Senate rejects Republican health-care repeal effort

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Not much drama here. The GOP-controlled House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but it was clear that the repeal effort wasn't going anywhere, what with Democrats still in control in the Senate and, of course, with Obama prepared to use the veto if necessary.

So today the Senate voted along party lines, 51-57, against repeal.

And that, as they say, is that, at least as far as Congress is concerned. The issue will continue to play out in the courts, where Republicans are trying to use the law's individual mandate to bring the whole thing down. And it will ultimately be up to the Supreme Court to rule on it.

**********

There's nothing funny about what the Republicans are doing, even if their effort is pathetically misguided and without merit.

But this -- this is funny:

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Headed For Earth

WASHINGTON—In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda, all 242 House Republicans voted Wednesday to repeal the Asteroid Destruction and American Preservation Act, which was signed into law last year to destroy the immense asteroid currently hurtling toward Earth.

The $440 billion legislation, which would send a dozen high-thrust plasma impactor probes to shatter the massive asteroid before it strikes the planet, would affect more than 300 million Americans and is strongly opposed by the GOP.

"The voters sent us to Washington to stand up for individual liberty, not big government," Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said at a press conference. "Obama's plan would take away citizens' fundamental freedoms, forcing each of us into hastily built concrete bunkers and empowering the federal government to ration our access to food, water, and potassium iodide tablets while underground."

"We believe that the decisions of how to deal with the massive asteroid are best left to the individual," King added.

Repealing the act, which opponents have branded 'Obamastroid,' has been the cornerstone of the GOP agenda since the law's passage last August. Throughout the 2010 elections, Republican candidates claimed that the Democrats' plan to smash the space rock and shield citizens from its fragments was "a classic example of the federal government needlessly interfering in the lives of everyday Americans."

"This law is a job killer," said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who argued the tax increases required to save the human species from annihilation would impose unbearably high costs on businesses. "If we sit back and do nothing, Obamastroid will result in hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, which we simply can't afford in this economy."

"And consider how much money this program will add to our already bloated deficit," Foxx continued. "Is this the legacy we want to leave our children?"

Very funny -- especially so because it could very well be true. It gets the Republicans perfectly.

Craziest Republican of the Day: Steve King

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Certifiable GOP wacko Rep. Steve King (R-IA) -- who's been our CRD several times before (see here, here, here, and here, not to mention here) -- yesterday made what TPM's Rachel Slajda graciously called "an original argument... for why health care reform is unconstitutional."

Responding to Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), who made the sensible and oft-made case that "health insurance counts as interstate commerce and therefore falls under the Congress's constitutional powers, King argued that there are people who never even use health care -- and therefore a law requiring them to buy insurance is unconstitutional." And just who are these people? "There have always been and likely will always be, babies that were born, lived and died within the jurisdictions of the individual states," he said, "who never cross a state line, access no health care and therefore do not impact interstate commerce."

Wait... what? Polis was confused, too. Just who are these people who as babies don't receive any health care at all? This is priceless in its craziness:

I hate to tell you but they show up in garbage cans around this country, sir,

said King.

Yes, that's right, the interstate commerce argument doesn't apply because of all those babies in garbage cans who manage to live and die without ever accessing health care.

"Polis was more or less speechless," notes Slajda. Can you blame him? This is just the sort of unsubstantiated claim, just the sort of insanity with a straight face, Republicans pass off as rational argument on a regular basis -- not just with respect to health-care reform but with respect to pretty much everything.

I realize that Republicans oppose the very idea of factual evidence, but here's the video:

Top Ten Cloves: Surprises On first day of GOP majority In Congress

By J. Thomas Duffy

News Item: In House, new Republican majority plans to act fast to undo Obama's agenda

10. Representative Steve King (R-IA) insists on having title of House Majority Idiot

9. Republicans hire Rulon Gardner to taunt outgoing Democrats as "The Biggest Losers"

8. To save time, GOP majority insists all floor speeches need to be a Twitter-like 140-characters or less

7. First bill: all members need to be as tanned as new Speaker of the House, John Boehner

6. New Majority Whip Eric Cantor challenges King for House Majority Idiot

5. Swearing in new members is delayed, as newly-elected Tea Party Congressmen show up with misspelled signs and shout down the Speaker

4. New Speaker of House Ceremony delayed -- gavel keeps slipping out of Nancy Pelosi's hand due to it being soaking wet from John Boehner's crying

3. Michele Bachmann gets so excited with having the majority, she gets confused and starts investigating herself for anti-American activities

2. Big confusion -- Tea Party Members thought they were reading the Constitution, but, due to error, actually are reading leaked cables by WikiLeaks

1. LeBron James shows up, announces he's "taking his talents to Congress."

Bonus Links

Igor Volsky: Will Republicans Be Able To Defund Health Reform?

Jack Stuef: Michele Bachmann To Defeat Obama, Be First Female, Banshee President

Kathleen Hennessey and Tom Hamburger: Tea party freshmen embrace status quo - After campaigning against D.C.'s ways, new Republican lawmakers quickly turn to lobbyists and fundraisers

Pat Garofalo: House GOP Repeatedly Promised $100 Billion In Spending Cuts That It Now Calls "Hypothetical"

(Cross-posted at The Garlic.)

Bachmann Talks About Steve King, not Tim Pawlenty Running for President

Bachmann was campaigning for Brenna Findley in Iowa yesterday - here's what Findley's website says:

Join Brenna and Rep. Michele Bachmann!

With the possible exception of Sarah Palin, no Republican woman is better known, more widely admired, or more widely quoted than our neighbor to the north, Minnesota's Michele Bachmann.

Congresswoman Bachmann is a born-again Christian, an outspoken conservative, a strict constitutionalist, a private property rights advocate, a proven budget and tax cutter, the mother of five and she's been the foster parent to twenty-three.

She's a pro-family, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment leader and Congresswoman Bachmann proudly proclaims that she's a social, fiscal and foreign policy conservative. The Waterloo-born Bachmann admits that, "I have strong views," and she's one of the most colorful and compelling leaders in politics today.

Here's the Bachmann money quote from yesterday:

She plugged not only Findley but also her U.S. House ally Steve King of Iowa.

"Who would you like to see nominated to the Supreme Court - Elena Kagan or Brenna Findley?" Bachmann said, prompting applause. "I knew you were smart. And when Steve King is president, he can appoint her."

Do these two Tea Party pals have plans for 2012?

Bachmann has talked about King running for president before.

More about the crazy congressman from Iowa at HuffPo.

Michele Bachmann and Steve King to Share a New Press Staffer

The Hill:

Staunch conservative GOP Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Steve King (Iowa) are pooling resources to co-hire a press secretary.

Sergio Gor, a Capitol Hill neophyte, was recently hired by Bachmann. He will soon join King’s office as a part-time staffer as well.

Both Bachmann and King, who have recently organized Tea Party rallies, already have full-time communication directors.

Some staffers call the move unprecedented because Gor will be handling press for two different lawmakers, getting paid from their personal offices as well as campaign funds.

Though some members hire “shared employees,” those individuals typically work on administrative issues such as keeping the books for or setting up a member’s office.

According to Bachmann’s communications director, Dave Dziok, Gor is now working solely for the North Star State Republican — but that will change in the near future.

“Right now he’s part-time official and part-time campaign for Bachmann’s office alone. He has not been hired by King’s office yet. Ideally it will work out where his time is divided between both offices,” Dziok explained.

According to a source familiar with the situation, it took several months to get the go-ahead from the ethics committee and the House Administration Committee.

Michele Bachmann already has 3 press people on her staff. What does she need another one for?

Michele Bachmann is always pushing the envelope on ethics.

UPDATE: More about Sergio Gor at Bluestem Prairie.