Fear And Loathing In Sloganville, Part 1 - or...

by: TwoPuttTommy

Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 08:41:33 AM CDT

I'll start this post out dealing with the Fear Factor! As expected yesterday, Minnesota's GOPers weren't gonna give the ol' TwoPutter Media Credentials.  But, that's no surprise; they didn't credential The UpTake, either.  As a matter o' fact, the MN GOP is none-too-keen about letting "just anyone in" to see the goings ons o' their party; no one - and I mean NO ONE - can wander on in and watch how The Small Tent Party conducts their business, without bein' approved to do said watching.

One wonders what would happen, were a teacher to bring a coupla kids down to the Mpls Convention Center, for a teachable moment about democracy - GOPer Style.  I'm guessing it would be a real teachable moment; GOPers refusing school kids to watch 'em in action!!!

Compare/contrast with the DFL's "Open Door - Open Look" policy in Duluth...which explains a lot about the difference between parties.  Well, the average DFLer's "Open Mind" and average GOPer's "Closed Mind" does, too.

Here's the tweet, about my exchange with MN GOP Communications Director Mark Drake concerning my Media Credentials:

Drake: "U didn't rgstr in time" Me: "What was deadline?" Drake: "Didn't u get my memo?" Me: "U r a funny guy, Mark"
#mngop10 #Stribpol    
about 14 hours ago  via web

We'll post a whole buncha more tweets, down below the fold!

Getting back to Sloganville - apparently, judging by the "speeches" by GOPer Candidates and almost all of the Delegates and Alternates I talked with, the main qualification for elective office is "who loves freedom and liberty and hates tyranny more" and who hates "the direction our country is headed" the most.  They all want to "cut gubmint spending" and "shrink gubmint" - although the GOPer Sloganeers don't talk much about what they'll whack once they get back power.  Presumably, everything is on the table.  Well, except Defense, I guess, because they're all "strong" on National Defense.

Pretty hard to be "strong" on National Defense whilst whacking a National Defense Budget that spends more than....well, probably the rest of the world combined.  Nope!  Can't whack that!!!

And Veterans, apparently, can't be whacked either.  Here's a snippet from that notoriously liberal/leftist/socialist America-hating dam-near commie rag, The Moonie Washington Times:

Mr. Obama's proposed VA budget for fiscal 2011 asks for $125 billion - a 10 percent jump from what Congress enacted for 2010, which was itself more than 16 percent more than 2009. The discretionary portion of next year's budget request - the part the administration and Congress have the most direct control over - is up nearly 20 percent since 2009, to total $60.3 billion.
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Perhaps one of the reasons Mr. Obama's veterans policies have flown under the radar - relative to his hard-fought victory on the health care overhaul - is they draw bipartisan support at a time when the nation is still fighting two wars. In addition to approving double-digit budget increases, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle came together last year on a bill that put the portion of the VA's budget that deals with medical care on a two-year track to insulate it from legislative delays.

They also signed off on the post-9/11 GI bill, which provides Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with money for tuition and housing while in school.

More recently, the Senate last week approved a bipartisan bill that expands benefits for the caregivers of wounded veterans and tries to accommodate those in rural areas by expanding the VA's telemedicine program and travel reimbursements. The bill, authored by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka, Hawaii Democrat, now awaits the president's signature.

"I would think there's more agreement than disagreement" on veterans' issues, said Brooks Tucker, deputy staff director for Republicans on the committee. (WashingtonTimes.com)

So, apparently, "shrinking the size of gubmint" doesn't include Veterans Benefits - in the view of The Small Tent Party.

So, just WT(C) do they want to whack?  I dunno; I haven't heard it yet.

They certainly don't want to whack Border Security; that's a big topic down there in Sloganville.

Maybe in the RightWingNutJobWorld, "Border Security" can magically be expanded, and be paid for by.....

....hmmm...

How DO they want to pay for it??!?

I'll keep asking, today, as I head back to gather material for Fear And Loathing In Sloganville, Part Two - or ... "A Peak Through The Flaps Of The Small Tent Party"

Oh - and here's the tweet, describing how I got A "Guest Pass"

I'm in! A fellow VFW Member thought #mngop10 policy is bogus, and invited me in as a Guest! #Stribpol    
about 14 hours ago  via web

Here's the list of tweets sent yesterday, over the three hours between not getting Media Credentials, getting a "Guest Pass" and the GOPers actually letting me in, using said "Guest Pass":

_ To no surprise, no Media Credential for the ol' TwoPutter! What is @mngop hiding behind the closed flaps of The Small Tent Party? #Stribpol    
about 15 hours ago  via web  

_ @sturdevant Hey, Lori - out of curiosity, when did you register for press credentials?    
about 15 hours ago  via web  

_ According to a Sergeant-At-Arms, all persons entering must have a pass @mngop10 #stribpol     about 15 hours ago  via web  

_ According to @mngop10 info desk, must be a guest of delegate or alternate to get a guest pass - no casual observers allowed. #Stribpol     about 15 hours ago  via web  

_ Drake: "U didn't rgstr in time" Me: "What was deadline?" Drake: "Didn't u get my memo?" Me: "U r a funny guy, Mark" #mngop10 #Stribpol     about 14 hours ago  via web  

_ I'm in! A fellow VFW Member thought #mngop10 policy is bogus, and invited me in as a Guest! #Stribpol     about 14 hours ago  via web  

_ Ruh-roh - #mngop10 not a "happy face" w/ my "Guest Pass" and are not allowing me in! In limbo... #Sribpol     about 14 hours ago  via web  

_ Just saw a kid w/ a "Guest Pass" leave the hall; but my "Guest Pass" apparently, mine won't let me in. #mngpo10 #stribpol     about 14 hours ago  via web  

_ Just saw a #mngop10 "Guest Pass" go in; Security explains: "That Guest Pass was typed; yours is handwritten" - still in limbo... #Stribpol     about 13 hours ago  via web  

_ There goes ANOTHER "hand-written" "Guest Pass"!!! Me? Still in #mngop10 limbo! #Stribpol     about 13 hours ago  via web  

_ Security: "Can he (me!) go in yet?" #mngop10 MediaType: "No." Me: "Orders from above?" MediaType: "Yep." #Stribpol     about 13 hours ago  via web  

_ Followed the rules; paid my $20 and a fellow Veteran sponsored my "Guest Pass" and I'm still not in. #mngop10 #stribpol     about 13 hours ago  via web  

_ Taking a quick break from limbo and sitting down; the hard floors here are rough. #mngop10     about 12 hours ago  via web  

_ Break over; #MNGOP10 MediaType indicates my bought 'n paid for "Guest Pass" still isn't a "pass." Standing by, by the Stanek booth..     about 12 hours ago  via web  

_ I'm in! #mngop10 musta got tired o' my tweets...     about 12 hours ago  via web