Last Call For Our Brand New Idiot

Remember Trey Radel, the former Florida Tea Party darling of a congressman who was such a moron that he demanded SNAP recipients get drug tested before they could get food stamps, and was himself busted for cocaine and resigned in disgrace in January?

Meet Radel's equally stupid replacement, GOP Rep. Curt Clawson.

Rookie Florida Rep. Curt Clawson appears to have made a major faux pas at a Foreign Affairs hearing, mistaking two U.S. government officials for Indian government representatives.

Foreign Policy called it "intensely awkward." From the FP blog:

The two officials, Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar, are Americans who hold senior positions at the State Department and Commerce Department, respectively. Although both Biswal and Kumar were introduced as U.S. officials by the chairman of the Asia and Pacific subcommittee, Clawson repeatedly asked them questions about "your country" and "your government," in reference to the state of India.

"I'm familiar with your country; I love your country," the Florida Republican said. "Anything I can do to make the relationship with India better, I'm willing and enthusiastic about doing so."

Apparently confused by their Indian surnames and skin color, Clawson also asked if "their" government could loosen restrictions on U.S. capital investments in India.

He thought they were officials from India.  Because of course, they couldn't possibly be Americans.  Nor would Rep. Clawson give enough of a damn about his job to know who he was actually dealing with, because after all, he's a Congressman, dammit.

This, by the way, is what a real "out-of-touch politician", "arrogant princeling", and "empty suit neophyte" looks like.  Notice his name is not Barack Obama.

Yes, The White House Sees It Coming

Here's a clever play by White House staffer Dan Pfieffer, who fully expects Orange Julius to play the impeachment card after the 2014 midterms and lets everyone know it.

Dan Pfeiffer, a senior aide who has been with the administration since Obama first took office, told reporters that he anticipated that a lawsuit filed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) over executive actions taken by the president on health care would ultimately not be enough to satisfy some of the more vocal conservatives in Congress. 

Pfeiffer added that coming executive actions surrounding immigration reform would only stoke the impeachment flames. 

"I think a lot of people in this town laugh that off," said Pfeiffer. "I would not discount that possibility. I think that Speaker Boehner, by going down this path of this lawsuit, has opened the door to Republicans possibly considering impeachment at some point in the future."

Pfeiffer wouldn't bother responding to such speculation unless the goal was to egg the wackos in the GOP on to try to force Boehner to pull the trigger, and one loudmouth wacko is playing right into it:
 

Speaking at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast, Pfeiffer based his prediction on several factors. The first was former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) calling for articles of impeachment to be drawn over the president's executive action allowing certain young undocumented immigrants to stay in the country. The second was a CNN poll released Friday morning showing that while just 33 percent of the country supported impeachment, a full 57 percent of Republicans were in favor of it. 

"I think impeachment is a very serious thing that has been bandied about by the recent Republican vice presidential nominee and others in a very unserious way," said Pfeiffer. "And no one has even made any allegation of anything that would be within six universes from what is generally considered in that space."

Looks like somebody's found an actual use for Moose Lady after all. Who knew, right?

We'll see if the "unserious" charge sticks.  Villagers do love that imaginary word and if they start piling on, the anger factor in the GOP will certainly ignite something stupid, dangerous, and detrimental.

Maybe even before the midterms.  Wouldn't that be something...

Ford, The Border, And The Turtle

Last night was the annual Kentucky Democratic Party's Wendell Ford dinner, honoring the legendary 89-year old former senator and governor who is battling lung cancer.  Wendell's grandson Clay was in attendance, along with Gov. Dinosaur Steve and Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, and the main course was fried turtle with a side of crow.

After the event, Grimes took a few questions from the press and was asked again if she supported President Barack Obama's request for $3.7 billion in emergency supplemental funds to deal with the influx of Central American children across the nation's border with Mexico.

When asked earlier this month, Grimes four times declined to take a position, referring instead to the immigration bill that passed the U.S. Senate in 2013. On Thursday night, Grimes said, "My response remains the same."

"It's an example of Washington not working right now," Grimes said. "A year ago, we had the opportunity to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and Mitch McConnell stood in the way.

McConnell voted against the proposal, but it did pass the U.S Senate.

"Had we passed comprehensive immigration reform, we might not be here today," Grimes said. "My hope is that we can make sure to return these children safely and make sure we are securing our borders. Comprehensive immigration reform is a way to do that."

Grimes did say she was not in favor of "giving the president a blank check."

It's a good answer on immigration reform, but the non-answer on the current proposal to help the Border Patrol seems like another unforced error on Grimes's part.  At some point you're going to have to take a stand on this bill, Alison. 

On the other hand, Mitch McConnell's non-response on the issue is saving Grimes from having to really come up with one right now, so there's that.  Republicans seems to be backing a plan from Rep. Kay Granger of Texas.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/07/24/3350863/democrats-gather-to-cheer-ford.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#storylink=cpy

The House plan would treat Central American children the same as Mexican children - which means Border Patrol agents could decide to send them back right away. Republican House Speaker John Boehner told reporters that the president needs to come out publicly in favor of changes to the law.

“Without trying to fix the problem, I don’t know how we are actually in a position to give the president any more money,” said Boehner.

There's room here for Grimes to make a statement along the lines of "Republicans are trying to force us to do what they want before they'll lift a finger to help" if she is so inclined.

StupidiNews!

• The remains of Air Algerie Flight 5017 have been found in northern Mali, carrying 116 people when it crashed, according to French President Francoise Hollande.
• The president of the Navajo Nation is calling the beating deaths of two homeless Navajo men in New Mexico a hate crime, and wants federal investigators on the case.
• The Russian response to increasing US and EU sanctions appears to involve going after Russian McDonald's food as "inappropriate".
• Israel and Hamas are looking at a US-backed cease fire as the death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 700.
• Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, has apparently lost control of a research satellite containing among other things, five live geckos doing microgravity sex experiments.