Tagged: pathetic

Posted: August 8, 2012 at 10:36 pm

Cowgirl Finishes Her Sophomore Year

In July, the Cowgirl Blog turned two.

And, the blog is on the verge of receiving our one millionth viewer.  Montana Cowgirl has been featured on CNN, and in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Mother Jones, and numerous Montana press outlets, much of it in the course of exposing the 2011 Republican legislature for the lunatics that they were (are).

But far more flattering is this: at a recent Washington, DC “summit” of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation group (the Koch brothers’ outfit of angry right-wing misfits), there was a panel at which I am told my blog was the main topic of discussion.  Who is this person, they asked. How does she do her research? What dark arts must she know?

It is truly hilarious that these dingbats believe my blog to consist of some sort of magic.  They view it with a sense of awe and bewilderment, like when Tarzan watched in amazement when he first saw the British artistocrat shave his face with a strait razor.  To the Tea Party set, this blog is an item of technological wonder, believed to emanate from some advanced, alien civilization.

A few pieces of advice for the panel participants. First, if you are literate, you can start a blog.  It costs almost nothing and can be done for free.  Second, if you know how to surf the web, conduct google searches, read a Facebook page and receive reader tips by e-mail, you can do all of the things that this blog does.  (Thank you readers! Your tips make up the most important content on this blog. Send tips to mntnacowgirl (at) gmail.com) True, this sets a high bar for an organization (AFP) whose Montana leaders are Joe Balyeat and Henry Kriegel. But it’s incomprehensible that there is such a dearth of credible GOP blogging in this state. The relative absence of conservative blogging (compared to all the really great Montana progressive blogs you see among those on the blog roll here to the right of this post) speaks volumes about the right wing.

As to the occasional remark made that this blog “lacks courage” because it is penned anonymously, these critics do not understand that anonymous writing is a crucial component of political discourse and has always been so.  Among other examples, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, a 1776 work that set forth the basic principles on which the American Revolution was based,was published anonymously.  I’m sure that Tea Partiers, with their intellectual command of American history, are aware of this.

Posted: December 19, 2011 at 8:36 pm

TEA Party Legislator Defends DUI Rant that Made Him a National Laughing Stock

The Montana TEA Party Republican lawmaker who took to the floor of the House of Representatives to express his opposition to “all DUI laws” on the grounds that they are destroying the state’s time-honored “way of life” took to the internet this week with an attempt defend the speech that made him a national laughing stock:

Here’s the screenshot:

Rep. Alan Hale (R-Basin) writes:

Ron Paul is absolutely right about the seriousness of our oath of office. The majority of State and local pollitical[sic] figures right here in Montana have a problem with that oath. One example is the DUI laws, stop and read our fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Plainly you cannot be compelled to testify against ones self[sic]. Each time I voted in the house I voted to protect our rights and libertys[sic], no matter how popular it was. So all of us needs[sic]to look at ways to stop irresponsable[sic] behavior without endangering our Constitutional Rights.

It is pretty pathetic that Hale would try to sound the Constitution alarm to take a stand defending drunks who don’t care enough about human life to walk home, take a cab, call a friend, or designate a driver. You have to be a real scumbag to fail to do any of those things considering the harm you could cause.

Posted: November 8, 2011 at 7:44 pm

Location, Location, Location

Besides Ken Miller and a few Republican staffers, Congressman Rehberg had a pretty sparse turnout for his recent “Liberate Main Street” astroturf tour.  What gives?

After decades as a politician, perhaps Congressman Rehberg knows more big shots in Washington D.C. than actual Main Street Montanans. Maybe if he had held his rally inside the Beltway, Rehberg could have found someone to stand up for his effort to stand up for Wall Street CEOs.

Here are some guesses on who would have attended Rehberg’s rallies if he had held them in D.C.:

 

Posted: July 28, 2011 at 7:28 am

Rehberg Brings in the Moonies to His Defense

Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s political brinkmanship and refusal to compromise to avert a national economic crisis has brought a barrage of constituent email that crashed the congressional website and switchboard, a scathing editorial from Montana’s most-read newspaper, and hundreds of critical Facebook posts from the people of Montana.

Problem is, his actions are so ridiculous that the only people he could find to come to his defense are the Moonies.  In his angry rant against the Billings Gazette for daring to point out the problems with his actions, Rehberg cites…wait for it…the Washington Times.  Not familiar with this paper? You wouldn’t be unless maybe you were a Moonie.

The Washington Times is founded by the Moonies and has been kept on a close leash by the Moonie staff:

The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the church….

In July 2010 international leaders of the Unification Church issued a letter protesting the direction the Times was taking and urging closer ties between it and the church.[41] In August 2010, a deal was made to sell the Times to a group more closely related to the church. Editor-in-chief Sam Dealey said that this was a welcome development among the Times’ staff.

UPDATE: D. Gregory Smith at the excellent blog From Eternity to Here has a good take on this too.  Go read it here.

Posted: June 24, 2011 at 6:46 am

Pathetic

One of the Richest Members of CongressMillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s well-paid fixer Erik Iverson (Rehberg even
 gave him a $31,000 dollar raise with our tax dollars as a 29-year-old staffer, making him the highest paid congressional staffer in D.C.) went on Aaron Flint’s radio show this week, giving Montanans a chance to hear how much tougher it has become to spin Rehberg’s do-nothing “career.”

Here’s what Iverson had to say about Congressman Rehberg’s pathetic record in 2008:

“Time and again,” Rehberg has backed legislation that matters to Montanans, Iverson says. He’s sponsored bills to recognize Billings’ 125th anniversary, push for a water project in Fort Peck, and congratulate Carroll College’s football team for its 2007 league win. Most importantly, supporters say, Rehberg co-sponsored the CLEANUP (Clean, Learn, Abolish, Neutralize, and Undermine Production of Methamphetamines) Act to focus federal authorities on the meth problem. The bill is still in committee.

“That’s a major policy accomplishment,” Iverson says.

It is?  Congressman Rehberg got his own bill into committee.  He probably even thought of the name (Clean, Learn, Abolish, Neutralize, and Undermine Production of Methamphetamines Act) all by himself.  However, though Rehberg wasn’t able to actually pass this tortured acronym (what does it even mean to sponsor a bill to “Learn” the production of Meth?? to “Neutralize” the production of Meth?), anyway he still forced his staff to list it among his accomplishments.

But in 2011, spinning for Congressman Rehberg is less about trying to dredge up something from Rehberg’s pathetic record to list as an accomplishment – it’s more about what you don’t bring up:

Ending Medicare as we know it – Congressman Rehberg tried and failed to take Medicare away from Montana seniors by gutting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Iverson said on the Flint show this week that the Affordable Care Act is a bad idea because it brought health care to Indian Communities and asbestos victims in Libby.

Putting lead back in candy – Iverson should have mentioned that Congressman Rehberg came up with a plan to contaminate the blood supply, make it easier for kids to smoke, and put lead back in candy.  When he started taking heat, Congressman Rehberg voted against his own amendment.

If this is Rehberg’s idea of accomplishing something, we suggest that for the rest of his last term he go back to doing nothing.

 

Posted: May 17, 2011 at 6:32 pm

Today’s Must Read Political Blog Post

…Is over at Intelligent Discontent. Wow.

I know that working for the Montana Republican Party can’t be easy–especially after this legislative session.  With the current slate of lackluster statewide candidates (Steve Daines anyone?), few people want to listen to you any more, and fewer people are likely to vote for your candidates. After a while, you snap.

What else are we supposed to think after reading the latest press release from the Montana Republicans.

Fantasies about Senator Tester “running over” a GOP staffer will ensure that the Republicans’ press releases get noticed. But they won’t do wonders for the party’s credibility in Montana.  Not that they had much to begin with.

As Tester campaign manager Preston Elliott said:

Dennis Rehberg is so desperate to advance his career that he encourages his staff to make things up and let’s remember that Dennis Rehberg is willing to put himself and his staff in dangerous situations, like on boats with drunk drivers.

Don’t miss watching the Beartooth NBC video of the GOP staffer accidentally explaining what really happened.

Posted: April 30, 2011 at 9:09 am

Millionaire Macaca Moment

Talking Points Memo is reporting on Rehberg’s latest:  Montana’s millionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg is trying to convince Montanans that he’s “cash poor,” but his millions of dollars say otherwise.

Congressman Rehberg is so completely out of touch that he believes that inheriting millions amounts to ‘struggling.’

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Rehberg is worth between $6.5 million and $56 million. That makes him the 14th richest member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Here is a link to the video of Rehberg’s comments.

Rehberg’s attempt to convince Montanans that he’s “struggling like everyone else” follows remarks last year, when he told a crowd that the he owns the prominent sandstone rims that surround the city of Billings, Mont.  “I actually own the rims all over the city,” said Rehberg, who is also suing Billings firefighters.

The entire transcript of Congressman Rehberg’s comments Thursday is below:

Questioner: What I want to know is where exactly is your priority?

Congressman Rehberg: Well, I’m glad as a group you park your politics at the door.

[Audience disapproves]

Congressman Rehberg: Because gratuitous comments like, “the rich like myself” … I’m a small businessman. My wife is a small businessman. You know she hasn’t taken a salary in ten years. She has not because of a result of the business. We’re struggling like everyone else with the economy…

Questioner: What’s your net worth?

Congressman Rehberg: I am land rich and cash poor. Like ranchers and farmers and small businesses throughout Montana. I have the same struggle [audible laughter in crowd], I have no employees, and we have the same struggle because we have the ability to borrow the money, but the problem is, in our particular case, if you don’t have the ability to pay back the loan what’s the reason go to the bank and borrow the money.

h/t Montana Dems

Posted: February 16, 2011 at 5:02 am

New York Times Lambasts Rehberg’s Remarks

Congressman Denny Rehberg lacks class and intellect, could it be the brain cells have gone?The New York Times today had harsh criticism for the angry threats Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg made about federal judges in a recent speech to the Montana Legislature.  Intelligent Discontent has the first post up on the piece.  In a column entitled “Dangerous Threats” Rehberg is taken to task for is lack of understanding of the U.S. Constitution, his outrageous claims, and his pathetic “defense” of his comments.

It wasn’t just Rehberg’s dangerous threats that drew criticism, but also the response of Republican legislators:

When politics fans those passions rather than disciplining them, as happened last week in Montana where Representative Rehberg’s threat drew an eager laugh, the system protecting that freedom is also threatened.