I see crazy people

DougJ :It can’t happen here

Bruce Bartlett brings up an interesting nightmare scenario for a Republican-controlled Congress:

To be sure, the debt limit has always been raised in time to prevent a default, although Treasury sometimes had to push the limits of the law to move money around to pay the government’s bills. However, I believe the game has changed because Republicans have become extremely bold in using the filibuster to make it extraordinarily difficult to pass any major legislation without at least 60 votes in the Senate.

Furthermore, a growing number of conservatives have suggested that default on the debt wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It is often said that default would lead to an instantaneous balanced budget because no one would lend to the U.S. government ever again. Therefore, spending would have to be cut to the level of current revenues.

Writing in Forbes last month, the Cato Institute’s John Tamny was enthusiastic about the prospects of default. Said Tamny, “It’s time we learn to love the idea of a U.S. default . . . For Americans to worry about a debt default is like the parent of a heroin addict fearing that his dealers will cease feeding the addiction.”

I don’t think that it’s likely that a Republican Congress would actually force a default, but they could certainly use the threat of forcing one to get their way on other matters. Serious economic minds like Charles Lane and Robert Samuelson would likely cheer them on as they held the country hostage.

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digby: Pat Robertson Gives Marital Advice

Ladies, just so you know, if your man is stepping out it's because you're a bitch and you're just not attractive enough.

TERRY MEEUWSEN (co-host): Pat, this is from Anne who says, "My husband has always been a flirt and loves to talk with other women he finds attractive. He says he would never cheat on me but his actions are starting to get to me. What should I do?

PAT ROBERTSON: Anne, first thing is you need to make yourself as attractive as possible and don't hassle him about it. And why is he doing this? Well, he's doing it because he wants affirmation that he is still a man, that he is attractive -- and he gets an affirmation of himself. That means he's got an inferiority complex that's coming out. And he's not gonna cheat on you. He's just playing.

But you need to not drive him away or start hassling and hounding on him, but make yourself as beautiful as you can, as fun as you can, and say "let's go out here, let's go there, let's go to the other thing." And be sure to give him blow jobs on command.

Ok I made up the last thing --- but it's certainly implied.

I think what shocked me most about this is that Pat Robertson is still alive.

Benen: STEVE KING, ON THE SIDE THAT FAVORS THE DUMB PERSON

If only Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) were a White House correspondent, he might be forced to resign over ugly rhetoric like this.

During an appearance on G. Gordon Liddy's radio show this morning to discuss Arizona's immigration law, King suggested President Barack Obama was a racist and "favors the black person" while carrying out his presidential duties.

King also said that he was "offended" by both Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder.

"When you look at this administration, I'm offended by Eric Holder and the president also, their posture. It looks like Eric Holder said that white people in America are cowards when it comes to race," said King. "And I don't know what the basis of that is but I'm not a coward when it comes to that and I'm happy to talk about these things and I think we should."

King added: "But the president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race -- on the side that favors the black person."

As a factual matter, King's race-baiting is just absurd. Looking over the president's staff, cabinet, appointments, and policies, there's simply nothing to suggest Obama discriminates against those who aren't black. King's odious attacks are the result of paranoia. (If the right-wing Iowan is really looking for political players motivated in part by race, he may want to talk to his Tea Party pals.)

It's also worth noting that King misquoted Holder in order to criticize him.

But of particular interest here is the way in which King was projecting during his tirade. Adam Serwer explained, "This is of course, the same Steve King who has defended the Confederate flag, advocated for racial profiling, referred to the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses as 'separatist groups,' and said that people in the Middle East would be 'dancing in the streets' if Obama was elected because of his middle name. He was also the only -- repeat -- only congressman to vote against recognizing the contributions of slaves in building the U.S. Capitol, where King now spends his time spewing this kind of nonsense."

Someone here has "a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race," but I'll give you a hint: it's not the president.

Booman: The Western Iowa Strategy

What is it with than name 'Steve King' and horror shows? Of course, it's the political Steve that I'm concerned with here. He's trying to develop what we might call the 'Western Iowa Strategy.'

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) leveled a somewhat startling charge against President Barack Obama on Monday, saying the president instinctively "favors the black person."

King made the comments during an appearance on the G. Gordon Liddy radio show.

"When you look at this administration, I'm offended by Eric Holder and the president, also, their posture," King said, as captured by Media Matters.

That must refer to their shuck n jive posture.

"It looks like Eric Holder said that white people in America are cowards when it comes to race. And I don't know what the basis of that is, but I'm not a coward when it comes to that, and I'm happy to talk about these things and I think we should. But the president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race — on the side that favors the black person."

It's true that Rep. King is not a coward when it comes to race. He's totally upfront about how much black people in power 'offend' him. And he did it on G. Gordon Liddy's radio program. You probably know Liddy from his involvement in the Watergate break-in. You probably don't know that he worshipped Hitler as a child and chose his wife because of her teutonic characteristics.

When he listened to Hitler on the radio, it "made me feel a strength inside I had never known before," he explains. "Hitler's sheer animal confidence and power of will [entranced me]. He sent an electric current through my body."

My father is from Iowa. It's not a place known for heated racial politics. Most Iowans I've met are painfully polite and well-mannered. I don't understand why Steve King has a constituency for this kind of gutter politics. But this is a concerted effort to convince ordinary white voters that the president and members of his administration are biased against them and are always looking to side with black people. Most of the time, these kind of messages are a bit more subtle. Rep. King is explicit. I know his district is very religious and culturally conservative, but I don't think this is how they want their congressman to behave.

And, I thought about it. I can't point my finger to anything the president has done that would merit the criticism. It's pure fantasyland.

• from the comments: Re: The Western Iowa Strategy (none / 0)

  It's not what the President has done, it's what he is. He embodies the "people not like us" narrative. It's not that Steve King's supporters are racists (in their own minds), rather that they can be made to fear that the "other" side are. Painfully polite manners and painfully paranoid politics are not mutually exclusive characteristics.
  
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