Tag Archive for obstruction

The Ol’ “I Don’t Recall” Ploy

Once again, Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III has broken out the ol’ tried and true “I don’t recall” ploy. We’ve commented before about his stonewalling. But recently, Sessions doubled down the tactic showing selective memory concerning meetings with the Russians. He stated that he had no recollection of the March 2016 meeting with George Papadopolous until he saw the news reports and then he suddenly remembered. So in short: Sessions said he could not remember much about Russian influence on the Trump campaign, except when he could block such influence.

One thing’s for sure: Sessions is sure doing conservative Republican icon, St. Ronald Reagan, proud. Whether it’s perjury or using the Department of Justice for political investigations or just out and out racism, Sessions is proving himself worthy of the greatest obstructionists in Republican history and considering the last seventy years: Allen Dulles’ CIA, Watergate, Iran Contra, the Iraq War, the Great Recession, etc… that’s saying something.

The ghost of conservative icon, St Ronald Reagan, approves of Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, using the ol' "I don't recall" ploy, which he used effectively to avoid telling the truth during his presidency.

The ghost of conservative icon, St Ronald Reagan, approves of Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, using the ol’ “I don’t recall” ploy, which he used effectively to avoid telling the truth during his presidency.

Stonewall Sessions

One of the more annoying characters in Donald Trump’s cavalcade of sycophants is Attorney Confederate General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. We’ve commented before about his racism and lying under oath. Well there was more deceit on display last week as our top justice did his best to obstruct justice.

During testimony last week in the investigation into the GOP’s ties with Russia during the 2016 election, Sessions stonewalled and did his best St. Ronald Reagan “I don’t recall” spiel. How did it go? Well, the Republicans, like always smirked their way through it, slapping themselves on the back at how cleverly they can deceive the American public, just like they’re doing with their healthcare plan.

But what’s bothersome is that our attorney general, who is supposed to be our top administrator of justice is obstructing justice at every turn. If he and Donald Trump did obstruct justice by firing James Comey, then that is grounds for impeachment. But Newt Gingrich already has a defense lined up. He stated this week that the President cannot possibly obstruct justice, even though he pursued Bill Clinton for two years because he lied about having sex. In a nutshell, it’s okay when Republicans obstruct justice and commit perjury and commit treason…ad infinitum.

Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, displays his gnat like memory while performing some Jackson-esque stonewalling.

Attorney Confederate General, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, displays his gnat like memory while performing some truly Jackson-esque stonewalling.

A Confederacy Of Nincompoops

The biggest media circus of the 21st century has commenced. The hearing about possible connections of the Trump campaign with Russia during the presidential election and Trump’s possible obstruction of justice in preventing further investigation into the matter has started and all eyes are on former FBI director James Comey, who’s already released some pretty damning evidence already.

We’re not big fans of James Comey. He knew Trump may have colluded with Russia on hacking the election and he chose to instead bring up Hillary Clinton’s non scandal with the email server before the election, which many believe, including us, tilted the election in Trump’s favor. In our minds, he’s a nincompoop (old timer staff member Chester Einstein loves that funny old word.) He deserved to get fired. But now he’s in a position where the sane people of the United States have to rely on him to bring down a dangerously insane President.

Will Comey’s testimony amount to something? Could this be the end of the Trump White House? We here at the Bucket would like nothing more than to see all the Republicans responsible for Trump becoming President go to a maximum security prison with cellmates named Bubba who like to spoon…a lot. But unfortunately, and we hate to be dubious downers about this —- it’s already shaping up to being nothing more than spectacle. Top Republicans are already spinning up tornadoes of excuses for Trump. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said that Trump was just inexperienced and didn’t know the protocol. Arizona Senator and crusty old curmudgeon, John McCain, who was supposed so concerned over the possibility of Russia interfering in the election, struck out in his questioning of Comey, preferring to ask nonsensically about Hillary Clinton’s emails. The pattern looks to be set. As long as Republicans are in charge, they will not harm other Republicans. They have deliberately chosen to put party before country. Period!

Trump is the ideal distraction for conservative Republicans to ram their filthy, cruel, narrow minded, ideological agenda through congress. While the media and the American public are currently busy gawking at the Trump and Comey confederacy of nincompoops, the Republicans in the House just passed a bill that would rescind the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Law from 2010, thus opening the door for the same kind of financial malfeasance which brought upon the Great Recession. Senate Republicans are also close on repealing Obamacare. With the Republicans in charge, one thing is for sure; democracy in this country is so screwed.

Apparently, Americans have to depend on one nincompoop to defend us from another more colossal nincompoop. Ahhhh! Democracy in the 21st century!

Apparently, Americans have to depend on one nincompoop to defend us from another more colossal nincompoop. Ahhhh! Democracy in the 21st century!

 

Mutant Turtle Boy

From the unfriggingbelieveable files…

Senate Majority Leader and Mutant Turtle Boy, Mitch McConnell had the audacity to state that Americans will not tolerate the Democrats obstructing American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump’s picks for the Supreme Court, despite having obstructed President Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court for most of 2016. Then the Lord of Obstruction went on to say that Democrats should grow up and not obstruct Trump’s cabinet picks despite the Republicans doing exactly that in 2009 for Obama. New York Senator Chuck Schumer even posted McConnell’s letter to then Senate Majority leader Harry Reid that cabinet picks must meet certain standards.

So basically Mutant Turtle Boy doesn’t want to apply the same standards for Trump’s picks. Please keep in mind that the new American CEO/Dictator hasn’t even released his tax returns and the ethically challenged Republicans aren’t even going to press him to do it. Because you know…it’s okay when Republicans do it.

Here’s hoping the Democrats obstruct the Republicans Supreme Court pick for the next four years because the Republicans planned to do the same to the Democrats if Hillary had won.

Mitch 'Mutant Turtle Boy' McConnell says Americans won't tolerate Democrats obstructionism despite doing the same thing to the Obama administration for the last eight years.

A noble American worker just can’t tolerate any more stupid, irony impaired and ethically challenged statements by Senate Majority Leader, Mitch ‘Mutant Turtle Boy’ McConnell.

 

AZ’s Junior Obstructionist

Continuing our review of lame AZ public figures and issues…

We’ve commented before about Arizona’s junior Senator Jeff Flake (here and here). He truly is a conundrum. On the surface, this congenial, young man with the ultra-brite smile seems like he grew up with Wally and the Beav. He even sells himself as Mr. Bipartisan. But like most con artists, it’s just for show. He’s more Eddie Haskell than Wally. Mr. Flake is joining his Republican zombie cohorts, led by Mitch ‘The Turtle’ McConnell, in obstructing President Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court. And why does Mr. Bipartisan say he’s doing this. A friend of the Bucket, who complained to the Senator about his obstructionism, shared with us this email response from Mr. Flake.

“Justice Scalia was untiring in his defense of the Constitution. His intellect, candor, and wit will be sorely missed. As we mourn the tragic loss of Justice Scalia and celebrate his life’s work, much is being said and written about whether the Supreme Court vacancy created by his death should be filled this year. One would have to go back more than a century to find a scenario where a president’s nominee for the Supreme Court was confirmed by the opposition party in the United States Senate when the vacancy occurred during an election year. I am not about to break new ground in the Senate, particularly when any nominee could so drastically shift the balance of the court.

There you have it folks. Mr. Bipartisan isn’t going to break new ground (or be a maverick!) because he’s going to dig in his heels like his fellow Republican crybabies and defy the Constitution. He’s clearly choosing partisan politics over doing what is best for the people and this country.

We used to be feel bad for Mr. Flake. Often times, he has seemed like he is trying to legitimately reach across the aisle. He supported the end of the ban on relations with Cuba. And to his credit, he has agreed to meet with Merrick Garland.  But again, it’s just for show.  He just created his reality show to sell the public that he was reasonable, maybe to boost his credentials for a possible future run at the Presidency. But make no mistake; he’s true to his religious, anti-science base as evidence by his criticizing federal spending on science. Just when you think he’s going to make a break from the zombies as with gun control legislation a few years ago, he turns and runs back toward the narrow minded zombie hordes. Life sitting on a fence is never easy. We’re hoping that with the rise of head zombie, Donald Trump, maybe Flake will finally embrace sanity and leave the Republican party. But then again…

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, a.k.a. Mr. Bipartisan, proudly announces that he will join his Republican zombie cohorts, led by Mitch 'The Turtle' McConnell, to boldly obstruct President Obama's Supreme Court nomination for partisan reasons.

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, a.k.a. Mr. Bipartisan, proudly announces that he will join his Republican zombie cohorts, led by Mitch ‘The Turtle’ McConnell, to boldly obstruct President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination for partisan reasons.

AZ’s Senior Obstructionist

Continuing our review of lame AZ public figures and issues…

The Supreme Court obstructionism continues and both of Arizona’s Senators are joining their crybaby Republican colleagues in blatantly avoiding their constitutional duty. We’ve ribbed repeatedly Arizona’s Senior Obstructionist, John McCain(here, here and here for starters). Yes, our ‘maverick’ Senator, who famously reached across the aisle to champion Campaign Finance Reform, only to vote against an amendment which would overturn the Supreme Court’s atrocious Citizens United ruling, which gives the well funded corporate elites of this country carte blanche to control elections, recently was quoted as saying ““I believe that we should wait until after the next election and let the American people pick the next president, and we should consider who the next president of the United States nominates.” This contrasts greatly to the old John McCain, who used to solidly support the Senate voting on Supreme Court nominations. What’s more, in 1993 and 1994, McCain voted to approve President Clinton’s Supreme Court appointments of Breyer and Ginsberg by saying “under our Constitution, it is the president’s call to make.” In addition, McCain, like several other Republicans, wholeheartedly approved Merrick Garland’s appointment to the Washington D.C appeals court as chief judge in 1997.

So what’s up with Mr. Maverick? We here at the Bucket think that Senator McCain’s best days are clearly far, far behind him. He’s up for reelection this year(he’s facing a stiff challenge from Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick and fellow Republican Kelli Ward) and this issue may decide if he retains his position. He’s seems to be acting more like a crotchety, old curmudgeon than a distinguished senator.  His dislike of Obama has unhinged him so much that he won’t even perform his constitutional duty. We’ve commented before here that many Republicans have said that if the current President was Republican, they’d approve the nomination. It’s clearly the Republicans who are playing politics. Ol’ Man McCain needs to join Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Helen Purcell and ride off into the Arizona sunset.

Crusty, old codger and Senator, John McCain, demonstrates his 'maverick' style by explaining why he supports obstructionism over solid, bipartisan statesmanship much to the delight of his plutocratic overlord.

Crusty, old codger and Senator, John McCain, demonstrates his ‘maverick’ style by explaining why he supports obstructionism over solid, bipartisan statesmanship much to the delight of his plutocratic overlord.

Booby Hatch

Happy April Fools Day! Speaking of fools…

Nothing demonstrates the foolishness of the GOP’s obstructionism of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland more than Utah Senator Orrin ‘Booby’ Hatch’s response. This man said in 2010(in the opening that went to Elena Kagan) that he would be a “consensus nominee” and that there was “no question” he would be confirmed.  Even before President Obama revealed his choice recently, Hatch said “The president told me several times he’s going to name a moderate [to fill the court vacancy], but I don’t believe him. [Obama] could easily name Merrick Garland, who is a fine man. He probably won’t do that because this appointment is about the election. So I’m pretty sure he’ll name someone the [liberal Democratic base] wants.”

Well, President Obama named Garland as his nominee and now Hatch is backpedaling making all kinds of lame-ass excuses for obstructing the nomination. Here’s another weak one. Has this man no sense of decency? Former justice Sandra Day O’Connor has said that the Senate needs “get on with it” and moderate Maine Senator has also said as much. She said she even reread the Constitution just to make sure.

Surely this will reflect badly on the Republicans come election time, right? Well, one look at the Republican frontrunner will tell you; it’s not an April Fools Day prank. The Republicans have lost their frigging minds.

Utah Senator Orrin 'Booby' Hatch courageously weasels his way out of his earlier endorsement of Merrick Garland as the new Supreme Court justice nominee by boldly creating lame-ass excuses and other feeble distractions.

Utah Senator Orrin ‘Booby’ Hatch courageously weasels his way out of his earlier endorsement of Merrick Garland as the new Supreme Court justice nominee by boldly creating lame-ass excuses and other feeble distractions.

 

Why Indeed

We usually don’t put graphics from other sites up here, but this one was pretty good. It addresses the whiny, sucky, cry-baby obstructionism of the Republican party these past four years nicely. This graphic is from The Reprimand Project.