Last Call For Cruz Control

GOP Sen. Ted Cruz tried to weasel out of responsibility for his role in taunting House Republicans over not being Tea Party enough to shut down the government over Obamacare.  The House GOP promptly called Cruz out, and now he's thumping his chest again in his dog and pony show.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested Thursday that he would stage a talking filibuster to block a Senate government spending bill that funds Obamacare.

"I will do everything necessary and anything possible to defund Obamacare," Cruz told reporters. When asked about a talking filibuster specifically, a la Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and drones, he said: "Yes, and anything else, any procedural means necessary."

The House will vote Friday on a spending bill that would defund the health care reform law. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that such a bill would be "dead" in that chamber.

Meanwhile, Karl Rove is trying to be the voice of reason, screaming "What are you morons doing?" over a shutdown playing into the President's hands.

But won't voters be swayed by the arguments for defunding? The GPS poll tested the key arguments put forward by advocates of defunding and Mr. Obama's response. Independents went with Mr. Obama's counterpunch 57% to 35%. Voters in Senate battleground states sided with him 59% to 33%. In lean-Republican congressional districts and in swing congressional districts, Mr. Obama won by 56% to 39% and 58% to 33%, respectively. On the other hand, independents support by 51% to 42% delaying ObamaCare's mandate that individuals buy coverage or pay a fine.

The desire to strike at ObamaCare is praiseworthy. But any strategy to repeal, delay or replace the law must have a credible chance of succeeding or affecting broad public opinion positively.

The defunding strategy doesn't. Going down that road would strengthen the president while alienating independents. It is an ill-conceived tactic, and Republicans should reject it.

It may not matter.  The beast is slouching towards Washington, waiting to be born, and the now completely fractured GOP may not be able to do anything to stop it.

Dear America

"Rich people are better than the rest of you worthless slobs.  It's time for America and Americans to recognize this fact and move forward with policies that celebrate the rich and keep them that way -- at the expense of the useless poor -- instead of rich people having to pretend they give a damn about 'community' and stuff."

--Harry Binswanger, Forbes

Bonus Verbatim Stupid:

Here’s a modest proposal. Anyone who earns a million dollars or more should be exempt from all income taxes. Yes, it’s too little. And the real issue is not financial, but moral. So to augment the tax-exemption, in an annual public ceremony, the year’s top earner should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

God bless America, land of the Randian troll douchebag.

Let's Play "Not My Job" With Chuck Todd

If you thought the Village media's job was to clear up blatant, known falsehoods about Obamacare, Chuck Todd would like to remind you that you're not dealing with facts, you're dealing with hurt fee-fees of people on TV who are mad that Obama didn't give them the war they wanted.

I said the Village would make President Obama pay for the Syrian peace deal.  Chuck Todd just plunked down the bill.

MSNBC host Chuck Todd said Wednesday that when it comes to misinformation about the new federal health care law, don't expect members of the media to correct the record.

During a segment on "Morning Joe," former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) speculated that most opponents of the Affordable Care Act have been fed erroneous information about the law. Todd said that Republicans "have successfully messaged against it" but he disagrees with those who argue that the media should educate the public on the law. According to Todd, that's President Barack Obama's job.

"But more importantly, it would be stuff that Republicans have successfully messaged against it," Todd told Rendell. "They don't repeat the other stuff because they haven't even heard the Democratic message. What I always love is people say, 'Well, it's you folks' fault in the media.' No, it's the President of the United States' fault for not selling it."

To recap, Republicans lie about Obamacare on TV news shows, it's not the news media's job to correct the liars, it's the President's job to counter-attack on every news show simultaneously, rather than try to govern the country.

The latest Village meme, by the way?  President Obama has "lost his connection" with the American people, according to the Village.  That's nonsense, but the Village is now in the process of ignoring and marginalizing the President the best that they can, because they're petulant, oafish children.

StupidiNews!

• Heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton is dead at 70, following a battle with a stroke, Norton most famously broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in his title victory in 1973.
• Scientists say solar expansion will make the Earth too hot to support any life sometime in the next two to three billion years.
• In an interview with FOX News, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says that his agreement to give up his regime's chemical weapons under a US-Russian plan is "unconditional".
• New US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy defended the Obama administration's position on cutting greenhouse gases to Congress on Wednesday.
• A unanimous decision by the 4th Circuit finds Facebook "likes" are free speech protected under the Constitution, the "equivalent of displaying a political sign in one’s yard."