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Someone needs to explain the definition of insanity to Bloody Bill Kristol. During a discussion on Fox' Special Report With Bret Baier, Kristol was asked about the Republicans and their recent efforts to "rebrand" the party, and it seems Kristol believes if they just start obstructing President Obama again and vote for things like repealing "Obamacare," they won't have to worry about how they look!

Of course, no one on the panel pointed out to him that that is exactly what they've been doing already for the last four years and it hasn't gone so well. Not that what the others want to do -- keep the same policies but just try to make them sound more palatable to the public -- is going to work, either.

And note to Kristol: Your party doesn't care about doing anything to improve access to health care, making it more affordable or regulating the banks. We don't need to hear their words or yours to know that. All we have to do is look at their voting records to see what their priorities are. The notion that the GOP has any alternatives to fixing anything that is not more of the same is laughable.

Here's more from Real Clear Politics: Kristol: GOP Should Worry Less About Looks; Act On Conservative Principles:

BILL KRISTOL, WEEKLY STANDARD: If I hear another politician talking about rebranding the party or changing the image, why don't they just advance policies? Republicans control the House of Representatives, right? They very much dislike Obamacare. Fine, pass a bill repealing Obamacare or delaying it and then pass a replacement. It's not going to pass the Senate, President Obama's not going to sign it, but it will show how Republican policies help.

Republicans dislike the financial regulations in Dodd-Frank, pass different regulations that help community banks. If you can't pass the whole thing, pass bite-sized pieces of legislation that would help the country. I mean, I really think they should talk less about rebranding themselves and actually pass some legislation, either big legislation or medium-sized bites that which embody conservative principals.

JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS: Why have they been losing so badly on messaging, Bill?

KRISTOL: They haven't been losing that badly on messaging. They lost the presidential election by 3 points, they held the House of Representatives, the Democrats got 1 million more votes for the complete House out of 110 million cast, or something like that. And if they simply govern effectively, if they do their best in the House and they oppose President Obama, they'll do fine. They should worry less about how they look and they should just act according to conservative principles.

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As Adam Peck at Think Progress noted, this is just the latest version of McConnell saying the Republican's top priority should be defeating President Obama rather than governing: Tea Party Senator: ‘I Don’t Think What Washington Needs Is More Compromise’:

For the last two years, Republicans in Congress have achieved new levels of obstructionism never before seen in Washington, passing fewer bills than any other session of Congress since such information began being recorded in the 1940s.

But if voters sent a message to the GOP in November by reelecting President Obama and voting out Republicans in both the Senate and the House, freshman tea party Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) seems to have missed the memo. He appeared on Fox News Sunday:

I think the fiscal cliff deal was a lousy one, but moving forward with the debt ceiling and those who believe in limited spending and solving the debt…I don’t think what Washington needs is more compromise, I think what Washington needs is more common sense and more principle.

Cruz has said that he would not have voted for fiscal cliff agreement. Pressed by guest host John Roberts, Cruz extended his no-compromise agenda to everything from new revenue to gun control to the impending nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) as Secretary of Defense.

I remember back when we had someone named Bush as president and the right wing screaming about our politicians being akin to traitors if they didn't want to support his agenda and go invade a couple of countries on the credit card. Now it's just considered business as usual.

Full transcript below the fold. Roberts was so guest hosting terrible he actually made me miss having Chris Wallace on there.

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Tea party backed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Sunday insisted only Democrats were threatening default on the debt even though he has vowed not to raise the debt ceiling until Congress passes a balanced budget amendment.

"Let me be very clear about this," Cruz told Fox News host John Roberts. "I do not support default on the debt. We should never default on the debt, and the only players on Washington who are threatening default on the debt are President Barack Obama and [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid."

"In any given month, federal tax revenues are approximately 200 billion a month, interest on the debt is 30 to 40 billion dollars a month," the Texas Republican continued. "There is plenty of revenue to service the debt. And any responsible president would have stood at that podium and said, under any circumstance -- whatever happens with the debt ceiling -- we will always pay our debt, we will never default on the debt."

"And the reason the president isn't doing that is he's trying to scare people, he is trying to raise the spectre of a financial apocalypse."

A petition on the Ted Cruz for Senate campaign website calls on Congress to "hold the line" and prevent any debt ceiling increases without a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. constitution.

"I will stand with conservatives across the country in telling Congress not to raise the debt ceiling without a Balanced Budget Amendment," the petition states.

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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) says that gun buyers should face background checks for concealed carry handgun permits but not assault rifles because "it's about freedom."

During a Sunday interview on Fox News, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) explained to guest host John Roberts that even people on the terrorist watch list could purchase assault rifles like the Bushmaster AR-15 that was used to slaughter 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut.

Jordan, however, insisted that "more restrictions on law-abiding Americans is not going to prevent these kind of tragedies."

"We've got to remember the Second Amendment is about freedom," Jordan opined. "And that's what we've got to focus on as we move forward. If there's ways outside of this [background check proposal] that we can help address the situation, fine. But we've got to remember it's about freedom. And, frankly, you've got to remember that bad guys aren't stupid, they're just bad."

"This isn't about restricting people, this is about common-sense provisions," Van Hollen replied. "For example, right now we have a background check but there are big loopholes in the background check. Do you want to get rid of the background checks, the criminal background checks?"

Jordan noted that he had supported background checks and training courses for concealed carry permits.

"So, why not make that universal?" Van Hollen wondered. "Let's join each other in making sure we get rid of the loophole, so that everybody that purchases a gun must have a background check. Would you support that?"

"You've got to remember what the Second Amendment is about: It's about freedom," Jordan remarked.

"So if you've broken the law and committed a violent act, you should be able to go out and buy a semi-automatic assault weapon?" Van Hollen pressed.

"You shouldn't be able to get a concealed carry permit, that's for darn sure," Jordan quipped without answering the question.

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The religious lifestyle show hosted by televangelist Pat Robertson on Monday suggested that Christians in Florida had convinced God to move soon-to-be Hurricane Isaac away from Tampa, Florida to protect Republicans.

During a segment about how Isaac forced the first day of Republican National Convention to be cancelled, Christian Broadcasting Network's Paul Strand noted that Current TV host Jennifer Granholm sent out a "snarky tweet" saying that "God has ways to shut that whole thing down."

"For anybody who's a liberal who's part of a party that would like to whitewash God out of America, it's amazing that she's acknowledging that God has any part in the storm," conservative radio host Bill Bunkley told CBN.

"But gratitude's been a predominant attitude in Tampa's Christian circles as it looks like the city will escape much of Isaac's wrath," Strand reported, pointing out that the group "Pray Tampa Bay" was leading an effort to "cover the party conventions in prayer."

"We have had lots and lots of people praying around the clock that it would move," Rev. Jesten Peters explained. "And if you watch from the very beginning where they were saying it was coming up and now where they're saying it's going, then it's really moved a lot for us, and we appreciate God doing that and moving it for us."

Tropical Storm Isaac is project to strengthen into a hurricane within a day, sparing Tampa, but making landfall south of New Orleans almost exactly seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

At the time, Robertson suggested that then-Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' unwillingness to overturn abortion rights caused the storm.

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Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Sunday compared GOP hopeful Mitt Romney's selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) for vice president to his 2008 pick of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

During an interview on Fox News, guest host John Roberts told McCain that there is "danger that the running mate may overshadow the actual candidate on some of the most important issues of the day."

"I had that problem," McCain laughed. "I don't think that's the case. I think that this is a team that understands the challenges that we face. They obviously have very good chemistry between the two of them. And Americans recognize that running mates are very important, but obviously it's the top of the ticket that makes what the voters decide on as they enter the ballot booth."

Roberts noted that "there are some comparisons between Mitt Romney's pick yesterday and your pick back in 2008, that you went with a bold choice -- one that was very good in the short term for you, but one in the long term might not have been the best choice."

"I'm still proud of my running mate," McCain insisted. "I'm proud of Sarah and her family, and I'm proud of the work that we did."

"I think that in this case, it is also a bold choice," he added. "And I think it's a good match up because of Paul Ryan's ability to carry a Romney agenda though the Congress of the United States."

(h/t: Talking Points Memo)

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After discussing the pick of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's running mate and whether or not the columns at either the Wall Street Journal or the National Review might have pushed Romney into choosing Ryan or not, host John Roberts asks Bill Kristol about the likely attacks coming against Ryan from Democrats. And even Bill Kristol had to wonder if Republicans are going to be able to defend the tax cuts for the wealthy.

KRISTOL: I think taxes are the tougher attack ads. They combined, obviously, they're cutting Medicare. Why do they have to cut Medicare and gut education and do all these other horrible things when they insist on giving those tax cuts to the wealthy. But actually, if you look at polling, it's a pretty close call. People do know that entitlements have to be reformed. Even President Obama has said so. Hasn't done much about it. I think Republicans can pretty easily, honestly hold their own on that.

It's the tax cuts for the wealthy where Republicans have not done a particularly good job of defending it and I think you'll see the Democratic attacks really focus on that side of the equation.

ROBERTS: Steve Moore?

MOORE: Well, Bill is right. We know, we've known this for two years that the Democratic attack line would be we're going to cut entitlements and give tax cuts to the rich, because that's what the Democrats always do. Bill what I think is really exciting about having Paul on the ticket now is, who's better to defend those policies than Paul is and he knows this stuff better than anyone.

As the Think Progress post linked above noted:

Paul Ryan’s infamous budget — which Romney embraced — replaces “the current tax structure with two brackets — 25 percent and 10 percent — and cut the top rate from 35 percent.” Federal tax collections would fall “by about $4.5 trillion over the next decade” as a result. To avoid increasing the national debt, the budget proposes massive cuts in social programs and “special-interest loopholes and tax shelters that litter the code.”

But 62 percent of the savings would come from programs that benefit the lower- and middle-classes, who would also experience a tax increase. That’s because while Ryan “would extend the Bush tax cuts, which are due to expire at the end of this year, he would not extend President Obama’s tax cuts for those with the lowest incomes, which will expire at the same time.” Households “earning more than $1 million a year, meanwhile, could see a net tax cut of about $300,000 annually.”

Later in the segment Moore called anyone who dares to point out that Republicans want to do exactly that, gut our social safety nets while giving tax cuts to their rich friends, running on the politics of fear and envy. You hear that all you lazy moochers out there? You're just jealous of those job-creating achievers.... yeah, that's the ticket.

Here's to hoping things work out for Mitt Romney as they did for the last person who took Bloody Bill Kristol's advice as to who to choose for a running mate.

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Ah yes, the deification of Zombie Reagan that only exists in the minds of right-wingers continues on FoxPAC. After being by guest host John Roberts if the Romney-Ryan ticket “fails the Commander in Chief test” or not, here's how Fox regular KT McFarland responded.

MCFARLAND: Look, it's a brilliant foreign policy choice. Why? For three reasons.

One, you know, the biggest problem America faces, the biggest national security problem we face, according to the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the economy. If we don't fix the economy, foreign policy is collateral damage. So first fix the economy. And people forget that my boss, Reagan, in the first Reagan term, Reagan fixed the economy. He didn't take down the Soviet Union until the second term. So first, fix the economy.

The second thing is, America's immediate problem in foreign policy is Israel and Iran. Now, the United States and Israel have to see eye to eye on how to deal with Iran. If they don't see eye to eye, than Israel could be tempted to go off on its own, start a war with Iran that they can't finish that we have to finish. The closest relationship is between Romney and Netanyahu. They've known each other for forty years. They are on the same page. They may not always agree, but they're on the same page. And, you know John, as far as who's the foreign minister of Kazakhstan, what Romney can do is appoint a blue ribbon committee of wise men. Get Henry Kissinger, who opened China, did the first Middle East negotiations. Get George Schultz, ended the Cold War. Get Jim Baker, won the first Iraq war. Have them be a wise men committee to vet whoever the foreign policy picks are for the Cabinet. So, no, this is a great foreign policy choice, because it shows that America can solve it's problems and we're back.

ROBERTS: Quick answer if I could ask you for it KT, this idea of American exceptionalism as well, in a talk before the Council on Foreign Relations, Paul Ryan said “Obama (the President) doesn't think America is an exceptional nation. It's a shame he doesn't believe in American exceptionalism.” Is this idea of America being bigger than everybody else and stronger than everybody else really play into our national security going forward?

MCFARLAND: Yeah, and John that is in fact a key point. If you look around the world and say what's the biggest problem with the perception of America, it's that the best days are behind us. We were a great empire, no longer. And all the Obama administration's going to do is manage the decline. With a Romney-Ryan ticket, it's like Reagan again! It's like saying, we have big problems. We can solve big problems. And if the United States is the only mature democracy in the world that can do that, it sets the world on a whole new direction. I think it's brilliant!

h/t Media Matters

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Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on Wednesday said that it was "unfortunate" that some Republicans had called Chief Justice John Roberts a traitor to conservatives after he voted to uphold President Barack Obama's health care reform law.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on civics education, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) noted that attacks on judges could be a "threat to judicial independence."

"I am concerned about some of the rhetoric about the chief justice," Leahy told O'Connor. "He's been called everything from a traitor to having betrayed President George W. Bush."

"It's unfortunate," O'Connor agreed. "Because I think comments like that demonstrate only too well a lack of understanding that some of our citizens have about the role of the judicial branch."

"I think the framers of our federal Constitution did a great job in understanding themselves that the judicial branch needed to be able to make independent decisions and the legitimacy -- the lawfulness -- of actions at the state and federal lever," she added.

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Here we go again with Bloody Bill Kristol proving he's wrong about just about everything. From this Sunday's Fox News Sunday, Kristol thinks it would be a great idea for Mitt Romney to pick Condoleeza Rice as his running mate. We all know how well listening to Kristol's advice worked out for John McCain last time around when he picked Caribou Barbie.

Considering, as Roberts noted, that Rice has already said she doesn't want it and that Republicans are desperately trying to pretend George W. Bush never existed, I'm not expecting Mittens to be naming Rice as his choice for veep any time soon. In the mean time I guess we can all just hope he's silly enough to listen to Kristol.

ROBERTS: Right. I want to finish out this week with something else that Bill wrote about, and that is the potential veepstakes and Ann Romney saying we're looking at a woman.

Do you think that woman is... ?

KRISTOL: I think it could be Condoleeza Rice. And I think Ann Romney is very close to Mitt Romney, in certain respects (ph). I know she's a very impressive woman in her own right. I don't think she's just talking. I think if she says the Romney campaign is looking at a woman as a possible V.P. pick, (inaudible) --

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTS: But Condi just said time and time again, no thanks, don't want it. It's not me.

KRISTOL: Well, Dick Cheney said no, thanks, I don't want it in 2000. And the truth is, if you just step back -- and, I mean, I have -- I, myself am for Paul Ryan or Marco Rubio and other types like that. But if you are -- as the Romney campaign is -- data-driven and you look at polls and you look at Condoleeza Rice as favorable and unfavorable ratings, including among swing voters, women voters, et cetera, you could make a case that -- and she's totally qualified. But she also be an exciting pick. You could talk yourself into picking Condoleeza Rice.