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Thursday, October 28, 2010

She Had It Coming

I have now received over two dozen emails to comment on the Stompage in Kentucky. My first thought was....why don't any of these people leave comments? I guess they must be shy...

I'm not going to comment much on what happened outside of the Rand Paul event with Lauren Valle. As I expected, the victim has now been blamed and counter claims of "liberals do it too" have already flown out of the foaming mouths of right wing pundits. One example they tout is the union "beating" at a town hall event last summer. None of this surprises me. So, no, I won't be commenting directly on the Valle incident because it will serve no purpose. But I will comment on why that is (sadly) the case.

A long time ago on this blog, I predicted that someone in the Bush Administration would shoot someone and get away with it. And then Dick Cheney shot someone and got away with it. I caught a lot of hell for taking the stance that I did (especially from that ol' pookie last in line:)) but apparently time, once again, has proven me to be correct. No apology for Harry and 30 bits of shrapnel still remain in his body? Even after HE apologized to Cheney for the "embarrassment." This "Where Are They Now?" article was quite illuminating on a number of levels. It seems that the "official" version of the story was filled with lies and glaring omissions.

The reason why I bring this up today is that nothing the current form of the GOP and their supporters do surprises me anymore. Dick Cheney got drunk and shot someone. No problem. The things they say and do have gotten more and more ridiculous over the years. And, quite frankly, disturbing. It's a clear progression that is seen in their leaders. Dick Cheney to Sarah Palin to Christine O'Donnell. Who on earth could be next?

But there's really no point in seriously addressing this progression into disturbing lunacy any more because one has to "look at all sides" and "liberals do it too," right? Before long, as with Ms. Valle, the truth of what happened is completely lost and we are left with a group of about 30-40 million people that can pretty much do and say whatever they want...while monumentally frustrated people like myself try, in vain, to illustrate how the Democrats are actually NOT that way.

And that sometimes there is only one side to a story.

Again, though, it doesn't matter what I say. Don't believe me?

--Stephen Broden, the GOP candidate running in TX-30 said he would not rule out the violent overthrow of the federal government if the midterm elections don't turn out favorably for the Republicans, citing their "our nation was founded on violence" and the option is "on the table." Broden has received more campaign contributions than his opponent, Eddie Bernice Johnson.

--Sharon "2nd Amendment solutions" Angle, the GOP candidate for Senate in Nevada, says that Dearborn, Michigan and Frankford, Texas are now under Sharia Law and we must fight back to save them. This may be difficult considering the town of Frankford, Texas doesn't actually exist. Sharon Angle has received over 17 million dollars in campaign contributions.

--Last week, the office of Rep Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) received a toxic substance in an envelope illustrated with swastikas. This was the THIRD incident at his office since he has protested the new immigration law in that state. The first was a telephone call in which a person said he was going to "blow everyone's head off." The second was a bullet that had been shot through the window of his Yuma office in the middle of the night.

--A church carnival in Roseto, PA had a game which allowed players to shoot President Obama. The game was called "Alien Attack" and had cut out figure of the president holding a scroll that said "health bill."

These are four of hundreds of examples I have collected over the last year and a half. And it keeps getting worse.

In a post that made me profoundly sad, Kevin Baker linked a quote yesterday that mentioned our leaders swinging from lamp posts (because of the deficit) to which he replied, "You know, the hangman's noose is a remarkably simple thing to make." Yet, he bemoans continually the image of the "violent and crazed gun nut" as well as my questions on how exactly this sort of thinking is different from the sorts of things we see on hirabist web sites. I am at a complete loss as to how to explain this cognitive dissonance. Here, maybe this might help him jog him and his commenters out of it.

تعلمون ، حبل المشنقة هو شيء بسيط بشكل ملحوظ لجعل

That's his quote, translated in Arabic.

When I read what he wrote, as well as the ensuing comments, the first image that came to my head was this

photo of contractors hanging off a bridge in <span class=

and it made me sick to my stomach.

But none of that matters. The people that are likely to win control of the House of Representatives think that this is all perfectly acceptable because "liberals do the same thing."

--In their eyes, repeating their words back to them is somehow disagreeable(and, on this blog, voices in Mark's head, apparently) to the point of the threat of violence...even though they JUST SAID IT!

--In their eyes, passing a law that will save the United States money and help people with their health is a hanging or shooting offense.

--In their eyes, it's now OK to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater (as conservative pundits do every day on their programs) and then....shoot the firemen!

--In their eyes, discussions of hangman's nooses has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the fact that there is a black man in the White House. Nope. No prejudice here...move along...move along....

This is our reality now. Y'know, I had a brief glimmer of hope when I saw the perfectly peaceful and quite civil Glenn Beck rally a couple of months back. This hope was kindled further when I saw several on the right making concerted efforts to be a peaceful social movement. But all of this has gone out the window now with a veritable cavalcade of completely unacceptable words, speeches, and actions.

Anything goes, folks and if you think the 2010 election was bad, wait until 2012 starts on November 3rd, 2010. The couple of dozen example I have bookmarked will pale in comparison to the pile I will have over the course of the next two years. As David Frum put it recently, President Obama is takin' Whitey's money and there's a gonna be hell to pay!

And what about Lauren Valle?

Well...I guess she had it coming.

28 comments:

juris imprudent said...

Yep, your usual sense of perspective.

An employee of MoveOn, there in an attempt to perform some satirical street theater - which actually turned into melodrama.

The Paul volunteer (not an employee) has been disowned by the campaign and is facing criminal charges - as he should.

But no, it is all a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. Gosh how you must miss the Clinton years.

the torch said...

I spend a fair amount of time in the Middle East and there is no difference between Kevin Baker and his readers and the criminals that run around over there in terms of their mentality and ideology.

Angela said...

Add this to your list and I guess I'll be painted as invoking Goodwin's Law. Except in this case, it really is true.

Boehner To Appear with Nazi Reenactor

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/10/boehner_to_appear_with_nazi_reenactor.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Talking-Points-Memo+(Talking+Points+Memo:+by+Joshua+Micah+Marshall)

last in line said...

No, you caught hell from me because you described a hunting accident, where someone got shot in the face, as "hilarious" simply because you disagreed with the politics of the people involved, and then you insinuated that I would "laugh my ass off" if it was Gore who shot somebody in an accident like that. Still wonder why only 1 person out of 100 you invited showed up to watch the election returns with you at the bar in Nov 2008?

You got everything you could have wanted last election cycle and you are still "monumentally frustrated". Perhaps one of the reasons is that you devote lots of cyber ink to people like Cheney, Palin and O'Donnell.

Cheney isn't in office anymore.

Palin isn't in office anymore but is absolutely in the political arena.

O'Donnell has no chance of winning.

Perhaps, in your eyes, it feels really, really good to feel superior to opponents who you consider to be feeble-minded wackos.

On the other hand, you have paid no attention to republicans like Rob Portman, Dan Coats, John Boozman, Ron Johnson or Roy Blunt, who are likely to get elected. It must not feel as good when your opponents are experienced people who have different points of view. Does the addition of impressive opponents introduce tension to the self esteem of libs and their commenters on here? In libs eyes, is that why so many discussions are left hanging on here?

The race card is maxed out. Deal with it.

rld said...

Likely to win control of the house? So does this mean you are officially revising your prediction of net 20 GOP wins in the house markadelphia?

You didn't repeat any words back to anyone because you couldn't link us to their words.

Lauren may not have had it coming but what do you expect when you rush a candidates vehicle like she did?

I agree with Last in Line - stop the race baiting becasue that's when we know you are really desperate.

Tess said...

@Juris, I'm very interested in what you think about what Kevin and his commenters wrote. You post there, right? Don't you find their rhetoric disturbing? And yet all you have is more criticism of Mark who has essentially had the appropriate response of revulsion to what he sees and hears.

@Last, you and Mark live in Minnesota, right? It's not surprising to me that only one person showed up out anywhere. I lived there for three years and found most everyone to be cold and distant. Also, saying that the race card is maxed out is whole other level of ignorance. Sounds to me like someone is trying really hard to pretend that the overly abundant numbers of bigots and people prone to violence don't exist in the Republican Party.

jeff c. said...

Last in line, I'm tired of your drivel about race. Racism exists in this country and it accounts for many of the problems we have today. Making asinine comments about the race card being maxed out perpetuates the problem. You don't like people playing the race card? Then stop making dumb ass comments like that and being an ignorant buffoon.

the iowa kid said...

This is why I am embarrassed to be a Republican. Sick, just sick that people would think that hanging public officials is a solution. I have watched in horror as thugs like Joe Miller with his security detail in Alaska have taken over our party. Sharon Angle making comments about Latinos looking Asian sadly proves Mark to be correct about race.

Sorry, last in line, I know you have the right philosophy about government's role in our lives but you have to admit that our party is way off on a tangent now. I'll be doing my bit and voting for Latham. At least he's still a decent fellow.

last in line said...

I knew all you would come on here and take out your electoral frustrations on me.

jeffc! There you are! You usually skip the discussions of policy and, just like downtown and torch, only come out with insults as soon as the muck starts flying. You all sure ducked out of the cap and trade discussion on here a couple weeks back when Orszag said the same thing I was saying.

You all are pretty pissed off these days. Yeah both sides do it but only one side gets blog entries devoted to it. Ken Gladney would be happy. Punish your enemies! Obama wants you to!

All of the withdrawls you are all making on the race card in this thread are declining. When you fling the charge around all the time, kind of ends up like chicken little a bit...the charges just don't have any weight anymore because they are present everytime you folks get desperate. But I guess THAT doesn't perpetuate the problem. You all use that as a tool to try to muzzle your opponents. Doesn't work. Keep blaming all problems on words ending in -ism...has worked so well for you up to now.

"You want war? You got war!" - song Powershifter from Fear Factory

sw said...

iowakid, i'm not embarrassed to be a republican, grow a pair. youre all going to get your asses handed to you on tuesday in the election. buck up suckers. that lady rushed rand pauls vehicle while it was pulling up to the debate.

Anonymous said...

Iowa Kid, you’re such a dupe. Every post you’ve ever made prefaces with your supposed affiliation with your beloved Republican party and is immediately followed by your derision for said party. You’ve never posted a word remotely in line with anything Republican past or present. To say you are from the Olympia Snow section of the GOP would be an insult the Ms. Snow.

Mark Ward said...

I guess it's "Beat Up On Last in Line" day which was decidedly not my intention with this post. Sadly, he sort of made my point.

You can't criticize anyone for being racist, for example, without comments like "The race card is maxed out" these days. This is actually true of any critical comment made towards the Right. Instantly, there must be two sides to the story and, whether it's true or not, the original point regarding prejudice is lost. There's no denying it, last. Some of the anger that is felt towards President Obama is because he is black...the other...the "anti-colonial Kenyan." I've got a piece I'm working on about race that I'm saving until after the election so I'll have plenty more to say at that point but for now it would be nice to get back to my original point: sometimes there aren't two sides to a story and I'm sick of "being understanding" of the mindset that calls for stringing people up. And the people with that viewpoint pointing their fingers and saying, "No, you are!!!"

What would I like to see out of all of this? For these people to reflect a little on what they are saying and admit that they have been and can be wrong. That's it, folks. It's pretty simple.

SW, asses handed, hmm? Does that mean you are believing the mainstream media now? And the polls that don't include cel phone users? I'll have my predictions on numbers on Monday.

Anon, maybe you should give the iowa kid a purity test. No wonder he's not satisfied with the GOP. Sheesh...

Flat-Earthers said...

The anger I feel towards Obama has absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin. His worldview is what I detest, yet I cannot criticize it without being labeled racist. That's what Last means about maxing the race card. You try to delegitimize your opponent's criticisms by blithely throwing it out at every opportunity.
I don't care that he's black; I deeply care that he - and you - are perfectly fine with using the coercive force of government to extract money from me to give to people you deem entitled.
The fact that you on the left find no fundamental moral flaw with such behavior completely blows my mind. Even now, when I should know better. It's disgusting.

jeff c. said...

His worldview? What do social security and medicare have to do with a world view? Coercive force of government...probably not much point in having any further discussion with you...getting your noose ready too, eh?

last--I'd be happy to have a discussion regarding cap and trade with you. Before we get started, is there anything I could write that could change your mind on the bill? How would your rate the chances of that happening? See, it's not a matter of ducking. It's a matter of whether or not I want to waste my time.

oojc said...

Mark asserted (vis a vis David Frum) that Obama just want to takes Whitey's money and you confirmed that point. Well done, flat earther!

juris imprudent said...

@Juris, I'm very interested in what you think about what Kevin and his commenters wrote. You post there, right? Don't you find their rhetoric disturbing? And yet all you have is more criticism of Mark who has essentially had the appropriate response of revulsion to what he sees and hears.

Gosh, Tess haven't we had more important things to talk about - questions I've asked you that you left hanging? Since you don't usually see fit to answer mine, do tell, why should I answer yours?

My criticism of M is based on his breathless hyperbole, which permeated this post, and drew you like shit draws flys.

If you are really interested in what is said over there, I suggest you read and comment. You might be most interested in a post that as I recall was titled "Don't Scare the White People" which was all about the use/abuse of extreme rhetoric.

der der said...

Some of the anger that is felt towards President Obama is because he is black...

some?! Try minuscule and insignificant. Point me to overwhelming evidence that race has ANYTHING to do with his massive disapproval other than the normal 'White power' morons. Go ahead. You are full of crap! You (and others) use race as a justification for almost everyone opposed your your crappy worldview. We don't like his policies! Get it? Race is nothing for the vast majority of his opposition. Nobody takes you seriously because we know you are wrong, as usual, about the reason for his dismal approval.

last in line said...

Who cares about changing anyone's mind. Perhaps there is a stalker who doesn't post that may learn something from the comments you may potentially post. I haven't changed your mind yet I still posted my view of the bill and even provided evidence of my claims from Obamas own budget director.

I know I'm not racist...I don't like Biden either and I have plenty of friends of all races and even had a gay roommate who rented the spare bedroom in my house for 2 years so when folks fling the racist/bigot charge around, I figure they aren't talking to me.

I'm not sure if folks want reflection as much as they want folks to agree with them and vote the same way they do.

sw said...

is it really ok to call female candidates a Bitch now?
Bitches

the iowa kid said...

To the Anoymous poster, are you saying that in order for me to be a pure Republican I have to support their call to violence as well as bigoted viewpoints? I will never do that.

The Republican Party used to be a party that went above and beyond the call when it came to equal rights for black people. Lincoln, remember? Even into the 20th century, we saw great strides into equality until the Southern Democrats put a giant kink into the works. The Republican Party used to be the party of fiscal restraint and then they went and turned the government into a giant spending machine much like we see now with the Democrats. That's not what I want out of government.

But I also don't want crazy people. The people that are the leaders of the Republican Party now are not fit to be in command of anything. Compare them to Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, or Dwight Eisenhower. A real Republican supports their ideals, not Sarah Palin or Christine O' Donnell. I think that Joe Miller is a thug and Sharon Angle should be put on medication. If you want a good example of a conservative representative, check out Tom Latham in my district.

Flat-Earthers said...

jeff c - yes, his worldview. His belief that government has the right/duty to spread the wealth, that a majority vote legitimizes an act of theft. His belief that America is no more exceptional than any other place. That worldview.
You and I can agree on one thing, though - there's not much point in us talking to each other. Especially since, with your references to a noose and "Whitey", you're doing the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and spouting "nyah,nyah,nyah, can't hear you because you're RACIST!"
Thanks for once again proving my point.

Anonymous said...

Eisenhower? Lincoln? What are you, 150 years old?

When have you ever posted anything remotely positive about Ronald Reagan or espoused the merits of Tom Latham? Mr. Latham would never take anything posted by Markadelphia seriously but you’re first on the bandwagon to trash the entire GOP because a couple congressmen don’t meet your exact requirements? Who has a purity test, now? Michelle Bachman may be a dunce, but I bet her voting records are much closer to Latham’s than Charlie Rangel. Man up and admit you’re a liberal.

sasquatch said...

Let the GOP Civil War begin!

Don said...

Yeah, Tuesday is going to be a big victory for you sasqautch. Keep selling that snake oil.

Mark Ward said...

I think he meant the Civil War within the Republican Party, Don. It's going to happen, believe me.

Joe Miller is indeed a thug, iowa kid. What's with the paramilitary troops that surround him and detain reporters? Looks as though he might be in a bit of trouble up there now in the latest polls. That election is going to be a mess with the write-ins and we won't know who won until next year at the earliest.

juris imprudent said...

So, no, I won't be commenting directly on the Valle incident because it will serve no purpose.

A wise decision given the additional info/video that has come out.

She wasn't just standing there with a sign protesting Paul. She ran at his vehicle and attempted to jam her sign in the window. Then when she ran around the vehicle and tried again - at which point the original video starts. Who is that guy that punked ACORN - this is right up his alley. She wasn't a local supporting Paul's opponent but a MoveOn supplied provocateur from out of state.

Good thing you didn't mount up your high horse of self righteousness - it would be an unpleasant fall off.

juris imprudent said...

In their eyes, it's now OK to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater (as conservative pundits do every day on their programs) and then....shoot the firemen!

M I guess it is really pointless to attempt to discuss the flaws just in the one statement. Nor is there ANYTHING on TSM that you could quote - even OUT of context - that would support that. You seem to think that if you scatter enough accusations - some of them must stick and that will either shut up the other side, or somehow, miraculously convert them into caring liberals. Is there not some part of your thought process that recognizes the foolishness in that?

Anything goes, folks and if you think the 2010 election was bad

This is the money quote. The election has nothing to do with the last two years of unified govt under Democratic control. Funny thing, but Team Blue was supposed to be running ON its accomplishments, not running AWAY from them.

I will enjoy the ass-kicking you are about to get and the befuddlement you will have about it - just like the Republicans before you. Hell, they're still befuddled - Team Blue is just handing over the govt because the stupid voters don't know what is in their own best interest.

At least, as a libertarian, I know I am in a minority, if not the fringe. What is so astounding is how liberals/progressives don't understand that about themselves.

Damn Teabaggers said...

--In their eyes, discussions of hangman's nooses has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the fact that there is a black man in the White House. Nope. No prejudice here...move along...move along....

Got it.

A response to a post that specifically mentions, "No, don’t get the idea that Republicans would get a pass here," and never mentions Obama or even Democrats in the original post or the response must be a racist reference.

But Bill Maher bemoaning Obama not being "a real black President" because he doesn't have a gun in his pants is not.

Color me unsurprised.