More tea party stunts

A good editorial from the Courier-Journal:

Let’s consider the proposed antics of (Rand) Paul and his tea party compatriots.

Here is what they want to filibuster.

The gun violence bill would eliminate the “gun show loophole” by requiring background checks for all firearms sales, not just guns bought from firearms dealers now required by law. Even the National Rifle Association once offered to support this extremely reasonable idea before the association became so extreme it refuses any additional safety measures whatsoever.

...Someone needs to bring reason to this discussion — not another pointless filibuster.

Too far right to matter

A great editorial from the Courier-Journal, on Rand Paul and Thomas Massie:

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a couple of Kentucky tea party Republicans... voted against the punitive budget proposed by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc. because it just wasn’t extreme enough for them.

Mr. Ryan’s ideas, if you recall, were rejected in November when the nation voted against him for vice-president along with ticket-mate Mitt Romney.

...If they two can’t work within their own caucuses to get things done, how can we expect them to work with anyone to do what’s right by Kentucky?

Thomas Massie: Ryan Budget ‘A Pretend Vote’

A good catch by Talking Points Memo:

Freshman Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) told a roomful of reporters Wednesday that the upcoming House vote on the Paul Ryan budget is all for show, with no real consequences, because the proposal is "dead on arrival" in the Senate.

"You know, I'm new here but what I'm learning is that the budget is just kind of a guideline," Massie said on a panel with nine other House conservatives. "And it's sort of a pretend guideline because we know it's dead on arrival in the Senate. So it's all about optics and messaging."