From THINK PROGRESS:
In his post-election press conference this afternoon, President Barack Obama strongly rejected the idea that Republicans received a mandate to enforce their policies, despite their electoral gains, saying that “no person, no party has a monopoly on wisdom. … No one party will be able to dictate where we go from here. We must find common ground in order to make progress on some uncommonly difficult challenges.”
The idea that Republicans did not receive a mandate isn’t just held by the president — it was a theme echoed throughout the night by Republican politicians and conservative pundits:
– Senator-elect Marco Rubio (R-FL): “We make a grave mistake if we believe that tonight these results are somehow an embrace of the Republican Party.”
– Fox News pundit Brit Hume: “The Republican Party is not the beneficiary of some mandate this time around.”
– Former chief economic policy adviser to John McCain’s presidential campaign Douglas Holtz-Eakin: “This isn’t a pro-Republican vote. This is a repudiation of what we’ve seen the past two years, it’s not an endorsement of Republican agendas.”
– RNC head Michael Steele: “There’s still the people who say, ‘well we’re not sure. We’re not sure about Republican leadership, we’re not sure about the direction.’”
– Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI): “This is not necessarily ‘we love Republicans.’ This is, ‘change course, the country’s on the wrong track.’”
Unfortunately, some Republican leaders have signaled they are on an uncompromising mission to enforce what they believe to be their mandate. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) said bluntly before the election that “there will be no compromise.” Presumptive Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) has said that “to the extent that [Obama] wants to work with us in terms of where we’re going, I would certainly welcome it.” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) believes “the word ‘compromise’ has been misunderstood” and that his job will be “getting America back to the center right where it exists.”
(Video at THINK PROGRESS link)
From The New York Times (Editorial):
It’s no surprise that triumphant Tea Party politicians are seeking ranking posts within the incoming House Republican majority. But their likely speaker, Representative John Boehner, already has a problem with Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, the doyenne of conservative insurgents.
No sooner had Ms. Bachmann announced her challenge for the No. 4 leadership post — the influential voice as party conference chair — than she was on cable television feeding another of the right-wing myths [that President Obama’s trip to India is costing $200,000,000 a day] that have become her signature rhetoric.
…snip…
As they say, sources close to Mr. Boehner rate Ms. Bachmann’s chance to be conference chair as a long shot, even if she’s forming a Tea Party caucus and demanding a big place at the table. Taxpayers must dearly hope so. They are expecting substantive progress from the new Congress, not fringe inanities.
HYSTERICAL RAISINS 
I thought a man date is what Larry Craig went on in airport restrooms. 😀
i was trying to come up with a little joke about that for the title, but i’m not at the top of my game today. i might have to take a little break from photoshopping for a few days. my right hand keeps going completely numb, and it’s becoming completely useless. might have to go see the doc, but i suspect it’s computer-related. 😥
Tried carpal tunnel syndrome exercices? Do wonders for me when my right wrist hurts.
Awesome picture of Bachman in her costume. Fits perfectly her credibility.
i’ve been trying everything. i have cts, but it’s usually painful when it gets bad, not numb. i prefer the pain. i have 2 braces i used to wear, but, of course, they’re both for my left hand. not sure if it’s coming from my shoulder or my elbow, so i might use my son’s old sling and see if just keeping my arm stationary will help matters.
glad you like bachmann’s outfit. from the look on boohoo’s face, i bet she’s quite heavy and weighing him down. 😉
I’m sorry you hurt. 😦 Take the break you need. I’m subscribed for forever faithfully.
(What a trio, too. A car thief, batshit, and an orange drunk walk into this House…Maybe he’s orange because of his liver.)
it doesn’t hurt. i would welcome that. it’s numb and all kinds of weird. if i brush the back of my hand against something smooth, for example, it feels like i’m petting a porcupine. if it doesn’t get better, i’ll call the doc. i’m so sad, because i’ve never missed a day unless there was a power outage or my computer broke. 😥
i never considered jaundice as a cause of boohoo’s hue (i like that, i think i’ll use it again). that reminds me, rastamick has revised what boohoo’s new title will be–slurrer of the house! 😆
Okay. I’m sorry my reading comprehension sucks. 😀
I’m really sorry your instrument of awesome (your hand) is freaking out. See the doc. Don’t wait. For art!
Boohoo has a sad liver. That shit’s irreversible.
i’m pissed, because i just went to the doc last week. i hate going, and i really don’t want to go again. i think the problem is this new desk. it’s my son’s old one. it’s glass, and the top is very high, because the drawer underneath that’s supposed to hold the keyboard broke. i had my computer chair up high, but it was cutting off circulation to my legs, so i lowered it. now i think it’s affected my arms and hands. i really like this desk, and i’d hate to have to get a new one. maybe i’ll try moving the keyboard around and see if that helps. maybe getting my elbows off the desk will do the trick.
I know you went to the doc last week. That was the morning we both woke up saying FUCK as our first word of the day. (Because we’re princessy.) I *still* have a Frankenstein lump on my forehead. I feel like Meg Whitman.
oh, that’s right! 😆 i should have been the one to smack my noggin since i was going to the doc anyway. but then we wouldn’t have started our day with the same word.
Maybe it’s a witch who didn’t like what you have done with her pictures… 😉
omg! 😯 you’re right, j-p! next time we see gingrich, let’s check his eyes. witches need eye of newt for a lot of spells. if one of his is missing, we know it was little prissy chrissie who put a spell on me. i just hope she left the raisinettes along.
Nonnie, take the time off. We’ll get by. Your health is more important.
awww, thanks jeb. maybe i’ll look through the old american street stuff and see if there’s anything worth posting.
When Republican men hear the word mandate, half of them get erections.
but only half-staff erections. they need their government-paid-for viagra to stand up and salute.
again the media giving credibility to bachmann – and NOT calling her out on her insanity
how about saying – we have an entire political party and sub-movement dedicated to lying and cheating and misleading to get into power and take care of our corporate donors.
the fight is draining me….. and it has only begun
i think the rethug stategery is to wear us down, so don’t let them, dcAp. if the media won’t point out the insanity, then we will.
Haha!
Beautifully done, Nonnie!
(I admit I was going down the Larry Craig route too, and had to see the original poster to get the Bachmann joke, but oh, it is sooooo sweet.)
Rgds,
TG
PS – ice is your friend for your hand problem. Just ice a few times a day for 15 minutes or so. I have a freezer full of those blue ice thingies; just toss one in an old pillowcase, wrap it around whatever hurts and take a break. It’s amazing how well it works at treating the symptom.
thanks 10g! i was just going to have a baby elephant in place of the dog, but i accidentally found a pic of a baby in the elephant costume, and i knew immediately who i wanted to put in it.
i didn’t even think of ice. i’ll give it a try. it makes sense, if the nerve is getting pinched, it’s because something is swollen somewhere along the line. thanks!
That baby Bachlephant is just too cute! And I say again, what dedication! To play with pain like a pro footballer, never letting the fans down. Had the same thing happen after playing a new years party. Hadn’t rehearsed piano recently but got in the groove doing sing song with the drunks and played the Roland about three hours straight (continuous and non inebriated). Finally took a break and realized I could’t raise my right hand, not even wiggle the fingers! Sure freaked me out as this had never happened before or since. It was just rudely overworked and needed a rest. Pace yourself my dear, we raisins can’t have you go use yourself up doing too much ‘puter. I just can’t imagine you not posting the fun stuff. I can imagine you with both hands in icepacks and doing comments with a pencil clenched in teeth poking out the letters. What dedication!!
😆 were you looking in my window? that dramatic description is exactly what’s been going on (i’m such a martyr! 😛 ). the hand is better. i have feeling in my ring finger now, and the pinky is still numb, but it might be a little better, too. i think the new desk is helping. i do try not to overdo it, and the offspring bought me a wacom tablet for my bday, so using that will hopefully help, too (once i figure out how to do stuff with it). now let me take this pencil out of my clenched teeth so i can take a sip of water. 😉
p.s. the bachyderm (i just made that up!) is cute, isn’t it?
Wow, I’m clairvoyant! Now I want to make a sign to hang out on the road and have people come and pay me ten bucks apiece to tell ’em what they want to hear. You can’t be too carefull with the paws. Back in the old days when there was actually work, great care was taken by me to not slash, impale, cut off or damage the digits in any of dozens of dangerous situations daily, always telling the guys “be careful!, that’s my guitar playing hand. (don’t know if they ever got it) After one long stretch of replacing all the walls in a remodel, I came home and it occured to me I had’t touch the acoustic in weeks. So I grab it off the wallhook, sit down and find I can’t bend my fingers and make a simple E chord. I was freaked out and quite upset about it all. But steps were taken, flexing joints more during the day and taking care not to slack off for a whole month. If I was about 3,000 miles closer, I’d offer to come over and hold it (cue Beatle song) and give comfort. The last time I peeked in windows, my friend Anthony (both of us 12) had convinced me his teenage aunt and her friend were in there trying on each others underwear, you know, like girls do.
take your act on the road. go to teabagger meetings and tell them you can tell them the future for 10 bucks. they’ll believe anything, so you’ll make a fortune.
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Mind if I used your magnificent work in this post?
http://upsideofinertia.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/no-country-for-sane-men/
anyone who calls my crap magnificent can use anything he wants! 😉