Some Thoughts Before the Weekend On: Racist Witch Doctor Posters; Tea "Party" ; Beck vs. Limbaugh; O'Reilly Shocks; Dems Push Back

Some things that got me thinking that you may be interested in checking out before the weekend:

First, a CNN piece discussed posters depicting Obama as a witch doctor seen at the 9/12 protest in D.C. with some discussion as to whether the posters(and those holding them) are racist. This is not the first time this poster has made news. I made my thoughts known regarding this racist poster here on PTN way back in July. Think of it this way, what kind of posters would they be carrying if the president were Mexican-American? Jewish American? Asian-American? Or, gasp, of Middle Eastern descent? Sure, using stereotypes for a race or ethnic group happened often to Irish and Italian Americans(see below), for example. But, that was during the late 1800's and early 1900's for the most part.

(anti Irish propaganda titled The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things, from Harpers Weekly)

(anti Italian propaganda from The Mascot newspaper)

Moving on, Time did an article about Glenn Beck (I still don't understand how people can take him seriously). Time! How much more mainstream media (or "MSM", that's what some conservatives call "mainstream media" even though "mainstream" is one word so it should be MM, jeesh, they can't even get initials right) can you get? Remember, Beck trumpets the Tea Party. Beck was behind the 9/12 protests. Look at Beck's site the912project.com, if you scroll to the bottom it's owned by Mercury Radio Arts, Inc., Beck's company (by the way, and I'm sure someone's already called him out on this but, really classy on Beck's part using the terrorist attacks on 9/11 to help promote his 9/12 protest attended by at least some wingnuts). Here's a thought, if the Tea Party is going to continue to call itself a "Party" that means it should put up its own candidates. Would a real third party in the form of the Tea Party be a bad thing? I would think it would be a good thing for the Dems and a bad thing for GOP'ers. Why? Do you think Dems would lose votes to a new Tea Party political party and its candidates? Or would GOP'ers? Or if GOP'ers embrace Tea Party ideas how many independent voters do you think they'll get? Remember, only about 30-35% of Americans consider themselves Republicans. Also, recall if you can the Independent Party when Ross Perot ran for prez in 1992. How did that work out for H.W. Bush? OK, I'm done ranting about this.

Next topic, Politico.com has a piece about Beck vs. Limbaugh (oh, don't worry, there's a cartoon forthcoming about that, it'll be Star Wars themed, if you guess the general idea of the cartoon you get a gold star from yours truly and a mention when I post the cartoon). In the piece a GOP strategist says that Dems and Limbaugh should be worried about Beck. I disagree, see my thoughts above regarding what an actual Tea Party as a political party would mean for the Dems. And not that I care one way or the other but, Limbaugh has nothing to worry about regarding Beck's popularity.

Also, Bill O'Reilly is for the public option?!?!?! (spit take, shake head, rub eyes, pinch self) OK. Kinda. Maybe. HuffPo has the actual conversation O'Reilly had regarding the public option on its site.

And lastly, the Dems are actually pushing back against some of the outlandish assertions being made about health insurance reform through a new site. Well, would you look at that? The Dems finally got hit enough in the nose on this (death panels for example) that they finally decided to stand up for themselves. This is what it must feel like for a parent when their kid stands up to a bully.

Lies and Ugliness: the 9/12 Protest

The above is a fake picture of the 9/12 protest

held in DC that has been circulated by wingnuts lying to others and themselves about their "movement" being a grassroots one and a mainstream one.

It's not a grassroots movement in that it was called for and organized by Glenn Beck, the Glenn Beck who works for Fox News and is in the business of using crazy talk and fear mongering to promote books, ad time for his TV and radio show and himself generally in order to make a boat load of money.

It's not mainstream in that I genuinely don't believe most people believe what these folks believe (I believe it's a small percentage of the GOP/conservatives, but that's only my opinion). You had the usual wingnut communist, socialist, death panel, nazi and birther type signage, for example.

It's fake in that the pic is of a gathering from at least before 2004 because a building built in 2004 is missing from from the photo. Some wingnuts were/are claiming that over a million people showed. Actually, about 70,000 showed up.

They are protesters and they are exercising their right to free speech which is eye opening because it reveals their views as not mainstream and proves that at least some are wingnuts. Check out photos from the 9/12 protests to see what exactly some were saying. I have no problem with them exercising their right to free speech, at least now we know what some think/believe. Ugly. Ignorant. Sad. But, it's protected free speech (except some of the signs like this one that seem to threaten violence, that's not protected free speech if memory serves).

In fact, in order to "help" spread their "message" please feel free to pass this along to others so that these people's wingnut views are made clear and hopefully they become even more marginalized.

Lastly, tell me and others what you think. Please leave a comment. I generally leave the comments off posts but maybe some would like to express their thoughts on the above, especially the photos.

UPDATE: A good friend forwarded me the below from BillionairesForWealthCare.com (check out their site) which is a group that goes to anti health insurance reform events dressed up like health insurance company executives. Great idea. Here's BillionairesForWealthCare.com at the 9/12 rally. Ha!:

Related Posts:

Sadly, this is not a new phenomenon, want to see some wingnuts from the 2008 prez campaign?
Check them out here.
Or what about the McCain supporter who told McCain Obama was a Muslim?

What about the birther wingnuts?

Wonder where these folks get their ideas? Besides from Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh?
Sometimes it comes from elected officials like Rep. Bachmann (MN-R).

My past thoughts/cartoon on health insurance reform town hall meetings with legislators.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

- Another Racist GOP'er? You Be the Judge

From Wonkette: Another GOP member, a Dr. David McKalip, is the latest GOP'er to send out what in my humble opinion is a racist email with the subject line "Funny Stuff" to a tea bag organization's listserve on Google. Daily Kos doesn't pull any punches about what it thinks of the email or what should be done about it. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for us and his non-white patients) one of the recipients of his email decided to forward it to a media outlet. He's admitted that he sent the email. But, when pressed about whether the email was racist he ended the interview. This guy is not uneducated, he's a freakin' neurosurgeon. He's very much a public figure in that he's written at least one anti health care insurance reform editorial for the St. Peterburg Times, helped found an anti-health care insurance reform organization, and is a member of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates. Below is the picture from the email he sent:

Delay Defends Gov. Perry's Incorrect Assertion That Texas Can Leave the Union If It Chooses

First here's Gov. Perry's comments regarding Texas secession at a "Tea Bag" demonstration:

Next is a clip of Delay on Chris Matthews defending Gov. Perry's secessionist comments:

It is sad that this is even a topic of conversation (using the word "conversation" in the loosest way). I only offer the following observations:

1) The bailouts and record spending began under the previous Republican administration yet there was not this outcry and demand that people "tea bag" D.C. or understanding from Republicans regarding some fringe Texans advocating secession from the Union.

2) The hard core Texas secessionists are out there (even though, thankfully, they are a fringe movement) and they are dangerous. Leaders of the movement have been convicted of threatening to kill political leaders.

3) Many understand secessionist talk as code for racism.

4) Questions: Is actively advocating and working towards Texas secession treason? If so, does Perry and Delay's "understanding" of secessionists make them, at the very least, sympathetic towards traitors?

5) Lastly, I sarcastically applaud Gov. Perry and Delay for again making Texas look oh so good when in the national spotlight.

Again, this secessionist talk is so inane that it's troubling the amount of media attention it is receiving. However, these "red herrings" continue to be rolled out, whether promoted by Republicans or Democrats, and distract from the very real problems at hand.

Some recent "red herrings":

1) tea parties

2) tea bag D.C.

3) Obama bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia

4) Steele

5) Limbaugh hopes Obama fails and is leader of conservative movement

6) Levi Johnston calls Palin a liar regarding living with Palin's family before birth of child (really, who cares about this?)

7) Chuck Norris being taken seriously by anyone, including Glenn Beck

I'm sure there are more red herrings. Keep in mind, the above distract from serious issues facing the nation including, but not limited to, two wars, economy losing half a million jobs per month, recession and failing businesses. So, when folks talk about tea parties and secession I wonder why, especially given the gravity of the multiple dilemmas we face.

"Tea Parties" Gather Sore Losers

Last month I posted the below regarding the "Tea Party" protests planned for today, tax day. For multiple reasons I think these protests fall somewhere between comedic and sadly misinformed. Remember, the American revolutionaries had their Tea Party because they had no representation in England's parliment. As far as I understand our elected officials, from local to state to national, have been elected, for the most part, fairly by the electorate. That's a small yet remarkably important difference between then and now. These folks protesting at these supposed "Tea Parties" that are upset by tax day have a recourse the revolutionaries did not, they can vote out their elected representatives. However, something tells me that most of those protesting are the "real Americans" Palin spoke about during the election. They feel that they somehow unfairly lost the White House and the Congress this past election cycle. In other words they're just sore losers. But that's just my guess.

I Don't Want to Do That to the White House!

The intrepid Fox reporter featured in the clip below tells us that the organization "Re Tea Party" wants people to do to the White House what I can only imagine has been done to some unsuspecting fraternity members that are sleeping or passed out. Wait for it, he really says it at about 1:55 in this clip:

Then read what this organization wants you to do to Washington D.C. by visiting their website (click here) and reading their third headline next to the map of the USA. They want you to "tea bag" DC and the White House.

What does this term mean to most? Click here to find out.

The organization "Re Tea Party" may be:

(1) a grass roots group that's very conservative but has no clue or

(2) a grass roots organization in name only funded by wealthy conservative groups that has no clue or

(3) the rare and thought extinct conservative group, grass roots or not, with a great sense of humor.

Personally, I think it's all a bunch of number 2, see above.

I know I don't want to do that to Washington D.C. or the White House and neither should you! Or maybe you think it'd be funny and you want to. Either way, tell them what you think of their desire to commit this heinous/hilarious act on D.C. and the White House by emailing them (click here).

Spread the word about this comedic, intentional or not, political organization by clicking the envelope below.

On a serious note, the Boston Tea Party was an event in United States history that took place because the American colonists were being taxed and generally governed without representation in the British Parliament. Parliament first forced Brits and colonists to only buy heavily taxed tea from Britain and the East India Company. This led to smuggling of tea by Dutch and colonial merchants. Then, Parliament essentially granted the East India Company a monopoly regarding the importation of tea to the colonies when it repealed customs and duties the company owed Britain therefore, undercutting the prices smugglers could offer. Those living in Great Britain couldn't really complain much because they elected Parliament. The colonists had a beef because they had no representation in Parliament.

Why the history lesson? Because this "Re Tea Party" group makes little or no sense unless they're made up of colonists of the United States and have no representation in Congress. Maybe they're all residents of Washington D.C. (D.C. doesn't have a vote in the House or Senate). Or maybe "Re Tea Party" has no knowledge or sense of history, maybe.

I Don't Want to Do That to the White House!

The intrepid Fox reporter featured in the clip below tells us that the organization "Re Tea Party" wants people to do to the White House what I can only imagine has been done to some unsuspecting fraternity members that are sleeping or passed out. Wait for it, he really says it at about 1:55 in this clip:

Then read what this organization wants you to do to Washington D.C. by visiting their website (click here) and reading their third headline next to the map of the USA. They want you to "tea bag" DC and the Whitehouse.

What does this term mean to most? Click here to find out.

The organization "Re Tea Party" may be:

(1) a grass roots group that's very conservative but has no clue or

(2) a grass roots organization in name only funded by wealthy conservative groups that has no clue or

(3) the rare and thought extinct conservative group, grass roots or not, with a great sense of humor.

Personally, I think it's all a bunch of number 2, see above.

I know I don't want to do that to Washington D.C. or the White House and neither should you! Or maybe you think it'd be funny and you want to. Either way, tell them what you think of their desire to commit this heinous/hilarious act on D.C. and the White House by emailing them (click here).

Spread the word about this comedic, intentional or not, political organization by clicking the envelope below.

On a serious note, the Boston Tea Party was an event in United States history that took place because the American colonists were being taxed and generally governed without representation in the British Parliament. Parliament first forced Brits and colonists to only buy heavily taxed tea from Britain and the East India Company. This led to smuggling of tea by Dutch and colonial merchants. Then, Parliament essentially granted the East India Company a monopoly regarding the importation of tea to the colonies when it repealed customs and duties the company owed Britain therefore, undercutting the prices smugglers could offer. Those living in Great Britain couldn't really complain much because they elected Parliament. The colonists had a beef because they had no representation in Parliament.

Why the history lesson? Because this "Re Tea Party" group makes little or no sense unless they're made up of colonists of the United States and have no representation in Congress. Maybe they're all residents of Washington D.C. (D.C. doesn't have a vote in the House or Senate). Or maybe "Re Tea Party" has no knowledge or sense of history, maybe.