I actually wrote the following 2 years ago; it's posted over at MnBlue.com. In the last 2 years, in many ways, very little has changed - the Greed Over Principles party is still morally bankrupt, intellectually dishonest, and institutionally corrupt. Witness: "Diaper" David Vitter and MudSlingerMike and FEC Tony, respectively. And that's just for starters...
At any rate, I could update the following, but I said this two years ago and I stand by it still. I think it's important to remember; after all: "those that forget the lessons of history, tend to vote GOP."
Thirty Four Years Ago, Tonight Submitted by TwoPuttTommy on August 8, 2008 - 3:56pm.
I remember that August night, back in 1974. It was 34 years ago, tonight, that Richard M. Nixon addressed the nation from The Oval Office, and announced he was resigning. My father put his head in his hands, and said "Oh, my God - he IS a crook." "Dad" I replied, "that's what I've been trying to tell you." Nixon resigned, 34 years ago, because good and decent Republicans had had enough.
Good and decent Republicans called their elected representatives in the GOP Party, and those good and decent elected Republicans told Nixon's Administration that enough was enough; it was time for the corruption to stop. Make no mistake; it wasn't the Democrats in Congress that ended the Nixon Presidency; it was the good and decent Republicans in Congress that ended the cancer in government that Nixon represented.
... what is the difference between Rand Paul and Tom Emmer's positions?
The right for workers to organize gives workers the right to insist on safe working conditions. Back in 1934, workers died for those rights during the Minneapolis Truckers Strike. From the Minnesota Historical Society:
This strike, also known as the Minneapolis Teamsters' Strike and, alternately, sometimes called "a police riot," was one of the most violent in the state's history, and a major battle in Minnesota's "civil war" of the 1930s between business and labor. A non-union city, Minneapolis business leaders had successfully kept unions at bay through an organization called the Citizens Alliance, but by 1934, unions were gaining strength as advocates of workers for improved wages and better working conditions.
Yesterday in St. Paul, the Minnesota Workers Memorial Garden was dedicated, to honor our fellow citizens who did on the job. Let's look!
It would be easy to demonstrate GOPer fiscal duplicity, starting with D*ck (cheneyin') Cheney's infamous quote: "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." That, of course, was "then." Now that Democrats are in charge, well, it is - of course - "now" and to GOPers these days, Deficits Matter*.
Rather than go through all that GOPer duplicity, I'm going to focus on a race demonstrating not only today's GOPer race to illogical "ideological" purity, but fiscal irresponsibility as well - not to mention the DFL's best chance (IMNSHO) to turn a state senate seat from "red" to "blue." It is Minnesota Senate District 18; an open seat due to the "retirement" of longtime State Senator Steve Dille. Dille is one of a vanishing species - a "moderate" republican that today's GreedOverPrinciples types refer to as a "RINO" (Republican In Name Only) as clearly stated by GOP 2008 Candidate and current GOP State Exec Vice-Chair, Bill Jungbauer:
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Rino's among us
By Bill Jungbauer
Yesterdays vote on the bill containing a five cent gas tax increase was a disappointment because several Republicans voted yes.
In the Senate we have these RINO's,
Dille (Dassel) sen.steve.dille@senate.mn Frederickson (New Ulm) sen.dennis.frederickson@senate.mn
Gimse (Wilmar) sen.joe.gimse@senate.mn
Jungbauer (East Bethel) sen.mike.jungbauer@senate.mn
This last one causes me great shame. He is of no known relationship to me.
(emphasis added)
I've been following and commenting on GOPer Mayor Phil Young's legal problems since mid-May, when the story first broke in the Strib; link for Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5 and Part 6. Plus, there's "What I'll Be Saying Tonight". The Strib has done follow up stories (h/t to Laurie Blake) as events unfolded, and GOPer Young recently ended up the subject of a Strib Editorial.
Yesterday, the Sun Newspaper published the closest look (so far). Read it, and it's obvious the reporter, Chris Olwell, takes his craft as a journalist seriously. Here's how it starts:
Eden Prairie Mayor
By Chris Olwell - - Sun Newspapers
Published: Thursday, July 22, 2010 2:15 PM CDT
On April 15, Eden Prairie Mayor Phil Young went to the Plymouth Police Department. He sat down with two detectives in a conference room in the lobby. He was there to answer questions about an investigation into allegations of theft of public funds.
According to police reports, Young arrived confident, composed, making strong eye contact and answering questions. As the detectives laid out the evidence against him, he began to slouch in his seat. He leaned his elbows against the table and hid his face in his hands. By the end of the interview, Young sat silently with his head on the table between his folded arms.
OK, everyone knows that Tom Emmer really, Really, REALLY stepped in it - BIG TIME - with his, well, essentially: "Let's cut the paychecks of waitrons EVERYWHERE!" comment.
And saying something really, Really, REALLY stupid is nothing new for Tom Emmer; my favorite Emmerism is this:
"I don't think you can call yourself a freedom-loving American and be a Democrat." -- Tom Emmer, 9-26-09
(Marshall Independent)
And I was really, Really, REALLY happy when today's GreedOverPrinciples Party picked Emmer to be at the top of the ticket; I knew not only would that one come back to bite him but that there would be more!!!
But, here's the deal: Emmer isn't stupid. Sure, he says stupid things, but there's a reason he says 'em: they're designed to get him something (like an endorsement, from the Teabagging base of today's Small Tent Party).
So, I wondered who might benefit the most from Emmer's latest scheme to screw those with the least.... hmmm... hmmm - just who could that be?
Hey - might be this guy, current Chair of the republiCon Party of Minnesota, none other than FEC Taco Tony!!!
Yes, Ladies and Gentleman, click here for an Employment Application at one of GOPer Tony Sutton's tacoterias, and send the link to your kid. Why should you fork out big bucks for the kid's college, when there's an easy $100,000 to be made taking tacos to tables, or filling margaritas by the pitcher?
And get those high-paying jobs fast; Tom Emmer just doesn't think it's fair his pal Taco Tony has to shell out the big bucks to unappreciative waitrons, when a chunk o' that tip money could - and SHOULD - be going to Tony! And in Tom Emmer's Minnesota, if he's elected to the corner office, that's exactly what would happen.
So don't delay, do it today: hustle your kid down to the nearest Taco Tony's while the gettin's good!!!
Nuclear power regaining favor amid recession, climate concerns
BY JUDY PASTERNAK
Investigative Reporting Workshop
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration may soon guarantee as much as $18.5 billion in loans to build nuclear reactors to generate electricity, and Congress is considering whether to add billions more to support an expansion of nuclear power.
These actions come after an extensive, decade-long campaign in which companies and unions related to the industry have spent more than $600 million on lobbying and nearly $63 million on campaign contributions, according to an analysis by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.
Nuclear power has proven - PROVEN - time and time again it simply cannot be economcially viable without being firmly attached to the Taxpayer's wallet.
Why "Conservatives" support this taxpayer rip-off only proves, once again: "GOP stands for GreedOverPrinciples."
I checked in with my brother, a graduate of the University of Florida (Go, Gators!!!) and an appraiser with many years of experience in that state's real estate market. His reaction?
"Yeah, 'right.'"
Ladies and Gentlemen, Florida is in a bust (it's beyond 'bear') market. Go google "florida population decline" and see the hits you get - I did. My brother merely confirmed what I already knew; that the Freeloader "Freedom" Foundation Minnesota was merely tryin' to sell some more of that ol' RightWingSnakeOil, referred to as VooDoo Economics by Bush The Elder (before Uncle Ronnie took him to the woodshed).
If folk are fleeing the frozen tundra due to excessive taxation (and that's a BIG "IF"), the fact is they're fleeing Florida 'cause The Republican Recession put that state's economy in the cr@pper.
Well, this state's economy, too.
OK, The Republican Recession put the whole (cheney)in' country's economy in the cr@pper. And those GOPers dam near melted the world's economy, too. Essentially, all those years of GOPers in the driver's seat ruined everything. But, that's a tangent. Back to the Freeloader "Freedom" Foundation Minnesota's "report."
Last night, while sitting in as Guest Host at AM 950 Radio, I ripped that "report" - because it is indeed bogus - and had Jeff Van Wychen from MN2020.org call in to give his thoughts about the Freeloader "Freedom" Foundation Minnesota's "report."
Here's how: get the DFL to stipulate every (cheney)in' vote Parry'd take will be the EXACT same vote as the GOPer Minority Leader's, and save on the per diem it'd take for Parry to travel back and forth to St. Paul.
After all, everyone knows what's gonna happen this session: "Vote 'NO!' Wardlow Parry."
For the past few years, I've been saying "GOP Now Stands For 'Greed Over Principles'."
Rep. Ed Markey, D-MA says differently. Let's look!!!
Markey: You know the G.O.P. used to stand for Grand Old Party. Now it stands for grandstand, oppose and pretend. They grandstand with phony claims about non-existent death panels. They oppose any real reform and with this substitute they pretend to offer a solution while really doing nothing. G.O.P.--grandstand, oppose and pretend and make no mistake about it the Republican substitute is not real reform. It does nothing to curb skyrocketing healthcare costs. It does nothing to provide real insurance coverage to millions who are now uninsured. It does nothing to stop the unfair practices of insurance companies. I urge my colleagues to vote no on the Republican do-nothing substitute.
Specifically, who might have Rep Markey been referring to, as a Grandstander, Opposer and Pretender"? Let's look!!!
The following YouTube demonstrates why Senator Franken introduced that amendment, that thirty - THIRTY - Republicans opposed. Let's look:
The above YouTube and the thirty - THIRTY - Republican Senators that voted against Senator Franken's admendment demonstrates, once again, that GOP now stands for GreedOverPrinciples.
The Associated Press is reporting the jury has reached a verdict in one count in the Jack Abramoff related trial of former Abramoff lobbying associate Kevin Ring. Ring "served" as Chief of Staff for former Rep. John Doolittle and as a Senate Judiciary subcommittee aide to Sen. John Ashcroft. Both Doolittle and Ashcroft are GOPers, as in GreedOverPrinciples types.
Here, in a short segment, Bill Moyers explains in general terms what the Abramoff Scandal is all about, and why - IMNSHO - GOP today stands for GreedOverPrinciples. Let's look!!!
The title of the post, back on February 15th of this year, was: RNC's Michael Steele: "You have absolutely no reason - none - to trust our words or our actions at this point."
And that was BEFORE the crazy "birther" stuff, and a whole bunch of other bogus stuff slung by the GOPers nationally. Well, and locally too, by FEC Tony and MudSlingerMike. So, since some things never change, here that post is again - Michael Steele telling the world there is no reason - NONE - to trust what the GOP has to say.
Yep - that's the RNC's Michael Steele talking; talking to Glenn Beck. Beck was saying conservatives can't trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party; I submit NO ONE can trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party. Let's watch, and then - below the fold - I'll elaborate:
That's "IP" as in "Internet Protocol" - and here's why it's important: on June 4th, at 6:32 pm, the following message was posted on GOP State Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb's personal blog:
J Says:
June 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Aside from her tax issue which will be huge, Brod will have to answer for her personal behavior if she runs. She's - ahem - played the field. A lot.(MinnesotaDemocratsExposed)
At the time, I didn't think a lot of it; it seems to be there's some exceedingly vile stuff posted over at GOP State Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb's personal blog. However, blogger Brian Falldin of Change We Must Fight For began noticing a pattern; a pattern on right-wing blogs of posts smearing Laura Brod.
Right-wing blogger Andy Aplikowski tried to take the high road and wrote about this smear campaign in a post that was almost immediately deleted. Among other things, Andy alleges "...a Republican staffer in the capital..." is involved in this smear campaign. Andy explained why he deleted that post here; it's important to note that Andy did NOT retract his allegations. In a nutshell, Andy found that exposing problems in the GreedOverPrinciples party isn't a lot of fun, if you're a rightwinger.
Brian Falldin sent some questions to GOP Gubenatorial Candidate Marty Seifert, who was identified by name in Andy's deleted post. The Q 'n A is here.
Here's what I found interesting, in Marty Seifert's response:
I would ask anyone in question that allegedly has done this to open up to a lie detector test, open up cell and computer records and come clean.
Well, that should be a real easy one for GOP State Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb. All he has to do is go back to June 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm in his personal blog's records, and find out who "J" is - by using the IP Address "J" used to post.
