I apologize for the absence of any new posts for a couple of weeks. I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday and managed to get where you wanted to go and survive any weather in the process.
I was traveling, by car, and my 3G network was more often 1G in remote areas where I spent most of my time. I found that often, high-speed wireless offered in hotels is more like dial-up, so my ability to access the net was severely limited.
So, we start a new year and a new Congress. I think we are in for some truly interesting times and I look forward to continued discussions of the antics of Sarah Palin, the Republicans, and the punditry and villagers who try to tell us what to think.
I was struck yesterday by a comment made by Michele Bachmann in which she said (and I paraphrase) that the classes that she was organizing for the House to teach them the Constitution would enhance their purpose, which was to learn and study the Constitution each week while in session. Funny. I would expect that my representatives already have a good understanding of the Constitution and quite frankly, their purpose is not to learn and study the Constitution, but rather to apply it. Their job is to legislate, which means write law. Period.
Justice Scalia is in the news today for his comments about the Constitution, particularly his thoughts on the equality of women (not in the Constitution in his opinion). He is noted for saying that being a justice is easy, because the Constitution is so easy to understand and apply. Makes me wonder why we need him.
Keith Olbermann noted on his show tonight that progressives are actually quite pleased that the Republicans have decided to read the Constitution into the Congressional Record. Perhaps by reading it out loud, they will discover those amendments that they try to ignore (or perhaps do not even know) and also discover where they are wrong.
Still trying to get caught up so may be a little light on the posts for a bit, but I'm sure there will be no shortage of topics to discuss.
Below, are two videos and comments about two ignorant, and idiotic Republican women, Michelle Bachmann and Christine O'Donnell. The first, is of Bachmann speaking at the Values Voters Summit in which she once again displays her breathtaking ignorance. The second, is a clip from Anderson Cooper's CNN show where Christine O'Donnell is discussed. Less about ignorance, O'Donnell's behavior appears to be more about basic bad behavior - perhaps arising out of ignorance - most likely deliberate, especially after 5 years of senatorial campaigning when she should have learned the rules by now.
Included on the CNN clip, is a comment by a supporter of O'Donnell who says, "...she's just like me."
I have heard comments like this over and over again. Pundits and commentators, columnists and reporters have commented on why and how the likes of Sarah Palin and now Christine O'Donnell are able to garner so much support when they are demonstrably liars, ignorant, and not very Christian. The overwhelming answer is, that they resonate with their supporters as being "just like me."
My question then, is are right-wingers, teabags, and others proud to claim common cause with people who see the law as fungible? Who value people as much as they do the little puppy who has outgrown his cuteness (disposable)? When evidence is presented that those most damaged by the policies of the Republican Party are the blue-collar, middle-Americans, the high-school educated, family values voters, why do they refuse to listen? Why do they continue to see people making multi-millions of dollars as "one of them?"
I know the answers, but I wonder why our media refuses to ask those questions, discuss them on the Sunday talks, or remind these women that no, the 1st Amendment is not there to protect them from the media, but rather to protect the media from them and call them out on their refusal to participate in "the public's right to know."
"That kind of thinking to me, is infantilism."
--Michelle Bachmann
Michelle Bachmann is upset that President Obama has spoken about negative rights and the fact that we have them. Speaking at the Values Voters Summit, this particular rant includes her view that negative rights is analogous to infantilism, something she believes the President suffers from. ummm.
Okay. Putting on my counselors hat now. Infantilism is a mental health issue that falls within the paraphilias. So, what is a paraphilia you say? They are the group of mental health disorders that include sexual fantasies and behaviors that are atypical and extreme, and that cause distress or serious problems for the individual with the paraphilia. Because there are so many (some lists include over 400), the DSM-IV-TR provides diagnoses for 8 with very specific criteria, and of course, it's NOS (not otherwise specified) classification.
Paraphilias are a subject of much debate and controversy (homosexuality used to be classified as a paraphilia) and is now, within the professional community, considered to be sexual urges involving non-human objects (not designed for sexual gratification), children or other non-consenting persons, or involving pain and/or humiliation to ones self or others.
So, now that we have demonstrated Representative Bachmann's ignorance of yet another topic she has decided to weigh in on (what is it with these Republican women?), let's address the topic of negative and positive rights.
Negative rights are those that are granted without specific action being needed on the part of anyone (i.e., government in this case). For example, freedom of speech, the right to privacy, civil rights, etc. These are rights that are granted to us by right of citizenship and no action is necessary for us to receive them, only if for some reason, they are taken away.
Positive rights are those that require specific action on the part of someone else. For example, police protection, education, the national defense, and such things as free counsel, social security, and medicare which our society has determined are rights granted to its citizens. That is, things that are given to us, action has to be taken for us to receive them.
Continuing with today's theme of idiotic Republican women, Christine O'Donnell is now being investigated for campaign violations arising out of the senatorial campaign prior to this current one. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed a complaint which has evidently had enough validity to result in a formal FEC investigation. This video speaks for itself in itemizing the problems in her campaign practices.
Thanks to Think Progress, we have these images of the signs used by Michelle Bachmann and her "House Call" protest on the steps of the Capital today. In case you think this is just Ms. Toons (as in Looney) acting on her own, she is joined at her news conference by House Members John Boehner, Minority Leader (OH), Eric Cantor, Minority Whip (VA), Roy Blunt (MO), Jeb Hensarling (TX), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Virginia Foxx (NC), Ginny Brown-Waite (FL), Jean Schmidt (OH), and Sue Myrick (NC)) as well as other members.
Look very closely at the next image, read the heading.
I don't know about you, but I am deeply offended by members of my government saying that the government (of which they are members) of my country (meaning me and you), is the same as Hitler's Germany.
I lived in Germany when it was divided. I worked in West Berlin, in fact, my office was in the building where the Generals' Coup was planned (and where they were executed). The year I lived there was the first year that the Holocaust was taught in German public schools. I had friends who had been in the Hitler Youth (if you lived in Germany you were either in the military or in Hitler Youth depending on your age). I learned a lot about the war, about what it was like to be German during WWII, and after. I studied Hitler and the holocaust. In this country, I have known people personally touched by the Holocaust and to have someone who obviously knows nothing about history try to equate the two is outrageous.
It is bad enough to have the right-wing wacko's talk of fascism and socialism and equate President Obama to Hitler. It is bad enough when Ms. Toons rallies her followers to arrive at the Capital and seek out their representatives until "they can see the whites of their eyes" a clear reference to shooting.* But this? But to have our leadership use these images and the kind of messages that they send and to have our MSM silently stand by in (seeming) approval is beyond comprehension and deeply, deeply offensive.
Thanks for stopping by. Come back soon.
k
* In the Revolutionary War, there was a shortage of bullets, so soldiers were instructed to wait until they could "see the whites of their eyes" before firing
I'm torn. She is such a loony tune I hate to give her attention, but she is so bizarre, it's like watching a train wreck. You think you should look away, but you just can't.
And, much as I hate giving space to Mr. Falafel himself, this clip is just breathtaking in its creepiness. Even Ms. Toons is clearly a little creeped out when he focuses on her (and Sarah Palin's) attractiveness rather than perhaps, their other accomplishments which, even though they are GOP women, I'm sure even they would prefer to be recognized for.
Like Sarah Palin, Ms. Bachmann seems unable to understand the 1st Amendment. She proclaims herself a (previous) federal tax attorney. Not being an attorney myself, I do, however, understand that like most professions, one first learns the basics before specializing. That being the case, she surely must understand that public figures are the subjects of the news, particularly politicians, and as such, fair game. In fact, she is--in the above clip--appearing on the O'Reilly Factor, and had this past weekend participated in a 4-part debate on the Larry King Show.
Politician + TV appearances = public figure. Works for me.
But no. Ms. Toons is claiming that a certain person on a certain cable network is stalking her. When Bill O asks her about how she feels about these people from NBC's cable arm making her job difficult she says she's not concerned--"I'm just here doing my job, working on behalf of the people of Minnesota."
Ever had a stalker? I realize that many public figures consider reporters and photographers to be intrusive and I am grateful that I am not a public figure. In fact, one of the reasons I have never pursued a career in a field that might result in becoming famous, is because I value my privacy. Politicians by definition, court publicity. They need it. They couldn't get elected without it.
Some consider what Bill O'Reilly does a form of stalking. He is famous for sending out producers to ambush people to get video to make them look bad. Often, those producers have to follow their subjects for days or weeks before finding the perfect time to capture the most embarrassing moments on film. Is that stalking? Maybe by some definitions.
Ms. Toons, however, considers that when she is called out for her actions, she is being stalked. She is a public figure. She is a legitimate source of news and has one of the largest media staffs in Congress. She works hard to ensure that she is front and center in every controversial issue of the day. If there is no issue, she makes one up. When a news show reports on her actions, she calls it stalking. When a journalist calls her out on her lies, she calls it an attack. She appears on Fox News several times a week. She states that Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly are her favorites, that Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are the voices of the GOP.
Ms. Toons somehow believes that she gets to not only issue press releases, give interviews to carefully selected media venues, and appear at carefully screened events, but that she gets to shape the opinions of everyone that listens to her message. When other media read her press releases, listen to her interviews, and watch her events, then take away a completely different message. When other media listen to her on the floor of the House and realize what a hypocrite she truly is, and how looney tunes she is, and then report on their interpretation of the message they have taken away, then they are stalkers.
I've had a stalker. One stalker, for over three years. I feared for my safety, for my life. It took me 25 years before I felt comfortable being in my own home alone at night, never mind over night. There are still things I cannot do because of those 3 years, fears I cannot shake. If Ms. Toons had ever experienced a real stalker, she would definitely be concerned. She would be terrified.
Stalking is psychological and is an illness. Stalkers are dangerous and obsessed. Over time, the obsession grows and if the stalker believes the one being stalked has disappointed them, they will frequently kill them. When I was stalked, law enforcement did not understand stalkers and would not and could not do anything about it. There is still misunderstanding, but not often within the law enforcement community.
Politicians write law. It is unfortunate that a politician--and a woman--has so little understanding of what stalking is and what it isn't that she accuses journalists who are doing their job of stalking her.
In case you missed (or don't watch) Keith Olbermann last night, Michelle Bachmann won the title of Worst Person in the World, a nightly feature in Keith's Top 5 roundup.
Each night, 3 people are selected to receive the bronze, silver, and gold for worse, worser, and worst persons in the world for their actions on that particular day - or for coming to the notice of the media (or Keith) on that particular day.
Ms. Looney Toons (not to be confused with the fine, artistic series produced by Leon Schlesinger for Warner Bros. that brought us Bugs Bunny and pals) in one of her entertaining tirades on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, speaking of a proposal to expand the Americorps Program, a program to help disadvantaged kids and provide jobs to college students, said of the program:
"[It's] under the guise of quote, volunteerism, but it's not volunteers at all," she said on the Sue Jeffers radio show in April. "It's paying people to do work on behalf of government. There are provisions for what I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people get trained in the philosophy the government puts forward and then they have to go work in these politically correct forums.
"As a parent, I would have a very, very difficult time seeing my children do this."
In an article on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, columnist Jon Tevlin provided the above quote, as he described the work of Americorp Teachers (from their website) while noting that Harrison Bachmann, Ms. Toons adult son, had been hired as an Americorp teacher as he praised him for his service.
So what, you say?
The Minneapolis Post, on Thursday follows up with a story about a fundraising plea from Ms. Toons, describing the 'hit piece' done by the Star-Tribune. On page 3 of her appeal, she says,
"But just as they did with Sarah Palin, the more I talk about the issues, the more they attack with below-the-belt personal hits. In fact, yesterday, a Minnesota paper gave a full column to a hit piece on one of my kids!"
Want to know what they said about her kid Harrison?
"For the first time, we have to rely on the charity of good kids like Harrison Bachmann to step up and help out at our schools."
[...]
"The pay's not bad for a recent graduate, but Harrison will likely earn it. According to the TFA website: "Our teachers ... go above and beyond traditional expectations to lead their students to significant academic achievement, despite the challenges of poverty and the limited capacity of the school system. Our mission is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation's most promising future leaders in the effort."
"Harrison must be a smart kid, a caring kid. Must have been raised well."
[...]
"As an AmeriCorps member, he won't be allowed to participate in politics or disseminate partisan material. Even if there were a "propaganda camp," as Jeffers called it, he sounds like the kind of person who could survive it."
"Thank you, Harrison, for your service. Here's hoping you inspire kids to dream, and get inspired in the process."
The Post goes on to conclude that,
"This[Tevlin's column]wasn't a hit piece on your son, Congresswoman — it was a hit piece on you. And not in your capacity as a mother, but as an elected public official."
In April of this year, the Department of Homeland Security produced a report, leaked to the media, that detailed home-grown, terrorist threat assessments of right-wing extremists. A report on threats coming from left-wing extremists had been released in January. It should be noted that these reports had been commissioned and data collected during the Bush Administration.
The report says that conditions similar to that leading to the militia movements of the 1990's - and the Oklahoma City bombing - are occurring now. Joan Walsh in Salon quotes Susan Page from an interview on MSNBC today, saying that, "... based on history: They include a prolonged economic downturn, the demonization of immigrants, the election of the first black president, fears about losing the right to own guns, a banking crisis inciting age-old paranoia about "Jewish cabals" and the return of many veterans to the States suffering from PTSD and other conditions while getting insufficient care."
When this report on potential threats by right-wing extremists was leaked, conservative talking heads immediately took offense, somehow believing that they were being personally attacked. I'm not sure how they felt linked to extremism, but hey, if the shoe fits ....
Rush Limbaugh insisted that right-wing groups had never done anything violent (!), while Michelle Malkin, who led the charge, called the report a "piece of crap" and said it was released at this time to smear those participating in the upcoming "tea parties." Columnist Bill Kristol called it "juvenile" and Rep. Michelle Bachman said, "To me, it looks like the extremists are those running the DHS." Continuing in this vein, Newt Gingrich demanded that the person who wrote this "outrageous" memo "smearing veterans" should be fired, and Rep. John Boehner said Napolitano herself had a lot of explaining to do. Rep. Peter Burgess said that Napolitano should step down.
I wonder how many of them regret those remarks today? I wonder, after the murder of Dr. George Tiller, and the murder of the guard at the Holocaust Museum today by a white-supremacist how many of them regret those remarks today?
Words have power. In our society, there is a price to be paid for free speech. We have a violent history and we know, based on our history, that there are people in our society who walk on the edge. People who are willing to pick up a gun, willing to make a bomb, and willing to die for a cause. When our talking heads are allowed to refer to legally practicing doctors as "baby killers," and say that our President should fail, that he is worse than al Qaeda. When torture is considered okay some of the time, and the law only applies to some of the people, then it's easy to see how someone can pick up a gun and shoot up a factory, or a church, or a museum.
Did this hate speech on our televisions cause von Brunn to murder Stephen Tyrone Johns today at the Holocaust Museum? I don't know. But it certainly didn't do anything to prevent it.
I am a writer who uses my experience as a sociologist and counselor along with my lifelong passion for politics to comment on the effects of politics on our lives.
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