Posts tagged ‘John Boehner’
Starbucks to Offer More Sizes, Republicans Blame Health Care Reform
In a big announcement this morning, Starbucks has introduced two new beverage sizes to its U.S. stores: the Plenta and the Micra.
Hugh Mungis, Starbucks VP of Volume issued the following statement:
Whether customers are looking for a large or small size, the Plenta and the Micra satisfy all U.S. and Canada customers’ needs for more and less coffee. Our size selection is now plentiful.
Republicans have responded by saying “Hell No, You Can’t” and blasting this as a direct result of the recently signed health care reform (HCR) legislation.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) also blasted the new Plenta size as an “attempt by Democrats to kill Grandma and Grandpa.” He also noted that this new size would cause health care costs to “skyrocket.”
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele was most concerned about the Micra size. He worries that children will become “hooked” on Starbucks’ caffeinated beverages and that the HCR provision that allowed for this was nothing more than a “giveaway” to Democrats liberal friends (e.g. Starbucks). He argued that with all of the problems we are facing, there is certainly a “better way to spend money.”
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Montross) of Virginia’s First Congressional District was most concerned on the environmental impact of the Plenta-sized cup. Having attained no significant legislative accomplishments, since being elected in 2007, and having the notoriety of being ranked as of one of the 10 least effective members of Congress, Wittman has decided to change his image and take a stand on this “travesty” by Democrats.
He will introduce a bill tomorrow that will mandate that the Plenta-sized cup be recycled and reused for other purposes. He suggests that the Plenta-sized cup could be used as a popcorn receptacle, rain hat, perennial planter, lampshade, yoga block, milk dish for kittens, soft boiled egg cup or a paper clip holder.
Tea Party folks are also outraged that these new sizes will only be available for coffee-based beverages and not tea. They argue that this is a “huge” waste of taxpayer funds, especially when they receive no direct benefit from the legislation. They have threatened to board any Starbucks truck carrying these new sizes and “destroy the cups.”
Republicans plan to campaign heavily on this issue in the fall and believe that it will resonate with voters, allowing them to win back control of Congress.
Gas Line Cut at Rep. Perriello’s Brother’s Home, FBI Investigating Incident
On Monday, two Virginia Tea Baggers posted what they believed to be the home address of Rep. Tom Perriello (R-VA) online. The only problem is that the address that was posted was that of Rep. Perriello’s brother Bo.
The result, according to the Charlottesville Daily Progress:
Federal and local authorities are investigating a severed gas line at the home of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello’s brother, discovered the day after Tea Party activists posted the address online so opponents could “drop by” and “express their thanks” for Perriello’s vote in favor of health care reform.
I guess this was the next logical step for teabaggers after they hurled racist and homophobic slurs at Democratic lawmakers (and even some spit) at rallies to protest health care reform this weekend, right? NOT!
This sort of behavior should not be tolerated by anyone, regardless of political affiliation. So how did Republican lawmakers respond to these despicable acts this past weekend?
Rep. David Nunes (R-CA) had the following to say on C-Span this past Sunday:
Yeah, well I think that when you use totalitarian tactics, people, you know, begin to act crazy. I think, you know, there’s people that have every right to say what they want. If they want to smear someone, they can do it…Of course. I think the left loves to play a couple of incidents here or there.
So, you have Republican lawmakers like Nunes actually justifying these despicable acts. The only purpose this serves is to fire up the lunatics in the movement and cause them to act out in even more extreme ways.
On Monday, teabaggers decided to raise the stakes by posting what they believed to be the home address of Rep. Tom Perriello, but later realized was later the address of a house that belonged to his brother Bo.
As the Charlottesville Daily Progress further reported:
Danville Tea Party leader Nigel Coleman was one of the two activists who posted Bo Perriello’s address online Monday.
“This is Rep. Thomas Stuart Price Perriello’s home address,” Coleman wrote Monday. “… I ain’t holding back anymore!!”
According to the Politico Web site, when Coleman learned that the address actually belonged to the congressman’s brother, he responded on a blog: “Do you mean I posted his brother’s address on my Facebook? Oh well, collateral damage.”
The result of this over-the-top rhetoric was an incident at Rep. Perriello’s brother’s house where a propane line to a gas-powered grill was cut. Also it is now being reported that his brother also received what is being described as a “threatening” letter in the mail on the same day. The letter was purported to read along the lines of “You’ll have to answer for this [(health care reform)] on judgment day.”
Rep. Perriello issued the following statement this afternoon:
My number one priority right now is ensuring the safety of my brother’s family, and I am grateful to law enforcement for their excellent work. While it is too early to say anything definitive regarding political motivations behind this act, it’s never too early for political leaders to condemn threats of violence, particularly as threats to other Members of Congress and their children escalate. And so I ask every member of House and Senate leadership to state unequivocally tonight that it is never OK to harm or threaten elected officials and their families with anything more than political retribution. Here in America, we settle our political differences at the ballot box.
It’s time for lawmakers like Rep. Nunes to stop trying to justify the behavior of teabaggers and unequivocally condone these despicable acts. This may be all fun and games for Republicans, until someone actually ends up getting seriously injured.
How about House minority leader John Boehner (R-OH) stand up to these nuts by telling them, “Hell no, you can’t!”
You can read more about the threats against lawmakers here.
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