The Strange Affairs of Uncle Bruce*

Potential first couple...a crazed woman who hates gays, yet married one?!

Listen to the audio below and tell me your gaydar isn't going off the charts complete with bells and whistles, and what the heck, let's throw in gun shots just to appease Sarah Palin fans. Go ahead, tell me!!!



This audio of him speaking out against gays in a high, lisping voice has lead to a whole lot of speculation on the interwebs. The Stephanie Miller Show this week was hilarious as they played this audio and did their own impressions. Wonder where he goes to "dithipline hith barbarianths." I'm sorry, I'm cleary a gay rights supporter, but I have zero tolerance for any gay person speaking out against gay people while hiding deeply in the closet, and while picking out his wife's clothes. Seriously, I'm not making that up, he picks out her clothes. This guy is as gay as the sun is hot. Looks like some serious, internalized self-loathing by Marcus, not Mark, Marcus. Bachmann supporters are calling out other bloggers who've questioned his sexuality and effiminant mannerisms as being homophobic. I've explained the difference above. The motivation behind the animus is the Bachmann’s own hateful statements about gay people. A so-called “Christian” psychotherapist (by the way, ex-gay reparative therapy, a practice found to be fraudulent and dangerous by every single medical, psychiatric and psychological organization in the country) who uses the Bible to treat his patients, Bachmann’s attitude toward LGBT people stands in sharp contrast to what many would consider his stereotypically gay behavior. In an interview Bachmann gave last year to a syndicated Christian radio program, he compared gays to barbarians and said they need to be disciplined:

“We have to understand: Barbarians need to be educated. They need to be disciplined. Just because someone feels it or thinks it doesn’t mean that we are supposed to go down that road. That’s what is called the sinful nature. We have a responsibility as parents and as authority figures not to encourage such thoughts and feelings from moving into the action steps. And let’s face it: what is our culture, what is our public education system doing today? They are giving full, wide-open doors to children, not only giving encouragement to think it but to encourage action steps. That’s why when we understand what truly is the percentage of homosexuals in this country, it is small. But by these open doors, I can see and we are experiencing, that it is starting to increase.”

Truth Wins Out Looking For Victims of Quackmann

It's now apparent why Michele Bachmann nearly sucked George W. Bush's teeth out of his mouth after a State of the Union. I guess it's been a while!

Marcus Bachmann’s public statements are consistent with those of his wife, who represents a right-wing district of Minnesota in Congress and recently announced that she’s seeking the GOP presidential nomination. Michele Bachmann has made her opposition to equality a cornerstone of her political career. She has said that homosexuality is “from Satan” and that encouraging young people to be tolerant of gays amounts to “child abuse.” She is also estranged from her lesbian step-sister because, well, she's a lesbian. Although you have to know that she's curious about "the gay" as she was caught hiding in some bushes spying on a a pro-gay-rights rally. You can see some of her memorable moments here although it needs updating from 10/21/08. She's the founder of the congressional Tea Party caucus (or as I call them, Teabaggers). It's amazing how a bunch of crazy, rich, white politicians can convince average working people that giving more to the well-to-do while slashing programs that benefit them is salubrious. Bachmann has also made her opposition to government spending a key issue in her public life. However, she’s come under fire in recently for hypocrisy on that front amid revelations that she and Marcuth accepted money from both the federal and state government for a farm subsidy ($260,000) and that Quackmann's "clinic" accepted $30,000 from Medicaid. Hypocrisy?

We’ve watched one married fundamentalist Christian "family values" man after another caught up in a same-sex extramarital scandal. There seems to be a pattern, a right-winger's level of animus toward gay people has become an indicator of how much he's trying to hide about his private life. I've got the popcorn ready. I have no doubt this is going to explode. Somewhere, Anthony Weiner is smiling.

*Uncle Bruce definition from Urban Dictionary - a closeted gay man who betrays his own people.

Weiner Succumbs to Media Circus Because, IOKIYAR

Rachel Maddow delivers a big F U to the Democrats in the nicest possible way:

"Congratulations, Democrats. In an era of unhinged, ideological, big money conservative media that is wholly and admittedly divorced from the precepts of journalism, in hounding Anthony Weiner into resigning ... you have just fed and unleashed this beast onto yourselves, probably for a generation."

I know, I know, but she's the best thing that has happened to our news media in at least 30 years. Democrats never learn. Because of this "let's take the high road" bs, we ended up with a dumb ass, selected by the SCOTUS to wreak havoc on us from 2001-2009. An era we may never recover from.

Meanwhile, Republicons operate under different rules. David Vitter, a Republican senator from Louisiana who was caught in the same sex scandal as Eliot Spitzer (Democratic NY governor forced to resign)in 2006 is still serving in the Senate even though he was making dates with hookers from the Senate floor. Oh, by the way, did I mention that this "family values" jackass liked to wear diapers and get spanked, presumably for being a bad boy? Meanwhile, he rails against same-sex marriage for couples who actually love each other and want to be in a committed relationship because in his mind, it's creepy. Freakin' douche bag.

I'm not condoning Anthony Weiner's actions, in fact it pisses me off because this guy was the best fighter for liberals/progressives and middle-class in the congress. He's a bigger disappointment than Clinton for liberals. Clinton ran to the right and gave us NAFTA, DOMA, and DADT.  What did Weiner actually do? He sent some pics via twitter which as lame as it is, isn't illegal. If Teapublican Eric Canter had done this (although I'm guessing he's got nothing to show), the Republicans would've rallied around him, blamed the non-existent "liberal media" and the story would've disappeared within three days. However, self-righteous Democrats shoot our wounded, give an asinine story legs and allow, as Rachel basically said, feed and unleash a conservative media juggernaut that we'll be dealing with for years.

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Will the Democrats ever learn to stand up to the GOP attack machine? I'm not hopeful.

*For non-Twitter folks, IOKIYAR is a hash tag which means "It's ok if you're a Republican."

Olbermann Comments On Embarrassing Weiner Roasting

Keith Olbermann explains how Republicans and Democrats alike have embarrassed themselves over Anthony Weiner’s Twitter-revelations, and what Weiner should do next. This is a tough one. I love Weiner's fire, and I initially thought he shouldn't resign. The problem now is, the Democratic leadership has turned against him so this passionate voice of the people will not have the same affect. It's a shame.

Being a Democrat is Like Being a Cubs Fan

Who negotiates like this? Republicans ask for $33B cut in spending and Democrats offer $34B. Then Republicans taste blood and ask for $40B and Democrats say $78B. Now Republicans want $100B and 218 republican votes before a budget can be passed. I'm waiting to see how many Democrats will switch parties to help them out! Did any of the Democrats ever buy a new car or a house? This is NOT how you negotiate. What the hell are Dems doing? Voting for Democrats is like being a Cubs fan. Seriously, as a long suffering Red Sox fan who finally saw the end of the curse in 2004 (otherwise they'd be my example). Let's think about the Cubs. They haven't won the World Series since 1908. Throughout the years, they've had many stars; Rick Santo, Ernie Banks, Roger Hornsby, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, etc... However, they have the Curse of the Goat, Steve Bartman, the black cat running past the dugout (hogwash, black cats rule), etc... Politically, we have a superstar manager in Barack Obama, solid progressive Senators like Bernie Sanders, Barbara Boxer, Sherrod Brown, Al Franken and Debbie Stabenow. Progressive Congressmen/women such as Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Jan Schakowsky, Anthony Weiner and Dennis Kucinich. Why do I always feel like Ernie Banks? He played for 19 years and never got the prize --- a World Series Ring. We had control of all three branches for two years and what happened? President Bi-Partisan. All he and our Democratic leaders did was capitulate to minority whining and crying. Pelosi failed to pass a 2011 budget late in 2010 so we're facing a government shut-down or the demise of womens health services. Why-oh-why does the party of the people cower when they have every single opportunity to do what the people want by large majorities? The Democrats as a whole are 1980's style Republicans, I begrudgedly get that. I don't know exactly when it happened (I expect it was the Reagan years), but it did. Maybe my wish that out more liberal members can make a difference is a far fetched dream. At this point I just want them to protect what we have already fought for and earned, but I'm not seeing a real fight for it. It's upsetting that our uninformed electorate isn't up in arms. Instead they're worried about who's going to win American Idol or Charlie Sheen's latest antics.

Anthony Weiner Calls Out Fox News for Lying About HCR

This guys legend is growing! Last week he took on the GOP on the House floor, today Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) took the hosts of "Fox & Friends" to task criticizing the ongoing Fox campaign to "lie" and spread "disinformation" about health care reform. After co-host Steve Doocy asked why Democrats whose districts oppose health reform should vote for it, Weiner turned the question back on the ill-prepared hosts. This is the kind of thing Democrats should've been doing all along. Weiner, along with Rep. Alan Grayson, Senators Al Franken and Sherrod Brown are giving me a little hope for a more progressive Democratic party in the future.

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A Dysfunctional Institution: The U.S. Senate

"In the 71 years since Hollywood filmed 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', the aim of the filibuster has been turned completely upside down." - Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)

The haggling over possible Senate rules changes has begun and understandably so. I'm as annoyed as any other observer, but let's not shoot ourselves in the foot either. The rules of the filibuster certainly need to be amended, but I don’t think it should be abolished. Can you imagine what would happen the next time Republicans have all three branches of government if they couldn't be kept in check? Unquestionably, the stall in the senate over the past year by the Republicans is unprecedented and it needs to stop. They have filibustered 139 bills to date! There are over 200 bills that have passed "the House" that are residing in senate-no-man's-land because Republicans want the public to interpret that Democrats can not govern. 14 months ago, voters wanted change. Now, those same voters are disenchanted with Democrats for not fulfilling promises when in fairness, they really haven’t been given full opportunity. Don't worry, I'm not forgetting the Blue Dogs who are just Republicans in disguise. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has authored a bill that would change the rules of the filibuster. The Harkin bill would require a series of staged votes to cut off a filibuster: the first motion known as cloture would take sixty votes, then fifty-seven, then fifty-four and finally a simple majority--so if a bill survives debate, it can become law. According to Harkin, "At issue is a fundamental principle basic to our democracy -- rule of the majority as a legislative body, [] "Elections should have consequences. Yet the Senate's current rules allow for a minority as small as one to make elections meaningless." He’s right and something must be done. In my opinion and as I’ve written before, they should also bring back the rules in which the party/senators blocking a bill has to stand on the floor and actually explain their position. That'll be another step in putting a stop to this nonsense. Just the threat of the filibuster is where it ends currently. This system is irrevocably broken!

I don’t know all the inner workings or possibilities in D.C., but if Harkin’s idea’s are upsetting to some on “The Hill”, why not try something like this: Only allow "x" amount of filibuster uses in each congressional session. That way regardless of which party is in power, the minority will have to think about which battles are really worth fighting and not just obstruct every single bill for sport. It's ridiculous to watch this process and listen to Republicans say Democrats can't get anything done. They've already more than doubled the amount of 'threatened' filibusters ever used in any one given session, it's ridiculous.

"The Senate is just a pain in the ass to everybody in the world as far as I can tell." - Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

I rarely disagree with Rachel Maddow, but in this segment, she and Howard Dean discuss the possibility of terminating the filibuster. As I wrote previously, I completely understand why. However, just this week Republicans once again announced they want to privatize social security and end Medicare, replacing it with vouchers so seniors will have to shop for their coverage through private insurance companies. If not for the filibuster, George W. Bush would've privatized social security in 2005 just before the crash. Imagine where we'd be now? Good ol' Republicans, make sure people get less than they deserve at a higher cost so their stock portfolios can keep rising. As for the Democrats? Like Howard Dean says in this video, "We're not tough enough. [] We need a spinal transplant in the Democratic party to play hardball." I like this guy more and more, he tells it like it is. I wonder if he'll give running for President another shot at some point. Sadly, Rachel actually needs to update her chart. The 112 is now 139...and counting.

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For anyone who thinks my only point is that Republicans suck, it isn’t…although they do. Just to prove a point that 41 is the real majority, Republicans have filibustered legislation to provide low-income energy assistance; efforts to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure children are not exposed to unsafe toys; and efforts to ensure that women are guaranteed equal pay for equal work. Last year Republicans forced cloture votes on a bill to extend unemployment benefits, then ultimately agreed to approve the bill on a 98-0 vote. Really? 98-0 vote after a filibuster. No, no political gamesmanship there. Gee, maybe the fact that Republicans suck was my only point!