Michele Bachmann: Just When You Thought She Couldn't Be More Idiotic

Michele Bachmann never met an issue she couldn't mangle, and now she's knee-deep in another one.


See, when Obama announced the stimulus package, to help get the economy moving, Bachmann was vociferously vocal about it, criticizing Obama, saying it wouldn't work, calling it gay and, therefore, of Satan, you know, her usual rhetoric.


But, um, Michele? Honey? Wingnut? Liar? Why then did you eagerly accept the money?


In private, it seems that serial liar Michele Bachmann not only repeatedly sought stimulus funds from federal agencies, but justified her rabid requests by claiming that the funds would create jobs and strengthen the economy. And yet, publicly Bachmann denounced the stimulus as an act of "overspending" and "fantasy economics" that hurt jobs.


Of course, when asked by her usual two-faced approach, Bachmann replied; "I voted against the stimulus and I was very public against the stimulus. After the stimulus was passed and the money was there, why should my constituents or anyone else be disadvantaged?" 


So, she thought it was wrong, she thought it wouldn't help, she thought it was bad policy, but she stood in line with her hands out to take it.


Asshat say what?


Bachmann says she sought federal money to create jobs in her district, even though she preached, because let's face it, with her religious wingnutism, she does a lot of preaching, that government spending [i.e. the stimulus package] would, in fact, hurt the economy and destroy jobs. Again, she said publicly that it would destroy jobs and then took the money in the hopes of creating jobs.


It's the Michele Bachmann special, a Two-Step-Flip-Flop Lie.


Does she even understand economics?
Does she even understand anything?


And let's talk about the debt ceiling issue. Bachmann was very vocal in her opposition to raising the debt ceiling, which would allow the U.S. to continue to borrow money, while policy experts from both parties agreed it should be raised.


Now, Bachmann is claiming she had never advocated for default, but had put a plan on the table that would have denied an increase in the debt ceiling and instead required the Treasury Department to prioritize payments to US creditors, Social Security recipients, Medicare beneficiaries and the military. But, was she aware that her "plan" would have required defunding a majority of government programs, from unemployment benefits to the FBI?


Bachmann was not bothered by that prospect.
Another Two-Step-Flip-Flop Lie.


And then, when asked how she would work with the Democrats if....and it's a big If....huge....she was elected president, Bachmann said she would "work tirelessly" to ensure that the Republican Party picked up 13 seats in the Senate, giving Republicans a filibuster-proof majority to enact her agenda.


So, she wouldn't work with the Democrats, and she wouldn't work with anyone who doesn't agree with her asshatted policies, her wingnutism, her fucktarditude.


Two-Step-Flip-Flop Lie.
That's what you get with Bachmann.

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Ladies and Gentle-Ladies, Your GOP Anti-Gay Presidential Candidates:

I can't help myself, because this sums up the GOP perfectly.

The GOP presidential candidates echoed and re-echoed their anti-gay marriage sentiments loud and clear in Iowa last week. And even though nearly every single poll out there shows that the majority of Americans  support marriage equality. Only former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman distinguished himself for his support of civil unions--which is still not good enough.

MITT ROMNEY: Marriage is a status. It’s not an activity that goes on within the walls of a state and as a result, our marriage status relationship should be constant across the country. I believe we should have a federal amendment to the Constitution that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman.

JON HUNTSMAN: I also believe in civil unions, because I believe this nation can do a better job when it comes to equality and I believe we can do a better job when it comes to reciprocal beneficiary rights rights.

RON PAUL: I think marriages should be between a single man and a single woman and that the federal government shouldn’t be involved.

RICK SANTORUM: It sounds to me like Rep. Paul would say that polygamous marriages are okay.

MICHELE BACHMANN: I support the federal marriage amendment…and as president I would not nominate activist judges who would legislate from the bench.










Asshat Quotes

It's Not Just Her Eyes That Are Crazy.....

Lots of folks talking about the recent cover of Newsweek featuring Michele Bachmann looking, well, slightly crazed; okay, very crazed. Some folks, those with Tea Bags, are sayin' it's a deliberate attempt to discredit her campaign for the presidency.
Other folks, like Jon Stewart and, well, me, say she is crazy, and it isn't just her eyes, it's the stuff that comes out of her mouth.

The Daily Show
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So, I present these without comment because that would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Let's listen in:

Michele Bachmann on the Theory of Evolution [2003]:
"Where do we say that a cell became a blade of grass, which became a starfish, which became a cat, which became a donkey, which became a human being? There’s a real lack of evidence from change from actual species to a different type of species. That's where it's difficult to prove."

Michele Bachmann on the Gay Marriage debate [2004]: 
"We're in a state of crisis where our nation is literally ripping apart at the seams right now, and lawlessness is occurring from one ocean to the other. And we're seeing the fulfillment of the Book of Judges here in our own time, where every man doing that which is right in his own eyes—in other words, anarchy."

Michele Bachmann on the 'good news' about Melissa Etheridge's breast cancer [2004]:
"Unfortunately she is now suffering from breast cancer, so keep her in your prayers. This may be an opportunity for her now to be open to some spiritual things, now that she is suffering with that physical disease. She is a lesbian."

Michele Bachmann on wiping out the minimum wage [2005]:
"Literally, if we took away the minimum wage—if conceivably it was gone—we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level."

Michele Bachmann's prayer for You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International, an anti-gay heavy metal ministry that promotes the gospel to public school students [2006]:
"I thank you for how you are going to advance them from 260 schools a year, Lord, to 2,600 schools a year. Lord, we ask by faith that you would expand this ministry beyond anything the originators of this ministry could begin to think or imagine."

Michele Bachmann on Iran planning to turn Northwest Iraq into a terrorist training camp [2007]:
"Iran is the troublemaker trying to tip over apple carts all over Baghdad right now because they want America to pull out. And you know why? It's because they've already decided, that they're going to territory, they're- they're going to partition Iraq and half of Iraq, the western northern portion of Iraq is going to be called, the United, uh, the, the uh, -oh, I'm sorry, I can't remember the actual name of it now, but it's going to be called, um, uh, the, the, uh, uh the Iraq State of Islam, something like that."

Michele Bachmann, on her opposition to a bill that expands AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps' domestic equivalent [2009]:
"I believe that there is a very strong chance that we will see that young people will be put into mandatory service. And the real concerns is that there are provisions for what I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward and then they have to go to work in some of these politically correct forums."

Michele Bachmann, rewriting history for the teabaggers New Hampshire [2010]:
"What I love about New Hampshire and what we have in common is our extreme love for liberty. You’re the state where the shot was heard around the world in Lexington and Concord."

Michele Bachmann Bachmann on how to fix the nation's long-term deficit [2011]:
"I think if we give Glenn Beck the numbers, he can solve this."

Michele Bachmann praising the Founding Fathers for their commitment to diversity [2011]:
"It didn't matter the color of their skin, it didn't matter their language, it didn't matter their economic status, it didn't matter whether they descended from known royalty or whether they were of a higher class or a lower class, it made no difference. Once you got here [to the United States] you were all the same. Isn't that remarkable?"

Michele Bachmann Said What!?!

Just Sayin'

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A Tale Of Two Republicans

The GOP really wants to take the White House back in 2012, because, you know, the last time they had it they did such a bang up job, starting wars, toppling the economy, adding trillions to the deficit, while cutting taxes for the rich.

So, they want to take it away from the Democrats and go back to bad business as usual. And two of the candidates hoping to unseat Obama--and I giggle, because they can't--are the lovely and idiotic Michele Bachmann, and the lovely and RUMORED to be gay--I think because of his beautiful hair--Rick Perry.

But these two are running quite the different campaigns, and the way they run their campaigns is how they would run the country if they ever--and I'm still giggling because they won't-get elected president.

Michele Bachmann lies, and is so pathological about it, that she doesn't even know she's lying. Remember her old chestnut about Obama's trip to India costing the American people $200 million a day? Even when that was proven to be a lie she didn't back down because , to her, a lie becomes the truth if you keep saying it.

Now, however, Bachmann isn't talking. At least about her ex-gay husband and his ex-gay business turning gay people straight through prayer and brainwashing. No, that she won't discuss. Nor will she discuss her part in the business, as the owner, or how the clinic is funded by the American taxpayers, and recives Medicaid payments, or why her district has been dubbed a "suicide contagion area" by Minnesota officials.


Bachmann believes she can say whatever the hell she wants and then clam up if the questions get too hard, or too close to home, or too 'Your husband's a big ol queen.'
So, don't ask her about praying away the gay, she won't answer. And don't ask her about the money she took from Medicaid for her business while calling Medicaid and Medicare socialism. And don't ask her about the rash of suicides in her congressional district and how she voted against antibullying measures in 2006.

She won't talk. She'll walk away. She cut off the feed if she's doing the interview via satellite, and her 'people' will physically push reporters out of the way; just ask ABC News' Brian Ross who was shoved while trying to ask Bachmann about the ex-gay business.

So, that's what you get with Bachmann, You get the lies and the innuendo, all unproven, though she'll keep spreading them. But you also get non-answers, you get cut off, you get shoved, if she doesn't like the question. That would be a Bachmann presidency.

But then we have good old boy from Texas, Rick Perry. What kind of president would he make? Well, from all appearances, he'd be just like George Bush, a puppet president being controlled by people in the background.

I mean, there's no argument that while W was president, it was Dick Cheney and Karl Rove pulling the string while Bush did the lying wear-mongering, profiteering for big business two-step. But who's pulling the strings on Rick Perry? Let's see....

Ricky made headlines for his comments regarding the passage of marriage equality in New York by appearing to be pro-equality: "Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. And you know what? That's New York, and that's their business, and that's fine with me. That is their call. If you believe in the 10th Amendment, stay out of their business."

But then Rick Perry apparently got a "talking to" by Bryan Fischer of the hate group, American Family Association [AFA], because he changed his remarks, saying, now, “I probably needed to add a few words after that ‘it’s fine with me,’ and that it’s fine with me that a state is using their sovereign rights to decide an issue. Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me. My stance hasn’t changed.”

But that isn't what you said, Rick. You said marriage equality was fine with you until the über conservative AFA got hold of you, and you realized you might be losing your right-wingnut, Tea Party conservative, religious zealot base.

So, he pandered to the AFA. And now he's out saying it again and again, how, although he said he was fine with states deciding the issue of marriage equality, he isn't really fine with it. In fact, he downright opposes it, dagnabbit.

So, there we have it, the tale of two Republicans, and glimpses of what this country will be if either one was ever elected to that office. One will refuse to speak when the questions get too hard, or too close to home, while the other will let groups like the AFA determine his position on the issues for him.

Is that really the directions anyone should be headed?

Bachmann Won't Talk
The Rick Perry Marriage Equality Two-Step

Oh Newt, Dear Moronic, Homophobic, Adultering Unelectable Newt

Bragging and boasting about how he can be a good president, while putting down the current Commander-In-Chief, will not a candidacy make. And now, there are new troubles for Newt "Serial Adulterer" Gingrich's presidential campaign.


It seems that his popularity, such as it was, has sunk to a new low, lagging behind a slew of other Republican hopefuls. And then we get word that his campaign is more than a million dollars in debt. Almost half the debt is for private air travel because Newty and Missus Newty don't fly commercial. And this new development comes just weeks after 18 key aides and advisors abruptly quit.

And yet Newty pledges to stay in the race. In fact, he was in Iowa last week, and the aides that haven't abandoned this rapidly sinking ship say he expects to spend more time in the state in coming weeks, although he plans to skip the Iowa straw poll later this summer that his former aides and advisors has seen as a key part of his campaign there.

And, of course, being a million or so in debt, he has not been able to replace most of the consultants and staff members who fled, instead relying heavily on unpaid, volunteer support, while he stills jets about privately.

He's spinning his lack of funds as an effort to build a grass-roots, Internet-driven campaign he can run with a smaller staff. Again, while he still flies privately so as not to mingle with real people.

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The Hounds Of Hell

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Being Gay Isn't A Choice, Being A Homophobic Moron, However, Is

Out there in Iowa, where they have marriage equality, and corn, as well as a group of conservative asshatted wingnuts who have come up with a pledge that they wants all Republican presidential candidates to sign.

It, naturally, opposes marriage equality, but also opposes Sharia law and bans pornography; pornography? What will the GOP do without their porn?

But the pledge also contains a passage declaring that homosexuality is a choice, rather than a biological trait. Yes.....it does.

And the first Repugnant Republican to step up and sign it? None other than Married-To-The-Ex-Gay, Michele Bachmann.

Now, we all know that Bachmann was born straight, and probably born stupid. But she chose to be a bigot, a homophobe, and she chose to marry a man who professes the ability to get rid of the gay.

Is this really the leader the Republicans want? I mean, that would be their choice, right?

Hey Teabaggers? You Picked her!

Even though she already appeared in one Presidential Debate, where she announced she was running for President, Michele Bachmann went to Iowa this week to announce again that she wants to be our Crazy-Eyes-In-Chief.

Now, you may wonder why she's announcing again. Well, no one, except for her faithful wingnut minions, ever believes a word she says because she's known for her tendency to, um, lie, so she says everything twice.....or thrice.

So, there she was in Waterloo, Iowa, you betcha by golly wowing her fans as she announced she would be the next president of these Untied States. And during her announcement, she compared herself to one of the towns most famous residents, John Wayne, saying,  "That's the kind of spirit I have too."

Um, Michele? Honey? John Wayne wasn't from Waterloo. It was John Wayne Gacy, serial killer, to whom you compared yourself. Gacy, who has "that kind of spirit", as Bachmann reminded us, murdered 33 young men and teenage boys in the late 70s.

Oh, Michele.

You're dumb.
And you will never be president of anything.

The MGB® Movie Poster

I didn't want to post this, but then the fits of giggle started and I just had to share. This is ALLEGEDLY. the poster for the Mama Grizzly Bore [MGB®] movie.

So, what's funny about it?
For starters, the title. THE UNDEFEATED!!!
Seriously! Have we already forgotten the defeat of Ott-Eight? I mean, I can see calling it The Quitter, or Half-Term or Nobody Likes Me 'Cept The Crazies. But The Undefeated?

And what are folks saying about it, hmmmm?

Zac Hart says: Should be titled Unfinishable... Considering she has yet to serve a full term in ANY of her elected offices... Palin for president - what a joke.

Travis Michael Brown says: she is giving the double hand job.

Kenny Miller-Gass says: Is this the sequel to: "No Substance: Reiterated Talking Points and Buzz Words Beaten to Death like a Dead Alaskan Moose!"?

So, what do YOU think MGB®'s movie debut should be called?


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NJ Governor Christie Is EXACTLY What's Wrong With The GOP

There is a sense of entitlement among many members--to be fair, not all members--of the GOP. There is a sense of Do as I say, not as I do among members of the GOP. There is a sense of hypocrisy among certain members of the GOP. And nowhere is that evidence of hypocritical, self-entitled arrogance more plainly on display than in the actions of ALLEGED fiscal conservative, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. 


See, Christie's son, Andrew, was playing in a college baseball tournament recently and, like any good dad, Christie wanted to attend the game. So he did. He arrived at the game aboard a STATE POLICE helicopter, and then took a limousine the rest of the way. 


Fans heard the whrrr of the 55-foot long STATE POLICE helicopter and watched it land beyond the trees behind left field. Governor Christie got off the helicopter and then got into a limo with tinted windows that drove him about a 100 yards to the baseball field. 


Yes, he helicoptered in and the had someone drive him 300 feet. And, of course, as governor, he's so busy trying to fix the economy and rein in wasteful government spending that, during the fifth inning,  he and First Lady Mary Pat Christie got back into the limousine, drove the 300 feet, boarded the STATE POLICE helicopter and went home. Play was stopped for a couple of minutes while the helicopter took off. 


Now, how does a governor, who paints himself as a fiscal conservative, justify using a STATE POLICE helicopter to fly into a baseball game? Well, for starters you have one of your lackeys, in this case spokesmoron Michael Drewniak, release a statement: "It is a means of transportation that is occasionally used as the schedule demands. This has historically been the case in prior administrations as well, and we continue to be judicious in limiting its use." 


Okay, a "means of transportation that is occasionally used". I can buy that, if say, the governor was visiting the site of a natural disaster, or traveling state-to-state for New Jersey business. But to use a STATE POLICE helicopter to go to your son's baseball game is the height of arrogance, and self-entitlement and hypocrisy. 


The helicopter Christie used for his day trip cost the taxpayers of New Jersey 12.5 million dollars to buy. They are designed for homeland security duties and transporting critically injured patients, and, apparently, to ferry the governor to sporting events. It also cost the taxpayers $3,300 for that single trip, and Christie said he would not be paying any of that money himself. 


Seriously. He flew in a $12 million helicopter, spending $3,300 of the taxpayers money and sees absolutely nothing wrong with it? In fact, his only real comment was that his son, Andrew, thanked him for coming to the game. Thanks Dad, for screwing your constituents so you could watch me play. 


But then, after hearing the outcry of not only the Democratic party, but the people of New Jersey, Christie finally broke down and paid for the ride, using $2,100 of his own money and $1,200 from the GOP. Christie said he was paying not because he believed he was in the wrong, but because the furor had become a distraction from serious matters. 


Like the economy. You know that bad situation where people are losing their jobs and their homes, or are struggling to make ends meet by working two and three jobs and missing their own children's sporting events, while the governor is flown to and from his own son's game, and then charges the taxpayers for it? 


Seriously, people, this is a man who is being courted to run for president in 2012, by people who think Obama has bungled the economic mess. Yes, they want a man so self-entitled, so arrogant, so hypocritical, so out-of-touch, to be the next president. 


That's your GOP.

Christie Arrives At Son's Baseball Game In State Police Helicopter
Christie Reimburses State For Helicopter Trips To Son’s Ballgames

Just For Giggles

If the elections were held today, who would win the GOP nomination?

None.
I giggle 'cuz it's true.

Sunday Funnies

He Won't Run, And A Great Sigh Of Relief Was Heard Throughout The Land

Sorry. I know you all hate this
picture, but it shows the True
Huckster in all his glory.

Once considered a front runner for the GOP nomination for president, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has announced that he will not run for the office. And the scramble within the rest of the motley crew of GOP nominees begins.

Huckabee said, over the weekend: “All the factors say go, but my heart says no and that’s the decision I have made.” This, as I said on some other blogs, is Huckabee-speak for "I know I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning so I won't even try."

And yet, even while stating he wouldn't run, the Huckster talked about how he felt he could have won the nomination, and the office. He said his wife and children encouraged him to run. He said recent polls show that he could'a been a contendah. He said he could win voters outside the south. He said he could raise the money needed to run.

He could. He could. He could. He won't.

"I had come to believe I would be in the race," Huckabee said. "The external signs … point strongly toward running," he said. "But only when I was alone, in quiet and reflective moments, did I have not only clarity but an inexplicable inner peace."

I have inner peace, too, Mike, knowing I won't have to listen to your bigoted, anti-gay, holier-than-thou rhetoric for the next 18 months.

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Times Are Tough...Just Ask Denny Rehberg

Out there is Missoula, Montana, they had one of those Town meetings, and one man, Denny Rehberg, stood up to talk about the tough times he and his family are facing in this economy: "I'm a small businessman. My wife is a small businessman. You know she hasn't taken a salary in ten years? She has not, as a result of the business, because we are struggling like everyone else... with the economy....I have the same struggle. I have no employees. And we have the same struggle because we have the ability to borrow the money but the problem is, in our particular case, if you don't have the ability to pay back the loan, then you don't -- then what's the reason to go to the bank and borrow the money?" 

Sounds like someone is caught between a rock and a hard place. Also, it sounds like the same struggle that millions of Americans are going through right now. Except for one thing.

Denny Rehberg is a member of Congress. He's a Republican. He is also the 23rd richest member of Congress who, according to his own most recent financial disclosure form, which covers 2009, has a net worth of between $6,598,014 and $56,244,998.

And he struggles "like everyone else."

A closer look at his disclosure forms reveals that Denny Rehberg has millions of dollars of equity in the agricultural properties he owns. His farm and ranch land is valued at between $11.5 million and $56.75 million, and his total assets were worth somewhere between $12.2 and $57.5 million.

Yet he struggles "like everyone else."

Denny Rehberg also reported three liabilities on the properties he owns, that totals between $1,300,003 and $5,600,000 for development, construction and agricultural loans. Rehberg also reported only making between $35,610 and $118,800 on the assets in 2009, which does not include his $174,000 annual salary from Congress.

Yet he struggles "like everyone else."

And he's a member of Congress, and of the GOP, who have worked tirelessly to fix the economy, create jobs and.....what's that? Oh, right, they didn't. They worked tirelessly to forge a symbolic repeal of Health Care Reform, worked tirelessly to insure that the Bush tax cuts to the rich stayed in place; and are working tirelessly to defend the unconstitutional DOMA in court.

He is worth as little as six million or as much as fifty-six million. And we the people pay him almost 175K a year. 

And he wants our pity.

Via TPM

Just For Giggles: THIS Is A GOP Presidential Hopeful

Iowa?!? WTF?!?

I used to have such high hopes for Iowa, and Iowans. They seemed to be free-thinking, equality-minded, live and let live kind of people.

When marriage equality became the law of Iowa, most Iowans just shrugged and went back to work. And when people, and by people I mean the GOP, who have nothing better to do than work to discriminate against the LGBT community, got all hot'n'bothered about same-sex marriage, the majority of Iowans asked their politicians to give it up. They were more concerned about war and money and jobs, and less concerned that John married Joe, or Jane got hitched to Helen.

Like I said, I had high hopes.

But then they elected people who seek to overturn equality, and remove judges from the bench who interpret laws in ways they don't see fit, and I began to wonder about my Iowans.

And now this:

It seems that nearly half of Iowan Republicans believe President Obama was not born in the United States. Seriously. Once their heads were screwed on straight, and now they're all askew.

Some 48% of registered Republican voters said Obama was not born in the U.S., while 26% say he is an American. Even more scary is the 26% who say they are unsure. Unsure? Seriously?

Let me set this queer for you Iowans. The people, and by people I mean Birther wingnuts and GOP goosesteppers who sidestep the issue, who don't think Obama was born in this country think so simply because of the color of his skin. I mean, black people becoming president! 

Or, they think because his name is Barack that he isn't from "here". I mean, if his name was George or Bill, we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?

Say what you will, you Birther wingnuts, but you are riding this one-trick pony out of racism and fear and ignorance. Neither the color of a man's skin, nor his name alone, makes a man unAmerican.

And Iowans should know better. Or, at least, I thought they did.

And maybe now, since Obama has released his birth certificate AGAIN, we can focus on real issues.

source

I, Too, Have No Words......

Wisconsin Gives Scott Walker The Election Smackdown

Scott Walker, Republican Governor of Wisconsin, and Bootlicker of the Koch Brothers, figured he could do whatever he wanted to do in Wisconsin, and repercussions be damned.

His battle with labor unions turned what might have been a routine state Supreme Court race into a nationally watched precursor of what lies ahead for Teabaggers and Republicans if they continue witht their Party of No, and Our Way Or The Highway, brand of politics.

You see, for this routine election, almost 1.5 million people turned out--which is 68% higher than the 20% that most officials predicted. And though JoAnne Kloppenburg, the one Scott Walker wanted to keep off the bench, declared victory over incumbent David Prosser, the race is expected to head to a recount. 

Still, what this shows is that the people of Wisconsin are disgusted by their governor. There were 19 counties that went for Scott Walker in the 2010 elections, but flipped and went for Kloppenburg. Now, there were no party affiliations on the ballot, but Kloppenburg was heavily backed by Democrats and Prosser by Republicans, making it a fierce proxy battle for the two parties. 


And nineteen counties Walker once had in his back pocket sent him a very clear message: Get ready to pack it in, Scotty.

Democrats are naturally thrilled by the outcome. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate said the election results represent a "watershed moment for Wisconsin and a Waterloo for Scott Walker," and added, "It should give Republicans, who are--for the moment--in the majority, pause about how they proceed in enacting Walker's terrible budget."

Indeed, the people of Wisconsin have spoken and Scott Walker, who has said he won't compromise with the Democrats must be rethinking his stance.
Or else he's planning for his retirement.

source: HuffPo

Just a Thought: Sean Duffy Needs To Be Voted Out Of Office

Click to emBIGGERate

Boy, Wisconsin, you sure can pick 'em.

Your governor is in the pocket of big business, AKA the Koch boys, and now you have a state senator who complains about his salary, even though his salary is three times the median salary for folks in Wisconsin; not to mention all the benefits to which he is entitled as a member of the government.

See, at a town hall meeting in Polk County, Wisconsin earlier this year, Republican, of course, and wingnut, Representative Sean Duffy was asked whether he'd vote to cut his $174,000 annual salary. 

He sort of bobbed and weaved around the issue, and then he came right out and said it, that $174,000 really isn't that much for his family of seven to live on. After whining a bit about how hard he has it, he then had the balls to say he supports cutting compensation for all public employees.

Asshat say what?

The good news is that the whole thing was caught on tape [you can see it at Talking Points Memo] and subsequently posted on the Polk County GOP's blog, alongside other clips from the town hall. But then Duffy's clip was mysteriously removed from the blog, and was even removed from the Internet by the Polk County GOP because, as an official explained, the YouTube clip "was being republished without our consent."

Was that the real reason, or was it that Duffy comes off sounding like a pampered and spoiled GOP'er?

Let's take a look at what Sean Duffy said:

"I can guarantee you, or most of you, I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you. With 6 kids, I still pay off my student loans. I still pay my mortgage. I drive a used minivan. If you think I'm living high on the hog, I've got one paycheck. So I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point I'm not living high on the hog."

Now, let's take it apart.

• Sean Duffy says he has more debt than anyone else. M'kay, but who's fault is that, Sean.
• Sean Duffy complains about having to raise six kids because of the expense. M'kay, but who's fault is that Sean?
• Sean Duffy has to pay off his student loans and his mortgage. M'kay, but are you the only person doing that in Wisconsin. Sean?
• Sean Duffy drives a used car. My heart is breaking. Except for the fact that, as soon as you drive any car off a car dealer's lot, it becomes a used car, so we're all driving used cars, Sean.
• Sean Duffy got just the one paycheck. Paid for by his constituents who, most of them, make about a third of what he makes, and pay off their bills and raise their kids and drive used cars.
• Sean Duffy says he's not living "high on the hog," and maybe he right about that, but he is living higher on the hog than the majority of the people he represents, and higher on the hog than the people whose salaries he wants to cut.

What's good for the goose, Sean, is good for you, too.

And, so Wisconsin, come election time when you vote Scott Walker out of office, have him hitch a ride home with Sean Duffy in his sued mini-van, because you've also told Sean Duffy where to go.
 
Talking Points Memo