Beach Peanuts

Rombio: The Transformation Is Nearly Complete

Rombio: Two Bots In A Pod

Last night I couldn't help but be amused watching the traditional media react with "shock and awe" at what they called the "surprise" announcement that Marco Rubio was endorsing Mitt Romney, followed by a collective swoon.

Really?

I may be alone on this, but I didn't find it surprising at all. Didn't Rubio merely do what the rest of his party did? Wait until there was no possible hope for an alternative, and then give Mittens the "Well ok then, if that's all we've got, sure....whatever" endorsement, followed by painfully shameless bad enthusiasm acting? It's not like the media hasn't been hounding them on who their pick would be throughout the never ending "Survivor" meets the clown car primary season and debauchery debate-fest. I mean even Jim DeMint, the Tea Bag king (and Rubio mentor, I might add) wouldn't commit because no one candidate lowered the crazy bar enough to his liking. Even he jumped on the establishment bandwagon faster than you could say "Don't Tread On M....oh never mind, screw it, I'm in" once there was no one else left. He knows what side of the bread the government butter is spread on as does Marco, who follows the lead, pretending the endorsement came only after long, thoughtfully deeeeeep, thinking. (Yeah. Right.) Sorry Tea Baggie suckers. Fooled you again!

Marco, Marco, Marco. Come on. We know you want to be the Veep pick even more than you want that whole ethics investigation to go away! We know your real version of the American Dream is gaining a bigger spotlight that comes with a much larger credit card limit. Plus, as much as you profess not to want the job, come on. You've been telling every media outlet that would listen for months: "No, no, (blushing) you flatter me, but no, I wouldn't be interested in being a VP or a President."

And that was all before anybody had even thought to ask you!

So no, I won't be joining in with the next pseudo shakeup announcement from traditional media if and when it when it comes along: Months long predictions that he's "the one," repeatedly declaring him the certain front runner, followed by a mediagasm of epic proportions:

"OMG, OMG, OMG! In a suprise development today, Marco Rubio has been chosen as Romney's running-mate! No one, NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED THIS!"(Yeah, I'm looking at you and your ADD inducing big screens, Wolf Blitzer.)

When you think about it, Rubio as a sidekick running-mate to Romney makes perfect sense. Again, traditional media have twisted themselves into positions that would make professional yogis blush to make Romney and Rubio look as if they were charming and had actual personalities. Dream on. They look like before and after versions of an aging Ken doll, and equally stiff. They're bots, and no amount of media hype or FOX-GOP-TV generated suck-uppage or glowing narrative will make them look human. Not going to happen.

Then let's look at their positions, their "visions" or what have you. Even here, they're the perfect couple. As described by a member of his own team earlier in the week, Mittens will continue to change positions in the future depending on which way the wind blows. He's the Etch A Sketch man, and as luck would have it, so is Rubio. Romney uses an Etch A Sketch to change positions, and Rubio's mind operates like one. One good shake and Rubio is a man lost with no dictated script to read. "Mom and Dad fled Castro in 1956..." (slight shaking) "..I mean 1959..." (drops Etch A Sketch) "...wait..no..., OH, YOU MEDIA AND YOUR GOTCHA QUESTIONS!"

In sum though, all that really matters is that Romney and Rubio, or fill in the blank, will all be cold, heartless puppets for the powers that be and toe the newer version of the party line:

"The Republican Party: Killing The American Dream Since 1981, And We're Just Getting Started!"

Since that doesn't make much of a sales pitch for the average American who lost a job to say, vulture capitalism and can barely afford a home, food, and transportation, much less a four car elevator in their garage, the GOP is going to need another "Game Change." They sure can't repeat the 2008 version when they tried to make McCain look palatable by throwing in an attractive dim bulb to distract all the men and the PUMAS. That didn't go well, but then what can you expect from a party that has nothing to offer? Well, other than no job, no health care, no hope for women but giving birth until they drop and no way to support the child once it makes it out of the womb, an increase in taxes, oil subsidies for gas you can't afford and endless wars. Oh, and let's don't forget the cherry on top, the next screw you bubble coming from the GOP's Wall Street donors!

The game hasn't changed, except for an even lower tax rate for Mitt Romney and the 1% that votes for him. Only the players have. These two need more than just a makeover. Since the traditional media loves a meme, or a catchy phrase or buzzword like "Bennifer" for celebs, or like "Mittmentum" for politicians who have none, why not combine the two? Something like "Rombio" that's lame enough for out of touch Republicans to get behind....right Wolf?

Good luck with that.

If Conservatives Kill The Affordable Care Act, They Own It

The Real Death Panel?

(Photo: Beach Peanuts)

While the Supreme Court continued hearing arguments on the Affordable Care Act this morning, Think Progress mapped out the disaster that will result if the conservatives get their way and the ACA is thrown out entirely. Given that the Court, in my opinion, is now a political and partisan one it was never intended to be, it isn't hard to imagine that the conservative majority will do just that.

Recall the Florida 2000 election.

Recall Citizens United.

Recall the commingled special interests, lobbyists and conservative justices, including Clarence Thomas and his wife's involvement with the cause of killing health care, among other conflicts.

Does anyone really think this will be any different? I don't. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

From Think Progress:

If they ultimately decide to throw out the entire law, however, the result will be bedlam. Much of the Affordable Care Act has already taken effect, and cannot simply be stopped on a dime tomorrow:

• Stripping Young People of Care: At least 2.5 million young people now have insurance because of the Affordable Care Act. All of them would be cast back into the wilderness if the whole law were struck down
• Blowing Up Medicare: Approximately 100 million Medicare claims are processed each month using a formula that was altered by the Affordable Care Act. If the entire law were struck down, new rates could not be calculated under the old, pre-ACA formula until after a rulemaking process that can take months before is completed. The result would be massive delays in payments to health providers throughout the country.
• Pulling The Rug Out On Retirees: The Affordable Care Act also provides thousands of Americans the opportunity to retire early and still remain insured until they become eligible for Medicare. Striking down the entire law could yank insurance away from many near-elderly Americans who retired solely because of the promise that the Affordable Care Act would be there for them.
• Ungrateful States: Many of the states that are currently challenging the law have nonetheless accepted millions of dollars worth of grants under the Affordable Care Act. If the law is struck down, it’s likely that this money would need to be returned immediately, further stressing already tight state budgets.

And then there's the fact that people will die.

For all their scare tactics about "death panels," the true death panels; the Republicans, are now bare for all to see, and that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

If the ACA goes, the conservatives will own this nightmare.

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.

Surprise! Scott Can't Justify His $1 Billion Business Tax Giveaway With Job Creation

Once again Rick Scott has gathered around big business leaders for a ceremonial tax giveaway to the tune of $1 billion, cuts that he can't justify with job creation. He admitted as much as he signed the "incentives" into law:

Scott said it’s difficult to say definitively how certain targeted tax cuts will lead to job creation, but noted that the package helps make Florida a more competitive state for business expansion.

There you have it. There's no guarantee the cuts will create any jobs of course, but it's good for business, and that's all that matters to Scott.

No matter. Just make numerous public appearances and say "jobs" a lot as you proceed to hand the state over to the private sector and cut everything else out from under the rest of us Floridians in the hopes that no one will notice:

“The passage of my jobs passage is a great example of all of us working together to make Florida the best state to live and do business,” he said Wednesday.

See?

Scott continues the tired, false promise of tax cuts for businesses leading to all sorts of jobs in the hopes that someone out there will still believe it after years of reality proving the trickle down theory is pure fiction.

He also wants you to believe that all these cuts will make Florida a bustling business fantasy world while ignoring the reality that all cuts, all the time merely lines the pockets of those who don't need it, and don't hire. You can only cut so much before even businesses stop coming when the corporate welfare handouts dry up.

He may have made businesses happy enough to carry him to his pipe dreams of re-election with tax cuts for the next three years, but Scott is slowly killing the quality of life in this state. To attract businesses you need the people that come with them. (Not to mention consumers) I'm sure they'll be in a mad rush to come down and take advantage of the barely funded schools, transportation, health care, and buy cheap homes with no value surrounded by empty, foreclosed neighborhoods. Who wouldn't jump on that opportunity?

Once Scott "drains the swamp" who will want to live here, much less raise a family in the scorched earth hellscape Gov. Voldemort leaves in his wake?

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.

Gov. Scott: "I've Appointed A Task Force Led By My Lt. Governor 'Who Is African American"

Florida Gov. Rick Scott went on CNN this morning and was asked questions about the Trayvon Martin shooting, but he didn't provide much in the way of answers beyond boilerplate talking points as per his usual playbook, except on one or two, perhaps unintentionally.

Or not.

When asked if he had questions about the Stand Your Ground law before he appointed the task force, he said "you want to make sure everybody is comfortable with safety," and then stated "I've appointed a task force led by my Lt. Governor 'who is African American."

While Scott said he doesn't know if it's a race issue, he does want you to know that his task force will be headed up by an African American.

Hmm. Why should that make a difference? What is he trying to say by asserting this? I think we know exactly what he's saying here.

He said his task force "will do a great job and justice will prevail," but he doesn't know if this is a race issue. He also repeatedly stated that his heart goes out to Martin's family, and added that "no family ever imagines this will happen to their child."

We might as well ignore the answer on the law itself. Just saying you want to make sure everybody is safe means nothing.

Scott says he doesn't know is if this is a race issue, but one thing he "does know" and repeated it just to make sure you do, is that "no family ever imagines this will happen to their child." Actually, African Americans can and do imagine this kind of thing could happen to their child, and/or themselves every day of their lives. After all, wearing a hoodie in the rain means you're wearing a hoodie in the rain for a white person, but makes an African American look as if they're just wandering about, looking like they're on drugs or something, and just plain "suspicious" according to George Zimmerman, who shot Martin. Perhaps Rick Scott is clueless about this, but I have my doubts.

As for Jennifer Carroll, his Lt. Governor who is leading his task force while black? Well, she recently said this of Rick Scott:

"On Monday, we're going to be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and I can't think of anybody currently in my life right now that more epitomizes the values and the vision of Dr. King than Gov. Rick Scott," she said.

"When the governor selected me to be his running mate, he did not look at the color of my skin," said Carroll, who was the only black Republican in the Legislature in 2010. "He looked at the content of my character and my integrity and work ethic, and what I brought to the table. This is the dream of Dr. King that was realized for me."

With the task force going forward, an African American is leading the way, and the white governor who appointed her epitomizes the value and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, so it's all good.

What more do we need to know?

Progress Florida, Florida Watch Action Launch "Wrong Way Rubio" Website

Progress Florida and Florida Watch Action have launched WrongWayRubio.com, a new website illustrating the "extreme positions, numerous ethical lapses, and the "wrong way" Marco Rubio is "trying to lead our nation."

From Progress Florida:

"Sen. Rubio is more interested in his personal ambitions than in doing what’s best for Floridians and our nation," said Mark Ferrulo, Executive Director of Progress Florida. "WrongWayRubio.com exposes his long track record of hypocrisy, ethical lapses and out of touch issue positions."

Rubio is spending tens of thousands of dollars on political consultants and firms – a highly unusual move for a freshman senator – in an attempt to polish his public image and mislead voters about his real record. The junior senator from Florida is also drafting a memoir, to be released this summer.

"As Marco Rubio continues his aggressive public relations campaign to burnish his image,WrongWayRubio.com cuts through the rhetoric and shows where he really stands on issues important to Floridians and Americans," said Ferrulo.

"In just the last few weeks, Sen. Rubio has worked to restrict women’s access to birth control and opposed legislation requiring that BP’s oil spill fines actually go to the states most affected by the disaster," said Amy Ritter, Research Director for Florida Watch Action. "'Wrong Way' is probably being too kind in describing how out of touch the Senator really is."

Rubio, a Cuban-American, is also at odds with most Hispanic voters when it comes to his extreme positions on immigration. For example, he opposes the DREAM Act which polling shows 90% of Hispanics support.

Below are just some examples of Wrong Way Rubio's views and actions in the form of tweets on WrongWayRubio.com:

• Marco Rubio fights to restrict women’s access to birth control: http://bit.ly/xrHylr #WrongWayRubio
• Ethics group names Marco Rubio on most “Crooked Candidates” list: http://bit.ly/whfkC6#WrongWayRubio
• Rubio opposes Hispanic community supported DREAM Act due to pressure from GOP extremistshttp://bit.ly/tGhWPe #WrongWayRubio
• Rubio voted against the American Jobs Act, which would have created 25,900 #jobs for Florida:http://bit.ly/v08mKM #WrongWayRubio

"Marco Rubio seems to be telegraphing that he has something to hide, but he can’t hide from the truth, and the truth is that Sen. Rubio’s vision for America is out of step with middle class values," said Ritter.

Rubio has recently begun to elevate his national profile as rumors of a possible Vice Presidential run are being circulated.

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?

No Drug Testing For Lawmakers Handing Out "Free Money" To Utility

This year the Florida legislature passed yet another drug testing law even though the last one they passed is held up in court. The latest law allows for random drug testing of state employees. Not only is the drug testing itself controversial, so is the fact that lawmakers made sure that they themselves are not among those who will be tested. 

Carl Hiaasen of the Miami Herald made this point yesterday:

Among its dubious achievements this year, the Florida Legislature passed a law authorizing random drug tests for state workers.

Guess who’s exempt? Lawmakers themselves.

So now the clerk down at the DMV gets to pee in a cup — but not the knuckleheads in Tallahassee who control $70 billion in public funds.

Whom do you think is more dangerous to the future of Florida?

In the session that just ended, the Legislature jacked up tuition on state college students while creating a new university to placate one cranky senator. It threw more than 4,400 state workers out of their jobs while handing out more than $800 million in tax break to businesses.

Clearly, legislators are impaired. Is it meth? Coke? Mushrooms?

We’ll never know.

Not only did they hand all those tax breaks to big corporations, but they virtually ignored a law from back in 2006 that's tantamount to legally ripping off Florida consumers. 

Floridians are currently paying for a proposed nuclear power plant through their utility bills. One problem, that future plant in Levy County is unlikely to get built at all:

A financing scheme that initially seemed plausible has proven to be terribly unfair, leaving Progress Energy customers with more than $1.1 billion in bills and a real possibility of nothing to show for their money. For legislative leaders to not respond — particularly in these tight financial times — is irresponsible.

The so-called nuclear recovery law was pitched as a way to add cleaner, cheaper power generation in a rapidly growing state. Customers would pay a little bit each month toward building the very expensive plants in order to avoid being saddled with big bills for construction once they opened. But in hindsight, it was also a way for the power companies to avoid scrutiny from shareholders or Wall Street bankers. With a guaranteed revenue stream and a major loophole in the law, the pressure to perform evaporated.

As the Tampa Bay Times' Ivan Penn reported last Sunday, the law was not a limited authorization to pass nuclear planning and building costs to the consumer. It allows a fee that includes a profit margin for the utility — regardless of performance. By one estimate, Progress Energy is already entitled to keep at least $150 million in revenue from this scheme even as it has delayed construction of its proposed Levy County plant by at least five years and announced that costs have quadrupled. The company even delayed some fee recovery it was entitled to, proclaiming it was just trying to help its customers. But even that decision will end up profiting Progress Energy.]

[Yet legislative leaders stubbornly and arrogantly refused to reconsider the 2006 law and its twisted incentives — even as a growing number of former legislators who voted for the bill said they had no idea what they were doing. During the recent session, Senate majority leader and energy committee chairman Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, repeatedly refused a request from Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, for a committee hearing on the issue. Gardiner's claim that the law saves consumers money is so 2006. That now seems like an incredible long shot.

This comes on top of the already costly botched repairs at the nuclear plant in Crystal River that will likely remain offline for years.

For Floridians who are already facing a grim economy and watching all those tax breaks go to businesses while their own costs keep adding up, they're also required to "pay" Progress Energy for literally nothing in return.

I have to agree, Mr. Hiaasen does indeed have a point.

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.