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More candidates for jail in IRS “scandal?” In 2011 GOP Congressmen demanded the IRS audit AARP

Posted by GottaLaff

· Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 at 11:32 am

GOP ask IRS to go after AARP April 2011 Link, April 2011

GOP ask IRS to go after AARP 2011 Link, December 2011

One more time: It’s important to clarify to those who miss the point more often than not, that this isn’t about defending the IRS. It’s about the hypocrisy of some on the right.

And there’s a whole lot of hypocrisy on the right to draw from; this is only the latest. The Hill, April 2011:

Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee asked federal tax authorities Friday to look into AARP’s finances. [...] Democrats say Republicans are simply trying to punish the seniors’ lobby for putting its considerable weight behind healthcare reform.

Above are screen shots of two letters, one from April 2011, one from December 2011, from Republicans requesting the audit.

To repeat, House Republicans called for an IRS probe into AARP when it supported passage of the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. So who’s going to jail for that scandal?

Boehner:

“The IRS admitted to targeting conservatives, even if the White House continues to be stuck on the word ‘if.’ My question isn’t about who is going to resign. My question is who’s going to jail over this scandal?”

H/t: Hugh Kaufman

No Comments

Categories : Politics

Tags : 2011, aarp, blame Obama, GOP hypocrisy, IRS, John Boehner, letter, President Obama, tea party, video

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.): Boehner risks becoming “complicit” in Benghazi “failure” if he doesn’t create special panel

Posted by GottaLaff

· Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at 3:22 pm

· 2 Comments

Don’t Republicans watch The Rachel Maddow Show or The Daily Show (links go to videos of both)? Of course not, because if they did, they’d see what total asses they continue to make of themselves.

Nevertheless, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that he has personally urged House Speaker John Boehner to create a Very Special Benghazi Panel in light of “the building momentum in the House.”

Memo to Linds: The only “momentum in the House” has come from rabid Republicans falling all over themselves to destroy Hillary Clinton’s possible run for president and the current president’s legacy.

That’s kind of like Fox saying that momentum was building for the invasion of Iraq because Judith Miller planted a bunch of lies in the New York Times, and then quoting “a New York Times report” to make their case. Creating news and then reporting that creation as news will indeed build momentum… in some circles. And those circles find themselves going in circles to push any fantasy and propaganda that will benefit their side regardless of where real facts or credible witnesses who they refuse to call might lead them.

The Hill:

A day after three State Department whistle-blowers criticized the administration’s response to the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) suggested the Speaker risked becoming “complicit” in a cover-up if he doesn’t create a special panel.

“The revelations at yesterday’s hearing have raised serious questions about the administration’s efforts to respond to the Americans under fire at the annex in Benghazi,” he said in a letter to Boehner. “What remains to be seen is whether the House will be complicit in that failure, or if we will pursue the truth — wherever it may take us — to ensure that we continue to deserve the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve our country.”

Wolf has 139 co-sponsors, which amounts to nearly 60 percent of the House Republican Conference.

Sorry, did I say co-sponsors? I meant co-clowns.

2 Comments

Categories : Politics

Tags : benghazi, blame game, blame Obama, conspiracy theories, gop fail, hyperventilation, John Boehner, libya, Rep. Frank Wolf, right wing conspiracy theory, witch hunt

Republican “Block!” heads

Posted by GottaLaff

· Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at 12:36 pm

· 1 Comment

Let’s see how much the Republican Party has evolved today. If you’re a regular reader, you know I’ve been keeping track. After all, they’ve promised America that they’re undergoing a major makeover, reinventing themselves, reaching out to all Americans, and showing the country what a swell party they really, truly are.

But rather than altering their extremist positions, rather than compromising, rather than meeting the president and the Democrats half way, they’re resorting to their usual obstructionist tactics. Again.

The GOP’s only real goal is to destroy President Obama and his legacy, despite how their negativity and attacks affect their fellow Americans. What matters to them is more power and profit. That’s why they’re so relentless in pushing their loony conspiracy theories, that’s why they’re on that insane Benghazi Witch Hunt (with the added bonus of trying to smack down Hillary Clinton and her possible 2016 presidential run), and that’s why they have done all of this:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

But back to the legislation and nominees at hand. Via David Hawkings at Roll Call:

Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced they would simply ignore a provision in the health care law calling on each leader to pick someone for a new panel with the power to dictate Medicare spending reductions without fear of congressional reversal.

The two said in a letter to Obama that such a bureaucratic maneuver was the best way they knew to protest the new Independent Payment Advisory Board, in light of their inability to kill it by repealing Obamacare completely.

At the same time, all eight Republicans boycotted this morning’s meeting of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which under a wrinkle in the rules prevented the panel from advancing Gina McCarthy’s nomination to run the EPA.

The protest came less than 18 hours after the Republicans on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions panel leveraged another obscure procedural obstacle to stop Thomas E. Perez’s nomination for Labor secretary from getting to the Senate floor.

See how evolved they are?

By the way Harry Reid, how’s that that “gentleman’s agreement” with Mitch McConnell workin’ for ya?

1 Comment

Categories : Politics

Tags : gop fail, gop obstructionists, John Boehner, mitch mcconnell, President Obama, right wing conspiracy theorists, The Rachel Maddow Show, video

VIDEO: The “stupid party,” er, Republicans blast GOP Rep. Young for his “wetbacks” comment

Posted by GottaLaff

· Friday, March 29th, 2013 at 11:54 am

· 1 Comment

Alaska Rep. Don Young:

“My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes.”

House Speaker John Boehner, per CNN:

“Congressman Young’s remarks were offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds. I don’t care why he said it – there’s no excuse and it warrants an immediate apology.”

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus:

“Our party represents freedom and opportunity for every American and a beacon of hope to those seeking liberty throughout the world. Offensive language and ethnic slurs have no place in our public discourse.”

Is Priebus kidding? Does he have no awareness of what his party has said and done to diminish the dignity and rights of not-white people and how all too many conservatives still refer to them (scroll)?

Rep. Young:

“I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California. I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect.“

Psst! Don! It’s 2013.

Psst! Don! Your statement, excuses, and non-apology have now been documented and will be available for review forever.

CNN:

The word is widely considered an ethnic slur and generally refers to those from Mexico who come to the United States illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River. It was used by the government in the 1950s for “Operation Wetback,” a massive crackdown on illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Let’s take a gander at the ol’ GOP playbook, shall we?

1950s mentality:

Slurs:

Massive crackdown on immigrants:

How’s that reachy-outy thing workin’ for ya?

UPDATE via Think Progress:

By Friday afternoon, Young had issued a full apology:

“I apologize for the insensitive term I used during an interview in Ketchikan, Alaska. There was no malice in my heart or intent to offend; it was a poor choice of words. That word, and the negative attitudes that come with it, should be left in the 20th century, and I’m sorry that this has shifted our focus away from comprehensive immigration reform.”

1 Comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Tags : Alaska, Bobby Jindal, Don Young, gop fail, gop outreach, immigration reform, John Boehner, Mexicans, minority outreach, non-apology, outreach my ass, racism, racist slur, slur, U.S.-Mexico border, undocumented immigrants, video

VIDEO– John Boehner: “I’d rather be heckled than ignored.” Okay, if you insist.

Posted by GottaLaff

· Wednesday, March 20th, 2013 at 2:36 pm

· 1 Comment

When President Obama landed in Tel Aviv, he quipped that “It’s good to get away from Congress.” To say the least.

Jake Tapper asked John Boehner about that. His initial response was:

“So much for the charm offensive.”

Then Boehner added:

“I’d rather be heckled than ignored. Or as I like to say, you only tease the ones you love.”

Not always, Senator Boehner. We here at TPC tease you a lot, as do so many others, and trust us, we are not heckling or teasing out of love. We promise.

But since you prefer being heckled to being ignored, we are more than happy to oblige (scroll).

Oh what the heck, a little bit of both wouldn’t hurt, so whenever we’re not razzin’ you, in all probability we’re disregarding everything you say.

1 Comment

Categories : Uncategorized

Tags : charm, John Boehner, jokes, President Obama, video

VIDEO: John Boehner “absolutely” trusts Pres. Obama, agrees with him that there is no immediate debt problem

Posted by GottaLaff

· Sunday, March 17th, 2013 at 3:17 pm

· No Comments

President Obama said that the United States does not face an “immediate crisis in terms of debt,” and Republicans are twisting that to mean that he’s dismissing the debt the way the GOP dismisses the truth. If they had their way, we’d be changing our motto to “In austerity we trust.”

John Boehner went on the Tee Vee Machine and said that the debt crisis is “looming,” but agreed that it wasn’t “immediate.”

Think Progress:

Nor is there a great deal of evidence to back up Boehner’s distinction between an “immediate” and “looming” debt crisis. The long-term projections of mounting debt he and other D.C. lawmakers rely on are in fact riddled with dramatic assumptions and uncertainties about the future behavior of both Congress and the economy.

Martha Raddatz interviewed Boehner on ABC’s This Week. Here’s a snippet:

Aww, did you hear that? There was a Moment of Fuzzy followed by a Moment of Trust followed by a Moment of Agreement… followed by many Moments of Same Old Thing:

Raddatz:

Where’s your trust level with the president?

Boehner:

We have a very good relationship. We’re open with each other, we’re honest with each other…

Raddatz:

So do you trust President Obama?

Boehner:

Absolutely.

Raddatz:

Absolutely.

Boehner:

Absolutely. There’s no issue there.

Raddatz:

…How long do we have to solve our [debt] problem?

Boehner:

…It’s not an immediate problem.

Raddatz:

…So you agree with the president on that.

Boehner:

Yes…

Of course, right after that “yes,” Boehner became less agreeable. Wouldn’t want to be too bipartisan, now would we?

No Comments

Categories : Uncategorized

Tags : agreement, bipartisanship, debt, economic recovery, economy, John Boehner, national debt, President Obama, This Week, trust, video

Oops! John Boehner touts poll showing Americans don’t like spending cuts and want to raise taxes

Posted by GottaLaff

· Monday, March 11th, 2013 at 11:16 am

· 3 Comments

Greg Sargent is reporting on yet another reason why John Boehner should feel embarrassed about himself: this tweet:

Greg:

Which is funny, because the poll actually shows that majorities of voters would rather increase taxes than cut spending on education, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, and infrastructure. In other words, it demonstrates a central fact about public opinion that may help determine how the sequester “blame game” will play…

While Republicans live to play the Blame Obama game, voters see things a little differently. Just as they did when the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) was broken down into separate components, poll respondents react differently when presented with more detailed information.

Many of those who tend to favor cuts overall change their tune when they are asked about slashing specific programs that will directly affect their lives.

Here’s what the Marist-McClatchy poll actually reveals:

Among voters choices on other parts of the budget:

-by 57-35 they prefer to cut energy spending rather than raise taxes;

-by 55-38 they prefer to cut spending on jobless benefits rather than raise taxes;

-by 65-31 they prefer to raise taxes than cut spending on education;

-by 60-33 they prefer to raise taxes than cut Social Security;

-by 57-36 they prefer to raise taxes than cut Medicare;

-by 53-40 they prefer to raise taxes than cut spending for transportation including roads and bridges;

-by 50-42 they prefer to raise taxes than cut Medicaid.

Greg notes that Americans prefer spending cuts to tax hikes in only three areas: “energy, jobless benefits, and…defense!”

The impact of the sequester on the everyday lives of Americans is dawning on people, and the Blame Game is still a work in progress. As Sargent points out:

[T]his could very well end up damaging Republican officials (who represent the party of only-austerity-forever and crisis-to-crisis governing) just as much or more. Any GOP triumphalism about the politics of the sequester is premature. This is a long game.

3 Comments

Categories : Uncategorized

Tags : blame game, blame Obama, budget cuts, economic recovery, John Boehner, poll, sequester, sequestration, taxes, what a Boehner

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Archive for John Boehner

More candidates for jail in IRS “scandal?” In 2011 GOP Congressmen demanded the IRS audit AARP

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Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.): Boehner risks becoming “complicit” in Benghazi “failure” if he doesn’t create special panel

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Republican “Block!” heads

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VIDEO: The “stupid party,” er, Republicans blast GOP Rep. Young for his “wetbacks” comment

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VIDEO– John Boehner: “I’d rather be heckled than ignored.” Okay, if you insist.

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VIDEO: John Boehner “absolutely” trusts Pres. Obama, agrees with him that there is no immediate debt problem

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Oops! John Boehner touts poll showing Americans don’t like spending cuts and want to raise taxes

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