Congressmen from Crazytown

I’m trying to figure out when congress became Crazytown. It’s bad enough that hysterical mobs call President Obama a socialist and a Nazi and accuse him of all sorts of nefarious plots and schemes, but when a congressman does the same thing it makes one wonder:

[Georgia Republican Rep. Paul] Broun, who last year made national news by comparing Obama to Hitler, called Cuba's former dictator Fidel Castro and leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Obama's "good buddy."

He also spoke of a "socialistic elite" - Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid - who might use a pandemic disease or natural disaster as an excuse to declare martial law.

"They're trying to develop an environment where they can take over," he said. "We've seen that historically."

Look. If there is one thing that is not going to happen, it’s the cancellation of an election. We’ve held elections nine times during bona fide wars; we’re not going to cancel one because of the flu or an earthquake. (In 1918, we held midterms election despite fighting a world war and a flu pandemic. God forbid, but I’m sure we can do it again if we have to).

Sadly, it’s not just the crazies in the Republican caucus who get so hysterical that they develop delusions about canceled elections and martial law. In July, 2007 our very own Rep. John Olver said “at [a] meeting with constituents that he could envision the United States attacking Iran and Bush declaring martial law, suspending the 2008 elections.”

Can we just discuss the issues as they are presented, and not try to figure out how our political opponents are trying use those issues to become dictators? Because as far as I can tell, that is not and has not been part of anyone’s plan. On either side.

The Messianic President

No, not Barack Obama. As today's report from the Department of Justice reminds us, true believers already have their messiah. What did it take to get a "non-political" appointment in the DOJ? For one, an applicant had to go through the interview process:

Among other questions, the list included the following...

• [W]hat is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?

Reminds me of a childrens' hymn we used to sing at church:

Serve Him, serve Him,
Serve Him in the morning,
Serve Him in the noon-time,
Serve Him, serve Him,
Serve Him till the sun goes down.

Maybe the conservatives and right-wingers are right when they say Obama is being set up as some sort of Messianic figure. They would know. They've been serving their Messiah for seven years.

Tags: Election 2008 Messiah George Bush Barack Obama

Brattleboro votes to arrest Bush, Cheney

Last night I was following results from a handful of towns in Southeastern Vermont, since that is where my family originally hails from, and I have a number of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. still living there. Well, it looks like the real race in Brattleboro wasn't Obama vs. Clinton, it was on a ballot question that would instruct town police to arrest President Bush and Vice President Cheney should they set foot in the town:

BRATTLEBORO - Voters in two southern Vermont towns passed articles Tuesday calling for the indictment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for violating the Constitution.

More symbolic than substantive, the items sought to have police arrest Bush and Cheney if they ever visit Brattleboro or nearby Marlboro or to extradite them for prosecution elsewhere - if they're not impeached first.

In Brattleboro, the vote was 2,012 for and 1,795 against. In Marlboro, it was 43 to 25, with three abstentions....

The article read: "Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictments for consideration by other authorities and shall it be the law of the Town of Brattleboro that the Brattleboro Police, pursuant to the above-mentioned indictments, arrest and detain George Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and prosecute or extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them?"

Maybe Bush can schedule a visit over the summer. I can't imagine Sergeant Stumblebum would have much luck getting past the Secret Service, but it would be fun to watch Brattleboro's Finest try.

Tags: Vermont Brattleboro George Bush Dick Cheney

The State of the Union is...meh.

The president is in the chamber, Dick Cheney is still awake, let's get to it...

• Interesting to see Barack Obama and Ted Kennedy sitting together for the speech.


• It looks like Pat Leahy is the only one not standing or cheering. In fact, he appears to be lounging back in his seat, like he's awaiting the start of a UVM game on the tube.


• The president's forehead looks splotchy in HD. I'd say he needs a better makeup artist. He sounds like he's rushing a little.


• I wonder if he has a fly on his back or something. Nancy Pelosi appears to be staring at something on his left shoulder. Maybe someone patted him on the back and left a "kick me" sign.


• Surplus in 2012 my ass. Nice to see the Dems finally giving a standing ovation and a Bronx cheer for the president's call for a balanced budget. Nice to see the Republicans enthusiastic about ending earmarks. Wonder where that enthusiasm has been the last seven years?


• Does Speaker Pelosi have salt shakers in front of her? Maybe they can get room service on the dais.


• Health Savings Accounts are a scam and the president knows it. Just a way to allow big hospitals to provide services to individuals at much higher rates than it can charge insurance companies. It doesn't help anyone but hospitals. Certainly doesn't help consumers.


• I wonder if Senator Kennedy took a nap this afternoon. He's had a pretty long day.


• You know, the president has set the bar low when he's pushing for trade agreements with Peru, Panama, and South Korea in the biggest speech of the year.


• Michelle just popped in to say that John Kerry looks smug. Fair enough.


• I don't know who that guy is, but he is puffy, has a shiny head, and is nearly asleep.


• Rep. Dingell also appears to be asleep. The HD really shows his dandruff problem.


• Michelle should be writing this. She's been in the room for two minutes hanging up curtains and has said more funny stuff than I've written over the first half hour.


• One lone Republican stood up when Bush mentioned his stem cell policy and then someone else saw it and sheepishly stood up and then another figured out that she might look anti-embryo so she stood up and eventually they all rolled their eyes and stood up so they didn't look like they hated fertilized eggs.


• The president is proud of hosting Canada and Mexico for a summit in New Orleans. I thought we were trying to keep them out...


• The immigration policy might be the only thing that I partially agree with the president.


• Condi really is in love with George, isn't she?


• Hey, 9/11. Must be time to talk about the war in Iraq and against freedom here at home.


• Michelle has returned to note that Pelosi's hair "looks terrible."


• I've heard all of this Iraq stuff before. I wonder if they just recycle the same section each year.


• The reason the surge has "accomplished" things that couldn't be imagined a year ago is because it hasn't accomplished what the president said it would.


• 30 years ago, what were the chances that John Warner would look better in 2008 than Liz Taylor.


• Senator Tim Johnson looks really good for having suffered a stroke just a year ago.


• It's Bob Dole!


• Dude, if you're going to yawn cover your mouth, and don't yawn while everyone is cheering for the troops in Iraq.


• Michelle notes that Nancy Pelosi looks like a pinched woman. She supports her argument by making a Nancy Pelosi face.


• The dog just left the room and lied down in Jackson's chair. She's had enough.


• Michelle suggests the Michael Chertoff looks like a living skeleton.


• Oh good, here's the "threaten Iran" part of the speech.


• Hillary is this close to falling asleep. Michelle: "Hanging by a string."


• 9/11 again. Oh here we go with the trumped up threats to LA and other targets.


• Why did Bush smirk when he was talking about opposing Genocide in Sudan? Was he just happy to say genocide correctly? Did someone add a smiley-face to the end of the line on the teleprompter?


• Whoa! Who's the lady with the creepy green eyes?


• The clerks in the front of the dais must go home with one heck of a crick in their necks.


• The state of our union will remain strong. That kind of implies that is is currently strong. I wonder what he's been watching the last few years.

Hey, at least I stayed awake through it. I consider that a success.

Tags: George Bush State of the Union