Unserious Men At the Armed Services Hearings

This goes to how Republicans refusing to learn about the policy issues are hurting the country. Sen. Bill Nelson pressed generals on sexual assault convictions overturned by military leadership. On the Republican side, Sen. Jeff Sessions goes on a rant about how Playboy and Penthouse are too blame for sexual assaults in the military.

SESSIONS: Mr. Chairman, I’d just add a letter, a document here that was given to me from Morality in the Media. Pat Truman used to be in the Department of Justice. I knew him when he was there. He points out that, a picture here of a newsstand and an Air Force base exchange with, you know, sexually explicit magazines being sold. So, we live in a culture that’s awash in sexual activity. If it’s not sold on base, it’s right off base. There are videos and so forth that can be obtained, and it creates some problems, I think.

This is the same kind of ignorance that caused Sen. Saxby Chambliss to blame hormones for military sexual assaults.

“The young folks coming in to each of your services are anywhere from 17 to 22 or 23,” he pointed out. “Gee-whiz, the hormone level created by nature sets in place the possibility for these types of things to occur. So, we’ve got to be very careful on our side.”

Sessions and Chambliss just throw these comments out there without providing a conservative policy solution. Does Chambliss feel that large groups of young men and women should be barred from being around each other? Would Chambliss bar males and females from attending high school together? We all know those kids in high school are crazy mad with hormones?

Does Sessions want to propose a constitutional amendment to ban dirty magazines. The Supreme Court ruled in in Hustler Magazine v. Falwell that pornography is free speech. Sessions and Chambliss don't provide answers because they just say these things because they are poorly prepped for the Armed Services Committee hearings and it shows. This is what happens when voters elects people that are willfully ignorant about policy.

The Misunderstanding Saxby Chambliss has on Sexual Assault

At the Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Saxby Chambliss can't tell the differences between consensual sex and sexual assault. Chambliss asks a sensible question about if there was a study to find out the pregnancies of first women serving on aircraft carriers were the result of consensual sex or sexual assault. Chambliss then inserts his foot in his mouth.

“The young folks coming in to each of your services are anywhere from 17 to 22 or 23,” he pointed out. “Gee-whiz, the hormone level created by nature sets in place the possibility for these types of things to occur. So, we’ve got to be very careful on our side.”

Chambliss understands that not enough is done by the military or Congress to stop sexual assault. Chambliss is smarter than most of his Republican colleagues. Unfortunately, Chambliss partly attributes sexual assault to kids and their crazy hormones. Rape is about one taking power over another person. That has nothing to do with kids wanting to hook up.

Most Conservative Members of Congress

The National Journal has compiled a list most conservative members of Congress. You will be shocked to learn the list is made up of old white Republican guys.

Tied for first

John Barrasso
Saxby Chambliss
John Cornyn
Mike Crapo (best name ever for a pol)
Jim DeMint
John McCain
James Risch
John Thune

9. Tom Coburn
10. Roger Wicker

Kendrick Meek on Arizona ID Law

Kendrick Meek sent out a press release to voice his disapproval of the Arizona ID law.

"We need common sense immigration reform. The kind of measure signed into law in Arizona last week is neither fair nor practical. It encourages police to question people who have done nothing wrong, and it does a disservice to people in this country who are employed, paying their taxes and are good citizens of their communities. That is not fair. As a former Trooper in the Florida Highway Patrol, I know laws like these will also hamper law enforcement efforts and make it harder to find people who will speak out as witnesses to crimes. This law is impractical and will not make anyone safer. While new immigration laws should be tough, they should be enforceable and not driven by a philosophical agenda," said Kendrick Meek, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.

The law is aimed at pleasing the most radical of the conservative base. The Arizona state capital was vandalized. Refried beans was smeared onto the image of a swastikas. No word on who was behind the vandalism.

The law has sparked civil rights protests across the America. President Obama has called the law "misguided." There are also questions of whether or not the law violates the Fourth Amendment.

Politically, immigration reform has been a lightning rod within the Republican Party. The GOP has played to the Southern Strategy. More moderate Republicans realize the GOP needs Hispanic voters. Democratics won the Hispanic vote in the last two election cycles. Hispanics are the largest growing voting bloc. Unsurprising, Republican Senators Mitch McConnell and Saxby Chambliss tell want to offer an opinion the Arizona law. McConnell and Chambliss say it is a bad time to be taking up the immigration reform. Heather, of Crooks and Liars cracked, " Yeah, so few days, so many more bills and nominations to obstruct."

Saxby Chambliss Wins

Saxby Chambliss beats Jim Martin. Not having Barack Obama on the top of the ballot killed Martin's chances. The key was Chambliss's fundraising superiority.

Since Republicans took a beating at the polls nationwide Nov. 4, business groups and conservative organizations have spent $4.2 million here on Sen. Chambliss, nearly four times as much as labor unions and liberal advocacy groups have spent on Mr. Martin since Election Day.

The last campaign finance report was filed on October 15th. Chambliss raised $12,041,398 to Martin's $3,029,719. This race proves why Howard Dean's 50 state strategy is correct. If more resources were originally invested, Martin could have won the November election.

Naked Brunch: Flock of Seagulls

It's taken me almost a week to tread the path of the pundits opinions in the aftermath of the stunning victory of President-Elect Barack Obama.  I'm extremely pleased about the first and not so much about the pundits, as follows.  I am, however, interested in Obama's picks for his cabinet.  

Some of the offers out there for posts to Obama's cabinet and their specialties.  Quite a list of names in that menu.  At this point, Rahm Emanuel has accepted Obama's offer for White House Chief of Staff.  I am not sure whether I would prefer him there or in position as Speaker of the House where he would be extremely useful to Obama in accomplishing his goals.  However, this suppositioning really is unnecessary and ticks me off, bt American Prospect does a good job of discrediting the idea.

I am thrilled beyond measure that one of Obama's first issues is to review and reverse Bush's executive orders.  There are a lot of them and most are reprehensible.  More on Obama's intentions to reverse these executive orders:

Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.

A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official who was not permitted to speak on the record about the inner workings of the transition....

More on Obama's fist steps.

Saxby Chambliss is such a pig, which must make McCain and Palin alike in their support. 

This is an awesome synopsis of what Obama's next steps entail. 

Jonathan Chait asks:  "What part of "overwhelming electoral defeat" does the GOP not understand?"

Damn, I'm getting hungry.  I wonder what's for brunch?

On Obama's reception throughout the world.  I agree, show me the money!

I love this:  Obama a two-term President of the USA and tte folks jostling to create a relationship with him.  A more negative attitude from the Boston Globe.

The New Yorker details "How Obama Won."

Naked Brunch Music:  Amos Lee (Get them at my place)

Naked Brunch:  Lusty French Toast, thick smoky bacon, tangy tangerines, and java.  Yum! 

And, just because it will aggravate Michael's musical taste:

Ta Ta!