Roll Call of the Idiots

Below is a full list of the science-denying senators who voted that “Human activities don’t contribute to climate change.” See if you can notice what they have in common! (Hint: They're all Republicans.)

Barrasso, John (R – WY)

Blunt, Roy (R – MO)

Boozman, John (R – AR)

Burr, Richard (R – NC)

Capito, Shelley Moore (R – WV)

Cassidy, Bill (R – LA)

Coats, Daniel (R – IN)

Cochran, Thad (R – MS)

Corker, Bob (R – TN)

Cornyn, John (R – TX)

Cotton, Tom (R – AR)

Crapo, Mike (R – ID)

Cruz, Ted (R – TX)

Daines, Steve (R – MT)

Enzi, Michael B. (R – WY)

Ernst, Joni (R – IA)

Fischer, Deb (R – NE)

Flake, Jeff (R – AZ)

Gardner, Cory (R – CO)

Grassley, Chuck (R – IA)

Hatch, Orrin G. (R – UT)

Heller, Dean (R – NV)

Hoeven, John (R – ND)

Inhofe, James M. (R – OK)

Isakson, Johnny (R – GA)

Johnson, Ron (R – WI)

Lankford, James (R – OK)

Lee, Mike (R – UT)

McCain, John (R – AZ)

McConnell, Mitch (R – KY)

Moran, Jerry (R – KS)

Murkowski, Lisa (R – AK)

Paul, Rand (R – KY)

Perdue, David (R – GA)

Portman, Rob (R – OH)

Risch, James E. (R – ID)

Roberts, Pat (R – KS)

Rounds, Mike (R – SD)

Rubio, Marco (R – FL)

Sasse, Ben (R – NE)

Scott, Tim (R – SC)

Sessions, Jeff (R – AL)

Shelby, Richard C. (R – AL)

Sullivan, Daniel (R – AK)

Thune, John (R – SD)

Tillis, Thom (R – NC)

Toomey, Patrick J. (R – PA)

Vitter, David (R – LA)

Wicker, Roger F. (R – MS)

Orrin Hatch doesn't know a dictator from a dickhead?

I just finished This Town by Mark Leibovich. His gimlet-eyed view of Washington, D.C. leaves no politician—Republican or Democrat—unscathed. The bulk of them come across as a venal lot, anxious to jump in front of cameras, and then leap into lucrative lobbying jobs after their "public service" ends.

Or rather, ALMOST no one is unscathed. Barack Obama comes across as scornful of the glad-handing DC lifers, and reluctant to do the personal politicking and backscratching that is S.O.P.

Some tidbits from the book:

—Maureen Orth referred to Arriana Huntington as the "Sir Edmund Hillary of social climbers."

—Leibovich describes Harry Reid as looking like "the harried proprietor of the pet store that has just been robbed for the third time this month." But the democratic leader is actually extraordinarily frank. When George W. Bush invited him to the White House for a friendly meeting, Reid "promptly insulted the president's dog, Barney... 'Your dog is fat," Reid told the president."

—Tom Coburn has opined that his colleagues have "reproductive organs the size of BBs." Later, Harry Reid called Coburn a "dictator" which provided Orrin Hatch the opportunity to get it all wrong: "Wait a minute, [Reid] called Tom a dickhead? That is outrageous."

—A Republican lobbyist: "We get paid to get Republicans pissed off at Democrats... It's the easiest thing in the world. It's like getting paid to love your own mother."

In light of the GOP's ongoing sabotage attempts against Obamacare, this last comment is particularly timely. As White House press secretary Jay Carney said, “It’s rather extraordinary, if you think about it, that there are efforts under way to prevent Americans from getting [health] benefits that they lawfully could enjoy and should enjoy.”

Extraordinary is one word for the Republican's lies. (But I prefer dickheads.)

Quote Board!

1. “Discovering a cure for cancer will only change which way you’re going to go.” 

—Representative Earl Landgrebe (Republican, Indiana) who voted against giving money to cancer research. (His most famous line is, “Don’t confuse me with the facts.”)

2. “I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money.”

—Rick Santorum, on Jan. 1, 2012, taking a dig at those who he says abuse the welfare and Medicaid systems.

3. “You can't just let nature run wild.” 

—Alaska governor Walter Hickel (Republican), endorsing a state-wide slaughter of wolves.

4. “Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life.” 

—Senator Orrin Hatch (Republican, Utah)

5. “Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmer, liquidate real estate ... people will work harder, live a more moral life. Values will be adjusted and enterprising people will pick up the wrecks from less competent people.” 

—Andrew Mellon (Republican), U.S. treasury Secretary of the Treasury in 1931, giving Herbert Hoover advice about what to do about the Great Depression—namely, nothing. (Hoover fired him.)