For the love of holy hell: STFU with the complaints that there was too much pork in the Sandy relief bill

The Canessa Commentary
By KEVIN CANESSA Jr.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --

Editor's Note: the following commentary contains strong language that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.

Most conservatives, it seems, would just presume to leave
the roller coaster where it is because it's too expensive
to pay to remove it from the Atlantic. 

Earlier today, the House voted in favor of a bill that would bring immediate relief to the people most hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Of those voting, 180 members voted against the measure. It was 179 Republicans and 1 Democrat.

And immediately after —in light of criticism of  those who voted against the bill —the usual Washington grandstanding began. And it spread to Twitter and Facebook.

There are some conservatives — both elected and civilian — who say it was irresponsible for any member of the House to have voted for the bill since it contained pork.

It's as if this is the first time — ever — that there was a bill before Congress that contained pork.

I am at a point where it's intolerable to listen to these buffoons make an argument. Any American with half a brain knows pork is as much a part of a bill before Congress as a puck is to hockey or a glove is to baseball.

And while it's sickening there was, no doubt, items in the Sandy relief bill that had no business being there — I'm not going to read the bill and list specifics here — this is NOT the time for grandstanding. This is not the time for conservative nuts to be critical of pork-barrell spending.

This is not the time to pretend like this has never happened before.

Because it has — and it did — when Katrina hit.

It has — and it did — after Sept. 11, 2001.

It has — and it did — to fund a fraudulent war in Iraq.

It has — and it did — for as long as this country has been, well, a country.

If you want to bitch and moan about adding irrelevant items into bills in Congress, I'll be there to back you up — 100 percent. But I will not sit back and tolerate it when the moaning happens over a bill that will provide much-needed relief for the people of Seaside Heights, Breezy Point, Staten Island and countless other communities.

There were 180 people in Congress, nearly 100 percent of whom were conservative, right-wing nutjob Republicans — one was a moronic Democrat — who decided NOW was the best time to send a message that this Congress spends too much. There are countless other Americans who believe this is the time to bring attention to pork-barrell spending, when this is been the modus operandi for more years than can be measured.

Those people make me sick.

And I hope the people most affected by Sandy remember this, too, that in their greatest time of need — when they most needed the government to be there for them to, oh, let's say, simply get back to normal — that 180 elected officials, most of whom are conservative RWNJs, turned their backs.They said "fuck off, you worthless pieces of shit in New York and New Jersey." They said your well-being is not as important as is sending a message that the government spends too much.

These people seem to think they're the real champions here.

Try telling us something we don't already know for once.

And do not — under any circumstances — do it at the expense of people who have been hurting.

And if you don't like that? Perhaps you can do what you, the RWNJs, often tell people who get angry with out country to do whenever there's a debate over immigration — get the hell out. No one's keeping you here by force.

Sometimes, it's just plain embarrassing to be American. To think these members of Congress — and these civilians — enjoy the same citizenship that I do makes me want to vomit.

And believe me, if I had a chance to vomit, I'd almost consider looking for one of those members of Congress to puke on.

That's how despicable they truly are.

And there's no question in my mind — they'll never, ever get it.

I just hope and pray none of them — regardless of whether they're elected — ever have to face a situation where they need help from the government.

Because chances are — when that day comes — they won't be worried about pork-barrell spending for a nanosecond.

They'll only be concerned about why the government forgot about them and their loved ones.

We could only be so lucky to see that happen.

A HODGEPODGE CANESSA COMMENTARY: FROM GUNS TO THE NHL

The Canessa Commentary

By KEVIN CANESSA Jr.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —

It’s been a pretty slow news cycle this week, so here’s one of those hodgepodge editions of The Canessa Commentary.

• Former Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who resigned after an affair, is planning on running for Congress — for a seat he once held. Looks pretty clear the GOP hasn’t really learned from the election of 2012.

• U.S. Rep Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., said recently the comments made by Todd Akin, that a woman rarely gets pregnant from “legitimate rape,” were “partly true.” Gingery is a former OB-GYN. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want my daughter — if I had one — going to this OB-GYN.

Isn’t it bad enough one person believes this? And now there are two?

Hell, what I am thinking — there are probably thousands of RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) who believe it.

• Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., gave one of the most lackluster State of the State addresses I’ve ever heard. He recapped exactly what we already knew — that New Jersey was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and that the federal government continues to be slow in coming through with aid.

What Christie didn’t say was what he’d do to get the funds quicker, how the state would aid cities and people affected by the storm — or anything else for that matter, like lowering one of the nation’s largest unemployment rates.

He’s been great on the national scene. He’s been wonderful standing up for the people who were hurt most by the storm. And quite frankly, I’ve never seen a Republican more willing to stand up to the establishment — John Boehner, that is — than Christie.

But his address was meatless. He offered no specifics. And in a state where people are hurting from the storm and so much more, he truly failed when he had a tremendous opportunity to lead and comfort.

• The NRA recently met with Vice-President Joe Biden, and the NRA says the meeting was “useless.”

I will never understand how, in this nation, an organization that has 4 million members could have as much clout and power as it does. Perhaps I am just naïve here. But in general elections, if every NRA member voted Republican — and let’s face it, they probably do — it still wouldn’t matter.

And yet they’re still seen as all-powerful and almighty.

And it’s not just the NRA. There are tons of special-interested organizations in this country with smaller memberships — the ACLU comes to mind — that just have way too much clout and influence over policy.

Not holding my breath this will change anytime soon.

• I’m a big fan of older TV programs — started watching 1994 “ER” episodes in 2009. So it won’t come as much of a surprise that I just started to watch the old NBC show “Third Watch.” I never realized it back in the day — I did watch the show from time to time when it was new — but the show (some of the same production team) is basically “ER” on the streets. Similar background music. Similar themes. Similar terminology.

Regardless, the show is tremendous — and if you’re ever looking to catch up on old shows, this is one, for sure, to give a try.

• Speaking of TV shows, “The Good Wife,” CBS Sundays, gets better each week. Julianna Margulies is incredible in the lead. But this season has been made even better by guest appearances. First, it was Maura Tierney, who briefly worked with Margulies on “ER.” On-going, Michael J. Fox defies the odds with his Parkinson’s by playing an amazing role on the show. And Nathan “Joe” Lane, who went to the same high school as I did — St. Peter’s Prep (he the class of ’74, I the class of ’92, and yes, his birth name is Joseph — has been nothing short of stellar, as he often is in any role he plays.

Nathan Lane, left, with Christine Baranski, in 'The Good Wife.'

• As much as I was/am angry with the NHL, its players and its owners, I must admit to being excited for the start of the season. Though the schedule isn’t yet out, I’ve read the NJ Devils open on the “road” on Long Island against the Islanders on Jan. 19, and open at home on Jan. 22 against the despised Philadelphia Flyers.

After the first lockout, I was at the first Devils game of the 1994-95 season — in Hartford, Conn., against the Whalers. But it’ll take free tickets for me to step into an NHL arena this year after the third lockout in 17 years.

I’ll watch the games online or on TV for sure — but no in-person games.

I’ll be very curious to see what the attendance numbers are like across the league.

• Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Should be a good Sunday of NFL football. Let me know who wins, eh?

HEY RELIGIOUS NUTS WHO USE THE BIBLE AND COMMUNION AS A WEAPON -- ALLOW ME TO PUT THIS NICELY, LIKE THE BRITS DO -- FUCK OFF. ONCE AND FOR ALL!

The Canessa Commentary
By Kevin Canessa Jr.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla —

I love being the publisher and editor of my own politically-based website. It allows me the freedom to sincerely write a headline such as the one I wrote for this piece.

In case you missed it, here it is again.

HEY RELIGIOUS NUTS WHO USE THE BIBLE AND COMMUNION AS A WEAPON -- ALLOW ME TO PUT THIS NICELY, LIKE THE BRITS DO -- FUCK OFF. ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Now I'm sure there will be some reading this who say, immediately, "There he goes again." Or, "Canessa has finally lost his mind."