State Rep. Matt Shea (R-Greenacres)
In case you missed last night’s post, House Republicans have introduced a butt-load of paranoid, crazy-ass, teabagger bills, in a paranoid, crazy-ass attempt to appease the paranoid, crazy-ass teabaggers threatening to challenge incumbent Republicans from the paranoid, crazy-ass right. And one of the common denominators — other than a shaky grasp of the law that makes Tim Eyman look like a Constitutional scholar — is state Rep. Matt Shea, who has not only signed on as a sponsor to all the bills, but appears as the prime on most of them as well.
Of course, this is the type of craziness we’ve come to expect of the Republican from Greenacres (no, really… he’s from Greenacres), but it’s more than a little astounding and embarrassing to see two-thirds of Shea’s fellow caucus members join him in such ridiculous political slop. And it’s hard for the GOP leadership to complain about being excluded from critical budget negotiations when their members appear to have made provoking a second Civil War their number one legislative priority.
(3) Any action by the federal government, or its agencies or agents, including the president of the United States, the congress of the United States, and the federal courts, against any person in Washington state for compliance with the provisions of this chapter is considered a hostile and unconstitutional action against Washington state and its citizens, and the state of Washington will by all necessary measures act to preserve its sovereignty.
Yeah, well, good luck with that, Rep. Shea. It’s one thing to abuse your wife, but it’s another thing to try to push around the government of the United States of America. I mean, to do that you’re going to need lots of firepower… you know, lot’s of unregulated arms, ammunition and accessories, manufactured right here in the Sovereign State of Washington. Which I suppose explains why Shea and 19 of his colleagues would introduce HB 2709, the Washington State Firearms Freedom Act of 2010, which amongst other things, would legalize and deregulate both silencers and cop killer bullets.
Sec. 4. (1) A personal firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately in Washington and that remains within the borders of Washington is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of congress to regulate interstate commerce.
This in the wake of our recent rash of tragic police shootings.
I suppose I should be amused to see the state Republicans self-destruct this way, but when you really think about how crazy and dangerous their proposed legislation is, it’s more than a little bit scary to imagine what they might do to Washington and its citizens should they ever seize control of state government. You know, through Democratic or other means.
Man, I love the graphics on this website! They keep getting better and better!
From Goldy’s Stranger link, this item is precious:
“Matt T. Shea’s wife, Lisa, … said Shea insisted she walk on his left side because his sword, if he had one, would be on his right side.”
Looks like Rep. Shea likes to fancy himself a Civil War general strutting in front of his troops. For the record, his legislative biography indicates he was an ROTC lieutenant, and I don’t think the Army trusts those guys with swords.
Shea is also a Gonzaga Law School graduate and a practicing attorney, so he really has no excuse for this.
After 35 years of being a lawyer, I’ve come to realize it’s possible for stupid people to become lawyers — after all, the only aptitudes that law school requires is a masochistic streak and a capacity for rote memorization — but Shea surely must know a little bit about federalism as practiced in the real world, or he couldn’t have passed law school exams and the bar exam.
So, I’m compelled to conclude that he knows better and is cynically pandering to the ignorant crowd that elected him.
Btw, does anyone else find it amusing that wingnuts bash lawyers, then turn around and elect lawyers to represent them in the legislation?
RR quotes @2:
It’s difficult to imagine anything or anyone being to the right of Rep. Shea.
Though I’m sure the HA trolls could give it a try.
[T]he only aptitudes that law school requires is a masochistic streak and a capacity for rote memorization . . . .
Well put. And completely accurate.
The sword & scabbard would be on his LEFT side (assuming he was right-handed). If you doubt this, and you are right-handed, try drawing a sword out of a scabbard clapsed on your right side. It can’t be done, at least not without a lot of fumbling. You would think that he would know this.
Of course, maybe he is left-handed. Or maybe he just has visions of being a heroic night in shining armour, because maybe THEN his wife might respect him instead of constantly rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath about everything he did.
Now, I was a platoon seargent in Jr. ROTC in high school. I know how to call out the commands to make a unit march where I wanted them to, come to formation and dress their lines for inspection, etc. I also learned how to shoot, strip, and clean an M-14 (I was a pretty good shot). But that’s about it. And I KNOW I’m not qualified to be an infantryman, much less a platoon leader. All my other military knowledge I got from reading history.
But some guys just don’t seem to understand their limitations. It’s amazing to me the number of guys in ROTC, at the high school or even the college level, who presume themselves to be qualified gung-ho warriors. When I was in high school, during the Vietnam War, it was the guys in the researves who did all the most trash talk about how if THEY were over in Vietnam, they would kick ass and take names, and the war would be over in a few weeks. Of course, they were safely in the researves and were never in any danger of being called up for service in Vietnam (that’s the way it worked back then).
Please define a “cop killer bullet”.
Did you guys know that silencers are legal in some countries….like in Europe? They are used as a courtesy. My brother went rabbit hunting (Sorry Roger) in Ireland with a silenced .22 rifle. I believe they were made illegal to cut down on poaching. The neat part in Washington is posession of a silencer is OK. Apparently, you just cannot use it.
#4 Roger,
No shit. That and every time they have a beef they lawyer up like crazy (Insert Bush v Gore here).
Arnold Ziffel would be a better representative of Greeacres than Mark Shea.
“Shea is also a Gonzaga Law School graduate”
Rather disappointing. Gonzaga and the other Jesuit schools have a reputation for producing better.
Maybe we should amend the Constitution to make lawyers ineligible to serve in elected offices. That’s one way to get the lawyers out of government! Why are so many Representatives, Senators, and presidents lawyers?
Because they can’t make a living anywhere else!
Please define a “cop killer bullet”.
Any round that hits a cop in the head, but I’m assuming Goldy’s talking about rounds designed to penatrate bulletproof vests.
Michael @13,
Yes, I’m talking about the kind designed to penetrate bulletproof vests… the kind currently restricted by federal law.
The true enemy of the United States of America is in our midst and they are Republicans.
We must act by all means necessary to preserve our freedom, liberty and traditional American way of life from conservatives.
Let Civil War II and the purging of Reagan Republicanism begin.
15
Indeed. To the trenches all you patriotic progressives! The enemy is at the door!
Just a reminder: What Washington State would look like if it followed the local Republican nullification and seccessionist policies:
Civil War Destruction
the only thing you can say to this post is,,,,fuck you goldstein….go help publish hustler with your distant cousin , the scunbag lew goldstein
manoftruth @ 18
Thank you for your enlightened commentary. You express the Republican position with so much substance and insight. Please keep posting. What do you think, if I might ask, of your party’s chairman, Michael Steele?
@14
My post was in response to #8. Cop killer bullets had brass or steel cores in them. The federal law applies to the composition of a bullets core.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon-coated_bullet
@18
Hustler is published by Larry Flynt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Flynt
@12 As a Republican in the Washington legislature, Shea can play no role in writing a real budget or passing actual legislation, so he can make himself comfortable playing the part of a circus clown. Meanwhile, his legislative salary provides a nice cushion for a perhaps not-so-prosperous law practice.
It is good that in a time of financial crisis, Republican legislators are wasting time coming up with things they know full well will never see the light of day. Meanwhile, they simply say “all cuts budget!” without offering one single idea on how to deliver the services Republicans in this state expect with less money.
13, 14 — A so-called “cop killer” bullet is an armor piercing handgun round with a brass core (which is harder and therefore deforms less than lead) and a Teflon coating to reduce wear on barrel rifling. It got its nickname from its ability to penetrate the body armor worn by police.
@18 There’s nothing in Goldy’s post that isn’t true, although all of it is highly embarrassing to the WSRP, so we can only conclude from your post that you’re either in favor of killing cops and starting a civil war in this country, or you’re too stupid to know when to feel embarrassed by what your fellow wingnuts are promoting.
Wow … the despicable sell outs of the Dim-O-Shits, the political pathetic diaper shitting Dim-O-Shits, and those who are mix of both —
they’re gonna be saved by the latest version of batshit crazy brownshirts!
Raygun-Cheney-ism is f’king brilliant!!
Destroy the country so that the rich fascist pigs in the top 1/2% will be free from competing against the bottom 99% – cuz the bottom 99% will be crushing each other for the opportunity to have a shot at a job as boot licker, ass wipe, door mat, cannon fodder, or serf –
Destroy the country by having ‘opponents’ who enable all your criminality!!!
One of the local seattle t.v. news last night – local parks of … kirkland? are not being maintained cuz the parks department cut 3 full timers and sundry other stuff — multiply this loss of community accross their city, and across cities and towns ALL around the state, and you have people who had possibly (hopefully?) o.k. jobs now living off of http://www.esd.wa.gov/uibenefi.....igible.php instead of buying cars and saving for a rainy day and going on vacation and … supporting the local business community!
(oh, wait … btw … they were keeping the f’king parks clean, too!!! )
we can’t raise taxes on the f’king PIGS who take everything and who wreck everything cuz … they’ll take their economic ‘skills’ to banastan? nigeria? rio?
Matt Shea should have been bounced by his own party for his treatment of his wife. But, I guess that’s expecting too much from a party that fought against making domestic violence a crime.
@15…so you consider half your fellow countrymen to be your enemy…
wow, that really says something about you and your beliefs….
@22….thanks for confirming that this state’s budget problems are entirely the democrats doing.
good job goebbels rabbit.
Max,
Being an idiot is no way to go through life. You can do better. Really. I know you can do better. Rally, man, step up. C’mon, be an adult.
@28 No, you do. GBS was just being sarcastic, and mocking the noise that comes from your side in all seriousness …
http://cognitiveresurgence.fil.....-9-001.jpg
… the guy in this photo isn’t exactly a liberal.
Let’s pretend rightwing nuts get control of the legislature and pass a declaration of war against the federal government. Here’s what will happen.
The Navy will blockade the Puget Sound ports with its numerous warships in the area.
The State Department will work with Canadians to close the northern border at Blaine and Sumas.
Navy and Air Force planes from Whidbey Island and McChord will bomb the Columbia River bridges.
B-52s from Minot AFB in North Dakota will close Snoqualmie and Stevens passes by triggering landslides on the flanking slopes.
The Army will send troops from Fort Lewis to seize government buildings in Olympia and arrest the rebels.
William Kostnic will stand in the middle of Capitol Boulevard in Olympia, draw his 9mm pistol from his low-slung thigh holster, and pop off rounds at an advancing Abrams tank. There will be a loud crack as the tank fires a single antipersonnel round and Kostnic will vanish in a puff of gray smoke, never to attend a teabag rally again.
Infantrymen will find Rep. Shea cowering behind a dumpster. He will meekly thrust his hands out. A soldier will grab him by the wrist and roughly pull him out. Other soldiers will surround him, pat him down for weapons, and finding none, march him off in plastic wrist ties to a FEMA camp.
but it’s more than a little astounding and embarrassing to see two-thirds of Shea’s fellow caucus members join him in such ridiculous political slop. It would make more sense if it read circus members instead of caucus members or maybe a caucus of circus members, whatever.
@18
Hustler is published by Larry Flynt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Flynt
you’re right. i cant think of the name of the sleazy rag, but the publisher is lew goldstein….no relation to lou pearlstein that screwed the backstreet boys out of millions. big surprise