The Smart Girl Report – Episode 0023

Jason Mattera discusses his new book Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation.

Tom Reed talks about his run for Congress in New York’s 29th district — the seat previously held by Eric Massa.

Republican Delusion

This morning I came across one of the more delusional articles I’ve read recently. Aside from anything on the Daily Kos, that is. Written by Brent Budowsky, the piece attacked Matt Drudge as being a propagandist and anyone that reads his site as being fed biased opinions.

Here are some of my favorite lines:

Drudge only reports the polls he likes, which gives a warped view of the state of the nation.

It is true that countless lazy individuals in media just read Drudge, patronize his propaganda, and parrot his party line like robots. His influence is unquestioned and immense.

Drudge may not report it, but the healthcare bill passing has put the president on the upswing, Democrats lead Republicans in the Gallup poll, the negatives of the healthcare bill are starting to recede, independents are alienated by right-wing extremism, the jobs picture I predict will soon brighten, and the Democratic base is finally being motivated.

Drudge only reports on the stories he likes, but NBC, CBS, and ABC report on everything, fairly and squarely? Mmm-hmmm. Yup, and they parrot Drudge all the time. Right. (You can’t see me, but I’m rolling my eyes as I write this.) If you believe that major media outlets didn’t (and still do!) have a slobbering love affair with Obama, then I can’t help you. Seriously. Move along. Come back when you start to realize that hard work and integrity built our country, not entitlement and handouts.

As for the passage of the health care bill raising President Obama’s approval rating… all I can say is duh. All the people that were upset with him because he hadn’t passed the bill yet are soothed by his rhetoric once again. That doesn’t mean much. Just because a picture is worth a thousand words:

One more thing. If independents are alienated by right-wing extremism, how does Mr. Budowsky explain Scott Brown? Bob Mcdonnell? Chris Christi? Shall I go on? I’m sure the list will be quite extensive come November.

But who knows? Maybe I’m just a deluded Republican. At least I’m in good company. I’ll take Matt Drudge any day of the week over Keith Olbermann.

I’m Not Controlled by a Dingell

The Democrats have been doing a victory lap this week over their defeat of the Republicans in the battle for health care reform.  So weird, I thought the parties were supposed to work together, not duke it out until the bitter end. But I guess all things are fair in love and war, and politics is a bit (or a lot) of both. So a battle it was.

Have I mentioned that the Democrats passed the bill without the majority support of their constituents?  Or that not a single Republican voted for it? Or that they resorted to deceitful trickery in the worst ends-justifying-the-means scheme I’ve ever personally witnessed?  That’s bipartisanship at it’s best, all right.

But the funny thing about facts — they’re stubborn things.  President Obama can say “this bill will reduce the deficit” until the unicorns come home, but it won’t make it any less untrue.  The bill is full of twice counted money, doesn’t include the thousands and thousands of government employees that will need to be hired to enforce the darn thing, and it assumes that revenue will continue to increase in the worst economy in a generation just as a massive health care tax is levied upon employers.

The mostly glaringly obvious discrepency is the fact that it includes 10 years of revenue, but only six years of pay outs.  What happens in 2020? Do we only get health care in years ending 4-9? So many questions, never any answers.

Congressman John Dingell (D-NY) was on a radio show in Chicago this week, and host Paul Smith asked him why the coverage wouldn’t be implemented until 2014. You know, in light of the urgency with which it was forced upon us unwilling tax-payers.

The telling response (emphasis mine):

“We’re not ready to be doing it. This has been going on for years…The harsh fact of the matter is when you’re passing legislation that will cover 300 million American people in different ways, it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people.”

Not sure about the rest of you, but I don’t relish the idea of being controlled. Seriously. Ask my husband. Or my dad. I believe his exact words to my new husband at our wedding were, “She’s yours now!”

One of my favorite movie lines ever is from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when Toula’s mom is explaining to her why being the head of the house isn’t everything: “The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants.”

Hmm. Maybe I shouldn’t admit that on a blog that feeds into my hubby’s RSS feeder. Oh well, it’s not like it’s a humongous secret. But my point is that I don’t like other people trying to control me. I don’t want them limiting my choices on what kind of food to buy, where to send my kids to school, or whether or not I need a certain kind of health insurance.

Rep. Dingell went on to say:

“Our Republicans have spent a long time not participating, not helping, carping and delaying.”

I don’t know about you, but that makes me proud to be a Republican. They won’t be able to blame us one bit when this ship goes down in flames. And for the record, Dingell-berry, Republicans were shut out of the entire process, aside from a one day *Health Summit* in which the GOP pretty much shredded the bill and wiped the Liberals off the floor with it.

Which reminds me — I need to write another love letter, uh, I mean letter of support to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). He broke down the financial impact so well that President Obama looked absolutely confused. As in, “Huh. That actually made sense. But I wonder if he’s including the money from the cash tree out back? Do I tell him about that or keep it a secret? I better ask Rahm.”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to have a glass of wine. Before the government takes that away too, for my own good.

I Feel Violated

The answer is unmistakably and resoundingly NO.  Americans do not want a health care system resembling that of Canada or the U.K.  We the people are saying no every way we know how to; in polls, at rallies, with elections.

The time for talk is over.  It is clear that the vast majority of Americans do not want this health care legislation passed.

Any sane and logical congress would say, “Ok, thanks for letting us know.  We represent you the people, and you have made your voices clear.  Let’s toss out this 2000 plus stack of paper and get started on something else.”  But nope, not our congress.  Our congress says, “We know you don’t want it, and we don’t care.  We’re going to find every loophole we can so we can slam you with the largest most unconstitutional tax ever created, all in the name of ‘helping the poor.’”

The poor will not be helped by this bill.  Just look at any other country with government run health care.  It’s the poor that suffer.  Only the rich can afford timely and reliable care.  Why does anyone think it will be different in the US?

I’m absolutely going to go bonkers if I keep hearing, “health care is a right.”  It is not a right.  It isn’t a privilege either.  It’s a service.  You are not entitled to the labor of a doctor.  Just like they are not entitled to free oil changes from the mechanic.  We all work for a living, some of us harder than others.  Call me crazy, but I believe that the people that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on education, work 90 hour weeks, and make life and death decisions on a daily hourly basis deserve to be paid more than my mechanic, and I’m happy to pay it.  I am not happy to pay for other people to see that doctor because they spent their money elsewhere.  We all have to make sacrifices.  Deal with it.  And here’s the thing about Americans- for the most part, we are an extremely charitable group.  If someone really was in a bad situation, I bet there would be a doctor somewhere willing to treat them, or benefactors willing to pay for the treatment.

I have faith in the American people.  I have faith in every single person who wants to better their life.  I have faith in the single mom struggling to make ends meet, the newly graduated college student looking for a job, the father of two teens that just got laid off after 20 years.  I have faith in those people to do what it takes to get through these rough patches of life, and I have faith in their friends and neighbors to help them as they’re able.  I do what I can to help those in need.  I’m grateful for all the times others have been there for me.

But oh this congress.  This congress does not have faith in us.  This congress does not want us to feel the triumph of overcoming adversity, the joy of accomplishment.  This congress wants to enable us with the most massive entitlement program our country has ever seen.  We are better than that.

I want this congress to stop taking my money and giving me back a paltry sum and expecting me to jump for joy.  I know what  you took.  Don’t tell me to be grateful for the $10 check when you snuck $100 out of my back pocket.  I’m wise to your tricks.  A lot of us are.  Which is why you will be voted out this November.  This health care bill and any other crap you manage to sneak through in closed-door deals will be repealed.

Who knew that it would take a violation of Constitutional principles by our leaders for America to stand united in a way we haven’t for generations?  Wonders never cease.

Weird and Wacky Week in Washington

Last weekend Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) stated his intention to resign his post amid allegations that he sexually harassed a male co-worker.  But then he said this:

“Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill,And this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill. And now they’ve gotten rid of me, and it will pass. You connect the dots.”

Hmmm… I wouldn’t put it past the Democrats to do that, but this story is already a little bit fishy.  His story keeps changing.  He already hadn’t been planning to run for another term due to recurring cancer.  But then it was due to his “salty language.”  But then it was because he was going to be a no vote on the current health care bill.

Fishy, right?

But wait!  There’s more!

Massa made some pretty interesting remarks about the President’s Chief of Staff:

“Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn… He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive.”

Rep. Massa describes a confrontation with Emanuel in a shower: “I am showering, naked as a jaybird, and here comes Rahm Emanuel, not even with a towel wrapped around his tush, poking his finger in my chest, yelling at me.”

That’s probably true about Rahm, actually.  But this whole situation is wack-a-delic.  Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck even got into a scuttle about it on his radio program.  She didn’t think we should be giving Massa any air time, and chided Beck for inviting him onto his show on the Fox News Network.  They have since then made up and sent each other virtual hugs and kisses.

And in why-am-I-not-surprised news- it turns out that Nancy Pelosi had known for months about Massa’s inappropriate behavior which included touching and groping of male staff members.  One might hope that the leader of the House could keep her own house in order, but apparently not.

In a related story about coo-coo-crazy-pants liberals in the House, Patrick Kennedy went absolutely bonkers on the house floor yesterday.  It was quite the spectacular melt-down, if I do say so myself.  And I speak with some authority on that, as I live with a toddler.  So what was he so upset about? Massa.  Specifically the media attention being given to him over the war in Afghanistan.  Whether or not he had a valid point, his tantrum poked holes in any arguments he may have had.

As a conservative, I gotta say… it’s pretty fun to kick back and watch the show.  The liberals are imploding like a house of cards.  And the best part is they’re doing it to themselves.  I can’t wait for November 2nd, even if it means I’ll have less entertainment on C-SPAN.  This is politics, not a circus freak show.

Dick Cheney

Continued from here:

Dick Cheney walked onstage to thunderous applause.  He has become a loud voice for national security ever since our President appointed Janet the-system-works Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security.  You know, because he actually likes America, is proud to be an American, and wants to keep America around for a few more generations.

He said that when Liz asked him for advice on what to say, as she usually does before a speaking engagement (smart girl, I do the same thing with my dad) he mentioned that he’d like to attend CPAC with her.  “Ok,” she said, “But only as arm candy.”

Vice President Cheney said that he enjoys CPAC because it keeps conservatism and its fundamental principles alive.  He also said that he’s encouraged by recent conservative developments in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, and that he expects to see more in the novemeber elections.

2010 is going to be a phenomenal year.

Dick Cheney said so.

Scott Brown

The newly elected and seated Senator from Massachusetts introduced Mitt Romney at CPAC.  It was a surprise visit, and the crowd erupted when he came on stage.  My friend Jimmie Bice said, “Senator Hunky Pants is here.  Yeah, I said it.”  He is kinda cute.  In that rugged, good-looking way.  If you’re into that.  Please excuse me while I fan myself for a moment.

Ok, I’m back.

Senator Brown started out by introducing himself, saying, “I’m Scott Brown, the newly elected REPUBLICAN Senator from Massachusetts.”  Lots of applause on that one.  Then he answered the number one question he’d been asked so far at the conference, “Yes, I drove my truck here.  It’s parked outside.”  Even more applause.

Rugged.  If you’re into that.

He asserted the need for greater accountability and transparency in Washington, and used his election win as proof that Americans are demanding it.  We can change what’s happening in America, and we can do it from the ground up.  His campaign was truly a grassroots one, his first rally could have been held in a phone booth.  Through the power of new media and citizen journalists, he was able to get his message of fiscal responsibility out, and the people responded.

As he was introducing Mitt Romney, he heaped praise on him, saying that he was such an encouragement during his campaign.  That’s nice.  Really, I’m sure Romney is a nice guy.  I’m sure Scott Brown is too.  And Massachusetts needs Republicans like them.  Much better than Martha Coakley or Deval Patrick.  I will encourage and support Republicans like that in a state so blue it’s navy.

But they aren’t our guys for the top of the ticket in 2012.

Marco Rubio

I had quite a time getting set up for blogging CPAC this morning.  There will probably be a post about my adventures since my airplane post soon.  Trust me, it was definitely an adventure.  A humorous one.  Because, well, sometimes you have to choose whether to laugh or cry, and I always choose to laugh.

Because I was so behind in getting setting up, I missed the opening speaker.  Marco Rubio.  I saw the last 20 seconds of his speech, just enough time to snap one ridiculously tiny & fuzzy picture on my blackberry.  I was bummed.  I almost cried.  Then I decided to laugh instead.  I’m like that.

Then I was walking from one place to another and ran into Leon & Jillian Wolf, two very awesome people that I’m happy to call my friends.  Oh yeah, and Erickson was there too.  ”You want to meet Marco Rubio?” He asks me.  Do I?  Um… YES.  ”He’s right in there with a small press group.”  I just stared at him.  Nerves, yah know.  ”Go on in,” he said, giving me a little push into the room.  ”Everyone thinks you’re my wife anyway!”  (Ask me about that story sometime, it’s really funny.)

So that’s how a found myself standing ten feet from Marco Rubio, taking questions from a dozen or so journalists, both real and citizen, although the distinction is getting very blurred very quickly these days.  In fact, citizen journalism and social media was the topic de jour.

He said that he wouldn’t have a campaign if it weren’t for the bloggers.  The ability to communicate online has made it possible for anyone to become a candidate, or a journalist.  There’s a whole new set of rules in today’s political world.  Because of the wide access to information, Americans no longer have to choose between two candidates that are sort of the same, picking the one that we like better.

People understand what’s at stake, and candidates are being more widely vetted than ever before.  We don’t need to rely on the traditional media to tell us what to think about a candidate, we get the information ourselves and get it out there.  Some really consequential things are happening in Washington, and will continue to happen if we don’t stop it by sending sensible people to congress.

His hope for the 2010 elections, of course, is to win a senate seat in Florida, but also to be one of a crop of newly elected Senators and Congressmen determined to restore our country to it’s greatness, not fundamentally transform it into something not recognizable in our Constitution.  Which is why he spoke at CPAC: to reach a broader audience.  He hopes that the attendees from across the country go home and seek out reliable candidates to support and vote for.

When asked about Scott Brown, he commented that if the Obama agenda is not safe in Massachusetts, it’s not safe anywhere.  And then his handler said he had to go, so he politely said it was nice to talk to us, walked right past me, smiled directly at me, and said (and I quote), “Hi.”

Awesomeness.

Buh-Bye Bayh

Today Senator Even Bayh became the latest fly dropping from the liberal leftist swarm of politicians with his announcement that he would not seek reelection this November.  He joins fellow Senate insects Chris Dodd, Byron Dorgan, Ted Kaufman, and Roland Burris on the I’m-sure-I-could-win-really-I-just-don’t-feel-like-running ground.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Bayh’s decision appeared to catch party leaders off guard. The senator has plenty of cash in the bank for his re-election bid, and recent polls showed him with big leads over two potential Republican challengers, including former Sen. Dan Coats, who is seeking a return to Capitol Hill. Mr. Bayh is a respected lawmaker, a former governor who has often been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate.

Mr. Bayh called Mr. Reid early Monday, a few hours before his public announcement in Indiana.

“It says something that an incumbent senator with $13 million in the bank decides to retire this late in the process,” said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Ms. Duffy said as many as seven Democratic seats might switch hands this year, and suggested even more could be put in play if Republicans find strong candidates.

I’ll tell you what it says.  It says that the government growing, tax raising, the-system-works liberals know that their goose is cooked.  For those lefty politicians running in the 2010 elections, well, try not to cry too hard into your Cheerios on November 3rd.

Demon Sheep

Afternoons are crazy in my house.  Just after 2, Thing 2 will wake up screaming from her nap, if she went to sleep at all.  If not, then I’ll usually rescue her from her evil crib at that time.  Then we fight over what she should have for a snack.  She always wants a cupcake.  And I always say, “No cupcake!”  At which point she collapses into a fit of sobs and tears.  Eventually she’ll decide that she really does want the cheese/fruit/triscuits/other tasty wholesome snack, pick it up off the floor where’s she’s thrown it and eat it.

After that debacle, it’s usually time to go pick up Thing 1 from school and run an errand or two.  Today we had to get some new tires for my truck.  We went to Costco because I had some giftcards, plus you can get ice cream while you wait.  Into the tire center.  I know I need two at least, but think, “Hmm, do I really want to be back here in 3-6 months to replace the other two?  Nope!”  So I order up four new tires.  The very polite service guy rattles of a price of eight hundred dollars and change.  I’m not sure exactly, he lost me at eight hundred.  Two new tires will be just fine thankyouverymuch.  I tried not faint or choke or vomit as I forked over enough money to buy a plane ticket to Hawaii.  Then I spent some time day dreaming about Hawaii.

Of course I was slammed back to reality when Thing 1 tipped over Thing 2′s stroller in the tire department at Costco.*

Thankfully there was no line, so it was only a 45 minute wait.  We got some ice cream to share and I got a diet coke.  I haven’t been buying it regularly any more, because I can’t find find a twelve pack for less than $5, and let’s face it: that’s extortion.  I blissfully sipped my chemically caffeinated goodness while Things 1 & 2 raced to see who could eat more ice cream faster.  Turns out Thing 1, although she paid for it dearly with a massive brain freeze that I refused to listen to her whine about.

New tires, sugared up children, and a broke Jenny headed home.  I opened up my laptop and tweetdeck, trying to ignore the cacophony of, “I don’t want to do my homework!!!” and “Cupcake!” surrounding me.  And I saw avatar pics of terminator sheep with glowing red eyes.  And lots of tweets with the hashtag #demonsheep.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

So I tweeted: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is with the #demonsheep??

And I was immediately rewarded with links.  I love Twitter.  It satisfies my impatient nature.

The evil terminator demon sheep appear in an ad for Carly Fiorina, a sometimes fiscally conservative running for the republican nod to run against Senator Please-Don’t-Call-Me-Ma’am-Boxer in California.  The ad slams an even more liberal republican than herself, Tom Campbell. And for some reason, it’s filled with demon sheep.

It made my whole day.

Demon Sheep

*No toddlers were harmed in the making of this post.  Unless you consider cupcake denial to be harmful.  In which case, it was torturous.