Lies, Damned Lies, and Republicans

The last two days have seen a torrent of bullshit coming from the Repugs. First, "Dick" Cheney tries to ring that old "fear, fear, fear!" bell at us, saying that if we stop torturing people, "a 9/11-type event where the terrorists are armed with something much more dangerous than an airline ticket and a box cutter – a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind" will happen. And we'll all DIE! And monkeys will fly out of his ass. Utter nonsense, that--the terrorist threat, that is; the monkeys, I'm not so sure about. But then, as if that wasn't enough to send my bullshit detector into overload, then the Senate Republicans start lying about the economic recovery bill, stalling passage of this vital legislation.

Frankly, I've had it with the Repubs. Fuck 'em all. If they can't see that the same old, tired ideas of tax cuts and nothing else doesn't work, hasn't worked, and is what got us into the mess in the first place, then they need to go. It's time for the Democrats to fight for every bill, every piece of legislation coming from the Obama administration, and to hell with the minority Repugs. They want to filibuster in the Senate? OK, then Harry Reid should tell them "Go ahead! And bring a catheter. I dare ya!" The House Republicans want to pretend to cooperate, then give us not one vote in support? Great!--then Nancy Pelosi should tell them to kindly fuck off, on anything that they propose! They want to lie about the details of this or other bills? Fine, then President Obama should expose their lies to the nation from the bully pulpit. It's time to drive the Rethugs into the proverbial sea, letting them go the way of the Whigs and the Know-Nothings.

President Obama finally got on message today, blasting the opposition for their devotion to the failed ideas of the past. Speaking at at Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia today, Obama had this to say:

Look, I value the constructive criticism and healthy debate that is a foundation of American democracy. I don’t think any of us have cornered the market on wisdom, or that good ideas are the province of any party. The American people know that our challenges are great. They’re not expecting Democratic solutions or Republican solutions – they want American solutions. And I have said that to those who have criticized the plan.

But what I have also said is – don’t come to table with the same tired arguments and worn ideas that helped create this crisis.

We’re not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that in eight short years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin. We can’t embrace the losing formula that offers more tax cuts as the only answer to every problem we face, while ignoring critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, the soaring cost of health care, failing schools and crumbling bridges, roads and levees. I don’t care whether you’re driving a hybrid or an SUV – if you’re headed for a cliff, you have to change direction.

Yes! It's time for a change, time to turn away from the idiocy and greed that got us into this mess, and if the Repubs don't want to wise up, then to hell with them.

President Obama, it's seemed to me, has the classic problem that most highly-intelligent people have: realizing that the great majority of humans are just as fucking stupid as they seem to be. He really wanted a bipartisan effort on this economic recovery, and what did he get for it?--a slap in the face from House Republicans, lies about his efforts on the floor of the Senate, lies on Faux News about his plan, and stonewalling opposition from the Rethugs, in general. But today, he seemed to finally get it: fuck 'em. If they won't stop posturing, lying, and playing political games, then go directly to the people, go to his party, and run right over their lying asses. The Repugs aren't smart enough to get it. They aren't smart enough to see that their ideas haven't worked (and never did). They aren't smart enough to understand that something has to be done now, not later.

So fuck 'em. Give 'em hell, Mr. President! And don't stop until you get everything done that you need to do.