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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), left, took a swipe at Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), right, invoking Gollum from the Lord of the Rings, center.
There might not be two factions more irascible, more willing to sling barbs, than John McCain and the Tea Party. And they proved it yesterday and today.
McCain, the veteran Arizona Republican senator, has never been one to shrink from a fight. In a scalding Senate floor speech yesterday, he blasted the Tea Party and freshmen members of Congress, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the president of the United States.
McCain’s comments against the Tea Party members centered on their demand that a balanced-budget amendment be attached to a deal that raises the debt ceiling. He said he supports a balanced-budget amendment, but that there’s no chance of its passage with Democrats controlling the Senate and the White House.
He derided their logic as “bizarre,” “foolish,” “unfair,” and even the Seinfeldian “bizarro.” He went on to quote a Wall Street Journal editorial likening the Tea Party to “hobbits,” who “could return to middle earth.” And that “this is the kind of crack political thinking that turn Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP nominees.”
Angle and O'Donnell, of course, won their party's nominations, but lost in general elections.
Asked if McCain endorsed the language of the editorial he read into the record yesterday, spokesman Brian Rogers told First Read: “He obviously doesn’t believe that Tea Party folks are ‘hobbits,’ but he does strongly agree with the viewpoint of the editorial that the Boehner plan is a good one despite the protests by Democrats and some conservatives.”
Nonetheless, McCain’s comments drew a swift rebuke from those aligned with the Tea Party, including the aforementioned Angle, who pointed out the irony of McCain putting Sarah Palin on his presidential ticket and McCain campaigning for Angle in 2010.
She called him the “Lord of the TARP."
Palin also campaigned for McCain during his contentious Senate reelection primary last year at the height of the Tea Party’s power. Many credit Palin for insulating McCain, no darling of the Tea Party, from the full ire of the group's fiery activists.
“One man in Washington, who chose Sarah Palin to be his VP running-mate and came to Nevada to campaign for me last year in the Senate race against Harry Reid, is now promoting attacks against TEA Party activists, ordinary American citizens, and fiscally conservative members of congress -- all of whom are adamantly opposed to continuing the deficit-spending strategies proposed by some congressional members and the President,” Angle said. “Ironically, this man campaigned for TEA Party support in his last re-election, but now throws Christine O’Donnell and I into the harbor with Sarah Palin. As in the fable, it is the hobbits who are the heroes and save the land. This Lord of the TARP actually ought to read to the end of the story and join forces with the TEA Party, not criticize it. It is regrettable that a man seeking dialogue, action and cooperation for votes on the floor of the United States Senate has only one strategy to achieve that effort: name-calling. Nice.”
Rogers points out that McCain also slammed Reid and, in particular, Obama for not presenting a plan. And he did -- forcefully.
But Angle turned the tables on McCain and hit him for not presenting any "new ideas."
“It is similarly unfortunate that Senator McCain brings no new ideas to the Senate floor,” Angle said, charging that McCain, instead, has resorted to using “borrowed soliloquies.”
But the jibes didn’t just come from failed candidates. They also came from elected members of his own party, including at least one in the Senate.
On Twitter, a place that makes it easy to be venomous, Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) wrote, “Senator McCain has lost his way again. Hey Senator, we are Republicans and we are over here. Please join us.”
And Sen. Rand “I have a message from the Tea Party” Paul got personal.
“To those referring to ‘Tea Party hobbits.’ I'd rather be a hobbit than a troll,” Paul Tweeted.
And showing he can fight fantasy geekery with fantasy geekery, Paul included a photo of Lord of the Rings curmudgeon Gollum.
Precious.
Leave a Comment:
McCain could be describes as many things & precious isn't amongst them! lol
It's a shame really, that anytime the old maverick wanders off the ranch, the baggers are right there ready to re-brand him!
McCain is a shell of the man he was in 2000 & really, really, really should slap on the old feed bag & call it a day!
PS: JS1 has some spares... lol
Just love your stuff, Feisty!
"Precious," of course, was the word Hobbit Gollum, corrupted by the power of the ring, used for that object. I kinda liked Domenico's pun.
"Precious," in another sense of usage, also means something that is really over-cute. Again, I rather liked Domenico's pun.
But seriously, folks, it does look like the forces of Mordor, the trolls and orcs and other demoniac types, are out in force on the right in the debt ceiling debate. They created this crisis intentionally, as a diversionary tactic, so that they could force through their attempt at utterly overthrowing government as we have known it since the 1930's. This is one time I will compliment McCain, for having the guts to criticize his own party's bad behavior - and surprisingly, with almost-apt language.
Can't a brother get some credit?
Sorry Rand Troll Goblin from Mordor, you can't escape the title. President Isildur Obama has lopped off your head at the Gate of the Naz'Ghul.
Besides, that's not giving too much credit to the Hobbitses my precioussssssss. The Republican TEA Drinkers are more along the lines of Orcs and Goblins seeking to devour whomever they meet.
If I remember correctly the Hobbits were a simple people that lived like rabbits in Hobbit-Holes. These TEA Drinking Drunks called the Republican Leadership are loud, cantankerous Goblins that live in caves constantly mining and tearing Middle Earth apart.
President Obama, Boehner and Reid have called the Goblins out of their caves. But the Goblins hate the light. They hiss and gnash their teeth at any resolutions presented to end the standoffs.
I tell ya, you just can't make this stuff up!
"Good or bad I feel Gollum has a role to play in all of this before the end."
Gandalf the Grey addressing Hobbit - Frodo Baggins
Good call John A and Louis J. Ok, round table on the analogy of Tolkien's heroic forces of the West against the rise of facism and nazism in Eastern Europe in the 1930's.
Oops, sorry got carried away.
@JohnA - thanks! With all the material to chose from, this stuff practically writes itself! lol
@LouisJ - Seriously, you need to repost your metaphor from earlier this morning! It was PRICELESS! ;o)
Glad to see the Fan Club out to support you Feisty. Didn't take too long for the Gang to move forward with their comments.
I have a quick question for all those bloggers who keep insisting that this is somehow President Obama's recession and totally his financial crisis, and who keep on carping as if TARP and the stimulus were just something he dreamed up solely to advance his alleged socialist agenda.
Then why is CNN/Money running an article with THIS title:
http://money.cnn.com/
and that says THIS:
(emphasis added)
Now get serious, conservatives, talk like adults, and don't keep trying to shift the blame.
It simply doesn't become you. And it doesn't reflect the facts.
The center picture of Sharon Angle looks alot better than the ones I've seen in the past in her political ads.
Thanks for sharing that link, Anna Molly. I do think people are forgetting just how dire the circumstances were in 2008 and to risk any repeat of that is beyond reckless to me.
Tom, that's the funniest thing I've read all morning! Nice.
The headline should have read:
OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUDS...
In which case, what role do the Elves play in the analogy? What role does Gandalf play?
And what about the Christ myth, as embodied both by Gandalf and Frodo?
I have no idea, but we could sure use a couple of Palantir around here, couldn't we?
And it won't be long before we're all eating lembas.
Tom, here I was enjoying a nice fresh cup of afternoon coffee, and .... well, fortunately there weren't any important papers in the path of the splatter!
I wasn't so lucky with my Diet Coke! Cleanup on aisle three please...
ROTFLMAO!
Tom, Tamarac, FL
"The center picture of Sharon Angle looks alot better than the ones I've seen in the past in her political ads."
Tom- that's some heap-big funny stuff right there! Good one!
And this is how our politicians spend their time - stupid. Here's an idea:
1. They should take a cut in their salaries - shared sacrifice.
2. No more pensions - put their share in Social Security - like the rest of us - shared sacrifice.
3. No more health care by the government - go get your own personal health care - shared sacrifice.
4. Put in a full year of work - like the rest of us - vacations fine but no more breaks - shared sacrifice.
What have I forgotten?
I remember 2008 very well. The company I work for cut all of the nonunion staff's pay and benefits in January and then in February they got the union to give concessions in their pay and benefits. Then the work dried up and they laid off 1/3 of the office staff and supervisors and over half of the union workers. The Shop I supervised was shutdown for three months and when we opened back up the of 28 that left only 7 were brought back, although they brought many of those people back in other capacities (at lower wages of course) it took 9 months before they were all back at work. Oh, and our customers well they laid off about 20% of their staff and cut their production in half. Oh good times!
So as you can see GW, Cheney, Beohner, McConnell, Corker, Shelby, etc. have no chance of selling me on anything! They are charlatans, liars, hacks, sellouts and buffons! I wouldn't whiz on them if they were on fire!
I know tell us how you really feel. Well that was the my 2008 rant "lite".
AM -- Until the far-right echo chamber of fake think tanks like the Kato Institute, and fake organizations like the Heritage Foundation, and fake websites like NewMax, and fake cable "news" like Fox is dismantled there is no hope. These astro-turf vehicles created by a few wealthy douche bags (Dick Armey, the Kock brothers, Murdoch/Ailes, etc.) churn out conspiracy theory faster than any computer virus. Conservatives believe this stuff like religion.
In the good ole days they exchanged their nonsense verbally at church, but now they see it in print and hear it on cable TV. In the good ole days ignorant people like the John Birch society were shut down by right-wingers with some intelligence like William F. Buckley. In the good ole days Teabaggers would never be allowed to run as fake Republicans. This is truly a breakdown, not of our government so much, but radical elements in our society and the GOP as a Party.
Elise -- In particular Michele Bachmann, who has benefited from "government" all her life, and far more than the average American. She should be stripped first of all her benefits.
True Patriot--so tell us what you think of your benefactor Soros and his funding of the far radical loony left media outlets and all his fake organizations and their conspiracy theories etc? What do you think about his intentional disregard of Dodd Frank?
So Devie, how is 2010, 2011 working out for you? Obama's fiscal policies turn things around? I dont know about you but I cant say things are better since Obama took office?
AM - In which case, what role do the Elves play in the analogy? What role does Gandalf play?
Easy Elves would be the U.S. the forces of good from across the ocean coming to help the beleagured Men of the West, (England).
Gandalf as you write could be seen as one who rose from the dead to grow more powerful after his fight with the Balrog.
A Palantir to see the future would be good. To become more obscure the debt ceiling negotiations seem to be going as slow as an Ent moot. Not much being discussed.
Ok, new analogy debt ceiling talks = Ent moot :}
Kirk -- Where the heck have you been? Soros is OLD news. Yes, he has used the stock market to hurt the UK, but not anywhere close to the toxic mortgage securities right here on Wall Street that caused the 2008 economic meltdown. And no, Soros does not influence elections the way the Koch brothers, or Grover Norquist, Rush Limbaugh, et al, do. You can have your own opinion but not your own facts. If you can't provide links to credible sources proving that Soros is funding progressive campaigns, or is trying to screw with the Dodd-Frank financial reforms compared to GOP/TP to repeal it, then stop posting chicken crap.
The Obama/Dem efforts are working out pretty good. In her first term, Pelosi passed 304 bills into law, and not piddle like naming a building. In Boehner's first term he has passed 12 bills into law. And this is not just about failure in the senate, rather bills originated. How's that working out for you?
Do try to keep up. George Soros does not oppose higher taxes on the wealthy, and he supports causes that actually benefit people.
Besides, in most cases, conservatives out here ask US what's wrong with people taking full advantage of the tax laws.
Well, what is?
Trouble is, the tax laws, themselves, need a major fixin'. If you don't like Dodd Frank and think it isn't tough enough, then do something about it. Call for more regulation.
LoL I guess I won't hold my breath on that.
You don't hear George Soros out there complaining that he pays too much or that he can't create any jobs, and you don't see him supporting causes that are dedicated to destroy workers' rights.
He just goes about his business and supports workers' rights.
AM, the fact that Soros does not oppose higher taxes on the wealthy is irrelevant to whether the liberals on this board will be objective on this issue and criticize Soros. Besides Soros doesnt pay any tax because he has huge personal charitable deductions (which I praise him) and keeps the family wealth in funds, trusts and off shore so its disengenous and easy for him to say the wealthy should pay more when it wont impact him.
By the way, I am not criticizing Soros, I agree he should be able to take advantage of the laws as they are currently written but its no different than Fiesty and others going after Bachmann for being hypocritical in taking government subsidies when she speaks against them. If you go after Bachmann then go after Soros. I am not critiquing him at all just want Fiesty, Navy and others to be consistent.
Tax laws, I think you know that I advocate a full overhaul anyway and agree with you. I think Dodd Frank was a silly law and it wasnt drafted and targeted towards the right issues. There is plenty of oversight already we just need to make sure banks look at risk correctly. The biggest mistake is when Clinton allowed banks to also provide investment banking and advisory services which increased their risk taking. Its not oversight as much as risk allowed. So you and I probably would agree on the same things.
True Patriot--sorry but Soros isnt old news. He funds Moveon, NPR, thinkprogress and a ton of additional media outlets that are intended to skew public thinking towards a radical left agenda. No different than the Tea Party's radical right agenda. Its not old news. He is just as dangerous as the Koch brothers. True Patriot please read the newspaper as Soros isnt trying to screw with Dodd Frank, he personally is giving back all of his third party money and turning his hedge fund into a $24 billion dollar family office so he can avoid Dodd Frank and the transparency and scrutiny that it would require under Dodd Frank. Sorry if you dont stay informed but I am not going to look up links for what is considered common knowledge and news.
lol
Maverick
1. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.
2. One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.
Both definitions appear to apply to Senator McCain at the moment...the man who is not afraid to go against his own party and the "man without a country", opposed by both Democrats and Republicans.
Once again, his choice of "Mama Grizzly" comes back to haunt him as the Teapublicans are nipping at his heels.
DaNoid, I sincerely do not believe that John McCain "chose" Sarah Palin. He wanted Joe Liebermann. I think that choice was made "for" him. He wanted that win so bad he was willing to do as he was told. I guess the joke was on him. At least we all dodged the bullet on that one.
Domenico---I think you had too much fun writing this one!
I don't agree with Senator McCain's politics but he has given the better part of his life in service to our country and deserves more respect than he is being given by his own party.
LOL - SF! I thought the same thing...
You know there was a time I had much respect for McCain, having said that, I will NEVER forgive him for unleashing the AK hell hound upon the rest of us...
I also believe he's either suffering some form of Alzheimer's or there is some other neurological issues at play with him.
I'm not being snarky about his health, only stating that it's common for someone of his age.
Unfortunately for him, that will be his legacy.
I do wish the Senator had left Ms. Palin to obscurity in Alaska but I balance that against years as a POW.
It's more likely that you're suffering from an early onset of dementia, Feisty.
You're certainly demented...
No question about that.
;-)
Oh please Feisty, what is wrong with members of one party disagreeing with another party member? It does happen all of the time, even within your Progressive Party.
McCain is one of the old-guard politicians that needs to be put out to pasture along with the other politicians from both parties that continue to force the American people into the situation we are in.
Ther is no 'Party of No' as you sometimes comment, just a group of legislators who want more money to spend to keep their power base intact.
But tell me Feisty, in your post are you demeaning the man or supporting McCain?
God bless John McCain, but sorry, Senator, in the 2012 elections your branch of the Government will be taken over by 'hobbits' (Tea Party backed Republican Senators)!
Maybe as many as 57 GOP Senators will walk on Middle Earth.
So you believe in the Mayan prophecy of the end of the world?
Bob:
That knocking you hear at the front door - It's the cops. Put your crack pipe away!
Bob,
That's funny. People are waking up and they see what characters these Republicans are.
Bob, you are dreaming, please wake up. We Americans have awaked to the fact the the Tea Party is bad for America. And in the words of Sarah Palin, If the GOP dosen't get on board with the Tea Party then the GOP is through. Well it looks like they took the advice of the nitwit and now they can all go down, big time, together. The majority of those that were backed by the Tea Party really shouldn't get too comfortable in their new offices because, they will be sent home packing in 2012. AAHHH I can't wait.
Well Bob, I should hope the Senate will soon have members who understand that they work for people, not party, special interests or the media, who believes they set policy.
hunky,
I really hope the next congress will be replaced with members who realize the worth of the working people in this great nation and value them correctly, then perhaps we can get rid of the mega wealth and greed infuence in our government.
Tax the rich, feed the poor, til there are no poor no more, tell me where is sanity? (10 years after)
While that thought may seem extreme to some, I'm so disgusted with the mega wealthy and their greed I'm ready to agree with that statement. I have not seen one job created by tax breaks for the mega wealthy, I have seen a lot of jobs created by the stimulus.
I agree with a neighboring congressman (not a teabagger like mine - poor lost soul), if they don't come to a solution to this mess, then congress needs to loose their pay and especially their benefits - they are not doing their job (working for us - me, a working citizen), so they should not get paid, if I don't do my job I would not get paid and they are no better than the rest of us.
Union Boy, yep I do hope sanity takes over, with progressives and other professional politicians losing their seats of power in government. I'd also like to see a refinement of the tax codes, so guy like Tiny Tim and Charlie Rangle can also pay their fair share of $$$$ to the government. Perhaps those not paying taxes can also contribute under a new tax system.
And Union Boy, rather than demean the wealthy, shouldn't you aspire to be one of the wealthy class? Get out of your lifetime UNION job and grow your own earnings and contribute more tax dollars under the government tax plan.
Not get paid? Union Boy, your union is taking care of you, so don't fret about not getting paid. Too bad though that your pension may not survive under some of the liberal debt programs.
For sanity to take over, we need to vote out some Republican-Tea Baggers.
Feisty,
It's been a few minutes since you posted. Where is the Gang of 15 to support your opening lines?
maybe we are at work and like me, break is over.
Peace out.
Oh I do love the smell of repugnants eating their own!
So much easier to post on the fluff threads today...
No kidding!
Certainly is a lot of rock throwing taking place on the hill, but not much else, it's all fun and games till someone gets their eye put out.
Echos of the McCain we USED to like:
"this is the kind of crack political thinking that turn Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP nominees"
Definitely a line worthy of McCain 2000.
I am still waiting for Fiesty, John A. Navy especially to comment on Soros avoiding Dodd-Frank. Come on guys not one peep. You guys have to have a view? At least say you have no problem with your benefactor intentionally avoiding this law that you like so much which is fine but take a stand so we can use it in further debates. John B, come on you rail against the evil machine all the time, you must have an opinion.
Dodd/Frank is a joke. The only reason it has any relevance at all (and very little at that) is because Russ Feingold and Mary Cantwell stood up to their dem colleagues to keep them from passing a piece of meaningless fluff for the sole purpose of looking like they were doing something. Banks and financial institutions are still too big to fail and there is nothing there to keep the same thing from happening again.
Dodd/Frank is pathetic, the financial industry lobbyist removed anything meaningful, just like all the other bills that started off with substance, there is no way any legislation can make it through the gauntlet of lobbyists and paid off politician's, it ain't going to happen, Dodd/Frank is as toothless as great granpa, I still remember old tim geightner starring into the camera and proclaiming "this financial reform bill is going to have some teeth in it", "too big to fail will be eliminated", I wish someone would ask timmy what the hell happened, of course he can't be reached for comment currently because he's out on the yacht goldmam sachs gave him.
Not my point. My point is waiting for the Gang to be consistent in their approach to criticize the Koch family or any republican benefactors and reply to the Soros ignoring and intentionally avoiding one of Obama's centerpiece legislative efforts. The gang continues to be silent and I can hear a pin drop everytime I ask them their opinion.
Aaargh! W, why'd you have to go and mention Geithner; reading his name makes my eyes burn!
And sorry for not addressing your point Kirk, but to me Soros is just another rich dude who made his money ripping off the middle class. I'm not a fan.
Actually Soros isnt a rich dude who ripped off the middle class. He made his money taking a short bet on the English Pound and is considered a criminal in England for almost destroying their currency. He made a Billion on that one bet and has successfully built his hedge fund to a personal wealth that the recent paper says $25 billion. He made virtually all of it on currency and other derivative trading so you cant really be too hard on him.
It appears that you must feel that the rich got theirs from ripping off the middle class in general. So when Bill Gates or Michael Dell get rich by developing computers they ripped off the middle class? Or since Tiger Woods, Beyonce or Lebron James got filthy rich, they ripped off the middle class? So the people that took all the personal risk and sweat, blood and tears and opened up your local beauty salon, subway, dunkin donuts, Courtyard motel, Hallmark store etc and became successful at it, they ripped off the middle class? Do you think maybe a big aspect of the difference between rich, poor and middle class is education, ambition, perserverance, risk tolerance, hard work, performance and merit and achievement? Everyone wants to use unions as the middle class, but when someone CHOOSES to be a teacher in a union, a doorman at a hotel, a lineman at Com ed, a machinist on the floor and volunatarily joins the union didnt they know going in that they gave up the opportunity to become the COO, the plant supervisor, merit pay, performance related promotions, huge monetary rewards for hard work, perserverance and risk taking that can be gotten from opening your own small business. In addition you have behaviorial choices such as getting pregnant young, drugs, alcohol, educational training etc. Dont you think all of these factors plus the ones I said above regarding education etc factor into the income spectrum such as poor, middle class and rich more than any of your monetary opportunities being "stolen" from you by the rich?
I'd say your first paragraph proves my point about ripping off the middle class. Where do you think the money that gets transferred to the rich comes from?
I dont get it. How was it a transfer from the middle class? What middle class money went to Soros. In my experience the other person on the other side of a foreign currency trade is another wealthy person or someone willing to gamble on behalf of some fund set up to do that. So the loser in these trades are other wealthy traders. I would think Soros just made money taking gambles against wealthy traders so explain the wealth transfer from the middle class to me
Kirk, maybe no one wants to talk to you. Probably they think that it would be a waste of time.
xyz
fcku
This isn't code. I meant to reply to Kirk's comment but instead started a whole new comment. But when you edit a comment, it won't allow you to leave an empty box. (There comrades, I think I may just fool those capitalist dogs, Bwahaahaaahaaaaa!)
McCain neglected to mention yesterday that while the tea party was responsible for Angle and O'Donnell, he's the one who inflicted Sarah Palin on us.
Even a mean old buzzard can stumble onto some truths now and then. McCain loves to yell at people. At least lately he's found an appropriate target. But he is completely tarnished after PALIN and his abandonment of his own principles - like for instance - support for a sane immigration policy. (Of course, he is from Arizona where the sun evidently melts the compassion out of your heart over time.)
Well, the Repukes SCREWED UP – AGAIN !!! The Baggers aren’t gentle, pastoral Hobbits, but vicious, conniving, back-stabbing Ferengi !!! Read the “Rules of Acquisition” (Google it!) – it might as well be the Repukes and Baggers ***CAMPAIGN PLATFORM*** !!! Sad, really ...
Sad Sack McCain did a very quick back step today on FOX. You really need to see it for yourself how the cowardly lion blatantly lied about what he had said. Time for McCain to mount up and ride into the sunset. His legacy will be one of utter failure in his later years. First he gave us 4 years of George W Bush and then he gave us Sarah Palin with his ignorant choices. Rest well Mr McCain.. you didn't earn it but hey you have an intelligent daughter to actually possibly do some real good one day soon if she chooses a careeer in ploitics. I will credit you for that.
I never watch Fox, I wouldn't allow that trash on my TV or in my home. But, I will take your word for it. Its time for McCain to retire. He really should do that to save himself the embarrassment of being defeated in the next election.
All this arguing among Dems and Repubs is fine and good but does anyone care that we are destroying our country. I feel like they are playing chicken with the American people's lives and hoping they win the game.
Pinchapenny, of course you are correct. Which is why I would advocate voting out all incumbents from the Local, State and Federal level. Although, there is not one of the GOP candidates that is worth the time of day.
Senator McCain said in 2002, that you cannot go to war and lower taxes, at the same time.
Where was Senator DeMint, when the GOP passed those bills?
Sen. McCain is a patriot, who loves his Country. Sen. DeMint is a ????????
Sen. McCain did not "inflict" Gov. Palin on the US. The GOP would not allow him his 1st two choices--Gov. Ridge or Gov. Thompson--both grownups.
I did not vote for John McCain, but I respect him as a patriot.
John, is that true, I thought that McCain wanted Joe Liebermann.