America: a wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries.

Robber barons David and Charles Koch want to buy America.  They are offering a billion dollar down payment.  For them, a billion dollars is pocket change.

Flexing its financial might, the political machine backed by billionaires Charles and David Koch on Monday told its allies that spending across its conservative network would approach $1 billion ahead of 2016’s elections.

The stunning sum from Freedom Partners would dwarf expected spending from official GOP committees and many of the hopefuls expected to seek the party’s presidential nomination in 2016. The $889 million budget is almost twice what 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney spent from his campaign accounts.

Kinda makes you wonder who they are afraid of, right?

I’d also like to add that if Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz, or any other clown car occupant is the nominee, no amount of money in the world will make them any damn smarter.

Thanks to Claudia for the heads up.

Rick Perry speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Iowa.

Oh, really?

It’s not clear what Perry is basing this comment on. As Danny Vinik at The New Republic points out, the national unemployment rate fell from 8.3 percent to 7.8 percent in 2012 and then rose again and then fell again from 8 percent to 7.2 percent in 2013. It would be a bizarre move for the White House to raise the unemployment rate and then lower it again.

But in Perryville, nothing is bizarre.

Thanks to Deb for the heads up.

I’m a Gulf Coast girl.  I saw enough snow to build a snowman in 1973 and that did it for me.  It was a lot of fun, glad it doesn’t happen too often.

Look, I pay a heavy price for living in the south – Texas in particular – but not having snow almost makes it worth it.  We have had a freeze this year.  It lasted a couple of hours while I was in bed.

So, my heart goes out to everyone who lives in the northeast today.  Well, except for Chris Christie – I don’t heart him at all.

If you live there or hear some reliable gossip about the weather, share it here.

There’s a live camera in New York City.

You can send me pictures of your neighborhood and I’ll post them here.

Click the little ones to get the big ones.  

Here’s Don A’s parking lot at 1:30 Texas time.  Don’s in Pennsylvania.  This is at Penn State near Beaver Stadium.

Republican Representative Steve King is generally way out there, but now he’s bringing back stories.

Rep. Steve King got a little mixed up in his remarks at the Iowa Freedom Summit this morning, accidentally remarking that Americans “come from every possible planet.”

The Iowa Republican quickly caught himself and said that the DREAMers protesting the right-wing event are the ones who really come from outer space.

Yeah, Tijuana – tenth planet from the sun.

Dr. Ben Carson claims to be a brain surgeon.  Personally, I think he’s a brain donor and didn’t keep enough for himself.

He is obsessed with gay people.  I mean, unnaturally obsessed.  He was speaking this weekend in Iowa and got all wacky about gay marriage.  He announced ….

“What I have a problem with is when people try to force people to act against their beliefs because they say, ‘they’re discriminating against me,'” Carson told reporters. “So they can go right down the street and buy a cake, but no, let’s bring a suit against this person because I want them to make my cake even though they don’t believe in it. Which is really not all that smart because they might put poison in that cake,” he added.

Okay, now let’s think about this.  Carson says his anti-gay position is about his Christianity.  Then he takes a deep breath and says Christians would poison people on purpose.

What the hell church has this belief?  If somebody doesn’t like what you’re doing, poison them.  That’s a helluva sacrament.

Carson also claims the left is intolerant because we don’t tolerate his religious beliefs.  Yeah, I also don’t tolerate the religious beliefs of Isis.

Okay, I’ve heard of football being a religion, but …

A full one in four Americans believe that God will play a role in deciding who wins the Superbowl.  That’s 80 million people, y’all.

I have to wonder if those are the same 80 million people who think God decides who the President will be.  Probably not, though.  That’s a whole ‘nother group of 80 million Americans who said, “Thank God!” after Mitt Romney lost.  It couldn’t be the same group because the Steeple People ain’t rootin’ for President Obama.

Anyway, here’s the deal.

With the Super Bowl just over a week away, 26% of U.S. citizens and 27% of sports fans say God has a big hand in determining the victors of sporting events, according to a recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Service.

And they also believe …

God also favors athletes who live successful, faithful lives, say 68% of Protestants and 65% of Catholics.

Successful?  Okay, I can see that.  Victory itsownself kinda favors successful people.  But faithful?  I dunno about that one.  Tim Tebow may disagree.

Thank to Irene for the heads up.