Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Two Schlubs in a Tub

From the guardian:

[Grover] Norquist holds no elected office but is one of the most powerful figures in Washington, head of a lobbying and activist group Americans for Tax Reform. Democrats blame him for the impasse over deficit reduction.

The Democratic senator and former presidential candidate John Kerry described him as the “13th member” of the 12-member congressional super-committee given the task of drawing up a plan to reduce the country’s $15tn national deficit.

Kerry and other Democrats complained that Norquist’s name was repeatedly invoked by the Republicans, and the word “pledge” came up over and over again.

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He’s Proud to Be a Merck-an

From PERRY Presidential:

AUSTIN — Although never mentioned by name, Austin lobbyist Mike Toomey’s presence was felt keenly at Monday’s Republican presidential debate when Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann harshly criticized Gov. Rick Perry for his 2007 executive order mandating that Texas teenage girls receive an HPV vaccine that would have been worth millions in sales to Toomey’s client, Merck Pharmaceutical.

Calling it “flat out wrong,” Bachmann noted Perry had received campaign contributions from the drug maker and questioned Perry’s motives. “Was it about life or about millions of dollars to a drug company?”

Perry’s response — that he was “offended” by Bachmann’s suggestion that he “could be bought for $5,000” in campaign contributions from the drug maker — belied the powerful role that Toomey, a Houston native who once served as Perry’s chief of staff, has played in the governor’s political career. From advising Perry on personal legal issues to paying $10,000 to help the Green Party siphon votes from Democrats, Toomey has been a loyal and constant Perry political ally throughout his career.

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(left to right: Mike Toomey, Grover Norquist, Governor Little Ricky Goodhair, Botox Batshit Bachmann, Dave Carney, Rick Man-on-Dog Santorum)

Name That Toomey

From USA TODAY:

Sen. Pat Toomey voted against the debt-limit compromise last week, partly because he didn’t think the budget-balancing recommendations of the bipartisan committee it created would stick.

A week later, Toomey finds himself serving on the committee he voted against.

The Pennsylvanian was one of six Republican members appointed Wednesday to Congress’ new 12-member “supercommittee.”

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I Pledge a Grievance to the Flag and the United States of America

From THE HILL:

Congressional leaders have until Aug. 16 to name the 12 members of the newly created “supercommittee” to deal with reducing the deficit, but special interest groups are wasting no time in pushing their choices for the panel.

The debt-ceiling-increase legislation enacted Tuesday created a bicameral, joint committee of 12 legislators charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts by Nov. 23.

…snip..

Failure to come up with a plan will result in deep automatic defense and Medicare cuts.

One wrong pick, lobbyists on the right and left said Wednesday, could swing the panel toward a terrible compromise. So they are not taking chances.

These sources are already urging leaders to pick top lieutenants who will stick to party positions — no entitlement cuts for Democrats and no tax increases for Republicans.

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Rethugs are just puppets of Americans for Tax Reform

From POLITICAL HOTSHEET at CBS NEWS:

Vice President Joe Biden’s deficit reduction talks imploded today after the only two Republicans involved in the negotiations announced they are halting their participation because of their objections to Democratic demands for “tax increases.”

Democrats meanwhile, suggested Republicans are “playing with fire” by holding up a vote on raising the debt ceiling.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced this morning that he would skip today’s scheduled meeting because “Democrats continue to insist that any deal must include tax increases.”

Subsequently, Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona announced he was pulling out of the negotiations.

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The Gang’s All Somewhere

From the Los Angeles Times:

For months, as a group of senators known as the “Gang of Six” secretively holed up in the Capitol, their unusual bipartisan meetings frequently included some version of the doomsday speech.

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What’s the Deal?

From THINK PROGRESS:

One of the organizing principles of the conservative movement revolves around always cutting taxes and resisting any moves towards raising revenues. Hundreds of conservatives have even signed Grover Norquist’s pledge to never, under any circumstances, support a tax increase.

Gov. Nathan Deal (R-GA) made tax cuts a major part of his campaign promise last fall.

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Crappy Birthday, Part 4: The Last Straw

Well, kids, if you’ll remember, I was hanging around the house trying to get away from all the hoopla over the 100th anniversary of Saint Ronald Reagan’s birth without much success (here, here, and here). I decided to head out to the supermarket. I thought that some grocery shopping might take my mind off things. However, as I was driving, I passed this billboard.

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😯 Oh, geez, I almost drove off the road.