I’m watching Republicans Eric Cantor and Roy Blunt live on CNN right now. After the House Republicans have defeated the bill that is needed to help the economy after the failings of their economic policies, rather than take responsibility for their game playing, they actually have the gall to play the mother-effing BLAME GAME on Big Bad Nancy Pelosi and a speech that “forced” the House Republican to not support the emergency economic bill (even though commentators just pointed out that Pelosi’s speech stressed the bi-partisan nature of the bill and praised Republican leadership).

Yes, as the Dow is down 500 points, S&P is down over 6%, and the Republicans are playing politics. And they are fucking LYING. AGAIN. IT NEVER STOPS.

Republicans? I used to be one of you, and after stepping outside the “social progressive/fiscal conservative” bubble I was once in, let me tell you: you have no shame. No concern for the good of this country or nation. Your leaders heard their constituents, whipped up by right wing talk radio about the “evils of socialism”, hating the bill because taxpayers now have to pay for George Bush and GOP economic policy, and so you found a way to look good and keep your seats rather then do what is needed to help this country.

In my estimation, the Republican leaders are nothing less than traitors. I don’t give a shit about your feelings, Republican leaders. I don’t give a shit about who said what, where, or when. You are adults. You are supposed to be leaders, not a bunch of sensitive teen drama queens.

You’re professional politicians, not Hannah Montana or contestants on “American Idol”. The last 30 years of politics in this country have spoiled intelligent discussion, the ability to enact effective policy, and destroyed the very substance of what America as a democracy means. Blame goes on both sides; both Republicans nor Democrats have failed. But the point is now, at a dire point in our economic history — itself a full-bore realization of the failures of “trickle-down” economic — instead of leadership, we have game playing and bullshit. Republicans sticking to ideological purity (even though said ideology has failed), and pointing their fingers so they can keep their jobs.

Does it matter to these motherfuckers that ordinary Americans may not be able to get paid now because companies may not be able to make payrolls now? Of course not. The lasting takeaway of Republican ideology is not a focus on individual strength, or achievement; it’s a focus on the Greed Is Good, Gordon Gekko, Me First and Screw You mentality — and it starts from the top and the shit slides down from there.

It is what has made our country weak. It is what has pushed isolationism and ignorance as values to be desired, rather than moved beyond with education. It is what has made us hated throughout the world, even as we are more dependent on the outside world for our very existence.

And to top it off, now John McCain is trying to blame this on Barack Obama in an effort to prop up his dying campaign — even though only 30% of Republicans voted for the bill vs. 60%-plus of Democrats.

Damn you, House Republicans. Damn the lot of you.

update: John McCain? Guess what — I’m going to take you and Steve Schmidt’s assertions that you were a leader of the Right on this proposal. So here’s how it goes: you only delivered 30% of the Republican vote in the House. Your failed to lead, and now the American people will pay the price. Go Fuck Yourself.

Not sure what I think about this, but I wouldn’t be surprised either…

Every high school class since 1970 has at least one: The Stoner Guy.

You know who I’m talking about. He’s chill enough — gets along with everybody — and seems to breeze through life without a care in the world. The cool kids like him (where do you think they get their bud from, anyway?). The dorky kids like him, because he’ll hang out with them on the quad during lunch (and where do you think they get their bud from, anyway?). The tweeners who just want to get through their school day like him too, because, well, he’s The Stoner Guy.

We all love The Stoner Guy and his affable worldview. Which is why we all share a collective moment of horror when in class — maybe it’s in Civics, maybe in History, or maybe it’s Chemistry (it’s never Algebra, those teachers seem to know better) — the teacher calls out The Stoner Guy in public for Not Giving A Shit.

It’s absurd on multiple levels. Nobody expects The Stoner Guy to have done his homework; why bother? Even if he had done it, he’d likely forget what he had learned; sucking down a bowl of Pineapple Express isn’t the best way to reinforce short term memory retention. And there’s no guilt mechanism in play, because for The Stoner Guy, everything is chill — breezing by without a care in the world isn’t just a defense mechanism — it’s a serious way of life.

But every now and then, a teacher will have to assert their control over the classroom, and make a public show of how The Stoner Guy just really isn’t intellectually on the same level as the rest of the students.  The Stoner Guy will try to fake it for a little bit — bluffing his way through the question to the lurching dismay of everyone present — but it always ends the same way.  Everybody in class thinks the teacher is a little bit of a jerk, because that’s what happens when someone attacks somebody you like personally — but the point gets made: The Stoner Guy isn’t who you’d want doing your personal finances. Or performing your kidney transplant.

Or running the freakin’ Country, man.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM72M62jAUc

Update:  As Andrew Sullivan points out, this realization is spreading.

Okay, i’m sure by now everybody has seen the news. After watching his polling numbers plummet over the past week and a half due to his utter incompetence with regard to the current situation facing the U.S. Economy, Senator John McCain is suspending his Presidential campaign for the moment, and wants Senator Barack Obama to agree to postpone the Presidential debates scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

Okay, Senator McCain. Let’s give you the benefit of the doubt, that this has nothing to do whatsoever by the fact that your campaign is run by somebody who was on the take from Freddie Mac up until last month, a company that helped lead us towards this crisis and is now under investigation by the FBI for fraud.

Let’s assume that this has nothing to do with the fact that over the past 26 years, you have been a fierce proponent of the very same failed economic policies that led us to this place.

And let us also assume that this is not merely a stunt to combat the fact that voters perceive you to be far inferior to Senator Obama when it comes to dealing with the economy.

Let’s assume all of those points, as hard as they may be to swallow. That still leads us to one immutable fact that even you cannot lie about.

The next President of the United States will have to deal with multiple crises at any given time. The Presidency isn’t a part time job. You don’t get to take time off from the two wars you helped champion to deal with the economy, or ignore national disasters to read books to kids. Just because George W. Bush has proven adept at lowering the bar on Presidential duty does not mean that our next President will have the luxury.

See, your party has jacked up out country pretty good, and our next President is going to have to deal with every single crisis that your party helped create, all at once.

If you cannot handle a two hour debate in tandem with discussions on this economic crisis, you are not fit to be President, Senator. You simply don’t have what it takes.

But then again, I think the American people have started to notice that already. Which is why you feel the need to pull this little stunt in the first place.

John McCain? You sir, are a coward. Go fuck yourself.

update: Obama made a move towards bipartisan cooperation to help the American people this morning, and McCain instead uses the crisis for political grandstanding. Is there nothing you won’t lie about, John McCain? What the Fuck, indeed.

So we are tentatively open for business here at the Blog section…  The layout is still in flux so things are going to switch around a little bit as I get used to this platform, but better that than hanging out with a placeholder while I tweak.

So some stuff’s gonna be ugly for a while. Let’s move beyond that, shall we?

What to expect here?  Good question.  A little bit of what’s on my mind — politics, rants, what I’m up to, who’s pissing me off lately, and just a bunch of general hoo-hah, as Pacino would say.  Will this provide interesting?  Who knows; time will tell. I’ve done a little bit o’ blogging in the past, but that was more of an online serial novel/satire than it was general “what’s up” blogging.

But let’s be honest; the title bar at the top of the site would have looked boring with just Movies, Music, and Email, now wouldn’t it? And since I don’t have a ton of pictures (that’s what Flickr is for anyway), a blog just makes sense, now doesn’t it?

So, welcome to SkinMechanic.com. Kick your feet up. Stay a while. Feel free to comment along the way. I’ll provide something worth discussing or arguing about at some point.

That, I can promise.

-Bryan