Oh. My. Fucking. God. Lets say you’re a self-righteous, overbearing fundamentalist grifting snot-wad of a political party whose members brag about their superior family values on every mic they can hijack 24/7. And now let’s say you’re gonna investigate the website crashes afflicting the ACA earlier this month. And let’s add in that you’re desperate to rehabilitate your public image after a recent screw-up. Who would you pick to be the public face and technical expert advising you on that effort?
Link — A 67-year old former murder suspect and American fugitive living in Central America whose drug use is legendary and who bragged about sleeping with ten 17-year old girls was contacted by the House GOP last week to advise them on their investigation of the rollout of the Obamacare website, healthcare.gov. … The “Republican-controlled committee wanted the McAfee Associates founder to ‘guide our oversight and review of’ the implementation of the federal marketplace selling Obamacare insurance,” CNBC reported yesterday.
Ayup, the guys who are whining the WH didn;’t vet the ACA website thoroughly enough picked that guy to guide them. There’s times when words fail me, even as a smart ass blogger. What. The. Fuck. Were. They. Thinking.
But I’ll try to come up with some words. OK … Republicans who hate Obamacare, you finally had a clear shot. It wasn’t the best shot, but at least you had it. There are no natural disasters or wars or scandals hogging the headlines. No shutdowns, no market crashes, nothing, nada, zip. The news cycle is so dead, that a story about a slow website can actually get some traction, maybe even make it into the weekend talking head shows. And early in that very same week you picked … that guy? You picked a guy with baggage so juicy it has everything any media outlet on Earth would love to cover.
What has happened to the slimy effective ratfucking GOP operatives we all came to know and love over the last two decades? What is the deal?
The thing that makes so little sense about this is that John McAfee hasn’t had his trigger on the company for nine years.
Talk to Graham Cluely, talk to Brian Krebs. They’re computer experts. John McAfee is an expert in screwing underage girls.
And besides, if the issue was computer security or virus detection you might want to go with McAfee. What would he know about Enterprise web software?
The Maddow video will have to wait until I get home, but I’ve heard that it is not the GOP who hired McAfee, but a select few Tea Party crazies. I suspect that McAfee was the closest thing to a big name they could find who was willing to shill for them, which alone demonstrates just how far they’ve descended into the slimy nether regions of public opinion.
But there should be. Syria got bumped off the front pages and simply disappeared. It’s still there. People are still dying. And there’s been a major earthquake in the Philippines.
Welll … IMHO it all has to do with the conservative mind. Specifically their emphasis on “character” as an inherent trait that determines a persons goodness, or lack thereof. The ultra right right-wing think of themselves as inspired, if not actually directed by God. And, conversely, anyone who disagrees, as enemies of God. In this “character”, as it is termed, wins out.
No matter how inspired by good intentions any action is, no matter how well designed the program may be, no matter how much any program will actually help the weak and under represented it doesn’t matter and it is, according to the right, both evil and damned. It is a problem of purity for conservatives. They know, deep in their souls, that no good can come from people they have determined to be lacking.
Of course the payoff becomes clear once you contemplate how the entire scheme is inverted for people who are, in the eyes of the conservatives, worthy. They, quite literally, can do no wrong. Their Manichean fight with evil justifies any crime. They can lie, cheat, steal, and, in this case, embrace tax dodging, whoring, drug soaked ex-computer experts who have sold out and remain both morally and ideologically pure.
Yes, they could do a little research and probably avoid embarrassing themselves but when you are wearing ‘the armor of God’ why take the time and expend the effort? The true believers will never doubt them and their opponents will never give them credit for being careful. Besides, a willingness to go to extremes, take hostages, threaten the financial well being of the US and the entire world, jump in the sack with a wanna-be Tony Stark, minus the work ethic and virtues, is a feature, not a bug. It expresses dedication and commitment.
Or, that is the way it is seen by those inside the right-wing thought bubble. To those on the outside it looks embarrassingly reckless, dangerous, and foolish.
He’s no longer extradition and murder charges? News to me.
There were always rumours in the past that McAfee created viruses just to drum up business, to increase profits. I never gave them any credibility until I heard about the drug use and criminal behaviour. It makes you wonder if he was hacking the ACA and then offering his “services”. Anything’s possible, I guess, especially when you’re desperate for money.
Oh, bugger. I meant to say:
He’s no longer facing extradition and murder charges?
Somehow I managed to kill the word.