Don’t Taz Me Bro. . .Or, Did Someone Call a Plumber?

Tags

Election 2012, evolution, GOP, Humor, Joe the Plumber, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Neanderthals, Newt Gingrich, Oreo cookies, Rick Santorum, Rush Limbaugh

Well there is an upside of sorts. Dennis Kucinich may have lost his primary bid in Ohio’s Ninth district, but at least he doesn’t have to run against the GOP’s latest laughingstock, Joe the Plumber who did win the Republican primary in the Ninth.

I know.

Everytime you think, “hey they can’t top this. No way they can sink any lower into the slime of stupid and jackassery” duh, well they do.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the threesome Willard, Ragin, and DoughBoy, continue to circle each other, tasers in hand, locked in a dance of death. Each is determined to wrest the self-destruct button as their very own.

At some point do they wish they had never started, as they realize that they are selling their soul, and good cash all to win a nomination not worth a plug nickle? Each is now so damaged that it’s hard to figure out how any of them can ever gloss over the cracks, rot, and peeled paint apparent to everyone.

¶

Newt needs a new hearing aid. Does Tiffany’s sell those things?

He said that the President in his press conference yesterday said:

He said, you know, I’m really worried about higher gas prices because it will make it harder for me to get re-elected.

The President actually said this:

Ed, just from a political perspective, do you think the President of the United States, going into reelection, wants gas prices to go up even higher? … Is there anybody here who thinks that makes a lot of sense?

So, send Newt a tweet, and at least ask him to turn the thing on, or up, or replace the battery.

¶

3CHICKSPOLITICO submitted this as their take on Super Tuesday:

I guess the insanity of all this now is Newt.

Newt has no path to victory.

Ragin’ Rick is the only one with a chance of overcoming The Willard.  

Newt hampers Ragin’ Rick from overtaking The Willard.

Newt hates The Willard.

New hates the Willard more than he hates the Ragin’.

Newt won’t get out.

This is why I know that Republicans ain’t good at logic problems.

¶

There is growing evidence that Neanderthals and some modern humans were doin’ the nasty. We’ll know for sure when the Neaderthal genome is complete.

Michele Flintstone: “Fred, marriage is between a human and a human. That’s what God intended. This human-“iffy” human stuff is an abomination!”

Fred: “Yeah, but those N-Girls are such hairy! It’s sexy!”

¶

Why can’t anyone in The Willard’s campaign write a victory speech? All he does is repeat his campaign stump one-liners.

And that wide-eyed, wait for applause? Tired of that too dude.

¶

On the humor front, Field Negro, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Oreo Cookie, gives out some awards. They are rather good choices I think.

¶

The Willard “wouldn’t have used those words” and “doesn’t want to comment on that controversy.”

We speak of the Rushgate.

But there may be more reason than simple weenie-ness than we thought.

It turns out that Clear Channel, who employs the great Ro-turd-itude, has a number of it’s directors who are major contributors to The Willard’s desperate need to be POTUS.

¶

I admit it. I’ve never read the Book of Mormon. I tried to once. Just to be “informed” but after about 50 pages, I gave up. Too boring for moi. Maybe I never got to the good parts.

But I hazard a guess, that it doesn’t anywhere in it say: Thou may lie when it suits your purposes.”

I’m pretty sure it doesn’t say that, imply it, or condone it.

And by all accounts, Willard acts like a pretty darn pious Mormon.

So why does he out right lie so much?

As Paul Waldman suggests, either Willard knows what Obama has said, and purposefully lies, or he has no clue what Obama has said, and purposefully lies about that AND then makes up lies about what he said. There are few other options.

And it’s just not about the President that Willard lies. He lies about himself frequently, claiming he did or didn’t say things that are obviously false. He lies about things he did that he didn’t or vice versa.

In any event, he does it, and for the most part gets away with it. Why?

Media? Are you there?

¶

We haven’t heard much from the Michele *it’s the eyes–I mesmerize with the eyes* Bachmann. But that steel trap of a mind of hers is always working overtime. And she has got some stuff figured out. And you should know Michele’s logic is not like yours and mine, but actually, its Republican logic, which ain’t no logic at all.

Here goes.

You know that Obama compromise that requires insurance companies to cover the cost the contraceptive health materials? THAT one, that has caused all the stir?  Well, you see, as Michele says, there is a “plausible and disturbing scenario.”

Stay with me.

1. The government should cover contraception because it’s cheaper than the costs of pregnancies.
2. We need to lower health care costs.
3. Therefore: Health care will only pay for one baby per family–maybe two. Michele isn’t quite sure.

It could happen. It could. It’s not too far-fetched she says.

She said “I’m not saying he’s going to do it, but that he has the power to.”

Yeah, I have powers too Michele. The power to make you disappear. POOF***

What’s on the Stove? Oh, I’m being creative. Tell you if it was any good tomorrow. Should we survive.

They Have No Merge Files Button

Tags

Election 2012, Foxy Noise, gas prices, GOP, Health care, Mitt Romney, Romneycare, Rush Limbaugh, wacked media

It really helps to understand the GOP to know that they have no MERGE FILES button. In other words, they minds operate like file cabinets and not computers.

While we receive no information and compare it with all the information we have thus far collected, they simply open a new folder, insert, and place in the cabinet, to be pulled forth as “truth” as needed. If it conflicts with something else already in the file cabinet? They will never know. They will never check. It’s not how their brains work.

In Romney World, television and movies are real. At least some of them. At least the ones he watched that convinced him that he could hire somebody to scrub the information highway of any and all contradictory statements made by his very own self.

It’s good that Willard likes to fire people, because he needs to fire that guy. Right away.

In one of those surreal moments, some elderly type lady stood up in some Romney campaign event and literally begged Willard to guarantee and promise, and say assertively, yes or no, “WILL YOU REPEAL OBAMA CARE?”

He answered, “Why wouldn’t I?” and then went on to blather on about how “from the very start, I always said very clearly, that this is what we wanted in Massachusetts, and it in no way meant it was right for anybody else, any state, and certainly not the federal government.”

Except that.

Except that he did say just the opposite. Not once. Not twice. Not three times, but at least four times so far that have been documented. And with video tape. (Expect this to come up in an ad coming to a TV near you!)

Now, some suggest that the GOP must be dumber than a dead fly on the windshield not to have found any of this stuff until now. But others pipe up and suggest that this might well be coming from the Obama camp, dribbled out now and then, just enough to keep the cauldron simmering. I rather like that idea.

Beyond the phenomenal ability of The Willard camp to not know, remember, or think it can be buried, lies a more puzzling issue. It too can be answered by the merge file syndrome. It is the bizarre hatred for “Obamacare” as it is known throughout TeaMob® land.

Of course, much of this comes from Fox Noise and the far-far-far right, which hates these types of programs (medicare, Medicaid, social security, food stamps, welfare, unemployment insurance) anyway. They have labeled universal health care as the first, fifth or last step before we descend into the hellfire of socialism. The fact that any number of countries have socialism in one form or another and their people seem rather happy (happier than Americans generally) is a point never mentioned.

Anyway, as I said, the right wingnuttery brigade has drunk the kool-aid and they are convinced that universal health care is bad, and more bad. While leads me to this post by Ezra Klein about health care in general.

Here are some facts:

1. Republicans like to demand tort reform to “cut down on frivolous lawsuits” which they claim drive up health care costs. FACT: all lawsuits account for less than one-half of one percent of all costs in health care. Moreover, what is frivolous? It is well documented that more mistakes are made by American doctors than those in any other countries.
2. Fact: 21% of all health care costs are eaten up by administrative costs. This is in the private sector. In Medicare, administrative costs amount to 3% of total costs.
3. Doctors make far more in salaries in the US than elsewhere in the world.
4. Based on a value index, the US ranks far down the list, behind Canada, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Brazil, India, and China. This is overall health of its citizens. The idea that we get the best care is simply not true.

Just a few facts.

NOTE: the idea of merge files is from Robert Altemeyer and his book The Authoritarians. He finds this a universal trait pretty much of the fundamentalist mind. They hold a head full of contradictory information that they never allow to confront each other. Frankly, they are unaware of this probably.

¶

As you might expect, the Foxy Noise Makers are busily trying to attach the rise in gasoline prices to Mr. Obama. Yes, what would you expect. Except that back in 2008, when prices went over $4 a gallon, they were busily trying to remind people that not only was it not Bush/Cheney’s fault, but “”[N]o president has the power to increase or to lower gas prices.“

I guess Foxy should fire the guy who wiped their information highway as well.

¶

I think it runs in the family: Ann Romney says she doesn’t feel wealthy. Awwww, ain’t that special?  Exactly how much would it take Ann, to feel wealthy?

“This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war.
This is a spiritual war.”
……………… —US Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum

Oh for a GOP candidate who could keep their mouth shut. So prays Reince *rinsed penis* Priebus . As overheard by The Matrix.

If you think I’m stretching a point, well try running for office in Laurens County South Carolina, where party members must sign a pledge: that among others things claims that they had no premarital sex, will be faithful to their spouse, that your spouse is of the opposite sex, and,.  .  .  . oh who cares what else.

¶

Was it something I said? Can you imagine having to grovel in the hopes of saving your job when you meant every word you said and then some? Welcome to Rush’s world. I’m laughing. I know it’s impolite to chortle at the misfortunes of others, but, God help me, this is a hoot. And, did I mention, deserved? He’s now reduced to pouting, “I’M JUST A RAPPER!”

RUSH: This is all part of the culture deteriorating, because fewer and fewer people and fewer and fewer businesses and fewer and fewer institutions actually have a moral core, or they’re not willing to stand up for their moral core. And you talk about the double standard, one of the greatest illustrations of it is that rappers can practically say anything they want about women, and it’s called art. And they win awards for it. I don’t know about you, I have some television shows that I like, and I TiVo ’em, and the P-word that stands for urinate is common now. Or when you’re ticked off, you are p–. It’s common. The word bitch is common. In sitcoms, in television dramas.

Happy Tuesday.

What’s on the Stove: Vichysoisse and ham and cheese toasted sammies.

The Willard Does the Cain Thang!

Tags

contraception, crazy media, Election 2012, GOP, Mitt Romney, Obama, racism, Rush Limbaugh, women's rights

Or, “It ain’t no flippin’ flop”, I mean,  “I flipped before I flopped, NOT”.

“I MISUNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION!!!”

So says the Willard. This flop only took one hour.

Being interviewed in Ohio, Mr. Wizard Mouth, said that he “was not going there” when it came to interfering in the contraceptive decisions between a husband and a wife. He was “not in favor of the Blunt amendment.”  No, no he was not.

But then, back in the Romney board room, this ensuing conversation was overheard:  

“YOU FREAKIN’ SCREWED THE POOCH.”

“Huh?, What’d I do?”

“The phone is ringing off my belt! The Righteous TeaMob® is on the way with pitchforks, yelling for your head!”

“I don’t understand. Ann, can you explain?”

“Dear, the Tea People are FOR the Blunt amendment! Remember? It’s not about contraception, it’s about the freedom of every person to live out their faith or any seriously and honestly held moral belief. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, yes, I’m for FREEDOM and the AMERICAN WAY. I just thought we were supposed to avoid that Santorum  stuff . . .you know, next they’ll start talking about the YOU KNOW WHAT.”

“So we are for the Blunt amendment? It’s so hard to keep all this straight.”

“We’ll say you misunderstood the question. You go out and say you are FOR the Blunt Amendment. You thought they were talking about some state bill in Ohio which would make it illegal for women to be covered for contraception. And you would be against that sort of thing, naturally, but FOR the Blunt amendment.”

“Yeah, I’m FOR the Blunt amendment. I aways was, you know. Never wavered on that one second. It doesn’t include Viagra right? No, I’m sure it doesn’t. My flip-floppin’ days are behind me. Well, actually I never flipped, no, not ever, not once.”

“What’s for lunch? I was hoping for some good Crab Salad and let’s have that good French Chardonnay Ann sent for from the wine cellar.”

(Reported by the fly on the wall. Reading between the lines, but probably accurate because what’s good enough for the GOP is good enough for you!)

For the record: the amendment was defined by the interviewer thusly: “Blunt-Rubio is being debated, I believe, later this week. It deals with banning or allowing employers to ban providing female contraception. Have you taken a position on it? He [Santorum] said he was for that. We’ll talk about personhood in a second, but he’s for that. Have you taken a position?” It’s rather a stretch to suggest you misunderstood and thought the question was about Ohio legislation. DOES BLUNT-RUBIO mean anything to you?

¶

It may seem that I sometimes am a bit harsh to some of the citizenry of our fair country.

And it is true, I am sometimes a bit harsh.

But then, if they would just stop pissin’ me off, I’d be ever so much nicer.

Really I would.

Like The LimpDick Rushkin. He’s a dick with no where to go. I’m quite sure of that. I mean would you? Of course not.

So, given that he hasn’t seen any lady parts in so long they are but a distant Penthouse memory, he is given to saying really really ugly things to women.

Because he blames them, for you know, his homeless dick.

Georgetown student, Sandra Fluke was given the opportunity to speak of what lack of an ability to pay for contraceptives had meant to her life. The sick one, had this to say:

What does it say about the college coed Susan [sic] Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex.

“She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We’re the pimps.

“The johns, that’s right. We would be the johns — no! We’re not the johns. Well — yeah, that’s right. Pimp’s not the right word.

“OK, so, she’s not a slut. She’s round-heeled. I take it back.”

And then there is the judicial giant, US District Court Judge Richard Cebull, who likes to send racial garbage via e-mail from the courthouse. He apologies to “anyone who might have been offended,” of course. It is Montana after all. I WAS appointed by Dubya, so I guess it’s understandable that he sent this joke:

 “A MOM’S MEMORY.” 

Normally I  don’t send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine. 

“A little boy said to his mother; ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?'” the email joke reads. “His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!'”

So am I being too hard on the good folks whose political opinions I disagree with? Am I?

¶

Leavin’ ya with a laugh.

Today: Willard is asked about whether he is strong on gun rights: He says: “I like all the amendments”  

In the Past: Sarah Palin is asked what magazines and newspapers she reads: “Um, all of them, any of them. . .”

*shiver* 

Related articles

• Mitt: I misunderstood Blunt question (politico.com)
• Romney clarifies his position on Blunt amendment (sfgate.com)
• TRENDING: Romney stumbles over question about GOP contraception push (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)

Illusions of Significance?

Tags

AFA, brain, Bryan Fischer, Christianity, Christine O'Donnell, food, Frances Pivens, Glenn Beck, GOP, gourmets, human medicine, mind, Native Peoples, Patriot Act, religion, right wing media, right wing wingnuts, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity

One of the side effects of being sentient or self-aware, at least at human levels, is our propensity to try to get inside the heads of other people.

We ponder why Sally did this and why Don did that. We find certain behavior curious, ridiculous, courageous, all by our own standards as we have come to believe them.

Even more curious, we tend to project intention onto objects. We kick the car, and scream at malfunctioning vacuum cleaners.

Do we create God as well? In our minds? Of course every atheist would say yes. Science gives no definitive answer, and perhaps will never have such a capacity.

Still, the mulling of such ideas is useful. Read Slate’s article and also take a gander at the book it’s based on: The Belief Instinct.

***

The Atlantic has an interesting one on “foodies”, those gourmet nuts who gush about food as if it were sex. Which it is for them no doubt. It is pure gluttony at some level. Are you the type who reads breathlessly a description of some dish? Or do you skip to the chase? Are you the type who scours the Internet looking for odd ingredients not to be found in even the most up scale Piggly Wiggly? Or do you think good old domestic cheddar is just fine? The author points out that Livy said that when we glorify the chef, we are heading for the end. What do you think?

***

Here’s one for ya. Remember Christine O’Donnell? Witchy poo? Well she’s another one that missed the trolley. Ms. abstinence is trying to keep her little political life afloat, by going after George Soros, and all the groups he funds. She’s operating out of her house, with her tiny little PAC. She’s soliciting funds–nice to pay the rent and heat as a “business expense” isn’t it. She also claims that Barack Obama considers her his biggest threat. If you want more, please go the SciFi Channel.

***

Most of the world could ignore the blatherings of Glenn Beck except for the fact that his nearly insane followers become Rottweilers with the theories he gives them. Frances Fox Pivens has been one of his targets. Based upon an article she co-wrote in 1966 about helping welfare recipients receive their due, she has been raised to the level of a founder of the marxist/socialist/destruction of America “tree” that arises out of Beckian mental illness. Vilified in the most ugly terms (I’ve read the comments) in The Blaze, and else where, Dr. Pivens has been subjected to e-mail harassment and many a death threat. She responds with some commentary on the rise of the crazies.

***

It does seem to me, in the last couple of years, that the claims of the extreme right have become more and more outlandish. Especially so of Beck and perhaps Limbaugh as well. They seem more and more emboldened to spew invective at whole groups, call the President any creature this side of Arcturus, and to generally make fun of anything non-white and educated beyond the 10th grade.

At the same time, there is a definite change in the numbers. As to Beck, his TV watchers are down 50%, and radio stations are dropping him. Limbaugh has been losing ground as has Hannity on his radio show.

How to explain? I think it’s an attempt to shore up the shrinking numbers. But the people who are leaving are precisely those who are tired of the “Muslim President” cry, and are searching for something a bit less biased. The hard core will never depart and don’t need the increasingly wacky theories. They generate enough of their own!

***

In a major “oops” House Rethugs failed to pass an extension of the Patriot Act. It seems that House Tea Partiers joined forces with House Dems to deny the leadership its  passage and leaving them somewhat embarrassed. It will undoubtedly pass under different House procedures, but still, it goes to show that the GOP has a snarly tiger by the tail.

***

One of our favorite wackadoodles is Bryan Fischer, head of the AFA. He is obsessed, as you know, with homosexuality (which explains ever so much). He has a new target: Native Americans. Incensed by the invocation,  he tells Native Peoples that it is high time they got with Christianity and gave up their filthy pagan ways. Oh Bryan, you eat, drink, and sleep hate. I bet you could collect all the people in the world that you like in your very own living room.

***

Oh, what? Oops! Doin’ a bit of the happy dance. (Whispering) they are eating their own again. Come watch! Beck looks into his crystal ball and sees that the precious Right is now agin’ the Tea Party and all of them REAL patriots. They are trying to assassinate us! “Or maybe it’s just a coincidence,” he ponders, “but I don’t believe in coincidences,” his insane brain says. “Talkin’ about freedom” he spittles, and “wildcards” who must be suppressed. Oh gosh, I should feel sympathy for one who is but a step from the rubber room, but dang if I can feel THAT emotion. Glee would be more like it.

Well, enough.

What’s on the stove? Fried chicken, mashed taters and gravy. (Which means I don’t have to do dishes!)

Related Articles

• The real threat of Glenn Beck’s fantasies (3quarksdaily.com)
• Alexander Zaitchik: Is Glenn Beck Sinking? (huffingtonpost.com)
• New York Times: Leave Frances Fox Piven Alone! (nicedeb.wordpress.com)

I’m So Snarky in My Longjohns

Tags

American History, founding fathers, Health care, Jesse Jackson, Joe Lieberman, Jr., Martin L. King, Michele Bachmann, NAACP, Right-wing wonkettes, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, teabaggers

She’s Baaaaaaccckkkk! Indeed, caught in a time warp, the Goodie two-shoes Sherry has been stifled, and Evil Snark, arguably the “real” thing is back!

Know ya been missin’ all the satirical madness that we so like to shovel to ya!

Okay, it was MINUS eighteen freakin’ degrees this morning and I’m grouchy.

I been a preparing for this event for a week, and though we survived it with no frosted fingers or nose, and the water still running, I’m tired of carrying a week’s worth of clothes on my back all day. It’s leftovers today, and I’m not lifting much more than a finger ’bout anything else.

I’ve spent some free time on The Blaze. It is a right-wing rag, supposedly tied to Beck, but I’ve not seen a word uttered by him there. The articles, if you can call them that, are trite, uninformative, selective in their reporting, and otherwise dull. But the comments, oh the comments are just precious. That is, if you are looking to see what the lowest 1% of the IQ in America is thinking. Again if you can call it thinking.

I learned something about the black experience. After Jesse Jackson spoke about the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was still in part unfulfilled, I learned that I had it all wrong about MLK. It turns out he was not against the Vietnam war, not in favor of a redistribution of wealth in America, and a whole lot of other progressive things. No. I learned the extreme RIGHT wonkettes “revere” the man because:

MLK was for EQUAL justice – not social justice!

and this:

Jessie Jackson hijacked the dream, kidnapped the dream, raped and murdered and buried the Dream in an unmarked grave decades ago. It’s people like Glenn Beck and the Tea Party that are resurrecting the dream. Jesse,  pucker up and kiss ass you race baiting freedom hater.

and this:

The National African-American Communist Party (NAACP) – is more of the problem than solution for the 13% black community. They just perpetuate the woo is me mentality and tell the blacks that in fact they ares second class citizens and deserve the white handouts! – They should be thankful there was slavery and their ancestors were brought to America. Anytime they want to go back to their heritage country we will donate the travel expense.

And let’s not leave out the history lesson:

If it was not for the Founding of the United States of the Americas slavery would still be the labor of choice in whatever Empire would have come to power in today’s world.

What I have concluded, is that MLK was a wonderful person, but Jesse Jackson, the NAACP, and all African-Americans who don’t “know their place” are vile awful creatures. That doesn’t make these Right-wingers racists. Naw, they just are tellin’ it like it is.

My favorite comment so far is this one, from the never-ending defense of sista Sarah:

Palin is like the statue of liberty with a torch that will absorb all the evils of the progressive left – and stands taller for it.

Ah, yes, I can see it in my mind. Can’t you? The little granny glasses perched upon the statutes nose? A rifle slung across her back? The book binding with the words: Dominationist Christianity: NOW.  Who wouldn’t love that!

***

And then there is Michele Bachmann, claiming that, not to worry. Repeal of the Health Care Act won’t mean anything bad for those with pre-existing conditions. Why no, the “free market place” has handled it in the past, and will in the future, just fine. Yes, we know how they did it in the past. We can imagine how they will in the future, crazy woman. (Crazy eyes trails Obama in Iowa in straw polling by 18 big ones, in case you were concerned.)

***

Don’t forget that Michelle Obama is in the news again. The Crazies are pointing out that she is responsible for the slight uptick in pedestrians getting hit by cars. All that crap about eating better and getting more exercise has got people walking, and thus wandering into cars all over America. Lord, can’t that woman concentrate on flower arrangements or something?

***

Don’t know if ya heard. But Joey (I’m pissed) Lieberman had a debate with Arianna Huffington on Morning Joe the other day. Topic: WMD’s in Iraq. Lieberman continued to suggest that there was “good reason” to believe they were there. He cited the Duelfer report as support. When Huffington called him out on it and said that it did not support his contention, Lieberman shot back: “I don’t think you’ve read it, sweetheart.”  Okay Joe, another good reason why saying goodbye is such a good feeling for us all.

***

Political Irony has a nice list of  political jokes. They are worth linking up, but this one was reported everywhere, and is classic:

“I want you teabaggers out there to understand one thing: while you idolize the Founding Fathers and dress up like them, and smell like them, I think it’s pretty clear that the Founding Fathers would have hated your guts. And what’s more, you would’ve hated them. They were everything you despise. They studied science, read Plato, hung out in Paris, and thought the Bible was mostly bullsh*t.” – Bill Maher

***

Rush Limbaugh appears to be winning the race between Beck, Palin and himself, to of utter insignificance in the world. Even the right (you are sitting down I hope?) is critical of the tubbo’s recent mockery of the Chinese President, Hu. Mo has the story and links.

***

Okay, enough for today. I feel much better. See ya tomorrow if we don’t get frozen into icicles or ‘sumpin’.

Easier Said Than Done

Tags

Bill O'Reilly, Extreme right-wing, Fox News, GOP, Obama, Politics, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Tucson shooting

By all accounts, the President hit one out of the ball park. I certainly thought so.  It was eloquent, touching, inspiring, uplifting. It was pure Obama. Even the Right had to admit that he had struck the right note.

Flipping over to Fox, you got plenty of “good jobs” from the panel, albeit with the Foxonian twist: The President had taken their advice, stayed away from finger-pointing and had subtly told the Left to quiet down. Actually of course, he gingerly suggested that both sides temper their remarks.

“If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost,” he said. “Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.”

This is of course lost on the Right who find themselves incapable of ever admitting that they are anything but perfectly right. In fact, this propensity is what made Palin’s remarks what one expects of her ilk, and by definition, not Presidential.

I think the President is most right of course, and many on the Left, and a very few on the Right (those who stand for principle in the face of the Tea Party onslaught), have been saying so and begging for some civility for some time.

Why isn’t it happening? Why can we not get beyond this name-calling?

It may come as no surprise that I see the problem as largely on the Right. And the problem is simply because the Right, as I have said, NEVER ever admits they have overstepped. Ever. Sarah and all her kind are always the victims of intentional smears, they are never wrong.

Many on the Left have said that Palin was not personally responsible for the events in Tucson, either directly or ever indirectly by herself. We have said that she participated in the creation of a culture of vitriol that encourages people to act out their angers and their fears. Both of these, anger and fear are the emotion of choice of Palin, Bachmann, King, Cantor, Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, and Fox in general.

I read a few days ago of a journalist from another country who had the temerity to criticize Bill O’Reilly some years ago. He was astounded, that within twenty-four hours, his education, his employment, and his ethnicity and motives were called into question by Fox. His e-mail was flooded with hate mail. At no time, he said, did O’Reilly or Fox address the fundamental criticisms he leveled.

All these extremists deal in ad hominem attack. They never respond in substance. If they did, then we could dialog.

This is what frustrates reasonable voices on the Left. If Palin, had simply acknowledged that indeed she has in the past used imagery and words that could be misconstrued and for that she was sorry, many who oppose her would have listened and approved. But she cannot do that, for the internalization of criticism is too deep, she takes it too personally. She can’t let it go. She knows of only one way and that is retaliation.

She tells herself, apparently, that no matter how reasonable she might be, the criticism would continue. That is probably true to a degree. The Left has its haters too, and nothing Palin could say or do would be good enough. But that is not true of the mainstream progressive and independent.

While patient education might change the above, the other element in why the Extremist Right cannot change their tenor, is more insidious. It’s not can’t but won’t. And they won’t because it continues to help them achieve their goals. Winning big in the 2010 mid-term elections is proof to them that hate and fear work.

I read something like this yesterday:

You can fool a few of the people all of the time, and this is Fox’s targeted audience.

The truth is, this is actually true. Fox panders to an audience that has been warned off the MSM, and all pundits and politicos that are not following the Fox agenda. It’s audience therefore never becomes informed that so much of what Fox runs is provably wrong. They don’t see the clips of their talking heads saying opposite things from days and weeks and months earlier. They are safely closeted from MSNBC, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report, as well as PBS and a plethora of middle-to-light Left commentary and journalism.

Therefore, the Fox lie works. This of course is not lost on the Extremists in the GOP. They too have learned from Fox that lying works to their base. They have come to depend on a largely uneducated, largely ignorant electorate who reads and watches only what they have given them permission to. Members of the Tea Party and GOP Extremists in general have learned the value of repeating the mantra of the day. What is the mantra for Health Care repeal?—JOB KILLING. The phrase is used by EVERYONE on the Right. No matter that it isn’t true, no matter that the CBO has projected that repeal would add billions to the deficit. They simply reply that that is an “opinion.” Is it called the Health Care Act? No it’s called Obamacare, by EVERYONE on the Right.

So in the end, I find it hard to see how the President’s call for civility can be accomplished. When Rush Limbaugh pounds the table and announces that the Democratic Party is “all for the Tucson killer” and Tom Pawlenty barely suggests that Palin’s crosshairs might be “not what he would do” before having to walk it back in the face of condemnation by Fox, then how can we take them seriously? When they are unwilling to admit any culpability in our climate of hate, it is hard to see how we talk with quiet respect to one another. When they are unwilling to condemn the hate mongers among them, how can we honor each other’s real beliefs?

If you know a way, by all means suggest it. I’m stymied.

Related Articles

• O’Reilly’s Fiery Talking Points Memo Fearlessly Slams Krugman, MSNBC (mediaite.com)
• Fox talkers demand Sheriff Dupnik produce evidence. Since when has evidence ever mattered to Fox talkers? (crooksandliars.com)
• The bottom line in America is you are free to hate (cbc.ca)

Nothing a Good Exorcism Won’t Cure

Tags

American Exceptionalism, corporate America, economy, Fox News, Glenn Beck, GOP, immigration, Joe Barton, media wackos, Michelle Bachmann, oil spill, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin

I mean really! I keep waiting patiently (THAT word again!) for the punch line. I just know it’s all gonna turn out to be one big whoppin’ joke.

I mean really. You know what I mean. It can’t be that rational people, can be this stupid, this vapidly insane can it?

The Republican party looks like a version of the Keystone Cops. Are they passing information via smoke signals on top of their BMW’s or something?

Get on the same page will ya?

I recently read a post (yesterday is recently yes?) wherein the writer mentioned that some of those fundie sites warn their readers (it’s a wonder they can read, I know) that meditation and yoga are devilishly inspired. In other words, that voice in your head tellin’ to love everyone is really the Satanic One leadin’ you astray into the nether world of  love? when what? Christians should be about war?

And Joe Barton is apologizing to BP because they were “shook down” by agreeing to pay $20 billion + for all the freakin’ damage they admittedly made. And he was but echoing what Bachmann and Haley Barber and some of the other fools in the party had already said.

But suddenly, Joe sayin’ it, well it was too much. And suddenly everybody was retracting and saying they never said it, and cutting and parsing, and pasting like video tape is still a thought in some Star Trek vision for the future.

What is most astounding in all this is that the powers that be in the party (according to Joe Scarborough, that would be Fox News), continue to think that most Rethugs are high wire walkers.

And guess what? They aren’t. Most of ’em can’t manage to keep their balance on mother earth on a beam a foot wide.

I mean, we are horrified that BP did this, and sure they should pay, but not at the hands of Obama who is black and whom we hate, so their paying is bad, unless, somehow, they pay through us, the good guys.

Try balancing on that! Oh, and surely not a soul will look at who is getting the most money from oil companies!

Turning to immigration, we got one side bemoaning that the Latinos are wreaking havoc on white Merika and destroying our way of life, while the other side says, hey you know we stand for famblies right? The way YOU define them? We define them the same. We are both against abortion in any form, hate gay icky stuff, so VOTE FOR US.

Is this demented or what?

Turning to unemployment we get the same old thing. Rethugs tell us that we must make corporations strong, that’s how a good economy runs. But runs for whom? So far it seems to run only for the obscenely wealthy. But we are for the working man, and want to create jobs, but if you don’t have one, well, we don’t want you to draw unemployment FOREVER lest you get too comfortable and grow to like it. Yeah, getting 30% of your normal wage is sure enticing!

I repeat, is this demented?

Or, frankly are these people deeply in the hands of the EVIL ONE? i am thinkin’ that just maybe they are.

It would explain all the shootin’ in the foot behavior we continue to see. I mean I expect G. Gordon Liddy to talk about Obama destroying the American standard of exceptionalism. He is a nut. He is  incredible, uncreditable, and discreditable.

Rushy Limpbaugh now, he is touted by some (no doubt possessed persons themselves) to be a leader of the party. And he says the same darn thing.  These fools are not afraid to speak aloud their private arrogance in Merika still being the last best bastion of freedom. DO YOU THINK THIS PLAYS WELL ANYWHERE BUT AMONG YOUR TROGLYDYTE MINIONS? LIKE ANYONE WHO LIVES IN ANY FOREIGN COUNTRY? ARE YOU AN IDIOT? Well, I guess I needn’t have said that. That is obvious.

It’s as obvious as Sarah (that woman is an idiot) offering to help Obama out with all her expertise with oil companies. Miss quitter yeah, oh do enlighten us with your wisdoms little lady. Give us some of that advicey stuff  you’re so good at missy.

It’s as obvious as Steven King telling us that Obama just has the predisposition to choose blacks over whites. And that he was profiled by a cab driver who saw him in a suit and figured he wanted a ride. Nothing bad about that stuff. Is your head spinnin’ fast enough yet?

Oh and Beck, let us not forget the Bonkers Boy. As someone else said, he has this belief that he can write two things on a blackboard and draw an arrow between then, and voila’, he has made a connection. Squirrelly stuff here. Sane people just look on dumbfoundedly.

Seriously, you gotta try Glenn once. I mean it will just make yuou sit with your eyes bugged out and your jaw opened wider than you thought possible as he weaves a web of intrigue and conspiracy fit for any inmate in any asylum in the US of AmERiCa. When did media become so rich they could afford such utter whhhaaaaa? to be perpetrated upon the public?

It’s like. Think of the most idiotic commercial you have ever seen. Plenty to choose from. Now think. Some body, or worse yet, bodies sat in a room with suits on, and were paid mucho buckeroos, and sipped coffee, and looked out upon a fine business skyline, and nodded mind you. Yes nodded ASSENT to paying millions to hopefully sell more of their product via this ad. Blows you away doesn’t it?

Now think of the tens of millions of so-called human beings who actually voted into office, or turn on their tubes every day to witness the words falling out of the mouths of these IDIOTS.

Now you see my point. It’s possession I tell you. Has to be. A good nation wide exorcism is in order. Do it. And do it quickly, for it may soon be too late.