress? What in our Constitution protects the citizens of this country from a completely rogue government? When all three branches have abrogated their constitutional obligations, who will stand up for, who will represent the people of the United States?

Where must we search, to whom do we go for protection from the power of the wealthy corporate classes who are stealing our wealth, our livelihoods, and our future, who are spitting on our laws and our history as they sacrifice our Children and Grandchildren on the profane altar of their greed, in their eternal wars for profit and power?

Where is the opposition? Where do we go for redress of grievances when every institution of government is in the hands of the enemies of the people?

After suffering through five long years of watching a rogue executive blow it’s nose on the American Constitution and wipe it’s feet on our laws and bill of rights, it was with some relief and a glimmer of hope that I watched the election results last November as the Democratic party was returned to control of the legislative branch of the federal government. The pendulum is returning to the center I told myself, surely it will soon move to the left and show benefits to the working people of this country again.

Newton Leroy Gingrich, The Language of the Liar

Newton Leroy Gingrich, seen at the American Enterprise Institute. Reuters file photo.

My maternal Grandparents came to this country from Sicily before the First World War, I never knew my Grandfather as he died in 1946 when I was two years old on the very day that my brother was born. I did however know well, my round, sweet, wonderful smelling, ugly shoes, Sicilian Grandmother whose words I didn’t always understand but whose meaning was always unmistakable, a large lovely sometimes frightening woman who fed me incredibly well and often, and taught me to behave with her air of peasant efficiency, lessons she delivered in a warm and colorful language, with a sharp and colorful tongue and a gentle hand.