Arizona, Idaho, and the Ghost of John C. Calhoun

Pictured- John C. Calhoun, former US Senator from South Carolina and Vice President of the United States

I'm no lawyer, nor have I ever played one on TV or even in community theater, but it's time for me to get up on the soapbox.............ready or not.

While American state legislatures spend their time ratifying ridiculous bans on the implementation of Sharia Laws inside the United States.....(wouldn't there have to be a Muslim majority in this country before it was even a remote possibility?)....and other wedge issues like gay marriage, there is a more serious matter going on in certain states. And it's an issue that though not resolved by our Civil War in the 19th century we assumed would most assuredly be resolved by the Constitution's 14th, 15th, 19th, 23rd, and 24th amendments. Those amendments referred to the voting rights of former slaves, minorities, women, residents of the District of Columbia, and of poll taxes used to deny or hinder the vote of those mentioned by the individual states.

Those amendments insured full citizenship to all Americans and were used to supersede state and local laws that would restrict voting rights to those mentioned- and in the case of citizens of the District of Columbia, Washingtonians were finally given the right to vote with implementation of the 23rd Amendment.

In the post Civil War and Reconstruction eras Southern states passed "Jim Crow" laws to prevent African Americans from voting, using the pretense of "state's rights" to keep the law of the land being applied in those states. "State's rights" had been the creed for individual states, primarily in the South, to ignore or even nullify what they saw as an intrusion into the affairs of states....more often than not this had to do with a federal mandate that wasn't popular in that state, and in the early 19th century that often meant laws limiting the growth of slavery. But often taxes and tariffs took the spotlight in that era.

And today in the 21st century we're seeing a new phase of proposed nullification of federal laws in certain states, some a result of opposition to federal healthcare reform, derisively referred to as "Obamacare" by it's opponents. But in Arizona and Idaho there are movements under way for their respective state legislatures to nullify all federal laws that may be deemed invalid or an overreach by the federal government, at the discretion of those state legislatures.

Reactions like those in Idaho and Arizona are almost as old as the republic itself. The Nullification Crisis of 1832 was the most famous instance in our history. Below, the story of the crisis from US History.com.

The Tariff of 1832, despite pleas from Southern representatives, failed to moderate the protective barriers erected in earlier legislation. South Carolina called a state convention that nullified the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 within their borders and threatened to secede if the federal government attempted to collect those tariff duties. Robert Hayne (of Webster-Hayne Debate fame) had resigned from the Senate to run for governor of South Carolina; John C. Calhoun resigned the vice presidency and took Hayne’s seat in the Senate. These two men spearheaded the nullification drive. A real possibility of secession and war existed.

Jackson immediately offered his thought that nullification was tantamount to treason and quickly dispatched ships to Charleston harbor and began strengthening federal fortifications there. Congress supported the president and passed a Force Bill in early 1833 which authorized Jackson to use soldiers to enforce the tariff measures.

Meanwhile Henry Clay again took up his role as the Great Compromiser. On the same day the Force Bill passed, he secured passage of the Tariff of 1833. This latter measure provided for the gradual reduction of the tariff over 10 years down to the level which had existed in 1816. This compromise was acceptable to Calhoun who had not been successful with finding any other state to support him on nullification. Jackson signed both measures.

South Carolina repealed its nullification measure, but then spitefully nullified the Force Bill. Jackson wisely ignored that action.

I'm sure no one is accusing members of the Arizona and Idaho legislatures of treason, but it's easy to see that those who propose nullification are shortsighted in their perspective, and to be blunt, have a very narrow grasp on American history.

In Idaho Tea Party members are urging the passage of House Bill 59 which would allow the state to deem federal laws "null and void". Below, a notice from Tea Party Boise (originally printed in The Miami Herald).

"This is the line in the sand. On one side is federal tyranny — on the other side is freedom. What do you choose? If it is freedom — then be at the Capital (sic) on Feb. 7th."

In Arizona, a proposal from Republican State Senator Lori Klein would set up a panel of 12 lawmakers to review federal laws and mandates, and decide if the laws are "outside the scope of the powers delegated by the people to the federal in the United States Constitution."

Below, a statement from Senator Klein (from azdailysun.com).

"We're not seceding. We're looking at nullifying laws coming from the federal government that are mandates that are not constitutional."

The defiance of federal law in the 19th century inflamed the open wounds that were already there and led to armed conflict in 1861. Being part of this union we call the United States of America is kind of like being pregnant.....you either are, or you aren't.

It's the "United States is", not the "United States are".

Let's say state legislators decide they don't agree with the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and decide not to allow gays to serve in the state's national guard?

Or in a national emergency a military draft is instituted....and certain states don't wish to allow their citizens to be drafted?

And if a state is free to nullify federal law without ramification, what is to stop the states from conversely instituting laws that are contrary to federal law, like an intelligence test for voting, or restricting full citizenship to American born children of undocumented immigrants?

If nullification of federal law is allowed to stand, then we fought a Civil War for nothing, and a century's worth of of domestic progress would be in jeopardy.

Maybe the adage is true.....we've seen the enemy, and it is us.

But we do have a constitutional mechanism in our system to resolve situations like this...it's called "the courts".

Once again....thank you, Founding Fathers.



Below, video of Lawrence O'Donnell on THE LAST WORD, with take on the new "Nullification Crisis".

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Sarah Palin- Tea Party Battle Hymn

To close out the month of January.....with a civil unrest in Egypt, healthcare reform under attack from courts, the lingering images of the Tucson massacre, and much too much snow.....let's say "GOOD RIDDANCE!" to this nasty month with a laugh or two.

Below, from The Young Turks, Cenk Uygur prsents a couple who've written a battle hymn for Sarah Palin and the Tea Party that must be seen and heard to be believed.



See you next month!

First Read - N.J. court rules citizens cannot recall U.S. senators

Chalk one up for the Constitution of the United States of America, and a loss for the Tea Party in New Jersey.

In a 4-2 decision today the New Jersey Supreme Court struck down a provision added to the New Jersey Constitution  in 1993 that gave New Jersey citizens the power to recall US Senators. New Jersey Tea Party members had been trying to recall New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez. The following passage is from MSNBC.

The only way to end a Senate term early, the court said, is clearly spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, which empowers each house of Congress to "determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member." As far back as 1906, the New Jersey Court said, the U.S. Supreme Court noted that a senator's seat "could only become vacant by his death, or by expiration of his term of office, or by some direct action on the part of the Senate in the exercise of its constitutional powers."

I find it continually amazing, fascinating, and sometimes amusing that Tea Partiers, who claim to be so concerned about about preserving and "restoring" the US Constitution, seem to have such selective memory about it's provisions.


Below, the link to full story as reported by MSNBC's Pete Williams.

First Read - N.J. court rules citizens cannot recall U.S. senators

In Analysis; A Look At The Results of the 2010 Midterm Elections

Above, President Obama talks to probable new Speaker of the House John Boehner on election night 2010


Commentary

It's the economy, stupid!

And it was heard, loud and clear from sea to shining sea. Republicans rode the wave of voter discontent to take control of the House of Representatives last night, but didn't take the Senate. On the House side, Democrats controlled that body, 255-178. It looks as if the the Republican takeover could get the GOP a 242-193 edge (estimated at this hour). the Senate will remain in Democratic hands, with 49 seats (and two independents caucusing with them)in their hands, plus the tie breaking vote of Vice President Joe Biden. You can read about the individual races nationwide, but here are a few thoughts and notes I made overnight.

1. The GOP won the House yesterday, but now they have to deliver. The Republicans told voters that government needs to get smaller and spend less. Not one of the Republican leaders, such as probable new Speaker of the House John Boehner or his #2 Eric Cantor, is specific as to what will be cut. Their job creation plan seems to be hold unto the Bush tax cuts and hope that the private sector reinvests in America and gets the American economy moving again. And how will the House co-operate with President Obama and his administration? They cannot remain the "party of no"- they have to get something done, and they have to do it soon. The 2010 midterm was about change, as were the elections of 2006 and 2008. The Republican House cannot be obstructionist because if they are they'll lose the House as quickly as they won it in 2012.

2. Can the Republican leadership keep it's Tea Party faction on a short leash?. Despite their failures in most Senate races, the Tea Party emerged as a force to be reckoned within the GOP. Tea Party backed Republican candidates won 113 of 129 House races. Many of these new representatives ran on the "strength" of not being professional politicians. Now comes their reality check- politics IS a profession. They have a job to do, and some of the more extreme members can't be concerned with the birth certificate or "secret Muslim faith" of the President, or be involved in whacky schemes to have the President impeached. Sarah Palin and her guy on the inside of Washington, Jim De Mint, let the genie out of the bottle, and now the mainstream of the GOP have to deal with a probable divide from within, conservative vs. ultra-conservative.

3. Barack Obama is a brilliant man, a good leader, but not the world's greatest politician. The Democrats were poised to lose Congressional seats last night; that's what happens in midterms. But losses could have been minimized if the President did a better job of selling his accomplishments to the voters. Much time was devoted to healthcare reform while unemployment hovered at close to 10%. Healthcare reform should have been presented in a way as to show how getting away from employer mandated healthcare could help private enterprise, but the administration's message was weak.

And the President should have been more adamant about job creation. If there was no co-operation given by Republicans and the private sector, he needed to take that to the American people. Instead, he held an olive branch to Republicans instead of a club.

America wanted to see co-operation between the Democrats and Republicans, but it wasn't going to happen. Everything the President wanted to do was opposed by Republicans. Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, said early on his aim was to make Barack Obama a one term president. The President should have taken him at his word, because now the GOP's plan is very close to being on schedule.

4. The Reagan Democrats of the Rust Belt went to the GOP. This might be the most disturbing factor of the night for Democrats. Part of the coalition that swept Barack Obama to the White House in 2008 went to the other side in large numbers. The Great Recession of 2008 is over, so say economists. But many former industrial workers in the vast area stretching from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, the Great Lakes region, have been living in near depression realities for years. In those states unemployment has topped the unacceptable 9.6% national average for years, and the anxiety of the laid off workers who are living off of their life savings were part of the angry backlash.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews is a Philly guy who "gets it". Early this morning he talked about the need to for America to start making things again, in factories, manufacturing, and in public works. The auto industry in the Midwest was saved by a bailout, but it had been on the ropes for years. The American heartland has always been where America made things, and now we are not. President Obama and the Dems will be OK in New England, the Mid Atlantic, and the West Coast. The Mountain West and the South are owned by Republicans. Obama must get the Rust Belt on the way to recovery, and soon, or he may have trouble winning a second term.

5.) The 2012 election cycle begins now, and I think the President's challenger will come from the New Jersey . The power struggle from within the Republican Party to produce a challenger to Barack Obama begins in earnest today. The mainstream GOP has a nominal leader in John Boehner; the Tea Party is for all practical purposes led by Sarah Palin. Get ready for oil mixing with water.

The conventional wisdom is that Sarah Palin would be a weak candidate for the Republicans to run against the President; her negatives are higher than Obama's. The party insiders dislike Mitt Romney, a man who's positions seem to change with the direction of political winds. Haley Barbour and Mike Huckabee would just reinforce the perception of the GOP as a Southern party.

I really think the Republicans will try to catch lightning in a bottle and urge Chris Christie, New Jersey's governor of less than a year, and a former federal prosecutor, to run in 2012. He's become a rock star among Republicans despite his lack of a track record, because of his tough talk and in your face style. He could run strong in the Mid Atlantic region as well.

And I don't think it's a crazy idea; Obama and Palin had little experience on the bigger stage, and found themselves on national tickets in 2008; one is President of the United States, the other is now the leader of an effective populist movement.

As I said on another board late last night, Tip O'Neill had it right; all politics is local. And I think New Jersey and it's governor are about to get a national spotlight put on them starting today.

Gov. Christie shouldn't cozy up to muckraker of 'Teachers Union Gone Wild' | NJ.com

In the Friday October 29th edition of the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), the editorial board chastised Governor Chris Christie for apparently choosing to ally himself with conservative muckraker James O'Keefe and, in the Star-Ledger's words, "(for co-opting) the questionable material for his political purposes".

The "questionable material" is a video called "Teachers Gone Wild" which supposedly shows less than extraordinary behavior by teachers (NJEA members), administrators, and union reps. For all of you newbies, Chris Christie and the NJEA, New Jersey's largest teacher's union, have been engaged in open warfare from Day One of the current administration.

Every taxpayer in New Jersey may have a beef with the NJEA; they might be the biggest lightning rod locally since Darryl Strawberry's days with the Mets or Patrick Ewing's near misses at titles with the Knicks. But for a sitting governor, and former federal prosecutor, to ally himself with O'Keefe's background is questionable in itself.

Conservatives and Tea Partiers love O'Keefe because of his videos that brought down ACORN last year. But then last January O'Keefe posed as a repairman to try to tap the office phone of Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu in a federal building, was caught along with his accomplices, and temporarily jailed with felony charges. The felony charges were dropped and reduced to a misdemeanor; O'Keefe was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service, and fined $1,500.

And then the James O'Keefe saga starts to get really weird.

CNN's investigative reporter Abbie Boudreau was putting together a series on young conservative activists in the United States. One of the persons Boudreau wanted to interview was James O'Keefe. O'Keefe agreed to a meeting with Boudreau aboard a boat in Maryland. Supposedly Boudreau and O'Keefe were to discuss a music video; O'Keefe told Boudreau the meeting on the boat was an attempt to protect his privacy.

But it was a setup, an attempt to "punk" and discredit Abbie Boudreau. O'Keefe had champagne and strawberries, and a plethora of sex toys and aids onboard the small boat. He was going to attempt to seduce Abbie Boudreau, and get it on tape in to discredit her and CNN. An associate of O'Keefe's tipped off Boudreau to the plot. This became one of the most bizarre stories to surface last summer.



It is amazing to me that a former federal prosecutor and current governor would ally himself to a man who'd enter a federal building under false pretenses to secretly tape a sitting member of Congress. Add to that, O'Keefe's lame and hairbrained plan to sandbag Abbie Boudreau and CNN for his own agenda.

But I suppose Chris Christie and James O'Keefe do share one thing in common; it's all about winning. It doesn't matter who gets hurt, it's all about painting the other guy as a villain, even if it means showing a distorted view to their true believers and to those sitting on a fence.

Some say "Chris Christie for President in 2012". Who knows? Maybe James O'Keefe can be his communications director.

Click the link below to read the Star-Ledger editorial about the Christie- O'Keefe relationship.




Gov. Christie shouldn't cozy up to muckraker of 'Teachers Union Gone Wild' | NJ.com

No $75 ? Let It Burn; A Preview of "Tea Party America"?

As most readers know by now, Gene Cranick lost all his possessions, including three dogs and a cat, because his mobile home is Western Tennessee was allowed to burn to the ground because he failed to pay a $75 municipal fee that would have given him fire protection. Cranick called to report the fire last week and offered to pay the $75 to the South Fulton fire department, who refused to respond because doing so would only encourage others not to pay the fee.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said the following (from The Huffington Post)....

""Anybody that's not in the city of South Fulton, it's a service we offer, either they accept it or they don't."

This is a story that has resonated through America, and well it should. And it should be a cautionary tale to all of those who may have been seduced by the call of "government should be run like a business", that "government is always the problem, never the solution", and "smaller government now!". What is on display in this case is a possible preview of what life in Tea Party America could look like.....lower taxes, but "user fees" for governmental services.

User fees- remember that term. Because Republicans and their Tea Party buddies always talk about lowering taxes. But one of the ways they get money into the public coffers is increase user fees for government run entities. When Christine Todd Whitman became was elected governor of New Jersey in 1993 she ran on a platform to lower the state income tax by 10% each year for three years. The state income tax was lowered....but tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway rose, and new toll booths were constructed in areas where previously there were none. New and higher user fees.

Call it a GOP shell game.

So let's examine some possible scenarios in "Ala Carte Tea Party America".

Do you want to send your kids to a public school? Pay a fee. But remember, since not everyone is paying property or income taxes to support the school system, the citizen could be shelling out a lot more money in fees than in property taxes.

What about law enforcement, garbage pickup, libraries, snow removal, senior services, unemployment compensation....and fire protection? Do we offer it "ala carte"? And when the next flood hits in Wayne, NJ or Alton, IL or Nashville, TN does the 911 operator have to punch in your ID and check the computer program to see which government services you've paid for?

Boat and watercraft sales should be healthy in this not so brave new world.

Here in New Jersey families are starting to pay fees if their kids want to play interscholastic sports, and other school systems are imposing fees for students to take field trips. We already have teachers who routinely shell hundreds of dollars of their own money for school supplies because state aid has been cut to a trickle thanks to the New Jersey Mouth That Roared, Governor Chris Christie, now with his road show at a GOP event near you.

This tragedy to Gene Cranick is something that never, ever should have happened in the United States of America. Period and end of story. The lack of response to the burning of Cranick's home, where firefighters did show up to protect his neighbor's home, was a scenario similar to America of the 19th century, where fire protection was done by subscription, and often fires went out of control because the occupiers of the burning buildings didn't pay for fire protection.

The Grand Poobah of The Tea Party, Mr. Glenn Beck, the man who invoked God from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August for a new nation under God, said the following about the incident (from Newser)....

The argument about Cranick’s case will go “nowhere if you go onto ‘compassion, compassion, compassion, compassion’ or well, ‘they should’ve put it out, what is the fire department for?’” Beck said. “No, what is the $75 for?”

After all, he points out, “if they did put the fire out and make an exception for your house and you didn’t pay,” then “would anyone pay their $75?” (His producer helped Beck along in his explanation by mimicking Cranick’s accent for nearly the entire segment.) The fee is “to pay for the fire department to have people employed to put the fire out,” Beck continued, and to use fire services without paying the fee “would be sponging off of your neighbor’s $75.”

My question to Glenn Beck regarding this matter is very simple. If told another person's home was on fire and helped was asked for......what would Jesus do?

If you don't think He'd call for a thunderstorm to douse the flames, He's at least find a way to help...for free.

And if it were too late and the home was lost, He'd comfort the person who lost his home instead of ridiculing and trashing him.

Below, Gene Cranick talks to Keith Olbermann on COUNTDOWN.



In closing, I just watched the interview Olbermann had with Gene Cranick a second time, and I'm torn between profound sadness and outright rage. How can this be allowed to occur in our country? Lincoln spoke of "our better angels"....and thank goodness there are those good people of compassion and justice who are willing and able to speak up for those who have been wronged.

And as for those who say Cranick got what he deserved....quite frankly, they make me sick. This should be beyond politics or ideology. These are individuals who say human evolution is only a theory, yet they adhere and practice social and economic Darwinism.....survival of the fittest.

As for Glenn Beck....I can only say that this self appointed God fearing Christian and savior of America might be the the biggest hypocrite walking the earth. A man who lacks the basic compassion of Christ, and is nothing more than a cheap carnival huckster playing the role of American Messiah.

But the truly delusional are those who believe his gibberish. And PT Barnum is sitting up in his grave, winking at the poor suckers....and there are a lot of them.

See What Happens When You STAY HOME ON ELECTION DAY!!!!!

Opinion
Yeah, yeah, yeah....."Those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it". And it appears that the same 59,054,087 Bush voters from 2004 are still alive, still voting.....and have the attention span of a gnat.

I've had the picture above stored on my hardrive....from London's DAILY MIRROR.....and I take a peak at it everytime I start having problems with President Obama and any of his "mis-steps". I have to take a look at the guy who set the stage for the mess the country found ourselves in, and who left it for his successor to lead us out of the abyss.

It appears that many in this nation want to take us back to The Daze of Dubya, and keep swinging it to the right. And it also looks like there are enough disenchanted independents and Democrats who will stay home and not vote in November's midterm elections, thus giving Republicans (read "Tea Baggers") the House and possibly the Senate.

And once again America would be in the hands of Republicans, guys who the man on the street would be happy having a beer with, just like Dubya.

And once again, the little guy will get stuck with the tab.It didn't work out so well the first time, did it?

Honestly, if asked if Barack Obama has been a complete success in his first two years, I'd have to say no he has not. But in saying that I'd say he was a vast improvement over his predecessor. His biggest fault, I'm sorry to say, was his wasted effort trying to establish some sort of bipartisanship with a Republican Party that tried to overtly and covertly render his presidency dead in it's infancy. He did a poor job explaining his healthcare bill to the public, and because of that the bill, which is needed to insure millions of those who have no health insurance or can't be insured because of an existing condition, is being sold as "Obamacare" and used as a weapon against Democrats in the midterms.

And sadly....but predictably....many Democrats are running from this President in droves. Probably something of not being able to pick the people you're in a fox hole with.

The so called "99'ers" are threatening to just stay home this November to punish the Democrats. That would probably insure a Republican takeover of Congress, and undoubtedly more gridlock, probably worse than ever before, at a time when we need it the least.

You can say- if you wish- the 59,054,087 people who voted for Dubya in 2004 did something that was either partisan, or else very dumb.

But there is dumb....and to paraphrase from a Grade B movie...."dumberer".

And in my eyes, the definition of "dumberer" is any reasonable person who, seeing how the far right loons and plutocrats have seized control of the once great Republican Party,  does nothing to try and stop a catastrophic return to the policies that got us where we are.

My fellow progressives...real patriots get off their asses.

And they vote.

It's Stewart vs Colbert For The Hearts of America on October 30th!

Not to outdone by Glenn Beck and Al Sharpton, who in August ran competing rallies in Washington DC on the same day, the two biggest stars of Comedy Central will be leading their troops to the nation's capital on October 30.

Last night on The Daily Show Jon Stewart decided enough is enough, that the discourse has gotten too venomous and crazy, and it was time to do something. Stewart called for a "Million Moderate March" on Washington in a rally to be called the Rally To Restore Sanity. But as you can see in the video below, Stewart ruffled the feathers of fellow "pundit" Stephen Colbert, who also had somethin' cookin'.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Colbert, as you can see, had a major announcement of his own, and has his own agenda to "Restore Truthiness To America". Below, Stephen tells the world of his March To Keep Fear Alive, also in Washington on October 30 on The Colbert Report. Special cameos by Jon Stewart and our Sixteenth President.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
March to Keep Fear Alive
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

I don't know about you, but I've got nothing going for October 30th....it's only a three hour train ride from here. I wonder if FOX NEWS will cover the event?

Obama Appoints NJ Governor Christie To Presidential Trade Panel

Several weeks ago New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie erroneously tried to blame the Obama Administration for New Jersey's failure to obtain $400 million in "Race To The Top" funds for the state's schools. The Governor said it was a case Washington bureaucracy doing the wring thing. But when a video provided by the Obama administration proved that Christie's team did not follow instructions to provide financial figures requested for the necessary years to the panel, and his own people were at fault, Christie fired his education commissioner, Bret Schundler, and then told all who would listen that Schundler lied to him, an allegation Schundler denies.

But it's a new month, and with Coobaya playing in the background, it's a new relationship for Chris Christie and President Barak Obama.

On Wednesday President Obama appointed Christie to The Advisory Committee For Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). His term will be for two years.

Christie has said he is honored to be appointed to this committee, and he is the only governor appointed to the 45 member panel so far.

VERY interesting............

There is a quote usually attributed to the fictional Don Corleone in The Godfather; actually, it was first said 2,500 years ago by the Chinese general Sun-tzu......

"Keep our friends close, and your enemies closer".

I wonder if Christie will ever pose for a photo with Mr. Obama?

The Tea Party has just begun to hunt RINOS.

The Way I See It; Patriotism Should Be A Quiet Virtue

Opinion

A certain issue has been bugging me for a very long time- and it's the segment of our society that self describes themselves as being patriots.

But before you read on, please note; I have nothing against patriots, and I am not indicting or criticizing people for love of the United States or of any other country (should the reader be from another nation). Hopefully readers and others may find me to be patriotic. But what I find disturbing is when a person feels the need to describe themselves as being a patriot.

Because in my eyes, being a patriot is a virtue. It's like being honest, or being a good parent or spouse, or being wise. You can even throw in the attribute of possessing beauty, internally or externally, or having talent. And to me, if a person is truly virtuous they don't extol their virtues.

I can tell another person they are wise, or possess genius, or are a good son to aging parents. But for a person to crow about their own virtues- "I'm a good son" or "I'm the smartest guy here", for example- is really bad form.

And it's not very humble.....and humility might be the greatest of all virtues.

Some of these feelings that I have no doubt come from the "Rally To Restore America" that Glenn Beck is holding in Washington today on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He'll be addressing tens of thousands of patriots later on today.....and I know they're patriots, because so many of them say they are. I guess all one has to do is join "Tea Party Patriots" and that does the trick, like baptism or a bar mitzvah sanctifies and admits you to a realm of faith.

I grew up during a time where I was surrounded by quiet patriots, that of The Greatest Generation.  This includes my Dad, my uncles, my Mom, grandparents, cousins, family friends and others who came of age during the Great Depression and then fought the Nazis and Japanese in World War II, or made sacrifices here on the home front, or worked in factories aiding the fight against Axis oppression. They always talked about the Depression and WW2 when I was a little kid, and we listened to stories of gas rationing and boot camp and Grandma driving rivets as she helped put together tanks and jeeps at the old GM plant that was converted for the war effort. There many different stories from many different people, but they all had one commonality....

Each one said they were just doing their share. They didn't ask for extra credit. None of my acquaintances from that generation ever pointed to themselves and said "I'm a patriot". They would talk about the other guy and say, "He was a great patriot", or "She sure was patriotic". But they never made it about themselves....they were old school. You left it to others to praise your virtues, you never praise yourself. It was something called humility.

And that, in our narcissistic age where there are no secrets and a multitude of lies, is something seemingly lost in America.


Maybe a look in the mirror.....and a dose of humility directed at one's self, and to one's country, is what really needs to be restored.

Tea Party Express Leader Mark Williams Kicked Out of Movement

Mark Williams, the leader of The Tea Party Express, who railed against accusations of racism within The Tea Party while referring to President Obama as "an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug" has been kicked out of the National Tea Party Federation after he posted a blatantly racist blog entry in rebuttal to the request of the NAACP to oust fringe racist groups from their organization.

Williams, who in the past has referred to Obama, former President Jimmy Carter, and the Democrat Party as "enemies of America" on his website, called the Manhattan boro president a "Jewish Uncle Tom who would have turned fink on Anne Frank", and led a recent fight to ban the building of a mosque near Ground Zero, posted a "satirical" piece on his blog in which he wrote a letter to President Lincoln on the behalf of "colored people". Below an excerpt, as reproduced by The Daily News.

"We Coloreds have taken a vote and decided that we don't cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored People and we demand that it stop!"

Yesterday on CBS's Face The Nation, Tea Party Federation spokesman David Webb said the following.....

"We have expelled Tea Party Express and Mark Williams from the National Tea Party Federation because of the letter that he wrote"

.

Williams' response to his expulsion appears on his website's July 18th entry.

Mark Williams is no stranger to this blog. In the past we have referred to his words and actions, and included two entries when he mixed it up a bit with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan and CNN's Anderson Cooper.

What Would Reagan Really Do? - Newsweek

"Reagan is a difficult icon for Republicans. He was an achiever and, by and large, a successful president. But he wasn’t a successful president in the way that the Republican hero worshipers describe him. Of course ideology was important to Reagan. But he was a success because of, and in spite of, ideology. He cared more about getting stuff done.”.....Ronald Reagan biographer Lou Cannon.


He's been deified by conservatives and has prompted some to try to institute a "Reaganite Purity Test". And he was to be sure......and even his detractors must admit.....the most successful Republican president since Teddy Roosevelt.

But here's the rub; could Ronald Reagan pass the purity test in 2010.

Writer Andrew Romano has some doubts. In this thought provoking Newsweek article he tries to strip away the Reagan mythology and asks the question; "What would Reagan REALLY do?".

READ MORE.....from Newsweek

Alvin Greene; The Democratic Mystery Senatorial Candidate From South Carolina

Vic Rawl was supposed to coast to a primary victory for the Democratic nomination in South Carolina for the right to oppose incumbent Republican Jim DeMint in November's general election. It would be an uphill fight for Rawl; DeMint is a darling of the Tea Party movement.

But once the dust settled and the votes were counted after Tuesday's primary, Rawl found himself defeated by a political first-timer; Alvin Greene, a 32 year old unemployed Army veteran won with more than 60% of the vote.

Vic Rawl, 64, served four terms in the South Carolina House and was a former prosecutor and a circuit court judge. Alvin Greene spent 13 years in the Air Force and the Army before leaving the service last August. He has no government or political experience.

And Greene didn't have any fund raisers for his campaign, and ran no ads. But there's more; Greene was arrested in November on felony obscenity charges. Court records, as detailed in The Huffington Post, indicate that Greene was arrested after showing obscene internet photos to a university student and then wanting to see the student in her dorm room.

South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, appearing on Bill Press' radio show found it quite unusual that an unemployed man was able to post the $10,400 filing fee to run for the Senate, had no website, no TWITTER account, had no fund raisers, and no commercial ads was able to win the primary. Clyburn said the following on Press' show.

There were some real shenanigans going on in the South Carolina primary, I don't know if he was a Republican plant; he was someone's plant."

Mr Clyburn is calling for a probe by the US attorney into the primary, and also into to other races in South Carolina.

This evening, Alvin Greene appeared on COUNTDOWN with Keith Olbermann.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now are you ready for even stranger and even more bizarre? Check out these two interviews Greene gave to South Carolina public television after his primary win.

By the way- did we mention that in South Carolina they have open primaries? That is, you can vote for a candidate in a primary of a party other than the one you are registered in, or an independent voter can vote in any primary without having to declare party affiliation?

Just a thought.

In my opinion....the way primaries appear to be run in South Carolina have all the transparency of the 1919 World Series.

Some Commies!- The Obamas Made $5.5 Million in 2009

My previous post featured once and future (and former SNL) airhead Victoria Jackson playing her ukulele and singing a ditty called "There's a Communist Living In The White House".

Well....if there is a commie, living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue it must be news to the President of the United States and The First Lady- President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle made $ 5.5 million in 2009, according to their joint Federal Income Tax return.

The Obamas paid $1.8 million in Federal Income Tax. Most of their income was generated by book sales. The First Couple donated $329,000 to 40 different charities, with the largest donations of $50,000 going to CARE and The United Negro College Fund.

Additionally, the the President donated his his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize to 10 charities.

The Obamas actually overpaid their 2009 taxes by $8,287 in 2009. The overpayment will be applied to their 2010 income taxes.

Alright- the last time I checked a communist was a person who adhered to the concept of communism, which is defined as ....

1 a : a theory advocating elimination of private property b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
2 capitalized a : a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics b : a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production c : a final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed equitably d : communist systems collectively

Some of the President's critics- many of whom can be found in the most extreme elements of the Tea Party movement- claim that Mr. Obama is a Communist. The President made $5.5 million last year mainly in book sales.

So I propose this....Mr. Obama's next book should be titled "How To Make Millions In Your Spare Time As A Stay At Home Commie". He can even sell it on QVC or HSN. Heck, maybe even ShopNBC- they're the sister network of MSNBC, with all of those tree huggin' pinkos looking for new ways to destroy the fabric of American society.

All kidding aside....when was the last time you saw ANY millionaire wearing a tee with Marx on it? And I don't mean Groucho.

If  Mr. Obama's a communist, then I'm an astronaut....I mean, I can see the moon from my house.

Wow....that remark was so PALIN!

The Tea Party's Last Stand On Healthcare....The Elephants March Backwards

Above- Question; "How is this elephant like Bette Davis?"....Answer; "They both said 'What a dump!!!'"


Its better late than never in showing this video. Its from one of the last Tea Party Anti-Healthcare reform rallies last week in Washington, and is from the NewLeftMedia You Tube Channel.

After seeing this you might get angry, or you might feel sad....but I'll guarantee one thing- some of these protesters will have you laugh at some of their "WTF" answers and ideas.

Be careful where you step!

A backward marching pachyderm might have been there first!

Harris Poll; 24% of the Nation's Republicans Say Obama Is The Anti-Christ

Commentary

I had MSNBC on this afternoon, listening to David Shuster with the results of the latest Harris Poll....and to say this least, the results were really mindblowing.

In the past I have tried to refrain from "broadbrushing" the Republican Party and its membership- I have Republican friends and family; my late and beloved grandfather-and his brothers- all loyal GOP voters. But after listening to these results, and seeing them with my own eyes, I'm starting to wonder- just how many sane people are left in the GOP?

So here's some of the results, taken from Jon Avlon's blog in The Daily Beast. It deals with Republicans' thoughts about President Barack Obama.

* 67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist.

* 57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim
* 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president"
* 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did"
* Scariest of all, 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist."

I'm trying to figure out how a President, under who's watch the nation's financial institutions were bailed out and who's officers are raking in millions of dollars in bonuses, could be called a socialist. And today's signing of the healthcare reform act will be a windfall for the nation's insurance companies, with no public option as a fallback for the nation's uninsured.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is a socialist (and proud of it), was just on with Ed Schultz. The Senator more or less told the viewers that in no way, shape or form is Barack Obama a socialist. Sanders gave the example of Denmark, which is indeed socialist. In that country the citizens pay NOTHING for healthcare, and the tuition for the nation's university.....zero. As Senator Sanders explained, most American really have no idea what a socialist is.

And he's right.

Barack Obama is no more a socialist as I am the Fifth Beatle.

Nor is he a Muslim...nor is he foreign born. Then there are the 38% of the respondents to the poll who say Obama " is doing many of the things that Hitler did".

I guess that should send shockwaves to the throngs of Jewish and gay supporters Mr. Obama has....not to mention advisers, particularly Rahm Israel Emanuel, his chief of staff. Incidentally- Emmanuel's father was born in Jerusalem, and was a member of the Irgun. You'd think he's know the Resurrection of Der Fuhrer when he saw it.

And no, Obama did not burn down the House of Representatives (as Hitler did the Reichstag) and blame it on enemies of the state. He is not accompanied around the nation with Brown Shirts. No political opponents have disappeared in the darkness of night. Labor unions are still legal, and the last I've heard there have been no organized book burnings. We have yet to annex Canada (just the English speaking provinces) or invade a defenseless neighbor (the Bahamas, maybe?).

The Obama critics seem to know even less about fascism than they do socialism.

As for the President being "the Anti-Christ".....I don't know. If he were really the son of the Prince of Darkness (and I don't mean Ozzie), do you really think he would have put up with all of that crap from John Boehner for this long? He would have dispatched him to that Great Celestial Tanning Booth months ago.

Granted, I've played some of the above for laughs....but the results of this poll- and the belief of some extremists on the right that the President is a threat, and as stated in Avlon's blog, a "domestic enemy"...there is some very scary stuff starting to happen in America. And its not from Obama...its from those who toss around these lies and half truths, and those who sadly believe them.

I agree with Republican blogger David Frum, who's lamenting that the GOP's elected officials are no longer calling the shots in their own party....its the voices of the Limbaugh's and the Beck's, and the mega beast called Fox News. There is no room for moderation in the GOP of the 21st century; to even considerate working with Democrats would lead to a raking over the coals by Limbaugh, Beck, and the rest. The tone of discourse has taken on an ugly racial edge recently- and I believe much of the Obama hatred comes from the color of his skin, not from his ideas or policies. Not all, of course, but we're starting to see the poison bubble to the top.

Before the Republican Party can even consider "taking back America", they have to take back there own party from the extremists who have taken over, who's only agenda is to keep the hate alive, and offering no constructive ideas other than creative ways to keep saying "no".

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment- The GOP May Have Met Its Waterloo

Between watching some news, some basketball, and catching up on the latest episode of DAMAGES I did catch the return of Keith Olbermann to COUNTDOWN.

He gave a SPECIAL COMMENT worthy of the attention of all, but particularly by conservatives and Republicans, and their failure to "smell the coffee".

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Keith Olbermann,COUNTDOWN,Keith Olberman Special Comment March 22 2010, Republicans,conservatives,Tea Party,Republican Waterloo,Healthcare Reform

Op-Ed Columnist - Fear Strikes Out - NYTimes.com

New York Times Op-Ed columnist Paul Krugman talks about the passage of healthcare reform, and how the politics of fear was trumped by an appeal to that of "our better angels"

Op-Ed Columnist - Fear Strikes Out - NYTimes.com

Tea party protesters hurl racial insults at Georgia Rep. John Lewis - BostonHerald.com

For a long time Tea Party organizers have denied the racism of some of their members. But this afternoon Congressman John Lewis, a man nearly beaten to death while fighting for civil rights in Alabama decades ago, felt the wrath of Tea Party protesters.

He was called the "n-word" by some in the crowd protesting the healthcare reform bill set to be voted on tomorrow morning.

Also....Congressman Barney Frank was allegedly called a gay slur and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn was allegedly spit on by a Tea Party protester. Mother Jones magazine's website has pictured the Confederate "Stars 'n Bars" at today's protest.

READ MORE...from the BostonHerald.com

Regressive Is The Opposite Of Progressive

Commentary....and Some Necessary Ranting

I just got done listening to the latest rant of a particular commentator on that news network that sounds like "lox"....you know, the crazy guy who's last name rhymes with "______ wreck" (insert "train" in the blank) and his latest salvo against "the progressive agenda". I used to get angry about this stuff, but instead, I had an eureka moment.

To be against something or a particular concept, it stands to reason that an individual must stand for the polar opposite, or forever hold his piece.

I got this idea from watching an old episode of THE TUDORS, from the trial of Sir Thomas More. Rather than take an oath making Henry VIII the head of the church in England, More maintained silence, neither for or against. His silence, More maintained, implied his consent rather than making him take an oath that he believed would have condemned his soul to hell.

Forget that it really didn't work out for Sir Thomas....he was found guilty anyway and beheaded (if the jury found More innocent they would have all been drawn and quartered at Henry's behest). It was a brilliant concept employed by More.

Silence would indicate "just go with the flow"....things are just great, thank you. No need for a change.

However, to be vehemently and vocally opposed to a certain movement, theory or doctrine should indicate that the protester has must have a better idea; as going in the other direction.

Therefore, to be against "Progressivism" one must therefore be in favor of "Regressivism".....going backwards instead of forward. If you desire neither "regression" or "progression", one must maintain silence to imply consent to the status quo- you believe things are alright the way they are.

By extension....opponents of Progressivism who merely like things the way they are should just shut up. And those who view Progressivism as a "cancer to the moral fiber of this nation" and want it destroyed must stand for its polar opposite....let's go backwards.

(Readers....if a certain commentator can get on the air with a chalkboard to sell his theories of the evils of progressivism with circles, arrows, pictures and his peculiar stream of consciousness thoughts, just bear with me....OK?).

So....that being the case, Tea Party protesters who see Progressivism as a danger and must be stopped must be in favor of going in the opposite direction; they are indeed true Regressives.

So....what do these Regressives really want?

Well...here's what I think....

THE REGRESSIVE AGENDA!!!!!

They still want to have 500 channels on television- but would demand all stations be in black and white instead of color.

And speaking of "black and white".....why should the government spend money on those pesky inner city schools?

They want what Herbert Hoover wanted for America, with a twist...."A chicken in every pot....and a 44 Magnum under every pillow". You can't be sure when a deer, bear, or some kind of wildlife might break into your home. Or maybe even somebody who's name ends in a vowel.

All males who do not wear an American flag pin will be exiled to San Francisco.

Every school in America will have the official photograph of Jesus writing the Constitution of the United States. To say that photography didn't exist in those days is another progressive lie.

Ronald Reagan will be pictured on the $100 bill....and also on the $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50. FDR, JFK, LBJ....on the nickel, dime, and quarter. Small change. An American Indian returns on the penny, and an oil derrick will be on the silver dollar- however, it would now be worth 99.9 cents.

There will be no more talk of gay marriage....nor of civil unions. Or any unions at all, for that matter. Who needs them? Unions I mean.


Global warming? With all of these snow storms this winter....in The South? Are you kidding me?

All pubescent girls will be encouraged to attend one of President Palin's Abstinence Camps.

Olbermann, Maddow, Moor, and Letterman....subject to "reprogramming" (See A CLOCKWORK ORANGE).

Healthcare reform....take you vitamins, wash your hands, avoid too many SNICKERS...above all, don't get sick.

Military service.....Regressives have better things to do than serve in the armed forces, like complain about taxes, and hip hop, and those Godless Progressives. There's enough high school dropouts and minorities out there... let them deal with deserts, road side bombs, Stop-Loss, and the apathy of too many of our citizens.

Taxes....Regressives prefer a flat 10% income tax. But they really DON'T want a tax at all. Jesus never talked about taxes when He wrote the Constitution. I know that's true; because the Bible- and Pat Robertson- told me so.

If you've read all of the above and got mad as hell....you've just been punked! But if you laughed, you just may be a Democrat.

There may be one or two of you who read this schtick so far and don't "get it"....well, its just my way of trying to make a point. When the Becks, Hannitys, Limbaughs, Bachmans, and Palins of the world rail against this imaginary "progressive agenda" to destroy America, its just as ridiculous and laughable as the stuff I said about conservatives, Tea Baggers, and "Regressives"....its painting "The Others" with a broad brush and making them the enemy. That's what people like them do to maintain power and control.

They use division and the hatred of their audience towards individuals or concepts to exercise power. Its as American as Joe McCarthy- and what makes what these people are doing worse is the tacit endorsement from the power structure that employs them, the Republican Party or Fox News.

It wasn't always that way....when Joe McCarthy went on his Red baiting witch hunts in the 1950's he had people in his own Republican party who stood up to him- namely Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, and President Eisenhower, who despised McCarthy for his attacks against his comrades in the Army. When McCarthy went after General George Marshall, Ike started working behind the scenes to expose McCarthy...and Edward R. Murrow of CBS News ultimately took him down on an episode of SEE IT NOW.

Maybe I'm just getting older...but putting on the tube everyday and watching otherwise good people going crazy because some irresponsible political or media demagogue has them whipped into a frenzy in order to maintain their little fiefdom of control is starting to wear on me a bit; probably more so than at any time in my life.

Maybe the only way to fight that kind or recklessness is to mirror it, and throw it back it the faces of those who dished it out.

A heavy doses of irony is their just desserts.