A day late and a dollar short…

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Partisan hacks, all of them

You know how you can tell elected Republicans don’t give a damn about women’s health? They try to repeal Obamacare, and then to generate points with their base after yet another failure they decide to trot out anti-choice attachments. FUCK YOU.

Of course, shit like this is why I believe we need the Senate. Every chance these misogynists get they pass/or try to pass some kind of restrictions on my health care. Just a reminder that is what abortion is a health care decision for female born individuals.

This was all over Twitter yesterday, and of course the Huffington Post had it. House Republicans (probably those beholden to the Tea Party) have argues that a ban on late-term abortions should be included in a bill to authorize a one-year increase of the debt ceiling. This comes a few weeks before the Treasuring Department expects the US will run out of money to fund its obligations, but that’s according to the Washington Post, so lies.

Remember back to June when the House of Representatives pass a ban like this one, but the Senate didn’t even vote on the measure, and the White House threatened to veto it for good measure? Yeah, so now they think they can hold everyone hostage. Also, the Huffington Post reports that according to the CBO a ban like this would increase the debt. *slow clap*

The House GOP also wants to back the Keystone pipeline and delay Obamacare in this one as well. Also apparently, they are considering demanding provisions that back Wall Street banks, expanded drilling, and healthcare and social services cuts for raising the debt ceiling. Democrats and President Obama have refused to negotiate over the debt ceiling increase, but we know how the Dems are, and hostage negotiator Obama.  Also, fun fact: Speaker Boehner wasn’t immediately available for comment…hear those drums John? They are coming for you.

I’m no fan of the Senate, but as long as these zealots are owning the House then we need them and all their inefficiencies to protect us from the fanatic policies being cranked out of the House.

Hey Speaker Boehner, need a hug?

Much to my delight, Speaker John Boehner received another ass kicking on Thursday when the House of Representatives voted down the $940 billion farm bill. The vote was 234 nays to 195 yeas. Democrats felt the bill cut too much from SNAP, and Republicans thought it didn’t cut enough so the bill failed. Now they head back to the drawing board. You can’t see it, but I’m dancing in my chair a bit. Of course, I’m also worrying about the kind of cuts these bat-shit-crazy Republicans want.

I’m not going to rehash everything about this bill because I’ve written about it enough. I will note that President Obama did threaten to veto the House version of the bill, and the Senate passed one with $20.5 billion in cuts. The House bill wanted to cut $743.9 billion from SNAP. Take a minute. Yep, everyone involved goes to the special hell. Now, this will be back, and probably with deeper cuts to SNAP, and probably something crazy thrown in for good measure. But (with an act of god) maybe Obama can hold the line with a veto threat (doubt it though), and we know the Senate will push back a little. I’m predicting no less than $25 billion cut from SNAP.

On the political side of things, Boehner can’t get a break. You have to wonder if this guy has any pull left with his party. The only thing worse than incompetent GOP leadership is ineffective and incompetent GOP leadership. Boehner, go home, retire. Descent in the ranks is nothing but good news for us, but with the emphasis on targeting women, the poor, and people of color it makes me nervous. Last thing we want is Rep. Franks ascending in the ranks. Fingers-crossed the GOP impales themselves on immigration reform and lose a ton of seats next go round. 

Boehner ran right back to the debt ceiling by yesterday afternoon. Making threats and the like, but can all the Democrats lean in  and pay attention? He's weak. He's very weak. He's going to be in a tight spot on immigration reform, and maybe just maybe if you pretend you know how to perform politics we can get somewhere. Boehner may have to rely in Democrats to pass immigration reform, which could cost Boehner his speaker ship eventually. 

Women no SAFER thanks to the House GOP

So this morning we talked about the House GOP killing VAWA, and now let’s talk about them killing the SAFER Act of 2012. Don’t know what that is? No one else does either.

Mother Jones had a little written about the SAFER Act by Erika Eichelberger. The SAFER Act of 2012 is the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry Act. It was introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) back in May, and by Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas) in the House in December. The SAFER Act would have reallocated $117 million to start making a dent in the national backlog of untested rape kits, which contain forensic evidence. There are about 400,000 untested rape kits across the country. The longer these kits go unprocessed the easier it is for the perpetrators to get away with rape.

This legislation would require that 75% of federal grants already allocated for rape kits to actually be used for that purpose or to increase law enforcement agencies’ capacity to process the kits…yeah, just making the money already being sent that way actually be used for the testing of the kits. It would also set up a reporting system to track localities’ progress in reducing their rape kit backlog and require yearly audits of the number of untested kits.

A bill like this of course had bipartisan support, hell Allen West was for it. Yeah, take a minute. We can get that wing nut on board, but still not get this through the House. The bill was stalled in the House judiciary committee, chaired by Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas), because of the provision requiring local law enforcement to report the specifics of backlogged cases to the Department of Justice. The Senate addressed Smith’s concern in the version of the bill they passed (by unanimous consent by the way) changing the legislation so that law enforcement agencies only had to report aggregated case data to the DOJ instead of individual case data.

And then on Wednesday, the unthinkable happened: the House suspended its rules to take up the bill, and they passed the SAFER Act. Be in awe, but then remember this is Congress.

So the House passed it, but the measure was different than what came out of the Senate. They had no time left in the legislative session to reconcile the two versions of the bill so the legislation is all but dead.

The House bill included some amendment, which removed the language that Sens Cornyn, Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) crafted. Their language specifically authorized not just forensic labs, but all law enforcement agencies to receive grant money to process the rape kits. A Congressional staffer told Mother Jones that amending the language was the only way Smith would allow the bill to move to the House floor for a vote. Without reconciling the bills both die. Smith didn’t respond to Mother Jones’ request for comments on why the bill was amended.

So for those playing at home: the House GOP killed two bills that protect women, not involving choice stuff, just bills that keep women safer. Bills that protect women from rape and violence. Bills that would assist in the prosecution of those committing these acts. Someone want to tell me again why women would vote for people in this party?

Aside, I may be trolling John Boehner again. I can’t help it. Every time I see his Twitter feed, I’m enraged by something his people posts. His office probably prefers it this way to me calling. By the way, his office number are in Ohio 513-779-5400 and 937-339-1524, and in DC 202-225-6205. You’re very welcome. And congrats to John on his re-election as Speaker of the House. I’d hate to get used to someone knew.

You guys, I hope this is true

House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid got into it on Friday. Huffington Post, Politico, and Wonkette (accompanied by the adorable angry baby below) are all reporting that several people overheard the verbal altercation in the White House lobby.[Couldn't you just die?]

The description of the verbal dispute:

With no bipartisan agreement about the debt ceiling, spending cuts and tax increases in sight, Boehner reportedly pointed at Reid and said, “Go f**k yourself.”

“What are you talking about?” Reid asked.

And Boehner again said, “Go f**k yourself.”

Inside the minds of greatness. 

They then resorted to schoolyard shoving and name calling. This is when Nancy Pelosi broke it up telling them they were scaring the women folk. Just kidding. But for real, "go fuck yourself" is the best Boehner could come up with? I've heard better cussing from third grade girls. And Reid's response...perhaps the man has gone senile, not knowing what "Go fuck yourself" means.

This occurred after Reid took to the Senate floor and claimed that Boehner could have ended the fiscal cliff by bring legislation passed by the Senate for a vote. I think this was the deal the White House suggested that cut Social Security and Medicaid. Reid also accused Boehner of playing politics and catering to members of his party rather than serving the country…You don’t say [if you could see me, which would be weird, you'd see my shifty eyes].

Reid said: “The American people I don’t think understand the House of Representatives is operating without the House of Representatives. It’s being operated by a dictatorship of the speaker, not allowing the vast majority of the House of Representatives to get what they want.”

Gauntlet thrown. You know, since the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House are all kind of useless I say death match. The White House can use Cabinet members or call in staff...maybe even former staff, I'm sure some representatives out of Chicago would love to throw a few punches at Rahm. Then the winner is the uncontested dictator. I'm eying the bi-sexual atheist out of Arizona. And I'll campaign for anyone who punches Paul Ryan in the face. 

So of course, they did reach a deal. Good Old Joe Biden rode into the rescue. You can read more about it on the Wonkbook or Train of Thought. The first link lets you know what actually happened, and the second lets you know what is going to happen now.

Behold: Angry Baby.