Fresh Loaf

At the GOP rally/Tea Party at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, Rep. Paul Broun (R – CrazyPartsOfGeorgia) had a stern warning for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:

“Go tell your Congressman you’re not going to eat this rotten, stinking fish that is . . .  [awkward pause] Pelosi health care!

We’re going to put a stop sign in front of her steam roll of socialism! Go to it, patriots!”

I haven’t played Rock-Paper-Scissors in a while, but I’m pretty sure steam roller beats stop sign. Here’s a video. Broun’s comments begin at the 4:35 mark.

While we’re on the subject of gratuitous dumbassitude masquerading as steadfast patriotism, at the same event yesterday House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s held up what he claimed was his copy of the U.S. Constitution and read aloud from the section he described as its preamble:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Those words are not from the Constitution, but from the Declaration of Independence.

Doh!

The video:

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-IrrationalFearVille, spends his time drafting bills about the country’s pressing issues.

Via the AJC:

- U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, a conservative Republican from Athens, filed a bill that would cut public funding of schools that allow children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in any language except English. Another Broun bill would designate 2010 as the National Year of the Bible. Yet another would prohibit honor guards at veterans’ funerals unless they’re allowed to offer the option of a religious-based recitation during the folding of the American flag.

Broun called in to Glenn Beck’s radio show this morning. The congressman said he “praises God” for the host’s service and his efforts to warn Americans about “steamrollin’ socialism.”

This is why Georgians can’t have nice things.

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While the debates in Congress over health care reform have intensified this week, members of Georgia’s congressional delegation are all over the map in their reasons for supporting, but in most cases opposing, significant government reform — some more vehemently and bluntly than others.

“The poor have no chance, under the current system, to get the kind of care and follow-up they need. This House bill … is a historic step toward a new approach to health care in America that can quiet the fear associated with health care costs. It can relieve the significant financial stress on families, especially during this period where money is very tight, and provide coverage for millions of Americans who are currently uninsured or may have lost their jobs.”

— Congressman John Lewis, in a press release issued July 17, after the Ways and Means Committee passed America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

“What we’re talking about is a move toward socialism. … You’re going to have a socialist bureaucrat in the exam room between the doctor and the patient.”

— Congressman Phil Gingrey, at a July 7 forum on health care reform at George Washington University Hospital

“[Canada and Great Britain] don’t have the appreciation of life, as we do in our society, evidently. A lot of people are gonna die. This ‘government option’ that’s being touted as this panacea — the savior of allowing people to have quality health care at an affordable price — is gonna kill people.”

— Congressman Paul Broun, in a July 10 statement on the floor of the House

Sources: AJC.com, Office of Congressman John Lewis, Media Matters

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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The AJC calls attention today to Georgia’s boast that its Congressional delegation includes more doctors (four of the 16 currently in office) than any other state — which would seem to be a positive, considering the debates over health-care reform being waged at this very moment in Congress.

So just who are these MD’s who make Georgia so proud?

Well, there’s Rep. Phil Gingrey, of “Better Know a District” fame; there’s Rep. Tom Price, chairman of the Republican Study Committee; Rep. John Linder, who apparently counts even though he’s a dentist; and Rep. Paul Broun.

Yes, that Paul Broun, who once compared Pres. Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and accused him of trying to establish a Marxist dictatorship. Broun also happens to be a licensed doctor. And who better to represent Georgia’s medical community on the national stage? After all, Broun has already demonstrated his scientific acumen by declaring on the floor of the U.S. House that all the suggested evidence in support of human-induced global warming — the academic reports, temperature records dating back for thousands of years, the bewildered polar bears frequently photographed swimming in vain for a block of ice — are all just part of a “one of the greatest hoaxes perpetrated out of the scientific community.”

I would request that Rep. Broun do his best not to embarrass Georgia anymore, but it may already be too late:

Under Broun’s [health care] plans, doctors and pharmacies would be encouraged to post prices for their services just as a restaurant might post a dinner menu. Doing so, Broun said, would spur competition and therefore help bring down costs.

Because who hasn’t wished their health care operated with the same level of efficiency and quality of service as a middle-tier chain restaurant?

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1. Congress debates, votes on cap-and-trade energy bill (Good news: The House passed the monumental energy-conversation bill. Bad news: Georgia Congressman Paul Broun has embarrassed the entire state.)

2. Clermont foreclosure is tip of the iceberg (The plot thickens.)

3. Michael Jackson tributes in Atlanta (Atlanta celebrates the King of Pop. Twitter crashes. And Perez Hilton weeps.)

4. Coolest contest ever: Redesign the Clermont Hotel (The contest would have been a lot cooler if the seedy hotel wasn’t in danger of foreclosure. See No. 2.)

5. Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter told to vacate building (In the end, surprisingly, the homeless prevailed.)

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U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, last week compared President-elect Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. He was responding to a July 2 speech in which Obama proposed expanding the Foreign Service, Peace Corps and Americorps.

“[W}e’re going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered, and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy.

“We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”

—    Obama’s speech in Colorado Springs

Right-wing pundits and bloggers have quoted the phrase “civilian national security force” to insinuate Obama wishes to assemble an oppressive national police force.

“That’s exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it’s exactly what the Soviet Union did. When he’s proposing to have a national security force that’s answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he’s showing me signs of being Marxist.”

“You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I’m not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I’m saying is there is the potential.”

— Broun, as quoted in a Nov. 10 interview with the Associated Press. He later said: I regret saying it that way” but “ do not apologize for stating the obvious.”

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(h/t to Scott Freeman’s post on this here Fresh Loaf blog )

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— Has there ever been a sillier television show than Real Housewives of Atlanta? Oh, let us kount count the ways. You can’t even call them “Buckhead Bettys” because none of them actually live in Atlanta proper. Local celebrity chef Richard Blais is keeping a blog on the show, that includes impressions on different restaurants the BBs visit, and he’s decided the show is missing one key ingredient: Drama. What? Isn’t Kim’s off-key singing, and her perpetual cigarette and glass of wine enough?

— It’s still political season in Georgia and, nationally, the right-wing conservatives are trying to regroup. DriftGrift has a thoughtful post on the battle between moderates and conservatives for the soul of the party. He also notes Rush Limbaugh’s quote that uber-conservatives want moderates to vote Republican but that “they can never be one of us.”

— And then there’s the Paul Brouns of the world. At Rather Than Working, Dave posts a letter he sent to the distinguished Congressman noting that there’s a big difference between objective opposition and just being plain stupid.

— The folks at Down Right were also taken aback by Broun, and say that comparing our president-elect to Hitler doesn’t accomplish very much. Instead, they write, let’s step back and assess how Obama handles all the burning issues he faces once he takes office.

— At Going Through The Motions, the lovely Sara also pleads for reconcilliation and partnership. And she’s also found a cool blog that tries to foster that spirit: From 52 to 48.

— And, finally, Muskrat shares the meaning behind Veterans Day, and what the little things meant to him when he was deployed to Iraq.

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Are you a U.S. Congressman who’s careless with your spending? Gov. Sonny Perdue understands and he wants to help. But if you’re a city or county, well, in that case, you were reckless and had it coming.

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun recently made the news thanks to a congressional report that says the Republican congressman’s office had blown more than 80 percent of its annual budget, mostly on mailings to his constituents. (Broun blamed the spree on a former chief of staff.) Enter normally fiscal-minded Perdue, who’s agreed to attend an fundraiser tomorrow for the cash-strapped representative.

But Perdue’s not so forgiving when it comes to local governments. The governor raised the ire of many — Decatur in particular was aflame on the webz last week — when he criticized them for overspending in light of the state’s estimated $1.6 billion shortfall.

While the state is making spending cuts, Perdue said local governments “have never approached it from the standpoint that they have to tighten their belts.”

Congressman overspending = rest your head on my shoulder. Local governments “overspending” = you should know better.

Does Perdue have time on his schedule to host a bake sale for the estimated 661 county and city governments in Georgia?

(Hat tip to Peach Pundit and Decatur Metro for links, inspiration)

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Here’s a quick rundown on the July 15 Georgia primary results. The big news was generated by high-stakes runoffs:

* U.S. senator: The two experienced Democrats — Vernon Jones and Joe Martin — vanquished three first-time candidates and will face each other in an Aug. 5 runoff. With 91 percent of precincts counted, DeKalb CEO Jones won 40 percent of the vote, while Martin got 35 percent. Martin — who entered the race late and has been criticized for a lackluster campaign — may have a slight edge in the runoff: He has more money in the bank, he seems more likely to pick up support from supporters of other candidates, and his largely white base historically shows up for runoffs better than does Jones’ base of black voters. What does Jones have going for him? A runoff in the contest for who will replace him as DeKalb CEO could spur turnout in his home county. The winner takes on Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November.

* DeKalb County CEO: The contest for the most powerful local government post in the state heads for a runoff as well, although DeKalb Commissioner Burrell Ellis turned out an impressive showing with 46 percent of the vote. No surprise that he’ll face well-liked state Rep. Stan Watson in the runoff. But a 20 point head start has gotta give Ellis the edge. (more…)

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