A Florida congressman called Texas a bad name.

Can you imagine?

During a hearing where Republicans were once again trying to overturn Obamacare, Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings let it fly.

Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings, who called Texas “a crazy state” during a Rules Committee hearing Monday a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, a member of the committee, was testifying for the bill at the time. Another Texas Republican, Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions, chairs the committee.

“And I mean that just as I said it,” Hastings said. “I told you what I think about Texas. I wouldn’t live there for all the tea in China and that’s how I feel.”

Texas congressional Republicans are demanding an apology. Yeah, they demand an apology but not healthcare.  So, what I’m saying here is that Congressman Hasting’s criticism is not undeserved.  Our Republican congressional delegation is joyfully free of the constraints of mental health guidelines.

Sorry, Alcee, but Florida is not without a few “Holy cow!  Look what he’s doing!” events.  Florida and Texas could join together and form the Confederacy of Dunces.

And that’s how I feel.

Rick Perry and his writ twits want a list of everybody who testified at the grand jury before Perry was indicted.

Now, just so everybody understands the game here:  Perry is under a two count indictment – one count of abuse of official capacity, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison, and one count of coercion of a public servant.  The indictment was brought by a special prosecutor, a man who everybody admits is non-partisan, and the majority of witnesses against Perry are his own staff.

Special prosecutor Michael McCrum last year said he had interviewed more than 40 people before the grand jury indicted Perry in August.

A number of people who were on Perry’s staff during his time as governor entered the room where the grand jury met behind closed doors last summer.

The score so far is 2 to zero on getting the case dismissed by a judge.  And when even Tom DeLay says things don’t look good for Rick, you know there’s a problem.

I have some help for Rick.  So you want to know who testified before the grand jury?  Everybody, Babe, everybody.

Okay, I hope you’re not eating while you read this.  Seriously.

North Carolina Republican Senator (you’re cringing already, aren’t you) Thom Tillis has decided that requiring restaurant employees wash their hands after going to the bathroom is an infringement on … FREEDOM!

Tillis was discussing this idea with a friend, who seemed, I am fairly certain, a little taken back.

Tillis said his interlocutor was in disbelief, and asked whether he thought businesses should be allowed to “opt out” of requiring employees to wash their hands after using the restroom.

The senator said he’d be fine with it, so long as businesses made this clear in “advertising” and “employment literature.”

And it would say something like, “Come to Starbucks, where we guarantee a little pee in your coffee.”

Okay, so how is requiring the business to have their employees wash their hands any different than requiring the business to post a sign or advertise if they don’t?  Unless, of course you quietly eliminate the advertising stipulation when no one is looking.

Republicans:  Guaranteeing the freedom to pee in someone’s soup!

Thanks to Claudia for the heads up.

Republican Representative Aaron Schock does not want to talk about this congressional office.  At all.  Nope.  Not talking.

Aaron Schock is real fond of showing off his six pack.  I suspect that his shirt often just falls off when cameras are around, which appears to be often because if you search the internets for a picture of him, a whole bunch of them are missing a shirt.  That’s oaky.  He’s a real cutie pie and, Honey, he knows it.

Bless his heart, he even did a magazine cover about his body.  He’s proud of that manly sucker.

His office?  Not so much.  It’s been described as lavish.  In my mind, it’s a tad fussy for a grown man who is not wearing a powdered wig.

A Washington Post reporter got to see it.  Shock’s interior decorator gave him a tour.

She introduced herself as Annie Brahler, the interior decorator whose company is called Euro Trash. She guided me to Schock’s private office, revealing another dramatic red room. This one with a drippy crystal chandelier, a table propped up by two eagles, a bust of Abraham Lincoln and massive arrangements of pheasant feathers.

I dunno.  Maybe he’s a pheasant hunter.  If not, he’s probably into some kinky stuff.

His office tried their darnest to kill the story.

Then, my phone rang.

It was Schock’s communications director, Benjamin Cole.

“Are you taking pictures of the office?” he asked. “Who told you you could do that? . . . Okay, stay where you are. You’ve created a bit of a crisis in the office.”

I wonder how this is going to play in Peoria, Schock’s district.  That probably explains the crisis, right?

Thanks to chloe bear for the heads up.

Chris Christie, y’all.

Chris Christie and Jamie Foxx dancing the night way.

There’s an article in the New York Times this morning about Chris Christies’ ability to go first class on others people’s money.  It’s kinda stunning.

As he has traveled more widely, particularly during the last year, when he led the Republican Governors Association, Mr. Christie’s first-class tastes have become well known. He made it clear when he campaigned for Mr. Romney in 2012 that he would do out-of-state events only if he was given a private plane, even during the primary, when the candidate’s wife was still flying commercial to save money. The Romney campaign came to understand that he preferred a Cessna Citation X, which, its manufacturer boasts, has exotic wood interiors and a Rolls-Royce engine.

His explanation for all this lavish lifestyle, some of it on the taxpayer dollar?

“I try to squeeze all the juice out of the orange that I can.”

Put the damn orange down, Christie.  You’ve had enough.

Thanks to David for the heads up.

Rand Paul says that vaccines cause mental illness.  If that it is true, it is heavy evidence that Ron Pul was vaccinated.  That’s all I’m saying …

And there’s Chris Christie, who believes that vaccines should be a choice.  Yes, the same exact Chris Christie who quarantined a woman against her will for merely being exposed to Ebola.

Cripes, Guys, such Pander Bears!

Thanks to everybody for the heads up.