Pelosi Top Legislative Priority: Her Hair

Are you serious? Vanity is one thing and I know you're probably being photographed every day, but still ... Nancy, you go to the hair salon every day?

[WashingtonExaminer] She’s the most powerful woman in politics, but when it comes to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hair, she finds herself lacking any power to veto a bad hair day.

"Nancy said that in her next life, she would like to be able to style her own hair," said Gary Croteau, stylist at Salon Mario Russo in Boston, Mass. Not too surprisingly, as for years, Pelosi has made the salon at the Four Seasons in Georgetown her first stop every morning.

With the nation in crisis due to the recession, two foreign wars, public health care being crammed down our throats, financial bail-outs -- you go to the salon?! Says a lot about your priorities.

And yes, I posted this to annoy Pelosi's #1 fan ... not!

Left Hanging

That title has all kinds of unintended connotations doesn't it?

Nancy Pelosi has a serious case of foot-in-mouth disease over her latest kerfuffle. (And yes, I just wanted to use the word kerfuffle like everybody else.)

[Politico] Rebuffed by the Democratic head of the CIA and left hanging by a Democratic White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backpedaled Friday on her claims that the CIA lied to her about water-boarding.

Looks like she may have over-reached this time. Oops. Jackals will eat their own when there's no more prey left.

Run Over By The Healthcare Train

Today the AP reported that Nancy Pelosi of Dems & PelosiCo(tm) promised to bring a health care reform bill to the floor by August.

President Barack Obama went on TV for a third straight day to push for passage of health care legislation he hopes will extend coverage to 50 million uninsured people. Standing at his side at the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi renewed a promise to bring legislation to the House floor by August.

"We've got to get it done this year," Obama said. "We don't have any excuses; the stars are aligned."

The developments underscored a quickening drive toward health care overhaul legislation in Congress.

Obama has asked the health insurers, doctors, hospitals and others who brought the much-ballyhooed — but vague — $2 trillion cost-saving idea to the White House earlier this week to produce specifics by June 1.

Once again the political Babelfish gets to translate: WOO-WOO! You hear that sound? That's a train a-comin'! You 'bout to get railroaded!!

What's the rush? Obama and Pelosi both know that people are starting to suffer from bail-out fatigue. The desire to overhaul everything in sight while racking up mind-numbing deficits is starting to wear on the American psyche. People simply cannot sustain a heightened sense of urgency over a long period of time; their emotions simply give way.

Americans should be extremely wary of anything of that scale that "must" be done "right now". Things that are rushed to be done are usually things that are done badly or shouldn't have been done at all. As much as everyone likes to gripe and complain about Congress being a model of inefficiency, there's a very good democratic principle involved in letting it be so. Debate is healthy, so that all sides get aired. Checks and balances are good for democracies; no one party or person should be able to ride roughshod over the other -- that's how despotism starts.

Political Babelfish

Politicians are funny animals; they look and act like ordinary humans, but sometimes the things they say are simply incomprehensible to the rest of the species. This has led many to believe that they are not the same species at all, and therefore we are in need of a Babel Fish to translate. Detractors, however, maintain that politicians are not a separate species, but rather a pack of lying weasels that give packs of lying weasels a bad name.

The Babel Fish is small, yellow, and simultaneously translates from one spoken language to another.

When inserted into the ear, its nutrition processes convert sound waves into brain waves, neatly crossing the language divide between any species you should happen to meet whilst travelling in space.

Thus, enter the political babel fish to translate what you think you heard into what was actually meant.

In a surprise move today, RINO Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter announced that he would be switching parties from the Republicans to the Democrats, after announcing that he would never do that in a March 17th interview with The Hill.

Specter: I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system.

Translation: I think this will play well in Peoria; too bad I'm a Senator in Pennsylvania.

Specter: "Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats."

Translation: I'm a political whore.

Specter: "I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

Translation: "I've been informed by my pollster that it would be impossible for me to be reelected in Pennsylvania as a Republican because I could not win the primary; and I could not get elected as an independent, and so I've decided to become a Democrat."

[Washington Post] Specter will receive his seniority among Democrats as if he had been elected as a Democrat in 1980, when he rode into office on the coattails of Ronald Reagan's conservative revolution. That effectively means Specter will become chairman of a key subcommittee on the Appropriations Committee, probably the one overseeing the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.

Specter: "I will not be an automatic 60th vote."

Translation: "I'd like to become full appropriations committee chairman in six to 10 years; that is something I'd like to attain."

Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to switch parties will make it easier for Democrats to move forward with their agenda, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday.

Pelosi: "This is very exciting, very exciting for the American people, because now we can get things done without explaining process."

Translation: WOO-WOO! You hear that sound? That's a train a-comin'! You 'bout to get railroaded!!

[Washington Post] Other moderate Republicans acknowledged they, too, have been approached about changing parties. Sen. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, the Maine Republicans who along with Specter provided the three pivotal votes for Obama's $787 billion stimulus legislation, both said today they have been approached. Neither would comment about how recent the overtures were, although Collins said she has been asked roughly four times during her 12 years in the Senate to consider becoming a Democrat.

Collins: "It's something I would never do."

Translation: "I'd like to get a committee chairmanship too, in exchange for switching."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a prominent conservative who was John McCain's staunchest supporter in his 2008 GOP presidential campaign, warned that the party has become regionalized in its mentality. "We have to find places in the party for people who couldn't win in South Carolina," he told reporters.

Translation: "I may have a little cry."

[Washington Post] Texas Sen. John Cornyn, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement that the GOP would seek to make the 2010 election a referendum on whether voters wanted Democrats to have unchecked control of Congress.

Cornyn: "While this presents a short-term disappointment, voters next year will have a clear choice to cast their ballots for a potentially unbridled Democrat super-majority versus the system of checks-and-balances that Americans deserve."

Translation: "We have no strategy."

Mean As A Snake

The Montgomery Advertiser blog reports a minor fracas between Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

And Alabama Republican Congressman Mike Rogers is not afraid of expressing himself when the topic is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Montgomery Advertiser newspaper's blog reports that during a visit to Auburn University Rogers called Speaker Pelosi "crazy," "mean as a snake," and "Tom Delay in a skirt" — referring to the highly-partisan former Republican House majority leader.

The dust-up has led to the usual back-tracking and spin that we have come to expect of our elected leaders whenever they stray too far from the median. Mumbling meaningless words of false contrition and professed goodwill and commitment to "bi-partisanship".

Democratic Chairman Joe Turnham said he would personally try to set up a meeting between Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Rogers to discuss bi-partisan cooperation if Rogers apologizes to her. “You can’t call people names and then bemoan the fact they won’t work with you."

Point of order, Mr. Turnham: I think the "won't work with you" came first and the name calling came second.

Bah. Phooey.

They're all liars and opportunists; Pelosi IS crazy and mean as a snake (and Delay did the exact same thing when it was his turn). Even if Congressman Rogers apologizes, what he said first was what he thought. Do us all a favor and say what you really think, stick by it, and don't apologize when you don't mean it -- that way we'll all at least know where you really stand.

Don't bother calling your rivals names, just tell the truth with an acid wit, it's much more effective. Churchill did it, and he's considered one of the great statesmen. If you're going to insult the opposition, do it do their face and do it with flourish and use a great metaphor. Witness this by MEP Daniel Hannan:

Porkulus Rumbles On

In once sense, the Obama administration and the current liberal Democrat power pyramid should be commended at least for being consistent.

They believe in big government and big spending in matters social and economic -- and are giving it to us in spades. (President G.W. Bush gets the non-coveted Blynken Raspberry award for going against his party's small government principles by giving us TARP in the first place.)

Only the gargantuan proportions of the trillions of dollars spent by the recently passed TARP and ARRA so-called stimulus bills could make the Senate giving final approval to a $410 billion spending bill to fund most of the federal government for the remainder of the year look small.

Visualize trillions of dollars here for some perspective.

• President Obama said that "At this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life."
  
• Secretary of State Clinton stated: "Never waste a good crisis ... Don't waste it when it can have a very positive impact on climate change and energy security."
• Barack Obama’s health care plan follows the Democratic template—an emphasis on dramatically and quickly increasing the number of people who have health insurance by spending significant money upfront.
• Obama rescinds conscience rule, funds ESCR and overseas abortions.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday she is open to introducing a second stimulus bill, but it's too early to determine the size of such a package and the timing on another major economic measure.
• A Virginia Senator Jim Webb email states "This economic recovery package is designed to swiftly drive money into our struggling economy. While this legislation is an important step, other measures must be adopted to restore the health of our economy. These include appropriate reforms of our banking and financial systems, tax fairness, and measures to place the nation on a long-term path to fiscal responsibility. "
• Virginia Senator Mark Warner's email states "The Recovery and Reinvestment Act is but one component of a three-part plan to restore our economy. We still have important work to do to address the foreclosure crisis and shore-up the real estate market and we also must take steps to repair our banking system."

The hits just keep on coming -- and it's only been 50 days.

To The Batcave!

To the Batcave!

That's the only way I can think of to rationalize the recent behavior of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. She must be living some kind of mental double life: typical American politician by day, fantasy Catholic by night. (In American politics the extreme left are Moon-Bats and the extreme right are Wing-Nuts.)

How else to explain the massive doublethink and moral gymnastics required to willfully ignore the clear and consistent teaching of the Church and bend it to her own particular brand of "ardent" Catholicism? We don't have brands of Catholicism: you either eat the whole enchilada or you ain't in the club. Social justice: yes; pro-life: yes. No religious vigilantes need apply; plenty of other denominations will be happy to accomodate you, Madame Speaker.

After the public horse whipping Pelosi got after her disingenuous comments on Meet The Press regarding the Catholic Church's constant teaching regarding abortion, the reluctant Archbishop Niederauer, was forced to publicly invite the costumed abortion-crusader to a discussion to correct her erroneous views. This is akin to the Commissioner sending up the Bat-signal because he couldn't get her on the Bat-phone.

Nearly six months after the invitation, Pelosi finally found time in her busy schedule to meet with Archbishop Niederauer on the rooftops -- in this case skulking in the home of a third party. True to her split personality her spokesman clarified that the meeting would have no effect on her abortion stance, but rather, she was Off to See the Pope!

Doubtless hoping to get a free photo-op with the Pope, Pelosi's hopes were dashed when the Vatican refrained from releasing any photographs of the 15 minute meeting. Perhaps learning from recent public relations debacles, the Vatican immediately released a statement after the encounter in which the Pope affirmed the particular duty of Catholic politicians to support and protect life from the moment of conception until natural death.

"Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.

His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.”

Pelosi, by contrast, released a statement saying just how thrilled she was to meet the Pope, but ignored the content of the Pope's address instead focusing on her own remarks to the Pontiff. (La-la-la-la, I'm not liiiiiiistening...).

Hang out with Moon-Bats long enough, and you start to have delusions about your own importance. >cough< >kaff< Can't breathe ... must reach ... utility belt. >cough<.

The sad part is, the kids are watching the show -- same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

Mischmasch and Snarge

Mischmasch: n. a hodge-podge; a mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble.


Everyone has probably heard the latest on the Vatican embracing technology and that it now has its own YouTube channel. The channel has been live for about 5 days now and it already has about 20 videos. All of them are very short (maybe due to our attention spans?), ranging from 30 seconds to 2.5 minutes.

The always interesting Language Log has an entry on this interesting new(?) word: snarge. (I can't find a pronounciation guide -- is it hard "g" or soft "g"? It looks like it ought to be soft, but I would prefer the hard "g".)

Apparently it means "the residue of birds that have struck an airplane" as used by the people at the National Museum of Natural History. This, of course, was inspired by the amazing story of the pilot who successfully crash landed his plane on the Hudson with all 150 people aboard surviving.

Another use of the word snarge appeared in the 1925 book Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases meaning "any ugly or unpleasant person", which could be applied to the attitude displayed by Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who defends contraceptives being added to the economic stimulus bill. She was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos as saying, "contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government." And that from a "devout practicing Catholic". Ha!

On the other extreme, the LeFebrite SPX bishops narrowly avoided excommunication when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the ban in favor of dialog with the schismatic traditionalist group in the hopes of affecting a reconciliation. Remember guys: excommunication is not a punishment but a remedy for the wayward soul.

And finally, the FDA approved human embryonic stem cell trials on humans to see whether the cells are safe to use in spinal injury patients. "But it will happen soon, and it would have happened sooner if it weren't for the ridiculous Bush policies", said a ridiculous Dr. Okarma who stands to make a lot of money from the associated patents.

Let's see: human embryonic (baby humans) ... trials on humans. Hello! It's Soylent Green!