Anyone who thinks they have all the Answers before they've even heard the Question - is Dangerously Deluded! Real Truth Requires Vigilance, Perseverance and Courage, regardless of Party and who wields Power. Left, Right, Center, Corporations, Government, Unions, Criminals or the Indifferent.
I gotta say David just hits it out of the park. I've written about this time and time again, there is no question - Waterboarding is Torture, Torture is a War Crime, War Crimes are punishable by upto 5 years in prison and/or capital punishment if the subject dies --- at least 20 detainees have been killed as a result of techniques exactly like those described in these memos, mostly by CIA subcontrators working for the company CACI.
This isn't partisan. It isn't about "Pay-back". It's about Justice, and so far - even though he has allowed us to see and understand what this country became under Bush, Obama is not listening to the clarion call of Justice. He is not enforcing the law.
That has to change.
Also based on my last post, I'm welcoming comment by those who disagree without Snark, or rudeness. America needs to seriously talk about and understand this, because frankly many of us on the center and left feel that what Obama has done by essentially grant retroactive immunity to the culprits and called forth the Nuremberg "I was following orders" defense.
I'm going to try something unusual today, I'm writing a serious and sincere letter to the Tea Partiers.
Yeah, yeah, I know - it's unlikely that any of them will be willing to listen, will give a RIP what I - a damn, dirty DEMOCRAT with centrist/progressive leanings - might have to say, but I think it's important to drop the snark, drop the cheap double-entendres for a moment and attempt a real conversation.
How about some basic ground rules, I won't call you guys "Tea-baggers" or "Nut-Balls" (anymore), if you drop the "Socialist/Fascist" stuff, ok? Can we agree to that?
Fine.
Let's start with the fact that, whether you realize it or not, most of us from the center to the left actually Agree that Government Spending has been out of control for quite some time. WE'VE BEEN SAYING SO for at least 7 years, some of us - like myslef - for much longer.
But even though we all essentially agree on that point - there are reasons why you guys aren't being taken seriously. Valid reasons. You need to come to grips with those, and not just whine about "Liberal Bias" but really get serious in order to be taken seriously. Right now, you're coming off like the people who say "9-11 Was An Inside Job" or that "Elvis has been only playing Possum" and "Area 51 has Alien Bodies Stashed in it".
I'm not saying that to bust your balls - it's just not that credible.
But your underlying premise, that we need to get government spending under control ISN'T WRONG, it's right - unfortunately it's been misdirected and misguided.
For example Tea Partiers have railed against the Stimulus Bill, when most of that bill - was Tax Cuts for individuals and small business.
You Guys were Protesting Taxes, Immediately after your Taxes Were Cut.
That's not logical.
The people that cut your taxes, were not Republicans. Every republican voted against the Stimulus bill. Now, I would not say that bill was perfect, it had some flaws --but it did some things correctly and we should be happy about that. YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY, but instead you spit on the bill?
Again, how is everyone else to take that?
So, let's at least come to a basic agreement that the problem here is bi-partisan - ok? Democrats have messed up. Republicans have messed up. See - that wasn't hard was it? What the rest us are wondering is - what's your solution?
"Stop government spending."
Ok, which part? Which part of the armed forces, police, fire-departments, teachers, road-workers and hospitals are you going to lay-off? Who else are you going to put out on the street?
See, this issue didn't start yesterday, it's one that been with of for quite some time. I myself got on this political merry-go-round with the Gingrich Congress of '94, and watched pretty closely through that entire period, including both government shutdowns, the mandate for a "date-certain" balanced budget and the eventual surplus that was created largely by President Clinton's efforts, then destroyed by Bush.
Exactly as was pointed out by this Democrat at the Pensacola Tea Party
(Crowd applauds as he takes the microphone) All right. Thank you very much.
I want to start also by honoring the service of our veterans, our current servicemembers, our Gold Star parents, thank you so much for what all you've done for this country. (Crowd cheers)
I also want to say, a little history lesson here, back in 2000, there was a budget surplus in the country. (Man in crowd: Yeah!) And during the next eight years, (Man in crowd: What happened?) it was destroyed by the profligate spending of the Bush administration. (Crowd reacts)
And so here we are today, here we are today in a situation ... let me ask you this: Cheer if you make less than 250,000 dollars a year. Just cheer. (Crowd cheers) Your taxes are going to be cut under the current budget. Congratulations!
I was laid off in September because my employer had to make budget cuts. That was before the election, okay? So let's remember, that if you're going to argue about more taxes and less spending, to place the blame where the blame belongs, and that's squarely in the hands of the Republican Congress until 2006 (Crowd starts to react) and the Bush administration. (Crowd boos)
Why was this so difficult to simply agree with? I'm not saying that Democrats don't share in the blame, clearly - THEY DO - but this guy wasn't wrong.
Again, I constant read claims by Tea Partiers that "This isn't Partisan", but when someone points out specific things that Republicans did to put us where we are - you ARGUE about it.
Many partier comments have been defensively claiming "this isn't about Democrats" immediately followed by a long list of Democrats to blame like Barney Frank (with dosses of "Fag" thrown in) and Maxine Waters ("Bitch"). What's up with that?
You complain about being called "Racist" when you've got pictures of the President with Buckteeth and Giant- "EarMarx". You do that stuff and you lose you're right to complain about Janeane Garafalo and some bad fellatio jokes. I mean really, think about it.
Many Democrats deserve some criticism, that we can agree on, particularly those who voted along with Bush Deficit Busting Cuts, and those who back in 1998 voted to repeal Glass-Steagal the act that had created a a firewall between regular banks and investment banks. Without that firewall people were able to take you're mortgage and play with it on the stock market - it gave an incentive to get creative and crazy with financing and we don't need newer, flashier ways to flush our money down the toilet, we really don't. President Clinton deserves blame here also, since he signed this bill into law.
I want to sound a warning call today about this legislation. I think this legislation is just fundamentally terrible. I hear all these words about the industry remaking itself--banks, security firms and insurance companies, and that we'd better catch up and put a fence around where they are or at least build a pasture in the vicinity of where they are grazing. What a terrible idea.
What is it that sparks this need to modernize our financial system? And what does modernization mean? This chart shows bank mergers in 1998, in just 1 year, last year, the top 10 bank mergers. We have discovered all these corporations have fallen in love and decided to get married. Citicorp, with an insurance company--that is a big one--$698 billion in combined assets; NationsBank--BankAmerica, $570 million; and the list goes on. This is a massive concentration through mergers.
Is it good for the consumers? I don't think so. Better service, lower prices, lower fees? I don't think so. Bigger profits? You bet.
....
I am not anti-bank, anti-security or anti-insurance. All of them play a constructive role and important role in this country. But this country will be better served with aggressive antitrust enforcement, with, in my judgment, fewer mergers, with fewer companies moving in to the ``too big to fail'' category of the Federal Reserve Board, with less concentration.
This country will be better served if we have tighter controls, not firewalls that allow these companies to come together and do inherently risky things adjacent to banking enterprises, but to decide the lessons of the 1930s are indelible transcendental lessons we ought to learn and ought to remember.
Byron is a Democrat, but I'm not gloating. 38 Democrats in the Senate voted for this bill. They messed up, not just Phil Gramm - all of them.
Even without the Community Reinvestment Act, monetizing mortgages would have been a problem. Even without ACORN, even without rampant immigration. Glass-Steagal was put in place to prevent a repeat of the Original Great Depression. Pulling it out almost gave us a second one - and only 8 Senators voted against it.
I've read a number of discussions about the Pensacola video beyond where it was originally posted (on Dailykos) and I've seriously seen people argue that There Was No Surplus.
This is what most of us outside of Fox News World call - "CRAZY TALK!"
Ok, I'm not a CPA or a government accountant, but I did make an attempt at finding out the numbers for myself. This is what I found from Treasury Dept.
See that drop in 2000? That's what happens when you have - say it with me now - A SURPLUS of government funds. I will admit that it wasn't that much, but it was definately there, and the primary point that Pensacola man was trying to make was that the downward trend was initially reversed by Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.
Here's another chart which shows both the ratio between growth of wealth for the largest earners in America and the top tax rate (which during the 50's was 93%).
Barack Obama has simply preposed letting the Bush cuts expire - which they will in 2010 - and going back to the rates that Clinton had. That's a 3% change. THREE PERCENT. In response he's been called a "Fascist" and a "Socialist".
I know it's not fun to be called "Crazy" or a "Racists" but responding with "Socialist" doesn't help - particularly when you've got a Barack Obama The Nazi poster in your hand.
Here's another controversial Video - one from Chicago with a CNN reporter, the first part of which was broadcast on air, the second part where the reporter is confronted by a "NormaL" Tea Party protester was not.
The first guy in this video (and there is another sequence from before this one with the Barack-Nazi Guy I just mentioned) is not answering her question about his sign stating that his child si already in debt at two-years-old.
This is a point I've made myself, in fact - for years I've called it The Birth Tax - so, yet again, we're in agreement on the core point, but the problem begins once he opens his mouth and starts to rail indirectly about Obama by misquoting Lincoln.
Man: Lincoln believed that people had the right to share in the fruits of their own labor and that government should not take it
So basically he's saying tha Lincoln was against taxation? Uh....no.
Indeed, work was as fundamental a value as freedom, argued Mr. Lincoln. In 1854, Mr. Lincoln wrote: "The ant, who has toiled and dragged a crumb to his nest, will furiously defend the fruit of his labor, against whatever robber assails him. So plain, that the most dumb and stupid slave that ever toiled for a master, does constantly know that he is wronged. So plain that no one, high or low, ever does mistake it, except in a plainly selfish way; for although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it, by being a slave himself."9
"I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no wise interferes with any other man's rights,"
He was talking about being PAID for you work, the fruits of your labor. This is at least partially why the reporter blows him off - cuz yet again - he's spouting CRAZY TALK.
No, sorry it's not just a "matter of opinion", and he's not entitled to "his view", not when he's just making SHIT UP! And it wasn't even neccesary because he was already correct about the Birth Tax to start with.
Every time you guys do this stuff, the rest of us tune you out!
Now, following Mr. Lincoln-Guy comes the real discussion - which is really just a complaint about the bias of CNN going out of their way to ignore the legitimate arguments being brought forth in order to just highlight the "crazy people". Here's the problem with that - the Crazies are always going to stand out, that's what they DO. It's like asking the News to ignore the guy on fire and instead pay attention to the girl sitting in the corner with a book. THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
The reporter says the crowd is "Anti-CNN", to which the people in the crowd respond that CNN is "Anti-Them".
Here are some of the comments to this video from the Not-so-Anti-CNN people.
freeserb (1 hour ago) CNN is dead last in ratings.
The Tea Party movement is universal. How many laid off teachers and govt workers will join the Tea Party movement?
It's no longer Left/Right, Dem/Rep, it's more like working people who've been crushed vs. the arrogant state employees who are racist scum. CNN is a branch of the state.
Anybody who says "tea-bagger" is a vile, disgusting perverted pedophile.
danspeaks (1 day ago) anti-CNN, way to be a victim lady... i was there and hardly anyone paid attention to them or cared... anti govt... more like pro-freedom
TV media is crap
Anyone see the irony here?
Look, I don't watch CNN and frankly can't stand it - but this isn't helpful.
And is really saying...
The Federal Reserve Runs this Nation... We do have not representation...they're getting all our money, they all need to be thrown out.
...all that much better? You DO have representation. You may not like your respresentative, but you have one, actually THREE of them. All the Republicans voted against the Stimulus - AND LOST. You just plain lost, that's all.
What you need to do, is learn how to WIN again - and what I'm saying to you, in all seriousness, is that a temper tantrum is not a winning strategy. You need convincing rational arguements, not conspiracy theories about the Federal Reserve, or ACORN, or Obama-the-Socialist.
Really you don't. Look we just won two sets of elections 2006/2008 in a row - we kind of know what we're saying. Places like Dailykos DON'T ALLOW CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, they really don't - and there's good reason for that.
Take a hint.
Here's one last example, via a discussion of the impact of the Tea Parties on C-Span which was posted oby Michelle Malkin.
Malkin's Comments
Watch this. Liberal toady James Wolcott argues that since he didn’t see big Tea Party crowds on his favorite left-wing tv stations and didn’t read front-page stories about the protests in his favorite left-wing newspapers, they weren’t newsworthy and no one really turned out except at the ones Fox News covered. C-SPAN host Susan Swain then displays front page after front page of local news coverage showing thousands of Tea Party participants:
“Does that change your view?”
Wolcott: Er, no.
Again, let's talk common sense. Wolcott is saying that the Tea Party crowd simply wasn't all that impressive - and Malkin is putting words in his mouth making assumptions about the papers he reads in New york. Does she know for a fact that one of those papers isn't the New York Post or the Wall Street Journal? No. Did either of these papers have a front page picture of 100,000 TeaParty protestores? No, they didn't becaue at BEST the entire nation wide number of Tea partier's was about 240,000 - but look at this picture, this is from the 2006 immigration protests in Los Angeles, which -in that one city alone - included 500,000 people.
Crowds like these are what completely derailed both the plans of Tom Tancredo to aggresively shut down the border and the plans of President Bush for a more "comprehensive" approach to immigration. THIS was impressive, you guys were not.
I know it's a natural tendency, I can't say I haven't done it myself, but my point is that viciously Insulting people - that at the core actually agree with your point on deficit reduction - is not how you go from 200,000 to 500,000 to 1 Million to winning elections. Are you starting to feel me here?
Now Obama has promised to reduce the deficit by 50% by the end of his first term. According to OMB projections, he just might do that. CBO - which uses different assumptions says that the defecits will continue and increase for decades?
Also note that a key driver of the new CBO deficit numbers after 2014 are estimates about long-term economic growth—where CBO is somewhat more pessimistic than the consensus. For example, CBO projects long-term real economic growth that declines to 2.2 percent per year. Blue Chip pegs long-term real growth at 2.6 percent per year and the Federal Reserve forecasts long-term real growth of between 2.5 and 2.7 percent—the same as the Administration, which is projecting real long-term growth of 2.6 percent. These differences may not seem big, but over time they accumulate
Whose Right?
It's hard to say, but from the experience we had during the Clinton years in the 90's, Clinton relied on OMB and the Gingrich Congress relied on CBO. Who was right then?
I think you see my point.
Since Obama's been President this is what has happened to the Dow Jones.
We've gained back everything we lost prior to January 20th, and are continuing to gain ground. Companies like Citigroup are starting to show a profit, and since we are now share-holders in these companies - WE ARE GOING TO SHOW A PROFIT.
So let me say it again - CALM DOWN! Now is not the time to panic.
A lot of us understand your frustration, really we do - we've been there, but right now is when things are finally starting to get a little better, not worse.
What you guys really don't want to do, is turn into what Evangelical Frank Scheaffer describes - the crazy guy in the corner annoying everyone.
Consider this a wake-up call. This is your future, for many of you - it's already the present. I'm not saying this to put you down, it's a chance to recognize where you're going and change direction. If you really do care about your country, and not just your own ass, then calm down - take a breath - and get involved in a real, honest and open discussion of these issues.
Color me shocked , but this just came out from MSNBC.
MADRID - Spanish prosecutors will recommend against opening an investigation into whether six Bush administration officials sanctioned torture against terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, the country's attorney-general said Thursday.
Candido Conde-Pumpido said the case against the high-ranking U.S. officials — including former U.S. Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales — was without merit because the men were not present when the alleged torture took place.
Are you kidding me?
Apparently not.
"If one is dealing with a crime of mistreatment of prisoners of war, the complaint should go against those who physically carried it out," Conde-Pumpido said in a breakfast meeting with journalists. He said a trial of the men would have turned Spain's National Court "into a plaything" to be used for political ends.
If this is true then the only persons eligible to be prosecuted for torture are the CIA assests who - under the direction, orders and bogus legal justifications provided by the the Bush Six.
In this vein there happens to already be a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pentagon on behalf of two detainees who died at Gitmo.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Families of two Saudi detainees who committed suicide in June 2006 while being held at Guantanamo Bay have sued the Pentagon, alleging Jan. 29 that torture and brutal conditions at the offshore prison led the men to their deaths.
The New-York based Center for Constitutional Rights said the parents of Yassar Talal al-Zahrani and Salah Ali Abdullah Ahmed al-Salami are seeking unspecified damages for the “illegal detention, torture, inhumane conditions, and ultimate deaths” of their sons.
The final brief in the civil suit was filed Jan. 29 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
In a ruling that could have widespread implications for government contractors overseas, a federal court has concluded that four former Abu Ghraib detainees, who were tortured and later released without charge, can sue the U.S. military contractor who was involved in conducting prisoner interrogations for the Pentagon in Iraq.
U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, denied a motion to dismiss the detainees’ claims by the contractor, CACI International. The Arlington, Virginia-based company is a major contractor to the Defense Department.
The former detainees allege multiple violations of U.S. law, including torture, war crimes and civil conspiracy
Whether our own Justice Dept will invoke a Special Prosecutor to investigation violations of 18 USC 2340 (Torture) and 18 USC 2441 (War Crimes) committed at Gitmo, Bagram, Abu Ghraib and the now closing "Black Sites" still remains unknown, as the last set of Bybee/Yoo Torture memos tiptoe toward release (Jeremy Scahill:They May be Redacted, First) and the internal OLC Inspector Generals report remains pending.
Confirming previous reports from the Southern Poverty Law Center on the Rise of Right-Wing Hate Groups, Today Homeland security released a new report (pdf) that indicates that Extremist Right-Wing and Hate Groups have been dramaticaly recruiting since we've entered the "Age of Obama".
[R]ightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues. The economic downturn and the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment.
Now it should be noted that this political shift in focus by Homeland Security could simply be the result of the change in administration. Let's recall that during the Bush Administation Peace Activists were targeted, surveilled and flagged as potential terrorists.
Three peace activists were detained at gunpoint in St. Paul yesterday by police who told them their car was on a federal "stop-and-search list." All three are prominent activists who've recently spoken out against Bush, McCain or the war in Iraq. They were held for 30 minutes then released without charge.
Similar targeting of anti-Bush peace groups took place in Maryland, where 53 Non-Violent Activists were added to the terrorist watch list, and in Milwaukee were 37 members of the Peace Action Milwaukee Group - including a priest and nun - were turned away at the gates because there names were included on the "No Fly List".
In 2005 DHS issues another similar report that listed various left-wing groups as "dangerous" - yet miraculously failed to include ANY anti-government, supramacist or radical right-wings groups.
So while peace activists and non-violent protesters have been harrased under Bush without reasonable cause or justification - Right-Wing Rhetoric has grown more and more vitriolic, paranoid and dangerous as shown by these highlights from the new report.
Anti-immgration: “Rightwing extremist groups’ frustration over a perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration has the potential to incite individuals or small groups toward violence. If such violence were to occur, it likely would be isolated, small-scale, and directed at specific immigration-related targets.”
Recruiting returning vets: “Rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.”
Gun-related violence: “Heightened interest in legislation for tighter firearms … may be invigorating rightwing extremist activity, specifically the white supremacist and militia movements.”
Let's also recall that we don't actually need a "REPORT" to see the danger of the Radical Right-Wing. This is not theoretically - it's already begun to build a bodycount starting with the Anthrax Letters which were mailed to Congress, the FAKE Anthrax attack on progressive TV hosts such as Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart, the shooter in Knoxville Tennesee - James Adkisson.
"Know this if nothing else: This was a hate crime. I hate the damn left-wing liberals. There is a vast left-wing conspiracy in this country & these liberals are working together to attack every decent & honorable institution in the nation, trying to turn this country into a communist state. Shame on them....
Ignoring fact and reality, wingnuts who seem determined to play the self-described "Victim" card like Michelle Malkin are already calling this new report a political HIT JOB on Conservatives via Obama's DHS.
Malkin: By contrast, the piece of crap report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives. And the intent is clear. As the two spokespeople I talked with on the phone today made clear: They both pinpointed the recent "economic downturn" and the "general state of the economy" for stoking "rightwing extremism." One of the spokespeople said he was told that the report has been in the works for a year. My b.s. detector went off the chart, and yours will, too, if you read through the entire report — which asserts with no evidence that an unquantified "resurgence in rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalizations activity" is due to home foreclosures, job losses, and...the historical presidential election.
No evidence? "Oklahoma City" Much? How about the Olympic Park Bombing? And the recent hightening reports of threats coming to the FBI? Typical. This is what the reports says.
DHS/I&A assesses that lone wolves and small terrorist cells embracing violent rightwing extremist ideology are the most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States. Information from law enforcement and nongovernmental organizations indicates lone wolves and small terrorist cells have shown intent—and, in some cases, the capability—to commit violent acts.
— (U//LES) DHS/I&A has concluded that white supremacist lone wolves pose the most significant domestic terrorist threat because of their low profile and autonomy—separate from any formalized group—which hampers warning efforts.
— (U//FOUO) Similarly, recent state and municipal law enforcement reporting has warned of the dangers of rightwing extremists embracing the tactics of "leaderless resistance" and of lone wolves carrying out acts of violence.
— (U//FOUO) Arrests in the past several years of radical militia members in Alabama, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania on firearms, explosives, and other related violations indicates the emergence of small, well-armed extremist groups in some rural areas.
Hey Michelle - how many people has The Sierra Club and Earth First killed? I mean really?
Just imagine how loud these guys will squawk, whine and cry if say - Glenn Beck winds up on the "No Fly List" (Like Al Gore, Nelson Mandela and Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam were), was being "Profiled", stopped and repeatedly SEARCHED simply because of his advocating the overthrow of the U.S. Government and organizing a set of nationwide protests of RABID TAX OUTRAGE against the duly elected President of the United States??
To this criticism DHS officials have responded by pointing out that an report "Left-wing" extremists was released in January.
See that, EQUAL TIME Paranoia. What a change of pace.
Here's a great collection of right-wing whiners and complainers jawing about haw Obama is "weak and ineffectual" in responding to the Somali Pirate situation. At no point to they "Support The President in this time of Crisis" - all they do is kvetch about how he hasn't done this, or he hasn't done that.
I even got into a minor tweet/flame war with Michelle Malkin over this when she said.
@michellemalkin The U.S. government policy is to not negotiate." - Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney. Has Obama uttered these words yet? #tcot #pirates about 21 hours ago from TweetDeck
This she said - almost at the exact MOMENT that the rescue was taking place. My response?
Vyan1 Obama OKd Seals to defeat Pirates rescue Captain @michellemalkin whines that they "Violated gov policy" by negotiating. Yeah, AND WINNING! about 20 hours ago from web
Then I got his Direct Message from Michelle.
michellemalkin "You completely misunderstood and mischaracterized what I said." about 12 hours ago from web
She also stopped follow me so I could respond to her directly. So I'm responded openly.
Vyan1 God, so sorry Michele my bad what part of Obama the "anti-christ-muslim-fascist-tyrant-surrender-monkey" did I get wrong? must flog self now about 12 hours ago from web
And in fairness, maybe I did "misunderstand her". But I think she misunderstood me too. The point of my response was that it was through negotiating with the Pirates, offering them food, water and a TOWING LINE that the Navy was able to keep them under control, dependant and within Sniper Range of their ship.
If they hadn't done, exactly what the did - keep their mouths SHUT so as to avoid telegraphing their next move - negotiated the pirates into a vulnerable position then take full advantage of that when the oppurtunity arised, this entire story might have turned out differently.
It might have turned out the way that BUSH might have handled it - which would have been to Grandstand, Swagger, Bluster, talk a ton of SHIT then completley FUCK IT UP!.
Instead, Obama quietly got the job done and still had time for the Easter Egg Roll.
In this video of a Glenn Beck 9-12 Tea Party, one participant in response to a speaker describing the "Brainwashing" that goes on in our colleges loudly suggests that we Burn The Books!
A few seconds later she's asked whether she was serious and she says - "Yes! We should burn all those 'Brainwashing Books' - with all that Evolution Crap!"
Holy Sheep Shit!
And just to go one step deeper into the crazy, before this occurs the guy is loudly talking about the "Constitution Party" and suggests people "Google It".
The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States. We hereby appeal to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Providence as we work to restore and preserve these United States.
This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been and are afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.
The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries.
These people are Full-on Theocrats! They want us to go back to Burning Books. Denying fact and science simply because it differs from religious doctrine. What's next - gonna go out Burn a Witch at the Stake if she ways more than a duck? I mean seriously - WHAT. THE. FUCK!! Rather than embrace knowledge, rather than embrace truth - and openly debate and argue for the greater truth - (which includes the fact that Creationism and Evolution are NOT Mutually exclusive) these people would rather remove knowledge Farenheit 451 Style. This shouldn't be happening in the 21st Century. It really shouldn't.
Update: But in all fairness there is the "possibiliy" that this woman could have simply been - A SPY FROM ACORN!!!
Stranger things have happened...
Ok, well - no they haven't in reality, but in the mind of a Wingnut - all things are possible at the same time. People can be pro-Obama and Pro-Tea Party Tax Revolt (right after Obama CUT TAXES WITH THE STIMULUS BILL) simultaneously. Amazing.
Last Sunday Terrible Ted Nugent - the Yosemite Sam of Rock-n-Roll - wrote an Op-ed for the Waco-Tribune Herald, in which he threw in full bore with Rush Limbaugh and against President Obama.
Ted Nugent: Praying for Obama to fail
Observe how the Obama media machine and soulless liberal media jumped on Rush Limbaugh’s comments that he “wanted Obama to fail.”
Anyone with a half a brain knows Rush wants only this: for America to succeed and for anti-American policies to fail.
To leave no doubt where I, your humble Motor City guitarslinger, stands, let me report without ambiguity, that I get down on bended knee daily and pray to God that he does what he can to ensure President Obama fails.
Being a fellow Rock Musician, and yes a fan (of some of his music) I've felt for the last few days that a open-letter to Theodore was needed in response, one which shows the appropriate tone and respect. To wit.
When you say that the current duly-elected President of the United states is "Anti-American" - exactly what the fuck does that mean? What is he Canadian? French?
Trust me, I have more than half a brain, and when Rush Limbaugh said he wanted "Obama to Fail" he seems to be under to sad delusion that their is any possible way that Obama might fail, and the rest of the country won't go down too. We are facing challenges to the economy, challenges overseas diplomatically and strategically that are enormous. Let me tell you something Theodore - FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!
Ok, to be fair - I'm gonna let you answer my question above for yourself, being slightly more than half-brained as I am.
Like Rush, I wouldn’t want Obama to fail if his agenda weren’t built on feeding the gluttonous, unaccountable Fedzilla beast, so clearly the enemy of the free market, of real jobs and proven economic growth.
Since that is Obama’s agenda, however, those of us who believe in a limited federal government and the wondrous wealth-and-job-creating free market should hope, pray and work to ensure Obama’s anti-free market policies fall flat on their face.
So let me get this shit straight, "Obama is feeding the FEDZILLA!"? Ok, he's doing this how? By putting money in the hands of the States with the Stimulus bill? If the FEDZILA was growing under Obama, how exactly are Palin, Jindal and other governors able to even make any arguement that they don't WANT the money? (Even though all of them are taking the money!) Obama wants to put funds in the hands of the people, not into a huge federal byzantine bureacracy that will dictate and control everything. That kind of thing was someone elses gig...
Wasn't it President Bush who instituted the largest growth in Federal Power and Employees of the past 40 years with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security? Why, yes it was. Wasn't it Al Gore, during the Clinton administration who reduced the size of all departments of the Federal Government by a an average of 10% in order to produce the first federal surplus in the last half century? Didn't Bush BLOW THROUGH THAT Surplus like a drunken sailor?
Yep, he did.
The guy who implemented a limited government was Clinton, Bush's government simply didn't work - period. The result wasn't a "wondrous wealth-and-job-creating free market" - it was a complete and total meltdown. How's Your 401-K doing Ted? Most people saw their incomes rise under Clinton, then saw them fall under Bush by an average of $2000. We had enforcement of the laws in order to keep criminal corporations for running rampant under Clinton - under Bush we had poison in our food, poison in our rivers, streams and fish, and a bunch of greedy drunken fucking pirates running our corporations like Enron, Global Crossing, Adelphia, Bear-Sterns, Lehman Brothers and AIG deep into the ground.
But then you aren't comparing Obama to Clinton are you - you have another hated Democrat in mind.
A wise man once stated that those who fail to remember the lessons of the past are destined to repeat them. If we can compare President Obama’s economic carnage agenda to anyone in the recent past, it unquestionably would be Jimmy Carter.
Carter’s deranged economic policies in the late 1970s ruined the economy and put America in the worst fiscal shape since the Great Depression.
Remember gas rationing, double-digit interest rates, stagflation?
Ok, let's get serious. Exactly WHAT policies did Carter implement that caused that? What did he do the CREATE inflation? Maybe it wasn't him, maybe it was something else?
How about Vietnam?
You remember the Vietnam War don't you Ted? That was the War that you avoided by spending weeks CRAPPING IN YOUR PANTS (or so you claimed), so you could duck out of the draft. I guess,it's tough for people who don't have few lucky anal cysts handy.
A lot of Carter's problems had to do with the post-Vietnam downturn that usually follows in the wake of a massive ramp-down in defense spending after a war. (The same thing happened in the early 90's as the cold-war ended, and would've happened after WWII if not for the massive domestic investments implemented by Truman and Eisenhower) Don't think so? Ok, look at this chart.
See that first spike of inflation in 1970, and the second in 1973? Who was President then? If you said "Carter" - you Fail!
Think seriously Theodore, the tendency for inflation was already in place. The match was already lit, what happened to Carter was the addition of a few thousand barrell's of gasoline - or rather - Oil. How much of the gas rationing of the 70's had to do with the OPEC Oil embargo of 1973-1974? I think just about all of it. The rise in inflation in the late 70's (under Carter) was clearly related to other factors including the Iran Hostage Crisis, which no one could have anticipated. Even the students who stormed our Embassy didn't know what the hell they were doing at the time, or what would happen as a result. Carter, I think to his credit, avoided letting that situation lead us into a war - but he did so at the cost of his Presidency.
The point here is many of these situations were created by the actions of Nixon, Ford, and U.S. policy going back for decades. Carter inherited all of that inflation mess from those who came before him. In fairness, I would agree that Carter didn't handle things well, but it's not because he implemented policies that created or exacerbated the situation - certainly not by raising taxes which he DIDN'T DO - it because of the opposite. The simple fact is, Carter didn't do enough. He sat on his hands, he was slow in responding - that's what he deserves to be criticized for, not "creating" that situation.
But what-oh-what Teddy, since you were so thoughtful as to dredge all this ancient history up - is it that Obama should do instead of the stagnating "policies" of Carter?
Fast-forward just a few months after American voters fired Carter for his gross incompetence on all levels. America was on the road to a 25-year economic expansion, possibly the longest in our nation’s history.
Recognizing that unfair, punitive high taxes were the road to economic destruction, Ronald Reagan cut taxes and the economy lifted off. Interest rates fell. Inflation was curtailed. Americans went back to work in droves.
It seems to me that taxes were pretty high in the 50s, and in the 60's and the economy was doing just fine. As a matter of fact they were - see the bottom chart number 2, which shows that the top marginal tax rate during that time actually peaked at 92% during the 50's. Somehow, life (and American prosperity) went on...
Yes, Reagan cut taxes for the wealthiest from about 80% all the way down to the low 30's (as the bottom part of the chart shows), but that not really what made the economy take off. He also dramatically increased spending - particularly defense spending.
During the 80's I worked for a defense contractor, and I can tell you from first hand experience - it was a major economy booster, at least until 91' when the cold war ended. People had jobs, with paychecks and they spent their money. On food, on cars, on homes, on travel and vacations. They spent quite a bit, and that defense spending put money in the pockets of lots of people who had nothing to do with the industry.
But it was nowhere near the utopia you paint.
One year after implementing what was then the largest tax cut in history, Reagan immediately implemented the largest tax INCREASE in history (at that time) after his first cut exploded the deficit (Y'know - the FEDZILLA beast you're so a-scared of...? That's Reagan's Beast, not Obama's.)
Oh and don't even play that "It was the Democratic Congress" that wouldn't cut spending game - every budget that Congress approved during Reagan's Presidency SPENT LESS than what he asked for.
The end result of Reaganomics was a massive shift of the tax burden away from those who for decades had easily been able to shoulder the burden onto the backs of those who couldn't. Inflation went down, but then unemployment went up. Some people got rich, other people - particularly Veterans, which obviously doesn't include YOU Teddy - went homeless and untreated for PTSD and other disorders. Reagan talked a great game, really he did, but he ignored those who needed help the most. He demonized them, and hobbled the government from being able to do it's job. He ignored the Vets, he ignored the sick - particularly those suffering from AIDS and drug addition until both became epidemics raging out of control. Nice job Ronnie.
When we were attacked in Beirut - he CUT AND RAN LIKE A SCARED RABBIT!!!!
He not only "Pal'd around with terrorists" he gave them weapons!! And when he got caught, he LIED about it. Whatta Role Model he was.
You wanna talk about the "Free Market"? Hey, don't you remember "JUNK BONDS"? Corporate Raiders whose entire reason to exist was to buy a company only to dismantle it and ship the jobs overseas? Remember Black Friday and the Savings and Loan Crash? Remember Gordon Gekko?
"Greed is Good!" Right Ted? "So what if a few million Americans get trampled in the process, they shouldn't have been laying on the road in the way. Lazy FUCKS!!! They probably need and F-150 up their ass to give 'em some motivation!"
All of that shit either occurred directly on Reagan's watch or as a direct result of his ROB THE POOR AND GIVE TO THE RICH policies, which were repeated and eventually led us to GRAND EPIC FAILURE of the Bush Administration.
And so, that's what you think we need to go back to?
I don't think so.
Remember your history and pray for President Obama to fail. I fear for America if we allow him to succeed.
America will succeed, but it's going to do with Despite You and your feeble self-defeating Prayers Teddy. We can't go back down the road we've been own after decades of Republican leadership. Only under President Clinton have we truly seen some of these massive fuck-ups straightened out, and even he didn't go far enough in ensuring that *everyone* has a decent and fair chance at properity, not just the connected, the lucky and the already rich.
You can pray for what you want - but I'm praying for YOU and Rush and Glenn and all your wingnut syncophats to massively fail - yet again - as your buddy Bush was too clueless and arrogant to pay attention to Bin Laden and failed to stop 9/11, failed to find ANY weapons in Iraq, failed to secure that country after they wrongfully invading it, failed to respond to the Insurgency, failed to understand that a person who trusts you will tell you truth while someone who fears you will tell you anything they think you want to hear, failed to keep the Congress safe from an Anthrax attack, failed after Katrina to rescue the desperate, failed to find, capture or kill Bin Laden, failed to provide us with vaccines to minimize preventable diseased, failed to realize Terry Schiavo was blind and brain-dead, failed to keep the American people safe from anti-freeze in our toothpaste, failed to protect us from poison in our medicine and a insane predatory lending/credit default-swap system of monitized mortgages that nearly brought the entire world economy crashing down around your ears!
Why the FUCK should we listen to you people now!!?
Republicans have done nothing but FAIL for years now. None of us have been praying for it - only praying for it TO BE OVER! Now it finally is. Show some class and eat your failure pie quietly in the corner like a good doddering old irrelevant Rocker. And take Up-Chuck Norris with ya.
If Obama had failed today - the Somali Pirates who had been holding a U.S. Captain hostage for the last several days would have succeeded. But they didn't, Obama succeeded while you were Praying. Against. Him! Good job, but you failed again.
Bottom line: You guys should already know a lot about MASSIVE TOTAL ABJECT FAILURE - it's all you're good at. Obama isn't Carter, and he's isn't Clinton either - he's his own person and the sooner you Wingnut Friedmanomic Luddites recognize that the better off we'll all be.
You're Real Rock friend, sincerely.
Vyan
P.S. If you haven't had enough from this whupping, I'll be happy to Whup your ass on Lead Guitar too, particularly since you haven't learned a new lick in 35 years. Hell, Tommy Shaw from you last credible band Damn Yankees could play circles around you Ted, what were you even there for - Comedy Relief? Haw!
Some may wonder why I bother spending so much time on a irrelevant dim-bulb like Nugent? It's because he's making noise about running for Governor of Michigan in 2010 - that's why! Yes, REALLY! One thing this nation doesn't need is another Palinite Blowhard NitWit Governor, Bow-hunting Deer from a Helicopter...while destroying our collective common sense.
Again, let's talk common sense. Wolcott is saying that the Tea Party crowd simply wasn't all that impressive - and Malkin is putting words in his mouth making assumptions about the papers he reads in New york. Does she know for a fact that one of those papers isn't the New York Post or the Wall Street Journal? No. Did either of these papers have a front page picture of 100,000 TeaParty protestores? No, they didn't becaue at BEST the entire nation wide number of Tea partier's was about 240,000 - but look at this picture, this is from the 2006 immigration protests in Los Angeles, which -in that one city alone - 
