Friday Talking Points [94] -- Two Years Of FTP
How time flies. This column marks its second anniversary today, by the calendar if not the Volume number. For the second straight year, we only produced 47 columns, but by the calendar we've gone two full years and a few odd days. Actually, now that I think of it, more than just a few odd days. Ahem.
For those wishing to see the humble origins of this column, check out Friday Talking Points, Volume 1, from September 14, 2007 (it was called "Memo To Democrats: Talking Points," and then for a while, "Friday Democratic Talking Points," until it finally settled into the FTP format). At the time, President Bush had just addressed the nation on the ongoing wars, and a battle was shaping up in Congress over war funding. Last year's anniversary column, Friday Talking Points, Volume 47 was written in the heat of the general election campaign, and contained advice for how to talk about John McCain.
But enough of this patting ourselves on the back. On with the show!
That "thump" you heard last week was ACORN being thrown under the bus. Now, ACORN has been a favorite target of Republicans for years, because their whole purpose in life is to help poor people. The Republicans look like they're finally going to get their wish and stop federal funding from going to what they consider a scurrilous group.
Let's put it in a wee bit of perspective, though. ACORN has gotten something like 50 million dollars in federal money over the past fifteen years. That works out to three or four million per year. Which, in Washington, is known as "a rounding error." It's peanuts. The federal budget is three trillion dollars. Meaning ACORN funding is one one-millionth of the federal budget. It's gratifying to see Congress work so fast on de-funding what they consider scurrilous organizations, but one wonders why they managed to move this fast on ACORN and not, say, Blackwater. We paid Blackwater hundreds of millions per year to do the jobs U.S. Marines used to do, and when they became an embarrassment, we didn't de-fund them, we kept on paying them hundreds of millions. Taxpayers still pay "Xe" (their new name, which they had to change out of sheer embarrassment) lots of money. To say nothing of the nine billion dollars that went "missing" in Baghdad in the early days of the war -- for which nobody has ever been fired, been jailed, been de-funded, or otherwise taken responsibility.
So de-funding ACORN is not exactly going to wipe out the national debt tomorrow, while plenty of other mischief paid for by our tax dollars keeps merrily rolling along. The whole foofaroo may eventually wind up helping ACORN, because now that they'll be off the federal teat, they won't have to have their strings pulled by the government any more (moral of the story: all government money comes with strings attached, and sometimes those strings can garrote you).
And if Congress is really concerned about keeping federal tax dollars out of the hands of prostitutes and pimps, perhaps they should consider cutting off Republican Senator David Vitter's salary. I'm just saying.
But I keep thinking about the core mission of ACORN, which (again) is to help poor people. Scapegoating poor people has been a favorite pastime of Republicans, pretty much since I was born. I first saw it in Ronald Reagan's (fictional, but that never stopped Ronnie) "welfare queens driving Cadillacs." Unwed mothers were singled out for scorn at one point during this period as well. Then it was everyone on welfare. More recently, it has focused on immigrants -- a favorite of political scapegoating for over a century in America.
And it all brought back a song which appeared over a decade ago. I dug the lyrics out, and was surprised to find how relevant they were today. The satirical genius of the Austin Lounge Lizards simply cannot be denied (no, they're not serious -- yes, this is satire). So we close our introduction today with the immortal "Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers On Drugs" from this fine Texas band.
It's been five years since we had a raise in pay
And they disallowed my business lunches today
Somebody must have changed the rules of the game
So we've found a convenient scapegoat we can blameIt's those teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(They're too lazy to work)
Teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(They're stealing our jobs)Somebody ran this country deep into debt
I called up Congress, but nobody's called back yet
Sometimes I get so mad I can't think straight
We're looking for relief and it feels so great to hateAll those teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(They're on the dole)
Teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(They're speaking Español)Who's to blame for the things we're so angry about?
Who's to blame for uprisings, downsizings, and the drought?
Who's to blame for the end of the good old days?
Who's to blame for that backwards-cap-wearing craze?It's those teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(Let's build a thousand-mile fence)
Teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(It's just common sense)
Teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(Like the Berlin Wall)
Teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
(Land mines and all!)
Teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs
There were a few things going on in the background this week which escaped the media's notice, for the most part. Vice President Biden was over in Iraq, doing the job he was hired to do, as a foreign policy expert. He didn't make any ground-breaking news, but is continuing our patient diplomacy by telling the Iraqis to get their act together politically, or else the whole house of cards is going to collapse when U.S. forces leave. So he gets at least a nod this week.
Senator Jay "John D." Rockefeller the IVth, or (as we like to call him) "Rocky IV," is usually a recipient of the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week here, for his toadying to his corporate donors (most egregiously on telecommunications). He's won six MDDOTW awards over the past two years, more than anyone outside of Harry Reid (who has 12 to his name). But this week, we've got to hand Rocky IV has very first Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award, for immediately coming out against Max Baucus' healthcare reform bill. Rocky IV's voice in this debate carries more weight than most, since he also sits on Baucus' committee. Meaning his vote may be necessary to move the bill to the Senate floor. So, for standing up for people over corporate interests (for once), Senator Rockefeller is awarded his first MIDOTW award.
Also winning a MIDOTW this week is Representatives Jerrold Nadler, from New York. Nadler introduced a bill this week called the "Respect For Marriage Act," which will completely overturn the "Defense Of Marriage Act" (DOMA) which bars the federal government from ever recognizing a gay marriage, and was signed into law by President Clinton. Nadler's new bill would toss out DOMA in its entirety, and currently has 94 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Do a THOMAS search on bill number HR3567 to see if your representative is on this list (and call them up and ask why, if not).
Chances for passage this year are fairly uncertain at this point. But even getting a House floor vote would be a big step in the right direction. And to have such a vote, you've got to have a bill. So congratulations to Representative Nadler for producing such legislation. And congratulations to the other 94 co-sponsors as well, for doing the right thing. President Obama is letting Congress lead on this issue, and this is definitely the way to do it.
[Congratulate Senator Jay Rockefeller IV on his Senate contact page and Representative Jerrold Nadler at (202) 225-5635 (his email contact page is for constituents only), to let them know you appreciate their efforts.]
I would say "Kanye West" here, but I don't even know if he's a Democrat.
Ahem.
Seriously, though, our Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week this week is none other than Senator Max Baucus. Baucus and his Gang made us all wait an extra two months or so -- and for what? The bill he just announced could have been announced in August. Nothing much has changed since then, in terms of the ideas the Gang was supposed to come up with. No magical solutions appeared in Baucus' bill this week. His Gang didn't even stand up with him, in the end, and he was left on his own in front of the cameras trying to explain why we had to wait so long for what he produced.
So, for the sheer waste of time this bill took, Max Baucus is our Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week, his fourth award in this category. Thanks for wasting two months of everyone's time, Max.
[Contact Senator Max Baucus on his Senate contact page to let him know what you think of his actions.]
Volume 94 (9/18/09)
Normally the Friday Talking Points are written for the benefit of Democrats who are going to be interviewed over the weekend. Of course, these are mandatory reading (ahem) for any Democrats who are going to be appearing on the nationally-televised Sunday political chatfests. But this week, there is but one Democrat appearing, in a blitz maneuver. President Barack Obama will be appearing on five of these shows this Sunday, so we've simply got to address the president here today.
Now, Obama has improved noticeably in the past few weeks in his public presence. After watching his poll numbers sink in July and August and essentially doing nothing about it, he is back on center stage and taking on all comers. Naturally, his approval ratings are bending back upwards again.
Today's advice to President Obama is kind of "around the edges," since he's already got his main talking points on the biggest issues of the day pretty well worked out. So we'd like to offer some peripheral advice this week. Some of these are pro-active, and some are in response to questions which you just know are going to be asked. Without further ado, let's get to it.
Overexposed
This question is going to come up at least once, if not "at least once in each show." The media has been pushing this story for over a year now, even though there's not a shred of evidence to back it up. The evidence shows almost exactly the opposite, in fact. When Obama shuns the bully pulpit (as in July and August), his ratings go down. So Obama should attack this notion head-on.
"Overexposed? Why is it that I am the only president who this story keeps being told about? Did the media ever call Ronald Reagan 'overexposed' at the time? Did they ever use this label for Bill Clinton or George Bush? And yet, when I go out and talk to the American people about the issues of the day, somehow I'm 'overexposed.' It is a part of my job to talk to the American people about what is going on in the federal government, and I intend to keep doing that part of my job. I am not 'overexposed' -- the only true meaning of that word is in photography. I admit that I'm both black and white, but I'm definitely not a photograph. Next question."
Human stories, please
On healthcare reform, Obama needs to do a much better job of using human examples of why the system is broken, and what he is trying to fix. He does this occasionally in local speeches, but he should do it more when national audiences are watching. Putting a human face on the problem goes a long way toward convincing people that you are morally outraged about the system we have now, and how it destroys lives. Let this emotion come through.
"It's awfully easy for the two of us to sit here and banter about this stuff, because I would be willing to bet that your employer probably provides you with pretty decent health insurance. Mine does too, and I thank the American people for that, because they're the ones that pay for it. But how many people have you interviewed during the last six months who don't have health insurance? How many interviews have you done with the people who write me letters and tell me their heart-breaking stories about not being able to afford insurance, being turned down by health insurers, and losing their insurance when they need it most? If you need some names of people to interview, I've got thousands of them for you. More of these letters arrive addressed to me every single day. But it's funny, I never seem to hear about them on the news. Why is that?"
45,000 die each year
This is an easy one, because the study just came out. Beat this number like a drum, as well as the word "rationing."
"Did you see the new study which shows that 45,000 people in America die each year because they don't have health insurance? People who are treatable, people who would be alive today. Forty-five thousand. Every year. You know, people have been raising fears of 'rationing' healthcare, but what never seems to get talked about is the fact that healthcare is already being rationed. For 45,000 Americans to needlessly die every year because of the health system we have today is a national disgrace. It is an absolute embarrassment. We will end this rationing of healthcare with our reforms."
Warn the Democrats in Congress: 1994, 1994, 1994...
This is an all-purpose answer designed to get under the skin of Democrats. It can be used in response to any sort of "why can't you get your own party together?" question.
"I agree that Democrats need to come together. I would remind them that the last time Democrats did nothing on healthcare reform, after getting everyone's hopes up, they lost control of Congress. Any Democrat who is considering obstructing our healthcare reform efforts needs to realize that the centrist Democrats who killed Clinton's plan were the ones, for the most part, who lost their elections the next year. They need to think about that long and hard. Democrats in the Senate who want to vote against the final bill is one thing, but Democrats joining with Republicans over procedural filibuster votes is quite another. And my guess is that Democrats who are perceived as standing in the way of healthcare reform are going to have awfully tough races next year, whether in the primaries or the general election. The American people have sent all of us here to get something done. All Congressional Democrats need to remember that. The easiest way to get re-elected is to get things done in Congress."
Well, don't you think he was?
The last three are somewhat frivolous, I admit, but you've simply got to be prepared for frivolous when you sit down with the likes of David Gregory. Ahem.
"Well, that was supposed to be off the record, but you're right, I did call Kanye West a jackass. I apologize if my language offended anyone, but I think I spoke for most of the country on that matter, and I stand behind what I said. Don't you think he was a jackass?"
Not racism, but lunacy and hatred
Obama's going to be asked about Joe Wilson and Jimmy Carter and racism and all the rest of it. But while demurring on his answer, Obama should also point out that there is a core group of absolute lunatics out there who will always hate anything Obama does or says no matter whether racism is a part of it or not.
"Look, I know what President Carter said, and we've put the Joe Wilson story behind us after he apologized to me. I'm not going to get into who is a racist and who isn't, because I don't think that's very productive. I think that any president will always have a core group of people who absolutely will not give him the benefit of any doubt whatsoever -- people who actually hate the president. That has always been true, whether the president's name was Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, or Bush. There is indeed a group of people who feel that way about me. I have no idea whether they are 'racists' or not, and I'm probably never going to convince them of anything. Did you see the poll last week where eight percent of people polled in New Jersey -- and 14 percent of Republicans in the state -- flat-out believe I'm the 'Anti-Christ'? The pollsters actually asked the question. Another 15 percent of Republicans 'weren't sure.' And this is in a state I won pretty handily -- I'm sure that percentage is even higher in other states. I'm willing to try to convince anyone of my position on any issue, but there are a group of people who are just never going to listen. The only difference, I think, is that in our 24-hour news cycle world, these people get a lot more prominence and attention than they ever used to get."
I'm no Sam Jackson
I guarantee that someone's going to ask Obama about being taught fencing, and the resulting photos of Obama wielding a light saber. Extra points for the interviewer who links it into Obama's killing George W. Bush's version of Reagan's "Star Wars" anti-missile fantasy. But the question is bound to come up.
"That was fun -- learning to fence a bit. They gave me a light saber so I wouldn't lop someone's ear off or anything, which is why you get the funny photos. I have to say, though, I'm no Luke Skywalker. I'm no Samuel L. Jackson either, for that matter. But, hey, may the Force be with you!"
Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground
Cross-posted at: The Huffington Post
-- Chris Weigant
Just to preface this... I may have to stop in the middle, because as soon as the wife finishes her jigsaw puzzle, I'll be pulled away for more exciting episodes of DEFYING GRAVITY...
Now, ACORN has been a favorite target of Republicans for years, because their whole purpose in life is to help poor people.
Assumes facts not in evidence.
It seems to me that, with all the criminal activity, embezzlement and the like, ACORN's whole purpose in life is to help ACORN..
But maybe that's just me...
But I keep thinking about the core mission of ACORN, which (again) is to help poor people.
And if ACORN had STUCK to that "core mission" then ACORN would not be in the problems it has now..
Let's not forget the FACTS here... Five (count them... 1 2 3 4 5) distinct and separate offices of ACORN have gone out of their way to try and help a pimp and a prostitute set up a brothel with underage foreign children..
One office may be a fluke.. Two offices may be a coincidence. Three offices, an intelligent person would go, "hmmmmmm"...
But FIVE (1 2 3 4 5) different offices in widely separate areas of the country???
That's nothing but a criminal enterprise, pure and simple...
I won't even bother going into the criminal (CRIMINAL!!) arrests that have been made of ACORN personnel for voter fraud..
Come'on... Let's call a spade a spade. ACORN is a criminal organization. Granted, it may not have started out to be one. It's mission, in the beginning, might have been legitimate.
But now?? At best, it's a bunch of opportunists trying to squeeze money to further criminal acts.
At worse, it's nothing but a crime syndicate.
. But this week, we've got to hand Rocky IV has very first Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award, for immediately coming out against Max Baucus' healthcare reform bill.
"WHOOAAA!!! WAITAMINUTE!!!!
-Ralph Macchio, MY COUSIN VINNY
Ya are actually against the Senate Finance Committee's DunselCare bill???
On healthcare reform, Obama needs to do a much better job of using human examples of why the system is broken,
The problem with Obama using Human Stories to sell DunselCare, is that often times, the stories are false.
"Well, that was supposed to be off the record, but you're right, I did call Kanye West a jackass. I apologize if my language offended anyone, but I think I spoke for most of the country on that matter, and I stand behind what I said. Don't you think he was a jackass?"
Hooooraaaaaa!!!!! :D
For the record, West is, and always has been, a jackass... It's a common affliction. People actually start believing their own press releases...
Happens in politics as well.... :D
Not racism, but lunacy and hatred
Let me repeat that for you.
NOT RACISM!!!
Here's a shocker for those on the hysterical Left.
It IS possible to disagree with a black person and it NOT be racism..
I know, I know.. The hysterical Left just cannot seem to come to grips with that fact, but it is the truth..
So, please, please PLEASE get this thru yer thick skulls...
Not every questioning of Obama's methods and/or capability is steeped in racism..
Got that?
And just let me add that these false claims of racism is a personal pet peeve of mine. Because, when every Tom, Dick Or Harry (or, this case Al, Jesse or Jimmy) cries RACISM at every little fracking thing, it detracts and diminishes instances of REAL racism.
In short, by crying "wolf" (racism) when there is none, no one is going to give a flying frack when there IS racism..
So, give it a rest already.. Jeeezus....
Did you see the poll last week where eight percent of people polled in New Jersey — and 14 percent of Republicans in the state — flat-out believe I'm the 'Anti-Christ'?
Yea, about 34% of Hillary supporters said the same thing... :D I believe they were all Democrats...
Michale.....
By the bi...
Congrats on the 2 Year Anniversary!!! :D I am proud to say that I have been here the entire two years, giving you headaches all along the way!! :D
Could you please fix my attributes above? :D
Michale.....
Chris, great FTP as usual! I found a video of that song. There are a couple more versions as well.
Congratulations, Chris! Happy 2nd Anniversary!!
I can remember my reaction upon first reading this column...it went something like this...
Hummph...talking points...the only people who need talking points are the ones who don't understand the first thing about what they are talking about...Senator Biden doesn't need talking points...he knows these issues, inside and out. And, he's not exactly the type who would stick to such a script, in any event.
Well, some things never change...but, I have become a huge fan of Friday Talking Points - mostly because these columns are so extremely well written and chock full of all kinds of information, historical context, music, awards (even one for Biden, every now and again...I think we may be due, by the way - but, the honorable mention here was very nice) and, to top it all off, they’re infused with laugh out loud humour...as all of your other columns are, literally! And, God knows, we have needed those laughs over the last couple of years.
I hope you intend to put all of these columns into book form someday - it would be a phenomenal retrospective and one that I would certainly treasure.
Here's looking forward, with no small amount of anticipation, to another years worth of http://FTP...and beyond!
Michale,
I think you may owe Chris the internet(s)' equivalent of dinner - and we're all invited! :)
happy anniversary to the column, on erev rosh hashana no less. a happy jewish new year to the friday talking points. i've also been there for all 94 columns, and i think read all of them.
Michale -
I'm not defending ACORN per se here, but seriously, they have like 75 local offices in cities across America. The video sting team was thrown out of quite a few of these offices (the more honest ones, perhaps). There's a few bad apples. They were fired immediately.
But isn't this exactly the same thing that you rail against "the left" for doing to the military? "Few bad apples, all the US military is a criminal organization, they're all psychos and killers, baby-killers! Baby-killers!"
Would you indict everyone who wears the uniform over the actions taken at Abu Graib? Or any other military scandal from some low-ranking member (like, say, a child rape on Okinawa)? If you're going to complain about generalizing from people you don't agree with, don't be so quick to do it against other organizations.
I actually think it'll ultimately be good for ACORN to get off the federal dime. I think they'll be just fine with private money. But I realize I'm in a minority on the left on that one.
Oh, and I fixed your tags. Gotta be careful about mixing up "b" tags and "i" tags!
:-)
Kanye, well, I thought what he said about Bush and Katrina was pretty brave. I thought what he did recently was pretty downright stupid, and rude. Perceptions differ depending on the context, I guess.
I've been thinking about racism, and my thoughts are "it is not binary" -- it is not "you are a racist" or "you are not a racist" but rather a spectrum. I may write about it next week, though, still thinking about it. But it did strike me this week, that there are a hardcore who HATE any president not of "their side." Obama, WBush, Clinton, (to a lesser extent) HWBush, Reagan, Carter, (again, to a lesser extent, except about the pardon) Ford, Nixon -- they've all had a hardcore segment of the population who absolutely HATED them. It's got me thinking about the big picture....
Osborne Ink -
Pretty funny, huh? When I pasted in the lyrics, I read them through, and thought "Whoa, I better warn people they're kidding!" But they most assuredly are...
The Austin Lounge Lizards are hilarious -- check out their "banjo/bluegrass" version of Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" too (last song on "Dark Side Of The Moon") if you want a real laugh...
[Ba-twanga-twanga-twanga, Twanga-twanga-TWANG! "I'll see you on the dark side of the MO-OO-OON!"] Heh heh...
Elizabeth -
Answered you over on HuffPost. Thanks for you continuing support! It's fans like you who keep me going...
nypoet22 -
If you read the columns backwards (right-to-left) you'll discover the secret hidden message! Heh heh.
Seriously, though, "Shana tova... Shana tova umetukah!"
Thanks to everyone for the anniversary wishes, too!
-CW
CW,
The video sting team was thrown out of quite a few of these offices (the more honest ones, perhaps).
That's ACORN's claim.. It's never been substantiated.
Matter of fact, some of the offices that ACORN claims the filmmakers were "thrown out of", they (the filmmakers) had video of helping with illegal activities.
So that claim of ACORN's appears to be a false one.
There's a few bad apples. They were fired immediately.
ACORN claimed that the filmmakers dubbed over audio to make the workers say things that weren't really said. If this is true, then why were the workers fired??
But isn't this exactly the same thing that you rail against "the left" for doing to the military? "Few bad apples, all the US military is a criminal organization, they're all psychos and killers, baby-killers! Baby-killers!"
While the concept is the same, the percentages don't match.
Using your number of 75 ACORN offices, 5 of them being bad equals 6.6 percent.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were total of 2.6 million service men and women in 2007. I am not sure if this includes Reserves and National Guard, but let's go with this number.
Using the ACORN percentages, there would have to be 171,600 child rapes/Abu Graihbes/Baby Killers for the situations to be similar all within the span of a month.
I see what you are saying and you do raise a good point. As I said above, giving ACORN the benefit of the doubt, they probably started with the best of intentions.
My only point is that, in the 2008 elections, the ACORN issues were pooh-poohed away as nothing but right wing fanaticism. It seems that the problems from ACORN back then were just the tip of the ice berg.
Which is simply a more diplomatic way of saying, "I told ya so!" :D
Kanye, well, I thought what he said about Bush and Katrina was pretty brave.
"There you go again."
-Ronald Reagan
:D
Both instances were stupid, moronic and borne of complete ignorance and self-centerness.
In the Katrina instance, it was simply another ignorant low-life crying WOLF about racism.
Michale.....
Oh. And thanx for fixing my attributes. :D It sure would be nice if ya had a PREVIEW option {hint, hint} :D
Save ya a lot of work cleaning up my messes.. :D
Michale.....
In the Let's Be Fair segment, I have finally found something that the administration has done good..
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125329467451823485.html
If the Administration follows thru with this, it would be a GOOD thing to do..
Michale.....
Chris-
On an interesting sidenote, I think the "welfare queens driving Cadillacs" story is a cross-cultural myth. When I was in Turkey, I heard them tell a story repeatedly about homeless beggars on the streets who went home to mansions at night.
The interplay at work here is between the middle class and poor. The middle class believe they work hard for their money and that it is solely the result of their efforts. Not disputing the truth of this, but what it also tends to lead them to believe is that everyone who is poor does not work hard or must somehow be gaming the system.
Guess it makes it easier to ignore the poor if you think it's their own fault or that somehow they really aren't poor.
Michale-
Why are you so obsessed with ACORN? And c'mon, ACORN=crime syndicate? Please.
If you're so concerned with government abuse, why not be angry at the $700+ billion given to the financial industry?
3,000,000
700,000,000,000
If ACORN is a crime syndicate, they're not going to be a very successful one helping the poor.
Is it really just that you don't like the idea of a group that helps register poor people to vote because you think they'll vote Democratic?
And "hysterical left"? Not sure who you're talking to on this blog. Everyone seems pretty rational here and I don't think anyone has called anyone a racist. So not sure who you're yelling at to "please, please PLEASE get this thru yer thick skulls…"
Peace as always,
David
Why are you so obsessed with ACORN? And c'mon, ACORN=crime syndicate? Please.
Because I recall how, in the 2008 elections, I brought up time and time again the malfeasance of ACORN, only to be told that ACORN is as pure as the driven snow and all but the second coming.....
.....or words to that effect.. :D
This is an I TOLD YA'ALL SO moment.. Let me enjoy it. :D
If you're so concerned with government abuse, why not be angry at the $700+ billion given to the financial industry?
I am firmly on record at being royally pissed off at that as well... :D Not to mention the Auto Bailout and DunselCare as well... :D
Is it really just that you don't like the idea of a group that helps register poor people to vote because you think they'll vote Democratic?
I don't mind that whatsoever. As long as said groups play by the rules.
It's obvious to everyone NOW that ACORN has not. It was obvious to only me (at least here on cw.com) during the 2008 elections. As I mention above, this is my ITYS moment.. :D
And "hysterical left"? Not sure who you're talking to on this blog. Everyone seems pretty rational here and I don't think anyone has called anyone a racist. So not sure who you're yelling at to "please, please PLEASE get this thru yer thick skulls…"
Good point.. That particular rant WAS directed at the Hysterical Left, not to any of the regulars here. But who knows how many from the HL lurk here.. So it was for their benefit... As an aside, if you happen to know anyone from the Hysterical Left, please pass on my rant. And let them know that they deal racially equality a severe blow every time they scream RACISM where none exists.. :D
Peace as always,
Never a doubt... :D
Michale.....
Liz
I think you may owe Chris the internet(s)' equivalent of dinner - and we're all invited! :)
Hope everyone likes Pizza n Beer.... :D
Michale.....
We interrupt this comment thread for a general announcement:
New "leaderboard" page is up for all-time lists of MIDOTW and MDDOTW award recipients! Check it out:
http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/ftpstats/
And thanks to Liz for first suggesting the term "leaderboard" as it's definitely a "keeper"!
:-)
OK, we now return you to the comment thread already in progress... oh, and pizza and beer is just fine with me!
-CW
Chris, I just finished watching the full, "unedited" NYC sting video. What I saw was not criminal. In fact, it was nothing like what's been portrayed!
Chris, I just finished watching the full, "unedited" NYC sting video. What I saw was not criminal. In fact, it was nothing like what's been portrayed!
For example.......???????
Michale.....
"For example…….???????"
That's why I have a blog, folks!
Chris, I just looked at an interesting poll:
http://www.pollster.com/blogs/sixtyfive_views_of_hc_reform_o.php
OI,
"For example…….???????"
That's why I have a blog, folks!
I'll take that as an invitation. :D
Michale.....
George Stephanopoulos really showed a pair of brass ones over the weekend. :D
http://www.aarp.org/community/groups/displayTopic.bt?pageNum=1&groupId=1472&topicId=4316212
This is, pretty much, Obama's READ MY LIPS moment...
Michale.....
EXCERPT:
Imagine for a moment if, next week, Obama did a nationwide television address from an historic location in Columbia, South Carolina, and standing by the president’s side were Congressman Wilson along with his entire family. Michelle, Malia, and Sasha should also be on the platform right next to the Wilson clan.
Obama should tell his fellow Americans at this gathering that dissent is valued in our nation, and that what Tea Partiers and town hall meeting protesters are doing and saying is not born of racism or hatred, but of a deep-seated concern for the country’s direction that he fully understands and dearly appreciates.
Obama should further state that he had an opportunity to talk to Congressman Wilson and his family, and he found them to be wonderful people that are far from the racists many claim. As a result, he wants all the accusations against Wilson and others to end, and for members of his party and those in the media to stop saying that every negative opinion about him or his policies is related to the color of his skin.
With this one speech, Obama could not only demonstrably change the race discussion in this nation, but he could also win back some supporters he’s lost in recent months as well as many he’s never had.
Unfortunately, the President won’t dare do this, for he knows that Democrats have been effectively using the race card for decades, and he’s not sure they can be successful without it.
As a result, Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream will have to continue waiting for a real leader to surface before it finally comes true.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/21/noel-sheppard-health-care-race/
Couldn't have said it better myself..
Michale....
Michale -
You forgot to mention the fact that the GOP is now not just stoking racism and fear, they're raising money off it. From a GOP "questionnaire" (actually a fund-raising letter):
"Are you concerned that health care rationing could lead to:
25. A "quota" system which would determine who would determine who would get treatment on the basis of race or age?"
But, of course, it's those dastardly Democrats who keep bringing up race, right? Except for when Republicans try to raise money off fears that your doctor will not see you because there's someone of another race in line in front of you.
Sheesh.
-CW
Yes, for the most part, the Democrats (dastardly-ness notwithstanding :D) are the ones most often playing the race card.
The fact that the GOP does it as well is equally abhorrent, but that doesn't mitigate that the race card is, predominantly, a Dem strategy...
One only has to see the current ACORN and "YOU LIE" issues to see it..
Michale.....
I mean, seriously....
Was there ANYTHING in Joe Wilson's "YOU LIE!" outburst that could even be REMOTELY construed as based in racism??
ANYTHING at all??
The absolute ONLY thing "racist" about the incident was that the person who was mistaken was black and the accuser was white.
That's it.
How can ANYONE come away with, "Oh he's just a racist!" based on that??
The ONLY way is by being pre-disposed to crying RACISM where none exists..
Michale....