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Just how stupid are those folks who want to shut down the gub-mint?

Imagine how it would feel having a somewhat comfortable job only to have the threat of it shutting down two or three times a year?

That is the way it has blown during this and the last fiscal year for government employees. And we aren’t just talking about so-called “bureaucrats” whom you condemn because either you have had a bad experience with a government employee or your favorite political talking head has said you should hate the government.

Unless you are completely shut away from the government, there is some arm that is there to do something for you whether you realize it or not. Who comes and gets you when you ignore warning signs in the national parks and find yourself hopelessly lost and trapped by a hostile sleuth of bears? Who takes care of your 90-year-old veteran father who you can no longer care for, nor can you afford to put him in a home? If you get an increase in your social security or veterans benefit checks, do those hikes appear magically? No, and a hint, these increases don’t come as a brainchild of Congress (although Congress and brainchild do seem oxymoronic.) Whose job is it to ensure that aircraft run about orderly in the airways and don’t continually come crashing out the sky? Who administers and rules the U.S. military in such a way that we are not always beset by a coup d’etat?

Those are just a few instances of civilians who work for the U.S. government. And there are many more, although those conservatives who teeter on the edge of anarchy paint any government as bad, bad, bad. Thankfully, that is a relatively small number of people who side on the likes of Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.

Congress passed the Affordable Health Care Act, the so-called “Obamacare.” Now the GOP in Congress wants to ensure it isn’t funded. The country is, roughly, split over liking or disliking Obamacare. There are polls showing though that it is gaining popularity in states where it has already been implemented. And the idiot-children who want to shut down the federal government if they don’t get their way and withhold funding for the health care act? The American public is nor so inclined. Several polls reported by the conservative-friendly Fox News say the public does not want the government shutdown, even if it means de-funding Obamacare. The Republican party itself in Congress doesn’t like Obamacare, of course, but congressional members too are split over withholding money for the government to operate in exchange for no money for Obamacare.

Many astute Republican politicians can see the writing on the wall. A shutdown of the federal government would be what my Daddy used to say was a “Mellofahess!” It lost the GOP Congress the last time a shutdown took place. And the same looks as if it might happen should the Republicans be so stupid.

The big question is: Are the Republicans as stupid as during the Clinton era? I hope not, for my sake and for that of the country.

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Yeeee Haaaa! Howard Dean supposedly dipping a toe in the pool for a presidential run

Yes. Howard Dean. It’s like Jerry Brown being elected governor of California. It’s one of those things that makes liberals and conservatives alike shake their heads to see if the whole things is real.

Don’t get me wrong. I admire both Dean and Brown as politicians. Both seem a little out there. I imagine people think the same of me. But Dean as a presidential candidate? He is a bit more liberal than I am. With the current political split in the population, I don’t think anyone too far from the center is viable for a real shot at the Oval Office. That means that carpet/tea-bagger from Canada who masquerades as a Hispanic Texas U.S. senator as well as Dr. Dean.

And Hillary? Jeez. I just don’t know. She has paid her dues as a U.S. senator, I’ll give her that. I also would really like to see a woman, a great woman, elected president. I’m not sure she is that person. But provided she runs, she has the front-runner status. If she was the last man standing after the party primary process, then, I don’t know. I might have to hold my nose and vote. I imagine a lot of people on both sides of the political spectrum might do that.

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Republicans feast upon Democrats through investigations

A note from ze editor blog meister: Some of you readers who have been with me for a long time know I sometime edit online. Today, I published this way before it was ready but I was too lazy to delete it from the dashboard, go back and edit, then re-release and so forth. Sorry, I suppose I’m just a lazy f**k.

The do-nothing, congressional Republicans are once again feasting upon any goody that is served up to them that can damage the Democratic brand or that of possible 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

If ever there was a case of double-talk, even triple-talk, the GOP congressional members have got it going on.

Today though, it wasn’t only the Republicans but members of a Democratic-led Senate Appropriations Committee had the NSA director on the hotseat over the now exposed surveillance program in which the spy agency used millions of phone records to tap so-called “meta-data.”

Army Gen. Keith Alexander, NSA head, told senators that the surveillance program — approved by the secret FISA court without any proof at least uncovered instances of probable cause — played an important role in stopping “dozens” of foreign and domestic terror plots. Similar spy programs had begun under George Dubya Bush after 9/11. And many Republicans felt that was swell. But these days, the Republicans want to get at the Democrats in any manner possible. So instead of being vocal against or even supportive of the spy programs themselves the GOP lawmakers play attack dog against the messenger.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who is probably the most slobbering attack dog for the GOP said today that those who reported on the leaks that exposed the spy program should be prosecuted and punished in addition to confessed leaker Edward Snowden.

Taking no prisoners on the remarks King made last night on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” Forbes.com‘s self-described “token lefty” contributor Rick Ungar writes today that:

“Apparently, Rep. King’s judgment has grown so twisted by his overriding interest in protecting America from “the terrorists” that the insanity of his remarks has either not occurred to him or, alternatively, King has decided that the iconic words of Patrick Henry no longer have relevancy in the post 9-11 era in our history.”

Ungar was referring to, of course, the iconic phrase: “Give me liberty of give me death” that Henry made in 1775 addressing the Second Virginia Convention — one of five gatherings that ultimately ratified the U.S. Constitution.

This morning King was interviewed, if you can call it that, by CNN morning anchor Carol Costello. I could only think of five or so critical points I would have asked King while the flaky host let King go on and on first being asked about a new plot to “get Hillary.”

That latest brewing storm charges that a number of state department personnel including security members purchased sex from hookers. Similar charges were made against U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman except he allegedly engaged in such conduct with minors. The allegations also point to State Department Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy as trying to quash such suspicions. Hey, the Republicans can get a two-fer here with Clinton and a Kennedy.

King told Costello this morning in a half-ass interview in which she squawks some ineffectual question or comments that he was only wanting to see that inspector general be confirmed for the State Department. The agency responsible for investigating the State Department and, oddly enough, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, has been out with an official No. 1 guy since 2008. Deputy Inspector General Howard Geisel has been in charge of the agency since 2008.

As to why State has been without an inspector general for so long I couldn’t tell you. However, if you look at why so many top offices have not been confirmed you will likely find as a major reason that the obstinate  Republicans of the House and Senate have made sure the confirmation process be to their liking. Funny how that works. Its kind of like a Catch-22, which many people know what the phrase means, but are not familiar with its origins.

So in closing here is where “Catch-22” comes from. It emanates from a classic novel by Joseph Heller that was published in 1961. The satirical story is set in 1943 during World War II. Here is a pretty good synopsis. Even better, go read the book. A film was likewise released in 1970 based on the book. I can’t remember seeing it although I know I have. But if you can read at all, the novel should stick with you. Especially in these days of political Catch-22.

 

 

 

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What’s up with that Fourth Amendment thing anyway?

Quite a bit of hubbub and even a bit of pandemonium follows the revelation that millions of bits of phone information from American citizens are being gathered by the National Security Agency.

The noise from all stripes comes in the aftermath of a story published by The Guardian of London that the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA, has allowed so-called “data mining” by the NSA on millions of Verizon Wireless customers. Read all about it here from The Guardian.

Folks like former Vice President and failed Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore call the information gathering “outrageous.” Read all about it here from The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, some top Democratic and Republican leaders defend the court order and the data collection. One might even read all about it here from the Yahoo! blog, The Ticket.

Now I know you didn’t pay to come here and read my opinion. In fact, you didn’t pay at all. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. But I will put my two cents in … oops, I don’t even have two cents. I’m lying about that but I don’t have much more than that. I could really use a donation. It’s more than a week until payday and I’m so broke I can’t pay attention. That’s partially because of Verizon Wireless. Now those bloodsuckers are giving up our phone information just because they got a measly top secret federal court telling them they got to do it.

In seriousness — not particularly in all seriousness because think of how much seriousness you would have with ALL seriousness — I am against the government in the data mining business overall. I don’t much like the existence of FISA, though if the feds are going to go all Orwell on us then we might as well have a hush-hush court. I can see a new afternoon TV series now: “Hush-Hush Court,” starring former Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Also starring Jeffrey Toobin and Nancy Grace. I mean, it could be a really good show but could also be as dry as a martini minus gin and vermouth.

Everyone in the U.S. seems to have their favorite amendment in the Bill of Rights. Although I am quite fond of the First and the Second being it is what it is to me at least, I am really quite partial to the Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”What could be more American than a person being secure in his and her persons, houses, papers and effects (and cars and trucks and a horse is a horse of course of course. But no one shall have intercourse with a horse of course.)

Say what? The problems is that the American gets all wobbly with their Fourth Amendment and preach on the mountain top about that sacred change to the U.S. Constitution only when they want it or need it. So this should be a time we need it. But let’s say someone were to read the actual court order that they may or may not find on The Guardian link, they might or might not find that bothersome probable cause thing. Sorry to be so cryptic but I am purposely being cryptic. You know, maybe try to get a role on the “Hush-Hush Court,” maybe as a bailiff or the court clerk.

I am not thrilled about what the NSA is doing, supposedly until July something or other. In fact, I am getting less and less thrilled about the whole she-bang as I write this. But perhaps we should “chill” as Slate’s William Saleton says. Should we? I just don’t know anymore, as someone somewhere said.

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Oh See, see-questration, oh see what it has done, oh, oh, oh …

Bet you all thought Sequestration was nothing but talk and no action. Or as they say, somewhere, maybe Mexico, maybe Texas, that it was all s**t and no cows. It turns out that the latter was only a tiny bit close to reality.

So while you are sitting out on your porch, smelling the fresh hay and the real cow s**t, take a gander at this great Pro Publica story. The “public interest journalism” site has an interesting look at how the mandatory government spending cuts are slowly building a massive head of steam. The S-word from Capitol Hill is rapidly becoming as dirty a word as the four-letter slang S-word for a bodily function.

No cows indeed, sonny boy!