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Thanks to TPM, retiring Rep. Frank from the state of Not Suffering Fools Gladly on whether President Obama “squandered too much capital” on health care reform:
… “Unfortunately, from the very beginning — look, look at the contrast. George Bush came to us on the Democratic side in late ’08 and said, we’re in a crisis, we need your help — and we gave it to him, very openly, very fully. Then Obama comes in to try to deal with the terrible situation he inherited from Bush and the republican media went into full partisan attack. [Senate Republican Leader] Mitch McConnell announcing his number one goal was to defeat the president. I don’t think in the end the timing, unfortunately, would have helped a great deal.”
The man has earned his rest most honorably, but I hope that not having to hondle with campaign donors (from all reports, his least favorite part of the job) gives him a chance to do more political commentary going forward. And by ‘political commentary’, yes, I mean telling Luke Russert, on-air, that debating his twitter-ific outlook would be like arguing with a dining room table. (Extra points if he calls David Gregory more deluded than the average LaRouchie.)
Sly
What’s so delusional about believing that the Queen of England, aside from being the world’s leading narcotics trafficker, also ordered the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Oklahoma City bombing?
GG
Oh fuck, to put it kindly, I forget Barney Frank was retiring. Love the “Unchain Him” idea.
Is this an open thread? I’ll pretend it is and ask something which may seem trivial, but maybe it will cause some interest.
I’m still registered to vote in a lovely blue island (KY-6). In ’10, we got bluedog Ben Chandler re-elected by ~600 votes. Srsly. Now I’m eligible to vote in the most Red district in CA. (Based on % of votes for Meg Whitman, but Issa, Bilbray, etc.) Prop 37 is kinda appealing, and close to my heart, though.
So, where should I vote? I have a while to register here. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
GG
Also too, no basements or empty lots involved.
MoeLarryAndJesus
Barney was the best, and I can’t overemphasize how great he was at constituent services here in Massachusetts.
I also look forward to his new career as a liberal gadfly. He’ll be a real stiletto to the dead heart of the conservative bowel movement.
Steve
Barney Frank was one of the good guys, but let’s not forget that he was the first one to freak out when Scott Brown got elected and declare that maybe the Dems needed to rethink this whole health care enterprise. It was President Obama’s steady hand that kept the ship on course through that difficult period.
? Martin
@GG: Vote in KY. Smaller state – your vote will count more there. CA-49/50 aren’t going to budge.
slag
Just watched some more clips from the Rmoney-Kennedy debate, in one of which Rmoney said that a good friend of his family died of an illegal abortion. I can’t decided which thought is worse…that of him lying about a friend dying of an illegal abortion or that of him now deciding that maybe that friend dying of an illegal abortion wasn’t such a bad thing after all and maybe we need us some more of that.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@GG: You should vote where you live.
Steve
@slag: Apparently the story is true. The person has a name, it was a real family friend. Kind of sick, yeah.
Hill Dweller
I always seem to screw up a link, so I’ll just recommend reading Tom Junod’s piece on Michelle Obama’s speech over at Charlie Pierce’s blog.
slag
@Steve: Wow. That is disturbing. So, it’s not that he denies the fact that illegalizing abortion kills women; it’s that he’s not all that concerned about women dying from illegal abortions. At least not concerned enough to let it get in the way of his presidency. Character!
DPS
@GG:
Where you live. That is the spirit of the law, and when it comes to voting the law is everything, letter and spirit.
GG
@? Martin: Sigh. It didn’t help me defeat the Aqua Buddha man. Although I was pretty happy with Chandler’s victory. The spouse insists that Nancy let him and a couple of bluer dogs vote to pander unless she needed him. Afaik, most of Lex didn’t care, and mostly wanted him to stop fucking around and be a Democrat, but wtf.
I completely know about this Loony Toon district(s) in CA. I gather that Sheriff Joe Asshole’s best friend Evar is the Mayor of the town I live in. And random traffic stops here (not for drunks, for “illegals”) are sop. I nearly got arrested recently…
Bilbray’s out, but we srsly have Duncan Hunter now?
Steve
@GG: If you’re actually a legal voter in Kentucky you should feel free to vote there. But you should research it and not just assume that because you’re still registered it must be ok. Most places don’t take you off the registration rolls when you move.
GG
@Steve: Oh I am. I’m totally legal, and have usually been in downtown Lex to get my absentee ballots for every election since ’08 or so. I certainly voted absentee in ’10, and all the odd-year KY Gov elections.
I have a dear friend who says “When people ask me where do I live, it sounds like an essay question.” Interestingly enough, he’s actually from Lexington too.
I’m stuck in Cali for family reasons, but my house is in Lex. I do have a lot of FF miles.
I’m not gonna vote twice. Did I mention that I’m a lifelong Democrat? So is my 86 y.o aunt.
Brachiator
What the hell is happening in Canada? I thought this was supposed to be the happy place? From BBC news:
A gunman has brought chaos to a separatist election victory rally in the Canadian province of Quebec, killing one man and wounding another.
The shooting followed preliminary results indicating the Parti Quebecois was set to form a minority government after nine years in opposition.
PQ leader Pauline Marois was giving a victory speech in Montreal when shots were heard at the back of the hall.
She was rushed off the stage and a man was later arrested.
The gunman’s target was unclear but the 50-year-old suspect was heard shouting in French “The English are waking up”.
Two shots were reportedly fired. One man was fatally wounded, another is in a critical condition in hospital.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19478694
Debbie(Aussie)
http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/601535/n/Damage-Control
Thought some of you might be interested in how an aussie f/a program reports on your mass shootings.
jeroen
I’m pretty sure he said:
Not, as the transcript reads:
He mentions Mitch Mcconnell immediately after this and I don’t think he’s part of the ‘republican media’, whatever that is.
Arclite
Barney Frank forever. Not perfect, but his heart has always been in the right place.
GG
@Debbie(Aussie): Sigh. Are we supposed to be embarrassed or something? Whoop.
Also, too: back off. Tasmania? Norway? We’re the saddest with the sickest, but scarcely unique.
I’m on record as repeatedly explaining to close friends that this country has lost its collective mind. Because it has. But it’s not unique, and please tell me what you think about Tony Abbot and why before you drive by here again.
raven
@Debbie(Aussie): And you don’t need to keep posting it on different threads, digger.
GG
@raven: ;-> Oh ah… and I haven’t even been on other threads. Glad my own shit detector is still functional.
GG
Sigh. Srsly, mods?
raven
@GG: So Debbie(aussie) posted it too. Can’t tell you dingo’s apart.
GG
@raven: Uh? Posted what? What in the fuck are you talking about?
raven
@GG: Debbie (aussie) posted it on the previous thread. I was replying to her. Don’t have a fucking stroke.
Schlemizel
@jeroen:
Listen to the clip – he very clearly says “Republican media”. I think that was a jab both at the GOP and also at the media, like CNN that makes the GOP obstruction possible
GG
BFGH! I posted a very real personal question which I was serious about, which basically amounted to where should I waste my vote this year in my weird situation? I have a choice this year. If I choose CA, it means something. If I don’t, that means something too.
So late evening, I challenge what I think is a troll (Debbie), and you have a problem with this? Including asking “her” about the oppo leader in the Australian Federal Gov. and you can’t tell the fucking difference between us?
Please explain yourself.
Schlemizel
@GG:
Have not seen the clip in question but really? You want to compare a once in a century event in Norway and Tasmania to the weekly occurrences here in the States?
Damn right I’m embarrassed. Canada has as pretty much the same percentage of gun owners as the US & shooting up a political event is big news because it never happens.
Pro or anti gun control one question we need to answer is what the fuck is wrong with us as a nation that we stand apart in this one area.
Debbie(Aussie)
Regarding Tony Abbott, the mad monk, he is a misogynistic right wing arsehole. With the dateline thing, no pointing fingers at all. I read here everyday and after seeing it I thought some of you might be interested. Please forgive me me if I did not follow appropriate tntertube rules.
hep kitty
One thing about Barney Frank, he just totally doesn’t give a shit what people think of him personally. I mean, that shirt that one time. I know I’m being shallow, I’m sorry.
mai naem
@slag: The story is true. It’s either his cousin or some family in-law. Somebody linked to the obituary a few months ago- I think from the early sixties and the parents of the girl actually ask for donations be made to Planned Parenthood in the obituary. It is truly amazing in so many ways. This is not one of those its happens to only the “little” people for the Romneys, this happened to somebody they knew and they are still too chicken to publicly support abortion.
GG
@Schlemizel: No, actually I don’t. I’m so totally gun control it isn’t funny. I’ve lived in sane places, and my actual personal opinion is that the US gun nut poison is just that. Poison.
@Debbie(Aussie): I owe you an apology. I definitely don’t know much the Balloon Juice rules. I did Go Off on the How the World Sees the US, because well, half this country is srsly insane. But I’ve also lived elsewhere, for long enough that I did get a bit tired of it All being Our Fault. So I can be very good mentioning Their issues.
(Yeah, 2nd T on Abbott.) My Tazzie friends loathe him. Is he that unelectable? Plz say Yes, he’s not not not getting elected.
mai naem
I hope MSNBC goes after Barney Frank but, really, they don’t need him. FOX is the one who needs Barney but they would never go after a smart Dem. so he’ll probably end up at CNN.
WTF happened to Scarbo? Willie Geist is trying to do his best imitation of Scarbo. I do hope Elizabeth Warren doesn’t come off professorial tonight. I hope some of FLOTUS rubbed off on her. She’s got to win that Senate seat, if for no other reason, than to get rid of Cosmo Boy.
Debbie(Aussie)
@GG: Am afraid he might. We Queenslanders elected a clone of him recently. Am hoping the rest of Aus will recoill (as qlders are) at what is happening and not let the mad monk any closer to the levers of power. But I’m afraid we have our crazy wingnuts too. FSM help us all.
GG
@Debbie(Aussie): Oh damn. Let’s hope ppl aren’t that stupid.
If I said QLD survived Sir Joh, would you kill me? (I’d deserve it.) Ghods, though, I haven’t been everywhere, in QLD, but. Sigh. We have friends in Airlie Beach and Townsville, and we love Brisbane.
Steeplejack (phone)
@GG:
She’s not a troll. She posts here frequently, and amiably.
Maude
@GG:
The shootings are painful to us. You should know that. Your post on them are indeed insulting. It would be better not to do this.
Debbie(aussie)
@GG: Not al all :) You would be right. I came to elections after his time. but grew up while he was in power, a true wingnut, before his time.