56 Times

I really don't know how to start this.  I really don't want to offend anyone.  But I really want to write something about the Republican Party, for
several reasons.  One, it's getting near that time again - the 2016 elections are just around the corner, if you consider a corner being 22 months away.  We need to start discussing the Republican field of candidates, and check out all their attributes, if you will.  Secondly, the Republican Party took over the House this last election, and changed their tune from obstruct obstruct obstruct to "the people have spoken," something like Sally Fields gushing "you like me, you really like me" at the Academy Awards.  And thirdly, we need to discuss whether or not the Republican Party is insane.  Apparently it has a become a right of passage in Congress for the Republicans to bring up Obama's Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in an attempt to vote it out of existence.  Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) told FOX News he allowed another vote last week, after 55 previous attempts, to give the new Republican congressmen a chance to cast their votes.  Most of them ran with the promise to their constituents that if elected they would vote against Obamacare, so this one was an attempt to keep themselves honest. (As if ...)  "Today, I am making good on my commitment to support a full repeal of Obamacare," proudly declared Rep. Alex Mooney, a freshman from West Virginia.  Well, good for you Alex.  Some people have said the definition of insanity is attempting the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Are they insane?

There are problems with all of this, of course.  One of those problems is that the Republicans have no alternative plan to Obamacare.  If they actually were able to repeal it (won't happen) it would leave all those constituents of theirs who now depend on it with no insurance at all.  In 2010, FIVE YEARS ago, the Republicans promised  they would start work immediately on a replacement health plan as a preparation in case the Supreme Court overturned Obamacare.  Last week, as a part of the 56th vote to repeal, the Republicans voted to begin that work.  And I thought I put things off.  I'm beginning to believe the Republican congress doesn't care about health care in this country.  Either that, or they hate Barack Obama so much they're willing to leave sick and poor people out in the rain to die.  56 times.  Are they insane?  Yes.

Now, I have a question for you.  Does it seem like every single "frontrunner" for the Republican nomination is weird?  Weird may not be the proper word, perhaps "alien-like," but you get my drift.  Weird, like Mike Huckabee.  Weird, like Ted Cruz.  Weird, like Rick Perry.  Remember Sarah Palin? (She's not anywhere near a "frontrunner," but I just wanted you to picture her in your mind for a second.)  She gave a speech at the "Iowa Freedom Summit," where, among other strange remarks, referred to President Obama as "an overgrown little boy."  We here at Bad Hat wish so much that Palin would run.  She's absolutely the looniest person in politics, stuck teleprompter or not.

And then there's Lindsey Graham.  If South Carolina's finest closet dweller had his way he'd bomb everything, and everyone who didn't worship America.  Scary thought:  He's got the support of casino owner Sheldon Adelson.  Big bucks.

And of course, we have the "usual suspects," those Republicans who just can't take the hint, but who just love the spotlight, even if it's a negative spotlight (is there one?)  We got your Rick (please don't Google me) Santorum with his everyman pick-up truck; Chris Christie, whom I'd really love to watch a football game with; Marco Rubio (could I get another glass of water, please?); Scott Walker; and Rand Paul, who, in spite of being a doctor, can't bring his Libertarian brain into reality by endorsing vaccines for children.  Sorry, I wouldn't vote for any of them for dog catcher.

Which brings us to Jeb Bush.  Holy Shit.  Mitt Romney came to his senses recently and dropped out of contention, and Dubya Bush's brother Jeb was the biggest beneficiary of that dropout, for money and staff.  Are the voters ready for him?  The "Tea Party" doesn't like him, and that may doom him, but how tired of the Tea Party are mainstream Republicans?  What's weird is that Jeb doesn't seem, from the outside, to be as insane as the rest of them, and not as stupid as his brother (of course, my dog isn't as stupid as his brother.)  But that could change in a Miami minute.  We'll see.

So there you have it up to now.  There's a few of us who have been playing a little drinking game, where every time the Republicans attempt to repeal Obamacare, we have to take a drink.  Some of the weaker guys have had to check out and go to re-hab.  Others are just sitting around glassy-eyed and mumbling.  Me, I'm loaded and ready for the next round.  GO 57!  Cheers!


JP