For Christmas, I was given a copy of The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Ruined Government, Enriched Themselves, and Beggared the Nation. And I didn't think the GOP could do worse. WRONG. Yesterday's SCOTUS Decision will go down in infamy; far outliving the excesses of, say, Jack Abramoff and the myriad of other acts of political vandalism the GOP inflicted upon this nation. The SCOTUS Decision leaves me shocked, and in awe at the audacity and mendacity of today's GreedOverPrinciples Party.
Ten years ago, I was between parties. Not quite ready to embrace the Democratic Party, I was completely sickened by what the GOP had become. Then came the destruction of John McCain, by Boy Blunder And The Plunderers.
For those that don't remember what they did to John McCain, google "John McCain push polls" - the third hit is this
I remain convinced that John McCain would have made a great President; and he should have been the GOP Nominee in 2000. McCain was well on his way to that GOP Nomination, and he got smeared. That's what pushed me to the DFL - and I attended DFL Caucus for the very first time in 2002.
Smears - that is the nasty style of politics the GOP uses today; the election of Michael Brodkorb as State GOP Party Deputy Chair just goes to show that today, the GOP rewards that kind of disgusting and dirty politics.
Do some Democrats play dirty politics? Of course.
The difference is, the Democratic Party, as a party, generally does not. The GOP, as a Party, has institutionalized dirty politcs. It's simply in their nature.
And that's just one reason why I'm no longer a Republican. When another former Republican - Joe Repya - talked about the downward death spiral of the Minnesota GOP, part of it is the dirty politics the party plays, and how those dirty players, like Michael Brodkorb are not only tolerated - they are REWARDED. Like, for instance, how GOPer Nathan Hansen was, when Hansen trashed Repya after Joe split.
Yesterday's SCOTUS Decision, ensured that unlimited corporate money will continue just that - and that decision will go down in infamy.
And that SCOTUS Decision reminded me specifically of one GOPer in particular; one that I sometimes identified as "Erik Paulsen, R=Target." Paulsen was corporate's boy BEFORE the SCOTUS Decision - it's safe to assume he'll be simply "more of the same" AFTER the Scotus Decision. So, I reached into the archives, and reluctantly present again:
Molly Ivins said that a definition of an honest politician in Texas is one that once bought, stays bought. Look no further than John Kline for proof of that, in a Texas politician. And Freshman GOPer Erik Paulsen sure seems to be following John Kline's lead! Let's look!
Even though GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb thinks anyone afraid to take questions shouldn't run for office (see YouTube, below the fold), Erik Paulsen continues to follow John Kline's lead and shun Town Halls. However:
In lieu of district town hall meetings, Paulsen has opted to hold smaller forums with groups of constituents ranging from seniors to meetings with large employers and business leaders. (EdenPrairieNews.com)
Anyway, Paulsen is scheduled to pose, er, 'scuse me, "appear" on Salem Communication's KKMS radio station today at the State Fair at 3:00 pm. KKMS' booth is located near Clough and Judson streets. Stop by if you're near, and if you can, ask Paulsen: "Dude - Where's My Town Hall?"
Is the situation at town hall events starting to turn in favor of health insurance reform?
According to a release from Health Care for America Now!, it may just be. At an event in Mankato tonight with Rep. Tim Walz,
Many in attendance Thursday came to show their support for H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, which includes the public health insurance option as a centerpiece. The plan would provide guaranteed access to individuals and employers who cannot obtain or continue health care coverage through the private insurance market. The cost of health care reform under the legislation is fully paid for: half through making the Medicare and Medicaid program more efficient and half through a surcharge on the income of the richest Americans, those with annual family incomes above $350,000. Supporters say the plan would provide affordability, access and quality.
Paul Marquardt, President of the Mankato Area Labor Assembly said that the majority of those disrupting town hall meetings have been right-wing activists intent on stopping debate and rattling members of Congress through media spectacles. "The reality is, most people are productively engaged on health care this year and they want to see something done to fix it. That's why we voted for Obama last November. With more people losing their jobs, they are also losing their health coverage. We may not agree on the solution yet, but we do agree that we need at least one plan NOT run by the insurance companies. The time for real health care reform is now."
Mankato is juuust too far away for an evening trip, especially in the rain. However, I'm trying to get some first-hand accounts of the event to see exactly what it was like inside. Sources indicated earlier this week that at least a bus of teabaggers was expected to show up, courtesy of a local Republican Party unit, but organizations like HCAN have been getting organized in response as well.
Any readers from the Mankato area in attendance tonight?
Earlier today, I posted on Faux News' "coverage" of Rep. Barney Frank's Town Hall, which was the prelude to Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive's intervew by Sean insHannity. Here's some footage of Rep. Frank's Town Hall you won't see on Faux News - let's look!
Rep. Barney Frank: When you ask me that question I'm going to revert to my ethnic heritage and answer your question with a question. On what planet do you spend most of your time?
[....]
You want me to answer the question? Yes. As you stand there with a picture of the President defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis, my answer to you is as I said before, it is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated. Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.
"I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends....that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them." -Adlai Stevenson (1952)
It's even worse today; "conservatives" simply lie about everything.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Rep. Barney Frank is spot on: those people have no interest - NONE - in dealing with reality. Birthers and Deathers - sponsored by AstroTurfers - calling people socialists and communists and nazis, all orchestrated and approved of by GOP Party "leadership" - well, reasonable people simply cannot reasonably believe anything - ANYTHING - today's GOP "leaders" say. As for the lemmings the GOP's "leaders" lead astray?
Rep. Barney Frank sets a great example - call them out for the whack-jobs that they are.
Some call it disinformation, some call it lying, but what ever it's called, it certainly isn't the truth. Keep in mind republiCon John Kline had to be pressured into holding his one and only "Town Hall" - and I use that term loosely, Erik Paulsen has shown no inclination to do any "Town Halls" despite his predecessor's record of doing multiple - and legitimate - Town Hall meetings twice a year. As far as the ol' MotorMouth herself, as far as I can tell Bachmann has never held a "Town Hall." She did "host" a "Forum" earlier this year, but: she let a paid shill lawyer do the talking.
Fast forward to last night: wanting to see how long it took Sean insHanitty to say something stupid, I tuned to Faux News at the top of the hour and was not disappointed. Especially since he had Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive on, "right" away! Let's look!
Everybody catch that? Let's review:
(3:15) Hannity: "What do you make, I'm watching Barney Frank and it doesn't really really surprise me, he's got a very safe district, but you know, the arrogance, the condescention, you know, the battling with the voters - something's changed and I can't quite pinpoint what it is. I've never seen voters attacked this way, have you?"
Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive: "Well, the great thing is that Members of Congress are at home this August - they're having an opportunity to be actually able to hear from normal Americans about how they feel about this health care proposal rather than the lobbyists that have been swirling through the halls of Congress. This is a wonderful thing - we're actually seeing Democracy in action and it'll be very difficult for members of congress to go back to Washington DC in September and clearly vote against their constituent's interests. None of them can say now that they didn't realize where the heartbeat of the American public is and we'll soon see if the liberals in Congress are listening to regular Americans."
So, here we have Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive talking about how "wonderful" Town Halls are, and she's never had one. And lest we not forget, Kline had to be pressured into holding his one and only "Town Hall" and Paulsen shows no inclination to ever holding one.
Let's watch what Minnesota GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb said, concerning Town Halls:
Which brings us back to what I said, up at the top:
Some call it disinformation, some call it lying, but what ever it's called, it certainly isn't the truth.
Molly Ivins said that a definition of an honest politician in Texas is one that once bought, stays bought. Look no further than John Kline for proof of that, in a Texas politician. And Freshman GOPer Erik Paulsen sure seems to be following John Kline's lead! Let's look!
Both locally and nationally, John Kline's refusal to stand side by side with a Democratic colleague and discuss important issues is getting noticed. From the Plum Line:
GOP Rep. Kline didn't see the idea's appeal. He wrote back to Walz saying No Dice. The reason? He wants to spend all his time listening to his own constituents, not Walz's.
"Because it is critical for me to hear from the men and women I represent, I will be focusing my time and attention over this district work period on hearing from my constituents and will be unable to attend your meeting," Kline wrote.
The kicker: Dems point out that Kline, as of now, has no scheduled town hall events in his own district, either.
Kline's office questions the real reason for the Walz invitation for a joint public meeting.
"That we received his invitation on the same day it was released to the press leads me to question if there was ever a good faith intent on Mr. Walz's behalf," Kline spokesman Troy Young said. "Frankly, it sounds like a publicity stunt."
But Walz Press Secretary Sara Severs said the southern Minnesota congressman truly wanted the joint meetings.
"Frankly, the congressman was sincere in his offer to do a town hall in our district and Congressman Kline's district and we wouldn't characterize meeting with constituents as a publicity stunt," said Severs, who added that her office had not heard from Kline.
Does John Kline understand that it's about democracy, not just scoring political points?
That's a question that should be asked, if - IF - Kline and Paulsen actually schedule, and Bachmann actually follows through, with Town Hall Meetings.
The question should also be asked of GOP State Chair Tony Sutton, and GOP State Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb.
There's a powder keg out there, with a short fuse. And today's GOP leadership is sending out sparks. If one of those sparks catches, well......you can be sure, the GOP will blame it on anybody and everybody but themselves.
Here's Rachel Maddow:
And speaking of the "MOB" - I noted this:
Moving The MOB
August 13th, 2009 by Mitch Berg
Well, the verdict (throwing out all the votest for "crashing Drinking Liberally") was pretty decisive. People want the MOB Summer Party moved to September 12.
Or, are you thinking of banking at Klein Bank? Perhaps you're a member of SEIU, or some other union? Or, perhaps you simply care about where you do business?
Around the country, town hall events with members of Congress are being disrupted by teabagger events organized by lobbying groups with a vested interest in seeing health insurance reform fail.
Not just shout-downs, either -- we're talking about Congressmen being hung in effigy and being chased to their cars by mobs of teabagger protesters who flood the event ahead of time.
Has anyone heard or seen of such happenings in Minnesota? My best guess is that Democratic members would be targeted, so we'd be thinking about town halls in the 1st, 7th, 8th, 4th, and 5th districts.
Anyone? Have there been any health care town halls recently, or have Minnesotans just been their normal, Minnesota-Nicey selves?
By now, everyone knows the story about the MN GOP ripping DFLer Colin Peterson for Peterson's decision not to hold "Town Hall" meetings. Dusty Trice made a great catch of State GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb engaging in the hypocrisy the GreedOverPrinciples party is so well-known for. Let's watch!
Dusty followed up that YouTube with another YouTube of Michele Bachmann ducking questions. The contrast between what GOPer Brodkorb mouthed off about and Bachmann's actions is quite clear - link here for Dusty's entire post.
Then what about Peterson's neighbor, the GOP's own 6th District Rep. Michele Bachmann?
Except for one tightly controlled forum at which she barely spoke, we don't recall any town meetings she's held in this area since elected. (St. Cloud Times)
Ladies and Gentlemen, MudSlingerMike is simply demonstrating - once again - why reasonable people have no reason to believe anything that the GOP says (or, "trust", as GOP National Chair Michael Steele said).
As Dusty said, Brodkorb's actions are "unbelievable." Nice catch, Dusty.
The state legislature is holding a series of town hall events around the state to get public input on potential solutions for the huge budget hole.
These aren't just an opportunity for legislators to hear from constituents; they're an opportunity to make progressive voices heard on behalf of health and human services, public education, mass transit funding, and a host of other issues that deserve to be fully funded and don't deserve the draconian, no-tax-increase-under-any-circumstances cuts being proposed by Republican presidential candidate-in-waiting Tim Pawlenty.
You can find the dates and locations of these events here -- I'll be posting them individually in the next day or so to the Event Calendar here on MPP. If you're planning to attend one, make sure you touch base here in the comments, and follow up with a post or three about what you hear, see, and say at the event.
Remember -- conservative voices will be well-represented. It's our job to make sure that the huge DFL majorities we've worked so hard to build in the legislature know that they represent progressive voices too. Election results say there are more of us than there are of them -- but our efforts can't stop the day after the election.
Get yourself to one. Heck, get yourself to three -- and if you're feeling adventurous, sign up to speak. We need your voice.
