Today's "What makes me steaming mad" moment

By GottaLaff

Brought to you by Greg Sargent:

Dems are making Cheney relevant by letting him drive the debate.

Here's what he's referencing.

Reid endorses healthcare co-ops as Speaker Pelosi signals flexibility

By GottaLaff

Some leaders:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) endorsed the concept of health insurance cooperatives Thursday, siding with centrists in the House and Senate who want healthcare reform but oppose a public option.

Anyone have some blood pressure meds? I never thought I'd need them, but my head's about to explode, and I'd like to avoid a messy situation. Anyone? Stat!

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also hinted she could accept that approach a day after President Barack Obama delivered an address to a joint session of Congress that offered encouraging words for both centrists and liberal Democrats who have demanded a public insurance option.

Did you not hear me? STAT!

Reid told reporters that healthcare cooperatives could be as effective as a government insurance plan in fostering competition and reining in costs.

I cannot fathom why it is so hard for these poor excuses for leaders to push for a public option. I cannot fathom what these jellyfish are thinking. I cannot fathom why anyone believes a public option wouldn't work. I cannot fathom any more fathoming. It's giving me a headache.

So where are my meds, guys? Look, you have a choice. Lower my skyrocketing blood pressure now, or reading blog posts by someone without a head.

If this is "breathing new life" into what they're doing, then start the CPR, because this is one big fat heaping scoop of epic FAIL.

And in a scenario that was difficult to imagine a month ago, House leaders, including Pelosi, reacted to the new momentum behind co-ops and the Baucus bill not with further disdain, but with open arms. [...]

Pelosi reiterated her preference for a public option, but indicated a new willingness to follow another direction.

“This is about a goal. It’s not about provisions,” she said. “As long as our goal of affordability and accessibility and quality, meeting the four — which you don’t want me to repeat again — goals that we have in the legislation, then we will go forward with that bill.”

But Reid’s definitive support of co-ops as a way to achieve the president’s dual goals of increased competition and lower costs paves the way for a bill containing such a proposal to shape the debate going forward. [...]

House liberals, though, remain something of a wildcard.

They walked away from Obama’s speech believing that the president had stood in defense of the public option by stating that it was his preferred choice as well. [...]

But by Thursday night, that openness seemed to be morphing back into the same concern liberals had after their leaders cut a late-July deal with conservative Blue Dog Democrats to advance a healthcare bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which watered down the public option too much for their taste. [...]

After holding a public option “special hour” on the House floor on Thursday, the Progressive Caucus requested a meeting with Obama to further clarify his position on the public option.

Fine. Forget the meds. A giant box of wine will suffice.

NRAphobia: ConservaDem Senators Waffle On Sotomayor

By GottaLaff

SotomayOY. From the Department of Give. Me. A. Break:

Noting Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s record on the Second Amendment, Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) told Roll Call that that he is “undecided” on her nomination to the Supreme Court (although he added that he is “leaning toward voting in favor”). Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) expressed similar uncertainty:

“I accept her judicial philosophy of fidelity to the law,” Nelson said during a telephone conference call from Washington.

Nelson said he also believes Sotomayor is committed to supporting settled judicial precedent.

But, he said, he needs to “convince myself she won’t be an activist” on the court.

“I need an opportunity to review a few things,” the Democratic senator said.

Both senators’ equivocal statements come in the wake of the NRA’s decision to “score” the Sotomayor vote in determining where each lawmaker stands on the NRA’s pro-gun agenda. The NRA claims, falsely, that because Sotomayor once upheld a New York law against a Second Amendment challenge this somehow proves that she is hostile to gun rights. That decision, however, did nothing more than apply well-established law. [...]

In the end, Begich and Nelson’s decision may be decided — not by Sotomayor’s actual record — but by how afraid they are of the NRA.

ConservaWusses.

May I just say

That Harold Ford Jr (lame, wussy) vs Tom Delay (unchallenged liar) in a cable show "debate" is just a fracking joke. I think all the gains I made in blood pressure maintenance by not watching "Morning Joe" anymore have disappeared.

See for yourself-

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

VIDEO: Eric Cantor suddenly all smiles when face to face with President Obama

By GottaLaff

Remember Eric Cantor? This Eric Cantor? And this one? And ooo, ooo! This one, who opposed the housing bill before it was even released! Oh, and let's not forget this Eric Cantor, the one who alienated Aerosmith.

That very same E-Can't got all twitterpated when he actually, you know, spoke to his president:

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) Is Asked a Question By President Obama during the "Financial Summit" - He doesn't seem to have any problems with the President when he is visiting the White House

I bet E-Can't secretly wants to go to every one of Prez O's cocktail parties... he'd be the first one in line for (cocktail) weenies.

If he's not careful, the state Dems may get miffed at Lieberman

By GottaLaff

I've watched moms warn their very bratty children that they may, could very well, might possibly get angry if the kid continues to do whatever aggravating thing he/she is doing. "Stop that, Plechtrudis, or Mommy will get angry," exhausted, frazzled Mommy says in a weary, wilty, worn-down little voice. And of course, Plechtrudis continues to whack Mommy's new SUV with her baseball bat even harder.

"Stop that, Traitor Joe, or the Connecticut Democratic Party will get angry":

Connecticut’s Democratic Party is officially complaining to Sen. Joe Lieberman for backing Republican John McCain in this year’s presidential race – but has decided against taking any tougher measures against him.

State party officials voted Wednesday night to send the senator a letter laying out their unhappiness with his decision, amid new polls that show the Democrat-turned-independent drawing record low approval ratings from constituents unhappy over his presidential pick and his continuing support for the Iraq war.

Ooooo, harsh. That's telling him. I bet Joe's re-e-ally scared of getting grounded.

Quote-O'-The-Day: Wuss edition

By GottaLaff

Via TPM:

An unnamed White House official, quoted in today's Times, describing Bush administration efforts to get home foreclosure relief:

"It's become clear that if you stick your head up, it'll get cut off. We're done in two months. The next administration can try to find a way out of that maze."

They need a nap after all that hard work and stayin' the course and waterboarding and destroying the economy and stuff. Let Obama take it from here.

BREAKING: Lieberman will stay on

By GottaLaff

Harry Reid just announced. It wasn't even close, from what he said. Lieberman keeps his chairmanship.

"We need to be unified. We need to be unified as Democrats. We need to be unified as a Senate."

He defies anyone to be as angry as he was, Reid says. But, he doesn't want to "get even". He "feels good" about what they did today and doesn't "apologize to anyone". It's time to move forward.

He'll never understand or approve of what Lieberman did, but he's been one of the more progressive members, he said. He fought of the civil rights movement, says Reid. We need to handle the problems that face our country.

Do I trust him? Yes, I do.

Hey Harry? We don't. Not one bit. Not at all.

Traitor Joe is thanking Reid.

UPDATE:
Traitor Joe says the resolution nails him on his campaign remarks. He's denying some of the statements, saying they are "not true". He regrets "some" of his statements. Time to move on.

Claims what he said at the Republican convention were to explain his support of McCain. Uh huh.

He thinks he can reach across the aisle. He's defending his "independence of mind". But he considers himself to be a good member in standing of the Dem caucus... "that's what the record shows".

He's very enthusiastic, he says. He's excited about the chairmanship. He's relinquishing his seat on the Environment Committee.

Wow, that's some sacrifice.

He and McCain will introduce a new version of their anti-global warming rule.

Reid's New Rule: From now on, each member will be limited to chair one full, and one sub-committee.

See "labels".

It's the media's fault!!!

Dude, when did the Republicans become such a bunch of wussy whiners? Bad media!!! Do what we tell you or we'll CRY!!! And stamp our feet!! And call you bad names!!! Dumbasses.

Via Newshounds.

If you can't face 75 year old Larry King....

How can you face Putin?

After Campbell Brown's interview with McCain's spokesman Tucker Bounds last night, McCain is pulling out of an interview tonight with Larry King.

Relive the video moment here.