The Republi-CON Reagan Myth (and What Obama Can Learn From It)

UPDATE III: Reagan once said: "Someday it might be worthwhile to find out how images are created — and even more worthwhile to learn how false images come into being."

And just in time for President's Day Weekend, a new film examines the myth of Reagan, who according to The New York Times, Reagan and Reality:

"[Presented} himself — and has since been presented by his admirers — as someone committed to the best interests of ordinary, hard-working Americans. Yet his economic policies, Reaganomics, dealt a body blow to that very constituency.

Mark Hertsgaard, the author of 'On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency,' says in the film, 'You cannot be fair in your historical evaluation of Ronald Reagan if you don’t look at the terrible damage his economic policies did to this country.' . .

What we get with Reagan are a series of disconnects and contradictions that have led us to a situation in which a president widely hailed as a hero of the working class set in motion policies that have been mind-bogglingly beneficial to the wealthy and devastating to working people and the poor. . .

[T]he economic revolution that gained steam during the Reagan years and is still squeezing the life out of the middle class and the poor that is Reagan’s most significant legacy. A phony version of that legacy is relentlessly promoted by right-wingers who shamelessly pursue the interests of the very rich while invoking the Reagan brand to give the impression that they are in fact the champions of ordinary people."

Shall we have a WEBY meet-up to watch the film?


UPDATE II: "Some Republicans, I suppose, might be so enraptured by the Reagan legend that they are unaware of his actual record. I hate to break it to Sarah Palin, but Reagan raised taxes. Often. Sometimes by a lot.

When he took office as governor of California in 1967, the state faced a huge budget deficit. Reagan promptly raised taxes by $1 billion - at a time when the entire state budget amounted to just $6 billion. It was then the biggest state tax increase in history. During Reagan's eight years in Sacramento, the top state income tax rate increased from 7 percent to 11 percent. Business and sales taxes also soared. . .

[As president, Reagan] raised taxes 11 times, beginning with the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982. . .

Reagan had promised to eliminate the departments of Energy and Education, but he didn't. Instead, he signed legislation that added to the Cabinet a new Department of Veterans Affairs. . .

[Now,] the Republican Party has lost its mind. The GOP argues for deep across-the-board budget cuts of a kind that Reagan ultimately rejected. Party leaders denounce the belief that government can do any good for anybody as "socialism." "

Read the Washington Post, The GOP's selective memory on Ronald Reagan.


UPDATE: Did you know that "[f]ederal spending grew by an average of 2.5 percent a year, adjusted for inflation, while Reagan was president. The national debt exploded, increasing from about $700 billion to nearly $3 trillion." This despite the fact that "Reagan raised taxes six of the eight years he was in office."

And I bet you didn't know that "Reagan was in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants, [and] he signed a bill to give amnesty to 2.6 million illegal immigrants in the United States."

To better understand Republi-con mythology, read the Washington Post, Five myths about Ronald Reagan's legacyand HBO documentary explores Reagan's myths, mysteries, which shows that "Reagan-the-man refuses to conform to Reagan-the-myth, a figure [the documentary shows that ] has been created by political opportunists to brand policies and agendas Reagan himself would likely oppose."

"The present-day radicals donning Reagan drag, led by Sarah Palin, seem not to know, as Cannon writes, that their hero lurched “from excessive tax cuts to corrective tax increases disguised as tax reform” and “submitted eight unbalanced budgets to Congress in succession.” Reagan made no promise whatsoever of a balanced budget in the document that codified Reaganomics, his White House’s 281-page message to Congress in February 1981. The historian Gil Troy has calculated that spending on entitlement programs more than doubled on Reagan’s watch. America slid into debtor-nation status, and Americans “went from owing 16 cents for every dollar in national income in 1981” to owing 44 cents per dollar in 1988. . .

What Reagan did know was how to deliver a message, even if that message belied his policies or actions or the facts."

Read The New York Times, Let Obama’s Reagan Revolution Begin.

Funny Talking Animal Voiceovers

It's Monday, and if you need a good laugh, watch:

Test for Old-Timers

A pop culture test for old-timers. The answers are at the end. Have fun, but no peeking!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?

A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was...

A. Sugar Ray Robinson
B. Roy Orbison
C. Gene Autry
D. Rudolph Valentino
E. Fabian
F. Mickey Mantle
G. Cassius Clay

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, 'We have met the enemy and...

A. It's you
B. He is us
C. It's the Grinch
D. He wasn't home
E. He's really me an
F. We quit
G. He surrendered

4. Good night David.

A. Good night Chet
B. Sleep well
C. Good night Irene
D. Good night Gracie
E. See you later alligator
F. Until tomorrow
G. Good night Steve

5. You'll wonder where the yellow went...

A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons
C. When you clean your tub
D. If you paint the room blue
E. If you buy a soft water tank
F. When you use Lady Clairol
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

6. Before he was the Skipper's Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie's friend...

A. Stuart Whitman
B. Randolph Scott
C. Steve Reeves
D. Maynard G Krebbs
E. Corky B. Dork
F. Dave the Whale
G. Zippy Zoo

7. Liar, liar..

A. You're a liar
B. Your nose is growing
C. Pants on fire
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher
F. On the wire
G. I'm telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and...

A. Wheaties
B. Lois Lane
C. TV ratings
D. World peace
E. Red tights
F. The American way
G. News headlines

9. Hey kids! What time is it?

A. It's time for Yogi Bear
B. It's time to do your homework
C. It's Howdy Doody Time
D. It's Time for Romper Room
E. It's bedtime
F. The Mighty Mouse Hour
G. Scoopy Doo Time

10. Lions and tigers and bears...

A. Yikes
B. Oh no
C. Gee whiz
D. I'm scared
E. Oh my
F. Help! Help!
G. Let's run

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone...

A. Over 40
B. Wearing a uniform
C. Carrying a briefcase
D. Over 30
E. You don't know
F. Who says, 'Trust me'
G. Who eats tofu

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women's stockings...

A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Stauback
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway

13. Brylcream.

A. Smear it on
B. You'll smell great
C. Tame that cowlick
D. Grease ball heaven
E. It's a dream
F. We're your team
G. A little dab'll do ya

14. I found my thrill...

A. In Blueberry muffins
B. With my man, Bill
C. Down at the mill
D. Over the windowsill
E. With thyme and dill
F. Too late to enjoy
G. On Blueberry Hill

15.. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by...

A. Clark Gable
B. Mary Martin
C. Doris Day
D. Errol Flynn
E. Sally Fields
F. Jim Carey
G. Jay Leno

16. Name the Beatles....

A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, who..

A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?

18. I'm strong to the finish....

A. Cause I eats my broccoli
B. Cause I eats me spinach
C. Cause I lift weights
D. Cause I'm the hero
E. And don't you forget it
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
G. To outlast Bruto

19. When it's least expected, you're elected, you're the star today...

A. Smile, you're on Candid Camera
B. Smile, you're on Star Search
C Smile, you won the lottery
D. Smile, we're watching you
E. Smile, the world sees you
F. Smile, you're a hit
G. Smile, you're on TV

20. What do M&M's do?

A. Make your tummy happy
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
C. Make you fat
D. Melt your heart
E. Make you popular
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
G Come in colors




____________________________________________________
Below are the right answers:


1. D - Wonder Bread
2. G - Cassius Clay
3. B - He Is Us
4. A - Good night, Chet
5. G - When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D - Maynard G. Krebbs
7. C - Pants On Fire
8. F - The American Way
9. C - It's Howdy Doody Time
10. E - Oh My
11. D - Over 30
12. C - Joe Namath
13. G - A little dab'll do ya
14. G - On Blueberry Hill
15. B - Mary Martin
16. G - John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D - Who wrote the book of Love
18. B - Cause I eats me spinach
19. A - Smile, you're on Candid Camera
20. F - Melt In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand

A Question of Where to Retire

You can retire to Phoenix , Arizona where...

1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your hiney from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

OR

You can retire to California where...

1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought.

OR

You can retire to New York City where...

1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan .
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn. (Ed. Note: If you have a car.)
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

OR

You can retire to Minnesota where...

1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco .
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. Most of your culinary repertoire consists of casseroles.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction.

OR

You can retire to the Deep South where...

1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names: Petey Joe, Larry Lloyd, Lettie Mae, Flora Jean, etc.
5. Everything is either "in yonder," "out yonder" or "over yonder." It's important to know the difference.
6. "Witchya, didya" indicates the possessive-interrogative: "Y'all didn't bring yer 12-gauge witchya, didya"?

OR

You can retire to Colorado where...

1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.
5. 2 feet of snow on Halloween is not unusual.

OR

You can retire to the rural Midwest where...

1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"
5. When asked how your trip to any exotic place was, you say, "It was different!"

OR

You can retire to Florida where…

1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind – even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.


So pick your poison.

Budgets from Reagan to Obama

UPDATE: Next show, let's discuss some of the difficult decisions that will have to be made to balance the budget, with a case study of WUWF, focusing on the general expenses (I'm trying to get a copy of the station's $1.135 million budget), funding sources, and Public Radio's campaign to prevent cuts to government funding.

Somebody remind me if I forget.

From the Washington Post:



Humor aside, the budget is a mess. That said, "[s]ee how Obama's spending compares to his predecessors and how presidential priorites shift over time" at the Washington Post, 30 years of spending priorities.

Then "[e]xplore every nook and cranny of President Obama's budget proposal" at The New York Times, Obama’s 2012 Budget Proposal: How $3.7 Trillion is Spent.

America's Funniest Grandmother

The comedy of Mrs. Hughes:

Always Lookin for the Anti-Obama Angle

UPDATE II: From the Washington Post, The GOP loves freedom, but not for Egypt:

"The conservative mantra has been: Obama Is Always Wrong. Therefore there must be something wrong with the way he handled Egypt - even if it appears, from what we've seen so far, that the result is a historic opening for democracy in the world's most troubled region.

The other possible explanation for the lukewarm conservative reaction is a lack of faith in our most cherished democratic values - at least where majority-Islam countries are concerned. . .

[Republicans] and some others seem to believe that only political parties of which the United States approves should be allowed to participate in Egyptian elections. . .

These conservatives are arguing that the world's 1.2 billion Muslims cannot be trusted to govern themselves. That's not what I call loving freedom."

UPDATE: From This Modern World, Introducing: The Conservabot 9000!, "for a coherent aggregation of conservative opinion on the Egyptian uprisings:"

Have you noticed the mixed messages on Egypt from the Republi-cons. That's because they are still lookin for the anti-Obama angle. Listen as Palin tries to find that angle:



Read the Washington Post, Sarah Palin needs her own wake-up call, which also examines her nonsense on the press:

"[T]he cornerstone of our democracy is a free press. But implicit in that is the expectation that journalists will hold people in positions of authority and influence accountable and responsible for their words and actions. An expectation that Palin thrives on flouting. . . And when she does answer questions, she does so from sympathetic inquisitors or from the comfort of her Fox News security blanket."

You Go to War Based on the Myths You Want

"What Rummy didn’t know could fill his book." But what he did know was that there was no evidence of any current WMD programs in Iraq.

Read The New York Times, Simply the Worst, which quotes a report marked 'SECRET' from "Major Gen. Glen Shaffer, then the director for intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretary of defense, responding to Rummy’s request to know the 'unknowns' about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction" and dated Sept. 9, 2002 (just as the Bush administration started its P.R. campaign leading to the March 2003 Iraq invasion). The report stated:

"'We range from 0% to about 75% knowledge on various aspects of their program. . .'

'Our assessments rely heavily on analytic assumptions and judgment rather than hard evidence, the evidentiary base is particularly sparse for Iraqi nuclear programs.'

It added: 'We don’t know with any precision how much we don’t know.' And continued: 'We do not know if they have purchased, or attempted to purchase, a nuclear weapon. We do not know with confidence the location of any nuclear weapon-related facilities. Our knowledge of the Iraqi nuclear weapons program is based largely — perhaps 90% — on analysis of imprecise intelligence.'

On biological weapons: 'We cannot confirm the identity of any Iraqi facilities that produce, test, fill, or store biological weapons,' the report said, adding: 'We believe Iraq has 7 mobile BW agent production plants but cannot locate them ... our knowledge of how and where they are produced is probably up to 90% incomplete.'

On chemical weapons: 'We cannot confirm the identity of any Iraqi sites that produce final chemical agent.' And on ballistic missile programs they had 'little missile-specific data.'"

In other words, there was no evidence Iraq had any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons program!

God Mocks Pastor Truthiness

After denouncing Pastor Truthiness (formerly known as Pastor Poppins) for doing the devil's work and supporting Middle East dictators, Egyptians have their freedom. May they us it wisely.

Time now to denounce Huckabee of Judea and free Palestine!

Time to Call the Bluff of Republi-CON Budget Hypocrites

UPDATE: "Over the past decades, spending in nearly every section of the federal budget has exploded to unsustainable levels. . . The greatest pressure comes from entitlements. " Read The New York Times, The Freedom Alliance, which states:

"The supposedly rabid Republican freshmen are actually big government conservatives. They will cut programs that do measurable good while doing little to solve our long-range fiscal crisis.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration theoretically opposes runaway debt while it operationally expands it. The president is unwilling to ask for shared sacrifice if the Republicans won’t ask with him. Fine. But he hasn’t even used his pulpit to prepare the ground. He announces unserious cuts with lavish fanfare.

Since most of the budget is untouchable, the budget ax will fall on every section of the discretionary budget. It will fall on the just and unjust alike, regardless of merit.

The implication is this: If people who care about this or that domestic program fight alone, hoping that their own program will be spared, then they will all perish alone. If they have any chance of continuing their work, they will have to band together and fight their common enemy, the inexorable growth of entitlement spending."

From The Atlantic, We Are All Budget Hypocrites:

"The classic test of whether politicians are serious about balancing the federal budget is whether they confine their suggestions to eliminating earmarks, foreign aid, and fraud, waste, and abuse. Politicians love to rail against these things because they're unpopular and therefore make attractive targets. But doing so is a dodge. All combined, they account for only a tiny fraction of federal spending, so doing away with them does little for the bottom line. Anyone who implies otherwise isn't being forthright about the problem or the possible solutions. But politicians have always gotten away with this because most voters don't know enough about the budget to realize they're being snowed. . .

But the budget battle won't favor Republicans nearly as much as it might at first appear to. That's because, as voters learn more about what's on the line, their preferences tend to shift: They become less insistent on keeping taxes down, as Republicans would prefer, and more invested in protecting the kind of entitlements that Democrats cherish.

A New York Times/CBS poll last month showed that 7 in 10 Americans considered the deficit a "very serious'' problem, but also that they didn't think they should have to pay higher taxes to solve it -- a mindset that lends itself to the Republican claim that the problem stems mainly from spending, rather than revenue.

But when presented with the type of reductions that would be necessary to bring about this scenario -- including deep cuts in programs like Medicare and Social Security that generate most of the long-term debt -- the respondents changed their minds. Nearly two-thirds indicated that they would prefer solutions that are anathema to Republicans, such as higher payroll and gasoline taxes, a new levy on employer-provided health benefits, and limits on popular measures like a tax deduction for mortgage interest. They were suddenly open to cutting military spending, too.

Under no circumstances will reducing the deficit be painless or easy. One attempt to minimize tough political choices by outsourcing the problem has already come up short. Last fall, the White House's bipartisan deficit commission recommended a package of cuts and tax increases. But Obama flinched from endorsing it, and Congress never considered it. Instead, Republicans and Democrats will tackle the job on their own.

Which party ultimately comes out ahead will depend to a large extent on how much the public comes to terms with the real causes of the long-term budget deficit and what really has to be done to fix them. Right now, budget ignorance remains widespread, and Republicans appear to have the upper hand. But that could soon change. America will never be a nation of budget wonks. But if the budget battle finally forces voters to understand what eliminating the deficit will entail, the debate may soon look a lot different."

Is the Republi-CON Plan to Destroy the Banking System and Divide the Country?

UPDATE: "We’ve always known that the modern G.O.P. wants to take America back to the way it was before the New Deal; but now it’s clear that the party wants to build a bridge to the 19th century, and maybe even to the antebellum era. Backward, march! " Read The New York Times, Abraham Lincoln, Inflationist.

"The Republican takeover of the House put a chairman's gavel in the hands of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the gadfly GOP presidential candidate with a cult following. On Wednesday, he used that gavel for the first time - to remarkable effect.

The hearing itself was lively - based on Paul's desire to abolish the Federal Reserve and bring back the gold standard - but what really stood out was Chairman Paul's leadoff witness: a Southern secessionist. "

Read the Washington Post, Ron Paul's economic Rx: a Southern secessionist.

Maverick Revealed

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

The NoBullU New Year's Resolution;


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies, don't be duped: I called, he's a fraud (who pimps of fear anger and hatred), he denies the missile nonsense, and claims God talks through an oil well,

and of course, the birther delusions, it is clear that he hasn't even read the Congressional Research Service that would agree that Obama is a "natural born citizen," (the Congressional Research Service is a part of the Library of Congress, providing professional, objective and non-partisan public policy research to members of Congress and their staffers. The writer of the memorandum is a qualified constitutional attorney who has summarized the historical and legal material with references, showing, by contrast, how shoddy the birther arguments are) (this memorandum explains why even Republi-CON Congressmen/women refuse to join the Birthers), and he hasn't talked to Barbara Nelson, who "specifically remembers his birth" because she spoke with the obstetrician who delivered him shortly after his birth,

and slander by innuendo, one example -- Michelle Obama did not surrender her license to practice law, another example -- denying the theory of evolution,

and now he continues the devil's dirty work supporting Middle East dictators;


Local and regional: a Republi-con promise by any other name is still a lie and remember days gone by, watch this 1964 Pensacola tourism film;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, don't hold you breath because the Republi-CONs Con the Tea Party, there'll be no $100 billion budget cut, a Facebook revolution? and always lookin for the anti-Obama angle, and showing how dumb they are, the Republi-CON Reagan Myth, which ad was your favorite?, who should control end-of-life decisions?, Economic Mess for Non-Dummies, the government report, which confirms we were suckers by GS, health care lawsuit score: US 2 - VA 1 and FL 1, the reason for repeal -- the health care industry bottomline, time to call the Republi-CON bluff on health care


Fun stuff: filled from the bottom up, and just in time for Super Bowl XLV and Mission Impossible, Squirrel Edition, Escapa

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

Which Ad Was Your Favorite?

UPDATE: "Super Bowl XLV had a record estimated average viewership of 111 million, meaning that several of the commercials are among the most-watched ads in the history of advertising. That makes the post-game assessments perhaps more interesting than usual." Read The New York Times, Media Decoder: Super Bowl Ads Assessed, From A to Z.

For "articles, news and more importantly our hilarious reviews on thousands of commercials shown during the Super Bowl games," see SuperBowl-Commercials.org.

A Republi-CON Promise By Any Other Name is Still a Lie

In another dog bites man type story, a Republi-con politician lies to get elected.

First he "claimed time and time again [during the campaign] that he wouldn't cut school spending," then after he was elected he "unveiled a budget that proposed more than $3 billion worth of cuts to Florida schools."

Read the St. Petersburg Times, Gov. Rick Scott revises rhetoric on education funding and the Orlando Sentinel, If you overlook the lies, Scott's budget is interesting, which notes that "not everyone views the truth as that big of a deal."

Special Edition of NoBullU on WEBY

Usually on Thursdays you can listen to me, the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- no political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

And today I'll co-host with Manager Mike to discuss the health care lawsuit.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

Health Care Lawsuit Score: US 2 - VA 1 and FL 1

UPDATE VIII: A leading constitutional law scholar states that "[g]iven the clear case for the health care law’s constitutionality, it’s distressing that many assume its fate will be decided by a partisan, closely divided Supreme Court." Read The New York Times, On Health Care, Justice Will Prevail, which concludes:

"There is every reason to believe that a strong, nonpartisan majority of justices will do their constitutional duty, set aside how they might have voted had they been members of Congress and treat this constitutional challenge for what it is — a political objection in legal garb."

As I said before, the new health care law is a political issue and the courts should have dismissed the challenges.


UPDATE VII: "[C]onservatives are fighting [because] they don't like the Affordable Care Act. And having failed to win that fight in Congress, they've moved it to the courts in the hopes that their allies on the bench will accomplish what their members in the Senate couldn't." Read the Washington Post, The fight over the individual mandate is not about liberty, which quotes Charles Fried, Ronald Reagan's former solicitor general, at Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing:

"As I recall,the great debate was between this device and the government option. And the government option was described as being akin to socialism, and there was a point to that. But what’s striking is that nobody in the world could’ve argued that the government option or single-payer could’ve been unconstitutional. It could’ve been deplorable. It could’ve been regrettable. It could’ve been Eastern rather than Western European. But it would’ve been constitutional."

The article also quotes Daniel Foster, a conservative at the National Review:

"All conservatives, I'd imagine, think single-payer is unwise, but I’m sure plenty of them think it’s also constitutional (I’m probably one of them, as well)."

As I said before, the new health care law is a political issue and the courts should have dismissed the challenges.


UPDATE VI: "Among those who have joined in rejecting the century-old, long-defunct decisions on which Judge Roger Vinson's decision rests, are Justices Scalia, Kennedy, and Chief Justice Roberts. They will have to twist their prior decisions and statements into pretzels in order to rule the individual mandate or other ACA provisions unconstitutional." Read American Constitution Society, In Today’s Health Care Ruling, a Whiff of Bush v. Gore.


UPDATE V: From the Washington Post:




UPDATE IV: Is "Vinson’s opinion is such an outlier that it will not be taken seriously by higher courts?" Review the Center for American Progress' Interactive Assessment: Judge Vinson’s Affordable Care Act Decision.

And for a further review of the decision, read HealthAffairs.org, Analyzing Judge Vinson’s Opinion Invalidating The ACA.


UPDATE III: How will the Supreme Court decide? That presumes that the Supreme Court ever hears the case, which is no certainty. And if it does, the Supreme Court has shown that it is in no hurry to constrain Congress. It recently turned down a constitutional challenge to a federal law which made it a crime for a felon to have body armor or a bulletproof vest. The defendant, Cedrick Alderman, argued that the possession of a bulletproof vest had nothing to do with interstate commerce and, therefore, was beyond Congress' power. Only Scalia and Thomas disagreed.


UPDATE II: "The nation needs health care reform. Repeal is not an option." Read the Clarion Ledger, Let's see the GOP health policy.

Funny thing is, 'Obamacare' looks a lot like the 1993 GOP Health Care proposal that included an individual mandate. Read Kaiser Health News, Summary Of A 1993 Republican Health Reform Plan.

Further, the individual mandate was 'at the heart of a strategy to limit "governmental rules and incentives to the extent necessary to achieve the objectives . . . [and] which would go on to be promoted by congressional Republicans, the Heritage Foundation, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney before being adopted by Democrats and becoming a bete noire of conservatives." Read the Washington Post, An interview with Mark Pauly, father of the individual mandate.

"[T]there is no such thing as “inactivity” or non-participation in the health care market."

Furthermore, although Republi-cons refused to listen and were 'shocked' to hear, "Charles Fried, a Harvard law professor who served as Ronald Reagan's solicitor general, [finds] the mandate easily constitutional."

Unfortunately, "[w]e've got the Democratic Party, whose top priority is to try and solve our health-care problems and who've shown their commitment to that by moving steadily rightward over the last century in a bid to pick up Republican support for some sort of solution, and the Republican Party, whose top priority is that we shouldn't do whatever the Democrats are proposing and have proven their commitment to that by abandoning previously favored policy proposals as soon as the Democrats demonstrated any interest in adopting them."


UPDATE: Read "a tightly reasoned paper dissecting the flawed argument that the so-called 'individual mandate' is an unconstitutional regulation of 'inactivity'":

UP Law Review, Commerce Clause Challenges to Health Care Reform

The opinion in the Fl lawsuit:
Florida Court Order, Health Care Law Unconstitutional

But as others have noted, "the rulings have been surprisingly political." Read The New Republic, Shocker: A Court Decision Tinged with Politics, like a "a Tea Party Manifesto."

And the judge's order "ignores precedent." Read The Volokh Conspiracy, The Weak Link in Judge Vinson’s Opinion Striking Down the Mandate and ACS, In Today’s Health Care Ruling, a Whiff of Bush v. Gore and Fla. Health Care Decision Reads Crucial Clause out of Constitution.

To read some of the other recent court documents, click here.

BTW, this is not the Judge's first health care lawsuit decision. Read Veterans Today, U.S. Dist Judge Roger Vinson Ruled Against 1,000s of Veterans in Infamous Med Bene Case and Forbes, America’s Military Vets Know Judge Roger Vinson-And They Don’t Like Him.

Mission Impossible, Squirrel Edition

Your mission, Mr. Squirrel, get the nuts:


MISSION IMPOSSIBLE SQUIRREL - Watch more Funny Videos

BTW, this appears to be a ripoff of Squirrel on an Impossible Reggae Mission.

Just in Time for Super Bowl XLV

What every home should have:

Time to Call the Republi-CON Bluff on Health Care

UPDATE: An alternative to a comprehensive federal plan, let the states experiment. Read the Washington Post, Have Scott Brown and Ron Wyden figured out the way forward on health care?

"Fine. I'm willing to repeal Obamacare. On one condition.

Republicans need to pass a law that the Congressional Budget Office certifies will cover the same number of uninsured as the Democratic health reform does - 30 million. And it has to do it at lower cost."

Read the Washington Post, Yes, repeal health-care reform -- on one condition.

Didn't I suggest something like this last year?

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

UPDATE: Tammy recommends: Ron Paul and Ralph Nader on corporatism.

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

The NoBullU New Year's Resolution;


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies, response to the pimps of fear anger and hatred, don't be duped: more birther delusions, even the Congressional Research Service would agree that Obama is a "natural born citizen," (the Congressional Research Service is a part of the Library of Congress, providing professional, objective and non-partisan public policy research to members of Congress and their staffers. The writer of the memorandum is a qualified constitutional attorney who has summarized the historical and legal material with references, showing, by contrast, how shoddy the birther arguments are) (this memorandum explains why even Republi-CON Congressmen/women refuse to join the Birthers)

and slander by innuendo, one example -- Michelle Obama did not surrender her license to practice law, another example -- denying the theory of evolution;


Local and regional: More winin and dinin the fat cats, this time elected officials and county department heads, this time at a hunting camp in Santa Rosa County, maritime park lawsuit filed, what a mess, who did the due diligence check, where is a good investigative news report, remember days gone-by, watch this 1964 Pensacola tourism film;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, time to call the Republi-CON bluff, first day, first broken promise -- no $100 billion budget cut, who controls end-of-life decisions?, Economic Mess for Non-Dummies, the government report, which confirms we were suckers by GS, the reason -- health care industry bottomline, time to call the Republi-CON bluff on health care, individual mandates, health care lawsuit score: US 2 - VA 1 and FL 1, a Facebook revolution?


Fun stuff: first Pluto, now Ophiuchus, why are they messin with the heavans, my what bright teeth you have!, Escapa

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

Escapa

The object of the game is to move the red block around without getting hit by the blue blocks or touching the black walls. Click and hold the red square. Now, move it so that you neither touch the walls nor get hit by any of the blue blocks.

If you make it to 18 seconds, you are doing brilliantly!

Give it a try but be careful...it is addictive

Up, Up and Away

Police Misconduct, False Confessions and Unethical Prosecutions

UPDATE II: Another fabricated confessions. Read CNN, Mentally challenged man freed 14 years after false confession.


UPDATE: Another case where "the prosecution had essentially framed [two men] for murder by knowingly procuring false testimony." Read Sports Illustrated, Terry Harrington spent 25 years in jail for crime he didn't commit.

Another great expose' of the criminal justice system, by PBS Frontline. Watch The Confessions, about the Norfolk Four.

Real Dogsledding

When it snows, go sledding:

SOTU

Politics today, this pretty much says it all:



Needs no additional comments.

Sub Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Usually on Thursdays you can listen to me, the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- no political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

But I can't make it today, Morning Mike will sub. I'll be back next week to deprogram you.

Until then, watch the hilarious photo booth, guaranteed to make you laugh, especially the last one:

Hilarious Photo-Booth!
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

How to Find Mr./Ms. Happily Ever After

"[H]ow many dates do you have to go on to find 'the one'? And how do you know for sure that once you do meet Mr. or Ms. Right, a more attractive, more compatible prospect won’t pop up right around the corner?" Science can help. Read CNN, Dating with science on your side.

Who Controls End-of-Life Decisions?

The State or you? Read The New York Times, Unflinching End-of-Life Moments, which reviews an HBO documentary about assisted suicide, "How to Die in Oregon."

Myth of the Hero Gunslinger

UPDATE: What do others studies show? What other studies? "Researchers who study guns and violence say the influence of the group has all but choked off funds." Read The New York Times, N.R.A. Stymies Firearms Research, Scientists Say.

Your ignorance is the NRA's bliss.

"New studies, and perhaps the example of the Tucson shootings, suggest that a better-armed population actually makes us less safe." Read The New York Times, Myth of the Hero Gunslinger.

Health Care Lawsuit Score: US 2 - VA 1

UPDATE V: Trivia: The first U.S. law that included an individual mandate was the Militia Acts of 1792. What was the second?

Read Forbes, Congress Passes Socialized Medicine and Mandates Health Insurance -In 1798.


UPDATE IV: Add Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine to the lawsuit.


UPDATE III: Today it is US v. FL, SC, NE, TX, UT, LA, AL, MI, CO, PA, WA, ID, SD, IN, ND, MS, AZ, NV, GA, and AL. Read the Washington Post, Florida judge to rule on health-care challenge by states.


UPDATE II: "Twenty-four lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordability Act are working their way through federal courts around the country. The cases contest many aspects of the law beyond the one that has drawn the greatest attention: the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance starting in 2014. Most of the suits still are before district court judges, but a few already have been ruled on and are being appealed to federal circuit courts. Legal experts predict that one or more of these cases eventually will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." Track some of the cases at the Washington Post, Status of legal challenges to Obama health care overhaul.


UPDATE: It's all about the individual mandate. Read the Washington Post, Is the Hudson ruling good news for health reform?, Cutting off your policies to spite your opponents, and A world without an individual mandate.

And what U.S. law required the first individual mandate. Read the Militia Acts of 1792.

A federal judge in Virgina, with a long history in Republi-con politics, has ruled that "Congress went too far by requiring most Americans to obtain insurance, a key provision of the health care overhaul that passed muster in two prior court challenges." Read The New York Times, Health Care Law Ruled Unconstitutional.

To read the opinion, click here. To read some of the other recent court documents, click here.

A Guy Fairy Tale

From an email:

Once upon a time, a Prince asked a beautiful Princess... "Will you marry me?"

The Princess said "NO!"

And the Prince lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles, and went fishing and hunting and played golf, and dated women half his age and drank beer and scotch, and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up.

The End

My What Bright Teeth You Have!

"Teens could soon be wandering around with a new fashion accessory that adds glowing LED lights to their teeth." Read The New York Times, New Japanese Fashion: LED Lights for Your Teeth.

How is Your Technology?

More Bailout Bull Revelations

"You would think at this point that there would be nothing left to be outraged about when it comes to government bailouts. But the more bailout rocks you turn over, the more well-connected players you find who aren't being forced to pay the full price of their mistakes." Read the Washington Post,
Old GMAC shareholders are winners after bailout.

So "[w]hy can't those who face foreclosure get the same sorts of help as bankrupt companies?" Read The New York Times, What’s Good for G.M. Is Good For Homeowners.

Needless Rules?

Needless rules, "reviled by some are cherished by others." Would it have prevented a
Gulf Shores mother from running over 4-year-old daughter at an Okaloosa RV park?
Read The New York Times, Obama Is Latest to Hunt for Elusive 'Dumb' Rules.

China, Rogue Economic Superpower

UPDATE II: "Is "our newest economic superpower may indeed be on its way to some kind of economic crisis, with collateral damage to the world as a whole. " Read The New York Times, China Goes to Nixon.


UPDATE: "Here we go again.

China's Supreme Leader visits Washington, and administration officials declare in the run-up to the visit that the United States has had quite enough of Beijing's currency-manipulating, intellectual- property-stealing, domestic- industry-subsidizing policies. . .

By week's end, Americans finally turn their attentions back to the more pressing issue of whether the Jets can really make it to the Super Bowl.

So far, this week's visit by President Hu Jintao has pretty much followed the script."

Read the Washington Post, Chinese follow same old script (and they get the punch line).

"China’s rare-earth monopoly is yet another example of its refusal to play by the rules." Read The New York Times, Rare and Foolish.

And China laughs all the way to the bank.

But all is not lost, yet. we could "use tariffs to counter Beijing’s unfair export subsidies." Read The New York Times, For Our China Trade Emergency, Dial Section 301.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

UPDATE: Regarding thimerosal in vaccines, see the FDA Thimerosal in Vaccines Questions and Answers.

Tammy recommends Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines, Neurodevelopment Disorders, and Heart Disease in the United States.

But see also WHO Position of the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety regarding concerns raised by paper about the safety of thiomersal-containing vaccines.

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

The NoBullU New Year's Resolution and why you don't disagree with me


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies: don't be duped;


Local and regional: Happy Centennial!, non-Christians not welcome in AL, and local Taj Mahal, or poisoned well politics?: first the ECUA admin building and Perdido Key fire station and community center, and now a new sports complex -- can't the kids just play in the streets;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, time to call the Republi-CON bluff, first day, first broken promise -- no $100 billion budget cut -- then broken promises two three and four -- the Republi-con health care repeal bill does conform to the pledge to include the statutory basis, identify spending cuts to pay for the $230 billion cost, and Republi-cons say no amendments,
the reason -- health care industry bottomline, time to call the Republi-CON bluff on health care, China déjà vu, but what can ya do?, in the Navy, it's not like not used to be, but maybe that's a good thing, Marriage 101, Happy 400th Birthday to the King James Bible, what Obama can learn from the Republi-CON Reagan myth and Republi-CON fear, anger, hatred = violence yet again;
an example of the fear, anger, hatred industry


Fun stuff: first Pluto, now Ophiuchus, why are they messin with the heavans;

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

Republi-CON Exceptionalism

"One thing that is endlessly amusing about the contemporary right is their comical lack of historical proportion, their frequent tendency to compare their current situation to the plight endured by history's leading victims of oppression, persecution, and genocide." Read the Washington Post, Delusions of world-historical grandeur.

Time to Call the Republi-CON Bluff

UPDATE V: "Republicans are popping up with new schemes on the debt ceiling. They don't just want to extract big cuts in spending; they actually want to refuse to raise the debt ceiling." Read the Washington Post, Do the GOP debt-limit schemes make sense?

I dare, no I double dare them to not raise the debt-ceiling limit and balance the budget immediately!


UPDATE IV: Read The New York Times, About That $100 Billion, which notes:

"It has been four months since John Boehner, now speaker of the House, first proposed to cut $100 billion from this year’s budget, an idea that was later elevated to a “pledge to America” in the 2010 campaign. Last week, Mr. Boehner finally specified his first actual cut: $35 million from House lawmakers’ office budgets.

Precisely because it is puny and painless, the cut passed the House with broad support, showing once again that the path to bipartisanship in Washington is paved with giveaways (like deficit-increasing tax cuts) and grandstanding (like trivial spending cuts dressed up as deficit reduction).

The road to fiscal responsibility is a harder one. . .

House Republicans claim that voters elected them in November to cut spending. Let’s hear the specifics, and then see what the people want."

UPDATE III: "Another conservative economic miracle bites the dust, with implications for the nation. . . Right now, triumphant conservatives in Washington are declaring that they can cut taxes and still balance the budget by slashing spending. Yet they haven’t been able to do that even in Texas, which is willing both to impose great pain (by its stinginess on health care) and to shortchange the future (by neglecting education). How are they supposed to pull it off nationally, especially when the incoming Republicans have declared Medicare, Social Security and defense off limits?" Read The New York Times, The Texas Omen.


UPDATE II: Will the Naive-ocrat be chumps again? Read the Washington Post, Raise debt limit to avoid national catastrophe, Geithner warns Congress.


UPDATE: Countdown to April 2011, when the debt ceiling is reached. The Naive-ocrats were chumps last time. But here is their chance to call the Republi-con bluff. And some are predicting a political 'blood bath.' Why? Because Republi-cons aren't " interested in helping the economy as long as a Democrat is in the White House." Read The New York Times, There Will Be Blood.

The Republi-con jihad against America continues.

Fear, anger, and hatred -- a great campaign strategy, but not much of a governing philosophy.

Now "[t]he new Republican House majority is facing a choice between cultural or intellectual dissent." Read The New York Times, G.O.P. Faces Choice in How to Oppose.

The Naive-ocrats have been too stupid to call the bluff -- give the public what it claims it wants until they don't want it anymore.

Republi-CON Health Care Rashomon

For a review of the "straightforwardly wrong and dishonest arguments" by Republi-cons regarding the health care law, read the Washington Post, Health-care Rashomon.

First Pluto, Now Ophiuchus

First they kill Pluto, now they are messin with the signs! Read the Minneapolis Star Tribune, What's your sign? Minn. prof suggests it's off.

Why You Don't Disagree With Me

Be Thankful For What You Have

From an email:

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions? Then what?"

And the American said…………

"Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

The NoBullU New Year's Resolution


Follow-up to fact-free fantasies: today's morning show host spewing hate, are they real Christians and don't be duped by the Birthers;


Local and regional: 49 out of 50, but not Florida, new mayor, same old podunk town (his first priorities, hire a city administrator and think about doing other stuff); local premiere of a movie filmed locally by a local guy, and an interview with that local -- director-screenwriter Brett Haley, local Taj Mahal, or poisoned well politics?: now its the ECUA admin building and Perdido Key fire station and community center, and build it and make' em pay $3.75, maybe they need money for a lawyer;


National and international: I'm waiting, where's the balanced budget, time to call the Republi-CON bluff, first day, first broken promise -- no $100 billion budget cut -- then broken promises two three and four -- the Republi-con healthcare repeal bill does conform to the pledge to include the statutory basis, identify spending cuts to pay for the $230 billion cost, and Republi-cons say no amendments, Republi-CON health care hypocrisy, cont., in the Navy, it's not like not used to be, but amybe that's a good thing, 150 years later and five myths about why the South seceded, Marriage 101, Happy 400th Birthday to the King James Bible, what Obama can learn from the Republi-CON Reagan myth and Republi-CON fear, anger, hatred = violence yet again;


Fun stuff: 100 Great Movie Lines;

and

Donate to a good cause: help the friends of a former instructor at the Naval EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunnery Sgt. John Hayes, who was detachment company gunnery sergeant from June 2007 to June 2010 and taught several courses and was recently wounded in Afghanistan.

I'll discuss anything, but expect a no mercy take down if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle the truth and some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

Republi-CON Fear, Anger, Hatred = Violence Yet Again?

UPDATE XI: Allegations of blood libel v. a call for unity, could Palin’s video statement and Obama’s address been more different? Read The New York Times, Study in Contrasts.


UPDATE X: Are high-capacity magazines to blame? Read the Washington Post, Arizona shootings underscore the dangers of high-capacity magazines.


UPDATE IX: Republi-CONs often misstate an opponents arguments before responding. Regarding the debate on the toxic political environment, read the Washington Post, Questions for Charles Krauthammer and others on the right, which notes:

"[W]hat some on the left object to is the rhetoric from the right that tacitly or overtly seeks to deligitimize the political opposition's democratically-obtained hold on power, and flirts with the idea that non-democratic means are an acceptable way of countering or undoing it.

In his original column decrying the current "climate of hate," for instance, Krugman didn't focus on Palin's crosshairs or the right's use of standard-issue war metaphors. Rather, he argued against the right's genuine "eliminationist rhetoric," their "suggestions that those on the other side of a debate must be removed from that debate by whatever means necessary."

This is one of a number of common Republi-CON debate fallacies.


UPDATE VIII: Palin responds. Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Read the Washington Post, The foolishness of the 'blood libel' charge.

And her response does not befit a serious presidential candidate. Compare her response to Al Sharpton's: In MLK's honor, let's strive for dialogue that's passionate but not poisonous.


UPDATE VII: Comedian Jon Stewart, who hosted the Rally to Restore Sanity last year, doesn't blame "the toxic political environment" for the shootings:

"We live in a complex ecosystem of influences and motivations and I wouldn't blame our political rhetoric any more than I would blame heavy metal music for Columbine," Stewart said on "The Daily Show" Monday night. "Boy, would it be nice to draw a straight line from this horror to something tangible, because then we could convince ourselves that if we just stopped this, then the horrors will end."

"You cannot outsmart crazy," Stewart said. "You don't know what a troubled mind will get caught on."

Stewart said he doesn't know "if there is a way to make sense" of the shootings.

Nevertheless, he did stress a need to tone down political "ramblings."

"It would be really nice if the ramblings of crazy people didn't resemble how we talk to each other on TV," he said. "Let's at least make troubled individuals easier to spot."

Watch his "moving monologue":

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Arizona Shootings Reaction
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog</a> The Daily Show on Facebook

UPDATE VI: For a brief history of the violent rhetoric and imagery common in politics today, read the Washington Post, The Tucson tragedy: freedom from violent rhetoric and imagery.


UPDATE V: Is Palin the one now caught in crosshairs?


UPDATE IV: Regarding Palin's claim that the crosshairs map showed surveyor's symbol not gun sights, read the Washington Post, Gunsights or Surveyor Symbols?


UPDATE III: "Some people who study right-wing militia groups and those who align themselves with the so-called Patriot movement said Mr. Loughner’s comments on subjects like the American currency and the Constitution, which he posted online in various video clips, were strikingly similar in language and tone to the voices of the Internet’s more paranoid, extremist corners." Read The New York Times, Suspect’s Odd Behavior Caused Growing Alarm.

Then read the Washington Post, After 'armed and dangerous' messages, who bears responsibility for violence? and The New York Times, Climate of Hate.


UPDATE II: BTW, Palin now says ""we never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights. It was simply cross hairs like you'd see on maps [like a] surveyor's symbol."

More of her Republi-CON revisionist history.


UPDATE: Are you surprised at the shooting, "the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths, about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country . . . the rhetoric about hatred, about mistrust of government, about paranoia of how government operates." Is right-wing media to blame? Read the Washington Post, After Giffords tragedy, fingers point to the media model of confrontation.

The formula is old: Republi-con fear, anger, hatred = violence.

"During the fall campaign, Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, posted a controversial map on her Facebook page depicting spots where Democrats were running for re-election; those Democrats were noted by crosshairs symbols like those seen through the scope of a gun. [Ariz. Democrat Gabrielle Giffords] was among those on Ms. Palin’s map. "

The result, read the Washington Post on this developing story, Ariz. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition after Tucson shooting; eight others injured.

The Republi-CONs have no shame or concern for the violence they may incite.