FLAIT

As this blog has proven, the entire conservative movement is a massive cult and the Republican "Party," at worst, is a political terrorist organization. At best, as political party, it has absolutely no desire to govern, ever. They won't when they're in power because the solution to every problem is "less government" and "tax cuts." And when they're out of power, they have to oppose and block everything Democrats want to do because if they didn't, it would be an admission that "liberals" were right and conservatives wrong. And they'll never admit that. The truth, facts, logic and America be damned.

It would also look as if they're enacting Obama's "radical, Socialist, agenda" (which is actually to the right of Ronald Reagan's). And the moronic Tea Party won't have any of that.

This is why immigration reform has dragged on for so long and is now side-tracked. This is why the right wants creationism taught in public schools. This is why the right thinks climate change is a hoax. And this is why Republicans did everything possible to block and sabotage the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (and still does). Because if they didn't, they'd be admitting that the "godless, pro-science liberals" are right, and in the CFPB's case, that "big government" is needed. And they'll never admit that after spending decades turning "liberal" and "government" into dirty words that even Democrats have to avoid.

Self-destructive selfish pride, and spite, I know. But Republicans have to protect their propaganda and defend their dogmatic arguments at all cost.

Therefore, the GOP's "strategy" - if you want to call it that - is attack, attack, attack, attack, attack, attack, attack, attack and attack with lies, fear, hate, paranoia, conspiracy theories and repeated calls for Obama's impeachment (without grounds to do so, which they admit). All to drive the forced, manufactured hatred the right already has for Obama, and in the process, keep the moronic conservative base in a perpetual state of rage at Obama, Democrats, environmentalists or whoever the "liberal" enemy of the hour happens to be so they never wise up and leave the cult (fat chance as it is).

You think I'm exaggerating? When was the last time a Republican offered anything of substance on policy or legislation? When was the last time a Republican brought a worthwhile idea to the table? When have they proposed anything other than "less government" and "lower taxes" as a solution to a problem (even after Obama cut government and cut taxes)? When was the last time they weren't attacking, ridiculing, obstructing, filibustering or declaring stubborn defiance? 'Nuff said.

Since they're unable to argue the truth, facts or policy, and since they're not allowed to agree with a "liberal," on anything, ever - no matter what - a constant barrage of attacks, lies, hypocrisy (more here, here, here and here) and childish ridicule is all they got. And they don't care about the consequences. Republicans would rather hurt America and hurt Americans, and look foolish doing so as they get tangled up in contradictory knots with their lies, hypocrisy and ignorance, than give the appearance that they're agreeing with Obama, let alone give him a legislative victory.

Hell of a way to govern, isn't it? But that's how upside-down, insane, spiteful and destructive Republican politics are. They might as well torch the country and be done with it. I'm serious. Just look at the tone, dysfunction, partisanship and gridlock in Washington. And no, "both sides" are not to blame. Hard core, contentious, bull-in-a-china-shop politics and partisanship is the GOP's political "strategy." And if you don't get that by now, then I'll prove it again.

In my last post, I wrote about how the government is spying on Americans to "keep Americans safe" from terrorism, even though it doesn't, but can't pass strong, national gun control laws that will "keep American's safer." I wanted to expand on that "logic" when it comes to Republicans, health care, voting rights, abortion and guns.

Health Care

It would be refreshing that when Republicans had legitimate disagreements with Democrats, they'd engage in mature, honest debate and offer alternative ideas (insert raucous laughter here). But despite soaring costs, pre-existing condition discrimination and tens of millions of Americans without health insurance, Republicans never gave health care reform a chance. They didn't even try. The couldn't. Because passing it would be popular and make Obama and the Democrats look good. And they couldn't allow that. So from the very beginning, they used lies, fear, hostility and hatred to try and derail it. But since they weren't able to, and now terrified Obamacare will work - which would prove them wrong, as usual - they're trying to sabotage it.

I'll get to that in a bit, but it's interesting how the GOP continues to mobilize their mindless and gullible base to protest health care reform and Obamacare the last four years (even though Obamacare's in everyone's interests, including the GOP's mindless and gullible base's). But when it comes to all the money and corruption in politics, income inequality, failing to prosecute the crooked bankers responsible for crashing the economy, and allowing business as usual to return to Wall Street, they're nowhere to be found.

I can see the protest signs now (held by conservatives without health insurance and a house under foreclosure). On one side, No Affordable Health Care For All! And on the other, More Money and Less Regulation for the Banks and Wall Street!

Hey, no one ever said conservatives were all that bright. But again, the right has to oppose Obama, no matter what, or else they'd have to admit that a "liberal" is right and conservatives wrong. And they'll never admit that, even when liberals are right and conservatives aren't just wrong, but couldn't be more wrong. Therefore, Republicans have to oppose, block and sabotage whatever Obama wants to do. Even if it makes them look like ignorant, foolish, hypocritical political terrorists. But as I'll explain, once again, they don't care because their one and only priority is to destroy Obama and the Democratic Party.

One of the many gripes about health care from the right, pre-Obamacre, is that those who have insurance have to pay, one way or another, for the uninsured when they're in need of medical care. But what Obamacare does, is force everyone to have insurance. In fact, Obamacare - officially, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - is not a liberal plan at all (I wasn't thrilled with it myself). A liberal plan would be single-payer, which it is not. It's basically a Republican plan that 18 GOP Senators voted for in 1993 and Mitt Romney enacted in 2006 when he was governor of Massachusetts.

And yet, despite the fact that millions of their own constituents don't have health insurance, can't get insurance because of pre-existing conditions and/or are stuck with medical bills they can't pay, again, Republicans had to oppose, attack, block and sabotage a plan that was very similar to their own twenty years ago. The uninsured be damned. And the insured be damned too because they should see their costs lowered under Obamacare as well.

Heck, Republicans even attacked Obama for not implementing Obamacare fast enough. So even if he gave conservatives exactly the kind of health care system they're screaming for, they would have blocked it and angrily attacked him for that too.

This is the obstruction, destruction, hypocrisy and political terrorism Obama had to deal with. And still does.

But there's more. A lot more.

Republicans are always screaming about states' rights and the federal government not only telling the states what to do, but telling them what to do without paying for it. And with Obamacare, states are supposed set up their own health care exchanges; a marketplace where those without insurance can shop around for the best price.

Wait a second. Isn't that what Republicans are always screaming for? "Free markets" and "competition" where the public can is forced to purchase products from private corporations? Well, here it is! But for the most part, Republicans aren't setting up the "free market" exchanges in their states! And guess who gets to come in and do it for them? The big, bad federal government!

This is just another contradictory and hypocritical knot Republicans get themselves into because, again, it's in their selfish political interests to oppose Obama, sabotage Obamacare and make sure it fails. And the more it fails, the better, for them, politically; proving that throwing stones is much easier than picking them up.

Anyway, Obamacare is funded by the federal government and, for the most part, the states don't have to pay for it, including the expansion of Medicaid. But most red states are turning their backs on that money too. And because of that snub, a hospital in North Carolina has already been forced to close its doors. It will also result in higher costs for those states, higher premiums for those with insurance, and leave millions uninsured. As Jon Perr of Daily Kos explains:

There is no mystery as to why red state denizens will have to have to pay more for fewer health insurance choices, assuming they can get it at all. Responsibility can be placed at the feet of the Republicans governors and legislatures in the 26 GOP-controlled states who out of pure political spite rejected Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid. As things now stand, an estimated 11.5 million people nationwide will needlessly be denied health insurance. Among them will be roughly 1.9 million in Texas, 1 million in Florida, 600,000 in Georgia, 300,000 in Louisiana and 182,000 in Wisconsin.

And just watch. Republicans will blame Obama, Obamacare and "big government" for those uninsured.

As for those higher costs...

...the federal government will pay for 100 percent of the cost of the Medicaid expansion until 2017 and 90 percent after that. But the billions the "opt-out" states will have to come up with in future years will be more than offset by their extra costs to compensate hospitals and other providers for the care of the uninsured. As Ezra Klein and Evan Soltas summed up a recent analysis by the RAND Corporation of 14 Medicaid rejecting states:

It finds that the result will be they get $8.4 billion less in federal funding, have to spend an extra $1 billion in uncompensated care, and end up with about 3.6 million fewer insured residents. So then, the math works out like this: States rejecting the expansion will spend much more, get much, much less, and leave millions of their residents uninsured. That's a lot of self-inflicted pain to make a political point.

Exactly. This isn't cutting off your nose to spite your face. This is cutting off your face to spite Obama (and not having health insurance to cover it). But since the GOP's priorities are destroying Obama and destroying Obamacare, instead of say, helping their own constituents get health insurance, that's what Republicans political terrorists do.

But wait, there's more.

After surviving a Supreme Court challenge, Obama's re-election, and not one, not two, not five, not 10, not 20, not 30, but 40 votes now 41 votes in the House of Representatives to repeal Obamacare, Republicans and the right are getting desperate (can you imagine Democrats being this obsessive and working this hard to try and repeal and destroy historical, ground-breaking Republican legislation? Not on your life. Republicans would make sure it didn't happen. Goes to show the double standards that Democrats have allowed. But that's another story.). They're trying to convince con Americans - uninsured Americans - that they're better off not buying health insurance. Yes, you heard that right. Republicans - who have great health insurance courtesy of tax payers and "big government" - don't want uninsured Americans to buy health insurance. And they call themselves "pro-life"? Give me a break.

That would be like telling your constituents not to buy food because the grocer is a liberal, while buying subsidized groceries, courtesy of hungry tax payers, from a liberal grocer.

And Republicans have gone to great lengths to keep Americans in the dark about Obamacare. Here's Rachel Maddow explaining how Massachusetts used players from the Boston Red Sox in TV commercials to spread the word about "Romneycare." But now with Obamacare, Republicans sent threatening letters to the sports leagues telling them not to allow their players to appear in ads for the exchanges. So much for the First Amendment (now, if it were ads showing the players shooting guns...).

Of course, Republicans could be spending their time a lot more responsibly. But that would assume they're a legitimate political party that cares about America and its citizens. But they're not a legitimate political party and they don't care about America and its citizens (well, not 99% of them). Heck, they're not even a political party because they're not driven by responsibility. They're driven by destroying Obama, destroying Obamacare and keeping the mindless and gullible conservative base from the truth, facts and logic and, most of all, in a perpetual state of rage. And in this clip, Rachel Maddow proves it.

So instead of joining the discussion and bringing maturity, substance and a sense of responsibility, and duty, to the table, they brought nothing but spite, exponential ignorance, pugnacious partisan politics and political terrorism.

And a boatload of stones. Washington insider and author Norm Ornstein:

When a law is enacted, representatives who opposed it have some choices...They can try to repeal it, which is perfectly acceptable—unless it becomes an effort at grandstanding so overdone that it detracts from other basic responsibilities of governing. They can try to amend it to make it work better—not just perfectly acceptable but desirable, if the goal is to improve a cumbersome law to work better for the betterment of the society and its people. They can strive to make sure that the law does the most for Americans it is intended to serve, including their own constituents, while doing the least damage to the society and the economy. Or they can step aside and leave the burden of implementation to those who supported the law and got it enacted in the first place.

But to do everything possible to undercut and destroy its implementation—which in this case means finding ways to deny coverage to many who lack any health insurance; to keep millions who might be able to get better and cheaper coverage in the dark about their new options; to create disruption for the health providers who are trying to implement the law, including insurers, hospitals, and physicians; to threaten the even greater disruption via a government shutdown or breach of the debt limit in order to blackmail the president into abandoning the law; and to hope to benefit politically from all the resulting turmoil—is simply unacceptable, even contemptible. One might expect this kind of behavior from a few grenade-throwing firebrands. That the effort is spearheaded by the Republican leaders of the House and Senate—even if Speaker John Boehner is motivated by fear of his caucus, and McConnell and Cornyn by fear of Kentucky and Texas Republican activists—takes one's breath away.

It's true. As irresponsible as it sounds, red state Republicans are deliberately trying to throw a monkey wrench into Obamacare's rollout to slow it down, and obstruct and confuse the public to make it harder to buy insurance through the exchanges. Hey, that's what political terrorists do.

Ironically, Republicans are interfering the most in states that have most uninsured.

That would be like putting up road blocks outside the firehouse in the area that has the most fires because you want to make the fire chief look bad.

One Georgia Republican official not only admits to deliberately obstructing Obamacare, but is giddy about it.

Hmmm...Hamas and al-Qaeda "take responsibility" and are giddy after a suicide bombings. So I'm not exaggerating at all when I describe the GOP as political terrorists (I don't have to exaggerate when trying to prove my point when it comes to Republicans and the right).

Anyway, if Republicans succeed, and there is confusion with Obamacare and the exchanges, Republicans will have their talking point ready: See? Big government doesn't work! And volia a new cynical, anti-government conservative voter is born!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't bureaucrats and politicians supposed to help their constituents? Isn't everyone having health insurance in everyone's interests? Isn't making the exchanges as accessible and understandable as possible exactly what politicians should be doing?

Ask silly questions....

On second thought, Republicans have made a political living by bashing government, blaming government and telling us how incompetent government is. Government can't better not do anything right (or else it would prove them wrong about government being incompetent) even though Medicare and Medicaid are more efficient than private insurance, while over the last 75 years the "free market" and "private industry" is responsible for creating, managing and administering the most asinine, wasteful and expensive health care system in the world.

Anyway, they're right. Because when and where Republicans are in power, government doesn't do anything right! On purpose!

That would be like a cop purposely directing traffic towards on-coming traffic because he wants to make the traffic commissioner look bad.

The difference between how red states and blue states are embracing Obamacare and the effect it's having couldn't be more clear. Where Democrats are in power, and setting up the exchanges responsibly, the "free market" and "competition" are already having the desired effect: insurance rates rates are coming down - even more than expected. And that's another contradictory knot Republicans will have to spin themselves out of.

You'd think that telling their constituents not sign up for health insurance, and deliberately making it more difficult to navigate the exchanges, would make their constituents angry at them. But remember, this is a cult that has the mindless, gullible and ignorant as members. So the anger is directed at Obama and the Democrats for having the nerve to get everyone covered at lower costs.

Actually, anger would be directed toward Republicans when the exchanges open on schedule. Yes, you heard that right. Republicans have done such a wonderful job convincing frightening, conning and lying to their own (uninsured) constituents and Tea Party Presidential voters about the "evils" of Obamacare, that the far right will take it out on Speaker John Bohener for not doing enough to kill it.

That would be like being angry at the cop for not dragging your car hard enough into oncoming traffic because you want the traffic commissioner to look bad.

This is what we're dealing with here.

So without being held accountable for it, Republicans, who again have great health insurance courtesy of tax payers and "big government," are sticking it to the uninsured without them even realizing it.

But the right's (forced and manufactured) hatred of Obama and sabotaging Obamacare is so great, that Republicans are even sticking it Churches, their main conservative constituency, by trying to block them from joining the health care exchanges. Churches need to be in the exchanges or else they'll lose their viability.

Republican Congressmen also want to stick it to their own staffs by not allowing them to accept subsides for health insurance within Obamacare, even though the government has always paid for part of their health insurance anyway.

Republicans were also complaining about a provision in Obamacare that affected Congressional staff and their insurance. But a Republican was responsible for that. And since they have nothing better to do, Republicans are now using it, politically, to embarrass Democrats.

But wait, there's more (with Republicans, there always is!).

The GOP's propaganda machine is so powerful, and the moronic Tea Party conservative base so mindless, gullible and ignorant, that some of them believe that the health care exchanges within Obamacare are not from Obamacare at all.

But we shouldn't be surprised. This is the same ignorant group that believes that Obama, and not George Bush, is to blame for failing to come to the aid of Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005. And the GOP's propaganda outfit, Fox "News," is trying to blame last week's shooting at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard, as well as the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, on Bill Clinton.

Goes to show just how well trained the members of this cult are. Scary, isn't it?

But despite all the attacks, lies, dogma and flat out sabotage, Obamacare will be rolled out on schedule. So the GOP's last hope to kill it would be to take the government and economy hostage: defund Obamacare or they'll shut the government down and/or block an increase in the debt ceiling. Hmmm...where have we heard a threat like that before?

Yes, Republicans are threatening a government shutdown, again, and/or defaulting on the debt, again, if Obamacare is funded despite the consequences. And it just might happen because the inmates, and its insane staff, are running the asylum their part of the city.

Threatening to shut the government down and playing games with America's credit rating, again, because of Obamacare, would be like driving into oncoming traffic during the Indy 500. It's off-the-charts-lunacy; sort of the political equivalent of hijacking planes and flying them into buildings.

What's ironic is that Republicans are always ranting and raving about the deficit (well, only when a Democrat is President). But repealing Obmacare would increase the deficit! But wait, it gets better. While Republicans voted 41 times oops, now 42 times to repeal Obamacare - and this one's special because it would wreck the economy at the same time - they're not repealing the revenue and tax increases that Obamacare raises to pay for it. In fact, Republicans use Obamacare money, as well as Obamacare's Medicare savings, in their asterisk-laden budgets! (November 2 insert: As much as Paul Ryan wants to destroy, defund or repeal Obamacare, he needs it, and uses it, because under his Medicare "plan," seniors would be given vouchers to buy insurance. And where would they use those vouchers? Health care exchanges! If you can stomach Ryan's neasuating hypocrisy, and chutzpah, here's the details.)

Not that we needed any more proof, but the way the Republican "Party" has terrorized Obama and Obamacare has given us great insight into their "priorities," level of intellect and how far they'll go for spite (all the way!). But this is what happens when a "political party" is really a political terrorist organization, and a cult, that deliberately torches the legislative process, obstructs and relentlessly attacks Obama, Democrats and government, and brainwashes its members with lies, conspiracy theories and vile incessant hatred because they can not under any circumstances allow "liberals" to win...one...ever.

If Republicans and conservatives think they're right on the issues, and want to be the mega majority party, why not engage in a mature, honest debate and win with their ideas and intellect? Because they can't. The same way a bully has to intimidate, and a fundamentalist has to terrorize, to get what they want.

Even though their scorched earth strategy has backfired, it won't stop the GOP this political terrorist organization/cult. On the contrary. They'll get even more radical, more obstructive and more destructive. They have to, or else it would be an admission that they're wrong and liberals right. And that's not happening.

Whether or not Obamacare is a good plan, the bottom line is that when Republicans had the opportunity to engage in the debate to make our health care system better, more cost effective and get everyone covered, they acted like the political terrorists, thugs and bullies they are. The hell with soring health care costs, the uninsured, pre-existing condition discrimination and cost shifting. They have a Democratic president to tear down and a moronic base to (con and) keep in a perpetual state of rage.

New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman:

On (September 7), Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming delivered the weekly Republican Address. He...demanded repeal of the Affordable Care Act. “The health care law,” he declared, “has proven to be unpopular, unworkable and unaffordable,” and he predicted “sticker shock” in the months ahead.

So, another week, another denunciation of Obamacare. Who cares? But Mr. Barrasso’s remarks were actually interesting, although not in the way he intended. You see, all the recent news on health costs has been good. So Mr. Barrasso is predicting sticker shock precisely when serious fears of such a shock are fading fast. Why would he do that?

Well, one likely answer is that he hasn’t heard any of the good news. Think about it: Who would tell him?

My guess...was that Mr. Barrasso was inadvertently illustrating the widening "wonk gap" — the G.O.P.’s near-complete lack of expertise on anything substantive. Health care is the most prominent example, but the dumbing down extends across the spectrum, from budget issues to national security to poll analysis. Remember, Mitt Romney and much of his party went into Election Day expecting victory...

Modern conservatism has become a sort of a cult, very much given to conspiracy theorizing when confronted with inconvenient facts. Liberal policies were supposed to cause hyperinflation, so low measured inflation must reflect statistical fraud; the threat of climate change implies the need for public action, so global warming must be a gigantic scientific hoax. Oh, and Mitt Romney would have won if only he had been a real conservative.

It’s all kind of funny, in a way. Unfortunately, however, this runaway cult controls the House, which gives it immense destructive power — the power, for example, to wreak havoc on the economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling. And it’s disturbing to realize that this power rests in the hands of men who, thanks to the wonk gap, quite literally have no idea what they’re doing. (Bold mine.)

I present your Republican "Party."

Voting

Despite their deliberate legislative dysfunction, recklessness and political terrorism, Republicans can get things done when it benefits the GOP. And they've done that by ramming through voter ID laws in red states across the country. And there's more to come.

Their "justification" for these laws is to combat voter fraud. But there's little to no voter fraud to speak of at the polls.

So the real purpose of these laws, and the GOP's dirty tactics that go along with them, is to suppress Democratic turnout. And Republicans admit it (also here here, here and here). They also admit that non-Presidential elections are "great years" for Republicans because turnout among minorities and the young is much lower. So as Republican Sen. John Cornyn and flaming conservative Phyllis Schlafly noted, Republicans need these laws, and need to curtail early voting, or else red states will turn blue. Imagine that.

Rachel Maddow has done a wonderful job chronicling North Carolina's recently enacted voter suppression laws - here, here and here - that will curtail Democratic turnout in the state.

Funny how Republicans are always wrapping themselves up in the American flag as patriots who love the country (because they have nothing of substance to run on). And yet, one of the few pieces of legislation they actually pass into law is keeping Americans, predominantly Democrats, from the polls. What can be more un-American than that? If anything, they should be trying to increase voter participation.

Oh wait, that would make sense and be the right thing to do. What was I thinking?

You know, maybe if Republicans spent their time on campaign financing legalized bribery, the environment, our crumbling infrastructure, our cities' decrepit mass transit systems, green technology, rising college tuition, banking regulation, expanding Medicaid, and setting up the health care exchanges so they're rolled out without a hitch, instead of voter fraud that doesn't exist, they wouldn't have to suppress turnout to win elections.

Oh wait, that would make sense too. It would also mean Republicans would have to think (insert laughter here), use their intellect (insert more laughter here) and govern (insert even more laughter here). And they won't have any of that. Never mind.

Republicans have figured out that they don't have to govern at all because they can gain legislative majorities by keeping Democrats from the polls and carving up a state's legislative districts drastically in their favor. And they admit that too.

For a supposed political party that runs on "freedom," this is awfully fascist if you ask me.

Oh, I have a correction to make. I was wrong about voter fraud. There is voter fraud. It's committed by Republicans, here, here, here and here.

I present your Republican "Party."

(November insert:

Whenever Republicans get blamed for something that goes wrong, the Iraq war for instance, they take whatever good news there is and turn it into the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve combined. For example, Republican Congressman showed up to President Bush's 2005 State of the Union address waving purple-stained fingers to celebrate the free elections that had just taken place in Iraq (why do I get the impression that if it was Bill Clinton who lied the country into a disastrous war, Republicans would be waving an entirely different finger at him?).

There was no mention of the cost in blood, arms, legs and dollars it took to make that election possible. But that's Republican spin and propaganda for you. Besides, since when do Republicans give a crap about Iraqis?

Anyway, let me see if I have this straight. Getting Iraqis to vote is cheered and celebrated by Republicans. But they're trying their darndest to keep Americans from the polls.)

Abortion

Just like Voter ID laws that restricts turnout among Democratic voters, Republicans have systematically rammed through forcible, unnecessary and extremely invasive anti-abortion trap laws around the country for the sole purpose of closing clinics and, in effect, taking away a woman's right to choose (in an effort to con Americans from buying health insurance through Obamacare, the right is running creepy TV ads saying Obamacare will be invasive and invade your privacy. Oh, now I understand. It's Republicans that are allowed to have "big government" literally invade a woman's private parts against their wishes. Rachel Maddow goes into more detail here.).

Can you imagine what would happen if there were so many restrictions placed on gun sales that it forced all but a handful of gun stores to close in Montana? There would be blood in the streets. And that would be just the beginning.

It's interesting that when Republicans want to get things done, whether it's suppressing the Democratic vote or banning abortion, the legislation sails right through without a hitch. If only they were half as attentive, productive and efficient when it comes to health care, our crumbling infrastructure, our cities' dilapidated mass transit systems, the environment, green technology, rising college tuition and banking regulation.

I present your Republican "Party."

Guns

Just like the right hates Obama out of spite, the GOP, the NRA and the gun nuts cling to their guns - and their sick pro-gun politics - out of spite too; to tick off the "gun grabbing liberals" (all three of them). Seriously. Their sick attitude on guns is nothing more than a bumper sticker slogan: Buy Guns, Tick Off Liberals (it would be like a woman getting pregnant so she can tick off pro-lifers by having an abortion). That's why they treat guns as if they're the cure to cancer (when they are the cancer). They have to, to keep "proving" their sick point. And each time they flash their assault rifles and pack their right to carry hand guns, they think it's a poke in the eye of every "liberal."

So once again, it's about spite, stubbornness, ignorance and immaturity.

They also take the best defense is a massive, overwhelming, intimidating offense approach. They have to because they know they can't win a sensible, honest debate on guns. So to prevent any discussion and (cough, cough) "debate" about gun control - and to ensure that no gun control laws are passed - they go on the attack and use paranoia, fear and conspiracy theories to avoid them. Sound familiar?

And this is why, despite all the all the daily gun violence, bloodshed and death all over the country, Republicans blocked universal background checks and an assault weapons ban, post Newtown. Because if they didn't, they'd be admitting that they've been wrong all this time on guns. And they'll never, ever admit that because it would mean the "gun grabbing liberals" were right. If anything, they weaken and repeal gun laws to "prove" how "right" they are.

If that's not enough, the Missouri legislature recently came within one vote of over-ridding the governor's veto of a bill that would have allowed the state to ignore all federal gun laws (all three of them).

And after Colorado instituted stronger gun laws, post Newtown, the NRA mounted a recall election for two state legislators for having the nerve to support them. And they were beaten.

But what's alarming typical of the gun nuts, is that a local gun group posted mock tombstones of the defeated legislators as a warning - a sick, disgusting warning - to future politicians who support gun control laws.

I'll let Rachel Maddow take it from there:

...this is what happens to anti-gun politicians in America now. You get killed and you end up dead. And then groups with military style assault rifles in their logos, celebrate your death, circulate photos of your tombstones and brag that they killed you.

This is what we're dealing with here. But hey, your local polling place will be free of fraudulent voters!

Because of the NRA, a massive cult in of itself, and the Republican "Party," almost anyone - even violent felons, sex offenders and the blind - can basically buy any gun they want, as many as they want, as many bullets they want, almost anywhere they want - few questions asked. At least, were it up to them, that's how it would be in all 50 states.

And Republicans call themselves "pro-life"? Give me a break.

The facts, logic, madness and all the daily tragedies that we don't hear about on the news, do not matter. At all. Ever. Because the NRA and Republican "Party" have to protect their propaganda and defend their sick arguments at all cost. No matter what. Sound familiar?

So looking for the slightest bit of intellect and sanity on guns from Republicans, the NRA and its members, is like looking for a clean place to sit in a garbage dump.

I present your Republican "Party."

(Note: For much more on guns and the NRA cult, see this post.)

Republican Pro-Life Patriotic "Logic"

To sum up:

Despite skyrocketing health care costs and tens of millions uninsured, Republicans have, as insane as it sounds, waged an all-out war on Obamacare. Block it, overturn it, repeal it, defund it, sabotage it, weaken it, confuse it, throw a monkey wrench into it...Whatever it takes to destroy it or at least muck it up (which is the same demented, self-destructive attitude that suicide bombers have) so Obama is hurt politically and "big government" looks incompetent.

Republicans in red states have spent their time passing draconian Voter ID laws to keep Democratic voters from the polls.

Republicans in red states have spent their remaining time passing extremely invasive, restrictive and unnecessary abortion laws for the sole purpose of taking away a women's right to choose.

But "pro-life" Republicans won't do a damn thing about this massive, insane, epidemic of gun violence all over the country. Ever. On the contrary, they weaken and repeal gun laws.

So let me see if I have this straight: block, attack and sabotage "free market" and "competition" changes to the most asinine, wasteful and expensive health care system in the world; get tough on non-existent voter fraud at the polls; and for all intents and purposes, take away a women's right to choose in some states. But do absolutely nothing about all these daily shootings, bloodshed and death; if anything, they make it easier to buy guns - easier then voting! - so more and more and more and more and more and more and more and more guns are out there.

Yup, makes sense to me!

Seriously though, this is criminality, stupidity and insanity. On steroids. And that's being kind because there are no words to accurately describe what Republicans are doing and not doing; both at the federal level and the state level. And I haven't even brought up what Republicans have done in Michigan. Talk about fascists. Hmmm...that's one word.

A recent New York Times editorial, titled "The Annual Republican Crisis" summed up the GOP very well:

The fiscal year is about to end, so the annual awakening of Tea Party Republicans in the House and Senate is about to begin. Most of the time they sit around and do virtually nothing but gripe (they have made the current Congress the least productive ever), but a new fiscal year finally gives them a chance to govern the only way they know how: by creating a false crisis in order to tear down a piece of the government.

If only Republicans took their passion, obsession, energy and incessant animosity they have for Obama and Obamacare, keeping Democratic voters from the polls, banning abortion, and blocking and repealing gun control laws, and instead addressed campaign financing legalized bribery, the sluggish economy, rising college tuition, green technology, the environment, banking regulations, the country's crumbling infrastructure and our cities dilapidated mass transit systems, as well as assuring a smooth transition to Obamacare and enacting strong state and national gun control laws with the same tenacity, the country would be a hell of a lot better off.

But no, that's asking too much from Republicans. They couldn't care less about that. They only care about the unborn and clinically dead. And if you're somewhere in the middle, than the hell with you, except of course corporations, the extremely wealthy, the NRA and guns.

If only Republicans cared about America and Americans half as much as they do guns.

But it goes to show what the Republican "Party" political terrorists, anarchists, propagandists, zealots, revisionists, creationists and a Christian fundamentalist cult masquerading as a political party can and is getting away with.

And if you don't see that, and continue to blame "both sides" for the government's dysfunction, gridlock and paralysis, then you're either a colossal idiot, or just as ignorant, mindless and gullible as this fascist, Christian fundamentalist cult - one that rules with a Bible in one hand and an assault rifle in the other - needs you to be.

And that's your Republican "Party."

Note: For a lot more detail on what Republicans have done on social issues such as health care and abortion, and what it means electorally for Democrats, I highly recommend Jon Perr's Daily Kos post that I segmented. It's long but very worth your time.

Note: While my main point is that Republicans can't, don't and won't agree with Obama on anything, it's only fair to point out that both sides, mainly party leadership, do agree on many things. They include the Wall Street bailouts, failing to prosecute the bankers responsible for crashing the economy, re-instituting weak, watered-down financial laws that wouldn't have prevented the 2008 economic collapse, secret drone bombings in countries we're not at war with, keeping prisoners locked up indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay, including those known to be innocent, targeted assassination of American citizens without a shred of due process, warrantless wiretapping, the NSA's blatantly unconstitutional collection of all communications, and not doing a damn thing about campaign financing legalized bribery.

October 6 insert: This post is updated here.