Dumber and Dumbest

Oddsmakers are making Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions the favorite to be Donald Trump's Vice Presidential selection.

The Jeff Sessions.

If the best the republican party can offer this November is pairing a greedy, misogynistic racist with a hilljack dunce from Alabama, we just might have a shot at taking back the House.

Peace,
emaycee

If he only had a brain

Ted Cruz, while visiting Wisconsin last week, said that we need to enact right to work (for less) legislation, like Scott Walker did in the Badger State, for the entire nation.

While throwing out this sop to Corporate American, Cruz neglected to mention that also as of last week, the state of Wisconsin ranks 49th in the United States for its economic outlook.  That means one state, one fucking state, has a poorer economic outlook than Wisconsin.

What on God's green earth made Cruz think that a horrendous economic outlook is anything any creature with a functioning brain, much less working class Americans, would aspire to?

And once again, courtesy of republicans, we have proof that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Peace,
emaycee

Over it

Can I just say that I'm officially over the candidacy of  Donald Trump?  I can't turn on a program on MSNBC that doesn't waste at least half of its hour on him, or read a political blog that doesn't devote half its posts to him.

For fuck's sake, this is really simple:  he's going to be the republican nominee, he's going to be lambasted by either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, and then he's going to be relegated to the dustbins of American Presidential election history.

There are literally thousands of news stories and critical issues that are much more worthy of our time.

Peace,
emaycee

With friends like these

In its infinite wisdom, the republican establishment, now that Marco Rubio is its only viable candidate, is announcing that Bob Dole and Mitt Romney are endorsing Rubio in his bid for the republican nomination.  Because nothing--I mean absolutely nothing--fires up the republican base quite like the endorsements of two moderate republicans who lost imminently winnable elections to candidates (Clinton in '96 and Obama in '12) that the base absolutely despised.

Who, outside of the clueless national media, do they think these men are going to influence?  Because it's really hard to see supporters of either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz suddenly changing their votes based on the words of two men they think are twits that lost to the womanizer and the black guy.

Jeez, I should have been a republican adviser--if only I'd known when I was young that they were more than happy to pay fortunes for bad advice.  

I could have given them plenty of that.

Peace,

emaycee

Three pennies for three thoughts

1)  Rachel Maddow noted on her show last night that Democratic turnout is down from 2008 in the first two primaries this year and wondered if this was cause for concern for Democrats (it should be noted that it's still at historically high levels).  It may well be, but I wonder if it has more to do with the fact that we have two very good candidates this time around and many Democrats will be happy to support either in November.  In all honesty, we have trouble getting Democrats to vote in the midterms and it's hard to imagine them taking the time for a primary when both candidates are appealing.

2)  At the risk of proving just how bad I am at political prognostication, is it possible that Jeb! Bush can mount a comeback in South Carolina?  Probably not, but with Marco "Hal 9000" Rubio, Ben "Delusional" Carson, and John "The Dullard" Kasich as the only republican establishment candidates left, you have to admit there is an opening for him.  Maybe his Mom can put in a good word for Jeb!....

3) Jim Webb announced today that he will not be seeking the White House as an independent  candidate.  Now it's entirely possible that reality set in and his advisers told him that an oak tree had as good of a chance as he did to be the next President, but I have to wonder if it had anything to do with Michael Bloomberg announcing that he was considering an independent run--pretty sure Webb can't sink a billion dollars into a losing campaign just because he thinks he knows better than the American people who our Presidential candidates should be.

Chutzpah aplenty in Neverland these days....

Peace,
emaycee

Who else do they have?

Despite the fact that Marco Rubio did his best Wall-E imitation in last Saturday's republican debate in New Hampshire, I really have to wonder who else the republican establishment is going to rally behind.  Considering that they hate Trump and Cruz, that leaves Chris Christie, who is too much of an asshole to ever get elected President, John Kasich, who probably bores his own family, and Jeb! Bush, who has proven to be a miracle worker in that his campaign has been so inept he's made his big brother look like FDR.

I still think it's more likely that either Trump or Cruz win the republican nomination, but it's hard to see that if republicans go for the establishment candidate again this year how it can he anyone other than Rubio.

He may be a lightweight, but it's not as if Mitt Romney or John McCain could have given Plato a run for his money intellectually.

Peace,
emaycee

And I'm supposed to give a fuck because?

Now I fully understand that AOL News is to journalism what hopscotch is to baseball, but apparently someone at AOL News thought that our election season wouldn't be complete if they didn't inform us of what Mark Cuban thought of the current republican campaigns for the Presidency.  Now I appreciate that Cuban is a billionaire and that he has a lame ass TV show, but whereas other billionaires like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates or Warren Buffet have spent their time after becoming wealthy trying to make the world a better place or improving upon their brand, Cuban has spent his time becoming a first class buffoon.

All of which leaves me wondering:  If most of us don't care what Bozo the Clown or the village idiot thinks of the republican candidates, what nitwit at AOL News thought we'd give a fuck what Mark Cuban thinks?

I mean I know that today is a slow news day but give me a fucking break.

Peace,
emaycee

Victory lap...

,,,sort of.

Democrats

Nailed it--Clinton won over Sanders in a squeaker and O'Malley has pulled out of the race.

For what it's worth, I'm really beginning to believe Sanders can win the nomination.

Republicans

Can't win 'em all--Cruz ended up topping Trump, but I got Rubio in third (where pretty much every poll had him finishing--can't say I'm a science denier!).  Huckabee, Paul, and Santorum have all ceased their campaigns as I predicted.  Jim Gilmore, on the other hand, told Rachel Maddow that if he got one vote, one stinking vote, he'd consider it a victory.  He got 12 (!) so one supposes he feels he's cruising to the nomination now.  It remains to be seen if he can top that total in New Hampshire.

Not sure if Trump's campaign implodes at this point or passes its first gut check, though if I had to bet a dollar on it I'd put it on an implosion.

Not sure if I'd rather face Cruz or Rubio in November--Cruz is a little more cutthroat, but Rubio's got the traditional media believing he's a credible candidate instead of the lightweight he actually is.

Either way, I still think it's the Democrats race to lose.

Peace,
emaycee

Wrong!

For shits and grins (and it'll probably be a lot more shits than grins) here's my fearless forecast for tomorrow night's Iowa Caucus:

Democrats

Hillary Clinton wins a squeaker over Bernie Sanders.  O'Malley is out of the race before the week is over.

Republicans

Donald Trump wins a close one over Ted Cruz.  Marco Rubio finishes third.  Jeb! Bush stays in the race waiting for South Carolina to put the final nail in his coffin.  Christie and Kasich have put all their chips in the pot for New Hampshire so they live to fight another week.  Fiorina stays in because the big money boys want a woman to stay in the race to bash Hillary because somehow in their small little minds that makes it seem fairer to the rest of America.  Carson fights another week because he's delusional.  Huckabee, Santorum, Paul, and Gilmore pull the plugs on their comatose campaigns.

Just remember when your preferred candidate does much better than my prediction you know who to thank....

Peace,
emaycee

Hypocrisy, thy name is republicans

There just may be a God after all:

A Texas grand jury has decided not to indict a Houston Planned Parenthood clinic, finding no evidence that the clinic had done anything illegal.  They did, however, decide to indict the two bozos who shot the film purportedly showing the clinic talking about profiting from the sale of unborn fetuses for tampering with government evidence, and one of the suspects for the illegal sale and purchase of human body parts.

Despite the fact that the grand jury found no evidence of wrongdoing, republicans, are absolutely apoplectic, continuing with their lies concerning Planned Parenthood and the selling of fetus parts and defending the two newly indicted defendants.  Apparently, as long as you're pursuing the republican agenda, lying, cheating, and breaking the law are completely okey dokey.

I must have not gotten the memo--I didn't realize that lying, cheating, and breaking the law had become Christian virtues....

Peace,
emaycee

Captain oblivious

Ted Cruz yesterday claimed that if JFK were alive today, he would be a republican.  Putting aside the fact that his claim is demonstrably false, you have to wonder exactly what the fuck Cruz is hoping to accomplish by making this claim.

Does he really believe Kennedy is the type of candidate the republican base is yearning for him to be?  Or does he believe Democratic voters upon hearing Cruz' claim are going to conclude that Cruz is right and give him their vote?

Either way, you really have to question the qualifications for President of a man who is so obviously oblivious to political reality.

Peace,
emaycee

Nikki Haley will not be the republican nominee for Vice-President

In light of her well-delivered republican response to President Obama's State of the Union Address this past Tuesday, a number of pundits have begun mentioning South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as a possible contender for the Vice Presidential slot on this year's republican ticket.

Nikki Haley will not be the republican Vice Presidential nominee in 2016.

Now you might think this is because of her Jindalesque handling of her state's economy or serious ethical issues (same link).  You might also think it's because her foot in mouth discussions of her SOTU response with national media in the past few days prove she's not ready for prime time.

Nope.

Nikki Haley will not be the republican Vice Presidential nominee because she has twice been accused of having extramarital affairs (which she strongly denies).

Now before you jump on your high horse, know that as a previous Bill Clinton supporter it would be awfully hypocritical of me to to question Haley's credentials based on rumored sexual affairs.  If I wanted to merely question her credentials, the previous paragraph listing her shortcomings would have sufficed.  I am making the case as to why the republican Presidential nominee will not choose Gov. Haley--for one, I am certain that there are powerful people in the Democratic Party who wake up nights in a cold sweat imagining the colossal damage that would have been done to the Democratic Party had John Edwards won a primary or two in 2008 only to have his extramarital affair and love child later come to light.  No one is going to take the chance that the alleged rumors are true.  Second, it's become obvious that should Hillary Clinton win the nomination (no guarantee) part of the republican playbook to mute the war on women charges against republicans is to attack the less than discrete sexual habits of her husband.  This becomes exponentially harder with Haley on the ticket and the possibility that she has a checkered sexual past as well.  Finally, the media scrutiny of a governor's election in South Carolina is one whole hell of a lot less lethal than that of a national media scrutiny of a Vice Presidential nominee.  Chances are if there is anything there, it will be found.  Again, in an uphill battle, no republican nominee wants to take a chance on that.

In fairness to Haley (and it's not often you'll hear me say that regarding a republican), neither of the two men alleging to have had relations with her have shown a shred of proof, and neither of them is what I would consider a man of integrity.  They both had something to gain (one was facing domestic violence charges and the other a DUI).  And I have to admit to feeling sorry for Gov. Haley--allegations such as these are easy for others to make and hard for her to live down, and from what I've read, neither passes the smell test.

But fair or not, it's hard to imagine any republican candidate willing to gamble their political fortune on the veracity of the claims against her.

Peace,
emaycee

Put a sock in it

While I have to admit there is a delicious irony to the whole rigmarole over whether or not Ted Cruz is actually an American citizen (what with all of the "birther" bullshit thrown at President Obama), one has to wonder just how hard up for news stories the national media is.  I'm not a constitutional scholar, but the process is pretty simple: if you're born on foreign soil to a parent that has American citizenship, you're automatically an American citizen.  Thus while Cruz is not qualified to be President, since he was born in Canada and his mother is an American citizen, he is imminently eligible to be the President.

It is a bit worrisome, though, that no matter how full of shit Donald Trump is, his words can turn what should be a non-starter into a major story.

Let's hope the voodoo only works on republicans.

Peace,
emaycee

Who's fooling who?

President Obama today took some common sense executive actions to close some gun buying loopholes, keep guns out of the hands of criminals, and spend more money on mental health care.  All of which are designed to keep the American people a whit safer.

Republicans, needless to say, are apoplectic, with screams of protecting Americans, protecting the Second Amendment, Obama's going to take our guns away, repealing the executive actions when elected President (good luck with that), ISIS, and even threatening to shut down the Justice Department.  Genius Mike Huckabee said if President Obama was really concerned about American lives, that he would end abortion.  Without explaining, unsurprisingly, that if Huckabee actually cared so much about American lives, why he wasn't calling for an outright ban on guns (30,000 Americans killed every year by guns).

Make no mistake, though, about who actually cares about Americans' safety.  Republican politicians do not give a good goddamn about the American people or their safety and haven't for quite some time.  The only thing they will be protecting is the undue influence of the NRA and the profits of gun manufacturers.

Because deranged people with guns repeating mass killing after mass killing, or another child shot by a stray bullet, or another troubled soul taking his or her life, or the shattered lives of the victims' families really do not much matter to them as long as the NRA keeps filling their campaign chests and the gun manufacturers keep making an extra nickel,

Peace,
emaycee

Go for it

Donald Trump said this week that if Hillary Clinton keeps playing the "woman card" that Bill Clinton's sexual peccadilloes should be fair game.  This from a man who has been married three times and once said he'd like to date his daughter....

The national media, of course, was quick to chime in that Trump was right--mostly because, one supposes, once the republican nomination is settled this election year is going to be downright humdrum as the Democratic nominee cruises to victory.  They're going to need something to prattle on about, and fellatio and flings it is.

I myself am hoping against hope that this is a republican campaign tactic.  Frankly, the liberal base of our party has always been lukewarm at best toward the Clintons--until it comes to republicans going full on Miss Priss about Bill Clinton's sex life.  Then we rally around them like the Seven Dwarfs rally around Snow White.

If they want to feign moral outrage, they'd better be prepared for the consequences.

Peace,
emaycee

Spending those lottery winnings

Speaking to a group of Iowa voters this week, Marco Rubio laid out his plans for his first day in office as President.  From ending Obamacare and undoing the Iran Treaty to rescinding Obama's executive orders, Rubio would be on it.

Leaving aside the fact Rubio doesn't seem to understand that the President isn't given a magic wand to do as he pleases (those pesky legislative and judicial branches!), shouldn't one at least have to win the fucking nomination before one starts telling voters what one's going to do as the Commander-in-Chief?  For fuck's sake, the last I checked Rubio was a distant third--wouldn't one think he'd at least try to win over republicans before wowing the rest of us with his political "acumen?"

Hell, I'll tell my family how I'm going to spend my Powerball jackpot, but I'm not harebrained enough to run around the streets of Clarkston telling everyone....

Peace,
emaycee

Practiced at the art of deception

I've noticed that when news channels play clips of  the end of Donald Trump rallies, when he's walking around glad-handing, his organizers play the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and it dawned on me that it was the perfect song for the line of bullshit the republicans are pushing.

I mean, many in America just want good paying jobs, but republicans think they need to suck it up so that CEOs can make even more money.  Most Americans just want a hand up when financial troubles arise, but republicans think they need a good kick in the fanny to keep them going.  Most Americans just want to feel safe, but republicans think they need to be scared shitless.  Most African Americans just want the police to stop shooting their family members willy-nilly, but republicans think they need to believe that white folks lives matter,too, even though they're not being gunned down daily by police officers.

See what I mean?

Either that, or I have waaaaayyyy too much time on my hands these days.

Just for kicks, enjoy:

Peace,
emaycee

Game, set, match

During a pause in Saturday's Democratic debate, the three candidates took a bathroom break, and as the women's restroom was farther away, and as it often takes women just a second or two longer than men to use said restroom, Hillary Clinton was a little later than Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley to return to her spot at the podium.

Apparently, in the republican party Bizarroworld, this is a legitimate reason to question whether Secretary Clinton has the right qualities to be President of the United States.  Donald Trump, who, unlike the rest of us, pees honey, termed it "disgusting."

Let me tell you this:  if the republican party is resorting to obsessing over how long it takes Hillary Clinton to go pee, the race for the Presidency in 2016 is already over.

They have absolutely nothing to offer the American people.

Peace,
emaycee

Huckleberry finished

South Carolina's senior Senator, Lindsay Graham, called it quits today in his pretty much pointless quest to be the republican nominee for President in 2016.  Graham was the only republican candidate who acknowledged climate change, was in favor of immigration reform, and had the courage to call out Donald Trump.  He never had a chance.

He also belongs to the John McCain wing of hawkishness on foreign policy, i.e. let's fucking bomb everybody.

While many on the left are lamenting his loss as the one republican candidate who wasn't abhorrent (Pataki and Gilmore could also fall into this category, but no one knows who they are and therefore no one cares one way or the other), the most important takeaway from Graham's withdrawal is that last rites have been given to moderate republicans.  Graham never got much above 1% in republican polls, and its hard to imagine any moderate having any degree of success going forward on a national level.

The inmates are now in complete control of the asylum.

Peace,
emaycee

The kiss of death for Donald Trump's candidacy

As the man who had Sarah Palin as the GOP nominee in 2012, and was certain it was going to be Jeb! Bush in 2016, I am now going to do what no heinous statement from Donald Trump, or vicious act of one of his followers, has thus far been able to do:  kill his campaign.

I am really beginning to believe that Trump can win the republican nomination.

Ted Cruz may be the candidate du jour for the scared GOP establishment, and the current leader in Iowa, but we've seen how republican establishment candidates fare in the general election (see also:  McCain, John and Romney, Willard) and how republican campaigns fade into oblivion after winning the Iowa Caucus (see also:  Huckabee, Mike and Santorum, Rick).  Ben Carson is as crazy as a shit house rat, but he's neither white enough nor angry enough to pacify republicans' main voters:  angry, white men.  Rubio has shown again and again that he's a lightweight, and if he doesn't like the work that goes into being a U.S. Senator, he's going to like being President of the United States a lot less (it's 24/7/365, Marco--think!).  And the rest?  Well, if you're polling in the low single digits at this point, you can turn out the lights:  the party is over.

The possibility of a brokered convention  has been discussed of late, but there hasn't been one since before I was born (1959), and one could easily see the republican base going full on ape shit if it feels its chosen candidate has been screwed out of the nomination.

And that leaves republicans one Donald J. Trump as their Presidential nominee in 2016.

God only knows who he'll pick for his V.P.

Peace,
emaycee