And so you have to ask, “How many Republicans does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”  The answer is later in this post — I just needed to get your attention.  What a bunch of bumbling idiots the Grand Ol’ Party has turned into.  There is plenty of dysfunction to go around as it relates to Washington partisan politics, but the Republican party simply cannot get their shit together and are in disagreement amongst themselves.  Did they think the stand-off for the past 5 days was going to produce an outcome other than the backlash they received?  A small block of morons from the T-Party voting against the majority of both houses and sending a message to over 160 million working Americans that MORE would be held for FICA after the new year.  Yes, a mixed up, confused message that in effect would raise taxes and go against a tenet of that party’s platform.  Unbelievable.

We started off the day with the leader among them, Senator John Boehner telling the American people why the two-month extension wasn’t good enough for the president’s signature, despite an overwhelming 89 – 10 Senate vote.  (And yes, he was one of the 89!)  We ended the day with a 180 and him pushing through the measure during a caucus phone call and admitting that the idiotic political tactic “may not have been politically the smartest thing in the world.”  Man is he sharp, guess that’s why he’s his party’s top dog.

Not sure whether to laugh or cry, but the disappointment in the members that make up both houses of Congress would not go away either way.  As for how many Republicans it takes to screw in a light bulb — I have no clue.  I still can’t’ figure out how they get into the lightbulb!

What a pathetic show of leadership from House Speaker John Boehner these past several days.  Taken to task by T-Party Freshmen who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground, Boehner has lost effectiveness as party leader as there is disunity in the Republican party.

What a shame.  At a time when America needs to rally behind its political leaders, the Republican party has let us down again.  And come first paycheck in January, that will hit 160 million of us Americans in the pocket book as our pay will be lighter, thanks to their childish politics. Their task was simple:  keep the existing payroll tax cut in place.  They simply could not get it done.

The past several months has shown us the true colors of the GOP as we’ve seen the sorry group of wannabes vie for their party’s presidential nod and now we’ve had to stand by and watch as the party implodes on itself from INSIDE the beltway.  The dysfunction in this group is sickening and its members should be ashamed.  Use your gavel Senator Boehner, and ask for order in the House.

President Obama has accomplished plenty for US war veterans since taking office, from repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to improving veteran’s benefits and initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of veterans and their spouses.  But perhaps his greatest effort was keeping his campaign promise to end the sham war in Iraq and to exit that country, bringing our military might home.

The US military lowered the American flag at the Iraqi base today and officially fulfilled on that promise as fewer than 5,000 troops on two bases remain in country.  That down from as much as 170,000 troops and 500 bases — it must’ve been an amazing logistics effort.  Now we can finally start to work with the vets that come home — many of whom questioned why we were even there — and help them adjust back to life state-side.  We may never be able to help them fully understand why nearly 4,500 of their brothers and sisters had to die, and why hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were killed, but we must assist them in getting back to a sense of normalcy in their lives.

So welcome back troops.  Can’t explain why the Bush/Cheney debacle that started almost nine years ago as “Shock and Awe” was nothing more than “Crock and Flaw,” we’re just glad you’re home.  Happy holidays to you and your family, and hope that 2012 brings you good health, great success and God’s blessings.

And thank you President Obama.

If you have children, then you’ll likely be able to relate.  As I was ready to back out of the driveway this morning on the way to take my 13-year old daughter to school, it happened.  Yes, I dropped the F-bomb.  Not sure what came over me…..maybe it was the fact that we were running 5 minutes late or it could have been that the snowy/icy buildup on my windshield had to be scraped and I was ill-equipped.

Those things added to the fateful moment but the epicenter of my frustration was that darned furniture delivery truck that was moving slowly down our street and slowing as it got to my house.  I’m in reverse trying to rush to make up those 5 minutes, and waiting for the feeling in my hands to come back and this idiot is slowing as he sees me inching back.  It’s not that my car was invisible — it’s dark out at 7:35 and my car is lit up like a Christmas tree.  (Like the way I worked the holidays into my post about the F-bomb?  Nice.)

So now he’s at a stop at the foot of my driveway as I’ve got my neck craned thinking he’ll continue by.  I’m thinking to myself, “who is getting a delivery at this hour? ”  And then it happened.  It just flew out of my mouth as natural as taking my next breath.  I didn’t scream.  I din’t make any hand gestures.  No popping veins in my neck.  I simply uttered “what the f*%k man?”  And I realized it just as I said it.  I stopped and looked at my wide-eyed, innocent baby and just as calmly said, “pardon my language sweetheart, but this guy stopped and I got upset.”

Not a word.  The truck backed up, as though he heard me, and I backed out of the driveway and was on my way.  Total silence for the first mile of our 3-mile drive to the carpool house, except for the first block as we pulled away and I wondered out loud (like a babbling idiot) if we were expecting a delivery — actually asking out loud if mom had ordered something, told me be ready for it, and I just forgot that she told me.  (Like that has ever happened!)  My mind was racing as to what she might be thinking.  Oh sure, I had similar moments with her 3 older brothers — remarkably, those didn’t happen until a bit later, like around the age of 16 or 17 for them — but this was my BABY.  The one who worships the ground I walk on (or at least I like to think she does).  Oh yeah, this was killing me.  Finally had to break the silence and  apologized again for using that word and admitted that it wasn’t appropriate, telling her I must’ve lost my cool.

She either was still shocked and disappointed or really couldn’t care less, but she played it cool and quiet, then reached over and turned on the radio.  And I know the question that is burning inside of you right now, and NO, we weren’t late for the carpool.

Try again!  News flash for Herman Cain — “It worked for Newt Gingrich.”  Of course I’m speaking of having baggage in your closet and thinking you can run for the highest office in the land. (Did you sit back several months ago, knowing you’ve had sexual harassment charges and settlements in your past, along with a long-standing extramarital affair and think you could run for the GOP nomination and not be found out?)  Funny, you don’t appear to be stupid.

But back to my point.  Look at Newt — he left public service a dozen years ago under a cloud of controversy, involved in scandals around his ethics.  Okay, we got it then, typical wealthy and out-of-touch politician who was driven by greed.  Then he impressed us with extramarital affairs, cheating on his first wife and leaving her as she was getting help to treat her cancer.  Fucking scumbag.  But wait, it gets better, he cheated on wife number 2 (the ‘cheated with’ from the previous scenario) and left her for the current wife.  Asshole.  (Isn’t there a three-strike rule?)  Then he prostitutes himself by taking close to $2 million in fees from Freddie Mac, a public government-sponsored entity — after swearing that their leadership should be jailed for poor decision making as the Obama administration bailed them out last year.  Oh Mr. Gingrich, unlike Mr. Cain, you DO look stupid.  (Maybe you and #3 should write a book on this subject, or maybe a documentary is in order.)

But the far right, lead by so-called ‘good Christians’ and ‘people of God,’ are behind this man, and they can get behind you too.  Just continue your ways of preaching against the ills of man, like cheating on your wife and ill-gotten riches off the back of the working man, and you’ll be loved again too.  The GOP has a short attention span and is selective on their recollection of the virtues that make up a decent, upstanding man.  You have a great future ahead of you.