madness of the GOP is the central issue of our time

[boutons_deux]

Fox is lying always, O'Reilly is a liar always

"Garbage, Total B.S.": Reagan Aides And Biographers Blast Chronic Fabricator Bill O'Reilly Over New Book

President Ronald Reagan's aides and biographers are organizing to challenge factual inaccuracies in Fox News host Bill O'Reilly's new book Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency. O'Reilly is a serial fabricator whose previous books have repeatedly been criticized for inaccuracies.

The Washington Examiner's Paul Bedard reported that O'Reilly's book is "coming under fire from former Reagan aides" and biographers "who are calling it bogus" and "planning a broadside to challenge the book in the coming days." The individuals reportedly include Reagan biographers Craig Shirley, Steven Hayward, Paul Kengor, Kiron Skinner, and "a handful of former Reagan aides."

Shirley said that Killing Reagan "is garbage, total B.S.," while former Reagan national security advisor Richard Allen said the book contains "plagiarism, simplicity and deception."

The DC-based paper noted that the Reagan critics pointed to O'Reilly's writing about Reagan's mental state and a purported brewing staff mutiny as main objections.

John Heubusch, the executive director of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library, said O'Reilly's book "does a disservice to history."

In a September interview with Media Matters' Joe Strupp, Ron Reagan called O'Reilly a "snake oil salesman" who doesn't invest "a lot of time or energy in the truth." The late president's son said he doesn't plan to read O'Reilly's book because he's "not interested in his theories."

Questions about factual accuracy are nothing new for O'Reilly and his Killing series, which he has co-authored with Martin Dugard. Killing Lincoln contained a series of mistakes and was criticized for factual errors by Lincoln scholars. Several historians and biographers of General George S. Patton objected to O'Reilly's Killing Patton theory that the World War II commander was assassinated by the Soviet Union.

O'Reilly took a major hit earlier this year when his boasts about his reporting career began falling apart under scrutiny. One of those included his claim in Killing Kennedy -- contradicted by numerous pieces of evidence -- that he personally heard the shotgun blast that killed a figure in the investigation into President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/10...phers-b/206068

[boutons_deux]

Tennessee Bill Would Prohibit Middle Schools From Teaching Students About Islam

In response to complaints from Tennessee parents that what their children are being taught about Islam borders on indoctrination, a Republican lawmaker in the state has proposed legislation to prohibit schools from teaching “religious doctrine” until high school.

Rep. Sheila Butt’s proposed bill comes at a time when anti-Islamic sentiment has been surfacing at schools across the country. If enacted, the bill would ban schools from teaching students younger than 10th grade about Islam or other topics the state decides cons ute “religious doctrine.”

“I think that probably the teaching that is going on right now in seventh, eighth grade is not age appropriate,” Butt, who claims her bill isn’t targeted at Islam, told the Tennessean. “They are not able to discern a lot of times whether its indoctrination or whether they’re learning about what a religion teaches.”

Parents in the state have taken issue with world history classes that teach about the Five Pillars of Islam and other historical lessons about how the religion has influenced regions of the world. Butt claims it would not be difficult for the state to discern the difference between teaching religion and teaching religious doctrine, but Tennessee teachers and education officials disagree. One teacher told the Tennessean that “there is a lot of influence that that part of the world had on world history.”

Tennessee law currently says that the Bible can be taught in schools, as long as schools aren’t using it to teach “religious doctrine or sectarian interpretation.”

http://thinkprogress.org/education/2...see-islam-ban/

So it's OK for the Christian Taliban states to teach the impact of Christianity of world history but not Islam's impact, because TN kids know the difference between Christian indoctrination and Islam indoctrination.

[boutons_deux]

NREL Cuts Solar Staff After Years of Flatlined Funding

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory laid off 15 people on Monday, about 10 percent of its solar research workforce.

In a memo sent to the organization on Monday, NREL said it is also seeking voluntary separation for about 50 additional support staff. The total staff reductions are expected to affect about 70 employees, just less than 4 percent of NREL’s staff.

Most of the layoffs were researchers involved in long-term programs and next-generation PV technologies. “Painfully and unfortunately, NREL decided these programs are underfunded and we can’t keep these on,” said George Douglas, NREL’s public affairs manager.

For the past four years, NREL has been using carryover funds and other means to keep the programs afloat, said Douglas. Some researchers were shifted to other programs where their skills were a good fit. “This is the year where it became very difficult to impossible to keep these programs alive,” he added.

Since fiscal year 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy’s solar funding has dropped nearly 20 percent to $233 million. The funding for NREL’s advanced, next-generation solar PV technologies has flatlined for those four years.

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articl...paign=GTMSolar

Annual $Bs given to BigCarbon, but starve non-carbon energy.

Thanks, Repugs, you ing assholes.

[boutons_deux]

Meanwhile, the MIC must financed

US Army secretary raises concerns about declining budget

Speaking earlier in the day at the opening ceremony of the conference, McHugh said the Army budget had fallen from a peak of $144 billion to a current level of $120 billion. He added that budget uncertainty was adding to the problem.

While a government shutdown was recently avoided, a continuing resolution only extends federal spending through Dec. 11. The Senate recently passed a $612 billion defense policy bill, but President Barack Obama has vowed to veto the bill because it seeks to avoid budget caps by padding the war-funding account.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/10/us-a...e+Raw+Story%29

and the military hasn't done since WWII

[boutons_deux]

sicko gun fellator news:

Texas AG's Wife Is 'A Pistol Packin' Mama' And Her 'Husband Sues Obama'

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's wife Angela serenaded attendees at the Golden Corridor Republican Women's club 25th anniversary celebration Saturday with a song about her love of firearms and her husband's tendency to sue President Obama.

Her song, "Pistol Packin' Mama," was even a surprise to her husband, according to Paxton's Facebook.

Each refrain ended with "and my husband sues Obama." Paxton continued the Texas legacy of suing the federal government, and according to the Houston Chronicle, the state has sued the Obama Administration more than 30 times as of July.

Houston Chronicle has full lyrics here, if you're interested in singing along.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...+%28TPMNews%29

The Repug Klown Kar, beep beep, needs to be much bigger.

[boutons_deux]

Ken Paxton Just Sent His Dream List of Abortion Laws to the Lege

Following the release of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s first round of interim charges — which includes

a directive to senators that they take a gander at how the Lege might

“preserve our most fundamental rights including

the freedom of religion,

the right to bear arms and

freedom of political speech” —

Attorney General Ken Paxton followed up with a letter on Thursday detailing his own ideas on

how to further restrict access to abortion,

regulate abortion providers,

limit medical research and

generally do more to endanger Texans seeking the procedure.

http://www.texasobserver.org/ken-paxton-just-sent-his-dream-list-of-abortion-laws-to-the-lege/

TX gun fellators, TX Christian Sharia, TX misogynists, TX.

[Quetzal-X]

sicko gun fellator news:

Texas AG's Wife Is 'A Pistol Packin' Mama' And Her 'Husband Sues Obama'

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's wife Angela serenaded attendees at the Golden Corridor Republican Women's club 25th anniversary celebration Saturday with a song about her love of firearms and her husband's tendency to sue President Obama.

Her song, "Pistol Packin' Mama," was even a surprise to her husband, according to Paxton's Facebook.

Each refrain ended with "and my husband sues Obama." Paxton continued the Texas legacy of suing the federal government, and according to the Houston Chronicle, the state has sued the Obama Administration more than 30 times as of July.

Houston Chronicle has full lyrics here, if you're interested in singing along.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...+%28TPMNews%29

The Repug Klown Kar, beep beep, needs to be much bigger.

All those dumbass s would not fit on a in bus , they need to board the in KKKrazy Train!!!

[boutons_deux]

Repugs name their hostages to be sacrificed in return for raising debt limit

McConnell floats en lement changes in high-stakes fiscal talks

Mitch McConnell privately wants the White House to pay this price to enact a major budget deal: Significant changes to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for raising the debt ceiling and funding the government.

Several people familiar with the high-stakes fiscal negotiations said the Senate majority leader's staff is trying to drive a hard bargain in the private talks with the White House and Democratic leaders.
McConnell is seeking a reduction in cost-of-living adjustments to Social Security recipients and new restrictions on Medicare, including limiting benefits to the rich and raising the eligibility age, several sources said. In addition, the Kentucky Republican is eager to see new policy riders enacted, including reining in the Environmental Protection Agency's clean water regulations.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/13/politi...lks/index.html

[boutons_deux]

Watch Chelsea Clinton respond to the most sleazy of questions from a creep at her book signing

Robert Morrow is the co-author of the forthcoming book The Clintons' War on Women with former top Donald Trump aide Roger Stone.

Morrow has wished death on Hillary Clinton and been visited by the Secret Service; posted bizarre sexual writings about the former secretary of state;

called Chelsea Clinton a " " and imagined how she would "have sex one day" with Bill Clinton; posted about "******s" and "pro- got JUDICIAL ACTIVISM";

and claimed the Bush and Clinton families were involved in murders.

Stone also has a disreputable history: he formed an anti-Clinton group called "C.U.N.T." and called Chelsea a "total ."

With that in mind, Chelsea Clinton's staff must've groaned when they saw him.

Nevertheless, an aide can be heard saying "Hi, Robert," as he approached the table and then asked the sleaziest of questions —

whether she knew Bill Clinton was not her real father and tried to get her to admit her father targets teenage girls for "sexual reasons."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/13/1431717/-Watch-Chelsea-Clinton-respond-to-the-most-sleazy-of-questions-from-a-creep-at-her-book-signing?detail=email

yawn, just the usual rightwingnut bags.

[boutons_deux]

ING Krazy Kruz: Black Lives Matter Is ‘Literally Suggesting And Embracing And Celebrating The Murder Of Police’

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...-lives-matter/

Thanks, Texians

[boutons_deux]

It's not Congress that's dysfunctional—it's the Republican Party




Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann are no partisan hacks: They're two of the most respected political analysts in Washington, DC. Yet when they published a highly regarded book three years ago blaming congressional dysfunction squarely on the GOP's radical march to the right, most of the Beltway press just ignored them.

"Both parties do it" was and still is the easy refuge of the traditional media, which continues to believe that Democrats are just as responsible for Capitol Hill's intransigence as Republicans.

Of course, that's not remotely true, and the stunning collapse of the House GOP leadership has demonstrated that harsh fact yet again. In a compelling new interview, Ornstein and Mann explain better than anyone else how we've gotten here, what the state of play really is within the Republican Party, and, perhaps most importantly, why the media's failure to recognize that yes, it really is the fault of the GOP has played a key role in creating our current mess.

Mann is lacerating:

There is no clear path out of our current distemper. The solution, like the diagnosis, must focus on the obvious but seldom acknowledged asymmetry between the parties. The Republican Party must become a conservative governing party once again and accept the assumptions and norms of our Madisonian system. That will likely require more election defeats, more honest reporting by the mainstream press and more recognition by the public that the problem is not "Washington" or "Congress" or "insiders" or politicians in general.The burden is on the GOP because they are currently the major source of our political dysfunction. No happy talk about bipartisanship can obscure that reality. Unless other voices and movements arise within the Republican Party to change its character and course, our dysfunctional politics will continue.

Ornstein and Mann talk repeatedly about the problem of "asymmetric polarization": the fact that Republicans have moved so far to the right that they've become hostage to their own nihilist extremists, while there's been no such corresponding shift among Democrats whatsoever.

This is well-illustrated in the chart at the top of this post, which uses a widely respected measure of congressional ideology called DW-Nominate to show just how extreme Republicans have become, even as the Democrats stay steady.

Until the media starts reporting on this massive gulf truthfully and accurately, many Americans won't understand just how radical the GOP has become—and Republican members of Congress themselves won't grasp what's happened either.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/1...28Daily+Kos%29

[boutons_deux]

OGA should be applied.

=========================

Tom Cotton was livid that top Secret Service officials had leaked unflattering information about a GOP congressman who had become one of the embattled agency’s highest-profile critics.So the freshman Republican senator from Arkansas quickly settled on his payback: He would indefinitely stall ambassadorial nominees to Sweden, Norway and the Bahamas — a former White House counsel, plus two Obama campaign bundlers — until the administration investigated the Secret Service’s misconduct.

It's not just Cotton holding up nominations. Republican senators such as Ted Cruz, John McCain and Chuck Grassley are deploying the tactic at an unprecedented level in their ongoing war with the White House. Right now, eight ambassadorial nominees are waiting on the Senate floor to be confirmed, and more than 100 other nominations are languishing in committee.

Of course, Republicans say this is all fair game because Democrats did it first! But per usual, the GOP has taken it to a whole new level, confirming just 107 of Obama's nominees compared to the 192 that Democrats had moved by this time in 2007 during President George W. Bush's second term. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has intervened just once to push a nominee through this Congress—Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

And here's an example of how these backbiting "holds" affect the government's ability to respond to something like the Syrian refugee crisis.

Among the most egregious examples of unnecessary holds, Democrats say, has been Cruz’s work to stymie confirmation of Gayle Smith, nominated as director of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the primary clearinghouse for civilian foreign aid. The vacancy is drawing more scrutiny as the United States faces pressure to act on the Syrian refugee crisis.“It’s never been worse. And that reflects a decision by the Republicans to deny to this president even the most critical appointments,” said Senate Minority Whip Durbin of Illinois. Smith has “been sitting on that calendar for months. Ted Cruz has a hold on her. Ask him: What’s your objection to her? ‘No, no, I object to the Iran nuclear agreement.’”

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/14/1432267/-GOP-Senate-gets-mad-mad-mad-and-stops-confirming-Obama-s-nominees?detail=email??

[boutons_deux]

Fox host: Female researcher likely rigged ‘smart women’ study because she’s bitter men won’t date her


http://www.rawstory.com/2015/10/fox-...e+Raw+Story%29

she's not one to talk about "good looking"

https://www.google.com/search?q=kennedy+montgomery&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS578US5 78&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=979&tbm=isch&imgil=cOEOiX43 KJgpxM%253A%253BJpjkbkLfRDjFEM%253Bhttp%25253A%252 52F%25252Fwww.at40.com%25252Fphoto%25252Fplink%252 52Flisa-kennedy-montgomery-arrives%25252F7950&source=iu&pf=m&fir=cOEOiX43KJgp xM%253A%252CJpjkbkLfRDjFEM%252C_&usg=__h7pLjYhbnXP RHxvH4ha1FZw4cYg%3D&ved=0CJ8BEMo3ahUKEwjmv-WeoM_IAhUIzoAKHTdLCtg&ei=GUIlVqbPHYicgwS3lqnADQ#im grc=cOEOiX43KJgpxM%3A&usg=__h7pLjYhbnXPRHxvH4ha1FZ w4cYg%3D

[boutons_deux]

Peggy Noonan outdoes herself, sneers that Obama’s presidency means “Anyone can run for president now”



http://www.salon.com/2015/10/19/pegg...president_now/

yep, Repug Klown Kar is loaded with Noonan's "anybodies"

[boutons_deux]

America’s dumbest governor appoints creationist as education commissioner: Today in Tea Party lunacy




http://www.salon.com/2015/10/19/amer..._party_lunacy/

Maine's "first past the post" system gave this asshole governorship with only 40% of the vote, while two progressive candidates split the 60%.

[boutons_deux]

Montana governor rips GOPers: They ‘hate 4-year-olds’ enough to block federal pre-school funds

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) recently took on Republican lawmakers who he said “might hate 4 year olds” after they called to block $40 million in federal pre-school grants because they said it was unfair to private schools.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/10/mont...e+Raw+Story%29

[boutons_deux]

The governor of Maine delivered a sexist comment straight out of the 1950s




As many Americans were celebrating "Back to the Future" day, Maine Governor Paul LePage attended a town-hall meeting and hopped in his own time machine, going back to the 1950s to deliver a jaw-dropping, sexist remark:

At a town hall meeting in Auburn on Wednesday night, Governor Paul LePage once again lashed out against Question 1, a citizen initiative to increase election transparency and strengthen Maine’s Clean Elections Act.“That’s like giving my wife my checkbook. I’m telling you, it’s giving your wife your checkbook,” said LePage.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/1...s?detail=email

[boutons_deux]

don't be obvious

Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill Limiting Political Corruption Inquiries


limits a longstanding tool against political corruption that has been used in investigations of Mr. Walker and his allies.

The John Doe law, as it is called in Wisconsin, has given prosecutors the power to obtain search warrants and order people to testify and turn over do ents in investigations that typically take place in secret.
Under the measure, which easily passed both Republican-controlled chambers of the State Legislature,

Six of Mr. Walker’s aides or allies were convicted as a result of a John Doe investigation.

Republicans said the change in the law was required to curb what they called unnecessarily long and intrusive investigations that amounted to political witch hunts.

AND CONVICTIONS!

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/24/us...er=rss&emc=rss

[boutons_deux]

Georgia ‘Confederate themed’ bar serves ‘Ni**erita’ shot with tequila and watermelon liqueur




http://www.rawstory.com/2015/10/geor...e+Raw+Story%29

[boutons_deux]

Kansas Is Still the Land of Make Believe

A new poll—possibly the greatest poll in American history—suggests that Kansans are a wee bit confused:

When it comes to Brownback’s tax policy, which has featured heavy cuts in income taxes and taxes on businesses,

three-fifths (61 percent) of respondents felt the policy had been “a failure” or “a tremendous failure” in terms of economic growth.

About one-third of respondents said it was “neither a success nor failure” and 7 percent said they felt it was at least “a success.”

Only 0.2 percent agreed it was “a tremendous success.”

But at the same time, 61 percent of respondents favor “somewhat lower” or “much lower” taxes and spending in Kansas.

And yet...about 63 percent of respondents felt taxes on top income earners should be increased while 6 percent felt they should be decreased.

What does this mean?

That tax cuts have been a failure, but maybe they'll work if we just cut them more?

That tax cuts have been a failure, but Kansans just want low taxes anyway?

That Kansans don't really care if their economy is any good?

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-dru...d-make-believe

[boutons_deux]

rightwingnut ALTERNATE REALITY news

At Santa Clara, Scalia says he’s a dissident on a liberal court

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, widely viewed as the leader of the court’s dominant conservative bloc, told law students at Santa Clara University on Wednesday that he’s actually a dissident on a liberal court,

one whose prevailing view threatens “the destruction of our democratic system.”

After dissenting from two of the most important rulings in the 2014-15 term — one legalizing same-sex marriage, the other upholding federal insurance subsidies under the national health care law — Scalia said Wednesday the court has long had a majority of justices who disregard the Cons ution’s text and original meaning if it conflicts with their views.

http://m.sfgate.com/news/article/At-...on-6597321.php

yes, yes,

corporations are people and

money is speech,

Just like the Founding Father "originally" wrote!

[boutons_deux]

‘The road to ': Andrea Tantaros blames lack of paid family leave on too much science spending



http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/the-...e+Raw+Story%29

[boutons_deux]

slave states proves themselves as nasty as in the 19th century

Missouri townspeople shun sex abuse victim as a liar — even after ‘good man’ admits to raping her




A child sex abuse victim says she’s been denied housing after accusing a “good man” of molesting her for years — and Missouri prosecutors are mystified that so many community members are supporting the admitted sex offender.

Darren Paden was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty in August to two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy — but friends, family members, church elders and community leaders begged a judge to go easy on him.

Prosecutors said the 52-year-old Paden sexually abused the girl up to 300 times over a decade, beginning before she was 5 years old. His 28-year-old son, Anthony Paden, was also charged with sex abuse, although his case remains pending.

“Only God, Darren and (the victim) know what truly happened,” said Gene Blankenship, a trustee at the New Market Christian Church in Dearborn. “I feel Darren may have admitted to things he did not do after hours of interrogation and all the pressure to admit guilt.”

Blankenship was among about 16 community members who sent letters to the court since September, praising Paden for his service in the Gulf War and a junior deacon at New Market Christian Church.
“Darren is one of the most admirable people I know,” wrote friend Adele Brightwell. “He holds fast to his morals.”

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/miss...e+Raw+Story%29

[boutons_deux]

Krugman: Why Republicans Are Ferocious Liars About What Makes the Economy Work


All that GOP candidates talk about is the growth they historically never produce.

Why does the economy do better under Democrats, and why do Republicans tend to lie about that fact? Despite CarLIE Fiorina's fallacious claims to the contrary, Hillary Clinton was right to say that the the country has had better economic times with a Democrat in the White House.

It's an ironic and inconvenient truth. All Republican candidates do is talk about economic growth. And then they pursue and peddle policies that have been demonstrated not to produce it, with tax cuts for the wealthy front and center. Krugman digs deep into the facts of matter:

The arithmetic on partisan differences is actually stunning. Last year the economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson circulated a paper comparing economic performance under Democratic and Republican presidents since 1947. Under Democrats, the economy grew, on average, 4.35 percent per year; under Republicans, only 2.54 percent. Over the whole period, the economy was in recession for 49 quarters; Democrats held the White House during only eight of those quarters.
But isn’t the story different for the Obama years? Not as much as you think. Yes, the recovery from the Great Recession of 2007-2009 has been sluggish. Even so, the Obama record compares favorably on a number of indicators with that of George W. Bush. In particular, despite all the talk about job-killing policies, private-sector employment is eight million higher than it was when Barack Obama took office, twice the job gains achieved under his predecessor before the recession struck.

Krugman is humble on the question of why the economy has done better under Democratic administrations: "There’s no indication that the Democratic advantage can be explained by better monetary and fiscal policies," he writes.

"Democrats seem, on average, to have had better luck than Republicans on oil prices and technological progress. Overall, however, the pattern remains mysterious. Certainly no Democratic candidate would be justified in promising dramatically higher growth if elected. And in fact, Democrats never do."

They live in a bubble, is the only explanation Krugman can find, one which facts don't penetrate and the belief that Reagan was the patron saint of economic growth, never mind that Clinton outpaced him. Right-wing media perpetuates the myth, and, the donor class pays GOP candidates to keep up the lie that the policies they favor are good for anyone but them.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/krug...s-economy-work


And Americans trust the Repugs more on the economy ( Banksters Great Depression! ) and national security ( 9/11 ! )

[boutons_deux]

Senate Republicans Are Blocking Obama's Judges at a Nearly Unprecedented Rate

The Senate has confirmed just nine judges nominated by President Obama so far this year. It's the slowest pace of confirmations in more than half a century, on track to match the 11 confirmations in 1960.

"It's still like pulling teeth to move nominations," says a senior Democratic Senate aide. "They're being held by a number of different Republican senators for every reason under the sun. None of which have anything to do with the actual qualifications of the nominees."

But the current rate is far off from the historical norm. According to the liberal Alliance for Justice, by this point in 2007, when Democrats controlled the Senate, 34 of President George W. Bush's judges had been confirmed.

politicking at the expense of a functional judicial system

Schumer called the Republican slowdown a "disgrace" that was hurting the judicial system.

Republicans have been gumming up the works at each step of the process.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been slow about scheduling votes on the Senate floor, where 11 nominees are awaiting confirmation. The delays generally haven't been due to controversy about the nominees. The last two judges confirmed, for district court seats in New York, were approved by votes of 95-2 and 88-0, respectively.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...ge-nominations

If Hillary or Bernie is elected, the Repug screwing the judicial system will continue for many years.