Stop Glenn Beck!

Hello Bloggers! Please join my new favorite cause to stop Glenn Beck!

The man is vermin. He lies to millions for money and power. He's helped ruin many political minds that I know and love. We need to do something before he lures more innocent people into his web.

Please visit StopBeck.com and join the mailing list, reach his advertisers, and help expose his constant lies to them. Support any cause that helps to reveal the truth about Beck. The man is hurting our nation in so many ways.

One day he will go down as one more American nightmare - like Joe McCarthy, but worse - that lied its money-and-power-hungry-souless-ignorant-lazy-scum-sucking-self into the hearts of gullible, lazy-thinking and naive people everywhere. Until then, we need to do everything we can to stop him.

I hope you guys are having a great Summer - Michael

Democrats Need to Play the Hate Card

Hello Bloggers! What did you find shocking about the right-wing demonstrations this past weekend? Was it the number of people? Was it the fact they were practically all white? Was it the crazy signage? Was it the outrageously propagandist Pravda-like media coverage by Glenn Beck on FOX?

To me it was the hatred, racism, bigotry and more. I know it's controversial, but I'm calling them out. I think it's past time to play the "hate card" people.

Playing the Hate Card

Yes, I said the "hate card." That means calling them out on a whole variety of hate-based intolerance. In my personal opinion, the protesters this weekend seemed to hate anything they cannot identify with, control or understand.

Let me be specific. They seem to hate change. They seem to hate anybody who spends money they covet, consider their own or don't control. They seem to hate people in power over them. They seem to hate anything they don't understand. I would even go so far as to say they even seem to hate people who don't look like them, based on their response to our current president.

There I said it. I think they're racists, bigots, homophobes/intolerants, and those who love the status quo so much they hate anybody who threatens it.

It's clear they try to dress it up as a 'call to arms' singing the constant Republican oppositional refrain when out-of-power: less government, less spending, less socialism, more justice, more freedom, more patriotism and more America. They spin everything using those same tired refrains and sadly a certain percentage of Americans always buy it, but this time it seems worse.

Glenn Beck and American Propaganda

They seem angrier than usual. They've found a rallying cry and a friend in Glenn Beck, one of the scariest people in media today. This is a man who has admitted to a willingness to say anything [on air] to whip his fans into a feeding frenzy. He's all about ratings, fame and power, and it's very scary. I think the man is capable of anything.

Beck is a major problem for our country. Like so many propagandists throughout history, he will destroy many lives and livelihoods before it's all over.

Did you see the visuals on FOX this Saturday? Beck was hosting all day while he narrated the protests along with a parade of propaganda featuring George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, the Statue of Liberty, the Declaration, the Constitution, war heroes and all the other iconic images of America.

Simply put, he was trying to say that we - Democrats - are destroying the real America. He practically accused us of pissing on the purple mountains majesty and the amber waves of grain. I was so repulsed by his abuse of our great American history and iconography that I wanted to puke.

He's the worst of the worst, using brilliant images of tolerance to sell lies, hate and deceit. It's clear that Beck must be destroyed.

Hating President Obama

Anyway, the radical throngs watching those images seem to possess a serious, unprovoked common-thread-of-craziness. In addition to hating any change (which is probably why most voted for John McCain), they also all seem to share an inexplicable, serious opposition to anything supported by or affiliated with our current president - President Barack Hussein Obama.

They seem to dislike or hate him, and certainly don't respect him. Most don't even consider him an American citizen.

Despite his likable nature, his diplomatic and statesman-like skills, they can't stand the man. What could it be? My guess is his skin color and/or his perceived ethnicity. In other words, he's not enough like them, or American enough for them. It's crazy, but it's true. I doubt anything we can say will change their warped minds.

Just ask yourself a few questions if you don't believe it.
1) What about past liberal presidents with so-called "far-reaching" agendas?

Bill Clinton was one who tried serious health care reform. Did they call him a "traitor," a "communist," or worst of all, a "terrorist?" They impeached him for fooling around with a chubby girl, but they never took to the streets and accused him of being a Hitler or a Nazi. They never accused him of being unAmerican or a threat of any kind. They still treated him as a legitimate president.

2) What about past presidents who actually passed expensive health care legislation that increased entitlement programs costing the federal government billions while adding to the deficit?

It's true, George W. Bush supported SCHIP, drug benefits and Medicare Part D. His health care reforms cost the government hundreds of billions each year, added to the deficit, did not exclude illegal aliens, and were supported by the vast majority of Republicans in both houses - including Joe - "You Lie" - Wilson from South Carolina. Where were the protesters then?

There is either a serious double-standard going on, or something's not quite right in the GOP.

Republican Political Hypocrisy

The truth is most Republicans don't care about government and spending unless Democrats are in power. Remember, let's all say it together, all money is Republican. Democrats can argue for reforms until they're blue in the face, but the Republicans (in knee-jerk opposition) will still reject them unless they control the money, the process, and get all the credit.

The Republicans spend trillions of taxpayer money benefiting multi-national private corporations (military-industrial, insurance, finance, health care, pharmaceutical and more) and nobody lifts a sign. The Democrats try to reform huge problems of economic waste, to make them more efficient and helpful to the American people, and the GOP rats come out of the woodwork with their chants and slogans.

Economic efficiencies be damned, as long as the Republicans can transfer American taxpayer wealth from ordinary Americans to their corrupt constituencies.

Republican Inconsistencies

If Republicans (the protesters) are so passionate about federal spending and government waste, why didn't they speak up more during the Bush years? Most of them whole-heartedly supported the Bush agenda, despite the outrageous costs, increases in entitlement and dept-spending, war-profiteering, lack of serious accounting practices, illegalities and questionable constitutional behavior, and much more.

Who were the patriots then? They were Democrats, and the hundreds of thousands and millions over the years who protested what is proven to be true corruption and waste. Unfortunately, we didn't have a 24/7 network to tout our message all day like the GOP. Sadly, most of America ignored our message at the time. Even the LA and NY Times ignored us, despite both displaying a huge picture and headlines about Saturday's political debacle.

To most observers it's clear that today's right-wing is not motivated by any passion for an honest government, but more about what government is in power. It's clear they're all about having their own people in power. Once in power, corruption and waste be damned.

Occam's Razor Proves It

Finally, for the ones who still doubt the Republicans and their media are playing the hate card, I suggest you try to think about it scientifically. Use what most scientists use: Occam's razor. The principle states, "when you have competing theories that make similar predictions, the simplest one is usually the right one." My theory is simple: we're witnessing the forces of hatred and/or intolerance motivated by fear and ignorance against something they don't understand - embodied by President Obama.

My theory (that hate and intolerance is at work) is far more likely than a large group of Americans angry about a bunch of issues they never seemed to understand before, ignored or were indifferent about during the dark days of the Bush Administration. Occam's Razor seems to support my conclusion. The other seems too far-fetched and unlikely.

Are the Republicans the New Klan?

Back to the protests. I was an eyewitness to one here in LA. I drove by our local federal building here to see what our local protesters were complaining about and was shocked to say the least. It was awful! A few wore swastika ribbons on their sleeves, and most were screaming horrible things about our president. The anger was palpable; the fear and loathing psychological.

I'm not kidding when I say that I felt like I was at a Klan rally. There were a few Obama supporters trying to protest the lies, but the "tea party" crowd was just getting more angry and screaming louder. They didn't seem to want to hear any debate. They just seemed angry and acted how I imagined Klansman would act. They seemed irrational to say the least.

I left before any fighting broke out, thanking God that I wasn't in DC witnessing the same political nightmare on a much larger scale.

I don't care what FOX "News" or any other media says, Saturday's right-wing "9/12" "tea party" protests had nothing to do with political policies, government waste or patriotism. That's pure BS! The crowd I witnessed, which I'm pretty sure was the same one marching in DC based on watching TV, were motivated by darker forces.

Even if they don't know it themselves, that crowd is angry because somebody they didn't vote for and don't identify with is sitting in their Oval Office spending what they consider to be their money, and it pisses them the hell off. That's how I see it at least.

Conclusion

We're obviously witnessing a serious case of blow-back after Obama's election victory. The protesters are making it clear they have no intention of working problems out with our team. Despite the fact that over a billion dollars of good American money was spent on a multi-year campaign and one man clearly won an overwhelming victory, the radical right is trying to annul the process. Well, that's BS!

There was an election. It's time for the radical right to stop their irrational and undemocratic interference in the legitimate political process. They are trying to 'delegitimize' our duly-elected president, and we cannot allow them to do it. The Republicans are rife with hatred, racism and intolerance these days. So much so that I question their legitimacy as a political party right now. Sadly, like so many, I see them more as a cult or a Klan these days.

Still, we cannot allow them to derail what is right and just. Their sea of bobbing placards and hand-lettered signs cannot be allowed to distract us from the truth. The truth is that most people should be angry about the legacy and incompetence of George W. Bush and the Republicans, and happy that a good and decent man like President Obama is trying to save our economy and America along with it.

Monday's Political Rant - Michael

PS - More feedback is available over at Papamoka Straight Talk. The Raw Story wrote a great overview piece (citing multiple stories) on the same subject. Enjoy!

Wow, What a Spectacle of Stupidity

Hello Readers! Did you happen to notice the crowd sizes at most of yesterday's "Tea Parties?" The largest crowd was supposedly in Denver, and it was under 5,000 people. They got smaller and smaller, with most having only a few dozen people. It was pretty embarrassing for the organizers.

Did you also happen to notice how FOX "News" seemed to forget their wide angle lenses yesterday? They kept shooting close-ups giving the illusion the crowds were massive. They had their mics turned way up giving the illusion the crowd noise was much louder too. It was media manipulation at its best.

To think, some people actually consider them a news network. Where were they when tens of thousands were protesting the war? Let's face it, they're a media joke.

There were technical glitches too. Neil Cavuto and Sean Hannity were caught estimating their crowds to be low, and later multiplying them on camera. It was very embarrassing for the "news" network that really can't afford to look any less fair and balanced. Every FOX correspondent was caught overstating their crowd sizes. Their estimates were overturned by local police at day's end.

Did you also happen to notice the composition of the crowds? It was incredible! The majority of the "Tea Baggers" were over 50 and all seemed to be very white. Yes, our senior citizens - the Medicare and Medicaid crowd - were out there holding signs calling President Obama and the Democrats socialists. It was all too much. Some of the events looked like senior citizen Klan rallies - quite anachronistic in the 21st century.

The whole day was embarrassing and outrageous for most of us who watched from the side lines. It showed us just how many Americans (thousands nationally) will actually respond to a call by extreme right-wing groups and media, no matter how wrong the message. It showed the thin edge of the Republican wedge - of people who like to vote against their own best interest. Yesterday was a sad day for American political intellect. It was a sad day in America for intelligent political protest and discourse.

Anyway, in the end the "Tea Parties" were the disaster, the spectacle of stupidity we all thought they would be. The ridiculous concept was ridiculous in the end. The idiots who organized them will hopefully slink away into the shadows where they came from. The weirdos and the wackos who attended will do the same.

The Republican party was the big loser. They now appear more marginalized, more radical, and more out-of-touch than ever. Joining the loser fest are the right-wing media die-hards: Cavuto, Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck and O'Reilly. They now look even more crazy. Do you think they regret it? I doubt it, since I'm sure they got their ratings. They're also all too insane to care.

Thursday's Political Rave - Michael

Viva La Revolution!

Good Morning Readers! There's a new Rasmussen national poll out that suggests only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism. That result is extraordinary! No wonder John McCain lost the election trying to paint Barack Obama as a socialist.

It also clear now why the idiots of FOX "News" and other conservative media are beginning to look like smoke-filled echo chambers these days. The term "socialism" is finally losing some of its political punch, and they're just too stupid to realize it. I think it's a positive sign for those of us concerned about the future. Hopefully, it shows that America is evolving.

Rasmussen found that 20% of Americans say socialism is better, while 27% are not sure which is better. That sounds predictable. What is shocking are the trends. It's all about the next generation people!

Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. That is NEW! That is NEWS! The slightly older thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. That still represents a trend away from Republicanism.

Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of older Americans believe socialism is better. Of course, they represent the heart of modern, unregulated capitalism, or Republicanism.

Personally, I consider myself a responsible capitalist. What is that? By and large it means I believe in sustainable economics, or an economy that can sustain society and all of mankind, while contributing to individual freedom and happiness. I also believe in trying to protect health, the environment, the vulnerable, and the future. Wow, what a radical I am!

Most of those protections are already in place. The missing link involves health care, and I think President Obama will handle that issue. The only "socialism" left to worry about involves the large holes in regulations left by modern Republicans. You know what I mean? The Republican deregulation that destroyed the modern economy. It's clear that we need to re-regulate the market so that it doesn't destroy itself or us. We also have to ensure a healthy, sustainable future.

As the poll suggests, most YOUNG Americans today are supportive of the idea. It also suggests most OLDER Americans, mainly Republicans (led by idiots like Bush, McCain, Palin and Romney), are way behind the learning curve. It makes you wonder if they'll ever catch-up. I wouldn't hold my breath.

I think the poll also suggests that people are changing their minds about the nature of free enterprise and what we call individual rights. The Republican free market ideal has always meant unlimited rights. I think that is less acceptable to people now. National and world resources are now seen as limited. It only makes sense that individual responsibility is more important. Free enterprise and individuals rights will pay a price. The planet and the future are now seen as vulnerable.

Free enterprise must have limits. It must be both responsible and sustainable.

Just to be clear for those on the right, I'm talking about multi-party, socially responsible capitalism. A sustainable, healthy capitalism. I'm NOT talking about a state economy, or a single-party socialistic economy. If you jump to that conclusion, you're an idiot! It would save a lot of time [in this debate] if you just accept that fact, and not try to paint me out to be some kind of anti-capitalistic, anti-democratic nut case.

It's now becoming clear that Republican-led, unregulated, free market capitalism is slowly destroying our nation, our planet, our health, and our children's future.

I think people are figuring it out. It seems the only ones denying it now are the far right, and they're beginning to look like a radical fringe group. Interestingly, if you listen to conservative media, they think the revolution is going their way. I think it's going our way - let's hope, our future depends on it. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Viva la Revolution!

Thursday's Political Rant - Michael

WAKE UP! Glenn Beck is Media Scum!

Good Morning Readers! This Keith Olbermann discovered quote should help Glenn Beck fans understand that even he knows he's full of it! Sadly, his fans probably don't realize it, and take his word as gospel.

WAKE UP PEOPLE! He's a greedy, ratings-craving, political entertainer just like Limbaugh. They TALK CRAP for a living! Please, conservative media watchers and listeners, especially the ones who defend people like him on this blog, PAY MORE ATTENTION to the facts!

"If you take what I say as gospel, you're an idiot," Glenn Beck

The Great American Echo Chambers

Good Morning Readers! As any regular visitor to my blog knows, every now and then I feel compelled to write about the Republican/conservative talking machine. Did you guys watch some of the political talk shows yesterday? I don't know about you, but the ones I looked at were filled with Republican hyperbole and obfuscation.

The "repetitive monkeys" as I like to call them - because they're "intellectually challenged" - are at full volume these days. They are constantly beating on us at the moment about spending, and none of the talk show hosts challenge them on the facts. Not one host asked for alternatives. Not one challenged the GOP's spending habits. Their lies and deceit went completely unchallenged yesterday. It was disgusting!

The fact that they spent tens of billions to successfully spend us out of a serious recession after 9/11 is never questioned. The fact they are responsible for 90% of ALL FEDERAL DEBT, much of it caused by their tax cuts, thus leaving future generations with few options, is never discussed. They get away with painting themselves as fiscal conservatives, which is maddening when you know the facts.

Most of the Republicans this weekend danced around the serious issues and never offered specifics. They were throwing around absurd, unsupportable accusations. The media did little to help with fairness, since they were too busy enjoying the foaming and the frothing. Right-wingers kept saying how they were "intellectually honest with the American people." What a joke! I only hope the American people know better, because the facts certainly don't support it.

Since we're on the subject, allow me to say the worst, of course, is FOX "News" and that triumvirate of media MORONS Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. Listen to any one of them and you walk away with more crap than a public toilet. They are a boil on America's bottom. They would have been great working at Pravda during the worst years of the USSR. They are selfish, disgusting propagandists using issues like morality and patriotism to line their own greedy pockets. They are the truly UGLY side of America's modern media.

I hear their crap often during dinner party debates. Defending against them is like trying to get out of a brier patch. No matter what you do, you're going to get scratched up. They train their sheep to always change the subject when seriously challenged. In my opinion, after debating many of their flock, I've decided there must be some kind of brainwashing involved. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out if the hosts are brainwashing, or if their flock is just more susceptible to being brainwashed. That is the question.

Btw, there is good news. It's true they attract millions every night, but what they never tell you about their ratings is how they rarely attract over 25% of the American audience. In other words, almost every conservative watches FOX "Noise," while the rest of us watch a multitude of other news sources. It's clear Republicans love to hear themselves talk. The rest of us, our ratings, are spread out across multiple media. If it cheers you up, the FOX "Nitwits" primarily talk to the same people every night. They are the special interest media, which goes a long way to limiting their power.

The other good news is beginning to unfold behind the scenes in back rooms, where serious Republicans are beginning to wonder whether they can continue being "helped" by FOX/Limbaugh-style echo-chambers. They are beginning to question whether stifling serious debate helps their party grow. They're starting to question their self-made Republican bubble.

What can they do though? The Republican sheep love their media. The conservative media love their sheep. Both love the biased reporting. They all seem to love the echo chamber. It's very sad. I've written about it before on this blog, we need to reinvigorate the great American political debate. We need to end the shouting matches. We need to shut down the propagandists. We need one set of facts. We need to care about this issue more.

Monday's Political Rant - Michael

Turn Around and Fight, Face to Face!

Hello Readers! I would like to discuss something close to my heart and this blog: the poor state of political communication or debate today. I'm mostly referring to what I see coming out of the Republicans, or the right, but I'll be fair and say that we all seem to be talking past each other these days. In my opinion, the traditional QUALITY of American political debate is in jeopardy. We all need to go back to school for a refresher.

The more society becomes interconnected by electronic networks the less we seem to understand each other, or at least LISTEN. I'm sure we've all noticed it. We all - both the right and the left - seem to be drifting apart. Where's the common ground we used to share? It's getting more and more difficult to be civil. What's the cause? Could it be the Internet? It may contribute to the quantity of today's debate, but is it possible that it detracts from the quality? That's a good question we should ask ourselves.

Take this blog for example. If you go back and read many of my posts you'll see that I go to great lengths to find facts and figures. I do a lot of homework before I write about an issue. Unfortunately most of the responses are what you might call incomplete. They're always personal, sometimes cruel, and most of the time illiterate. Instead of debating the issue they always seem to go after me. To this day, I have yet to enjoy a traditional point-by-point debate with the right. It's true. Go and look if you disagree. I dare you to find a decent debate. They usually just call me names.

It's as if we come from two different worlds, and speak two different languages. To be blunt, I've grown frustrated and lost faith in small blogs like mine as a place for actual debates. To be clear, I'm only speaking about getting responses, since I still like writing for people who just enjoy reading about political issues. I've gone back to real life, person-to person debates, usually at dinner parties, where I can really dig in. Those are fun too. Like so many of us here, I've begun to ignore the intellectual rot that has infected today's political dialog on the Internet. You know its many forms.

This blog is now simply an outlet, where I get to vent about politics to a few hundred people who stop by every now and then to read my rants and raves. I still love it when you debate, but you don't have to. I encourage healthy debate, and discourage unhealthy, stupid debate. Please, do your homework. READ! I'm speaking mostly to those on the right who seem to resist facts, while using their keyboards to vomit forth garbage that adds nothing to the debate. Their usual word fare is hardly worth the read, much less a response.

Anyway, back to the discussion about the poor state of today's political communication. Here's a great example of the way the right looks at the left today. It's a recent transcript from Rush Limbaugh:

RL: This is... it's about power, it's about control. These people genuinely look out over this country from their lofty perches. They don't like what they see. Otherwise...

Caller: So they can go somewhere else! Like, I don't understand, why do they have to stay here? Like, leave us alone!

RL: At this point, at this point Gretchen, I don't care about the why. They're not going to leave. They're trying to control it. At this point, the only thing is they must be stopped!

Caller: I agree...

RL: Within the confines of our Constitution, and the political arena of ideas, they must be stopped. I don't care why they see this country the way they see it. I don't care why a murderer does it. I don't care why a rapist does it. I don't care why this Muslim guy offed his wife's head. The NOW gang is out there saying 'oh, that's not domestic violence, that's just, uh, that's just...' what do they call it? 'Culturally honor killing. Or this woman was going to divorce him, that's against the law. That's his diversity.' I don't care, I don't care why anymore. If I figure it out, I'll be glad to tell you because it's interesting to know, but it doesn't matter in terms of defeating them.

It's so tiring. They're so tiring. I realize that Limbaugh is just trying to get ratings, and he's not a politician, but many Republicans admire him and consider him to be a solid representative of the right wing. It's still horrible! Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly and Beck are all out there calling us "socialists" and "communists" these days, and they won't allow for a real debate to counter their BS. The really dumb ones - on the radio - are even worse, calling us "fascists" and "baby killers." Unlike left wing radio, they never take OUR CALLS! They screen us out. They never welcome our best people on their TV shows! The system doesn't work!

I understand we all - on both sides of the aisle - get colorful at times, but things are getting out of hand. We deserve the right to counter their crap! I often get heated and passionate on this blog, but I'm always willing to debate my points - as long as you do it properly, POINT-BY-POINT! That's the only way to determine what side is right, and what side is LYING!

Our national conversation seems to be getting worse. The right is spending its air time calling us names. They oppose our positions without debate, and they do it while the country is FALLING APART from problems THEY CREATED! The Republicans and those on the right are being INCREDIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE in my opinion. Something needs to change, and FAST!

I have an idea! Our Democratic leaders need to challenge the Republicans to REAL POLITICAL DEBATES, like the ones held during the election, but BETTER! More PASSIONATE! The American people are worried about their future, and they would respond. If they're really feisty, the networks could sell advertising. The ratings would probably be good. Just like in school, let's put our best debaters up against their best debaters. Let's see who wins the day. We could even offer a prize. How about real power and the future of the nation.

That's today's great political challenge. Let's turn that FAT ELEPHANT around to face us, and have a series of real, honest American political debates. It may be the only way.

Friday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Hateful Republican Liars Blaming Everything On Obama

Good Morning Bloggers - I won't cite specifics here, because there are too many, but last week and over the weekend the overall amount of Republican BS already being thrown at President-Elect Obama would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. The Republican truth assassins are hard at work and the man hasn't even been inaugurated yet.

Of course, the worst culprits are the usual suspects: Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Beck, Savage and others. Not only are they claiming that the election was stolen, and being stolen in Minnesota and Alaska, but they are constantly blaming the stock market downturn and EVERYTHING about the current economic crisis on Obama. The "Obama Recession" was a joke at first, but I'm not laughing so much now. It's beginning to get me angry.

Why do I let those assholes get to me? Yes, I needed to say the word. They are assholes. Actually, they're worse, but I need to keep this PG. No matter how much I try to ignore them, they are getting to me. I guess it's the repetition. They're blaming Obama for everything they destroyed and we can't shut them up. Why? I want to shut them up!

Okay, cool down Michael. Let's evaluate the situation. So far, they're blaming us for:

• the credit crisis caused by their lack of oversight and regulation;
• the stock market collapse caused by their poor management of the economy and their record-breaking debt creation;
• a "secular revolt" because gay people are angry after religious conservative Republicans successfully funded and passed a proposition in California that over-turned rights for a large segment of society;
• election fraud because of ACORN, which has been involved in elections for decades and has never officially registered any voters because all it does is collect signature cards for state officials (not to mention there is evidence the Republicans stole over six million votes); and,
• basically EVERYTHING they've SCREWED UP on us.

I'm pretty sure that's only the beginning. Well, what can we say except GET REAL PEOPLE! Any Republicans who are believing their crap are delusional. I'm not a psychologist, but I think it's clear you people need help. IT IS NOTHING BUT REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA!

Two great resources to help clear the polluted air are BIG LIES by Joe Conason and/or Cracking the Code by Thom Hartmann. Both describe the Machiavellian/Rovian tactics of blaming the other side for your own mistakes. Muddy the water, lie, cheat and steal if you must. Win at all costs. The end justifies the means. It's all part of their world. It's sad, but true.

So, let's try to keep it all in perspective. They're going to try to pin EVERYTHING that's going wrong on us. They're going to try to BLAME US for their own failure. I guess we're just going to have to live with it and hope it doesn't work. I hate it, but there's not much we can do about it. I'll try to relax and let it go, and I hope you can do the same.

Monday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Stand Up to the Hate Merchants and End Their Reign of Terror

Good Morning Bloggers - This morning I would like to praise how Joy Behar courageously called out Bill O'Reilly on The View Wednesday - she pretty much called him a hate-filled devil. GO JOY! It takes a lot of guts to stand up to that giant a-hole, but she did it.

Joy, if you read this, I love you for doing it. Bill O'Reilly is nothing but a lying, racist, bully. He is a hate merchant. They make money preaching hate and sewing division wherever possible. We need to point out what they really are, whenever possible, and scream it to everyone willing to listen.

Fox is paying that human excrement $10 million a year to spew hatred. I can't believe we have to put up with creeps like him. Let's see, who are the other hate merchants who need to be thinned from the herd, as they say on the Stephanie Miller Show? Let's go with that evil triumvirate: the bully O'Reilly, the repetitious monkey Hannity, and the idiot Glenn Beck.

Between them they spew enough hate-filled-bile to fill a swimming pool daily. They are the worst of the worst in my opinion, but feel free to suggest others. Oh yes, let's not forget Anne - the hit man - Coulter. She's one of the worst.

Anyway, kudos to the woman who tried to make a citizen's arrest of Karl Rove in San Francisco yesterday, to Joy Behar for confronting O'Reilly with his evil deeds, and to all of us who stand up to the despicable people that make up the extreme, hate-filled right.

I know some of you will think I'm too harsh, but I don't agree. I come from the Keith Olbermann school of "call it like it is," and they need to be called out.

Btw, let's not forget their loyal fans. They are the pathetic masses that support the evil-doers. We probably should call them out too. I often tell a good friend of mine who loves those shows how he's a "good little soldier" for the hate mongers. He just laughs it off. Don't worry, I'll keep doing it until it sinks in.

People like O'Reilly are hurting this nation and our society. They teach hate and intolerance to adults and children, and they should be shut down. We shouldn't marginalize them. We should make it so that they can't harm any of us, anymore.

So, do a good deed, and call them what they are if you ever see them in person. Call them the soulless, wretched scum that they are. Wow, I feel better now. :)

Wednesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael