The Republican Spectacle of 2009

Good Morning Bloggers! I must say it's extraordinary to watch the Republicans these days. It's the talk of the political world, so let's add our voices to the gossip flying around about the GOP's current campaign of shock and awe.

We all know it's easier to herd cats than to get Democrats to agree, but I always thought the Republicans were the disciplined party. They always seemed willing to sacrifice individual expression for party unity.

Well, I guess not during a serious power struggle, like the GOP of 2009. It's incredible to watch, but there's no doubt they are deep in battle, with no end in sight. They are all busy forming strange alliances among elected officials, party loyalists and special interest groups. Unlike past Democratic power struggles, to me the GOP equivalent seems brutal, almost Roman-like in spectacle!

The GOP elite are all jockeying for favor among a small group of fantatical die-hards. This donation-friendly fringe of Republican radicals seem to hold all the power, and they seem to be enjoying the blood sport - at least for now. People like Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich are all on a feeding frenzy, all benefiting from the party's perceived lust for senseless change. Don't forget the "Tea Baggers?"

Interestingly, the GOP's current power struggle doesn't seem to be about new ideas. Instead, it seems to be about power and control.

They do have one thing in common. They're all driven by an absurd belief that President Obama is a radical socialist - or worse, a fascist. There's no doubt they're all singing that idiotic tune to their messianic masses. Painting Obama as "Tyrant and Chief" has become the equivalent of the GOP spiking the public punch - they see it as harmless, but it could come back to bite them.

The battle for party power is now primarily among and between the former disgraced House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the former corrupt Vice President Dick Cheney, the current "Moron and Chief" Sarah Palin, and the "Mormon Mannequin" Mitt Romney. The lesser crazies like Huckabee, Paul, Palwenty and Jindal are all waiting in the wings. The spectacle is quite entertaining. I can't wait to see what happens prior to the next election.

Their spectacle has started to make the Democratic power struggles of the past 10 years look like a walk in the park.

Their latest embarrassment unfolded this week when Sarah Palin was told that she would not be allowed to speak at a major GOP fundraiser. There are plenty of rumors flying about as to why Palin was snubbed, but the best is that Newt Gingrich (and his influential Capitol Hill supporters) wanted her for fundraising purposes only. God forbid they allow her to speak! Now that is funny!

The fur is now flying between Gingrich, Palin and a whole group of Republicans, all competing for loyalties - it's getting downright tribal. The far right rank-and-file seem to love Sarah Palin, while party leaders like McCain and Steele see her only as useful blank check. It's fun to watch them all use each other. The whole thing is downright hilarious!

While all this is going on the party continues to shrink. Loyalties are splintering throughout the party, and it's certain party moderates are beginning to question going solo, or independent.

Party moderates seem to be hoping for a savior - like a modern Ronald Reagan - yet few are holding their breath. Most are fighting to hold back scandal like the one that knocked out Arlen Specter, a victim of the far right's Club for Growth. It's wild, but unless something changes soon, the GOP will most likely lose badly in the upcoming 2012 elections.

Finally, the most shocking part of their spectacle seems to be a distinct lack of new ideas. They are beating the same old ant-government, anti-tax drums they've been beating since Ronald Reagan. They seem to think it will work, but it's pretty clear to the rest of us they need to learn from their mistakes and move on.

Instead of fighting to please their radical base, acting like stuck-in-the-mud lunatics, an honest Republican needs to emerge with good ideas to help average Americans. That individual needs to drop the fear mongering and hate speech, tell the truth, and focus on solving real problems for real people - not just the rich. Unless somebody like that emerges, the GOP may simply fade away.

Tuesday's Political Rave - Michael

PS - Feel free to check out this post and the heated debate with it going on over at Papamoka Straight Talk. There are over 40 comments so far.

Scarborough Co-Hosts Anti-American?

Hello Bloggers - Did you guys see the way that A-HOLE Joe Scarborough made a fool of himself on MSNBC this morning?! It was outrageous - I'll look for it on YouTube. He made a complete ass of himself this morning by accusing his co-hosts of being anti-American and anti-Texan. The really sad part was that he wasn't joking - if he was, you couldn't tell. He actually looked offended.

It happened when the Morning Joe program came out of a commercial early this morning when they showed a shot of the Dallas skyline. Mike, Willy and Mika (the "liberal/progressive" co-hosts) were trying to figure out the significance of the Dallas skyline shot. They quickly concluded that it had something to do with a baseball game.

Joe "the deaf and dumb" Scarborough, sitting in another studio somewhere with what must have been a bad audio connection, starting accusing them of being anti-American for mocking the idea of showing a picture of Dallas. He simply jumped to the conclusion they were mocking America and Texas. The weird part is they never said anything of the sort. It was very strange to watch.

He didn't seem to be kidding. He seemed to be kind of angry. It was so weird to watch him accuse his co-hosts, and his countrymen, of hating America - right there on national TV. The others just sat there in shock for a moment. Then Willy Geist responded by saying that he didn't need his patriotism questioned "by the likes of you." I thought that was pretty cool. Mike and Mika just sat there stunned. They quickly cut away to another shot in another studio.

I'm not a regular viewer, but I will say that I was extremely offended by Joe's remarks. It was embarrassing and rude. I hope to never watch the a-hole again. The man comes across as a reactionary moron. He should be suspended, or maybe fired. Who needs that crap? We the viewers certainly don't. I guess MSNBC does for ratings, but they should think twice on this one.

I don't care if he's controversial and represents a segment of society - it's a very UGLY SEGMENT OF SOCIETY to the majority of Americans. To me, the guy represents what's wrong with the right today. In my opinion they're harboring deep anger towards us on the left. That little scene showed the real Joe - and they way people like him think.

In my opinion there are too many hot-headed Republicans out there screaming about progressives being anti-American these days. I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of having my patriotism questioned - like Willy Geist. Who the hell do they think they are? I don't want to hear any more of their crap! He and his ilk are all a bunch of intolerant twits! I only hope he pays a price for his stupidity.

Btw, on a similar note, let's add one more psycho story to the list of Republican psycho stories. In addition to the developing list of red state calls for succession these days, we now have Congressman Nathan Deal, a Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, proposing to change the long-standing federal policy that automatically grants citizenship to any baby born on U.S. soil. Of course, it's pretty much opposed by immigrant rights advocates.

Deal and his supporters say the 14th Amendment wording was never meant to automatically give citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants. "This is a sensible, overdue measure that closes a clause that was never meant to be a loophole," said Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks tighter immigration restrictions.

Under Deal's proposal, babies born in the U.S. would automatically have citizenship only if at least one of their parents is a U.S. citizen or national, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., or actively serving in the U.S. military.

I wonder how the Hispanic community will react to the Republican Party after hearing that little tidbit? I'll leave it to the courts to decide, but I do think it's fascinating to watch the Republicans constantly shooting themselves in their electoral foot.

Wow, think about it, if they add that campaign to a serious one against Supreme Court Nominee Sonia SotaMayor, they may as well go all the way. They should just start slurring the Holy Mother, wear cheap sombreros and sing tasteless Latin music. That might attract even better publicity. LOL!!

Tuesday's Political Rant - Michael

It's Been a Great Start!

Good Morning Bloggers - It's been an amazing first 100 days for our new President. I think he's done an amazing job, especially since he's had NO support from the Republicans despite weeks of butt kissing. The American people know how hard he's working, and it's now clear we're all expecting good results later this year and into next year. Let's all hope!

Oh yes, there are some who aren't hoping. You know, the patriotic, pro-American "conservatives" who called us ANTI-AMERICAN, surrender-happy liberals for years. I can't even remember all the horrible names they called us over the past few decades, but suffice to say there have been many and most have been pretty horrible. I think the most memorable "over-arching theme" used against us has been "unpatriotic and unAmerican." Those are the "labels" most of us on the Left remember most.

So, who's unAmerican now. Let's see, it's the Democrats who fought to reform most of what the Republicans broke. It's the Democrats who fought to stimulate the economy to get America back in the black. NO Republicans have supported any new initiatives so far. It's true, NONE!

Incredibly, it's also the Democrats who fought to fund potential viral pandemics, but who lost that funding in the stimulus package after Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his buddies filibustered it out of existence. Did you see Karl Rove and Sean Hannity screaming about the "waste" on pandemic funding just a couple months ago? Of course, they would prefer that you forget. Americans may die from this potential pandemic, and Republican "politics" may ultimately increase that total.

It's the Democrats who continue to fight to reform health care so that more Americans may survive all kinds of health problems, including a potential pandemic. The Republicans are doing everything they can stop the Democrats, siding with corporate interests and big pharmaceutical. Their entire position is bought-and-paid-for unlike the Democrats.

The only conclusion I can take away is that Republicans don't care about real Americans. Therefore, I think it's clear - or at least should be - that Republicans don't care about America. Republicans have forgotten something very important, which is that America is always about its people! Not charity, but fairness, decency, and equality, to name just a few. The GOP has lost its way on those key American values.

It's been 100 days of Republicans saying NO, NO, and NO to everything that's been discussed. When they don't get their way, they like to claim there was no bi-partisan cooperation. It's become obvious - my friends on Capitol Hill tell me - that if you don't go far enough their way they walk away. It's clear the GOP's idea of bi-partisanship is partisanship - do it their way or they take their toys and run home. It's now clear that Democrats are beginning to ignore their crap.

The first 100 days has also featured some of the most absurd media BS in the history of the Republic. FOX "News" and much of the corporate media has been pounding on Democrats who seek to enforce the law. The whole "Tea Party" debacle was embarrassing.

It's not just FOX, Chris Matthews and Pat Buchanan have been pounding on guests for days on MSNBC. Anybody who dares to suggest that torture wasn't warranted and that laws have been broken is beaten to a pulp. I felt very bad for Jonathan Turley - the Constitutional professor - who got between them last week. The whole interview was a joke.

Matthews and Buchanan have been arbitrary for days, spewing all manner of crap. They keep taking the relative position that politics trumps actual law, and that only "banana republics" convict past governments for "policy differences." Turley was the only adult last week, and he would have shut them down for being aggressively stupid if they hadn't been so loud and obnoxious.

I say let's ignore the "Washington elite" made up of morons who like to hear themselves talk and focus on the good that's happening today. Let's keep focused on the First Family and the good politicians who seek to enforce the law (equal justice under law) and reform the government - so that it works for all Americans. They should be proud, and know they have our support.

Please keep up the good work! You have our blessing!

Monday's Political Rave - Michael

PS - I loved this list from the Huffington Post. I hope you enjoy it too. MB

1. Health Care: The Obama White House cleared an important hurdle in the health care reform debate when it appropriated $19 billion in the stimulus package to help implement an electronic medical record system. The money is paltry compared to the hundreds of billions set aside for an overhaul of the health care system in the budget. But officials inside and out of the White House say its significance is hard to overstate.

"We need to have health IT so we have a better idea both of what works but also... so people can share information," Zeke Emanuel, Obama's health care adviser told the Huffington Post in mid-March. "We are on our way in a way that we have never committed ourselves before."

2. Communications: A presidential campaign built on innovative messaging and advanced technology has, naturally, become a White House defined by similar characteristics. As such, the reach of the administration's new media efforts - from hosting online question-and-answer sessions with the president to publishing the first White House blog - has been as expected as appreciated. It's unfortunate, said one tech savvy Democrat, because the new policies have had tangible impacts. "The White House streams every event with the president on its website, even press events," he said. "It's remarkable because, this Sunday they held a swine flu press conference that ordinary people [including many who may have been personally nervous about the topic] were able to watch online... Before you had to wait for a readout or hope that CSPAN would cover it. This is one of those things that people don't quite understand the significance of."

3. Transportation: Since the passage of the economic stimulus package in mid-February, the Obama Department of Transportation has approved 2,500 highway projects. The movement of stimulus money out the door has been as swift as it has been effective: $9.3 billion has been spent in all 50 states. Touting its impact, DOT officials say 260,000 jobs are expected from this investment. And with competition for contracts fierce, the department is set to approve even more projects than previously envisioned. "There will be more money for additional transportation projects," said the official.

4. Education: Maligned for its handling of the financial and banking crises, the Obama Treasury Department has nevertheless implemented policies with real qualitative and quantitative impact on debt-burdened families. Chief among those was a $2,500 tax credit to help offset the cost of tuition (among other expenses) for those seeking a college education. Nearly five million families are expected to save $9 billion, according to Treasury officials.

5. Cars: The automobile industry at the White House and Congress's behest has undergone seismic structural changes, managerial reorganization, and massive cuts in employment. But for all the tough love, the president has put in place the framework for an industry recovery. Perhaps the most significant of steps was to allocate $2 billion in stimulus cash for advanced batteries systems. One high-ranking Hill aide called battery technology "the next big frontier" in the automotive world, adding that if the U.S. could dominate this market it would reclaim its perch as the world's premier car manufacturer.

6. Pakistan: Cognizant of a destabilizing situation in Pakistan, the administration's diplomatic team, with a major assist from Japan, secured $5 billion in aid commitments "to bolster the country's economy and help it fight terror and Islamic radicalism" within the country. The money, as Pakistan observers -- notably Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry - note, will prove instrumental in bringing the nation away from the brink of failure and increased Taliban control.

7. Cities: More than any prior president, Obama has put a spotlight on America's struggling cities, even creating an office of Urban Policy in the White House. It is the Justice Department, however, that lays claim to one of the most consequential of urban affairs achievements. Through the Recovery Act, DOJ secured $2 billion for Byrne Grants, which funds anti-gang and anti-gun task forces. The money, cut during the Bush years, is expected to have massive ramifications on inner-city crime and violence.

8. Engaging the Muslim World: While certainly discussed, foreign affairs experts insist that Obama's engagement with the Muslim world has been at once remarkable and under-appreciated. From the first interview with Al Arabiya to his Nowruz address to the Iranian people, to his proclamation that "American is not at war with Islam" during an appearance in Turkey, seasoned observers have been routinely impressed. "Through these [statements and interviews]," said one Democratic foreign policy hand, "He has been able to dramatically change America's image in that region."

9. Forests: Since taking office, the White House has put under federal protection more than two million acres of wilderness, thousands of miles of river and a host of national trails and parks. The conservation effort - the largest in the last 15 years - came with the stroke of a pen when Obama signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 in late March.

10. Tone: Leaving a meeting at the White House on Tuesday a progressive member of the House of Representatives commented to the Huffington Post just how impressed she was with the president's manner. "He is so calm," said the member, "and has a great ability to make you feel like you're being respected and listened to."

Iraq Torturing Gays to Death

Good Morning Bloggers! I don't have anything polite to add to a story I read this morning on The Raw Story about how gays are being tortured and killed in Iraq by both religious terrorists and the government. It even describes how the torturers are coming up with new, creative ways to kill their poor victims.

I feel horrible for those poor people. Most important, as an American, it makes me extremely angry that we are over there risking our soldier's lives, spending billions each month to protect those horrible people, and standing by and doing NOTHING!

The reports suggest there's a witch hunt in progress, with gays being rounded-up, tortured and killed. Reports say that some are killed by having their anuses glued shut, causing a painful, grotesque death. I don't know what to say about that, except that my heart breaks to think we freed those horrible people allowing them to commit their nightmarish deeds.

More Americans should know about this nightmare, because we are partly responsible. Please join me and tell our representatives how angry we are that innocent people are being persecuted by a regime we protect and support. We need to stop them or GET THE HELL OUT! Think about it, if we do nothing, than we are no better. We're simply the guards protecting the lynch mobs murdering innocent people. It's wrong! We shouldn't allow it to happen!

It appears our young men and women died to replace a brutal, inhumane regime with brutal, inhumane, intolerant people. They seem the same to me. It all seems like such a waste of lives, money and effort.

Thursday's Angry Political Rant - Michael

PS - If you decide to take action, here are a few links that may help you. Email President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and/or your national elected officials. If you wish to call, simply call the Whitehouse at 202-456-1414, or the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. I also suggest you contact your local newspaper. Please let them all know how angry we are to see our leaders and military standing idly by while lynch mobs persecute and murder innocent gay people in Iraq.

These People are 'Dangerously Stupid'

Attention Readers! If you don't like name-calling, perhaps you should skip this article and retire to your morning paper. Have a good day! Michael

Good Morning Readers! I'm sorry, but this has to be one of the most hilarious, and saddest, "serious" protests in American history. I keep thinking they're going to scream "gotcha" and admit the joke, but it hasn't happened yet.

It's incredible to think that intelligent, serious people are out there protesting for lower taxes when President Obama just passed one of the largest tax cuts in American history. Okay, not for the richest, but still one of the largest. I can understand if they're out-of-work and being paid by the rich to protest, which would be sad but understandable, but to do it because you're too stupid to look up the facts - people, that's just plain feebleminded!

95% percent of Americans will see their tax burden reduced because of the Democrats and President Obama!

Unless the boneheaded buffoons with the signs are all making over $250,000 a year, which is highly unlikely, they're protesting against something that was just passed in their favor! What a bunch of ignorant simpletons! Protesting against people trying to help them! You have to admit, they've invented a whole new category of political ignorance - TAX TWITS!

It gets even funnier, or sadder. Many are out there protesting GOVERNMENT SPENDING! They're like outdated broken political caricatures talking about Democrats as "tax and spend" liberals - sorry, socialists. Why don't you economic-policy-ignorant-imbeciles READ why the government is forced to spend right now? Any economist worth his degree is in favor of government spending at this time, especially spending designed to encourage lending, create jobs and spur the economy. They're trying to help EVERYBODY, not just the poor, you FREAKING FOOLS!

If you political pinheads with the signs were so principled and against wasteful government spending, then you should have been protesting during the Reagan, Bush and Bush Jr. Administrations. Yes, they're the ones who spent all your freakin money! They ran up the debt! It's true, over 30-years of Republican tax cuts (while maintaining popular federal programs to win votes and retain power) ran up over 90% of today's $11 trillion in federal debt.

George "the idiot" Bush - alone - ran up over a trillion in less than a year before leaving office for God's sake. Why don't you political nincompoops protest THEM?!

The only thing President Obama and the Democrats are guilty of is trying to keep the deepest recession since the great depression from officially becoming another great depression - and it's already close. That's it, plain and simple. The only way to do that is to prop up economic spending, regulate broken economic sectors, and reduce costs in industries like health care and energy. That's the only way to ultimately save money, invest in the future, and perhaps - over time - reduce taxes.

President Obama did a great job explaining it yesterday. He truly is the Professor-in-Chief of the nation. He helps the majority of us - sane, well-read Americans - understand exactly what must be done to fix the problems. It's the only way to achieve the goals being screamed out by the protesters - lower taxes and less spending.

Anyway, the whole Tea Bagging phenomena has to be one of the most absurd, crazy, insane, and outrageous acts of political naivety - or stupidity - ever witnessed on American soil. I must admit, it makes for a good laugh. Unfortunately, they may seem harmless, but they're not. It's morons like the "Tea Baggers" that keep voting for idiots like Bush, McCain and Palin.

They are the regressive, dangerously stupid part of our political society. They are the ones who hinder progress through sheer laziness (that leads to ignorance), hardheadedness (their inability to learn from past mistakes), and desire for an ideology whether right or wrong (close-mindedness) - among other things. Yes, they're the dumb, slow kid who constantly cracks jokes in the back of class. They're only funny as long as they don't prevent the rest of us from progressing. Unfortunately, they've been far too disruptive for far too long.

Wednesday's Political Rant - Michael

PS - Btw, they're also a bunch of DUMBASSES! I forgot to use that one. :) Btw, I just decided the "Tea Baggers" remind me of a bad Monty Python sketch. You know, the moroons with the rags on their heads screaming at the traffic. LOL!!