People Wondering Why John Boehner Was Weeping In Public Again

Avid crier, John Boehner, was at it again: sobbing when the statue-- or, in his case, idol-- of Ronald Reagan was unveiled in Statuary Hall this morning. Or maybe his mind was just wandering towards what today's Politico termed the stealth war to keep moving the GOP along the road to oblivion as a serious national party. It's not so much that the wing-nuts will miss John McHugh (R-NY) or even the likelihood of being embarrassed again when they lose a seat-- after a costly battle they can't afford-- with a tremendous GOP registration advantage (120,887 Democrats to 167,272 Republicans). Obama won the district 52-47% last November.

“Boxing the Republicans into a South-dominated party is very good strategy, because the more you reduce the Republican Party, the more conservative and reactionary it will become, and thus less attractive to moderates,” said Tom Schaller, a University of Maryland-Baltimore County professor and the author of Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South. “The Midwest and the Northeast are the places where there are still remnants of old-line Rockefeller Republicans. And these are the places where the Democrats will build durable majorities.”

The NRCC, sounding a little paranoid, blames the whole thing in Rahm Emanuel. And here I thought I was the only one that blamed everything on him! Last night CQPolitics put out an analysis of the likely contenders to replace McHugh. State Sen. Darrel Aubertine is being mentioned most but if he abandoned his just-won Senate seat, it could through NY Democrats into turmoil because of the closeness of the numbers in Albany. Syracuse-based attorney Daniel French, a former aide to Daniel Patrick Moynihan is another possible candidate, as are 2008 nominee Michael P. Oot, state party Chairwoman June O’Neill and John Rhodes, who considered a 2008 run.

Aubertine, of Watertown, won a 2008 special election for a Senate district based an hour or so from Ottawa, Canada, that covers all of two counties in McHugh’s district and part of a third.

But even an Aubertine victory could be a net loss for national Democrats. New York is set to lose at least one seat in the reapportionment of congressional districts after next year’s census, and his influence in the state Senate may be more valuable to the party than an extra vote in the U.S. House that could disappear after the 2012 election.

For that reason, several Democrats said they thought it was unlikely that Aubertine would run.

“It’s too early to comment right now,” said Aubertine’s spokesman, Drew Mangione. “The senator is committed to his work in the New York state Senate.”

A slew of Republican names also surfaced Tuesday: Assembly members Will Barclay, who lost to Aubertine for the Senate seat, Janet L. Duprey and Dede Scozzafava; Terry Gach, vice president of institutional advancement at the Trudeau Institute; Michael F. Joyce, the head of Hargrave Custom Yachts; former state Sen. Jim Wright; and Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne.

With a bunch like that in the wings, it's no wonder Boehner was weeping-- especially with the best of the lot, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava thinking about running as a Democrat! Someone should get him and Glenn Beck together.

JOHN McHUGH IS GUNG-HO ON SENDING OUR TROOPS TO FIGHT IN IRAQ BUT DOESN'T WANT TO SPEND A CENT TO TREAT THEM WITH DIGNITY IF THEY COME BACK WOUNDED

A day or two ago we ran a post about some of the wingnuts in Congress who have neglected our wounded servicemen, such as far right extremist Steve Buyer (R-IN), ex-chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and C.W. Bill Young (R-FL), ex-chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. Both were aware of the disgraceful situation at Walter Reed and other hospitals charged with looking after wounded military men and women. They have failed-- dismally-- to do their duty. We followed up today with a story about right-wing nutcase Phil Gingrey, a warmonger member of the House Armed Sevices Committee, who basically blamed wounded soldiers for causing the vermin and black mold infestation at Walter Reed by leaving food around and being messy.

No one disagreed with the jist of the two pieces or with any of the half dozen pieces we've run on this outrageous scandal. But I did get several e-mails yesterday from constituents of Congressman John McHugh. "How could you leave McWho out of your coverage?" chastised Sharon from Plattsburgh. "He's the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and, ultimately, he's responsible for this mess."

Well, I'm not certain that he's completely responsible but there's plenty of blame to go around and a good share belongs to McHugh. For one thing McHugh has a perfect voting record when it comes to health care for veterans and active militray personnel-- a perfect zero. In recent years there have been a dozen roll call votes on health care issues for our vets and military servicemen and McHugh voted against their interests every single time.

Clint from Watertown says McHugh "was in charge of the oversight committee for the well being of our troops at Walter Reed and all the medical facilities in the system. He failed our men and women in those facilities and he failed his constituents and he failed America. If he were in Japan, he would have commited sepaku. In our part of the world, if he was a man he would resign."

Several of McHugh's constituents, North Country Democracy for America, are planning a peaceful demonstration on March 17 to help expose his incomptenece and callousness. In 2002 McHugh was returned to Congress without opposition. In 2004 anti-war activist Robert Johnson opposed him and got 29% of the vote. Last year Johnson took 37% of the vote. Let's call that a trend-- in a marginally Republican district. Johnson forced McHugh to spend three-quarters of a million dollars to retain his seat, far more than he's ever had to spend before. It isn't unreasonable to assume that when folks in the North Country, regardless of politics, find out about McHugh's role in this shameful affair they will agree that it is time for their rubber stamp congressmen to bounce into an entirely different line of work.


UPDATE: PRIVATIZATION ISN'T THE BEST SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS ALL THE TIME

No doubt Cheney's Halliburton pals made a bundle off the Walter Reed deal and, no doubt, plenty of Regime-connected politicians got lots of juicy bribes campaign contributions in return for the opportunity. But many people feel that at least some of the problems at Walter Reed stem from the ideological and avarice-driven rush towards privatization. Today's Washington Post points out a need for some long overdue scrutiny.

The scandal over treatment of outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center has focused attention on the Army's decision to privatize the facilities support workforce at the hospital, a move commanders say left the building maintenance staff undermanned.

Some Democratic lawmakers have questioned the decision to hire IAP Worldwide Services, a contractor with connections to the Bush administration and to KBR, a Halliburton subsidiary.

WHY DO REPUBLICANS AND OTHER RIGHT WING FANATICS HATE, FEAR AND OPPRESS WOMEN?

Growing up in New York City we were taught about "upstate" as though it were a foreign country. And in many ways it was-- at least foreign from the cultural and ethnic diversity of the City. And nowhere "upstate" was more foreign than the North Country. The state as a whole is 62% white. The North Country is 93% white. New York as a whole has 12.5% of its population living in rural areas. The North Country: 65.3%. Median income statewide is $43,393. For the North Country: $35,434. In 2004 51% in CD-23, the North Country congressional district, voted for Bush. In the state as a whole Bush barely eked out 40% of the vote.

Last week you probably read how Bush's catastrophic policies in the Middle East-- and his foreign policy in general-- have already lost the Republicans the "security moms." According to The Washington Post "Married women with children, the 'security moms' whose concerns about terrorism made them an essential part of Republican victories in 2002 and 2004, are taking flight from GOP politicians this year in ways that appear likely to provide a major boost for Democrats in the midterm elections, according to polls and interviews. This critical group of swing voters-- who are an especially significant factor in many of the most competitive suburban districts on which control of Congress will hinge-- is more inclined to vote Democratic than at any point since Sept. 11, 2001..."

Security moms, like soccer moms, and like the vast "single women" bloc, all first and foremost... women, a huge demographic that has tended to turn towards progressives anyway. Patriarchal, authoritarian societies, like one envisioned by the powerful primitivist segments of the ruling Republican coalition, have not been friendly places for women-- no more so than are the fundamentalist Islamic societies we are taught to revile.

Watertown, New York, the heart of the North Country, is not a fundamentalist Islamic society. But you might be confused into thinking it was if you listen to Timothy LaBouf, a member of the City Council and mullah of an Ismalo-fascist mosque pastor of a Baptist church there. The deranged pastor fired 81 year old Sunday School teacher Mary Lambert, a member of the church for 54 years and a Sunday School teacher for nearly that many.

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission" reads the bizarre letter Ms Lambert got from the church. "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became sinner."

LaBouf, a raging right wing Republican imbecile who has caused many problems within the church and the community, has been pastor for 2 years. When DWT contacted the longtime congressman rubber stamp Republican John McHugh, his D.C. congressional office refused to comment. His Democratic opponent, Dr. Bob Johnson had nothing to say about employment practices within the church but campaign manager Jesse Bocinski mused aloud that "the situation does make one wonder if Reverend LaBouf is the appropriate person to be making important decisions in his capacity as city council member. It's a shame you couldn't get Congressman McHugh to respond but you can look at his one defining moment as a congressman. It was a couple of years ago on the Armed Services Committee when he championed the position that women should be locked out of 'traditionally masculine' military roles."

Whether you're a woman or just a man who respects and appreciates women, this would be a good time to decide if you're standing with crazy patriarchal primitives like LaBouf and McHugh or for contemporary thinkers and equal right advocates like North Country residents Viggo Mortsensen and Dr. Bob Johnson. Dr Johnson' Act Blue Page is open for business-- the business of making America a safer and better place for all Americans.