• If you’ve ever used the internet, you could’ve seen this coming from a while away. After House Republicans launched a site looking for democratic input on their new agenda, the site got overloaded with comments that perhaps didn’t show the GOP’s decision-making process in the best light. A few samples to nosh on:

• one“Require all Muslims in the U.S. to wear ankle bracelet transponders so we know where the terrorists are at all times.”
• two“Consensual bestiality should not be illegal. No, I am not joking. Everything I’ve said is logically sound.”
• three “End the idea of Net Neutrality. American’s do not need the government censoring our websites for us.”

And the best answer goes to …

• We need to train an army of Ninja Cats. Cats are natural born hunters and predators, and it is known that they indeed have 9 lives, many more than the typical human life (being one).
• An absolute genius • Saying everything that needs to be said about this endeavor. It’s absolutely perfect in its conceit – the world needs stronger counter-terror measures, and how much stronger could you get than ninja cats? You know, seriously. source

• today With both sides at an impasse, it’s unlikely that the bill will clear a key Senate procedural vote today.
• later However, both sides are optimistic they’ll get the votes to make this thing actually happen. source

• The fact is, this bill wouldn’t solve the problems that led to the financial crisis. It would make them worse. This bill not only allows for taxpayer-funded bailouts of Wall Street banks; it institutionalizes them.
• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell • Regarding the financial reform bill that the Democrats are trying to push through. Let’s go back in time and remind you that this is the guy whose entire political plan of attack involves disagreeing with the Democrats on everything – a plan which wasn’t enough to sideline the health care law. Democrats wanted to work with Republicans on the plan, by the way. (They’re still working behind the scenes.) Fellow Republican Bob Corker made an effort to work across the aisle, but he couldn’t get any help. A couple of weeks ago, in fact, we posted an article titled “Could financial reform be the GOP’s way out of ‘just say no?’” McConnell gave us our answer (at least from GOP leadership). No. source

• You can’t please everyone, but you can certainly make them all mad at you at the same time. And that is a lesson well-learned. It is an opportunity as well.
• RNC Chairman Michael Steele • At the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, attempting to apologize for the drama around the group he leads, including the insane spending the group is accused of doing. During the speech in a half-full hotel conference room, Steele didn’t appear ready to resign from his leadership spot, but did apologize and try to build future optimism. “Folks have been mad at us in the past,” he said, “and we have learned from that past and we are ready to move on to a bright future, as leaders, as Republicans, as conservatives.” source

• They are certainly there… Greta Van Susteren is certainly close to the Democratic Party. She doesn’t do many political stories. She is just a great journalist… but people who have been involved in Democratic politics and so on, yeah we have people…
• News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch • On The Kalb Report, trying to remember if there are any Democrats on the Fox News staff, and struggling. He emphasized that Roger Ailes had a list handy. Murdoch was trying to make this point to emphasize that Fox News had support from both sides of the aisle. He made it clear, however, that other media outlets, particularly the New York Times, were biased towards Democrats. He also trashed on John McCain during the interview. Sure John liked that. source

• 53% of those polled think that Obama kicks butt at Afghanistan
• 35% think he totally sucks at this
  Afghan War thang
• 12% fell asleep while the pollster was asking them a question

• » How does it compare to everything else? He does so well with it that even Republicans can get behind him on it. 37 percent of self-identifying GOP members and 50 percent of indie kids (er, independents) back him on the issue. In the case of Republicans, who give him no better than 15 percent on many major domestic issues, that’s pretty good. So, yeah, this visit to Afghanistan is really good PR for him right now. source

• So far, I think a lot of conservatives will agree with me. Now comes the hard lesson: A huge part of the blame for [Sunday’s] disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves.
• Conservative columnist David Frum • Regarding the situation with health care, which he says is a huge failure on the part of the Republican Party to do anything to work with the Democrats and share in the success of the bill. Even with the likely victories in November for the party as a result of its passage, he argues, it may be, as he puts it, an “abject and irreversible defeat.” Ouch. source

• 41% of young Republicans plan to vote this fall
• 35% of youthful Democrats plan the same
• 11% of independents plan to not stay home source

• Then – Jim Bunning’s decision to put a face on Republican obstructionism in the Senate. … Bunning’s gesture of ill-will erased any credibility the GOP Senate had.
• Atlantic writer Mark Ambinder • Regarding what he calls a “perfect storm” of decisions that have put health care back in the Democrats’ court. He names a number of reasons (WellPoint’s rising insurance rates), but Bunning’s move stands out the most notable in a series of events that have seemingly put the ball back in the Democrats’ court once again, after Scott Brown effectively took it away. However, it’s not a slam-dunk. First they have to please folks like Rep. Bark Stupak, who won’t support the Senate bill unless key abortion provisions are removed. He pushed for a compromise in that regard for the House bill. source

• The increasing mismatch between population and power in American government that underlies the present gridlock needs to be addressed by structural reforms.
• Salon writer Michael Lind • Regarding the social reasons the Republican party is currently strongly obstructionist. Lind compares working-class white voters to social groups of earlier eras – including British Protestants (who feared European immigrants) and Southern planters – that held disproportionate power in Congress and the presidency despite their declining numbers. He also suggests ways they hold that power, and how to get around it that are completely unrealistic (What if New York was five states instead of one?) and some that might be more realistic (What if we get rid of this stupid filibuster?). source