Tag Archives: republican

“Texas Stupid” Alive and Well – Perry and Obamacare

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Terry| Leave a comment
Rick Perry

Hyuck Hyuck Hyuck!! "Texas Stupid" is alive and well! This week, governor Rick Perry turned down Federal funding that would fund nearly ALL of Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, all in the name of ideology. Too bad, uninsured Texans! I got another possible presidential run coming! Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck!!!

They’re hardly unique among “red” states, but Rick Perry announced this week they would forego over $100 billion in Federal funding for Medicaid expansion part of the implementation of ObamaCare.  Perry’s explanation…that he will not be “held hostage” by Obama.

Medicaid expansion in Texas would provide health coverage for an additional 1 million Texans.  With Federal funding providing $100 billion over 10 years, Texas’ cost?  Just $7 billion over 10 years, a small fraction of the total.   Despite providing DESPERATELY needed coverage for folks in a state where health care coverage is already a major issue, despite the Federal government picking up nearly all of the tab, and despite HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS IN TEXAS DESPERATELY PLEADING FOR PERRY TO TAKE THE MONEY, Perry still said no.

Ideology, or the welfare of Americans?  It’s pretty damned obvious which one of these two that Republicans think is more important.  Perry, like other ideologically driven Republicans, seem more interested in doing anything they can to oppose Obama than they are in actually governing or helping Americans.

The story on NPR provided speculation that an additional factor in Perry’s cold-hearted decision was another possible presidential run in 2016.  By declining the Federal dollars for Medicaid expansion, Perry can now say “I opposed Obamacare!”, something which may indeed garner him a few votes among the Tea Party losers crowd.  Given Perry’s completely laughable performance in the last election, he’s deluded if he thinks he has ANY chance of winning a Republican primary, much less the presidency.

America has already done 8 years of “Texas Stupid”.  Perry’s decision this week shows that Texas Stupid is still alive and well however.  I would say I feel sorry for Texans who have to deal with this idiot, but it’s idiot Texans who voted in this schmuck in the first place.

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Good Jobs Report – Republicans Upset

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Terry| Leave a comment

Last month’s jobs report was abysmal, much lower than analysts expected.  After many months of improving numbers, it certainly was a downer, and prompted some to speculate that either the recovery had stalled, or even that we were headed back into recession.  Yesterday, the latest job’s report came out, and the numbers were not only solid, but revisions to the past 2 months numbers pushed those jobs numbers markedly higher.

All in all…very good news!  Wall Street certainly reacted to the jobs report as a great sign the economy is recovering.  The Dow temporarily topped 15,000 for the first time, and finished at an all-time high.  The pundits wrote about the jobs report as good news, a sign that the “spring stall” we’ve had in recent years wasn’t nearly as much of a threat this year.

So how did Republicans react?  As they ALWAYS do when ANYTHING good happens under the Obama presidency…by loudly pronouncing the darkest, most pessimistic interpretation of the news, and then squarely placing “blame” on the Obama administration. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said that thanks to ObamaCare, future jobs numbers are “more likely to slow down than speed up”.  Cheery. John Boehner’s quote?  “We need to seize opportunities the president has been ignoring, and focus on growing our economy rather than growing more government”.    Fox News?  While every other major news website had a story about the good jobs report yesterday morning, on Fox News’ website, the jobs report was curiously absent from the front page.  Shocking!  A “news” organization (ha-ha) ignoring good news for Americans?

It must be awfully damn depressing to be a Republican right now.  Republicans are SO full of hate for this president that even GOOD news must be interpreted in a negative light.  Republicans, is there ANYTHING you enjoy in life?  Is there ANY good news that you don’t somehow turn around into an Obama negative?  Is this how Americans are supposed to live their lives, focused on hatred, negativity, and pessimism about the future?

Pat Toomy, Republican Senator and co-sponsor of the Manchin-Toomy gun-control bill that recently failed, said the bill failed because “There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it.” That’s a shockingly honest, but shockingly depressing statement.  Republicans have become SO incredibly ideological that they don’t even CARE about the direction of the country.  The don’t CARE about a good jobs report.  They don’t CARE that the economy is improving.  Even with 90% of Americans supporting background checks, Republicans ADMITTEDLY voted against it, just because they don’t want to do something Obama supports.

Republicans would rather see the entire country collapse, so they can point their fingers and blame Obama.  What a pathetic party platform. What an incredibly sad way to live your life…

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Gutless…

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Terry| 1 Comment
Senator "Tiny Penis" McConnell

Senator Mitch McConnell, leader of the tiny penis GOP Senate.

Gutless.  Just one of many adjectives that come to mind as I think of the GOP.  Today, the term most definitely applies to GOP Senators.  Other adjectives that come to mind?  Selfish.  Corrupt.  Greedy.  Myopic.  Or, let’s just call it like it is…they’re just plain evil.

Today, a GOP Senate filibuster managed to derail a rather straightforward and sensible bill that would expand background checks for gun owners.  Just a few months removed from Newtown…just a few months removed from over 20 CHILDREN being gunned down by a nut armed to the teeth…our beloved GOP Senators decided that their next election was more important than the safety of our nation’s children.  Our gutless, piece-of-shit GOP Senators decided that getting that next campaign check was more important than barring criminals or the mentally ill from obtaining weapons.

Mitch McConnell, KING of the gutless, tiny-penis, evil piece-of-shit GOP Senators, has REFUSED to even meet with the families from Newtown.  What’s wrong, Mitch?  Having a little trouble sleeping at night?  Having a hard time dealing with the fact that you are helping to ENABLE the slaughter of children?

No…wait.  That’s giving these pieces of shit WAY too much credit.  It’s PAINFULLY obvious that basic morality and a normal conscience aren’t what get you to Washington.  What gets you to Washington is the single-minded focus on that campaign check.  What gets you to Washington is placing your OWN status and power above the well-being of your constituents.  What gets you to Washington is NOT worrying about the consequences of your actions, as long as the ultimate goal…your next re-election…is obtained.

Gutless?  Yes.  But perhaps evil is indeed a better choice of adjective.

Posted in Culture Wars, Politics

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Sequester? Let it happen…

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Terry| Leave a comment

I’m a Democrat. I’m a liberal. I’m also a Federal employee. However, I’m also increasingly thinking that it wouldn’t be that bad of a thing if the automatic spending cuts in the “sequester” are allowed to take effect.

It really isn’t a lot of fun trying to manage a project right now in the Federal government. Uncertainties over budgets make it incredibly difficult to make even short-term plans, much less longer-term plans. Agencies are already bracing themselves for cuts, so “frills” like travel, hiring, or needed equipment are increasingly difficult to get approved. If the sequester happens, nearly all programs and agencies funded through discretionary spending will be cut by 8.4%. That’s a big number, especially given that we’re already several months into the Federal government’s fiscal year. It will have a real, and very painful impact on agencies, including mine.

And still, I say…let it happen. Unlike the idealogues who run the Republican party, even as a very liberal Democrat, I’m quite pragmatic about the deficit. Republicans say that it has to be managed ONLY through budget cutting, a ridiculous, and frankly, quite impossible task. Democrats, on the other hand, have shown they are much more realistic on the deficit, having already agreed to very signficant budget cuts as part of the debt limit deal last year, and putting more on the table in the attempt to reach a “Grand Bargain” on the sequester and deficit. But Democrats have been balanced, realizing it’s impossible to cut deficits without also raising revenue.

It’s that “balanced” view that leads me to believe the sequester isn’t necessarily a horrible thing. There has to be a balanced and pragmatic approach to cutting the deficit. A VERY big part of that has to be a realistic view of the Defense budget. We spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined, but yet Defense cuts have been generally taboo for Republicans. In the Sequester, Defense takes an unprecedented 9.2% cut. If negotiations to avoid the sequester occur, you can bet the farm that Republicans won’t agree to anything unless it drastically decreases the amount of Defense cuts. The sequester may be the ONLY mechanism that finally gets the U.S. to cut its bloated defense department. The sequester may be the ONLY mechanism that gets the U.S. to take a more realistic view on the role of the U.S. military in the 21st century.

There are also some political advantages to Democrats for allowing the sequester to happen. Republicans have only ONE party message, one platform…CUT GOVERNMENT. They don’t even have a plan for WHAT to cut, their only message in the last several years is to cut, cut, cut, and when asked about details, they hem and haw, and lately, have even had the gall to say that it’s up to DEMOCRATS to decide what to cut.  It’s a ridiculous platform to begin with, but given the hollowness of the Republican party and COMPLETE lack of any other party message, if the sequester is allowed to happen, Republicans are suddenly left without ANY party message.  Democrats would have already agree to billions of dollars of cuts last year’s debt ceiling negotiations.  Massive cuts would occur with the sequester.  Suddenly, the ONLY message that Republicans seem to have is irrelevant.

As I said, cuts would hurt, and not just for those of us in the Federal government.  It’s a horrible time to cut spending, given that the economy is finally just getting back on its feet.  Economists have stated the sequester would likely reduce GDP by a full percentage point for the next few quarters.

But the pragmatic side of me states that across-the-board spending cuts would force agencies to streamline, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The pragmatic side of me says a short-term hit to the economy is worth it, IF it gets the U.S. to take a more realistic look at our military spending.

Sequester?  Just let it happen…

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New Republican Strategy – Only pay SOME Of our bills

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Terry| Leave a comment

Can this be true?  Can Republicans seriously be considering this “strategy” for dealing with the “difficult problem” of the debt ceiling?

Washington Post – House Republicans New Strategy

The component of the story I’m referring to isn’t the part about passing a very short-term extension to the debt ceiling, delay the inevitable until March instead of February.  The part of the story I’m referring to is this:

But he (Paul Ryan) seemed open to an idea advanced by a number of conservatives in case there is no agreement to raise the limit — he said he believes the White House would have the authority to prioritize spending in case the borrowing limit is not raised.

The “thinking” (I’m being generous) behind the brilliant GOP idea is that they DO force us past the debt ceiling date without an agreement.  Their “thinking” is that the enough tax revenue could flow in to meet SOME of our spending obligations, and that Obama and the Treasury Department could decide what priorities to pay for, and which ones to not pay for. 

Brilliant.  THAT will calm the markets.  THAT will calm Fitch and others who are threatening to downgrade the US credit rating.  Instead of defaulting on ALL our bills, Paul Ryan and other GOP Congressmen (yes, Congress “men”, because I doubt anyone other than lilly-white, GOP men are behind this) are advocating a strategy that allows Obama and the Treasury department to pay for SOME of our bills. 

Paul Ryan, you are a dangerous, dangerous man.  I for one am damned glad Romney chose you as a running mate and your team spectacularly crashed and burned on election day.  It’s not easy for a presidential election loser to come back in subsequent elections, and I can’t imagine what a disaster it would be for the U.S. if a Paul Ryan presidency ever occurred.

But hey, maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe ALL THE ECONOMISTS IN THE WORLD are wrong.  I do take some issue with the writer of the Post article too, in their choice of terminology, calling the debt ceiling a “difficult issue”.  It’s an artificial issue, something that used to be a formality, now being used as an incredibly dangerous political ploy. 

Ideology over country.  Gotta love the GOP.  Shrink the government, even if we have to sink the whole damned economy to do it.

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“God” is a Republican

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Terry| 1 Comment

Sjogren’s 1, Terry 0.  That’s the score the last week or so in my battle against Sjogren’s Syndrome, and it hasn’t been much of a contest. I’ve done pretty well since I first got hit with Sjogren’s Syndrome out of the blue, starting in June.  I’ve been doing pretty good ignoring it, carrying on as if it weren’t there.  But it’s been impossible to ignore over the last week, with a mouth as dry as the Sahara, and on-and-off again fatigue that sometimes makes me want to curl up into a ball and sleep for a month or so.

And how does this relate to the blog post title?  Well, today at work I really, really wasn’t in a mood for a conversation, given how I felt.  I ran into someone in the hall though, someone in a chatty mood.  When I tried responding, I ended up coughing for a bit, leading them to ask if I were OK and had the flu that was going around. I explained the Sjogren’s, and how it zaps the moisture in your  mouth (among other fun things).  Her response…a cheery “Well, everything happens for a reason!!” Ah, one of my favorite lines, right up there with “God wouldn’t give you anything you can’t handle!!”.

Hence, my reasoning that “God” is a Republican.  If there were some all-powerful, omnipotent “God” who controlled the universe, how do you explain misery and suffering?  My little family of 3 has been “blessed” in that all three of us now have a big health thing to deal with.  If there were an all-powerful God…why would such things happen?  Why would disease exist?  Why would famine, drought, and idiots like Rush Limbaugh exist?  My only conclusion..”God” is a Republican.

You see, Republicans in the U.S. have become one cold-hearted group of SOBs.  They’d rather ensure the filthy rich keep every break they’re “entitled” to, rather than pay for programs that help the less fortunate.  They have the POWER to help others, but instead, choose to sit back and watch as suffering and misery occurs.

A = B, B= C, thus A = C.  “God” is a Republican,because if “God” were indeed an all-powerful entity, he/she too has chosen to sit back and let the misery happen, rather than step in and help.

Here endeth today’s combined political/theology lesson.

Posted in Deep Thoughts

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Following Congress’ example: Sorry Ford, Not Paying my Car Loan

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Terry| Leave a comment
Ford Edge

Sorry Ford, I've decided to follow Congress' example. Just as they're refusing to authorize an increase in the debt ceiling, just as they're refusing to pay for things they've already authorized, I will no longer pay my car loan until I get major concessions!

I’ve decided that precedent has been set by the best and brightest that America has to offer…our GOP-led House of Representatives.  I’ve decided to follow the shining example set by the GOP.  Ford…I’m no longer going to pay the loan bills for the car I bought last February.

Yes, Ford, I did take ownership of a shiny new Ford Edge last February.  Yes, I signed all the paperwork, agreeing to make my monthly payments on the car.  But despite receiving the car, despite agreeing to pay for it, I’m going to follow the GOP example and not pay for it unless you, Ford, agree to make concessions to me.  I didn’t spring for the integrated DVD/entertainment system in the car when I bought it.  Just for the heck of it, I’d also like to upgrade my wheel/hubcaps to an even shinier more intricate style.  In exchange for these concessions, Ford, I will make my car payments for a period of one year.  Then we’ll have to renegotiate and you’ll have to offer more concessions before I agree to pay further bills.

OK…sounds ridiculous, right?  But this is the new “logic” from the GOP-led House.  Yes, I know “logic” and “GOP House” are two phrases that are rarely ever uttered in the same sentence, but the same principle applied.  Congress sets spending and approves it. As a result of what Congress has already approved and what the president has signed, we have bills to pay.  We have a deficit.  But the GOP has decided to hold hostage our ability to actually PAY for the spending they’ve already approved.  As with the last fiasco of a debt-ceiling “negotiation”, the GOP intends to not authorize an increase in our debt ceiling without significant concessions and spending cuts in return.  In other words…they don’t want to pay the bills for what they’ve already purchased.

Given my cynical nature, it’s probably not a surprise when I say the majority of the American electorate are dumb as my (very sweet but stupid) Cocker Spaniel Cooper.  In a poll, a strong majority of Americans were against raising the debt limit.  In other words, a strong majority of Americans are stupid and unreasonable, much like our GOP-led House of Representatives.  The debt ceiling is a formality, a mechanism to allow for our bills to be paid.  Congress sets all spending levels, so it’s incredibly ballsy of them to use the debt-ceiling as a political ploy to highlight deficit spending in Washington.

Obama has said he will not negotiate over the debt ceiling increase.  Good…I hope he sticks to that, because the debt ceiling shouldn’t be something that ever needs to be negotiated.  It shouldn’t even need authorization by Congress, it should simply be required that the U.S. Treasury have the capability to always pay the bills that Congress has already authorized.  The “trillion-dollar platinum coin” issue has been making the rounds as an option for Obama to bypass Congress if the GOP continues to play with economic disaster by making the debt-ceiling a political football.  Frankly, I hope Obama does it.  I hope he bypasses Congress and shows the world how incredibly ridiculous the House GOP is.

I’m also glad to see Obama’s Cabinet picks.  I’m glad to see Joe Biden say that Obama is willing to go it alone on gun control and sign executive orders to address gun violence.  Enough is enough.  Obama is a 2nd-term president, winning in an election where Democrats also made gains in the Senate despite having many more Democratic Senators up for reelection than Republicans, and winning in an election where Democrats HAD MORE THAN A MILLION more national votes for the House than did Republicans.  The American people have spoken, and they chose Democratic leadership.  Obama should be willing to stock his Cabinet with whomever he pleases without GOP whining or threats of filibuster, especially since confirmation of cabinet posts has been a formality in the past.  If a GOP is more concerned about campaign contributions and politics than about the safety of our children, a reasonably popular 2nd-term president should be able to do what he can to make sure gun violence is addressed.

Let the madness stop.  End the political gridlock.  It looks like Obama has gotten the message and is standing his ground (finally).  In the meantime, I’ll keep paying my car loan…

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House Repubs Shoot Down Violence Against Women Act

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Terry| 1 Comment

The Violence Against Women Act has been in effect since 1994.  It provides government funding for programs to combat domestic violence, including support for domestic violence victims.  The Senate passed a reauthorization of the VAWA back in April.  The House?  They first tried watering the Senate bill down so much that Senate balked and Obama said he’d veto the House version.  Since the House version didn’t pan out the House has chosen to simply ignore it, and not address the issue again in 2012.  As a result, for the first time in 18 years, the VAWA hasn’t been reauthorized.  Government funding for domestic violence programs is now set to sharply decline.

Unbelievable.  The fiscal cliff debacle was just the tip of the iceberg for the House GOP.  Over 2 months after Hurricane Sandy, and the House GOP was still refusing to bring up disaster relief…until Chris Christie and others blasted the incompetence of the GOP today.  JUST prior to the fiscal cliff vote, the GOP brought up a bill to freeze Government salaries for another year (this would be 3 years now with a pay freeze)…an incredibly transparent play to cover their asses for their embarrassing handling of the fiscal cliff.  Agricultural interests and many responsible politicians (are there any left?) are up in arms over the handling (or lack thereof) of the farm bill by the House GOP.

So…any confidence that the House GOP will be sensible in 2 months, when it’s time to address the sequestration delay, the debt limit, and funding government for the rest of the year?  Unbelievable…

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Republican Meltdown – Politics First, Country Last

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Terry| Leave a comment

If their actions weren’t so harmful, it would be very easy to take delight in the Republican Party’s meltdown right now.  Ideology now rules the GOP, to the extent that the Tea Party wing of the GOP would rather sink the nation than give in on tax issues. 

This was it.  This was the best chance to seriously address budget deficits.  After the Simpson-Bowles recommendations, after serious efforts by Obama and Boehner to craft a “grand bargain” last year, and again earlier in the fiscal cliff debate, there was  real chance to tackle deficits through a balanced approach that cut spending and raised taxes.  Obama was even giving in on entitlements, offering concessions that many Democrats abhorred. 

But alas, the GOP has become a one-trick pony, a one-issue party.  The only issue the GOP seems capable of addressing is shrinking government.  That’s not necessarily bad, if the GOP held a pragmatic, rational view of how to shrink government.  Hell, I’m as liberal as they come, but I agree we need to cut spending (how about starting with the Defense budget???)  The GOP’s stance isn’t necessarily bad, if the GOP also accepted modest revenue increases as a way to help balance budgets.  It’s not necessarily bad, if the GOP had a rational PLAN to shrink the government in an intelligent manner, using a scalpel to trim the fat, instead of using a meat cleaver to decapitate the patient.

Instead, we have a GOP that has decided ideology is more important than deficit reduction.  A small number of simple-minded, ideologically rigid, inflexible SOBs in the GOP House have made compromise impossible.  They have made effective governance impossible.  By sticking to ideology, they have scuttled a deal that could have gone a long way to solving our budget issues.  Instead, we’re stuck with a very small deal that does very little to solve our long-term budget problems.  And even this incredibly minor deal was unpalatable to the Tea Party wing of the GOP, with House Republicans voting against it by a 2-to-1 margin, despite the devastating consequences to our economy if nothing were passed.

The GOP is in free fall.  They’ve become so irrational, so full of hate for Obama and Democrats, that all hope is lost for pragmatic compromises or rational governance.  We’re at a stage where the most powerful of GOP kingpins has become so “small”, literally (in terms of power) and figuratively (in terms of respectability), that John Boehner is walking the halls of the Capitol yelling loudly at Democratic leadership to “Go fuck off”. 

So here we sit, with a minor increase in taxes that does little to address our deficit issues.  Here we sit, with another manufactured crisis looming, as a 2-month delay in “sequestration”, the debt-limit increase, and funding for the government for the rest of the fiscal year all come into play at the same time.  Round 2 – a resounding, yet hollow “win” for Obama and the Democrats.  With the coming Round 3, we may just have  knockout blow where the victim/loser isn’t Obama/Democrats or the Republicans, but instead, it’s the American economy and political system.

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The “Real” Obama – Repubs, you have nothing to fear

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Terry| Leave a comment
Barack Obama

Barack Obama - Moderate Republican. At least that's a label that's been placed on him by multiple pundits. Republicans, you have nothing to fear. Obama isn't driving America over some "liberal cliff". As his comments on climate change today have shown, the man is a moderate in every sense of the word.

Over the last four years, there has been a lot of Republican speculation about the “real” Obama, this monster of a man who would soon emerge and lead the U.S. down the path of socialism.

Uh…no.  You have absolutely nothing to fear, Republicans.  Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast said as much when he went on the Colbert Report on the night of the election.  The Daily Beast runs towards the liberal side, but Sullivan is a self-professed conservative, albeit a conservative who was extremely unhappy where Republicans have taken the party.  As Sullivan stated, Republicans should be happy about the election…a “Moderate Republican” won.  He’s not the only one to say so.  William Saletan at Slate.com also ran a story the day after the election, saying Republicans should cheer up because they have a moderate Republican in office for the next four years…Barack Obama.

Democrats have certainly been disappointed in Obama on a number of issues.  Yes, he kept his first campaign promises on health care and on ending the wars.  But Obama also has failed to close Guantanamo, hasn’t addressed immigration reform, and has caved on a number of environmental issues.  During the campaign, the issue of climate change was notable…notably absent, that is, from any discussion during the campaign or during the debates.  During Obama’s victory speech on the night of the election, he gave a passing nod to the issue of climate change, noting the dangers of a warming planet.  That line got him a very loud ovation…but…climate change simply wasn’t much of an issue this election, even for Obama.

Yesterday during his press conference, Obama came out and said that climate change is NOT a priority for him, that it will take a back seat to the economy.   In the press conference, he stated that it’s important, that it’s a tough issue, but that it would take “tough political choices” for it to be addressed.

In other words…Obama is punting on climate change.  At this stage, I honestly don’t think it matters.  There’s no going back.  We’ve already set the wheels in motion for severe climate change.  Even if by some miracle there was a global epiphany and humanity decided to immediately cut back carbon emissions, climate change is going to march merrily ahead for the nest few centuries.

However, once again, Obama has disappointed liberals.  Once again, Obama is showing that Republican pundits’ comments that Obama is “the most liberal president in America’s history” are complete BS.   You have nothing to fear, Republicans.  Obama isn’t going to take the country down some radical liberal path.  He’s an obvious moderate…and even for a hard-core liberal like myself, I think that’s just what we need right now, someone who can straddle the fence and try to bridge the gap between the two “sides” the nation has seemingly split into.

Now…Republicans just have to join the real world, and see Obama for the true moderate that he is.

Posted in Climate Change, Politics

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