You know the #47Traitors are getting some serious blowback when they resort to this for an excuse:
Republican aides were taken aback by what they thought was a lighthearted attempt to signal to Iran and the public that Congress should have a role in the ongoing nuclear discussions. Two GOP aides separately described their letter as a “cheeky†reminder of the congressional branch’s prerogatives.
“The administration has no sense of humor when it comes to how weakly they have been handling these negotiations,†said a top GOP Senate aide.
Yes, the Senate is a joke, but not a funny one.
Added a Republican national security aide, “The Senate should have a role. It would make any agreement have some sort of consistency and perpetuity beyond the president. And it would also be buy-in for the American people. Right now it’s just an agreement between the President of the United States and whoever the final signatory to the agreement is.â€
Last night Jon Stewart pointed out that “Ronald Reagan, peace be upon him, signed over 1,500 executive agreements, including a nuclear deal with China and a hostage deal with — oh, how do I pronounce this? — Iran.” It may be that the executive agreement thing is something a sober and less acrimonious Senate might review and clarify, along with war powers, someday in the future when we have a sober and less acrimonious Senate. Assuming that day comes.
In the meantime, perhaps it would help if we all regarded the Senate, and of course the House too, as a kind of legislative embodiment of The Onion.
Update: See Annie Lauri
Btw. maha – GREAT title to that last post.
Oh, it was a joke!
47 GOP Senate political comedians got together, and wrote something bordering on treason, as a comedy skit!
Who knew?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
SNL must be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous!!!
Yeah, you pack of joker’s, it’s the President who has no sense of humor.
The sane part of this nation isn’t laughing WITH you – we’re laughing AT YOU!!!
Next time, try your routines at some local “Yuck-Yuck’s” or “The Chuckles Factory,” before you commit your insane treasonous and traitorous comedy routines on the international stage.
If President Obama were the tyrannical despotic Dictator you think he is – when he’s not a mewling pussy-cat – then you borderline treasonous traitors might be learning several Arabic dialects at GITMO while you’re waiting in line to get your “Four-Star” meals that you think are served there!
I still have a hard time thinking that so many bigoted – purportedly “Christian – @$$holes and imbeciles got voted into national office!
But, then, I don’t like to think that almost 50% of the cars on the road are driven by, or have as passengers, fellow Americans who are this low on intellect, and have so little empathy.
Dear fellow Americans,
When the road-kill on your highway’s is smarter than your House and Senate representatives, you really should take a long hard look at yourselves!
If you vote-in people dumber than road-kill, what does that say about YOUR intellect, empathy, and discretion – OR, LACK THEREOF!!!!!
IT’S A PRANK BRO! IT’S A PRANK!
“as a kind of legislative embodiment of The Onion.”
You give them w-a-a-a-y too much credit.
There’s nothing funnier than arrogance and condescension, right?
Now I understand why the Rep’s are so full of resentment. It’s because they keep doing stupid stuff like this, and most of us can’t help laughing at their idiocy.
So they were trying to make us laugh – SO brilliant!
“The administration has no sense of humor….†said a top GOP Senate aide.
Yeah dude, it’s all fun & games til somebody loses an eye.
Joan,
They can’t lose one.
Republicans never say “AYE!” to anything President Obama or the Democrats want to do.
Yeah, the blowback obviously stung. Especially since a public reply from Iran pointed out the fact that these guys don’t understand INTERNATIONAL LAW – and the world is not a suburb of Washington DC.The 47 are ready for this to go away.
They (the 47) got what they wanted – they gave the base some red meat. However, they effectively sabotaged any cooperation from democrats (and there were a few) on the issue of involving the Congress in the negotiations.
These clowns aren’t governing – or attempting to govern. They are only making gestures for the rubes, usually gestures with the middle finger.
OT – gulag, I need a translator. My wife has written a book – in Russian and she needs it translated to English. I promise there are no apostrophes. Let me know if you are up for some work in your spare time. There’s no rush and it would be pay-as-you go, anyhow.
For the 47, a biblical quote:
Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.
Meaning: you have been counted, you have been counted, and found wanting, by the Persians.
This is what happens when the frat boy cool kids get elected to high positions. In the words of the great Jambi the genie, mecca lecca high, mecca hiney hoe.
It’s pee wee’s playhouse gone septic.
I heard a snippet of an interview with a Republican who did not sign the letter, on NPR. (Sorry, no link.) He cited a backdrop of conflict between the President and his party and listed a few bones of contention, among them of course, the ACA.
So, in other words, because a piece of legislation that his party opposed, was passed and signed into law a few years ago, they are aggrieved, and therefore excused for their actions.
If you look at the mens rea of this situation, I think the most charitable assessment you could possibly make would be that this was an act of recklessness. But, given their record, it would be hard to dismiss the probability that it was a purposeful act in which the well being and integrity of the country was knowingly put at risk for the possibility of political gain.
Elected officials should not act like reckless children.
Doug,
Believe me, I’d love to.
But I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do your wife’s book justice. I suggest I call either my cousin – a professional translator – or my niece.
I’m fluent in the spoken language. The written one, not so much. Both of them are better at reading and translating, than I would be.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/12/world/author-terry-pratchett-dies/index.html
I have to go lie down now and have a good cry. No more Discworld books.
Sometimes Pratchett would write a paragraph so flawless in its hilarity, I’d have to copy it out by hand. I kept a notebook of his best stuff.
As Doug said, “These clowns aren’t governing – or attempting to govern.”
That’s what really scares me. They are representing somebody, but, not their constituents. Their real agenda is shaped by their big donors, they just have to keep the rest of us distracted and angry. Meanwhile, while the world of “1984” had continuous war, we have a continuous election campaign.
Joan,
I’ve never read any of his books, but, based on your recommendation, I’ll order the first of the series on my new NOOK!
Yes, this schnook has a new NOOK!!!
Right after I finish the novel I’m reading from the library, and maha’s book, which was just delivered today!
YAY!!!
I can hardly wait to read her take on ‘rethinking religion!’
Gulag,
I’m reading maha’s book old-school (paper copy), but it’s really enjoyable and interesting.
My favorite Discworld novel (I think; since there are about a million) probably was “The Truth,” in which he manages to send up both “Pulp Fiction” and the early days of newspaper reporting. “Reaper Man,” in which Death takes the proverbial holiday, is another I remember fondly.
So long Sir Terry, glad you lived to get a knighthood; it makes the whole snooty-British-titles thing almost make sense to me.
Actually, what I though was a delivery of maha’s book, sadly,turned out not to be.
It was, however, some much-needed wraps and other medical stuff for my horribly damaged and disfigured ankle.
One that a few months ago some doctor’s thought might have to be amputated.
But, I found an Orthopedic Surgeon who thinks he can successfully fuse it – not exactly fun either, since it involves 3 months of recovery, with no weight being put on the repaired ankle, for 10 to 12+ weeks.
No driving, and certainly, no walking.
I just don’t know how I’ll be able to handle taking care of my 83 year-old mother, if I’m incapacitated. My sister lives about 45 minutes away, and is a very busy piano teacher whose base is her home.
I have to get the logistics of that figured out, and have the approval of cardiologists and other doctors, before I can even begin to think of having that surgery.
Oy…
This is just a test. I’ve been banned from the internet till Tuesday. But don’t despair. I’m alive and well.
The repugs are a bunch of juveniles
Gulag – I hope Maha doesn’t object to crosstalk, but this is literary. Re a translation – we’re in no huge rush – this has to be in stages. I’m not involved. My wife is aware I will change what she wrote, so I’m prohibited from taking a raw translation and making it idiomatic. She knows me too well, including my faults. Anyhow, Alena can manage the negotiations if either your niece or cousin is interested. A plus for them – the MS will be pleasant rather than technical – boy meets girl, historical fiction.
I’m regular reader of Balloon Juice and like it when you reference a post there.
(But soto voce her name is Anne Laurie.)
Maybe there’s some way that maha can put us in contact, via e-mail.
I don’t want to name mine here, because… trolls lurk!
What a lot of people don’t realize, especially Republicans, is that the negotiations with Iran involve five other countries. If they are criticizing the way negotiations are being handled, they are also criticizing five other countries. I would hope that those countries attacked the Republicans for being the small minded morons that they truly are!
Zinsky,
Conservatives/Republicans don’t acknowledge that there are any other countries in this Universe, so why would it make difference to them, about what they think?!?!?!?!?! *
* “Feelings”, and “Truthiness,” trump any and all “thought!”