Is there one working brain cell amongst the House GOP/TPers? ~ ~ full story follows next ~ Sooz

TPM EDITOR'S BLOG
10.22.2013 – 06:42 PM EDT
Ummm .. WTF?

Last we heard of one-time tech pioneer John McAfee he was living out some sort modern day Heart of Darkness fantasy in Belize and suspected in the murder of a neighbor before becoming an international fugitive and doing all sorts of other awesome stuff. Now House Republicans want him to get to the bottom of what happened with the Obamacare rollout.

— Josh Marshall

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/ummm-wtf

Alex Jones' involvement should be explanation enough ~ ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

TPM LIVEWIRE
House GOP Asks Eccentric Ex-Fugitive to Vet HealthCare.gov
Dylan Scott – October 22, 2013, 6:45 PM EDT

The House Energy and Commerce Committee asked John McAfee, the tech security guru who went on the lam in Central America last year under suspicion of murder, to examine the troubled rollout of Obamacare's online insurance website, according to CNBC.

The consultation never occurred, but that didn't stop McAfee from sharing his thoughts with noted right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in an interview posted Tuesday on Jones's website.

"My advice would be: Throw it away, and start over," McAfee said. "You cannot fix the system that's there. It is impossible, the way it is architected, any good programmer will tell you, it's just not going to work... It will never work the way that it is."

The committee sought McAfee, who was deported to the United States last December after being detained in Guatemala, to "guide our oversight and review of" the website's launch, according to an email obtained by CNBC.

McAfee was suspected last year of murdering his neighbor while living in Belize. He was never charged and vehemently denied the accusation.

According to CNBC, McAfee never actually spoke with the committee. McAfee explained to Jones that he turned the request down because the committee wanted to do the briefing over the phone.

If you want a picture of McAfee's life in Belize, check out these Gizmodo and Reuters pieces. He lived in a compound, armed to the teeth with firearms and outfitted with a chemistry laboratory. He also apparently kept a lot of dogs on the premises and, when detained by Belize authorities, he was accompanied by a 17-year-old girl.


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/house-committee-wanted-terry-mcafee-to-examine-obamacare-rollout

Like seeks out like ~ ~ Sooz

House Republicans’ unique appreciation for ‘expertise’
10/23/13 08:01 AM
By Steve Benen

From time to time, Republican officials will seek out advice from those who are a little … what’s the word … unusual.

For example, earlier this year, the Republican National Committee invited far-right provocateur David Horowitz, author of books such as “Killing Whitey,” to help the party “broaden the GOP’s appeal with voters.” His lack of credibility on the subject didn’t seem to bother party leaders. Similarly, around the same time, House Republicans sought out Dick Cheney for guidance on foreign policy, untroubled by his track record, too.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with seeking out experts for advice – indeed, it’s generally a good idea – but the key is identifying reliable, trustworthy authorities who can help others better understand complex issues and add value to a serious conversation.

It you missed Rachel’s opening segment last night – and my oh my do I hope you saw this one – there’s fresh evidence that Republicans’ appreciation for expertise is a little, shall we saw, skewed.


For PC owners, McAfee is probably a familiar brand name, generally associated with anti-virus software. But John McAfee is another story altogether.

Rachel documented the sordid tale last night in stunning fashion, but to briefly recap, John McAfee, following some notable drug-induced escapades, moved to Belize, where he surrounded himself with firearms, bodyguards, and teenaged girlfriends. When a neighbor filed a noise complaint against McAfee, the neighbor was soon after shot in the head and killed.

McAfee then fled Belize, was detained in Guatemala, and was deported back to the United States.

This is the man House Republicans have sought out for guidance on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

McAfee’s lawyer apparently responded that his client’s schedule is “up in the air,” but he might be available for “a phone breifing [sic].”

A couple of years ago, David Brooks, lamenting the radicalism of congressional Republicans, complained that many on the far-right “do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities.”

That’s true, though they’re happy to replace legitimate scholars and intellectual authorities with a colorful cast of characters.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-house-gops-unique-approach-experts