Thank you Harry Reid!

I have been very critical of Senate Majority  Leader Harry Reid's lack of backbone due to his failure to stand up to the Republicans and or to use his pulpit to push through legislation. Well, this week, Senate Democrats led by Harry Reid stood up to Republicans in a big way. After weeks of Republicans blocking the Wall Street reform bill, Majority Leader Reid called their bluff by threatening to require votes throughout the night so the filibustering senators could not go home. He also called them on their obstructionism and exposed them for siding with the big banks by making statements to the press such as: 

• "The games of stalling are over";
• "All the talk by Republicans about wanting to do something about this bill before it gets on the floor is really anti-Senate, anti-American.  It appears they're more concerned about taking care of the fat cats on Wall Street"; 
• When asked about the finance bill and the moderate Republicans, he replied, "There aren't any.."  

and he won!  MoveOn.org is circulating a thank you card.  As they said, it would have been easy to give in, cut a deal and weaken reform. But this time, Senator Reid and the Democrats did the right thing, and we should thank them. I signed this 'Thank You' card.  Please take a minute, click on the link below and sign the card!
http://pol.moveon.org/thanksreiddems/?r_by=20102-4265401-T2eVwVx&rc=paste

Outrageous Republican Statements 4/29/2010: Microchip 'em!

Dr. Pat BertrocheI, who is running for an Iowa Republican Congressional seat, told an audience regarding illegal immigrants: "I think we should catch 'em, we should document 'em, make sure we know where they are and where they are going.  I actually support microchipping them. I can microchip my dog so I can find it. Why can't I microchip an illegal?"

New Feature: Outrageous Republican Statements

Also known as ORS, this is a new feature that will likely appear frequently but not at regularly scheduled intervals.  I will bring to your attention false, ignorant, scary and/or ridiculous statements made by Republicans that need little or no commentary.  We know there are many.  I hope this is fun!

Arizona Has History of Racist Legislation

In 1986, the Arizona state legislature rejected efforts to establish Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a holiday.  That same year, Governor Bruce Babbitt declared MLK day a holiday.  In 1987, Arizona had a new governor, Evan Mecham, who rescinded Governor Babbitt's declaration.  In 1989, the state legislature finally passed legislation establishing the holiday, but it was subsequently rejected by voters via  ballot measure.  It wasn't until after the NFL voted to pull the 1993 Super Bowl from Tempe, Arizona and award it to Pasadena that Arizona voters approved the holiday. 

Sarah Palin over-brewed

Brooklyn Beagle thinks that we've all been listening to Sarah Palin and her tea partiers Oolong. And as every tea-degreed citizen knows, over-brewed tea not only tastes bitter, it is harmful to the health.

Howling,
Brooklyn Beagle

Rachel Maddow's Special on The McVeigh Tapes

On this, the 15th anniversary of the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City, Rachel Maddow has a special that airs at 9:00 p.m. eastern time/6:00 p.m. pacific time tonight on MSNBC, "The McVeigh Tapes: Confessions of an American Terrorist."  According to Hank Stuever's Washington Post review, it is quite chilling.  It is probably worth watching, particularly in light of the current anti-government hoo-ha.

Where's the beef?

Tantrums by angry white men
Okay, so they aren't all men.  But, last week's New York Times/CBS poll was quite telling.  As it turns out, tea partiers are wealthier and better educated than the general public.  And, regardless of their signs and slogans, they think that the amount of taxes they paid last year was fair.  So, what's their real beef?  They are simply racists who are angry that we have a black president.*    Nevermind that his IQ is higher than everyone in the Republican party put together.  Forget that he can actually construct a sentence, read, think and has the respect of world leaders, unlike gee dubya.   

*According to the NY Times/CBS poll, Tea Party supporters are convinced that:
   • the policies of the Obama administration are disproportionately directed at helping the poor rather than the middle class or the rich;
   • that President Obama does not share the values most Americans live by;
   • that he does not understand the problems of people like themselves. "More than half say the policies of the administration favor the poor, and 25 percent think that the administration favors blacks over whites — compared with 11 percent of the general public.
   • Tea partiers are more likely than the general public, and Republicans, to say that too much has been made of the problems facing black people.

Absence

My conspicuous absence for the last several months was due to health problems and long periods of hospitalization.   But, the pundit is BACK and ready to pundicize!