Michael Steele, Can You Believe Him?

The Republicans might have gotten to the point where even my dad's old friend Nat, the most right-wing crazy, gun-toting, racist asshole I've ever met, would say: Huh? He was interviewed this morning on NPR, and he made no sense. While screaming that government shouldn't be in the business of health care, he was trying to protect Medicare. Medicare is government-run health care. Listen or read and tell me, does this make sense to you?

With Ted Kennedy dead, perhaps the Democrats might get their act together and pass health care reform just as the Civil Rights Act was passed in the wake of his brother JFK's death. Read Josh Marshall's post on talkingpointsmemo.com.

George Lakoff, the linguist who has been trying to get the Democrats to counter the language of the right, has an interesting article on how to frame health care on truthout.org.

Arlen Specter and the Demise of the Republican Party

When the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, seriously discusses secession (and gets the history of statehood wrong), it's time for thoughtful people to consider the future of the Republican Party. (Rick Perry at the April 15th teaparty:

"Texas is a unique place. When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that ...

"We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what may come out of that?")

When politicians have to publicly apologize to windbag Rush Limbaugh, including Michael Steele, the chair of the Republican National Committee, it's time to reconsider whether there is permanent damage to the structure of the Republican Party, taken over as it is by single-issue fanatics.

When Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin are Republican Party rising stars, we need to hope to hell that a new, more moderate third party is in the works, because it isn't healthy for America, or any country, to be run solely by one party.

Arlen Specter isn't ready to be retired by the right wing of the Republican Party, and I must congratulate him on his candor yesterday during his announcement. It sounded a bit arrogant, of course, but to Specter, being challenged in a Republican primary to retain his seat is much like Brad Pitt having to audition for a role.

Done that.

As Jon Stewart snickered last night, the fate of the US Senate is in the hands of Al Franken.

Having just returned from Franken country, although certainly not having access to any people who supported Coleman, I don't have many observations to make other than the housing stock of Minneapolis is just gorgeous! With the third party candidate out of the recount dragout, the vast majority of Minnesotans just want Coleman to go away. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2/3 of the state's voters want Coleman to concede the election already.