News Roundup for 7/20/11

GOP House member "negotiates" with White House, Senate

-Headline of the Day-
"Former Senator Judd Gregg Says Shutdown Needed Before House Will Agree To Debt Limit Deal."

House Republicans have lost their damned minds. That's pretty much the gist of Judd Gregg's analysis of the debt limit standoff. "My gut tells me that we'll need a weekend of drama -- maybe a weekend of the government not paying its bills -- politicians need drama to make something happen," he says. "As soon as social security checks don't go out, the politics will change. I suspect it'll take artificial drama to get closure past the House." Of course, missing the deadline won't be so "artificial." The markets are already getting spooked.

Granted, the rest of his assessment sounds pretty pie-in-the-sky -- that a drop in the US credit rating is no big deal and no one's going to worry much about it -- but it gives you an idea of just how unseriously the average Republican is taking all this.

To make matters worse, Greg Sargent is reporting that the House Republican Nutjob Caucus (i.e., most of them) is "whipping furiously to block McConnell proposal in the House." The McConnell proposal is convoluted and silly, sure, but it's really the only way out for the GOP. "That all sounds pretty ominous," he writes. "But it's also possible, as Senate GOP and Dem aides are hoping, that there will be a drop dead moment of terror next week that will, shall we say, persuade people to rethink their positions a bit."

Wishful thinking, if you ask me. If Judd Gregg is any example, conservatives believe that default is no big deal. Besides, you can't scare someone sane, you can only scare them crazier.

And if you think you've seen the GOP hit rock bottom in the sanity department, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Expect Michele Bachmann to start making appearances with a birdcage on her head. (Business Insider)


-What you feel happening is not happening-
I'd say that the heat was frying Rush's brain, but all the drugs already took care of that. Anyway, you know this big heat wave we're having? We're not really having that. It's a government conspiracy to get us all to believe in global warming.



Don't forget Dittoheads, when you go out today, take a coat and refuse water. Prove them commies wrong. (Media Matters)


-Bonus HotD-
"Palin on mainstream media: 'I want to help them... I have a journalism degree.'"

Translation: "My movie crashed on arrival, this gravy train is winding down, and I have no shot at the presidency. Somebody give me a job!" (ThinkProgress)