Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Cruz is a jackass because he has zero interest in working collaboratively, even with his own party, to get things done, even though that's the entire point of Congress. Look at his legislative history -- 90% of the bills he gets involved with are partisan extremism designed to give him an opportunity to grandstand rather than anything that actually has a chance of passing. He's more concerned with his own publicity than with getting things done, to the point of undermining his own party with respect to achievable goals. If you're a tea part extremist, you probably like Ted Cruz, but if you're a more mainstream Republican, you probably don't.

So what you are saying is that a congressman's job is to go against what he knows is the desires of those who elected him, because he's now in power?

I don't know where people think the job of a congressman is to 'get things done'. Sometimes the job of a congressman is to stop bad policy from moving forward, even if that creates a stalemate.

Please. The will of the people is not fillibusters and government shutdowns. If he wants to vote against something, so be it. But he is not content with that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Cruz is a jackass because he has zero interest in working collaboratively, even with his own party, to get things done, even though that's the entire point of Congress. Look at his legislative history -- 90% of the bills he gets involved with are partisan extremism designed to give him an opportunity to grandstand rather than anything that actually has a chance of passing. He's more concerned with his own publicity than with getting things done, to the point of undermining his own party with respect to achievable goals. If you're a tea part extremist, you probably like Ted Cruz, but if you're a more mainstream Republican, you probably don't.

So what you are saying is that a congressman's job is to go against what he knows is the desires of those who elected him, because he's now in power?

I don't know where people think the job of a congressman is to 'get things done'. Sometimes the job of a congressman is to stop bad policy from moving forward, even if that creates a stalemate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Do you really believe Boehner called Cruz a jackass because Cruz won't vote the way you think Obama would want? And are you so delusional to believe that Cruz has any convictions? Cruz is just another ineffectual blowhard who can't quite figure out how things actually get accomplished in the Senate.

I see Boehner saying one thing and doing another. That, to me, speaks volumes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Have you considered the possibility that you, too, are a jackass? Just something for you to think about...

So instead of answering the question, you insult?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The GOP enabled the crazies and gave them a voice. Arguably McCain put the clown car in motion by listening to Bill Kristol and bringing Palin into what should have been an adult conversation about the direction in which our country should be headed. The GOP and folks like Dick Armey kept the ball in motion by handing a blank check to the Tea Party fanatics.

The Clown Car was in motion long before 2008. I'd say the GOP's alliance with the religious right starting in the late 70s/early 80s put the key in the ignition, and things really started getting weird with the 1994 GOP takeover of Congress, led by Sinister Clown #1 Newt Gingrich.

Interesting take but Reagan would be far too liberal for the Insane Clown Posse that is today's GOP. The evangelicals like Falwell may have had a voice but in the end they weren't choosing the ringmasters. Even Lindsey Graham now seems dismayed that a third of the GOP are birthers. The anti-intellectualist posturing and Koch money that helped found the John Birch Society only makes the problem worse. It makes me sentimental for the hypocrisy of the serial adulterer Gingrich leading the calls to impeach the Clenis.

Yeah, but I still maintain the seeds were planted by the GOP's outreach to evangelical conservatives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The GOP enabled the crazies and gave them a voice. Arguably McCain put the clown car in motion by listening to Bill Kristol and bringing Palin into what should have been an adult conversation about the direction in which our country should be headed. The GOP and folks like Dick Armey kept the ball in motion by handing a blank check to the Tea Party fanatics.

The Clown Car was in motion long before 2008. I'd say the GOP's alliance with the religious right starting in the late 70s/early 80s put the key in the ignition, and things really started getting weird with the 1994 GOP takeover of Congress, led by Sinister Clown #1 Newt Gingrich.

Interesting take but Reagan would be far too liberal for the Insane Clown Posse that is today's GOP. The evangelicals like Falwell may have had a voice but in the end they weren't choosing the ringmasters. Even Lindsey Graham now seems dismayed that a third of the GOP are birthers. The anti-intellectualist posturing and Koch money that helped found the John Birch Society only makes the problem worse. It makes me sentimental for the hypocrisy of the serial adulterer Gingrich leading the calls to impeach the Clenis.

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Cruz is a jackass because he has zero interest in working collaboratively, even with his own party, to get things done, even though that's the entire point of Congress. Look at his legislative history -- 90% of the bills he gets involved with are partisan extremism designed to give him an opportunity to grandstand rather than anything that actually has a chance of passing. He's more concerned with his own publicity than with getting things done, to the point of undermining his own party with respect to achievable goals. If you're a tea part extremist, you probably like Ted Cruz, but if you're a more mainstream Republican, you probably don't.

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Do you really believe Boehner called Cruz a jackass because Cruz won't vote the way you think Obama would want? And are you so delusional to believe that Cruz has any convictions? Cruz is just another ineffectual blowhard who can't quite figure out how things actually get accomplished in the Senate.

Anonymous wrote:The GOP enabled the crazies and gave them a voice. Arguably McCain put the clown car in motion by listening to Bill Kristol and bringing Palin into what should have been an adult conversation about the direction in which our country should be headed. The GOP and folks like Dick Armey kept the ball in motion by handing a blank check to the Tea Party fanatics.

The Clown Car was in motion long before 2008. I'd say the GOP's alliance with the religious right starting in the late 70s/early 80s put the key in the ignition, and things really started getting weird with the 1994 GOP takeover of Congress, led by Sinister Clown #1 Newt Gingrich.

Anonymous wrote:Am I only one who calls Boehner "Boner" in her mind?

No. One of the best lines came from disgraced (and aptly named) former Rep. Anthony Weiner, who said something like, "Bay-ner. Who's he kidding? It's Boner. Just embrace the name, bro."

Anonymous wrote:I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?

Have you considered the possibility that you, too, are a jackass? Just something for you to think about...

Anonymous wrote:I think most of the Senate feels that way about Cruz.

I have a lot of sympathy for Boehner afer reading "It's Worse than It Looks" (Ornstein/Mann). That guy has a lot of crazy fuckers to deal with.

Boehner wouldn't be speaker if it weren't for all of the "crazy fuckers" elected as GOP congressmen.

Anonymous wrote:Am I only one who calls Boehner "Boner" in her mind?

No.

Am I only one who calls Boehner "Boner" in her mind?

I fail to see why Cruz is a jackass, nor is anyone giving a good explanation except "Boehner said so".

Is it because he won't simply vote the way Obama wants him to?

Is it because he stands up to those in Congress he feels are not representing the American people?

Is it because he stays true to the convictions he was elected on?