Beach Peanuts

It's Official, The Inmates Have Taken Over The Asylum

No More Restraints For The GOP

While we're only months into President Obama's second term, the last thing I want to write about at the moment is the next Presidential election, but it's hard to pass up a chance to point out that two of the 2016 hopefuls from the shrinking Stupid Party (not my words, branding from one of their own) seem to be in a battle to appeal to the craziest of crazies in their party.

There's Marco Rubio, the so-called "rising star" who so far is more of a flame out (gulp), and then there's the recently resurfaced Jeb Bush, who for no apparent reason, they refer to as the "smart one" of the Bush clan. As they both jumped into the Presidential hopeful spotlight in recent days and weeks, things haven't gone too well for either of them.

During the 2012 campaign, Jeb sat on the sidelines while critiquing Mitt Romney and the others, and for most of that time, he echoed the conventional wisdom that the GOP had turned into a clown competition, and that they would never get anywhere unless they started acting civilized.

Yeah, that didn't last long.

Jeb entered the spotlight again this week to try and sell his new book. The only problem is that it's a book about immigration, and as everyone now knows, he's taken about three or four (I've lost count) different positions in the space of two days. That's a record, even beating Mitt Romney's flip-flop on positions that differed with the ones he wrote about in his book on health care. No doubt Jeb took a hard right turn off the road of his faux sensible Republican act in order to play to a base that's not just anti-immigration, but anti-anything but white folks (and women) altogether. Now Jeb has been invited to speak at the annual Take Off Your Straightjacket weekend or CPAC, so it's anyone's guess what hoops he'll be jumping through at that little hate-fest. 

Since Jeb conveniently popped up with a book on immigration just as Rubio was crowning himself the king of an immigration policy that the GOP is crowing about, but no one has actually seen yet, I suppose it's only natural that Rubio would try and go even lower, after a six pack or two of bottled water.

Rubio, not one to disappoint did just that. He headed to right wing radio to revive the old Kill ObamaCare act. Once again, not only does he want to take away grandma's Social Security and Medicare, but is threatening to take her entire family's access to good health care with it as he pushes them and the entire country off a cliff. He's demanding that a continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year include provisions to defund Obamacare in its entirety.

Also from that same interview, he threw in a veiled threat at possibly blocking yet another nominee, this time for the Environmental Protection Agency, because enforcing regulations that would keep the big polluters from killing us all must not stand as far as Rubio and his donors are concerned. You know the argument, no regulations, free market, big government, and so on.

Who really knows if there's a rivalry between these two, or if at the moment they're just camera ready attention hogs. For all we know, they may think that a double dose of crazy would be just the thing for a two man ticket in 2016, although I'm not sure either of their egos could stand the competition. 

Either way, it's going to be interesting to watch them race to the bottom.

On a more serious side however, in the meantime Rubio still wants to take the entire country hostage over the protection of tax cuts for the wealthy while trying to kill the ACA, and anything else that will benefit the country as a whole, while he uses every crisis as an opportunity to raise money from the rich folks he actually works for.

It's going to be a long, ugly four years.

(Photos, graphics: Wikimedia Commons, Beach Peanuts)

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Marco Rubio: The Grift Continues....

Rubio's Actions Speak Louder Than His Words, In Any Language

Mack Logic: If I Debate I'll Help Nelson, So No Debates, And I Win!

All Over, But For The Coronation!

If any of you GOP inclined voters in Florida think there's a Republican primary coming up for U.S. Senate candidates, Connie Mack IV has a message for you:

WRONG.

You see, the "Gas Prices Are Too Damn High??" candidate has declared himself the winner because he currently has a 33 point lead in the polls over the others who assume they're still running against him, and of course we all know that polls never change. Never! Well, except for when they do.

But no matter! That's not the only reason Mack has declared himself the winner. He has endorsements from Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, so there! Guess we're to assume they're the ultimate deciders since Jeb all but made his brother the President in spite of the number of votes counted, and Mittens declared himself the frontrunner long before Republican voters came to the conclusion there was no one else left to support after a long primary season. Not for lack of trying either! They gave a shot to just about every last wing-nut they could find from Michele "We ARE In The Last Days And Besides, I'm Hearing Voices" Bachmann right down to pizza magnate Herman "9-9-9" Cain. Never mind that the name Bush still means the plague in most "thinking" voters minds, and no one likes Mitt Romney no matter what they say. He's similar to our governor, Rick Scott, in that sense. Both were elected as Governors, and yet they were so bad at their jobs no one will admit to actually voting for them.

Really. Ask around!

No, the race is clearly over as far as Connie's concerned. Since he's spent so much time batting at George Stand-In LeMieux like a pesky fly for months to no avail, he's decided to just pretend he's not there from now on, along with......those other guys running.

Another reason may just be Connie's Daddy. He's Connie Mack for Pete's sake! Besides, Daddy's in agreement. It's over, so there. Any questions? (Did Connie Mack IV mention his Daddy is Connie Mack?)

Those are the conventional wisdom choices, but I think there's another reason. He's basically a coward with nothing to offer, and he knows it. Here's your first clue, from Mack himself:

"We have a 33-point lead," Mack said last week, explaining his decision to skip three televised GOP primary debates.

[...."If my opponents want to debate me, that will only help Sen. Nelson," Mack said.

Wow. That's some admission. The ony thing that might have surprised me more would have been if he said he was a hapless loser. Sure others have made that assumption, but I do believe this is a first.

"I'm winning!"

"If I debate, I'll lose!" 

He's starting to sound like Mitt Romney: "I'll have it both ways, thank you."

The unspoken truth here is that in a debate with Sen. Bill Nelson, Mack will likely lose there too. Why prolong the agony, I say?

Sadly, Republicans aren't buying Mack's self-proclaimed coronation, and they're getting vocal about it.

But some grass roots Republicans say it's too soon for Mack to declare himself the winner — especially if he won't make the customary rounds at debates and straw polls.

"It's an incredibly bad message to send to the voters in a primary," said Nancy McGowan, president of the Conservative Republican Forum of Jacksonville. "It just says, 'What you think doesn't matter.' "

Another astute observation from the right, but then being a conservative Republican Ms. McGowan should know by now that "what you think doesn't matter" is pretty much the Republican platform these days. They don't care what you think, or want, regardless of party affiliation. You're on your own.

So just get over it. 

Game over. Connie and his Daddy say so!

(Photo: Connie Mack IV, U.S. House)

Romney, Santorum To Speak At NRA "American Values" Event

As the Trayvon Martin shooting controversy continues, the National Rifle Association is holding an event in St. Louis on April 13, called a "Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum" followed by a larger event where the main speaker is Glenn Beck.

Among the speakers in the first "American Values" event are presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. Other speakers include Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Darrell Issa, Eric Cantor, Oliver North, Rick Perry and Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, to name a few.

The NRA were the proponents of the Stand Your Ground law signed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush in 2005.

Immediately after the Trayvon Martin shooting, the NRA began selling a new item in their online store, a concealed carry hoodie.

Neither Santorum, nor Romney have had much to say in response to the shooting.

NRA Wants You To "Stand Your Ground" In Style With New Concealed Carry Hoodies

For anyone hoping there would be any changes to the Stand Your Ground gun laws, it's not surprising to imagine that the National Rifle Association would fight any push back. It's quite another thing, however, to see something like this after the law that likely enabled the senseless shooting death of a teenager last month.

Meet the new low: A brand new item at the NRA store, the NRA Concealed Carry Hooded Sweatshirt.

The description on their website says:

We want concealed carry to fit around your lifestyle, not the other way around. That’s why we developed the NRA store exclusive Concealed Carry Hooded Sweatshirt. It’s the only garment of its kind we know of!  Inside the sweatshirt you’ll find left and right concealment pockets... holster and double mag pouch can be repositioned inside the pockets for optimum draw. Ideal for carrying your favorite compact to mid-size pistol, the NRA Concealed Carry Hooded Sweatshirt gives you an extra tactical edge.

I for one look forward to watching every single NRA backed Republican like Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush "owning this" as they bend over backward to make excuses on how this "law really doesn't apply."

Really.

They. Have. No. Shame.

No Questions! Florida GOP Rebuffs Review Of Stand Your Ground Law

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting in Sanford, Florida House Democrats, Minority Leader Perry Thurston and Rep. Geraldine Thompson are asking Republican House Speaker Dean Cannon to call for a special session in order to review the Stand Your Ground law.

So what does Cannon, an endorsee of the National Rifle Association, have to say of the special session request?

Cannon's office said he disagrees with those requests because still too many unanswered questions about the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

"Speaker Cannon feels that legislative action is premature at this point given the ongoing investigations as well as the upcoming convening of the Seminole County Grand Jury," spokeswoman Katie Betta said via email. "Speaker Cannon will be closely monitoring the situation and any new developments that may arise in the case. He will also make recommendations to Governor Scott regarding appointments to the Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection which will review the 'Stand Your Ground' law following the investigation by the special prosecutor."

In other words, hey, what's the rush?

Apparently when an unarmed African American child is shot to death by a neighborhood watch "captain" who followed and pursued him against the advice of law enforcement merely because that "captain" found him "suspicious," foot dragging is the norm.

In Florida, it seems that police and elected officials who are supposed to protect the lives and interests of their citizens see their jobs differently than everyone else? It's been a month and there's so arrest. It took 22 days for Gov. Rick Scott to take any action and he's given his special prosecutor an entire year to complete her investigation.

Now Dean Cannon "disagrees" with this request for a review because there are "too many unanswered questions?" Let me be of some assistance to Speaker Cannon: A "review" is the action of asking those questions. Really. But don't just take my word for it, here's what the dictionary says:

"Verb, examine or assess (something) formally with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary."

Pretty hard to get the answers if you refuse to even address the questions there, Mr. Speaker. Sure, there's "supposedly" an investigation being conducted, or so we're told, but that's a woefully bad excuse to just say hurry up and wait.

The Stand Your Ground law has somewhat materialized into some of the biggest fears of those who opposed it back in 2005, that the law would become a "shoot now, ask questions later" justification for violence. The number of cases where "stand your ground" self-defense was invoked has risen since Jeb Bush signed the law:

The controversial law that police have cited in their decision not to charge the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin has been invoked at least 130 times statewide since 2005.

A Tampa Bay Times survey, compiled from 31 Florida newspapers and public records, shows that the number of cases in which "stand your ground" has been invoked has climbed dramatically in the past year and a half. The analysis shows that police and prosecutors continue to apply the law unevenly.

But what's the rush, right?

How many more statistics are enough for someone, ANYONE, to ask the "unanswered" questions?

After a month, from one official after another, it seems the only answer in Florida at the moment is a horrifying and unspoken one: A child's life is apparently expendable.

22 Days Later, Rick Scott Urges Law Enforcement To "Investigate" Shooting Of Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Martin

For weeks as the details of the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford began to unfold, there was a deafening silence on the case coming from Tallahassee. Amid national public outcry for a statement, or merely an acknowledgement of the shooting itself, Florida Governor Rick Scott said nothing.

Instead 22 days passed.

Only now that the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have gotten involved do we get a cookie cutter statement from Gov. Scott urging law enforcement "to provide any assistance necessary to fully investigate this matter."

22. Days. Later.

This is the entire statement from Scott:

"The circumstances surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin have caused significant concerns within the Sanford community and the state,'' Scott wrote to FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. "I understand an investigation was initiated by the Sanford Police Department and referred to the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office. I believe it is appropriate that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement provide any assistance necessary to fully investigate this matter. Accordingly, please ensure that FDLE offers and provides the appropriate resources to the State Attorney's Office as they continue their investigation."

Not until it becomes a potential political hot potato does Scott weigh in, and then only with a generic "CYA" announcement urging law enforcement to basically "do their job." Way to go out on a limb there, governor.

The statement comes too little too late as the announcement is made by State Attorney Norm Wolfinger Tuesday that a grand jury will also investigate the shooting of Trayvon Martin:

"I share in the desire of the family and the community to accurately collect and evaluate all the facts surrounding the tragic death of Trayvon Martin," Wolfinger said in a news release.

Seminole County Grand Jury which will be called to session on Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

I suppose it isn't too surprising that Scott would take little time out from handing out tax breaks to businesses and working on behalf of special interests to defend a mere citizen of the state who himself became the victim of a law pushed by those same special interests.

Florida's "Stand Your Ground Law" was pushed through the legislature back in 2005 by the National Rifle Association and signed into law faster than you can say "the victim was 'armed' with nothing but Skittles and iced tea" by then Gov. Jeb Bush. At the time those opposed to the law feared that it would lead to shootouts in the streets in the name of self defense.

Rick Scott earned an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association when they endorsed him in 2010, saying the following:

....your responses to our 2010 Questionnaire, in support of Second Amendment, self-defense, and anti-crime issues have earned you the following ratings by our organizations.

Once again our governor illustrates exactly what ground he stands on when it comes to the citizens of this state:

Trayvon who?

Moms 1, Jeb Bush 0

When the Florida legislature tried to push the so called "Parent Trigger" bill, it pulled a "trigger" they hadn't counted on. Parents saw through the rhetoric and fought back against the legislature, lobbyists and Jeb Bush, and the parents won.

No doubt the powers that be will try again, but for now, in the battle of the Mom's v. Jeb Bush, it's Moms 1, Jeb Bush 0:

It was one of the session’s hardest-fought battles.

On one side: a coalition of disparate, but determined parent groups.

On the other: former Gov. Jeb Bush and the powerful school-choice lobby.

With the clock about to run out, the parents overcame some of the most entrenched powers in Tallahassee and won just enough votes to kill one of Bush’s priority proposals.

“They had all of that influence and millions of dollars,” said Colleen Wood, a parent activist from St. Johns County. “We were just a bunch of moms.”

The fight was a case study in grass-roots activism fueled by astute citizens and sites like Twitter and Facebook. Some said it was an affirmation that the little guy can sometimes win, even in Tallahassee, with social media serving as the great equalizer.

“Every parent group in the state was here, or was emailing and calling legislators,” said Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, who helped defeat the measure. “They played a key role in this debate.”

Read more here.

Parent Trigger Bill Defeated In Senate

The controversial "Parent Trigger" bill that would allow parents in under-performing schools to opt for certain turnaround programs, died in the Florida Senate today. The vote was 20-20. 

The bill, which was really another way of saying the schools would become privatized as Charter schools for profit was opposed by parents but groups that stood to benefit pushed for it relentlessly.

Even today as the bill went up for a vote, Jeb Bush wrote an op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times praising the bill without mentioning his non-profit Foundation for Excellence in Education which stood to gain, along with Parent Revolution, funded by, among others the Walton Family Foundation, and Students First, a national organization founded by Michele Rhee (an education adviser to Gov. Rick Scott) that supports “school choice,” charter schools and standardized testing, as well as The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). 

Parents who vehemently opposed the bill made long trips to Tallahassee to voice their opinions were all but shut out, and some who were allowed to speak were cut off after a mere 15 seconds.

The vote count is below:

 

"Parent Trigger" Or Hostile Takeover Of Public Education For Profit?

A vote on the controversial "Parent Trigger" bill has been pushed back until tomorrow in the Florida Senate.

The so-called "Parent Trigger" bill would allow parents in under-performing schools to opt for certain turnaround programs, which is really another way of saying the schools would become privatized as Charter schools for profit. Groups who have pushed for the law are Foundation for Excellence in Education, a non-profit led by former governor Jeb Bush, and Parent Revolution, funded by, among others the Walton Family Foundation, and Students First, a national organization founded by Michele Rhee (an education adviser to Gov. Rick Scott) that supports “school choice,” charter schools and standardized testing. It's also quite possible there's involvement from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which writes cookie cutter legislation for bills just like this one all across the country, although they deny involvement. Parent Trigger bills similar to this one have popped up in several states like California.

How ironic, or in other words, how Republican, that a bill called a "Parent Trigger" and is spoken of as a school "choice" issue is anything but. One group that opposes it? Parents. Unfortunately they haven't been allowed much of a say in the matter. In fact the Bush group has pushed back against parents who oppose:

The Foundation for Florida's Future sent out a fundraising letter seeking "pushback," saying: "Despite incredible successes over the past 10 years, those who seek to protect the status quo are as passionate as ever. This includes the League of Women Voters, AFL-CIO, Florida Education Association and local affiliates such as FundEducationNow and Save Our Schools."

If the lobbyists who have been hired to pass this bill are accusing Florida parents of defending our cherished neighborhood public schools, we say, "Guilty as charged." We love our children and the children of this state more than ourselves.

And it's not just the push back. Parents who have traveled to Tallahassee to voice their opinion have been all but shut out, or perhaps a better phrase would be "shut up or silenced."

We are frustrated that, for the third time in a week, a Florida parent testifying against the "Parent Empowerment Act" was cut off after less than 15 seconds. We travel to Tallahassee on our own dime. We arrange for baby sitters, help with homework over the phone and miss precious hours of our children's lives in order to tell our elected officials what we want. We're tired of being cut off, interrupted or not allowed to speak. We've heard one politician after another say that "parents really need to be empowered." The irony is that we are empowered. We're here. We've been here.

When politicians grant highly paid lobbyists unlimited time to testify and refuse to let us speak, it makes us furious. We are Florida taxpayers, parents and voters. If we don't have a right to speak during "parent empowerment" testimony, who does? We are tired of being told by wide-eyed politicians that they have never heard from us. Our position on the "parent- trigger" bill has been published by every major newspaper.

And it's not just the lobbyists. Parents who are in favor of the bill and who have been allowed to speak weren't actually from Florida, but from out of state. 

Parents denied a chance to be heard feel this is more a corporate empowerment bill than one of parental choice:

Not one legitimate parent group has asked for "parent-trigger" legislation. We do not support this corporate empowerment bill that uses parents' love to "pull the trigger" and pass all that they hold dear into the hands of a for-profit corporation eager to peel off a chunk of every child's per-pupil funding money for itself. We will not be silent while legislators use our money to fund three separate, unequal and unfair systems of education. We do not support laws that benefit 10 percent of the schools while the other 90 percent suffer.

This has gone too far. Florida public education is a process, not a product. This asset was created for and financed by the people of this state. It belongs to us. We will not apologize to anybody for defending our schools. We oppose the "Parent Empowerment Act" and its bad-faith intentions to privatize our public schools.

This bill comes after severe budget cuts to public schools already suffering, making them vulnerable to what amounts to a hostile takeover to privatize the schools. Parents have every right to be angry. From the party that so often accuses Democrats of wanting to "force regulations and laws down the throats" of everyday Americans, what better definition of that very same thing than what's happening with this bill?

The probably party line vote has been pushed back because the votes were too close to call.

Let's hope there aren't enough votes Friday. Privatizing schools would only benefit the profiteers pushing it, and education, and our children are the ones who will suffer the most.

GOP 2.0: Leftovers And Reruns

Every day it becomes more apparent that while the Republican Party was perfectly willing to date their previously chosen front runner, Mitt Romney, they're just not ready to take the plunge and marry him.

The only leftovers alternatives are Rick Santorum, who has morphed from a mere Google victim into a warped version of The Church Lady, Newt Gingrich who is, well Newt Gingrich, frankly, and Ron Paul, the doctor who would just as soon let people die without health insurance and would like the government to get off his lawn in spite of the fact he's running for President of said government.

In other words, when it comes to a candidate who is human, possesses a functioning, reality based brain cell and wouldn't be laughed off of the ballot by President Obama, they've got nothing. Still, that won't keep them from trying.

So in the event of the potentially disastrous upcoming primary in Michigan, where it's not a sure bet Romney will win, the GOP appears to be flirting with other potential candidates:

If no Republican presidential candidate can win enough delegates by the convention and a new candidate is considered, GOP voters’ first choice is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), with 32 percent picking him, followed by former governors Sarah Palin and Jeb Bush at 20 percent each and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), with 15 percent.

That's right: More leftovers.

First choice is a larger, slightly dumber version of Tony Soprano, a man who thinks same sex marriage, like civil rights, should be put up for a vote rather than passing a law, which he vetoed last week. Or, to put it in Chris Christie terms: "I've got your gay marriage right here!" (Insert the vulgar hand gesture of your choice here.) Who better to elect than a man who is better known for requiring helicopter transport to get across the street and shooting his mouth off than anything else?

In the number two spot, (and oh this is delicious) we have a tie between Jeb Bush and Sarah Palin. I have to say, as someone who has believed all along that Jeb Bush's chances of becoming President in 2012 (or ever for that matter) would be nearly impossible due to: (1.) The name "Bush," and (2.) He's Jeb Bush, even I wouldn't have thought that his lows would be reduced to Palin levels quite this early. You go Jebbie!

Rounding out number three: Mitch Daniels. Really? The prince of darkness who gave the gloom and doom rebuttal to the most recent State Of The Union address and is the former Budget Director for George W. Bush? Pardon me, but I just have to repeat myself here:

REALLY????

Why, I can't think of a better selling point for a Presidential candidate than the slogan:

If You Thought The Economy Tanked From 2000-2008, Get Ready For The Third World!

Mitch Daniels 2012!

From the party who have nothing to offer beyond a tax cuts, it seems everything old really is new again.

R.I.P. GOP.