THE REPUBLICAN VIOLENCE MACHINE

REALITY-   Let me first say that, at the time of this writing, the condition of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still critical and my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery go out to her and her family.  I would also like to extend my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of the six people who lost their lives in the tragic shooting that took place in Tucson Arizona this past Saturday. It should not be forgotten that there were also 13 other wounded individuals whom are just as important to the families involved. I wish for their speedy recovery as well.



      The shooting took place on January 8, 2011, shortly after 10 a.m. MST (UTC-7). A United States Representative from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, was holding a constituent meeting called "Congress on Your Corner” at a Safeway supermarket in Casas Adobes, a suburb of Tucson, Arizona


      According to an eyewitness, Giffords had set up a table outside the store. About 20 to 30 people were gathered around her when the gunman removed a legally concealed pistol from his clothing and shot Giffords in the back of her head. He then proceeded to fire apparently randomly at other members of the crowd.  The weapon used was reported to be a 9mm Glock model 19 pistol with a 30-round magazine. A witness said he heard "15 to 20 gunshots".


      The gunman ran out of ammunition and stopped to reload. After he dropped a loaded magazine for the gun from his pocket to the sidewalk, unwounded bystander Patricia Maisch snatched the loaded magazine away as he was reaching for it. The gunman was then tackled to the ground by 74-year-old retired colonel Bill Badger who himself had been shot, and was further subdued by Maisch and bystanders Roger Sulzgeber and Joseph Zamudio. ~ (Wikipedia.org)


      
      Jared Lee Loughner is the primary suspect. At the time of the shooting, Loughner was 22 years old and lived with his parents in Tucson, about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the site of the shooting. ~ (Wikipedia.org)



      Sarah Palin, who doesn't really have a job at this point, stated in an E-mail to Glenn Beck that “Our children [Her Children] will not have peace if politicos [Democrats] just capitalize on this to succeed in portraying anyone [Portraying Sarah Palin, The Tea Party, and The Republican Party] as inciting terror and violence” [Which they do any way they can think of.]



      Sarah Palin has been promoting guns and shooting them since before she was propelled onto the national stage by her breast size. 



      Palin released a video statement on Wednesday stating that "It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions. Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own; they begin and end with the criminals who commit them." 


      Sarah Palin was right about restoring individual accountability, she was don't laugh. Although I don't think that she can understand that what she said actually applies more to George W. Bush and his criminal cadre who are mostly responsible for the worldwide economic crisis that the we all face and deal with the consequences of everyday.


      Acts of monstrous criminality are committed by individuals, groups of individuals most often called companies, and large sovereign well respected nations alike. To believe that there is only one thing in the world that is capable of monstrosity is to ignore the biggest and most dangerous monsters.  Sometimes monsters are inspired to act by these larger, more well published monsters.



      Or perhaps Mrs. Palin was letting her guilty conscience out and telling us all about herself.



      Palin went on to say that she "listened at first puzzled, then with concerned, and now with sadness to the irresponsible statements from people attempting to apportion blame for this terrible event," Palin said."If you don't like a person's vision for the country, you're free to debate that vision. If you don't like their ideas, you're free to propose better ideas. But especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible."


      First off that's not what a "Blood Libel" is. According to the New York Times' Michael Shear It's an anti-Semitic term used to describe the false accusation that Jews murder Christian children in order to use their blood in religious rituals. So Sarah Palin actually doesn't know what she is saying and she's admitting latent anti-Semitism.


      Secondly, Sarah Palin doesn't seem to understand that people have died, and that that is more important than her political "career".


      Third, Sarah Palin talking about not inciting violence is like Smokey The Bear advocating the joys of setting forest fires.



*****Setting forest fires is horrible. I do not endorse. *****



      All Sarah Palin is really saying is 'I heard that people were blaming me and the Tea party and the Republican party for this and I don't think that that is good for my chances to become president before my looks fade.'


      I blame the Republican Party in general and Sarah Palin in particular because they advocate violence, or condone those who advocate for it more directly.


      I blame the Tea Party rhetoric of "bullets over ballots". I blame Jared Lee Loughner who was whatever enough to commit this atrocious act. I blame Loughners parents and family for not helping the 22 year old before he became a tool of hatred. I blame Loughner's copy of Mein Kampf and its odious author. I blame his school that obviously failed to educate him against such hatred. I blame his community for its failure to reach out to him before he became a despicable mass murderer.



      I blame the Republican Party, The G.O.P., The Tea Party and whatever it calls itself next year and every member of it for either promoting or condoning the promotion of the general state of fear, anger, and unrest that have gripped this nation one way or another since September The Eleventh 2001.  On that day George W. Bush had the opportunity to call for peace and unity. Bush could have then demanded that the world find and capture those who had attacked us.


      Instead George W. Bush and his Republican Party have used every means at their disposal to create and foster fear in the hearts and minds of Americans.  They started at least two illegal wars that nearly guarantee that America will have a new generation of terrorists to hate her.  We hurt people in other countries and they will try to hurt us in retaliation.


      Hurting other people is wrong. Whether it's with a gun or a tank or a well planned economic collapse. It looks silly on the screen in front of me to read the phrase 'Hurting other people is wrong'. It sounds simple as though it were meant for a small child.  In today's "two-word culture" maybe it needs to be that simple.


      Why is hurting people wrong? Because you wouldn't like it if someone else hurt you.


      You would think hurting people was wrong if you were the one getting hurt.



      Hurting other people is wrong. Driving other people to hurt themselves or other people is wrong.



      It's Disturbing In This Country That We Focus On Those Who Have Been Driven To Violent Rage While Ignoring Those Who Are Doing The Driving.



      "And we certainly must not be deterred by those who embrace evil and call it good."
 
      No Mrs. Palin we, as a nation, most certainly will not be deterred by you.
 
And As Always,
 








 

OBAMA SAVES CHRISTMAS

REALITY-   Yesterday The Obama Administration cut a deal with congressional Republicans to continue long term extended unemployment benefits through 2011.  As part of the arrangement, President Obama agreed to continue the Bush Tax-Cuts for Americans earning over $200,000 per year.


      Many democrats and independents are outraged that President Barack Obama would go back on his campaign promise to end the Bush Tax-cuts for the top two percent of wage earners in America. But the fact is that he had no choice.

"We understand don't we Chewie? He had no choice."

      Governing is compromising, governing is prioritizing. Barack Obama was forced by the Republicans in Congress to compromise on tax-cuts for the wealthy because his priority was not campaign promises. Instead President Obama's priority was keeping Americans warm in the winter time. His loyalty was not to election rhetoric but to the people of America who need his help now.

     

      "You know I studied under a nobel prize winning economist and do you know what he taught me?"


      'Never let people go hungry and cold during Christmas.'




      The priority of The Republican Party was clearly to play politics for the sake of politics while American citizens went hungry on Christmas. 

      I'm not making this up, it is what their stated position is. Republicans in Congress, were it up to them, would allow unemployed American citizens, who would otherwise be working and hence providing for their own needs, to continue to suffer the consequences of the actions, inactions and ineptitudes of the most recent Republican President George W. Bush.

      Actions, inactions, and ineptitudes that have left The United States of America flailing in the largest economic crisis since The Great Depression. People call this "The Great Recession" I suspect because they're afraid of applying the "D" word to current economic circumstances.



      Either that or Rupert Murdoch will have them shot on the spot for uttering the phrase.


Republicans: Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. John Boehner, Gov. Haley Barbour

      Make no mistake about who the Republicans in Congress are. They have shown themselves to be heartless to the point of using the long-term unemployed as leverage to ensure that the rich get a little richer.



      The exact opposite of the famous character of Robin Hood who would steal from the rich and give to the poor, The Republicans are actually those who steal from all of us and give, literally give, to the wealthy.

      So that's how they became wealthy in the first place.



      Governing is prioritizing and compromising, this is what Barack Obama was elected to do.


      If John McCain had become president, the Bush-era Tax-Cuts for the wealthiest Americans would have been a slam dunk, it's possible that we'd be invading Russia over START, and when it comes to major health care reform the Republican Party would have three words for you.


     
      Don't Get Sick!





      However, with Barack Obama as President, in two years he and The Democrats in Congress have passed landmark legislation reforming health care and the way Wall Street does business.  The 700 Billion dollar bailout of Wall Street will apparently only cost about 30 billion. A nice bit of bargain shopping there.


      And, as I mentioned above, unemployed Americans, if the deal with Congressional Republicans is honored, will be able to buy their kids Christmas dinner. They'll be able to eat that dinner in a room that is warmer than the season would prefer. And maybe, just maybe, there will be a little something in everyone's Christmas stocking this year thanks to the gutsy deal that President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress were forced to make.

      Forced by Republicans who only represent the wealthy, apparently heartless, and of course themselves.



      And As Always,






      Happy Holidays Everybody

DEMOCRATS HAVE LOST THEIR MARBLES

REALITY- After the results of the 2010 Mid-Term Elections, many people have decried this election as a resurgence of The Republican Party. And I guess to some extent it was.

      The Tuesday before last The Republican Party gained control of next U.S. House of Representatives. As of last count The G.O.P. (Republicans...they go by so many different names) gained an impressive 60 seats there and 6 more seats in The United States Senate. Leaving the 112th Congress of The United States a divided one.

      The Republicans will have control over The House of Reps while The Democrats maintain control of The United States Senate.

      Wait What? In January when the next congress convenes The Democrats will still control The Senate and The White House. To listen to the media coverage of this past election you would have thought it was a Republican sweep. It wasn't.

      When the 112th Congress of The United States comes together The Republican Party will hold a 43 seat advantage in The House of Reps.

      The Democrats currently enjoy a 77 seat advantage, and with that margin The Democrats still had to fight to pass bills like Healthcare Reform and The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the most sweeping change to financial regulation in the United States since the Great Depression.

      That Bill passed The House by a mere 21 votes. So by that example The Republicans don't have that large of an advantage after all.

      43 seats may not be enough to repeal what they call "Obamacare". A flippant term for legislation that allows those with pre-existing medical conditions access to health insurance.

      43 seats may not be enough to preserve the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy which received due but perhaps ill-timed attention leading up to the November 2nd election.

      Over the past two years The Democrats have had to fight for every political inch while they have been in control of the White House, The House of Reps, and The Senate. And if The Democrats know what is good for the continued employment they will fight harder for those political inches.
      Watching the coverage of The 2010 Mid-Term Elections, the media would have you take away only that The Republicans have somehow seized control over the entire United States Government.

      Nope, just The House of Representatives. And if history tells us anything, that may not be enough.


      All that having been read. Now that The United States has moved away, once again, from one party rule, Both sides of the political spectrum should now understand that they need to work together in order to further serve the needs of all of the American people not just the needs of those whom contribute the most cash to their respective campaigns.

      This does not mean however that The Democrats should just do what The Republicans want them to do, as a lot of people seem to define bi-partisan cooperation these days.
 
      No in fact just the opposite. This brings me to my final point of the day and it is why The Democrats lost control of The House and why they failed to gain further momentum in The Senate.

      The Democrats lost control of The House of Representatives not because the people didn't agree with the positions and policies of the candidates in question but because the Average American Voter did not believe that The Democrats would follow through on their promises.

      Because The Democrats have been missing something.

      Something that they had had going into the 2006 Mid-Term Elections.

      Something that carried them through The 2008 Presidential Election to the tune of total control over the House, The Senate, and landed them the first African-American President in United States history.

      The thing that The Democrats have been without this past year is


      Marbles, Huevos...



      The Democrats need to get some Balls.



      The Republicans fight their political battles with little else and American voters are attracted to that.
 
      It's high time that The Democrats rediscover their own "Testicular Fortitude" otherwise Barack Obama may find himself a one term president faster than we can all yell "Marbles".


 
      And As Always,