Thursday, July 22, 2010

Watching Them Squirm Trying To Be In Two Places At Once

Michele Bachmann's Tea Party Caucus has backfired miserably for pretty much everyone who's not Michele Bachmann.  Plenty of Republicans want to pretend to support the Tea Party (in fact they have to or they will be expunged from the party, ask Sen. Bennett of Utah or Rep. Inglis of South Carolina what happens if you don't) but going on the record as a member is sure to bring up the specter of the dreaded Hoffman Effect.

As a result, every Republican in the House just got put on the hot seat...join the caucus or else...and so far it's looking like the "or elses" are winning hands down.  Steve Benen reports on the kickoff meeting:
As the overlap becomes formalized, Republicans may want to remember what it is the party is enveloping. At yesterday's gathering, Mark Meckler, a leader of a group called the Tea Party Patriots, tried to distance their efforts from "fringe" elements.

Soon after, speakers of the rally accused Democrats of "21st-century Marxism," compared President Obama to Hugo Chavez, and complained bitterly about "socialism."

That, we're supposed to believe, isn't "fringe" at all.

We also learned yesterday precisely what Republicans/Tea Partiers are concerned about when it comes to their collective public image: "Members of the freshly minted House Tea Party Caucus spent their first day trying to quash accusations that they represent a racist movement." Given the frequency with which it came up, the right-wing activists seem pretty sensitive about the allegations. (One speaker insisted, "We are not terrorists," though I'm not sure anyone has accused this crowd of terrorism.)

As for the caucus itself, as of late yesterday, the House Tea Party Caucus reportedly has 29 members, with a membership list that's nearly identical to that of the right-wing Republican Study Committee. There is, however, some ongoing controversy on this front -- some of the members included on Bachmann's list of caucus members hadn't formally given their permission to be included in the group.
Damned if you do in the general election from the Hoffman Effect, purged from the party by the Bennett Effect if you don't.  I'm sure many Republicans in the House want to "thank" Michele Bachmann right about now.

5 comments:

  1. Dear Zandar:

    Do you know now that in addition to your co-workers complaining to your supervisor about you that other desks are complaining to her too about your laziness? It's getting to the point where you're considered a huge pitiful joke by everyone in the building. Your own co-workers are about two inches away from demanding you gone and believe me when I say no other desk will possibly take you.

    So while you're stuffing your face YET AGAIN at your desk here, take the time to ask yourself who is to blame when you're let go from the company.

    Your days here are numbered...

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  2. Dear TheStupid:

    You should at least give us clues ala Die Hard with a Vengeance as to who you are, but don't do the whole "Simon Says" thing, I don't want to chase down clues to only find out "I didn't say Simon Says!"

    Love,
    Waffles

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  3. Oops, guess I should actually add something to the topic as well, don't wanna be like my ol pal t-man

    where's he been btw? :-(

    (One speaker insisted, "We are not terrorists," though I'm not sure anyone has accused this crowd of terrorism.)

    Maybe they suffer from short term memory, because it wasn't but a little over a year ago that Janet Napolitano warned of right wing extremism. Now I shouldn't have to paint this picture for you from here.

    Now is that what they were referring to when they said "We are not terrorists" hell if I know.

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  4. is it my imagination or has Z been on the verge of termination at his job for, like, ever according to "the stupid"?

    @wafflez
    i got bored. that's what happens when normal people do stupid shit. we realize how stupid it is, get bored and stop. and here you are, still plugging away. glad i ain't you, bub.

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