Post-Election: A Brief Survey of the Crazy That Was Ken Cuccinelli

Update. It's worth pointing out that this extreme far-right, hostile-to-women, anti-abortion, anti-birth-control, anti-gay, anti-labor, obsessed-with-sodomy person who brought attention to himself by strongly supporting the placing of unnecessary medical equipment up women's private parts -- now mandatory under state law (who loves limited government?) -- lost by less than 2.5% of the vote of the citizens of Virginia. So read my "takedown" with that in mind. Let's hope it's not so close next time...

Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe enjoying a light moment.

From my perch in solid blue San Francisco Bay Area, I can safely view the election of Terry McAuliffe and be happy. After all, he's one of us, the good guys, the supporters of equality, social spending, same-sex marriage, education. I can even ignore how smarmy he has always seemed, but what do I know? The Clintons love him.

The Washington Post points out blithely in post-election analysis that now comes the hard part for Terry McAuliffe: governing. So true. Why do I think McAuliffe chuckles when he hears that? Sez the Post:

RICHMOND — Virginia has opened the doors to its 200-year-old Executive Mansion to a flamboyant Democratic cheerleader who will have to overcome skepticism and a GOP-dominated House to effectively govern a state with more than 8 million residents.
With no experience in state government and an agenda outlined only in broad strokes, Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe eked out a win Tuesday on a promise to expand Medicaid, invest in education, improve transportation, promote green technology, protect access to abortion, and ensure that Virginia is welcoming to gays and scientific inquiry.

I don't know, but McAuliffe's list of promises sounds rational and is a great step forward and away from near-miss Ken Cuccinelli, who embodied -- before his almost predictable flame-out -- the nutty extreme of tea-party craziness.

To wit -- in 2013 America -- Ken Cuccinelli decides to impress his constituents with his fervent opposition to sodomy. Why? For the children. American children are safer when there's no sodomy.

I want to be your governor! (I'm politically ambitious!) I'm declaring my undying hatred and disgust for sodomy! Sing it from the rafters! Let it echo among the hills of Virginia! NO SODOMY!

Mr. Clean.

Wait. Wasn't this already adjudicated? Didn't a three-judge panel of the 4th-Circuit Court of Appeals just this March already decide that, based on the seminal Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court case, a decision written by conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy, that sodomy was okay between consenting adults? Among consenting adults, for that matter? Well, uh, okay, yeah, I guess.

Not good enough for aspiring goober-natorial Ken Cuccinelli! Thinking of the children, the VA AG decided to appeal. I mean it's SODOMY.

The March 12 ruling of the appeals court’s three-judge panel overturned a lower court decision upholding the conviction of a 37-year-old man charged in 2005 with soliciting a 17-year-old woman to engage in oral sex. No sexual encounter took place, records show.

The Attorney General’s office argued that the Supreme Court’s Lawrence decision didn’t apply to cases involving minors. But 4th Circuit Appeals Court Judge Robert King, who wrote the majority opinion, said the Lawrence decision rendered the Virginia sodomy statue “facially” or completely unconstitutional.

The full 4th-Circuit Court decided, a few weeks after Cuccinelli's appeal to reject it outright without a hearing. Not a single judge voiced support for Cuccinelli's attempt. In August, John Roberts, acting for the Supreme Court, rejected Cuccinelli's request for a stay of the 4th Circuit's ruling.

There's still hope for Cooch: The Supreme Court has yet to announce whether it will take up the case in the new session. An announcement is expected in early 2014.

Mother Jones has the last word on Cuccinelli's anti-sodomy crusade:

Maybe Ken Cuccinelli Shouldn't Have Built His Campaign Around Sodomy

Ya think?

Footnote. I know I failed in my promise that this be a "brief" survey of Cooch's craziness, but then by only writing about his fascination with sodomy I also failed to deliver a "survey." So, let's remind readers that Cuccinelli's brother in arms, soon-to-be-ex-governor Bob McDonnell's nickname is Governor Transvaginal Ultrasound. Why? Because both supported a bill to require all women seeking abortion in Virginia to undergo a totally unnecessary, extremely invasive procedure that some women (all women, one would expect) would consider degrading.

Governor Bob McDonnell: Transvaginal ultrasound? Sounds fun!

Unfortunately, this Virginia craziness has sparked efforts by Republicans in Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin to enact their own transvaginal ultrasound laws. Go Team Red!

This concludes, for the time being, this brief survey of the crazy, which, despite the Virginia rebuke, shows no signs of letting up. Here's hoping the women's vote can turn that around.

Strengthening Social Security -- Sherrod Brown's Great Start

Update. Major oops: This is Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa's bill. Sherrod Brown only stepped forward to endorse the bill. Still, a good step forward. Also, Atrios flags this Greg Sargent post on the wisdom of pushing a liberal entitlements agenda: People like entitlements!

Daily Kos flagged this new bill brought by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. It's a great start on reforming Social Security in a good way: expanding it.

The bill would:

Strengthen Benefits by Reforming the Social Security Benefit Formula: The bill would change the method by which the Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates Social Security benefits. This change will boost benefits for all Social Security beneficiaries by approximately $70 per month, but is targeted to help those in the low and middle of the income distribution, for whom Social Security has become an ever greater share of their retirement income.

Ensure that Cost of Living Adjustments Adequately Reflect the Living Expenses of Retirees: the bill would change the way the Social Security Administration calculates the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA). Currently, the annual adjustment is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W) in order to account for inflation. The CPI-W is based on a basket of goods that does not adequately track the purchases of seniors. For example, unlike younger working age Americans, retirees spend significantly more on medical care, whose costs have been rising much more quickly in recent years. As a result, to ensure that benefits better reflect cost increases facing seniors, future COLAs will be based on the CPI for the Elderly (CPI-E). The CPI-E is an experimental index that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has been keeping since 1982. Making this change to Social Security is expected to result in higher COLAs, ensuring that seniors are able to better keep up with the rising costs of essential items, like prescription drugs.

Improve the Long Term Financial Condition of the Trust Fund: Social Security is not in crisis, but does face a long-term deficit. According to the most recent Social Security Trustees report, the Trust Fund will be able to pay full benefits through 2033, or another 20 years. To help extend the life of the trust fund, and decrease the 75 year actuarial deficit, the legislation would phase out the current taxable cap of $113,700 and instead ask the wealthiest Americans to contribute to the program the same share of their income as the middle class.

More like this, Congress. Citizens, back this stuff. Write your congresspeople.

Senator Bernie Sanders Stands Up for Social Security

It's true that only the very rich and powerful -- and their minions in Washington DC -- want to cut Social Security. There's an easy fix that prevents any shortfall in Social Security for 75 years, which is currently rock-solid until 2022.

But let's let Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont -- yes, he is a self-described democratic socialist -- tell us the truth about Social Security (h/t Talking Points Memo):

Is Social Security "going broke"?

No! Social Security is not going broke. According to the Social Security Administration, the Social Security Trust Fund has a surplus today of $2.8 trillion. This sum, plus revenue that comes in every day, can pay out every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 20 years. In 2033, unless Congress acts, Social Security will be able to pay out only 75 percent of benefits owed. Congress must act and make Social Security strong for the next 50 to 75 years...

What is a fair and sensible long-term funding solution to Social Security?

The fairest approach to making Social Security fully solvent for the next 50 years is to lift the cap on taxable income, now at $113,700, and apply the Social Security payroll tax on income above $250,000. Right now, someone who earns $113,700 a year pays the same amount in Social Security taxes as a billionaire. This makes no sense. Applying the Social Security payroll tax on income above $250,000 would only impact the wealthiest 1.3 percent of wage earners. In other words, 98.7 percent of wage earners in the United States would not see their taxes go up by one dime under this plan.

Read all of Sen. Sanders' remarks at TPM. Remember, the rich get the same Social Security we do, only more of it. And while you're at it, also remember that we should be expanding Social Security, not cutting it. (Also, too, expand Medicare to all. That's right, I just got back from weeks in Europe, where they all have universal health care. Wanna check the health statistics?)

Hmm...I wonder if Social Security is good for America.

Back to the Blog: Expand Social Security Now

I went to Yurp. There, I learned that Yurpeens thought we were crazy (yes, they correctly blamed the Republicans). Since this was during the government shutdown and almost government debt default, I easily agreed. What I couldn't do was continue to blog. I spent so much time walking, eating, looking, museuming, and eating, (and, yes, drinking, and, uh, drinking -- I didn't go back to smoking, though, no matter how much fun it looks in Yurp) that I couldn't concentrate on anything more complex that Metro maps, train schedules, and directions to the 12 things a day I was hellbound to do in Sweden, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Denmark. Trying to figure out which country had the best countryside, the best cities, the best museums, the best and worst history, the best political system, the best social-welfare state, the lowest prices, even the most beautiful women used up all the available oxygen and brain power and left me with little desire to figure out whether Ted Cruz was the Spawn of Satan or merely another in the endless parade of Enemies of the People known as today's Republican Party.

But I'm back and the memories fade, leaving room to be pulled back in. I decided over there not to dwell on the stupid as much as I used to, so let me make this first new installment of "The American Human" be about Atrios of Eschaton's favorite cause: expansion of Social Security. I support it, and I offer a link to David Dayen's tribute to Atrios' tilting at Washington windmills.

Read it here.

And, yes, expand Social Security now and pay for it with a higher cap on FICA taxes. Oh, and a surcharge on the very rich. Heck, even the not-quite very rich.

Surprise bonus: The expansion of the economy caused by this wealth transfer will make everyone a little richer, even the very rich. Win-win! (The very rich hoard too much money, making it sort of worthless. Let somebody else spend it!)

There are better ways to feed the poor and elderly.

Vienna, Austria on a Rainy Day

It was rainy and windy in Vienna this morning, so I just headed to the nearest museum that met my threshold: not a painting fewer than 9,000 (I mean, why even go?). Boy, did the Kunsthistorisches Museum out on Maria-Theresien-Platz fit the bill.

I found one jewel that really caught my eye:

This was by the famous Italian Renaissance master Titian, done in 1530 and entitled "Jesus gets a rare night out bowling." Beautiful.

Finding Poland: One Man's Burger Is Another Man's Kebab

Travelling broadens one's horizons, or should at any rate. I'm exiting my third country, heading to a fourth, while dipping on the train briefly back into my second. My first country on this trip was Sweden, I think. I should have written about these various countries from the start, but, well, there you are. Or, I should say, here I am, in Poland, but not for long.

People are people, though as a person who's lived in Japan, I realize some people are more different than others. There is, however, a bridge across the chasm between cultures that helps us discover our common humanity, and I've used it ever since I first travelled abroad some 42 years ago.

Know your fellow man's junk food, and you're halfway home.

It didn't take but reading a few signs around the central stations of Krakow to know which way to a man's heart, at least his most convenient one: the kebab, not to be confused with the shish form, I found out upon actually trying one.

(I'll refrain from gender stereotypes in some other post, but I pray women are somehow smart enough to stay away from kebabs to begin with. I fear they're not.)

Now, I've seen two made, but the first was for me and delivered in tag-team fashion from a kebab stand between train and bus stations in central Krakow. First, a young man charged me ‌nine zloty, which falls somewhat shy of three bucks; then an equally young woman who shared the mini-caravan with him took over, first selecting a round, flattened bread roll to slice and stick in a grilling press in hopes of heating it up and jazzing it up with parallel grill marks. The effort did not go well.

The bottom came free well enough, but the top, thinner piece was determined to camp out a little longer, a stunt that was not tolerated in the slightest by the young man, who intervened with a pair of tongs, hoping to salvage the operation. The top gave up in the end, but not before disintegrating into a number of pieces, the final tenth or so being the only successful hold-out. The man closed the lid on it; I suspect it was removed once it blackened considerably. I'll never know.

My assumption at this point was that the project would naturally begin anew, a notion of which I was quickly disabused as the man assembled the miscreant top in a vague form opposite the tidy bottom, all in a triangle-shaped paper sleeve. He then began assembling pickles, tomatoes, cucumbers, a cole-slaw-like concoction, and whatnot atop the bread, before turning to me -- who at this point had realized I'd already paid and neither of my hosts had demonstrated much English -- and asked, "A-sauce, a-spicy, a-no?"

Having no choice but to go all in, I replied, "Yeah, spicy, uh, you know, uh, spicy," while giving the universal hand sign that I hoped meant sort of in the middle, to which the man responded by shooting a couple of large squeezes from a couple of squeezable containers.

Next, he walked over to the vertical, rotating spit that was roasting all the while next to a vertical heating element with a V-shaped shield, where he proceeded to shave off hunks of what looked like chicken, although I haven't figured out yet how it came to be wrapped around the spit twenty inches tall and six inches wide without resembling a bird or anything I'm familiar with.

He laid a massive bunch of the meat on top of the foundering roll, and tossed more pickles and cucumbers on for good measure, and, as an afterthought, squeezed more of something on top. He handed me the bundle with what was either a look of satisfaction or supremely false confidence -- was that sheepishness I detected in his eyes? -- which I accepted with whatever look I could muster that didn't appear to be total surrender. I asked for some paper towels (I could see no napkins nearby); he gladly reached and pulled three off and handed them to me, knowing in his heart it was the least he could do.

I nodded, and we parted company.

I eventually finished the whole thing, though it took me much of the rest of the day to do it. In the end, I had to admit I enjoyed it, this first confrontation with a kebab.

Now you and I both know just about all we need to know about the Polish. Okay, they also have Polish dogs and enough kielbasa to give an entire Russian army heart attacks, but the kebab in the several city centers I saw ruled supreme.

All right, they also have history and culture and probably a lot of other stuff, but I was too busy trying not to drop my kebab to ever find out. I imagine they're very much like us, only more Polish.

A Reasoned Decision on Syria: Don't Bomb

I wish I could say that I'd reached this outlook on my own. It was left to Chris Hayes to make up my mind for me: Bombing Syria, while compelling on a few levels, is likely to do way more harm that good.

I'd heard the arguments for and against. At first I was all in; then I was against; finally I was "conflicted," which is shorthand for "I know I should be better than this but I want to bomb the fuck out of Assad."

Chris Hayes brought me to the right place. Listen to him explain:

I'm convinced. Let's stay out of it.