Hillary Clinton says Something Obvious about Iraq. Teapublicans lack the Courage to do Likewise.

Hillary Clinton has finally come out and said something completely obvious and true: she said that her vote to give Gee Dubya authority to invade Iraq was a mistake. And that the Iraq war itself was a mistake. Good on her for stepping up when all of the “Republican” Presidential candidates lacked the intestinal fortitude to acknowledge the facts.

Given that each and every reason for Operation Iraqi Liberation (or OIL, for short) turned out be incorrect at best or a farrago of lies at worst, most people on planet Earth already knew that OIL was a huge f***-up, caused by a motley assortment of deluded fools, greedy crooks, and sociopaths (some of them, like Dickless Cheney, were all of the above). And that the lot of them were “led” by a cowardly, coke-headed, draft-dodging, illegitimate occupant of the White House who was driven primarily by his daddy issues. So it’s not surprising that Ms. Clinton is aware of these facts.

What IS surpising is that her statement is, well, surprising. It is notable. It is seen as a brave, bold move. And that, Gentle Reader, is a very sad thing indeed. A politician stating something obvious, fact-based, and backed by all the available evidence? This has become an unusual event.

Meanwhile, the Teapubbies are unwilling, unable, or just too s***-scared to do likewise. They can’t, or they won’t, tell the truth. It took Jebbie Bush a week to kinda-sorta-maybe-mostly admit that his Eedjit-In-Chief brother f***ed up, ferchrissakes. That got a little press, but not much, because it is what we’ve become used to these days. Cowardly politicos, unwilling to fess up to even the most basic facts for fear of losing votes. Normal American politics.

This is how far America’s “leaders’ have fallen – stating the obvious is too risky for them. Kudos to Hillary Clinton for being an exception to the rule. Maybe she’s not as gutsy as often as, say, Bernie Sanders, but it’s a step in the right direction. And it’s another indicator of which party sucks worse, and which party needs flung out of power on its elephantine ear.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

All the Current 2016 Presidential Candidates, in 15 Words or Less:

Bluntly and Crankily summarized, here are the likely candidates for President in 2016:

Bernie Sanders: If there are more smart people in America than the polls indicate, he’s in.

Hillary Clinton: Meet the new Democratic President, same as the old Democratic President.

Jim Webb: Might as well be a Republican.

Lincoln Chafee: Pretty much still IS a Republican.

Joe Biden: Good at calming shoulder rubs. Would like to calm the entire country.

Marco Rubio: Can’t even handle a water bottle. Wants to run an entire country.

Mike Huckabee: Optimistic hypocrite who doesn’t have the nerve to quit.

Ben Carson: All Brains. No Heart.

Ted Cruz: Because Birthers and Teavangelicals are complete idiots.

Rand Paul: Because Libertarians and Teabaggers are even bigger idiots.

Carly Fiorina: Proud of her failure in Tech, wants to proudly fail the entire country.

Chris Christie: Christ in name only. Still unindicted.

Jeb Bush: Helped steal the White House in 2000. Would love to do it again.

Scott Walker: Will destroy everything Americans hold dear. Will get votes anyway.

Donald Trump: Told his hair stylist, “You’re Fired!”

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Hypocritical Hillary Haters Are Hating, as Always

A Clinton candidacy always brings the lying rat bassets out in droves, and her 2016 bid is no exception. The Teapubbies have carefully timed the Scandalism Machine to try to sink her Presidential bid. Like they did to Bubba in 1992 and 1994. And when Hillary ran for Senate. And when she was confirmed as Secretary of State. It’s all about scandalscandalscandal, every single time. Never mind that all the millions of dollars the Right Wingnuts spent digging for dirt on the Clintons ever turned up was oral sex and cigar kink. (And that was on Bill, not Hillary.)

Knowing that Secretary Clinton would run for Prexy (like everybody else did, DUH), the “Republicans” have spent loads of taxpayer dollars on “investigations” that have turned up even less than they did in the 90’s. Undeterred, they are gleefully wasting our hard-earned on these witch hunts, shining bright lights on nothing and substituting innuendo for information. And getting lots of money and assistance for their smear campaigns from rich motherf***ers in and out of the media, foreign and domestic.

In the interest of Truth, Justice, and the Amercan Way, let’s turn those spotlights around for a wee minute and shine it upon HRC’s manifold accusers, and see what we find, shall we? Oh, we shall; yes, yes we shall.

Number A: The big Clinton Email Server “Scandal”. You know, the one where Hillary had a legal server that she used legally, and disclosed everything that was legally required? Yep. Not for nothing was “scandal” enclosed by scarequotes.
Turns out that the Teabilly who is leading the charge against Mrs. Clinton is doing the same damned thing. Yes, Trey Gowdy has his OWN private email server, not that you hear much about it. This writer had to go down five pages in a Google search to find it, underneath all the regurgitated Repub talking points that pass for “news” these days.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), who heads the House’s Select Committee on Benghazi, is leading the charge in calling for investigations of Clinton’s email.

Yet it’s important to note that Gowdy maintains his own domain treygowdy.com. For example, one campaign contact email he used was info@treygowdy.com. While it’s not unusual to maintain such a thing particularly for campaign work, it’s not clear that Gowdy utilizes this email solely for political campaign work and not congressional tasks.
AlterNet asked Gowdy’s office through both a telephone inquiry followed up by an email communication to his press secretary about how he segregates work he conducts through his personal domain vs congressional work. We also inquired about where his personal email server is stored and how it is secured. We also attempted to contact Gowdy campaign manager George Ramsey, but he did not return our phone calls. 

Letter 2: How about that new blockbuster book about Clintonian “Corruption”, Clinton Cash? Wow, sounds like some pretty damning stuff, if you listen to the breathless panting of the “reporters” who are “covering” the story. Ermmm…well…no… Turns out Mr. Schweizer is a paid Republican operative, who was paid lots of money to write a bulls*** hit piece:

As Crooks and Liars pointed out, Schweizer’s Government Accountability Initiative, a 501(c)(3), is funded by three conservative powerhouse donors.
First up would be the infamous Koch brothers, who contribute to most of GAI’s funding through the Franklin Center, a “free market” organization dedicated to “democratizing journalism.” Also in play is another the Koch-run Donors’ Trust, a political “slush fund,” according to the blog.
Of the total $2.2 million received in 2012, $2 million came from the Franklin Center, the Koch-funded “watchdog” organization. Perhaps coincidentally, the Franklin Center also received a $2 million contribution in 2012 from Donors’ Capital, the sister organization to Donors’ Trust.
Next is the Mercer Family Foundation, headed up by the eponymous hedge fund magnate Robert Mercer. As Crooks and Liars noted, Mercer’s main targets are usually congressmen trying to roll back the power of Wall Street. Mother Jones reported that Mercer is currently the top bankroller for Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) presidential campaign.

Finally: Everybody remember when Hillary called out the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (VRWC) and was roundly mocked for having done so? Well, gosh darn it and golly-gee-shucks, it existed then and has continued into the present day. Click the links for details.

Score from just the aforementioned wee minute of looking at the accusatory Teabaggers, Plutocrats and Pundits:
Hillary:3
Hillary Haters:0

This writer doesn’t much care for Hillary, any more than he he did for Bill. If he has to vote for her, he’ll hold his nose while so doing. But these Nixonian Ratf***ers need to be put in a cage with the rest of their rodent brethren to gnaw on each other, so that the political process can at least be slightly less infested with such vermin.

It sure would be nice to decide our 2016 votes based on facts, instead of lies spread by a load of paid “Republican” liars.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Republicans Suck at Security. Proof? Timothy McVeigh.

20 years ago this Sunday, a white “Christian” Militia goon named Timothy McVeigh committed the worst act of domestic terrorism in American history. He blew up a building full of children and non-combatant men and women, killing 168 of them and wounding hundreds more. But do we run around yelling “4/19” like we do “9/11”? Of course not.

We don’t because, unlike Dubya, Bill Clinton didn’t use the Oklahoma City Tragedy for nefarious political purposes. Bubba didn’t declare a “Global War on Militias”; he didn’t invade Idaho to wipe out militia types; he didn’t torture or throw McVeigh into a Cuban prison; no, President Clinton used normal military and civilian means to bring the scumbag terrorist and his accomplices to justice. And he was successful, because Timmy Mac is long dead, having been tried in civilian courts, convicted, and finally executed in accordance with Federal and State civilian law.

By contrast, the Bushistas used 9/11 to manipulate us, rob us, deprive us of our rights, and kill a lot of us. Bin Laden’s trained sociopathic pilots may have terrorized us, but not half as much as Shrub, Cheney and their cabal did. From the DHS/TSA and their terror alert levels, to the Patriot Act, through torture and phony WMDs, to failed wars of choice, the “Republican” response to 9/11 failed at everything except panicking the populace, fooling the foolish, and gulling the gullible.

Again by contrast, let’s look at the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon. Obama didn’t order the whole country into lockdown; he did not order the invasions of Chechnya, Kyrgyzstan or Dagestan; no, the cops found the perps, who were then dealt with by the normal civilian judicial process.

Oh, and the guy behind the 9/11 attacks? The actual responsible party? You know, the Phil Robertson of Islam? Bush never cared enough to catch him. All Shrubya wanted was to steal money and grab power. Which the motherf***er did.

The moral of the story? We don’t need a national freakout when we’re attacked by enemies foreign or domestic: we just have to remain calm and use the resources that the Constitution gave us. That, Gentle reader, is how we exact justice upon terrorists.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

The “Christian Right” is Wrong.

Proof may be found in Indiana, where a load of “Christian” hatemongers passed a law that basically makes anyone other than straight white Fundagelicals second-class citizens. True to form, these Teabagging legislators deny that they hate gays: nononono, they are merely protecting the “religious freedom” of fellow Teavangelicals. Riiiiiiiight.

It also can be found in Ohio, where a load of “Christian” hatemongers passed a law that basically makes anyone other than fetuses second-class citizens. True to form, these Teabagging legislators deny that they hate women: nononono, they are merely protecting the “rights” of unbornTeavangelicals. The fact that they laugh at stories of rape is meaningless. Riiiiiiiight.

Proof abounds in Michigan, where a load of “Christian” hatemongers are pushing a law that basically makes anyone other than Teavangelicals second-class educators.True to form, these Teabagging legislators deny that they hate non-“Christian” teachers: nonono, they are merely going back to the “true intent of education”, which was to teach kids how to read Scripture. Riiiiiiiight.

On and on it goes: from calls for a violent “Christian uprising”, to Teavangelical racism, and pretty much every sin listed in the Ten Commandments and the Greatest Commandment. These sickos crap all over the teachings of Rebbe Yesuah bar Josef while proclaiming their loyalty to Him.

This, Gentle Reader, is why the Constitution forbids the establishment of a government-sanctioned religion. Theocracies always crash and burn, spectacularly. Because they are based on premises of faith that cannot be proven.

Instead of being wrong like the Religious Right, let’s actually try being, you know, right. Let’s try actually treating all of us as being truly equal. Like the Constitution says.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

As predicted, “Voodoo Economics” has created a “Zombie Economy”.

This blog sneers ofttimes at “Republicans” and their stupid-f*** “supply-side” economics. (Here is one example of said mockery.) The gist is: tried and true data-based economic practices are the way to succeed, and Randian, Lafferesque Voodoo economic policies are the way to fail.

In Kansas, one of several states that have decided Ayn Rand was the false Goddess they shall worship, Voodoo economics have had the result most of those in the Reality-Based community have predicted:

In Kansas, the right wing has completely run the show in the state capitol since the 2012 elections, when Sam Brownback (who became governor two years earlier) led a purge of moderate Republicans who were acting as a brake on his agenda in the state Senate. Kansas is now a laboratory for what would happen if conservative Republicans gained full control of government. Empowered state Republicans slashed taxes for the rich, arguing that an economic boom would follow. It didn’t, as job growth in Kansas has underperformed the national average (as has Scott Walker’s Wisconsin, another state that moved hard right around the same time). But what did follow was a huge hole in the state’s budget (while liberal-dominated California is running a surplus and paying down debt).. (Emphasis via Cranky)

In state after state, the predicted results have occurred: Voodoo economics have created a sort of Zombie economy. What might seem just a mildly amusing turn of phrase is in fact a devastating blow to those of us not in the 1% (said 1% motherf***ers not being in the least incommoded by the Undead Economy). The economy is limping along, barely alive as far as most of us can tell, and that is not a sustainable path.

In Kansas, Wisconsin, Ohio, and indeed across the nation, we see the results of “Republican” policies: and rotten results they have proven to be. Using millions of people to test their voodoo theories was unethical at the outset, and has since sucked most of the life our of our economy.

Unlike the zombies one sees in movies, our Repub-afflicted economy can be healed and brought back to life. All that is needed is to lay off the voodoo, apply some healthy policies, and the rotting ambulatory corpse of our nation will be restored to health.

And the first step of that cure? Get out and vote. Vote against each and every “Republican” in every race, in every location. Banish the witch doctors and bring back the trained, educated professionals that had served us so well for centuries. Ditch the dream of Supply-Side, and awaken to reality.

That ‘dream’ turned out to be a nightmare the likes of which even Romero could never have envisioned, anyway.

Mr. Blunt and Crankly

How the media covers a Teapublican rally:

Yesterday, we talked about how liberal demonstrations are ignored by the media, even if tens of thousands are present and protesting. Here is a picture of one small part of that crowd, which was NOT covered on major US “news” outlets:

Now we bring you a few photos of Right-Wingnut “events” that WERE covered by that same media. See if you can spot the difference:

Yep, if you are a Teabagger, Birtherbot, Right Wingnut or a “Republican” of any sort, then the media will show up and cover your “rally”, never mind how small or ridiculous it is. But if you are anybody else, sorry, but Bubba’s having gotten a blowjob back in the 90’s or a “celebrity” sighting is far more newsworthy than you are.

Since the right-wingnuts and Teapubs own the media, this may not be surprising. But it remains infuriating.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Once Again, A Democratic President Cuts a Republican Deficit. Almost No One Notices.

This showed up on a friend’s feed, and the Cranky One just had to post it here. Because with all the Benghazi/IRS/NSA brouhahi, it’s a good bet you haven’t heard about it. In less than four years, Obama has cut the budget deficit he inherited from the Shrub in half. That’s right, a “tax and spend Democrat” is a better money manager than a “conservative Republican”. Don’t believe it? Tough rocks, pal, here are the numbers: http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_deficit_chart.html

Nor is it the first time. Clinton did the same thing to another Bush deficit, if you’ll bother to remember.

It is time for us to throw away the old labels and advertising slogans, and look at the facts. And the facts say, without equivocation, that modern Democrats spend less and tax less than do modern “Republicans”. Shocking, yes. But true. You want to pay less in taxes? Vote for Dems. Believe it or not.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Edward Snowden: The New, Improved Monica Lewinsky

Remember the 90’s? That was when a Dem got elected President, and the Repubs spent years manufacturing “scandals” so as to stop him from getting his agenda accomplished. Bulls*** allegation after bulls*** allegation, and finally one stuck to the wall: a stain on a gullible young lady’s dress, put there by our horndog Prexy Bubba. Finally, after years of effort, the “Republicans” had a scandal with which to distract the public and derail the administration’s efforts and policies. Oh, and to use to take the White House in 2000. Dirty politics, but effective. Even today, “Lewinsky” is a punch line.

Now we have another Democrat at 1600, and the Repubs have been working from the same playbook for his entire term. BS “scandal” after BS “scandal” has been thrown at Obama, and none has stuck. Not until Ron Paul supporter Edward Snowden decided to derail the administration. And he (or whoever he really works for) has upped the game considerably. Not just a stain or an “is” leaked at random moments: no, these releases of national security information are being timed to lead the media and the more gullible members of the public around by the nose:
* The initial “revelation” happened just after another attempted scandal was fizzling out,
* The “revelation” about spying on China came out right before Obama met with China’s leader,
*The “revelation” about spying on Russia came out right before Obama met with Russia’s leader, and then
*Right on cue, the son of the man Snowden supported in 2012 denounced Obama over the NSA “scandal”.

A well-coordinated and effective but of dirty politics, you’ll agree. And it will continue, because it seems to be working. Note that this writer is neither excusing Clinton’s pre-adolescent behavior with Ms. Lewinsky, nor is he standing up for the appalling breaches of privacy that the Bushies and their Patriot Act handed down to the present regime.

But, Gentle Reader, he IS saying that the “revelations” and “scandals” are part of a pattern of behavior that we have seen from the “Republican” party for many years now. Far too many of We The People are forgetting this, and allowing ourselves to be jerked around on the strings of various puppeteers, who are not doing this for the good of the country: no, they are doing this to stop Obama from getting anything done, so the Elephants can kick the Donkeys out of power once again. And it’s working, because far too many of us aren’t paying attention.

And if this disgraceful campaign of character assassination succeeds, you’ll have this latter-day Lewinsky to thank (or blame). Yes, the new and improved edition of a young naïf who hit their knees in order to “service” someone in a position of power. A punchline-in-waiting is he, aided and abetted by our national failure to pay attention when we are being manipulated.

The only question left is what sort of “stain” will be left on Mr. Snowden, and whether he can ever wash it away.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Darrell Issa Can’t Understand Basic English

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/05/13/2002871/issa-obama-covered-up-benghazi-terrorism-by-calling-it-an-act-of-terror/ is a story worthy of a quick read. In it, Darrell Issa shows his immense stupidity yet again, by claiming that saying that “act of terror” means something different than “terrorist act”. Really.

Of course, it could be that Mr. Issa does know that they mean the same thing. If so, he’s a stinking, manipulative, crooked little man who is wasting taxpayer money and precious time on a partisan witch-hunt.

Neither option says anything good about the man.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky