All of Missouri’s Republican House delegation joined the 144 Republican House members who voted no on the budgetary continuing resolution sent to them from the Senate, which amounts to five votes from Missouri to keep the shutdown going. To a man or woman, these members of the Missouri Shutdown Hall of Shame tried to justify their votes with references to those all-purpose boogymen, the deficit and “out of control spending” (see also here).

To a man or woman, they have all also refused to admit they initially went to war with the nation’s well-being for no reason other than to defund the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – even though the ACA reduces the deficit long-term. Nor are they willing to admit that the main ACA concession they demanded as a sop when it became clear that the rest of the Congress and most of the country regarded their anti-Obamacare jihad as laughable, a repeal of the medical devices tax, was a special interest boondogle that would have undercut the ability of the ACA keep government costs down. All that reasonable bystanders can conclude from this is that our GOPers are either dishonest, severely deluded, or dumber than fenceposts.

According to S&P estimates, the antics of these shutdown diehards cost the U.S. economy $24 billion and cut 0.6% off of yearly fourth quarter GDP growth. Tell me how this reflects concern with the economy. Think Progress has compiled a partial list of government expenditures that could have been financed by the amount of money lost in the shutdown:

— The net cost of to the government from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP): $24 billion

— The Department of Agriculture’s proposed budget: $22.6 billion

— NASA’s approved budget: $16.6 billion

— All air transportation programs, including the Federal Aviation Administration, security, research, and other costs: $21.9 billion.

— The Child Tax Credit: $22.1 billion.

— The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (formally known as welfare): $17.7 billion.

— The cost of Head Start, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Women Infants and Children (WIC) program combined: $25.2 billion

I hope you noticed that all or parts of these expenditures were or are bitterly opposed by these same GOPers who insist that we can’t afford them. Nevertheless, they’re all more than willing to run up similar costs in the service of empty symbolic gestures meant to impress their base. But as Think Progress also noted, these pols have been making the same types of choices from the getgo:

The shutdown was just the latest budget crisis that has been costly to the economy. A recent report found that the uncertainty created by fights over funding the government and raising the debt ceiling that have cropped up since 2010 has cost the economy nearly a million jobs.

And, to cap it all off, there are already rumblings from the GOP crazy caucus, with whom Missouri’s GOPers seem to have allied themselves, that they’ll be willing to give the ol’ shutdown routine a go once again early next year when yesterday’s agreement runs out. However, as Michael Tomasky wrote today, one thing may have changed:

. . . At least the American people did get to see what assassins the Republicans are. That was valuable. Many of us have been trying to say for many years now about Washington’s polarization and dysfunction that yes, both sides are to blame, there are no Boy Scouts here, but the sides are not remotely equally to blame, and this is a crucial point, and journalists and commentators who keep insisting on framing things this way out of some devotion to “balance” that is out of whack with the facts of reality are disserving the republic; lying, basically. I don’t think now any commentator can seriously maintain that fiction. . . .

 

Proud to be an anarchist and vandal:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

I voted against funding #Obamacare and giving the Administration a blank check. Must think of future generations. [….] 9:31 PM – 16 Oct 13

A constituent is not impressed:

Matt Hendon ‏@MMHen22

@RepHartzler you voted to extend the #governmentshutdown and to default on our promises. Disappointed constituent. 9:36 PM – 16 Oct 13

And another:

Sarah Nussbaum ‏@saratastic

@MBersin @ssnich Apparently she isn’t too in love with her hundreds of thousands in crop subsidies each year on top of her house salary? 9:40 PM – 16 Oct 13

Previously:

A tale created by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (October 16, 2013)

Via Twitter:

Sean Nicholson ‏@ssnich

Who in MO’s delegation voted for default? 9:13 PM – 16 Oct 13

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

@ssnich Guess. Actually, bet your mortgage payment on it. You’ll be completely safe. 9:16 PM – 16 Oct 13

Judd Legum ‏@JuddLegum

144 members of Congress vote for default, all Republicans 9:23 PM – 16 Oct 13

From Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D):

Nancy Pelosi ‏@NancyPelosi

The unnecessary shutdown America endured for 16 days has come to an end. Speaker finally did the right thing and allowed the House to vote. 9:20 PM – 16 Oct 13

Previously:

Protesting the budget shutdown – Warrensburg, Missouri – October 9, 2013 (October 9, 2013)

From 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. this evening during “rush hour” in Warrensburg, at the corner of Maguire and Business 50, six individuals picketed against the federal government shutdown.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) was one of fifty republican members of the House to sign a letter stating that Social Security should

be part of the debt/budget/fiscal negotiation process. Interestingly, Social Security does not contribute to the deficit or debt.

A supporter. The pickets’ signs will probably end up on social media, you know, like Twitter or Instagram.

In the hour that the group picketed they were greeted with supportive horn honking and “thumbs up”. There was a much smaller number of negative comments, including one person who yelled that “[Representative] Vicky [Hartzler (r)] was doing the right thing.” On occasion, when traffic was stopped at the light, the pickets engaged in conversations with drivers and passengers. One individual asked “Who’s Vicky?”

Probably not too concerned about the federal government shutdown or approaching the debt ceiling.

Also, previously:  

Rep. Vicky Harztler (R): go tell it to the Speaker (r) (October 1, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): well, that didn’t go so well (October 2, 2013)

Because there weren’t television cameras at Head Start (October 3, 2013)

The greatest generation (October 3, 2013)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): I get reasonable communications from those who disagree with me (October 4, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): for every season, spin, spin, spin, there is a reason, spin, spin, spin… (October 5, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): climate change comes to the teabagger caucus (October 5, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): voting to fund government one news story at a time (October 8, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): “I <3 our national parks.” (October 9, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): we can safely bet that your approval isn’t at 107% (October 11, 2013)

…like a fish without a bicycle (October 15, 2013)

An op-ed by Jim Staab, Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Missouri  [submitted by the author]:

The Anti-Federalists were those who opposed the Constitution.  Believing that the proposed Constitution gave too much power to the federal government, particularly the Senate and the presidency, they voted against ratification.  Patrick Henry, the fiery Anti-Federalist from Virginia, did not attend the Constitutional Convention because, in his words, “I smelt a Rat.”  The tea party is the modern-day version of the Anti-Federalists.  They are vehemently anti-government and are quick to label all federal programs as “socialist.”  They would strongly support Henry’s famous quip: “Give me liberty or give me death.”  The government shutdown is the latest example of the tea party’s anti-government zealotry.  Not happy with Obamacare, the tea party is attempting to highjack the law by shutting down the government, and the leadership in the House of Representatives has lacked the political courage to stand up to this fringe element of the party.  

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010.  Congress and the president passed the law with the following facts in mind:  15 percent of the American people were uninsured; health care costs account for 17 percent of the national economy; most insurance companies excluded coverage for pre-existing injuries or illnesses; and there was substantial cost-shifting in the current system.  Those who did not have insurance (either because they could not afford it or they did not think they needed it) passed on the cost of required medical services to current policy holders in the form of higher premiums.  On average the cost of uncompensated care raised family health insurance policies by $1,000 per year.  In an attempt to make health care more affordable for all Americans, ACA prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and imposes an individual mandate.  With a few exceptions, all Americans are required to purchase health care.  By bringing more people into the system, the federal government contends that the cost of insurance will go down.  Those on the left, who wanted a single-payer system, criticized the president for not going far enough.  Obamacare ironically originated with the conservative Heritage Foundation, which proposed the individual mandate as a way of accomplishing near universal health care while still maintaining private insurance.  The individual mandate was first tried in Massachusetts, during Governor Romney’s tenure as governor, and it has largely been successful.  After careful scrutiny in the federal courts, including 5 and 1/2 hours of oral argument at the Supreme Court, the nation’s highest tribunal upheld Obamacare in 2012.  While the law could certainly have been sustained pursuant to Congress’s commerce power, a majority of the Court, in an opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, upheld the law pursuant to Congress’s taxing power.  

If one opposes Obamacare (as many of the tea partiers do), there are a number of democratic options to take.  The most obvious method is to repeal the law.  On 37 occasions House Republicans have voted to repeal Obamacare, but they haven’t had the constitutionally-required support of the Senate.  Another democratic way to change the law is for the American people to elect public officials who promise to repeal it.   That hasn’t happened.  Despite the best efforts of Mitch McConnell, the minority Republican leader of the Senate, to see that President Obama would not be reelected, he was.  And despite the vulnerabilities Democrats faced in holding a majority in the Senate in 2012, they accomplished that too.  So, since the House Republicans have not been able to repeal Obamacare democratically, what has been their alternative?  They have chosen to tie the funding of Obamacare to the continued operations of the federal government.  Beginning October 1st, 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed, many federal agencies are not open for business, national parks and monuments are closed, some estimates predict the cost to the national economy will be $300 million daily, and a default on the national debt looms on October 17.  Congress’s approval rating stands at an all-time low (10 percent), and there’s little chance a government shutdown will improve matters.  I hope the American people will hold the tea party and the Republican leadership of the House responsible for the unfortunate, unnecessary, reckless, disgraceful, and ultimately harmful (domestically and internationally) shutdown of the U.S. federal government.

The good news: Missouri’s 24th Senate district, a lean-Democratic district that just barely elected Missouri Tea Party luminary, Republican John Lamping, to the state senate will have a chance to redeem itself. State Rep. Jill Schupp (D-88) will be running against Lamping, or if he, as he has been hinting, declines to run again, whichever GOP clone gets the party’s nod to take his place.

The bad news: What Lamping and the state GOP have already cost Missouri. Just take a look at Lamping’s recent performance on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Lamping appeared in a clip in which he tried to articulate the Missouri GOP’s rationale for refusing to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, thus denying access to health care to about 300,000 eligible Missourians who are currently without coverage (the Missouri segment begins at about 4:10″ and Lamping’s appearance is 4:45″ in):

Lamping’s comments were contrasted to that of Missourian Bertha McIntyre who supports herself and her children on $1200 a month and who, needless to say, does without insurance:

Lamping: The entire cost of Medicaid in Missouri is one third of Missouri’s Budget; we can barely afford to be in the Medicaid program as exists today …

Stewart: Boy, that is a tough choice, should we, as a state, accept 100% of this program’s expansion costs from the federal government for the first three years, or, I don’t know, [bleep] it. But it is a tough choice some of your citizens are making.

Bertha McIntire: An I going to take food out of a child’s stomach, or am I going to do without going to the doctor? Which would you choose?

Stewart: Here’s the best part. These governors and legislators who refuse to accept Medicaid for that nice lady, all but three of those twenty-six states already take more money from the federal government than they contribute in tax dollars; they’re already burdens on the system. I believe that they’re referred to by those Republicans as moochers, moocher states. If statehood was healthcare, Mississippi and Missouri would be rejected as having that as a pre-existing condition. …

And there’s worse, at least if you think hypocrisy counts against politicians. As the Kansas City Star’s Dave Helling pointed out, Missouri’s legislative anti-Obamacare, anti-Medicaid brigade aren’t nearly so worried about taxpayer dollars when it comes to the taxpayer funded insurance coverage that is available to them – just another example of the GOP what’s-good-for-me-is-too-damn-good-for-you-so-suck-it-up-and-suffer ideology.

Schupp’s assessment of the legislature’s anti-Obamacare Medicaid tantrum offers an instructive counterpoint – and one that demolishes the dishonest Lamping assertion that we can’t afford to expand Medicaid. As Schupp observes, we can hardly afford not to do so:

The most important opportunity the legislature failed to act upon this year was providing healthcare access to 260,000 low-income Missourians.  Timing was critical, because for three years, starting in 2014, 100 percent of the funding was to be covered by the federal government.  Not passing the legislation for the 2014 start date means we lose one year of 100 percent federal funding.  

Then, consider that the expanded coverage would pay for both doctor and emergency room visits.  Currently, care for the indigent making emergency room visits is partially covered by federal DSH payments (disproportional share), helping hospitals afford to take care of the un- and under-insured patient.  Part of the Affordable Care Act includes DSH payments winding down in 2014.  This was an important incentive for states to expand coverage of Medicaid. Hospitals will not receive reimbursement from DSH, and in Missouri, because we did not expand Medicaid, thousands of patients will still not have insurance.  Some hospitals, including and especially rural hospitals, are likely to close.

And there is more.  For all the talk about economic development and competition with our neighboring states, providing this extended healthcare access is estimated to provide 24,000 Missouri jobs in the first year alone, and over the next several years, infuse billions of dollars into Missouri’s economy.  Divergent groups from the Hospital Association to Insurance companies to the Missouri Chamber, Missouri Budget Project, Catholic Charities, Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and Metropolitan Congregations United (and more) have all agreed to the importance of this initiative.  Other than political ideology, there is no reason to have defeated this expansion.

Jill Schupp’s remarks make it clear that reasonable citizens of the 24th district have a viable alternative to Lamping or whoever else the GOP drags in; she’ll be a candidate who will try to do the best for the district and the state rather than mindlessly echo the revenant John Birchers who run today’s Republican party and who are also quickly running the state into the ground.  

The 51st Legislative District encompasses portions of Warrensburg and Johnson County, part of Pettis County, and a significant amount of Saline County. In 2012 the open seat race was decided by a relatively narrow margin:

State Representative – District 51 (22 of 22 Precincts Reported)

Gary L. Grigsby Democrat 6,244 46.4%

Dean A. Dohrman Republican 6,714 49.9%

Bill Wayne Libertarian 504 3.7%

Total Votes 13,462

This, after republican interests dumped a lot of cash and radio ads in the district.

There’s going to be a rematch. And the third quarter 2013 campaign finance reports have been filed and are available at the Missouri Ethics Commission

Dean Dohrman (r) (left) and Gary Grigsby (D) (right). [file photos]

The overall numbers, first, for Dean Dohrman (r), the incumbent:

REPORT SUMMARY

COMMITTEE TO ELECT DEAN DOHRMAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE [pdf] 10/14/2013

1. Total Receipts For This Election Previously Reported $2,490.34

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $7,375.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $2,371.64

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $5,554.15

[emphasis added]

Meh.

For Gary Grigsby (D):

REPORT SUMMARY

GRIGSBY FOR MISSOURI [pdf] 10/14/2013

1. Total Receipts For This Election Previously Reported $0.00

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $10,005.31

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $0.00

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $10,005.31

[emphasis added]

Oh, yes, this race is going to be interesting. Very interesting. Dean Dohrman (r) votes in Jefferson City like he won the last election by twenty-five points. That is far from the reality. And now he has an extensive legislative record of right wingnut crazy. You can bet voters in the 51st Legislative District are going to hear a lot about that this time around.

The contributions:

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED – SUPPLEMENTAL

COMMITTEE TO ELECT DEAN DOHRMAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE [pdf] 10/14/2013

Glazer’s Missouri PAC

101 E High St

Jefferson City MO 65101

7/1/2013

$250.00

AMEC PAC

2722 East McCarty St

Jefferson City MO 65101

7/11/2013

$250.00

Ditzfeld Transfer

305 Curry Dr

Sedalia MO 65301

7/12/2013

$400.00

MO Beer Wholesalers PAC

13535 Bahnfyre Dr

St Louis MO 63128

7/20/2013

$250.00

Home Builders Industry PAC

10104 Old Olive St Rd

St Louis MO 63141

7/20/2013

$325.00

William Riggins

225 Harrison

Marshall MO 65340

Economic Development Director

7/22/2013

$400.00

Friends of Caleb Jones

PO Box 5

California MO 65018

7/22/2013

$1,000.00

Friends of Tilley

100 S Jackson

Perryville MO 63775

7/22/2013

$250.00

MAPAC

PO Box 1785

Jefferson City MO 65102

7/22/2013

$300.00

Centurytel, Inc

PO Box 4065

Monroe LA 71211

7/22/2013

$250.00

Independent Electrical Contractors PAC

12704 Pennridge Dr

Bridgeton MO 63044

7/22/2013

$150.00

Friends of Diehl

2404 White Stable Rd

Town and Country MO 63131

7/27/2013

$1,000.00

Missouri State Assessors Association

PO Box 339

New London MO 63459

8/6/2013

$500.00

MOSFA PAC, Inc

121 Madison St

Jefferson City MO 65101

8/9/2013

$500.00

MSI Corporate

730 Cool Springs Blvd

Franklin TN 37067

8/29/2013

$500.00

Friends of Diehl

2404 White Stable Rd

Town and Country MO 63131

9/4/2013

($2,000.00 [aggregate]) $1,000.00

[emphasis added]

Not very many little old ladies on that list, eh? Well, maybe not completely:

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $50.00

[emphasis added]

The fundraising statement (to “Play Golf with Representative Stanley Cox and Representative Dean Dohrman. Sponsorships & entry fees”) might explain the dearth of $15.00 checks.

Somebody has an interest in state government while the teabagger populace is distracted by shiny baubles.

We’re not surprised. Dean Dohrman (r) has been an amiable tool for the republican leadership and the lunatic fringe in the Missouri General Assembly. But, I repeat myself.

The contributions for Gary Grigsby (D):

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED – SUPPLEMENTAL

GRIGSBY FOR MISSOURI [pdf] 10/14/2013

Taunia Adams

805 S Roache St

California MO 65018

Van Adams’ Law Firm — ParaLegal

9/27/2013

$100.00

Ruth Doyle

302 Johnson Dr

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/26/2013

$250.00

Deems – Babs Brooks

PO Box 777

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/26/2013

$50.00

Osborne for State Representative

510 Kirkpatrick St

Odessa MO 64076

9/26/2013

$1,000.00

Wesley – Marilyn True

532 Hamilton St

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/27/2013

$100.00

Terry – Mary Yunt

1407 Northfield Park Blvd

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/27/2013

$50.00

Edgar Lakin

5620 SW Hawick Lane

Topeka KS 66614

Retired

9/27/2013

$250.00

Fred Wilson

108 Meadow Ln

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/27/2013

$50.00

Larry Meyer

13 NW 515

Warrensburg MO 64093

Self Employed

9/28/2013

$200.00

Charles Owings

411 SW 200

Centerview MO 64019

Farmer

9/26/2013

$50.00

Eva Thomas

5712 Cherry

Kansas City MO 64110

Retired

9/27/2013

$50.00

Kenneth Brown

614 Darrow St.

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/26/2013

$50.00

Winifred Soper

517 Ash St.

Slater MO 65349

Retired

9/27/2013

$50.00

Louise Blumhorst

762 S. English

Marshall MO 65340

Retired

9/26/2013

$25.00

William Brame

507 Streck Ct Apt D

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/28/2013

$250.00

Karen Williamson-Hurst

315 E Gay St

Warrensburg MO 64093

Housewife

9/27/2013

$50.00

Monica Penrose

1693 NW 615

Kingsville MO 64061

Cass County — Deputy Prosecutor

9/28/2013

$100.00

Peggy Cochran

PO Box 890

Rocky Mount MO 65072

Retired

9/27/2013

$100.00

JC Owsley

Rt 91, Box 1894

Cross Timbers MO 65634

Farmer

9/29/2013

$50.00

Resa Dudley

902 S Oak

California MO 65018

Dept of Nat Resources — Misc Professional

9/28/2013

$25.00

Charlotte Shaffer

160 SW 101

Warrensburg MO 64093

Housewife

9/30/2013

$25.00

Judy Vickrey

1700 Sunrise St

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$50.00

Joyce Bailey

405 Hamilton

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$50.00

Selene Nikaido

227 NE 71

Warrensburg MO 64093

Warrensburg School District

9/30/2013

$100.00

Gail Hughes

1005 Pamela Dr.

California MO 65018

Retired

9/29/2013

$100.00

Vonnieta Trickey

11328 Claywell Rd

Russellville MO 65074

Unknown

9/29/2013

$100.00

Jeanette Welch

232 NW 51

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/26/2013

$50.00

Harold Schwartz

27128 Marina Ln

Barnett MO 65011

Retired

9/29/2013

$20.00

Susan Cook

2909 Sue Drive

Jefferson City MO 65109

MASW — Office & Operations Manager

9/29/2013

$25.00

Charles Fenner

18775 Hwy YY

Marshall MO 65340

Self Employed/Saline County — Farmer/Commissioner

9/28/2013

$100.00

Richard Pemberton

30521 E. Highway 41

Marshall MO 65340

Farmer

9/28/2013

$100.00

Mildred Conner

15045 Hwy 20

Malta Bend MO 65339

Retired

9/30/2013

$100.00

Rosamae Bentley

28512 Watermill Road

Marshall MO 65340

Retired

9/29/2013

$25.00

Joe Pac

7086 Richmond Ctr

St Louis MO 63105

9/28/2013

$5,000.00

Irene Sims

24324 Wildcat Rd

Marshall MO 65340

Unknown

9/30/2013

$25.00

Deleta Williams

110 E. Hale Lake Rd

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$50.00

Nellie Grigsby

413 E North St, Apt 16

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/28/2013

$125.00

Kile Guthrey Jr

25615 Hwy F

Miami MO 65344

Retired

9/30/2013

$100.00

Carl Foster

1424 Grandview Dr.

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$25.00

Mary Peterson

503 E Eastwood St

Marshall MO 65340

Retired

9/30/2013

$25.00

Rebecca Limback

1102 Tyler

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$35.00

Frank Swisher

22689 N Saline 65 Hwy

Marshall MO 65340

Retired

9/30/2013

$250.00

Dorothy Clements

37309 Koala Ave

Miami MO 65344

Retired

9/30/2013

$20.00

Daniel Morgan

429 NE 500

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$100.00

Bernadette Cleary

1635 The Oaks

Marshall MO 65340

Retired

9/27/2013

$100.00

Nellie Grigsby

413 E North St, Apt 16

Warrensburg MO 64093

Retired

9/30/2013

$150.00

Kari Wiss

3024 S Black Forest Ave

Blue Springs MO 64015

Developing Potential — Director of Operations

9/28/2013

$100.00

Dennis Cochran

PO Box 191

Holden MO 64040

Student

9/30/2013

$25.00

Gary Grigsby

110 E Market St

Warrensburg MO 64093

Self Employed — Music Store

9/30/2013

$175.00

Gary Grigsby

303 S Mitchell

Warrensburg MO 64093

CANDIDATE

9/30/2013

$5.31

[emphasis added]

Nice touch. $5.31.

One PAC. No indication that there are any golfers on the list.

That’s a difference in the grass roots there, don’t you think?  

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Dean Dohrman (r) in the 51st Legislative District (November 11, 2012)

Campaign Finance: Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) – FEC October quarterly report (October 11, 2011)

Dean Dohrman (r) is somewhat adept at showing up for photo ops at the state institutions important to his district, this after screwing them in Jefferson City:

Bill signing Kabuki (July 12, 2013)

And the really, really important legislation Dean Dohrman (r) supports:

SB 267 – wingnut dogma – there’s no such thing as a moderate republican (May 11, 2013)

SB 265: tinfoil hats – there’s no such thing as a moderate republican (May 11, 2013)

HB 436: nullification – there’s no such thing as a moderate republican (May 10, 2013)

HB 42: Why do anything productive when you can cater to right wingnut paranoids instead? (April 9, 2013)

HB 46: twiddling while Rome burns (April 6, 2013)

HB 732: we don’t need to talk about that (February 27, 2013)

HB 400: apparently wire coat hangers aren’t considered a chemical (February 2, 2013)

The clock is ticking:

Reign Of Morons: Apotheosis

By Charles P. Pierce at 7:45AM

….That is the state to which the whole thing has devolved. The denizens of the monkeyhouse are bringing the world economy to the brink of chaos in order to fk their own staffs over on health insurance. Or at least that’s what they say. In reality, what  this is about is a rump faction of one of our two major political parties that doesn’t think we should have a federal government at all, that wants to roll back its functions to a state half-past the Articles of Confederation, and that is doing so while believing itself to be some unholy combination of the Founding Fathers and the X-Men. They have cast themselves in their own action adventure movie, and the rest of us serve pretty much the same function as New York City does in The Avengers. We’re the set decoration that gets demolished as Our Heroes fight evil. These are pathetic, worthless children, playing dress-up, and smashing things because they like the sound of things breaking….

Senator Claire McCaskill (D), via Twitter:

Claire McCaskill ‏@clairecmc

Sending our country over a fiscal cliff is not conservative. It is reckless and irresponsible. 6:55 AM – 16 Oct 13

Uh, you can’t negotiate compromise with children who are playing dress-up and smashing things because they like the sound of things breaking.

Cue the asteroid.

It should be requirement before filing to run for Congress that you must prove that you’ve watched all episodes of Sesame Street. Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) via Twitter today:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Cost of developing Obamacare’s web site: $637mm. What a waste compared to Twitter-$360 mm, Instagram-$57 mm, & LinkedIn-$200 mm. 2:18 PM – 15 Oct 13

Seriously.

Let’s see, uh, web sites that allow you to semi anonymously communicate to strangers in 140 characters or share crappy low resolution photos and fifteen second videos or which everyone ignores have the same information and complex interaction demands as signing up for health insurance. Like anyone signs up for health insurance in 140 characters or less? My street address has more characters than that (if I use zip + 4). 614 pixels square. Yeah, right.

And it appears the teabaggers in the House have stopped a vote on the debt ceiling.

Cue the asteroid.  

At the White House petition site:

Due to Congress’s failure to pass legislation to fund

the government, We the People has been temporarily disabled.

As a result, you will be unable to create or sign We the People petitions. Once government funding has been restored, We the People will be reenabled. Petitions that were open as of October 1, 2013 will have their deadlines extended.

[….]

It appears the teabaggers in the House have stopped a vote.

Cue the asteroid.