Wingnut Stopped Clock Is Still Right Twice A Day Alert

It's amazing what getting your ass kicked in the race for the White House and in both houses of Congress will do for wingnut perspective. Today's penitent petitioner? Cap'n Ed Morrissey of Malkinvania's scream site, Hot Air, talking about today's earlier douchebag, Rep. Paul Broun's
"Obama Gestapo" comments.

Nothing in that speech hints at a Gestapo-like organization at all. I’d agree that we have to remain vigilant at all times to ensure that the government doesn’t try to impose such a regime upon us, but this is an extremely thin reed to grasp for such a conclusion. Although I supported a freer hand at the NSA in monitoring communications with one end in the US for possible terrorist activities given the dangers we face in this era, it’s far easier for the government to turn that into a Gestapo than what Obama proposed. That’s why I understood the Left’s opposition to it (as well as a small minority of conservatives) and thought reasonable safeguards against potential abuse were appropriate, as the eventual compromise in Congress provided.

If we plan to offer a rational alternative to the coming debacle of the next two years, then we’d better stick to facts and eschew hyperbole. We need to oppose the reality of the radical agenda proposed by Obama and the Democratic majorities in Congress, not fantasies spun out of context-free snippets of speeches. The more critics invoke Hitler and Stalin instead of Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson, the better the reality of Obama, Reid, and Pelosi will seem in 2010.

Well no duh, Ed.

You might want to talk to your boss about this whole "Obama is not Hitler" thing first, however.

Why Obamacare Might Actually Happen

Jon Cohn over at TNR has a pretty good article explaining how and why Obamacare might actually get passed in 2009.

But it's more than new money these groups are bringing to the table. It's also a new attitude. It's easy to forget now, but in the run-up to the Clinton fight most of Washington--indeed, most of the United States--thought health care reform was inevitable. Pro-reform interest groups approached the debate in the same way, focusing relentlessly on their narrow interests. This time around, nobody takes reform for granted. "Groups are coming in with less of an attitude that it's our way or no way," says one staffer who's been present for some of the discussions. "What we're getting from these stakeholders is, we want something to happen, we know you won't do it just the way we recommend, but we want to be positive and we to be there with you."

Not coincidentally, the same attitude seems to be prevailing among members of Congress. In 1994, reformers were fervent but seemed unable to agree on what reform should be. A sizable block wanted to create a single-payer, government- run system; another group favored a system based on private insurance, like the Clintons were proposing; a third group didn't even want to pursue universal coverage. This time around, many traditional single-payer proponents have indicated they could get behind a proposal like Obama's because it would at least offer people the option of a government-run plan and, perhaps, evolve into a single-payer system someday. Meanwhile, the bill attracting centrist interest, Wyden's, is far more ambitious than its 1994 counterparts. Among other things, it would cover virtually everybody right away, something even Obama's own proposal wouldn't accomplish.

It's a good read, and speaking of what Obama can do to get this issue passed fast, BooMan takes a smart look at what the Dems can do to shuffle chairmanships and to create a pair of special committees in Congress to get things done on the universal health care front.

All of the proposed members of these hypothetical special committees are experienced, high-ranking, members in the field of health care. The three biggest and longest advocates of universal health care (Dingell, Kennedy, and Clinton) would all be in a position to take credit. Waxman would be situated to take over energy issues, but Dingell would be well compensated. Clinton would get recognition for both her historic primary campaign and her willingness to campaign for Obama. Kennedy could live to see his greatest desire fulfilled and Baucus would not get unjustly cut out of the deal. Finally, Lieberman would have a prominent role and something to take home to his constituents, but he'd also be punished for siding with McCain.

Obama's very much like myself: a terribly pragmatic guy. I can see him going for this type of arrangement very early, and doing something even better than "spreading the wealth":

Spreading the credit.

Today's Sign Why The GOP Will Continue To Lose

If even David Brooks can figure this out:

In short, the Republican Party will probably veer right in the years ahead, and suffer more defeats.

...then the GOP is in serious trouble.

John McCain lost because of the economy showing up as the final proof that the GOP shouldn't be in charge of a lemonade stand, much less a country.

The response of the most inept, incompetent, foolhardy, partisan, rancorous, corrupt and racist group of sleazy politicians to ever ruin this country?

Double down.

The Spirit Of Bi-Partisanship

The GOP is clearly interested in burying the hatchet...

...in President-Elect Obama's forehead.

A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist dictatorship.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

I'm glad to see that Obama's election has changed the face of the political spectrum so rapidly, and that the rancor and hatred of the campaign has been left behind.

Pro Tip, asshole. Accusing Obama of being a Marxist, Nazi-like dictator after what Bush did to this country for eight years just makes you look like a hypocritical moron. Also, you don't get to get away with statements like this:

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential of going down that road."

So of course I'm now waiting for one of these gun-owning patriots to settle with Obama in "the American way" before he can revoke the Second Amendment...which of course he's never said he's going to try to do.

But that won't stop people like Paul Broun from sounding "crazy and way off base".

And it won't stop somebody from deciding the threat to gun ownership is worth exacting the ultimate price from Obama, either.

God I look forward to four more years of this, if only to marginalize the entire GOP. Remember Rep. Paul Broun when the Democrats are attacked for not being "bi-partisan" enough.

Let Them Burn

Here's the deal.

The GOP will continue to lose as long as they continue to drive off women, African-Americans, Hispanics, GLBT, and logical, intelligent voters. Many Republicans therefore believe that they should not only continue the same policies that drove off the "Big Tent" in the first place, but that they should actually make those divisive policies the cornerstone of their party going forward.

I say, let them. Ignore them as irrelevant.

StupidiNews, Veteran's Day Edition

Happy Veteran's Day to all. Your job is far tougher than mine. Come home safe.

• The Bush administration is under investigation again, this time for failing to apply full EPA penalties to corporate wrongdoers.
• Sarah Palin claims Bush is the reason the GOP lost.
• Nearly a third of Alaska's ballots remain uncounted.
• Citigroup says it's calling for a moratorium on foreclosures and wants to rework $20 billion in refinancing.
• MGM will be the first studio to put entire movies on YouTube.