Dear Tea Party: FU

I'm glad Obama won the election, and that we progressives took some senate seats including crucial races by Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown.  And that we rid ourselves of some bad Tea Partiers like Alan West and Joe Walsh.  But the Republicans don't seem to understand that they lost.  John Boehner is having his puppet strings pulled by the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, Sheldon Adelson, and tea partiers in the Senate and House that refuse to negotiate in good faith on fiscal cliff and debt ceiling talks.  Now, Obama has held firm on his belief that taxes must be raised on the rich, and that the debt ceiling should not be part of any negotiation.  It is, in fact, paying back what we have already borrowed, much of which is thanks for the Bush administration's wars and tax cuts--not Obama's "reckless spending."  Please.

So the likes of Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul, Louis Gomert, and Eric Cantor are telling Boehner to keep saying that Obama isn't putting forth a deal that can pass both chambers of Congress.  Maybe that's true, but his version of that is one in which the GOP gets everything they want and Obama, who won the election in a landslide and the popular vote by 3 million, gets nothing he wants.  And if he instead manages to get his tax increases (for the rich only!), the GOP will then hold the full faith and credit of our country hostage again.  Damn.  What a bunch of cruel, greedy, mean-spirited douchebags.  They have themselves and their rich friends and donors' interests in mind only.  They don't care about this country and Americans.  They just don't.

I love the fact that Ed Schultz wants Obama to tell Boehner that if they don't agree to the 39.6%, that after January 1, the rate goes up to 42%.  Ed wants Obama to take a hostage the way they do, and bully them the way they bully us.  I love it.  I also love Washington Post's Matt Miller's article this morning about Obama needing to use a trump card of asking Boehner simply for the $6 trillion figure to raise the debt ceiling to that is in Paul Ryan's budget, the one that has already passed the House.  And if they won't do that, call them out for holding the country hostage, which is what they are actually doing anyway.

Then there is good ol' Ricky Snyder of Michigan, ramming through right-to-work legislation, modeled from ALEC, with the help of an all GOP majority in the legislature and senate.  Snyder had his puppet strings being pulled by Amway CEO Dick DeVos and the Kochs and Sheldon Adelson, and he's doing it so that the Republicans can gain every possible advantage by weakening unions in this country and unfairly having an edge for the 2014 and 2016 elections.  It's mean-spirited, cruel, and greedy (where have I heard that before?).

Folks, I'm liberal and proud of it.  But I'm also an honest person, and while I know there is some form of corruption in all politics, what these right wing extremists are doing to our country and trying to do is just pure evil and purely wrong. 

So here is my message to the Tea Party: F.U. and please just go away.

Random Thoughts About Tuesday's Election

This country is divided, whether we like it or not.  The good thing is, though, that the two political parties have shown their true colors over the last few months and years, and to me it looks like this--the Democrats/Liberals are the party of the middle class, trying to give everyone a fair shot and government as it was intended to be--by the people, for the people.  The Republicans/Conservatives are a conglomeration of racists, homophobes, uneducated head-nodders, gun-lovers, Bible thumpers, and corporate big-shots who are attempting to buy control of the country, and lie about telling you that that is what they are doing.  The former wants a fair shot for people to vote too, and the latter wants less people to vote and are attempting to lie, cheat and steal their way to victory on Tuesday in both the presidential election and congressional seat contests.  Here are some thoughts/observations as we head into Tuesday, and I hope you will take them seriously before you go to the polls.....

*Women in this country, if you are planning to vote for Romney/Ryan, you don't care about the health and well-being of yourselves, your daughters and your granddaughters.  The right has become so radical that they have accepted into their platform of August's Republican National Convention that abortion is illegal even in the case of rape or incest.  That has been spoken bluntly by the likes of Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, and the question has been avoided by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.  Why?  Because it's CRAZY and if they tell the truth no woman in their right mind will vote for them.  Romney has said he plans to overturn Roe vs. Wade, de-fund Planned Parenthood, and he supports the Blunt Amendment which denies women the right to contraception as part of their workplace health insurance plans.  The Supreme Court is already 5-4 conservative, and if Romney wins, he will likely get to appoint 1-2 justices, and Roe vs. Wade would be overturned, making abortion ILLEGAL in this country and in particular making it illegal even if your daughter or granddaughter is raped and gets pregnant.  Some of the crazy right has even deemed abortion illegal even in the instance of life of the mother.  Think about that for a minute.  They think the mother should die so that the child can be born.  Without a mother.  What the fuck is wrong with these people?  And while these guys want smaller government, they have no qualms about making women who want an abortion to have an ultrasound against their will and to point the screen at them so that they can see the unborn fetus they are trying to dissolve.  That is bullying and shaming and it's big government in its truest sense, and it's just wrong.  And it's where this crazy conservative right is going.  So women, do the right thing on Tuesday.

*The day President Obama was being inaugurated, several GOP leaders were having dinner at a nearby restaurant in DC.  Their plan?  To make sure Obama only gets one term.  To make sure they take back the House in 2010 and then block every single good bill Obama puts on the table, even if it's destructive enough to make our country default on its obligations for the first time in history.  And if you look at the past two years, that's exactly what they have done.  In particular, Obama put a The American Jobs Act on the table 14 months ago, and it stalled and was voted down over and over again by the Republicans, because it would have created A LOT of jobs and stimulated the economy in the process.  They have blocked, and in the case of the Senate, filibustered bill after bill after bill that would help the economy recover quicker than it has.  On purpose.  Think about that for a minute.  How fucking evil is that really?  You want to inflict economic pain on families across this country so that you can elect your guys into office?  It's morally wrong, and it's insane to think that Fox News and other right-leaning media has hoodwinked people into believing that the President is at fault for slow economic growth.  Notice I said slow and not non-existent.  That's because despite all of the obstruction, we've had 2.5 years of private sector job growth, and unemployment has continued to decline.  And when it ticked below 8%, Republicans all went crazy and said it was a left conspiracy to cook the books.  Really, douchebags?  Who is trying to cook what book here?  Obama cares about getting people back to work, Romney cares about giving more tax breaks to himself and his wealthy friends.

*Some of these crazy right-wing, union-busting governors that were elected in 2010 (Scott Walker, Rick Scott, John Kasich) in swing states weren't done so with the intent of keeping people from voting in 2012?  Look at what's happening in those states right now.  Wisconsin, Florida and Ohio, respectively, are trying or tried to push through Voter ID laws in order to make voting more difficult.  They are trying to create long lines and have groups like True the Vote intimidate people into not voting.  Why?  Because the more people that vote, the more votes for Democrats.  Don't believe me?  Here is Paul Weyrich, the founder of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), explaining to a group of Bible thumpers in 1980 how he wants less people to vote.  You may notice that ALEC is responsible for pushing, you guessed it, voter ID bills into state legislatures.  They also are behind anti-abortion legislation, union-busting and other bills that you may have noticed are popping up in right-wing state governments everywhere.  Oh, I forgot about Pennsylvania.  This one legislator in the state house in Harrisburg came right out and said it--that their Voter ID law was meant to allow Mitt Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania on November 6.  And why is this not happening in Alabama, Mississippi or Alaska?  It's only happening in swing states where the GOP is trying to suppress the vote.  Don't let them.  Go out there and vote and make your vote count. 

*Contrary to what Republicans would like you to believe, Obama has shrunk the size of government and curbed government spending.  When Paul Ryan said Obama has "doubled the size of government," Politifact correctly rated this as "Pants on Fire."  Obama has trimmed where he can, but the GOP wants to roll back regulations which will make our air and water dirtier, make our food unsafe to eat, and possibly bring our economy to the brink of collapse like Bush did in 2008.  Why?  Because the Koch Brothers and others who want to pollute the air are throwing gajillions of dollars at them in order to let them pollute the air in the name of more profits for them.  It's insane.  And Mitt Romney may have indirectly led to the recent meningitis outbreak by having less regulations in the pharmaceutical industry while he was governor of Massachusetts.  Of course, I don't think he did anything intentionally, but he wants less regulation. 

*Seniors, the right wants to turn Medicare into a voucher system.  You get a check for $15K, and you can buy your own insurance.  See what you can get for that kind of money.  And then they spew this nonsense about "if you're under 55, this won't affect you."  I'm sorry, but I'm 48.  And that means I'm royally fucked.  I already had to deal with having a pre-existing condition with my back, and not only did insurance have a rider that prevented them from paying anything related to my back, but they raised my rates every year.  Before we moved to Wisconsin in 2010, we had Blue Cross Blue Shield, and our premium went from $400 per month to $1200 per month over the course of 5 years.  The health insurance field in this country is a mess, and Obamacare was put in place to fix all that.  And oh yeah, Obama did not steal money from Medicare to fund Obamacare.  Here, read this article--it explains this BS better than I can.  But the bottom line?  Repealing Obamacare would be detrimental and dangerous when we made so much fucking progress over the last year or two. 

*Most of our debt over the past decade was created by the Bush tax cuts, unfunded wars and funding Medicare Part D.  Not because of Obama's "reckless spending" as the GOP would want you to believe.

*Obama killed Bin Laden.  Bush said he didn't spend much time worrying about Bin Laden, and Romney said in 2008 he would not move heaven and earth to kill Bin Laden.  Look at the scoreboard, Republicans.

*Austerity does not work.  Look at Europe.  Look at what happened here in the '20's, leading to the Great Depression.

*Romney wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times called "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."  Obama saved the auto industry with a bailout and many jobs in Ohio and Michigan and Wisconsin and Illinois. It worked, Romney.  People in those states, especially Ohio, are doing better.  And Romney has fabricated lies about Jeep shipping jobs to China which has prompted freak-outs from Chrysler, GM and Ford executives.  You want hypocrisy?  Romney's Bain Capital owns Sensata Industries in Freeport, Illinois, a plant that is planned to close tomorrow in order to ship jobs to, you guessed it, China.  Wow, just wow.


*I'm sorry, but this is the most important one.  Romney is a liar.  He has no core values and only panders to as many people and groups as possible in order to get votes.  That's why he flip-flops and lies and Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and all of the money being allowed to flow into the campaigns to fund lies and distort you into believing all that garbage is why he has no moral compass.  Obama, on the other hand, has beliefs and convictions and is doing everything he can to help the American people.  Do you want a wishy washy President?  Is that who we want to be the leader of the free world?  I don't think so.  So do the right thing on Tuesday.  Vote for Barack Obama for a second term.  Do it for your kids, your grandkids, and yourselves. 

Sarah Silverman's Awesome Voter Suppression Video

Do not watch this at work, unless you work from home as I do. But the always hilarious Sarah Silverman has put together a funny, raunchy and yet downright truthful account of how Republicans are trying to keep Democrats from voting, mostly--if not always--in swing states. It doesn't matter how far Obama is ahead in the polls. If the GOP succeeds at suppressing the vote, that won't matter. And that's truly frightening. But you have to watch this video, and please share it with your friends.

Of Breaking Silence and Cheating and Lying GOP

Folks, I apologize for taking so long between posts. Losing the recall election kind of took a lot out of my political soul, but as we gear up for the presidential election in less than 90 days, I want my voice to be heard a bit.

We have Romney and Ryan--the most radical right wing ticket in history. They want to roll back women's rights about 60 years and funnel as much money as they can from the middle and lower classes up to the uber wealthy. The trickle down theory started with Ronald Reagan, continued with George W. Bush, and would pick up again on steroids if Romney and Ryan get in to the White House.

I'm not sure you people realize just how frightening that is.

You know what else? The NRA has a stranglehold on Washington, and I mean both parties. Are the politicians afraid of being shot if they veer? Seriously. But shootings and mass murders in churches, movie theaters and schools keeps happening. Republicans want everyone to be armed and the NRA is pushing pushing pushing for that. I don't want my kid growing up in that sort of country, do you?

But I digress. I'm tired of a few things the GOP is doing. First of all, they get their talking points and they're off to the races. Since their whole party and philosophy is built on funneling money from the bottom to the top, they have to craft policies around lies and deception. And they are smart cookies. They have their Frank Luntz talking points like "Obama stole $700 billion from YOU to fund Obamacare." Are you fucking kidding me? He is taking money that would otherwise go in the pockets of insurance companies and giving it back to the people who overpaid for prescriptions and health care. He is trying to save Medicare, not privatize or kill it. But you've got Romney and Ryan and that douchebag Reince Priebus saying Obama has "blood on his hands." And they just keep snowballing their lies.

But here is the problem. Those lies are a house of cards. The American people are smarter than that, which is why you have them shouting at Paul Ryan at public events in which he's not in the comfy confines of Fox News. People are angry that these guys want to take what Obama and the Dems in Congress worked so hard for--affordable health care for all---and they want to take it away and replace it with vouchers. And when they are asked to expound on this stuff, they lie and talk in circles some more. I'm not kidding.

But when you control the media and prey on people who don't know better (they are trying to dumb everyone down by slashing education too), you can get away with this shit. And when you realize that the American people are firmly with Obama, because they want Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security saved; because they want equal pay for women and same sex marriage; because they want the US Postal Service saved from a right wing conspiracy to kill it; because they want birth control to be legal and because they don't want to go to Mexico for abortions; because, like me, they don't want to worry about losing coverage for my bad back or losing coverage for my autistic son to get the services he desperately needs; because they want a thriving middle class again--need I go on? When they realize that, they resort to suppressing the vote, an epidemic of cheating that may swing the election their way and once they kill all the unions off, we become a de facto communist country with a front that looks like democracy.

Is that what you want?

Is that what you want for your children?

I'm scared with this Paul Ryan choice, and you should be too. But the election choices are clear.

Do you stand with the middle class and true American values, or do you stand with the racist and pathological liars and criminals? The choice is yours.

From Madison--Down but Not Out

So we lost a key election this past Tuesday when sitting governor Scott Walker beat Tom Barrett's challenge and will finish out his term. I'm not going to sugar coat this--it sucks. Walker has pushed the template radical right wing agenda set forth by ALEC, the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove and much of the Republican party--that is, voter suppression, union busting, environmental leniency, anti-abortion legislation, unequal pay for women and more. And of course, more tax cuts for the rich and for corporations. They want to limit union power to the point where only they have the top donors to fund elections. They also own the media (Fox news, and various newspapers), and they are on a dangerous course of money-grabbing power being the end-all, be-all in this world.

HOWEVER.....as long as there isn't a cheat-filled recount in the one senate race we Dems won this past Tuesday in Wisconsin, we now have a majority in the senate. That means Walker can't ram his awful bills through. We also now have the benefit of an uprising in this country--led by a sleeping giant of liberals, progressives and much of the 99%, and we are turning our focus to make sure President Obama is not just re-elected, but that he is able to gain a majority in the House. Right now, Congress is stopping every one of Obama's job growth plans, and trying to crash the economy on purpose for political gain. I'm not making that up, it's a fact. And Dems need to ram that point home to their base, to moderates and swing voters, and even Republicans who have been too complacent or brainwashed by a post-Citizens United onslaught of money-driven attack ads aimed at the left.

The ground game not only needs to be employed, it needs to be more than a ground game. It needs to be an American Revolution, led by all of us who want to take our country back from the corporate greed and money-fueled government we now have.

So yeah, we were hit hard here in Madison on Tuesday, but we're gradually getting up off the ground.

We are ready to fight.

Are you with me?

Nervous About Voter Suppression

I'm going to come out and say it--the GOP is corrupt and they (allegedly wink wink) steal elections. They did it in 2000. I am not even speculating on that--it's pretty much fact. And while I do not have actual evidence, there sure were some weird things going on in 2011 with some special elections in Wisconsin--first with the Supreme Court election in April and then with at least one of the state senate recall elections in August. In those last two, Waukesha (very red Waukesha) County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus did some weird things--and after Joanne Kloppenberg won the Supreme Court seat by a small margin, Nickolaus "found" something like 10,000 votes for David Prosser a few days later and he was declared the winner. I'm still sick about it. Nickolaus is pals with Scott Walker too, as is Prosser. Do you follow me?

Nickolaus was told to sit out the historic recall election on June 5 but I read somewhere that she may be involved after all. Of course, how convenient. There is also all of the voter suppression tactics by the Koch Brothers and all the right wing nutbags and/or corporate interests. Robo-calls with wrong information, incorrect absentee ballot info for registered Democrats, photo ID laws.

It's why I'm nervous as hell about this election. I know that if it's fair and square, Tom Barrett has a great chance to upset Scott Walker and take the Governor's mansion away from Walker. But I am nervous about how much money is being spent by the right wing to brainwash voters. I am nervous about Kathy Nickolaus and how she might cheat and lie and give Walker enough votes to win. I am nervous because the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the same newspaper that made Walker's criminal John Doe investigation front page news, is endorsing the governor and saying the recall is petty and a waste of time and money.

It's so sickening. It's sickening because these morons can't play fair. They know they are wrong yet they are corrupted by big money and power grabbing. They know Walker is in trouble yet they protect him. They are nervous about the people power in Wisconsin and how it might actually protect what's left of our democracy, but I'm nervous about them not playing fair--and you can't tell me I'm wrong for feeling that way.

The GOP = Dangerous

I'm not stupid.  I know that there are enough people in our country that hate President Obama and perhaps the fact that he is not white.  I know there are a lot of people who do not like the fact that he is now in favor of same sex marriage.  And I know that he can easily lose the election in November to Mitt Romney.  However the GOP has to appeal to their base and maybe a lot of independents, they will do so--using their social issues as a weapon in garnering votes against Obama.  But let me say this as clearly as I can--the GOP is dangerous.  If we allow them to take over the White House, and/or the senate, and allow them to keep the House......well, you conservatives who don't know any better don't realize how dangerous this will be. 

Do you like democracy?  Do you expect your government to protect you, to protect the environment around you and the food you eat?  Do you expect government to protect your pension and life savings against harmful Wall Street speculation and betting?  Do you want safe highways and bridges?  Do you want your kids to get a decent education without having them home-schooled or sent to an expensive private institution?  Do you want health care that won't put you $50K or more in debt if you need surgery?  Do you want your social security protected?  Do you want the freedom to choose contraception if you do not want to bring a child into the world?  Do you want the top 1% in this country to pay the same tax rate as you?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you should vote for Obama. 

If you want more tax money to go to the rich in the hopes that it trickles down to everyone else, magically creating jobs, you'll vote for Romney.  If you want a white president who does not believe in same sex marriage, you will vote for Romney.  If you want probes in the vaginas of women who want a safe abortion, you'll vote for Romney.  If you want more wars, and want your children to be sent off to war that may be unnecessary, you will vote for Romney.  If you want student loan rates to skyrocket, you'll vote for Romney.  If you want your mom or dad to be given a voucher for health care, one that may pay for a fraction of their overall annual health care costs, you will vote for Romney.  If you want a bridge that you or your kids drive over to fall and and crumble, you'll vote for Romney.  If you favor 60 kids per classroom and teachers to earn half of what they do now, you will vote for Romney.  If you want the rich to keep buying elections and stay in power, turning our country into one in which there are small gated communities for them, and bread lines for everyone else, you will vote for Romney.  If you want Wall Street to wildly gamble and expect you to bail them out, you will vote for Romney.


Romney would be George Bush exponentially.  Obama has not "made the economy worse" as Romney likes to say.  He has created private section jobs each month for over two years now.  He has "regulated" less than Bush.  He has cut more government jobs than Bush.  When Romney argues this stuff, he is simply full of shit. 

Prosperity.  Liberty.  Freedom.  Family Values.  Those are all the GOP talking point buzzwords.  And it's all bullshit.  It's all a front for taking away your democracy.  And if you don't see what is happening here, you are dreaming. 

Holding Republicans Accountable

I'm getting awful tired of Frank Luntz talking points coming from the GOP.  If you listen to what Republican legislators, pundits and activists are saying, it's all the same garbage.  It's a series of talking points that they were briefed on.  But you know what?  The left is starting to hold them accountable, and starting to ask them to elaborate on their own policies, because right now they don't have any.  (Well, they do, but they don't want the majority of Americans to know what they are....and we'll get to that in a minute).  Yesterday President Obama made light of this when talking to students in North Carolina, by saying he didn't need to be briefed with talking points and strategy before making his speech. Zing! 

But the GOP strategy now is to just say "Barack Obama has ruined the economy and his policies have failed the American people, blah blah blah."  But it's a lie.  24 months of private sector job growth is not failure.  Saving GM from bankruptcy is not failure (you know, the company Mitt Romney wanted to let crumble).  Killing the number one terrorist in the world, the one responsible for 9/11, is not failure. 

And the president has done all he can considering the ridiculous obstruction from Republicans in Congress.  Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell says his number one goal is to not allow Obama to have a second term, but he and his cohorts seem hell bent on trying to crash the economy on purpose to achieve that end.  And when Obama puts a productive jobs bill on the table, one that will rebuild crumbling bridges and highways and put even more Americans back to work, it stalls.  And that hurts Americans and stalls further growth.

So the right wing cannot combat this with facts.  They can only distort the truth, and spew negativity toward the president.  And lucky for them, they have their own media outlets that they own in order to spread their lies. 

But it's time to ask them what their plan is, and what their policies are.  Instead of talking about what he will do to rebuild the economy and get more people back to work, Romney only says that you should trust him, and that Obama has failed.  Really dude?  We need to ask him for specifics, and we need to keep doing that.  And by the way, why the hell do you keep changing your mind and try to yes-yes-yes everyone you think might vote for you.  Get a spine, dude.  (and by the way, be gracious when someone puts a plate of cookies in front of you).  We need to ask John Boehner what he plans on doing.  And McConnell.  And Eric Cantor.  And Paul Ryan.  Those guys need to stop bashing the president, and instead need to tell us what they are going to do better. 

Oh, we already know the answer to that.  More tax breaks for the wealthy.  We've already tried that and it FAILED.  There is that word, Republicans.  Trickle down is FAILED POLICY.  The Bush tax cuts are FAILED POLICY.  But instead, they want to keep going down that road, and gouge the middle class and the poor in the process.  It's sad, and it's annoying, and people are standing up to it.  72% of Americans like the Buffett rule, yet it wins a majority vote in the Senate, and McConnell kills it with a filibuster. We need to ask him WHY.  Why are you killing something that the American people want? 

Look in the mirror, Republicans.  You are walking, talking failed policy.  And we're not going to let you steal our democracy. 

More Double Standard BS

So Ted Nugent talks about chopping heads off, and if Obama is re-elected he will be in jail or dead at this time next year.

Foster Friess makes an ill-advised comment about hoping Obama's teleprompter is bulletproof....clearly he didn't mean that literally and he caught himself by saying just that...but seriously?  Remember, this is the guy with the "women put aspirin between their knees" in "his day" as birth control.  He's a right wing nut-bag just like Nugent. 

These guys make comments like this all day (and Fox "News" spews hatred and venom toward the president and the left all day), and continue to get away with it.  What's worse, their presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, just brushes these things off.  And he happily accepts Nugent's "endorsement" as a candidate.  Really dude?

I guarantee if anyone on the left made similar comments, these righties would be going crazy.  And personally I think we lefties should be going crazier than we are.

I'm also sick and tired of the filibustering in the senate--on Monday Mitch McConnell used it again to essentially veto the Buffett Rule, even though it had the votes to pass.  And even though the American people are 72% in favor of it.  Are you kidding me? 

And then him and Boehner and the rest of these dumbasses ramble on about Obama's "failed policies."  Yeah, and there have been something like 24 straight months of private sector job growth.  Take that failed policy and stick it where the sun don't shine, GOP. 

A Few Random Thoughts

First, how the hell can the GOP claim there is no "war" on women?  And then degrade the fact even more by comparing women to caterpillars?  Are you guys kidding me?  I know you are not, and that is frankly quite scary. 

Speaking of scary, WI governor Scott Walker did something the other day that almost went unnoticed.  He repealed a law in Wisconsin that was intended to not discriminate against women for equal pay.  Repealed.  And then he and his crooked Republicans in the state senate and assembly said things like, "Men are more likely going to be the family breadwinner"...I'm not using a direct quote but I know state senator and big douche Glenn Grothman said something to that effect.

And hey, corporations affiliated with ALEC are finally jumping ship.  Pepsi did a few months ago, and now Coke, Intuit and Kraft Foods have followed suit.  They can say all they want about being non-partisan, but that's a load of crap.  ALEC is responsible for pretty much a large chunk of evil in this country--voter suppression, lenient gun laws, education privatization, union busting, and the war on women (yes, there it is again!) among others.  People exposing them such as the awesome Center for Media and Democracy should keep the pressure on, as should all of you who appreciate freedom (real freedom, not the fake kind the GOP blabbers on about) and democracy.

Coming Into Focus

With each passing day this spring, it appears President Obama will square off against Mitt Romney in the general election in November. And it appears Obama is licking his chops, teeing up the ball high and getting out his best driver to crush the ball down the fairway.

You want to support Paul Ryan's radical, Medicare-killing budget, Mr. Romney? Good. Obama is now calling you out, because every time you say you are trying to save the middle class, your nose grows about a quarter of an inch, and you'll have a full-on Pinocchio thing going by November. Obama is genuinely trying to save the American middle class, while you and your party are all about the 1%, and America is becoming more aware of that by the day.

And the best part? Obama is going after Romney by name, chiding him for calling the budget "marvelous," and saying that it's weird for anyone to call a budget marvelous. Then he laughed and paused, before saying something like, "it's weird these days to use the word 'marvelous.'" Ha!

The GOP can babble all they want with their Frank Luntz talking points. Obama is armed with facts about his record, facts about the Ryan/Romney budget and how it won't work, and facts about how he plans to save the middle class if he gets another four years in office.

Lies, Hypocrisy and a Democracy in Peril

The GOP shifts farther and farther right these days, with social and fiscal policies that harken back to the days when blacks rode the backs of buses, and women were fighting for equal rights. Oh, and as gay rights have also come a long way, they are also in a one-step-forward-two steps-back situation as the frontrunners for the Republican presidential nomination either can't stand gays (Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich) or have contributed a lot of money to a "pray away the gay" organization (Mitt Romney).

But those things are just part of the picture that is painted with lies, hypocrisy and an attack on democracy that is being put up for sale by a GOP serving Tea laced with poison.

The lies? The likes of Romney and Karl Rove are not above lying to America--and they did so last week when they misquoted Bill Clinton by taking his words out of context, conveniently pulling words out of a quote from a 17-minute documentary put together by the Obama/Biden campaign. They were trying to say that Obama was egotistically taking credit for something any president would have done.

Hypocrisy? Look no further than Romney, who flip-flops and changes his mind as if he's using anEtch-a-sketch (his aide used that term!) on almost every issue. But also look at Santorum, who goes far out of his way to protect a fetus but once that fetus is born, and especially if that fetus becomes a woman, we need to deny them of contraception, even if it's something prescribed for a health issue or condition other than pregnancy. And why is Santorum and Romney and Michelle Bachmann, for that matter, so hell bent on overturning Obamacare? Because it's Obama's policy, that's why. The individual mandate is and was a Republican idea at the start. That's hypocrisy in its truest sense.

Attack on democracy? It's everywhere, and while we won't have a ruling on Obamacare until June, most believe it will be shot down by a 5-4 conservative Supreme Court. And it may even be totally wiped out rather than to have some of it survive without the mandate. Remember that this court gave us Bush v. Gore, and Citizens United, and you see that this court undermines our democracy, because in cases like this it votes on party lines. That's sad. But I have a proposal. We should add one justice to the Supreme Court, and then if they wind up in a tie in a situation like this, the decision is put up to a vote by the American people.

There is so much more I can say, but really, I'm so fed up with the GOP and especially the tea party. I'm fed up with their lies, their hatred, their racial slurs, their policies that cater to the rich at the expense of everyone else, and their blatant disregard for American principles, while trying to hide behind words like "liberty," "freedom," and "prosperity." And as money pours in to right wing causes and candidates courtesy of Citizens United, these right wingers who liken President Obama to a socialist are the ones driving our country toward something worse--an oligarchy, and a step away from communism.

The South is Frightening

If you haven't heard by now or seen this video by award-winning filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi (yes, Nancy Pelosi's daughter) that she made for Real Time with Bill Maher, you need to see it. Sure, she chose to interview folks who would help driver her point home, but since I lived in the south for 8 years, I can tell you that the ones who were interviewed were not being shown in any exaggerated form. This is how much of the south is. They still think there is a Civil War going on, or that there will be one and that they will win it this time. They also are extremely, and frighteningly conservative. That's why the uber conservative Rick Santorum won Alabama and Mississippi yesterday.

These folks do not like Obama, and one of Pelosi's subjects called Obamacare "retarded." I bet he doesn't even know how Obamacare works or that it is in place to help folks like him. But what really scares me is the guy who said he would rather the economy tank than so long as his religious beliefs were intact. Wow.

Of course, the GOP feeds off these low-information voters. Those who know the least are more likely to vote for them, while most of the more educated know better (oh wait, those with college degrees are snobs, according to Rick Santorum, he of the multiple college degrees). Anyway, here is Pelosi's video. You can draw your own conclusions.....

March 9, 2012 Clip: Alexandra Pelosi

It's All So Insulting

It's bad enough that Rush Limbaugh has been spewing his right wing propaganda for so long, and he crossed the line for three days last week when insulting Sandra Fluke--who, mind you, is not a public figure. Or at least, she wasn't a public figure until now. But what's more insulting is that the likes of Fox News and the GOP presidential candidates are supporting Limbaugh, or at least not denouncing what he said as being awful.

Especially Rick Santorum, Mr. Family Values guy. Santorum brushes it off as Limbaugh being an entertainer. Really, douchebag? So it's okay for someone to commit rape, because they are giving the victim a "gift" of life. And it's okay for Limbaugh to say vile and disgusting things about a woman. But it's not okay for the average person to use contraception, because it's a license to have sex? What planet is this guy on? And of course, the right wing women who support the likes of Santorum, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are either brainwashed, conservative Christian, paid to say things, or all of the above.

It also insults me to know how much these GOP candidates are throwing President Obama under the bus. The senate filibusters every single good idea Obama has and then says his failed policies are responsible for the bad economy, which by the way is getting better in spite of their attempts at sabotage. So while most Americans want answers to the question, "Where are the jobs?" these guys keep brushing it under the rug and instead bringing in crazy topics like birth control and vaginal probes to all women who want an abortion.

Of course, their answer to create jobs is always to lower taxes on the rich, who will then create jobs magically. It's also important to lower governmental regulations, right GOP? That has to be done in order for businesses to have more money to hire people, right GOP? Of course, if a few people die because a few batches of bad meat got through a plant that had less regulation from the FDA, that's okay, right GOP? Unless of course, the bad meat was somehow killing unborn babies. That would be bad, right GOP?

You douchebags are all so insulting, and lately you've gone so far to the right that you're pissing off 90% of the voting public. Oh, but wait....you're trying to suppress the vote too, so that less people who lean democratic have a chance to cast their vote.

I know I know people who are conservative. And some of them are my friends or family members. But I have no idea how anyone can rightfully support these radical right wing crazies that are running for the highest office in the country. It's just so damn insulting.

Bob McDonnell is a Schmuck

Not only is the Virginia governor a schmuck, but so are all his right wing cronies, since they control the state house in Richmond. He hasn't signed it yet, but he has an approved bill on his desk that will allow adoption agencies to discriminate against those seeking adoptions based on sexual orientation, race, religious beliefs, age, disability or family status.

McDonnell hasn't signed it yet, most likely because he is in line for a vice presidential run with Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum, and doesn't want to ruin the GOP's chances in a general election even more. But that doesn't stop us all from seeing the guy's true colors first. He proposed this legislation and this is becoming commonplace in state houses across the country that are ruled by the right.

And it's disgusting.

Perfectly legal to DISCRIMINATE if someone is black, Jewish or gay? These guys are pining for the 19th century. Can slavery be far behind? Seriously.

Turning Back the Clock

Are you kidding me? The GOP presidential candidates are getting crazier and crazier as they move toward the right. Do you know what is at the far right? Racists, bigots, hate-mongers. They are white supremacists who do not like gays, women, African-Americans, Hispanics, poor, or senior citizens. As I heard radio host Mike Papantonio say recently, they may as well be the KKK without the hoods. Think about that. If you are a Republican, and you have to choose from this piss poor group of candidates, consider that you are aligning yourself with a racist or bigot in some form--something that is, sadly, condoned by the right wing media like Fox "news" and Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

Trying to turn back the clock on women's rights by making birth control and abortions illegal? That's the latest attack on women being waged by the right--both by these candidates and by legislation being proposed at the federal level by Congress, and at the state level by right wing led state houses.

I'm getting more and more outraged by the day. This is sickening and I'm telling you people, each day that someone else like that Foster Friess guy says something stupid, it almost wipes out half the population that may vote for Rick Santorum. That's a good thing, but it still makes me sad--sad that the GOP continually tries to turn back the clock a few generations. Or maybe it's good that their true colors are shining through.

The Laughable Right

The arrogance coming from the right wing is in all its glory now that there are four candidates remaining to go up against Barack Obama in November. Really though, you can throw Ron Paul and Rick Santorum out at this point and think in terms of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney--two incredibly wacky and strange dudes.

Newt has a temper and bitterness that is already getting in his way, especially with those in his own party. Especially with those who worked with him in Congress 15 or so years ago. Mitt is a noted flip-flopper who will do and say what those who will support him want to hear at any given time. Yikes. And these two are going at it in the debates right now. Oh, and the GOP hates Romney too. They are literally stuck between a rock and a hard place now.

The other problem for the right is that Obama is having so much success, and has these last few months. And now that Obama is going after the big banks and Wall Street, he's striking a chord with his base and with those who are undecided right now. The dude is just whipping his detractors in the GOP and he's doing it now with a bitch-slapping, take-no-prisoners approach.

And so the right, while they surely can't be counted out with Citizens United giving them the opportunity to collect gajillions of dollars for campaign ads, are really up against a tough opponent who will in all likelihood have a second term in the White House.

Money Money Money Money...Money....and More Money

Citizens United has fast-tracked the destruction of our country, but there is time to stop it from doing so. The fact the the Koch Brothers and other corporations and the top one percent can funnel money into right wing causes and use the GOP as a collective puppet show at the expense of everything else is just insane--and stupid. I can guarantee you that all of our founding fathers are turning over in their graves, because this is not how they intended it to be. Trickle down, schmickle down.

The good news is that finally the 99 percent is waking up and fighting against money grubbing politicians and their puppet-string-holding old greedy bastards. But those who say the problem is money in politics, including Michael Moore, Cenk Uygar, Bernie Sanders, and even Republican presidential candidate Buddy Roemer are all correct. And even President Obama and most of the democratic party is guilty of this too. I'm guessing this is the reason Sanders is an independent.

But if money were to be taken out of this, and we eventually got back to the one-person, one-vote situation (because no, it's NOT like that now), we could take back our country.

Hypocrisy

First of all, happy new year, and the next presidential election season. I'm already tired of all of the GOP debates, primaries, etc. And I've never seen such a field of liars, cheaters and hypocrites as this bunch. There are bad eggs on both sides of the aisle, but I would say for the most part, democrats--especially liberal and progressive ones--support a strong middle class and rich folks paying their fair share. The GOP says they support a strong middle class, but really, they don't. They only support the top 1%, the ones who foot the bill for their being in public service and use them as puppets to write and pass legislation that rigs the game for them.

So anything the GOP says or does is toward that end--putting more money in the pockets of those who support them. And they lie about it when they say otherwise. They use and brainwash Christians and other religious people, by appealing to their "values"--values that include gay bashing, prejudice against minorities, being pro-life and anti-socialized medicine. They do it by trying to suppress votes--for example, if you are a minority without a driver's license, they are trying to make it near impossible for you to vote through suppression tactics like making the process confusing and difficult and expensive; and allowing those who carry guns to vote with no problem. Do you see the hypocrisy in that? It's one way they are trying to cheat their way to a victory in 2012.

And the only way to beat these bastards is to continue exposing them for the frauds that they are, something I try to do weekly in this space. Are you with me?