11.06.09 -- 11:18PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (14)

Bachmann's Fight against Terror Health Care

On the one hand it seems funny that a bunch of GOP Reps. would blow off a vote to strengthen the Patriot Act so they could hang out and speak at Michele Bachmann's Capitol Hill tea party event. On the other hand, since you have Republicans saying health care reform is a bigger threat than terrorism, maybe the whole thing makes sense?

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 9:05PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (10)

You Betcha!

Is it appropriate for Tea Partiers to use images of concentration camp victims to illustrate the horrors of health care reform? "You bet," says former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO).

Late Update: I went back watched the video in question several times. And though Tancredo said "you bet" to the "appropriate" question, it seems to me that he got confused in the cross-talk between him and the interviewer David Shuster. In context, I think Tancredo meant to say it was inappropriate, in other words, the opposite. The perils of live smash-mouth television. Don't worry. Tancredo said lots of other crazy stuff. But I don't think he meant to say this was okay.

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 8:02PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)

Dancing to Her Tune

How did Michele Bachmann's Tea Party extravaganza end up being embraced by the whole House GOP House conference? Find out here.

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 6:43PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)

The Unending Crisis

Daniel Levy looks at this week's bumps on the never-ending road to peace in the Middle East.

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 5:07PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (66)

The Freak Show We Live In

It's a pretty unhappy commentary that it has to be reported as news that people are taking issue with the use of pictures of the Dachau death camp as an illustration of the horrors of health care reform. But, alas, such is the world we're living in. Today Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) criticized Rep. Bachmann for the Holocaust imagery --- and really, what the hell is going on here? People carrying banners with Dachau and the crowd chanting "Nazi, Nazi" when the President and key Dems are mentioned. And GOP leaders just stand their whooping it up like it's all good stuff?

Anyway, pardon the outburst. So Israel says that. And now Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) is calling the Dachau posters "inappropriate" and even crossing the red line of criticizing Rush Limbaugh's habit of equating Obama and Hitler.

Can't wait for the ritual apology. How long you figure it'll take?

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 4:56PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)

Sheesh. Again?

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) got so charged up about yesterday's Capitol Tea Party that he's calling for another one tomorrow.

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 3:55PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (9)

Let's Go To The Tape

TPMDC's video coverage of yesterday's Capitol Hill Tea Party.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 2:37PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (7)

'Scozzafavaed'

A new addition to the Urban Dictionary.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 2:31PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)

Feeling The Heat

The "independent" ethics adviser that astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner told Congress he'd retained in the wake of the flap over those forged letters to lawmakers has backed out of the role, citing the TPMmuckraker-driven fallout over an ad he placed praising Bonner.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 2:26PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)

Apprehended

Orlando's police chief has just confirmed that the suspected gunman in the Orlando office shooting has been apprehended. She also confirmed that at least one person was killed in the shooting.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 2:15PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)

Orlando Update

Details are still sketchy and the numbers keep changing. But it seems that at least six people were hurt in the Orlando office shooting. The suspected shooter is reportedly Jason Rodriguez, 40. He allegedly opened fire in the office of Reynolds Smith & Hill -- in the building where he used to work. Rodriguez is still not in custody.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 1:14PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (22)

Priorities

Several GOP lawmakers seem to have blown off House Judiciary committee votes on the Patriot Act in favor of toasting Tea Partiers at Michelle Bachmann's rally against health care reform on Capitol Hill yesterday.

Reps. Steve King of Iowa, Trent Franks of Arizona, Randy Forbes of Virginia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Louie Gohmert and Ted Poe of Texas all showed up at the Tea Party -- and all missed Patriot Act votes that took place at about the same time. Some of the votes on Republican-sponsored amendments to the reauthorization of the Patriot Act were close enough that they might have passed had more GOPers bothered to show up.

TPMmuckraker has the story.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 12:42PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (12)

Another Shooting

Details are sketchy, but all three major cable networks are reporting a shooting at an office in Orlando. The suspected shooter is apparently still on the loose, and around eight people have reportedly already been shot.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 12:32PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)

About Those Arrests...

Yesterday TPMDC's Christina Bellantoni witnessed the arrests of 10 people in and around Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the Capitol Hill Tea Party. We've got video of the arrests here.

Today, Capitol Police tell TPMDC that 12 arrests were made -- but that none of the people arrested were Tea Partiers. Turns out they were anti-abortion activists. TPMDC's Evan McMorris-Santoro has the story.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 12:10PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)

Numbers Game

Yesterday's Tea Party on Capitol Hill drew thousands of protesters from across the country. But how many exactly? Depends who you ask.

MSNBC reported yesterday that a Capitol policeman said there were 3,000 to 3,500 people there. Our reporters on the scene estimated the crowd size at no more than 8,000 or so.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), on the other hand, says 25,000 to 45,000. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) offered a similar estimate. And G. Gordon Liddy's radio show producer implied it was more than a million. TPMDC's Eric Kleefeld has the story.

--Ben Frumin

11.06.09 -- 11:39AM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)

T-H-I-S Close

Hoyer says the House Dems are "very close" to having their 218 votes.

--Josh Marshall

11.06.09 -- 9:45AM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (10)

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) resists NRSC chairman John Cornyn big-tent strategy on candidate recruitment: "He's trying to find candidates who can win. I'm trying to find people who can help me change the Senate." That and other political news in today's TPMDC Morning Roundup.

--Eric Kleefeld

11.06.09 -- 7:56AM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (186)

The Ultimate Daily Show Clip?

Jon Stewart's epic spoof of Glenn Beck.

Need I say more?

--Josh Marshall

11.05.09 -- 11:19PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (72)

More on Arrests At Pelosi's Office

Surprise, surprise, seems like pro-life extremist Randall Terry was at the center of that incident at Speaker Pelosi's office where a bunch of Tea Partiers got arrested. Somehow he didn't get arrested though. Video after the jump ...

Read more »

--Josh Marshall