That ever-so-perfect commentator, Chris “Tingly Legs” Matthews, may have to cut favorite conservative targets, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, a bit more slack in the future. Seems he, too, may be subject to that human tendency to sometimes make a mistake:
The Panama Canal in Egypt???? WTF???
And the leader of the free world hasn’t got a clue which end of the phone to talk into.
HIs VP Joe, the Gaffmeister, Biden is first out of the blocks with an official statement of support for Mubarik, claiming the kerfluffle is nothing more than, “an expression of ‘middle-class folks’ looking for ‘a little more access and a little more opportunity’.” In the meantime, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried desperately to verbally prop up the floundering regime, first by denying that a problem existed and then by claiming that the whole thing is little more than a minor dust-up on the road to democracy in a strategic Middle Eastern country that can be solved if everybody just works together. Or something.
Oh, sure.
Anyone feeling like the grown-ups need to take over?
Too bad there aren’t any in this administration.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell commenting on the arrest of two doctors butchers at the Women’s Medical Society clinic in Philadelphia:
“All of those of us who are pro-choice abhor this, because it casts a negative light on that movement. All of us believe abortion should be legal, but that it should be safe. Clearly, what this physician was doing is not safe. It’s not safe for the mother. It’s certainly not safe for the fetus.”
Not safe for the fetus???
You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
Has anyone ever said anything as frigging STUPID as that???
About a month ago Montana’s governor bully-in-chief made a news splash when he accused the legislators of being the “biggest boozers” in the state. Many of these fine individuals were justifiably insulted, especially considering the well-deserved reputation BS has cultivated for indulging in a nip or two whenever the spirits move him.
Well now that the session is in full throttle, it seems that the gov’s words may have some unintended consequences. Local hospitality establishments are already noting a significant decline in revenues from previous years.
Economics 101: Lower revenues for Montana businesses = lower taxes to the state.
Seems the administration’s rosy budget numbers may be in more jeopardy than previously thought.
Wanna drink to that, Governor?
Rep. Ken Peterson (R-Billings) presented his bill to address croneyism to the House State Administration committee last Thursday. HB145 would “Require resignation of legislative seat prior to taking government job”. Rep. Peterson introduced the legislation in response to the current administration’s liberal policy of – or policy of liberally – appointing or hiring sitting legislators to executive positions in the administrative branch. He’s probably correct in calling that an unconstitutional infringement on the separation of powers between the branches of government. His response, however, was akin to using an elephant gun to take out a flea on a donkey’s butt.
HB145, as written and introduced, prohibits any federal, state, or local government employee or contractor from being a legislator. As the testimony during the hearing pointed out, that would impact at least 16 members of the current legislature. Even his fellow republicans on the committee could clearly see the flaws in the bill; some of them valiantly offering to assist him in amending the bill.
In the interests of public service, let me offer the following:
Amend the bill to read: “An Act Prohibiting a sitting member of the Montana House or Senate from seeking or accepting an exempt or non-exempt position in either the executive or judicial branches or on any compensated advisory board of any state executive or judicial agency during the legislator’s term of office…” and then make the rest of the language reflect that specific change.
Rep. Peterson is a lawyer, not a doctor, but he ought to be able to come up with a proposal that addresses the issue – elected officials rewarding “friendly” legislators with cushy state jobs – without killing the patient in the process. HB145 in its present form is botched surgery at best; legislative malpractice at a minimum.
It’s tough when stark raving reality bites one in the lower posterior. House Republicans are learning that the hard way. Yesterday’s vote on the Legislature’s feed bill has to have more than a few of them slapping themselves upside the head. Already the Governor and the Democrat party and the lapdog media are pummeling them with their own words and gleefully hoisting the petards bearing unsuspecting political neophytes. [Ed. note – I’m not providing links to the liberal blogs – they can generate their own traffic. You know how to find them if you want.]
Well-intentioned attempts to reconcile legitimate expenditures and tax increases with catchy campaign promises are suddenly proving to be frustrating at best. All those catchy sound-bites about cutting spending and smaller government, no matter how sincerely meant during the election cycle are quickly becoming the victims of real governance. If the other guy can frame the attack on a bumper sticker, and you need a whole page to defend your position, you lose.
Our new Republican legislative majority is caught firmly between a rock and a hard place. And there are 80 more days left to go.
Now we know what “tyranny of the minority” really means.
Bummer.
Since about fifteen minutes after the tragic shooting in Arizona on Saturday, the liberal blogs, FB pages, and Twits were giddily blaming Sarah Palin and the TEA Party as the motivation for the perp’s actions. With absolutely no evidence to substantiate these claims, the sunami of vitriolic rhetoric lay all the blame at the feet of conservatives. Even when more information revealed the shooter to be “face down in the Fruit Loops” at best, and most likely politically LIBERAL, the progressives and government-controlled media continued the anti-conservative rants. Well, this guy pretty well expresses how I feel about these jerks. Pardon the language, but I, for one, think he’s right-on…
H/T to AFinch at Honey Trails
After listening to about 2 hours or so of testimony from DPHHS administrators, chronicling the dire outlook for the economic well-being of the hundreds of thousands of needy souls who will wander through the portals of the state’s various social welfare offices during the next two years and plaintively whining about the worsening situations facing a dramatically increasing number of poor Montanans, freshman senator Rowlie Hutton (R-Havre) hit the proverbial nail smack on the head.
Senator Hutton respectfully queried the gentleman from DPHHS about how they could be projecting such a significant increased demand for social services when the governor’s office is telling the legislature that the state’s economic future will be brighter than a neon flamingo.
Oops. Cue the deer-in-headlights, jaw-drop look by said administrator. Hadn’t thought that one through. Which is it Governor — a robust, healthy, growing economy that will magically fill the state’s coffers to practically overflowing with abundance – or a bleak biennium beset by burgeoning demands of a continuing downturn?
Maybe the administration ought to decide what tune they want to sing and make sure the whole choir has the same music.
Two weeks of vacation. Ok – so it’s not like I didn’t do anything constructive, but let’s just say that getting the old bod out of bed, showered, dressed and out in the cold at 7-dark-thirty-ish hasn’t been part of the routine.
How cold is it supposed to be tomorrow morning? Cripes.