Combating Autism Act and Congressional Douchebags

Well, another reason for me to be disgusted with the Republican-run Congress.

Friday, Congressman Joe Barton from Texas killed the Combatting Autism Act, by not getting it in for a vote. You can read more about the CAA here.

Below is an interesting transcript from Don Imus' Monday morning radio show. It's long but worth reading! I have to say, I think I agree with everything below! There's some good stuff on equally vile Mark Foley, Dennis Hastert and Bill Frist as well.

Imus in the Morning
Discussion on the Combating Autism Act
October 2, 2006

6:07 am ET

Imus: Congressman Joe Barton from Texas refused to move the Combating Autism Act out of his committee after telling all these autism groups that if they supported him on this idiotic NIH reform egislation, which they did, he would then move their bill out of the committee and for a vote. It passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, you know. And, then, when they all did support him, he then lied to them and refused to budge on it and, of course, Dennis Hastert and old Boehner [`BO-ner'], the Majority Leader, they refused to get involved in it because they were so busy covering up the Foley thing. So, you know, somebody ought to check Boehner's [`BO-ner's'] email. That's the first guy I'd look at, wouldn't you? I'd check all of their emails. I'd check Barton's emails. I'd check everybody's.

Charles McCord: You'd start going through everybody's computer stuff.

I: Barton said, well, he could approve - said that he wanted to take all of the provisions in the bill that had to do - I'm not going to get into all the specifics, at this point, because, you know, you'll just kill yourself or watch and listen to something else - all of the provisions out of the bill that had to do with any sort of environment research. Vaccine research has already been taken out of it long ago, so -

M: So let's take all the environmental stuff too. That makes sense.

I: So, wanted to cut the bill from around 900 million to 200 million. It had already been what they call `scored' by the Congressional Budget Committee, I believe, or Office, in which they had determined what it was going to cost and what that would be. And this is the guy I - you have to wonder about - it's no wonder these parents of autistic children are hysterical. I don't blame them. I mean, because they get lied to - you wouldn't - it's inconceivable that somebody wouldn't want to provide relief to these people. I mean, it doesn't even make any sense.

M: No, oh no, no.

I: So, I could give you his phone number in Washington to call him and tell him what a creep he is - or ask him, you know, what he's covering up - or let's look at his email, but they're not in Washington now, so, but he must have a congressional office in Texas, so we'll get that phone number.

M: Okay.

I: And, just, you can call him up and chat with him. It is unclear why Speaker Hastert and the Majority Leader, old Boehner [`BO-ner'] from Ohio, wouldn't - I might have opted for a different name, wouldn't you?

M: I don't think he pronounces it that way.

I: How does he pronounce it?

M: BAY-ner.

I: You sure it's not BO-ner?

M: Maybe it is. [chuckling] Maybe for our purposes.

I: why they wouldn't lean on this guy or at least say, you know, "Why don't you be reasonable, here?" He's on somebody's payroll. We thought he was on ours, but apparently not, so.

M: No.

7:29 am ET

Imus: We have another congressional dirt-bag, Joe Barton, from Texas. Here's Joe Barton [R-Texas] - he's the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce - they pass this Combating Autism Act in the Senate by acclamation. [It] unanimously passes in the Senate. They've sent it on over to the House. They have over 200 co-sponsors in the House for this bill to provide $920 million of, essentially, relief for the tens of thousands of people in this country - parents who're suffering with these kids with autism and this creep says to all of these various - Oh, God, he's an awful son of a bitch - he says to all of these various autism groups, "Well, if you'll help support my NIH reform bill" - which has NO chance of passing ANYTHING! It'll die quicker in the Senate than your wiener, Senator [motions to actor portraying Ted Kennedy].

So, they all sign on and support it and he lied to them. He, then, refuses to take it out of his committee and let the House vote on it. It would have passed unanimously. So late the other night - Friday night, this skunk, this lying weasel - they ought to check his email, too, by the way - he calls a couple of these people and he says, "Well, I'm supporting 90% of it." Well, he's lying about that. It's a $920 million bill - he takes $635 million out of it. [He] doesn't want to support any sort of environmental research of any kind. We're not talking about thimerosal and vaccine stuff. We're not going down that road. This bill has nothing to do with that. This has to do with creating these centers for excellence for these autistic kids and providing all kinds of services for these people and so on. There's not a lot of insurance for these folks.

Charles McCord: This is a relief bill.

I: Exactly, but because he's on somebody's payroll - who knows - I thought he was on ours - so he refuses to take it out of the committee and let the House vote on it. It would have passed in a heartbeat. Well, where was Dennis Hastert and that idiot Boehner [`Bo-ner'] from Ohio, the Majority Leader? Why wouldn't they put some pressure on him, because they're too busy trying to cover their ass on a Mark Foley deal. And the Mark Foley deal - here you've got the guy that's the co-chair of the committee on exploited children. What's the official name of that?

M: House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Who wrote sexual predator laws.

I: This pedophile is sending sexually explicit emails to pages thinking, I guess, that if he deletes them that nobody can ever find them. Hello! So, they're trying to cover their ass on that, and they refuse - Dennis Hastert who's also a hunchback little dirt-bag and that other skunk. And I'm a registered Republican and I would
be happy if not one of those son of a bitches was re-elected. Not one of them! Particularly Joe Barton. Why is he an arrogant little prick? Because he's down there in a seat in Texas that's safe - you know how they worked that deal - he's a buddy of Rick Perry. He's an awful human being. Here's his number in Texas, if you want to call his office and I really recommend you do that. 817-543-1000. So just spend - every time you think about it, call this bastard's office there in Texas - he's not in Washington - call Texas and tell him what a no-good son of a bitch he is and ask him whose payroll he's on. Say, "I thought we were paying you."

He's another buddy of Frist and Frist, by the way, is one of the most disgraceful people on the planet and gutless. Frist was the guy, remember, when my wife went down there with Suzanne Wright and some other people, to lobby for the Combating Autism Act before the Senate voted on it, spent 15 minutes whining, nearly bringing himself to tears complaining about what I had said about him - not having enough guts to call me. So, what did we do? We got on the phone and called him and invited him on the program. Senator Frist is a coward and wouldn't appear on the program. Then we called Joe Barton and invited him. I thought this was a tough guy from Texas. He's not a tough guy from Texas. He's a sissy boy - down there wearing a little pair of panties with Rick Perry. And you're telling me you're in Texas and you're going to vote for Rick Perry? What are you people - crazy?! I mean this is insanity! Praise Jesus we don't have an autistic child, but I know a lot of people who do. You might wonder what my interest is - my interest in it is that it's an outrage! And this stuff goes on all the time. And the problem with politics is people like Joe Barton. Believe me, I'd look into his email. You can just look at him - he just looks a little shaky, doesn't he, Chuck?...

You can give Joe Barton a call there in Texas a call at 817-543-1000. I mean, that's just an outrage -- and lied to these people. I mean, don't lie to them -- just say - they go down there, Deirdre went down there to see him and Suzanne - a whole bunch of these autism people. Just say to them, "Look, I'm not going to support this" and just tell them flat out. Don't jerk their chain. Don't try to get them to support your bill - which they did - then lie to them. What a rancid, viciously little skunk. Jesus, a dishonest, no-good, son of a bitch. I hate for this to get this vile this
morning, particularly on this Yom Kippur when I should be off atoning for my sins, because I love you people. You know I do. I don't, do I?


7:35 am ET

Andrea Mitchell: . When you talk about what Deirdre and Suzanne Wright and Suzanne's daughter, Katie, did when they came down - and the other autism families - and you look at the numbers of what's been happening here, you are so right about this bill and the lack of - I mean, .3% of the NIH budget is spent on autism when you have an epidemic of cases? It's exploding.

I: Well, here's what Joe Barton's defense is - he said, "Well, my NIH reform bill is going to cover most of this." Which: 1) is absurd and 2) his bill is never going to pass the Senate - EVER! Is it?

Mitchell: Exactly right. There's also some poison pills in there. That's the way these guys work. You know, I'm not taking a position on this legislation, I'm just saying, "Tell people the truth when they come down to visit you." Don't string them
along, because you can't imagine the pain these families are experiencing.

I: Particularly these - you're right - particularly these people. I mean, I mean it's heartbreaking.


8:01 am ET

Imus: Here's Joe Barton's number. This is the creep in the house who wouldn't move this autism bill out of his stupid committee and let the House vote on it - which they would have passed unanimously. His number in Texas - his buddy Rick Perry, that
creep - Barton's number is 817-543-1000. Why don't you call him and see if - why don't you ask him who's paying him.

Bo Dietl: Why couldn't they just put it in committee? It's a very important thing. It's a no-nonsense thing.

I: The last people that - like Joe Barton and those kinds of people or Dennis Hastert or that dick-head from Ohio - the last people they want to help are kids. The last people they want to help are kids. Leave no child behind - they leave them all
behind.