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Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Jeb Bush - Right wing non-collectivist
[Image from the Orlando-Sentinel]Tucker Carlson recently interviewed 56-year old Jeb Bush at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. The interview appears in the August 2009 issue of Esquire magazine.
Jeb is considered brighter than his brother, Georgi. He is considered more "moderate." Some think he did a good job as governor of Florida.
Actually, he may not be as bright as Georgi. He is anything but moderate and is, in fact, way off on the far right wing of the Repugnican party. As a Floridian, I can say that, with a few exceptions, he was a miserable governor.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
Things are not going too well for the Republicans these days, says Jeb. Especially among minorities. And there are more minorities. Plus, the Dems have done a good job of registering voters, using, you know, "Acorn and the like." So "Hispanics have turned toward the Democratic party in the last two election cycles. Big time. ... you can see a trend that's quite disturbing."
Tucker asked how a Republican can come out against illegal immigration and not alienate Hispanics.
It's hard, admitted Jeb. But you have to talk nicer. Can't rant and rage. "...it requires a tone that's different."
Uh, huh! Like Hispanics will run to your side because you talk softly and not notice you're carrying a big stick?
Then Jeb was asked about Rush Limbaugh. I guess Jeb's afraid of Rush, too, like every other Repugnican. He said, "Rush Limbaugh is a hugely importance force for the conservative movement. ... I feel happy for Rush to get all this attention. He's one part of a mosaic of people and thought in the conservative movement. I don't think you can discount his importance."
Heh, heh! Not that Rush Limbaugh is a oxycontin-addicted moron whose rhetoric is dividing the country and creating a culture of hatred and violence toward anyone who is not a brainless twit! Oh, no. Jeb avoided the truth like a rat running from a cat.
Throughout the interview, Jeb's main theme, which he referred to numerous times was this: "Conservatives can win, can draw people toward our cause with the proper language and the proper ideas. I don't think that conservatism has been rejected in the United States. I don't believe it."
The problem is that conservatives have lost their way. Conservatism needs to go back to good ol' Ronnie Reagan. Jeb's a big fan of Ronnie. Ronnie knew what it was all about! Ronnie embodied Republican "timeless principles."
A sub-theme that also repeats through the interview is that the Republicans didn't lose the last presidential election because his brother made a horrible mess of the presidency and/or that Republicans had no original ideas to present to the American people, but because they used the wrong "tactics."
Yup. It boils down to a matter of tactics! "The Democrats won on tactics," says Jeb. In fact, Obama was a great big phony! "Barack Obama would not have gotten elected if he'd let us in on his secret plan prior to the election." That's right. Obama had this secret plan to create a huge deficit as part of his "government-subsidized health care policy," and "a massive cap-and-trade system [based on the idea] that CO2 is [a] pollutant and we need to tax it in a massive way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions."
Oh, and Obama painted McCain as one who would raise taxes and that was "unfair."
So, it was Obama's and the Dem's dirty tactics that won them the election. In fact, says, Jeb, "We ... have lost the last two elections in terms of the tactics. In terms of the mechanics of politics, the tactics of politics, the Democrats have cleaned our clock. ... "
The problem, says Jeb, is that the Republicans haven't "upgraded" or "updated" their message. The Repugs, says Jeb, have to get creative.
And what is that message? Aha. It has something to do with education and health care, energy and the environment. He doesn't say just what, though. But big government is bad, bad, bad. And taxes for the rich should be reduced.
Oh, there's another part of the message: we can't be sure about global warming. "I'm a skeptic," says Jeb. "I think the science has been politicized." [It sure has, but by his brother and company, not by the Dems!] And to show this guy really isn't one of the sharper knives in the drawer he says, "It [global warming] may be only partially man-made. It may not be warming by the way. The last six years we've actually had mean temperatures that are cooler."
There's always gay marriage and abortion, too. No changes there. The Repugs got it right. No to both! But they didn't lose the presidential election on those issues, anyway. They lost it on economics. Yup. And McCain was much more qualified to be president than Obama. McCain just couldn't connect with the people. He couldn't communicate the Republican's "timeless principles."
Who does Jeb identify with in the Republican Party these days? Well, Newt Gingrich for one. (Maybe 'cause they're both converts to the Roman Catholic church?) But "Newt is fantastic," says Jeb. And there's a mayor in St. Petersburg who's pretty good. And the governor of Indiana. And "I love Bobby Jindal. (Another Catholic convert!) He's the real deal."
What does Jeb think of Obama, whom he's never met? Tucker asks Jeb if he thinks Obama is a socialist. "I don't know. Define socialism for me. It's a word ... I believe he's a collectivist. He believes that through collective action, through government, you can solve more problems."
"I don't know"????? What kind of answer is that? "Collectivist"? Does that not have a Soviet/KGB ring to it????
And what the hell is the government supposed to do if it isn't about solving problems? The government isn't some entity "out there." We are the government; and the government works for us. It has the job of helping us life safe and productive lives! That's what we elect our representatives to do.
Of course, Jeb and the Repugnicans don't see it that way. The government in their opinion should be just big enough to take care of the corporations that bribe the legislators and other members of the government.
That's another "timeless" Repugnican principle!
Whatever else one wants to say about Jeb Bush, one must say he is a corporatist just like his brother Georgi. He believes in unfettered capitalism. He hasn't gotten the message yet that unfettered capitalism damn near destroyed this country and that if his brother had not turned "socialist" we might never have recovered!
Well, he did say Georgi's bailouts were good. Obama's, not so good.
Jeb is also a rightwing christianist who has no problem making common cause with the fundamentalist Protestant groups. He thinks public education is not doing the job, so when governor of Florida he wanted to take funds away from public schools and give the money to private (read religious) schools in the form of vouchers. That didn't work, but he sure gave it the old college try.
He also thinks "Intelligent Design" or "Creationism" should be taught in public school science classes as an alternative to evolution.
In Florida he hired a private outfit to run at least part of the prison system. That has not worked out too well.
He failed utterly in his educational agenda for the state and left Florida in dire financial straits, one reason being his dismantling of certain taxes paid by the well-to-do.
Jeb Bush believes in the God of Abraham and he loves Jesus and he became a Roman Catholic (his wife was Catholic) and has no problem with the state (public money) supporting religious institutions. He also believes that the abortion is wrong and gay marriage is wrong. Those are all part of what he calls the "timeless principles" of the Republican party.
Another timeless principle or "time-tested practice" is to cut taxes and cut spending. You know, like Reagan didn't do, nor did Jeb's father, nor did Georgi, his brother! Big spenders, all. The difference is that the corporatists made out like bandits and the rest of the people got the shaft. Now, there's a timeless Republican principle!
In summary, Jeb Bush's "timeless principles" are the same failed Repugnican policies that have brought out country to its knees. He has no new ideas. He uses the same old language. It's to be expected, of course, but all I can say is: Boo!
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Common Sense
I've got a prescription for this donkey group that calls itself the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: One great big dose of COMMON SENSE at least twice a day!
This is the group that has put up posters in Washington's Union Station referencing the Obama girls. It shows a picture of a young black girl with a smug smirk, whining: "President Obama's daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don't I?"
Now, I don't care if this group has the seal of approval from God herself. Such posters are just plain stupid.
The White House asked that the posters be taken down and that the privacy of the Obama daughters be respected. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called it a "publicity stunt."
Two White House lawyers got into the act and requested that Neal Barnard, M.D., who heads the PCRM, remove the posters.
Barnard said no way. Healthy school lunches are very important to this country, claims Barnard, "and it would be ridiculous to back away."
But it matters not whether his cause is good or just. The fact is the PCRM used the Obama daughters in a blatant attempt to get publicity for the organization and their "cause." Barnard called the Washington Post and being part of the corporate MSM, the Post jumped on it. Then Bernard went on "Inside Edition" and CNN.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
Once again, we must remind these fruitcakes on the right (I'm assuming here that Bernard is a Repugnican and a rightwinger and probably opposes Obama's health plan) that THE ENDS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS! They just never seem to get that!
And there's also this thing about respecting the presidency. It is one thing to report that the Bush's adult (if yet underage) daughters are involved in partying and drinking in downtown Austin when in fact they were partying and drinking in an Austin bar, and it is quite another to use the two young daughters of President Obama in a blatant attempt to generate publicity for your particular cause.
Maybe if the president happens to be racially mixed you don't have to respect his wishes or the suggestions of the White House Press Secretary or White House lawyers.
Maybe Barnard should give himself that dose of COMMON SENSE immediately so he doesn't relapse into disrespect and stupidity.
This is the group that has put up posters in Washington's Union Station referencing the Obama girls. It shows a picture of a young black girl with a smug smirk, whining: "President Obama's daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don't I?"
Now, I don't care if this group has the seal of approval from God herself. Such posters are just plain stupid.
The White House asked that the posters be taken down and that the privacy of the Obama daughters be respected. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called it a "publicity stunt."
Two White House lawyers got into the act and requested that Neal Barnard, M.D., who heads the PCRM, remove the posters.
Barnard said no way. Healthy school lunches are very important to this country, claims Barnard, "and it would be ridiculous to back away."
But it matters not whether his cause is good or just. The fact is the PCRM used the Obama daughters in a blatant attempt to get publicity for the organization and their "cause." Barnard called the Washington Post and being part of the corporate MSM, the Post jumped on it. Then Bernard went on "Inside Edition" and CNN.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
Once again, we must remind these fruitcakes on the right (I'm assuming here that Bernard is a Repugnican and a rightwinger and probably opposes Obama's health plan) that THE ENDS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS! They just never seem to get that!
And there's also this thing about respecting the presidency. It is one thing to report that the Bush's adult (if yet underage) daughters are involved in partying and drinking in downtown Austin when in fact they were partying and drinking in an Austin bar, and it is quite another to use the two young daughters of President Obama in a blatant attempt to generate publicity for your particular cause.
Maybe if the president happens to be racially mixed you don't have to respect his wishes or the suggestions of the White House Press Secretary or White House lawyers.
Maybe Barnard should give himself that dose of COMMON SENSE immediately so he doesn't relapse into disrespect and stupidity.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Keith Olbermann - Palin and the "death panels"
I was going to say that this video is a bit long. But it isn't. It's not long enough! It is one of Mr. Olbermann's finest moments. It is a weighty sermon cresting the undercurrent of fear for our nation's well-being; currently under seige by the corporatists, the nogoodniks and those who are just plain evil.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
David Barton - Faux cowboy, faux historian, faux christian
[Photo of David Barton from Time magazine]Nearly 30 years ago, the so-called Christian Coalition, then headed by the notorious, wacky christianist, Pat Robertson, set out to infiltrate every area of American life with fundy christianists who lived and breathed a vision of the United States as a christianist country ruled by fundamentalist christianists with laws based on certain biblical legal provisions as interpreted by these same fundy christianists.
Robertson urged his minions to become involved at every political level - from school boards and city councils to state and national legislatures - and even the presidency.
They have been remarkably successful in this endeavor and thus just about every community is now engaged in continual battles between fundy theocrats and the U.S. Constitution.
Furthermore, they got Georgi Bush elected! While he's really a faux christianist, he nonetheless did the bidding of his theocratic controllers.
One of the worst of the theocratic bunch is a guy by name of David Barton from the huge city of Aledo, Texas (pop. 2000). Some years ago, when Barton decided that God created the U.S. to be a Christian nation and that the founders were chosen by God to make the U.S. a Christian nation, and that the founders were fundy christianists, he set up an outfit called WallBuilders which really has three main goals: to break down what he believes the "false" wall of separation of church and state in this country; to insinuate his beliefs into society through the public schools; and to establish a theocratic state run by fundy christianists according to what Barton believes to be god's laws.
Barton likes to pretend his is a cowboy. According to Rob Boston, Barton "is a tall man who frequently sports boots, a rodeo shirt and a cowboy hat." But Barton is not a cowboy; he's a fundy teacher from a little bitty Texas town. He's all hat, no cattle. Like Georgi Bush.
Boston notes that Barton is singularly unqualified for just about anything. He "earned a bachelor's degree in 'Christian Education' from Oral Roberts University in 1976 [tee hee - as if that's worth a nickel!] and later taught math and science at a fundamentalist Christian school founded by his father, pastor of Aledo Christian Center."
Such a lack of qualifications has not stopped him from pretending to be an historian. He's been involved in a variety of activities attempting to promote the notion that the concept of separation of church and state is a "myth," and that this nation was founded as a Christian nation. He is also tied into the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, a fundy group working hard to get their fundamentalist version of the Bible taught in public schools.
He's been involved in politics for years, hanging with rightwing nutcases like Newt Gingrich, Bill Frist and Tom DeLay. These days he's working hard to elect christianist rightwing Republicans to public office. Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee are both sucking up to him because unfortunately, among the christianist freaks, Barton swings some weight.
What's really sad is that "respected" institutions seem unable to discriminate between the bad and the worst. So, Time magazine named him one as one of 25 most influential "evangelicals" in 2005. And he's "branching out into other fields - areas where, like history, he has no legitmate credentials. On June 7, 2007, Barton testified before the U.S. Senate's Environmental and Public Works Committee, criticizing global warming and posing as an expert on how evangelicals view that issue."
Today he's working with the Texas State Board of Education (boy, if there ever was an oxymoron that's it!) to insinuate his brand of christian theocracy into social studies textbooks!
It is tempting to write Barton off as just another freaky, christianist clown, but that would be a mistake. He's off and running and he's very dangerous and he does not believe in our country or the U.S. Constitution. He is, to put it mildly, a snake in the grass.
Barton may wear a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, but the only "cowboy" thing about him is that he is full of horseshit!
Please read all of Rob Boston's very important article here.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican
This is so true. Thanks to Video Cafe at Crooks and Liars
Here's the read-out from Video Cafe:
"A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican"
Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.
All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should loose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.
Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark)
He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.
He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, "We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have".
Here's the read-out from Video Cafe:
"A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican"
Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.
All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should loose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.
Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark)
He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.
He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, "We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have".
Monday, August 10, 2009
Palin calls herself evil
Gotcha!
Sarah Palin, being of the devil, didn't call herself evil, she called Barack Obama's health care plan "downright evil."
She said that Obama is setting up a "death panel" and the more needy Americans would be denied health care.
"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care."
Palin went on: "Such a system is downright evil."
No, that's not true. None of it. What's interesting is that the statement coheres to a degree of which Palin is not capable which means that someone else (the RNC, perhaps) wrote it for her to read.
But Palin is not stupid. Well, she is stupid. But she isn't so damn stupid that she doesn't know that everything she said is false! She knows good and well that there is no "death panel" in the health care plan, nor is a there a provision for bureaucrats deciding who's worthy of health care.
What that means is that Palin is herself, the embodiment of evil: A cipher, a clone of the far right wacky whiners who care nothing for truth but only for power. Some have suggested that she is being groomed by religious fanatics who expect God will place her in the White House so that she can establish their version of heaven on earth ruled by God's law as they interpret it.
It's time we tell it like it is. Obviously, she has a certain amount of support from the nogoodniks and the dumbest of our society. But there is no way this woman should be even close to any political office. She cares nothing for truth.
More importantly, she repudiates the American system every time she opens her mouth. What happened to the very American idea that we are one society, even though we may disagree about certain things? What happened to the very American idea that we should support our president to the best of our ability? And while we may not agree with everything our president does, we do not deliberately spin lies in public in order to bring him down and wreak chaos upon the country!
What happened to the very American idea that we should always tell the truth?
What happened to the very American idea that we should avoid making up things that would divide our country instead of uniting the American people?
Sarah Palin is a divider, not a uniter. She is a liar of the first magnitude. She cares not for her country, no matter what she says, for her actions consistently divide, confuse, and create animosity among its citizens.
Tell it like it is: Sarah Palin is one of the worst persons ever to hold a political office in the United States! She is untruthful, ethically challenged, a religious freak involved in very strange, weird religious scenarios, and she could not run a town, nor a state.
Some think she has a pretty face. But it is the face of intolerance, hatred and division. The fact that so many millions voted for the McCain/Palin ticket should give all of us pause. We are in deep trouble.
Sarah Palin, being of the devil, didn't call herself evil, she called Barack Obama's health care plan "downright evil."
She said that Obama is setting up a "death panel" and the more needy Americans would be denied health care.
"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care."
Palin went on: "Such a system is downright evil."
No, that's not true. None of it. What's interesting is that the statement coheres to a degree of which Palin is not capable which means that someone else (the RNC, perhaps) wrote it for her to read.
But Palin is not stupid. Well, she is stupid. But she isn't so damn stupid that she doesn't know that everything she said is false! She knows good and well that there is no "death panel" in the health care plan, nor is a there a provision for bureaucrats deciding who's worthy of health care.
What that means is that Palin is herself, the embodiment of evil: A cipher, a clone of the far right wacky whiners who care nothing for truth but only for power. Some have suggested that she is being groomed by religious fanatics who expect God will place her in the White House so that she can establish their version of heaven on earth ruled by God's law as they interpret it.
It's time we tell it like it is. Obviously, she has a certain amount of support from the nogoodniks and the dumbest of our society. But there is no way this woman should be even close to any political office. She cares nothing for truth.
More importantly, she repudiates the American system every time she opens her mouth. What happened to the very American idea that we are one society, even though we may disagree about certain things? What happened to the very American idea that we should support our president to the best of our ability? And while we may not agree with everything our president does, we do not deliberately spin lies in public in order to bring him down and wreak chaos upon the country!
What happened to the very American idea that we should always tell the truth?
What happened to the very American idea that we should avoid making up things that would divide our country instead of uniting the American people?
Sarah Palin is a divider, not a uniter. She is a liar of the first magnitude. She cares not for her country, no matter what she says, for her actions consistently divide, confuse, and create animosity among its citizens.
Tell it like it is: Sarah Palin is one of the worst persons ever to hold a political office in the United States! She is untruthful, ethically challenged, a religious freak involved in very strange, weird religious scenarios, and she could not run a town, nor a state.
Some think she has a pretty face. But it is the face of intolerance, hatred and division. The fact that so many millions voted for the McCain/Palin ticket should give all of us pause. We are in deep trouble.
Mel Martinez with an attitude
Mel Martinez, senator from Florida, will be resigning his seat and is not going back to Congress at the end of August.
That puts Governor Charlie Crist in the driver's seat: He gets to appoint someone to fill the slot temporarily until he can run for senator himself!
But there's more. What I found interesting was the attitude expressed in a letter Martinez sent out to his supporters. (Remember, Martinez, a Cuban immigrant, while not a rabid Repugnican, has nevertheless been a strong supporter of George W. Bush - his wars and his lies - and pretty much a party hack, following the Repugnican line down the line.)
The way it is supposed to work is that our representatives in Congress see their service as a privilege and not a sacrifice.
Not so with Mr. Martinez. "Twelve years ago," he wrote, "I offered myself as a candidate for public office in Florida out of a deep sense of appreciation for what America and the people of Florida did for me as a young immigrant to this country."
And then, "In 1997, Kitty and I decided it was time to give back and we entered the public arena ... I have gained the greatest respect for the people of Florida and have enjoyed serving their interests."
Notice the sense of sacrifice. Out of this "deep sense of appreciation," he "offered" himself in order to "give back" something or other. He could have gone on making money and gobs of it, but he left all that behind, sacrificing his own personal interests in order to serve the people of Florida.
Bah, humbug! He was privileged to be elected. He was privileged to serve. But Mr. Martinez certainly did not serve my interests or the interests of a good percentage of the people of Florida! He served the interests of the privileged few; the corporations; the war-mongers; those who helped bring on the current crisis!
Methinks there is more to this story. He, like some other Repugnicans of late, is quitting before the end of his term. Why would he do that? He doesn't explain, other than to write pious nonsense about how "it's time I return to Florida and my family."
Hmmm. Really? Could it be that the Dems have their eye on Martinez's seat? Could it possibly be that Martinez was asked to step aside so that Crist could appoint a seat-warmer until he could run himself. Crist remains relatively popular in Florida (mostly because the news media provides almost NO information about whatever the hell Crist is up to; or any other news about what goes on in Tallahassee!) and the Repugs probably figure if Crist runs they will retain that seat.
I'm glad Martinez is going. But as they say, sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know.
Something's in the wind. It's called Repugnican chicanery. And, as usual, it's wrapped in pious, patriotic claptrap.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
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