Randi Rhodes: Playing With Fire

235 world-renowned economists, including six Nobel Laureates in economics, have called on Congress to quickly raise the federal debt ceiling without making drastic cuts to federal spending. The group warns that “Not doing so promptly could have a substantial negative impact on economic growth…” Well, it was meant to be a warning. To the people who want to defeat Barack Obama, it sounds more like a promise. You can’t stop the Republicans from forcing the US to default by telling them it would wreck the economy. That’s like telling an arsonist not to set fires because it will burn something down. The Republicans don’t give a crap about the debt ceiling any more than they care if you have a roof over your head.

The Senate has cancelled its July 4th recess to work on a compromise on the debt ceiling, the day after President Obama chided them to get to work. That tells you one thing—the Senate is controlled by Democrats. If this had been the Republican-controlled House they would have doubled their vacation. The Senate had been scheduled to take a week’s break for the Fourth of July. Yeesh. Even when a holiday is specifically named after ONE DAY, the Senate takes a week off. Even without the break, I hope that Mitch McConnell will still find a little time to get out and get some sun. Or at least finds time to ask John Boehner about finding a quality spray tan place.

Bachmann & Associates, Inc., the “Christian counseling” clinic that takes taxpayer money, is owned by Michele and her husband Marcus Bachmann. In a sense they’re brilliant—they’ve found a way to have the government pay them to be hypocritical about the government. Marcus Bachmann has said that God heals people at his clinic. Well Marcus, by my calculation that makes you pretty much unnecessary. Marcus calls Jesus Christ the “Almighty counselor.” Yes, Jesus certainly had some great advice on how to live. And it’s all available free to anyone. Shocker! Every piece of advice that we have any record of Jesus Christ ever uttering is available for absolutely free. And you don’t have to go through Marcus Bachmann to get it. In fact, it might be a lot clearer to you if you don’t involve Marcus Bachmann.

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Flashback 2010: Michele Bachmann’s husband refers to homosexuals as ‘barbarians’ and faults public school for making more of them…