Rep.Mike Pence (R), playing with himself on the floor of the House,

"The term 'Congress,' Madame Speaker, actually is an ancient term. It means interaction. It means the intercourse between men and women - and ideas and philosophies."

Sarah Palin story sparks Republican family feud

POLITICO

A hard-hitting piece on Sarah Palin in the new Vanity Fair has touched off a blistering exchange of insults among high-profile Republicans over last year’s GOP ticket – tearing open fresh wounds about leaks surrounding Palin and revealing for the first time some of the internal wars that paralyzed the campaign in its final days.

Rival factions close to the McCain campaign have been feuding since last fall over Palin, usually waging the battle in the shadows with anonymous quotes. Now, however, some of the most well-known names in Republican politics are going on-the-record with personal attacks and blame-casting.

William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard and at times an informal adviser to Sen. John McCain, touched off the latest back-and-forth Tuesday morning with a post on his magazine’s blog criticizing the Todd Purdum-authored Palin story and pointing a finger at Steve Schmidt, McCain’s campaign manager.....................

State's most conservative county uses much cash

SFGate

Sprawling across the northeastern corner of California, this huge, thickly forested county with more cows than people epitomizes the Western frontier - and what seems to be a two-faced political ideology.

Modoc has the highest Republican registration of any county in California, it unfailingly elects anti-tax Republicans to office, and the vote here against last month's ballot measure that would have raised a variety of taxes was one of the most lopsided in the state. And yet, per capita, Modoc County gets more state taxpayer dollars than all but one of California's 58 counties.

The prevailing attitude among the right-wing ranchers and modern hippies who define Modoc County is of fierce self-reliance - but more people here than just about anywhere else depend on welfare checks of some kind to get by.

So with state Republicans blocking new taxes and insisting on deep cuts in taxpayer-funded services, does that make this most solid of GOP bases politically conflicted? Or, worse, just plain ignorant?

No way, say the cattlemen and the hippies. Most folks up here will tell you that no matter who is in office or what the big-city politicians do, the dearest wish of anyone living in Modoc is to be left alone - except for a little help for core needs like hospitals and schools.

And if you cut off our funding even for that, they say, we won't like it - but we'll get by. We're independent.

It's a frontier thing.

Split but not split

Ken McGarva and Tina Hodge will both tell you with equal ardor that government should stay out of their faces. But you wouldn't know they could agree by looking at them.

McGarva is a cowboy. The real kind, one who ropes and brands his cattle in the dot-in-the-road town of Likely. At 70, he loathes liberal politics.

Hodge is a back-to-the-land hippie. The real kind, one who raised her kids in a tepee on a remote mountaintop near tiny Eagleville and now lives off the grid in a hobbit-style house on that same mountaintop. At 57, she loathes conservative politics.

However, both McGarva and Hodge maintain that state legislators shouldn't even think of cutting health and education funding to rural counties like Modoc, where 9,184 residents knock around a territory the size of Connecticut.

Instead, they say, swing the budget ax on bloated-big-government-style frills - for instance, state-paid cars for legislators and misguided environmental regulations, though they don't always agree on which ones are misguided.

'We'll just get by'

The fact that health and education spending make up about 70 percent of California's general fund, leaving little else to cut, only emphasizes the importance of that funding, they say.

And if the Capitol does indeed slash Modoc County's money for road maintenance, health services and welfare job training - which will happen, if Sacramento's Republicans get their way - McGarva and Hodge have the same plan.

"Well, we'll just get by the way we did in the Great Depression - on our own," McGarva said, swatting mosquitoes on his porch after another hard day of herding dogies on his 1,000-head ranch. "We'll grow a vegetable garden, we'll use milk cows." If the roads are closed, he said, they always have horses.

"We have pretty much all we need here on the mountain, and if we had to we could grow more of our own food," said Hodge, standing in her front yard, which is 6,100 feet above sea level and a jarring, 4-mile rumble up a dirt road. If the roads are closed, she said, she can always pack into town using her herd of llamas.

The politicians 200 miles south in Sacramento say they admire that frontier spirit, and both sides say they know what is best for Modoc County. But that's about where they stop sounding alike.

Politicians can't agree

Democrats say the solution to the state's $24.3 billion deficit involves more revenue sources. Republicans say it requires only expenditure chopping. Both sides have dug in their heels.

Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, chairwoman of a legislative budget conference committee, ordered up a report last winter ranking which of the state's counties send the most tax money per capita to the Capitol, and which ones consume the most in health and other services. It showed that conservative counties - like Modoc, with 49.9 percent Republican registration, the state's highest - generally consumed the most, and liberal counties sent in the most.

Marin County was No. 1 in contributions, at $4,793 per person, and San Francisco was No. 3 at $3,578. Modoc was No. 2 in consumption at $2,216 per person, and conservative Tulare was No. 1, with $2,223.

"I don't think voters in the conservative counties understand the connection between the service they are receiving and the votes their representatives are making," Evans said. "Maybe the layers of government are so convoluted that many people don't realize how it works."

In Modoc, the way it works is that if the cuts being proposed go through, near-catastrophe will reign, said County Administrative Officer Mark Charlton.

He said the entire road maintenance service would be closed except for snowplowing on a few main roads, the welfare-to-work CalWORKS program would be cut in half, many mental health patients would no longer be monitored and would relapse and wind up behind bars, and there would be fewer police patrols.

"You'll be able to translate these cuts into more accidents on the road, more people in jail, more people getting sick," Charlton said..............................................

Right-Wing Extremism: hoping our military overthrows Obama...

by Larisa Alexandrovna

I was going to add this as an update to my earlier post, but thought it deserved its own post. Apparently, some glue-sniffing types are hoping that our own military will be inspired by the Honduras coup to overthrow our own president in order to save democracy. I kid you not. I have been reading the comments at several blogs and they are mind-blowing.

For one example of how the patriotic and in-love with democracy the average glue-sniffer is, you can go here and read the comments. But below is just a taste, in a few snips:

"Our democracy was the first that fell under Obama, as exemplified by the shenanigans on Porkulus and other economy-destroying, utopia-fantasizing legislation, which would have made the Politburo blush. Or to quote Dear Leader, democracy is no longer necessary because "he won."

"Of course Obumma is "deeply concerned." He doesn't want our own armed forces to get the notion that they too may need to defend the constitutional order from the depredations of a lawless "president."'

"WE ARE NEXT. 3rd world countries get it. Why don't WE!!!! WAKE the F#ck up people"

"sic semper tyrannis. Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Kennedy, and the rest out there destroying America . . . it could happen here (please God)"

This should scare everyone who values democracy, especially given the recent number of violent crimes committed by extremists of this nature.

More hate and crazy from the extreme right-wing...

by Larisa Alexandrovna

Rep. Sally Kern (R-OK) should resign from office or be removed because she is clearly in need of immediate medical attention and is unable to properly serve her constituents. From prof Turley:

"Kern has drafted a resolution that puts the current economic crisis squarely on the backs of libertines and godless people who have produced a moral crisis. This includes Obama’s refusal to “uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in recognition of our National Day of Prayer.”

You may recall Kern from his viral video ranting about gays, here. Now, she has gone macro economic in showing how free sex can destroy the free market. It is like the lost chapter of Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Of course, one must remember that, like his successor Kern, Smith held forth on both moral and economic theories with his publication The Theory of Moral Sentiments. [Richard Posner's Economics and Reason doesn't count and proved far less exciting than its title]."

If she wants to preach on the nature of sin, she can go work at her local church instead of wasting tax dollars trying to codify hate. Again, this is exactly the type of right-wing extremism that has no business in our government. I suggest you read the whole thing, including her attempt at

Just to clarify too, when I say "right-wing" extremism, I am not speaking of Republicans. I am speaking of people who are zealots, often violent, and entirely insane. I call them glue-sniffers, because there is no polite way to describe people of this nature. Kern is a typical glue-sniffer. She needs to resign. Surely the people she represents have more pressing concerns than this waste of legislation proclaiming hate as a virtue? Oklahoma, if you want to be taken off the rolls of red-neck rolls, I suggest you have people of substance represent you.

Déjà Vu: Fox News Rallies Viewers To Participate In Radical Anti-Obama Tea Party Protests On July 4

THINK PROGRESS

This morning on Fox News, Glenn Beck joined the Fox and Friends hosts to promote new anti-Obama, anti-tax tea party protests on July 4. Steve Doocy introduced the segment, “This weekend, of course the 4th of July, Americans are gearing up for a second round of tea parties to protest massive government spending.”

Reprising their role in orchestrating the first tea parties, the lobbyist-run groups Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks are again helping to organize the July 4 protests. FreedomWorks is working alongside other right-wing groups on a new website to publicize the events, and Americans for Prosperity is hosting several rallies on the 4th, including one with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

But while these lobbyist-run groups played a pivotal role in financing the logistics and coordination of the tea parties, Fox News was certainly the megaphone for the movement. Just as Fox News became a full-fledged sponsor of the April protests, running back-to-back segments and broadcasting live from protests across the country, the network is attempting to motivate another round of radical, anti-Obama protests on July 4th. In recent weeks and this morning, Fox News has run several segments, including one featuring disgraced Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), to promote tea parties. Watch it:

Already, Fox News contributor and former News Corp. lobbyist Angela McGlowan is scheduled to appear at the Memphis tea party later this week.

Last year, in the final year of Bush’s presidency, Beck penned an op-ed about how Americans should celebrate July 4 by talking not about “our problems,” but by celebrating “what’s right about America.” Beck also downplayed the “much maligned economy” under Bush, and told readers that the media should use Independence Day to take a break from reporting on “crooked politicians” or “high gas prices.”

Though he demanded that the media depoliticize July 4 last year, Beck and his colleagues at Fox News now seem preoccupied with rallying radical opposition to President Obama.

Beck Falsely States The U.S. Bought Alaska In The ‘1950s’ So We Could Drill

THINK PROGRESS

While appearing on Fox & Friends this morning, Glenn Beck managed to make a trio of mistakes when he attacked the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill passed by the House last week. The Fox News pundit falsely asserted the legislation’s effect on our oil dependency would be “none.” Beck then pointed out, incorrectly, that the U.S. purchased Alaska in the “1950s” and that we did so because of our interest in its “resources,” a subtle way of advocating for more drilling in Alaska:

CARLSON: But nowhere in that bill is anything about reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

BECK: None. […]

You know Donald Trump, I want to talk to this guy. When he was on the show just a few minutes ago I was thinking how can you not be laughing at us? How can the world not be laughing at us? We have all these resources. Why did we buy Alaska in the 1950s? We bought Alaska for the resources. And now we say no!

Watch it:

During his weekly address on Saturday, President Obama specifically focused on how the legislation would help lift “our dependence on foreign oil.” Obama said the bill would “spur the development of low carbon sources of energy,” which includes wind, solar, and geothermal power. He added the bill would result in “new energy savings like the efficient windows,” thereby reducing “heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer.”

Beck’s attempt to rewrite history to fit his talking point is also troubling. For clarification, Alaska was purchased in 1867 for $7.2 million and soon became known as “Seward’s Folly,” named for Secretary of State William H. Seward, because at the time it was widely regarded as foolish to spend so much money on remote tundra. (Perhaps Beck was thinking of Alaska becoming the 49th state in 1959.) The resources the U.S. was after in 1867 weren’t oil, but fish, furs, and the prospect of closer proximity to Russia from the North American continent.

Bachmann Lies About Census’ American Community Survey, Claims It Doesn’t Ask About Citizenship

THINK PROGRESS

As ThinkProgress has previously noted, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has been fearmongering about the 2010 Census and bragging that she plans to break the law by refusing to answer it. “I know for my family, the only question we will be answering is how many people are in our home. We won’t be answering any information beyond that,” said Bachmann recently.

On Sean Hannity’s radio show yesterday, Bachmann continued to attack the Census, repeatedly insisting that people should go to her website to “see the Census form for themselves.” Listing off a few questions from the American Community Survey (a long-form survey sent out to one in 40 households each year) that she considers invasive, Bachmann claimed that it doesn’t ask “are you an American citizen”:

BACHMANN: Twenty-eight pages. Sean, you know the one question they don’t ask? They ask, “are you an American citizen?” They don’t ask if you’re here on a visa or when it expires. We have no real idea how many illegal aliens are in our country. But wouldn’t you think, here they are asking every personal question about our lives, they could at least ask if we’re an American citizen? They don’t bother to ask for that. That’s why I think people need to read this census for themselves. If you go to my website, michelebachmann, you can read it.

Listen here:

In fact, the American Community Survey does ask about U.S. citizenship and it has since 1890:

Additionally, though Bachmann repeatedly directed Hannity’s listeners to her website, michelebachmnann.com, in order to view the Census questions, the questions aren’t actually available on her website. A press release on her congressional website, however, does encourage citizens to read the Census and ACS questions. Apparently Bachmann has yet to take her own advice.

Transcript:

HANNITY: And Congresswoman, credit to you. I mean, you’re out there and you’ve become a target by the Democrats because of your outspokenness and your willingness to take on the administration. A lot of press was made over the fact that you said, “well, I’m only going to give pertinent constitutional information as it relates to the census.” What’s the status on that?

BACHMANN: Well, the Democrats are trying to make a lot out of this because at my website, Michelebachmann.com, I’ve invited people from all over the United States to come and sign the ACORN petition to get ACORN out of conducting the census. And then I’ve also stated that as for my family and myself, we are not comfortable telling the administration every intricate detail of our life. If a person goes to my website at michelebachmann.com, they can see the census form for themselves. There’s a short form and a long form. On the long form, and recognize that the federal government says unless you answer every question, you’ll be subject to a fine. So the federal government will fine you if you don’t answer the questions.

HANNITY: Give us some of the example of the intrusive questions. We’ve gone over this some time ago and some of the questions that you don’t like.

BACHMANN: Well, they ask you your phone number. They want to know how many times you’ve given live birth. How many times you’ve been married. How many bathrooms are in your home. They want to know what time you leave your house in the morning to go to work. The hour and the minute. What time you come back from work. The hour and the minute. Your age, your race, your sex. And not only just for you, but for every person that lives in your house. Twenty-eight pages. Sean, you know the one question they don’t ask? They ask, “are you an American citizen?” They don’t ask if you’re here on a visa or when it expires. We have no real idea how many illegal aliens are in our country. But wouldn’t you think, here they are asking every personal question about our lives, they could at least ask if we’re an American citizen? They don’t bother to ask for that. That’s why I think people need to read this census for themselves. If you go to my website, michelebachmann, you can read it.