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I guess HuckaJesus thinks that the best way to honor our troops over this Memorial Day weekend was to make sure he threw in a little bit of right-wing scandal-mongering and attacking that uppity president of ours for heaven forbid having a Marine hold an umbrella over his head during at press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, along with the revival of Benghazi-gate while giving a tribute to those "real heroes" of ours who aren't being taken care of properly at the V.A.

I'd be willing to take Huckabee's feigned concern for our troops that he expressed here a bit more seriously if he and his fellow Republicans were not doing their best to either make excuses for the Bush administration invading Iraq and Afghanistan while refusing to pay for their wars, and passing tax cuts instead, and if they weren't still pushing for our country to be involved in more military conflicts to this day.

Huckabee and his party of austerity that doesn't want to see the richest among us have their taxes raised one penny don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing anyone about how our troops are taken care of. We've got some huge problems with the V.A. but President Obama is not the one that created the mess where the outdated system was overloaded. He's the one who inherited the mess that George W. Bush helped to create. Now people like Huckabee are bitching that he hasn't fixed it quickly enough.

I'm not happy it hasn't been fixed either, but unless you've got some more constructive criticism about how to fix it, other than bringing up Umbrella-gate, or this fake Benghazi outrage we've been seeing from the right for months on end now, you need to either shut the hell up or decide to actually do something to make the situation better.

If Huckabee or anyone in the media actually cares about this issue, they should be doing things like bringing in computer experts to look at the system we have now, the systems being considered by the V.A., asking questions about the man hours to get the paper records converted and what the most efficient way to do that would be. And if it looked like the V.A. is not going to be using the most up to date technology and most efficient way to fix this mess, ask, "Why not?"

Mike Huckabee doesn't care about that. He cares about blowing the dog-whistles for the far right of his party that we heard here. What's really telling about the mentality of the people who actually take this guy seriously, is the loudest applause from his audience was when he was talking about President Obama and the umbrella being held up for him: Huckabee: Honoring America's Real Heroes:

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Sen. Bernie Sanders continues to be one of the stand-up guys in the Senate with telling it straight when it comes to the fact that Social Security does not add a dime to our deficit and that if President Obama wants to do something about the deficit, he needs to be cutting that corporate welfare, instead of talking about balancing the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in our society and our veterans.

Sanders joined Ed Schultz on MSNBC this Friday evening. After Schultz took the viewers through some of the goading by Republicans who are trying to get President Obama to do their dirty work for them and go after our New Deal social safety nets, and a clip of Ronald Reagan explaining that Social Security does not contribute to the deficit, he asked Sanders if he trusted President Obama not to cave into their demands.

Sanders said no, but if enough of us make our voices heard along with the slew of progressive groups who are pushing back hard against these potential cuts, he feels he will be responsive to the voters. All I can say is I hope he's right about the President listening, and I know he's right about the need for everyone who doesn't want to see these programs cut to make their voices heard and get on the phone, email, write letters, call and make sure that both President Obama and your members of Congress know to how you feel.

They need to be hearing from someone besides the Ed Rendell and Pete Petersons of the world. I'm grateful that we've got Ed Schultz giving us a break from the otherwise constant drumbeat on his network, calling going after our social safety nets adult, serious and balanced in exchange for Republican hostage taking. on raising the debt ceiling after their party spent like drunken sailors and now don't want to pay their credit card bill.

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Bernie was still pushing for one item that would help with our deficit that sadly has gone nowhere with those looking out for the 1 percent since it was introduced over a year ago, a tax on Wall Street speculation:

Legislation was introduced on Wednesday to impose a financial transaction tax on the trading of stocks, bonds and derivatives. The measure would reduce gambling on Wall Street, encourage the financial sector to invest in the productive economy, and significantly reduce the deficit without harming average Americans. "This bill offers us a clear choice. We can balance the budget on the backs of working Americans and senior citizens on fixed incomes or we can ask the gamblers on Wall Street to pay a little bit more in taxes," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, a cosponsor of the bill.

Under the proposal, there would be a speculation fee of 0.03 percent on credit default swaps, derivatives, stocks, bonds, and other financial transactions. It would yield about $200 billion in new revenue over the coming decade. The lead sponsor in the Senate is Tom Harkin. Rep. Peter DeFazio filed companion legislation in the House.

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Jon Stewart had a bit of fun during his opening segment Wednesday evening with Donald Trump and his latest desperate move to get the media talking about him again and with Sarah Palin and her blatant race baiting, before moving onto the very serious issue of veterans in the United States trying to find jobs after returning from the battle field and Republicans' refusal to do anything about it.

His take down of Trump and Palin was just absolutely brutal, absolutely hilarious and absolutely deserved.

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Lawrence O'Donnell skewered Mitt Romney for his time writing love letters in the sand to Ann on the beach in France during the Vietnam war, and for being one of the few people out there to actually protest in favor of that war, while simultaneously getting draft deferments.

And he wrapped things up with Sen. Jim Webb who while introducing President Obama at a campaign event in Virginia, reminded Mitt Romney of just who that 47 percent he was talking about that fundraiser includes and what they're owed -- Webb to Romney: A ‘thanks’ would have been nice:

Introducing President Obama in Virginia Beach, retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), condemned Mitt Romney for failing to mention veterans or the military in his GOP convention speech.

The omission was all the more damning, Webb suggested, because Romney is of an age where he might have served in Vietnam but did not.

“If nothing else, at least mention some word of thanks and respect when a presidential candidate who is their generational peer makes a speech,” said Webb, a former Navy secretary and decorated Marine who served in Vietnam. Romney was exempted from the draft, first as a student and then as a missionary.

“This was a time when every American male was eligible to be drafted. People made choices,” Webb said. “Those among us who stepped forward to face the harsh unknowns did so with the belief that their service would be honored.”

Webb also tied in Romney’s much criticized remark that 47 percent of Americans believe they are “victims” who feel entitled to federal handouts, saying some of those benefits go to veterans.

“Those young Marines that I led have grown older now. All gave some. Some gave all. That’s not a culture of dependency,” he said. ”They paid. Some with their lives, some with their wounds, disabilities. Some with emotional scars. Some with lost opportunities. Not only did they pay, they are owed. They are owed.”

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It was nice to see someone finally skewer Sen. Tom Coburn for his hypocrisy on what he considers wasteful spending by the Congress. I'm sick and tired of watching the Villagers in the press give this guy way more deference than he deserves and pretending he's some honest broker when it comes to fiscal responsibility and not just another right-wing partisan who's always got an excuse for why he voted in lock-step with the rest of the extremists in his party.

Coburn voted against the Veterans Jobs Corp Act and Stewart gave what is an appropriate response to his cynicism. It's too bad he's not treated with this much scorn more often.

STEWART: The unemployment rate for veterans, 11 percent, 3 percent higher than the general population. Luckily, the Senate today has taken up a bill that would help get jobs for the over 700 thousand veterans, currently out of work. […]

Yes, the Senate voted on a bill that would provide a billion dollars to veterans to help them get jobs in law enforcement, fire departments and/or federal land. The bill was affirmed by 58 Senators, rejected by only 40, thus failing to pass, because apparently in Senate-world, 58-40 is a losing score and you eat out of your anus and s**t out of your ears.

Leading the charge against America's fighting men, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, who opposes on grounds of fiscal responsibility. […]

That's right. This bill is felonious crap. By the way, also the name of my jazz fusion band...

Stewart went on to give the likes of Coburn the smack-down he deserves for his hypocrisy on what exactly entails “felonious crap.”

STEWART: So once again, 800 billion dollars, unfunded, for war. A billion dollars, but paid for in a way you aren't crazy about to help the guys who fought the war get jobs afterwards, “We're not made out of money people.”

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Lawrence O'Donnell gives us “Another Episode of When Republican Draft Dodgers Run for President”

After taking a shot at Mitt Romney last week for his “evolving” comments on the Vietnam war, O'Donnell took another bite at the apple with Romney's supposed support for the war while obtaining one deferment after the other to avoid actually serving there. This week it was for “utter, nonsensical, gibberish we heard from Romney while out on the campaign trail in Ohio.

ROMNEY: I noticed there weren't as many second World War vets as there used to be at memorial days when I was younger and they're a little older. They can't hold the torch quite as high as they used to. That torch is now going to have be seized by us, by our generations. It's a torch of freedom and hope and opportunity. It's not America 's torch. But it's America 's duty and honor to hold that torch high so it can be seen by the world.

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New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly got the first place honors in Keith Olbermann's list of Worst Persons for Monday night for their little fiasco this weekend with another over-hyped terrorism threat to distract from the Occupy Wall Street protesters that were showing up outside of Bloomberg's home.

Marcy Wheeler has more on that here -- The Bloomie and Kelly Show … with Fake Video Props!.

Runners up were deadbeat dad Rep. Joe Walsh -- VIDEO: Rep. Joe Walsh Calls Veterans Protesting Wall Street Un-American.

And child labor advocate and current GOP frontrunner, Newt Gingrich -- Newt Gingrich: "Child Labor Laws Are Stupid" -- UPDATED with Video!.

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At an Veteran's Day campaign event in South Carolina Friday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney hinted that he might introduce "private sector competition" for veterans' health care and other benefits.

Romney told a group of veterans at Mutt's BBQ in Mauldin that it might be possible to create a "voucher" system.

"When you work in the private sector and you have a competitor, you know if I don't treat this customer right, they're going to leave me and go somewhere else," the candidate said. "Whereas if you're the government, they know there's nowhere else you guys can go. You're stuck."

Romney added: "Sometimes you wonder if there would be some way to introduce some private sector competition, somebody else that could come in and say, you know, each soldier gets X thousand dollars attributed to them. And then they can choose whether they want to go into the government system or the private system with the money that follows them."

"Like what happens in Florida, where people have a voucher that goes with them. Who knows?"

Last week, the former Massachusetts governor proposed a Medicare overhaul that would also include the option of vouchers, a plan similar to one offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) earlier this year.

A Bloomberg Government study found that the Ryan plan would result in very little health care savings.

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Rachel Maddow wished Sen. Jim DeMint a "happy" Veterans Day after his lone vote against the VOW to Hire Heroes Act which passed the Senate 94-1 with DeMint being the lone dissenting vote.

DeMint explains his veterans 'no' vote:

Sen. Jim DeMint knew that casting the lone vote against a veterans jobs bill wasn’t going to make him very popular – especially just a day before Veterans Day. But then again, the South Carolina tea-party Republican has never really cared about winning the popularity contest.

Nevertheless, he went to great length to explain on the Senate floor Thursday why the legislation amounted to nothing more than politics, almost anticipating the attacks from Democrats who later circulated an email quoting DeMint saying veterans are just another “political group.”

“I’ll probably be accused of not supporting veterans by the politicians pandering for their votes. But, I am not going to be intimidated into voting for something that may make sense politically but is inherently unfair and isn’t going to work,” DeMint said before the vote. “It might sound like good politics, but it is not good policy.”

The veterans bill, passed by the Senate 94-1, would provide tax credits for firms that hire unemployed or disabled vets. But DeMint opposed the legislation, arguing that the tax breaks won’t encourage hiring, would complicate the tax code and amount to the government picking winners and losers.

At one point, he said, “We're pandering to different political groups with programs that have proven to be ineffective.”

As The Huffington Post reported, DeMint also had this to say about the bill -- Jim DeMint: Veterans Hiring Bill Is A Democratic 'Trick'.

From Democracy Now, Amy Goodman interviews some of the protesters from Occupy Louisville -- Occupy Louisville: Voices from Social Justice Encampment in the Hometown of Muhammad Ali:

Over the weekend, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman visited demonstrators at Occupy Louisville, a protest inspired by Occupy Wall Street. They’ve set up an encampment right across the street from a local jail. We hear from veterans, students, social justice activists, and other community members who spent the night at the protest.