Tag Archives: GOP

Politics, War and Peace

Syrian Refugees and the GOP

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It’s early for the political silly season but then the GOP political candidates have been pretty far out there for a while. Now their governors have joined the party. They should serve crackers and cheese with all the whining they’re doing.  They whine about debate moderators. Now they’re whining about the Syrian refugees possibly bringing terror to America. They whine incessantly about everything that President Obama says. Ted Cruz says if Obama wants to insult him, do it to his face and debate him. Did Cruz buy his degree from Harvard Law or did he skip class when Constitutional Law was taught? Maybe he doesn’t know about American law because he was born in Canada. [No offense to my Canadian friends.] I’ll put my Georgetown JD up against his Harvard (?!) degree and let him know that allowing Christian refugees into America but denying Muslims entry runs afoul of that picky little detail about religion in America’s First Amendment.

I suppose we could excuse non-lawyers Trump (shut down the mosques) and Ben Carson (no Muslim president) for being unaware of American constitutional provisions. But as President of the US, there really is no excuse. Many, if not most of those Republican governors that want to keep out suffering Syrians are probably lawyers as well. They should know better. For all those supposedly evangelical and otherwise devout types among GOP presidential candidates and their supporters there is another little problem–what the actual religious leaders say about the matter.

The National Association of Evangelicals says this:

“Of course we want to keep terrorists out of our country, but let’s not punish the victims of ISIS for the sins of ISIS,”  Leith Anderson, NAE president.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops says this:

“I am disturbed . . . by calls from both federal and state officials for an end to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States. These refugees are fleeing terror themselves—violence like we have witnessed in Paris.

. . .

Instead of using this tragedy to scapegoat all refugees, I call upon our public officials to work together to end the Syrian conflict peacefully so the close to 4 million Syrian refugees can return to their country and rebuild their homes. Until that goal is achieved, we must work with the world community to provide safe haven to vulnerable and deserving refugees who are simply attempting to survive.” Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration

Ah, but those politicians know what voters want, forget what the religious leaders think–what do they know anyway!

Hey, if it were up to Trump and some of the others, if they were in the White House they would probably round up all the Muslims and put them in an internment camp annex to Guantanamo. Too dangerous to lock them up in America! None have proposed that publicly (yet) but you know some of them are thinking it.  It worked for the Japanese Americans in WWII; why not the Muslims now, eh? I suppose I shouldn’t be giving Trump, Carson or Cruz ideas–but if you happen to be Muslim, you should  just hope none of them are living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next year. Maybe the DSM will add Islamophobia to its list of psychiatric disorders soon.

America's Future, Politics

The Rudelican Party

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Oh it is so early in the season for a political rant. Somehow, despite the calendar showing October 1st on Thursday, it seems to be time already for it. Republican doesn’t seem an apt name, why not change the party to the Rudelican Party? After all, so many its political stars as well as its supporters among the media are demonstrably rude much of the time. One might think that many were among the bullies at school during their teen years. So who are these people that are deserving of the epithet rude? Well, unless you live under a rock, you know who they are. Here’s just a highly abbreviated list:

  • Donald Trump (is he really Don Rickles in disguise?)
  • Ted Cruz
  • Rush Limbaugh
  • Sarah Palin
  • Jason Chaffetz
  • Michele Bachman
  • Darrell Issa
  • Ann Coulter
  • Harold Gowdy (Rep from South Carolina)
  • Joe “You Lie!” Wilson of California (outburst at President Obama during a State of the Union)
  • Bill “Oh Really” O’Reilly
  • Sean Hannity
  • Glenn Beck
  • Most members of the “Tea Party”
  • Most members of the “Freedom Caucus”

The list could go on and on but that should be unnecessary. How many of them spent hours badgering Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood? How many still claim President Barack Obama was not born in the US or is a Muslim? If they don’t actually say it, the polls are clear that they believe both of the specious claims about the President. Note, Ted Cruz was born in Canada and does not deny it, but apparently may qualify to run for President because his parents were American citizens. While we have lumped together media types with the politicos, the baggage falls more heavily on the latter. Unknown to many, if not most of them, the point of being elected to office is to a job. That job is to govern; a concept unfamiliar to them. If they want to sit on the sidelines and throw stones, they don’t need to be in Congress to do that. All they need to do is get a gig on Fox News , certain websites, etc. More on this below.

In addition to rudeness, the way that they behave when things don’t go their way one might think many were only children, so similar are they to spoiled brats. As some might say to them, “put your big boy pants on when you come to Congress.” How many votes past 50 did they take in futile efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (which they persist in calling Obamacare)? The newest campaign is to stop funding Planned Parenthood for which they are willing to throw rocks and sand in the gears of government—to shut it down if they can’t get their way. Why not simply throw temper tantrums on the floors of Congress? Roll on the floor, scream, kick their feet and so on like the infantile non-adults they are? Whatever merits their objectives may have (little to none, of course) what happens when the government is shut down? Air traffic controllers, the FBI, the Border Patrol (those people they are so concerned about for keeping those Mexican rapists and murderers out of America) and other essential employees must keep working. Others may be furloughed. But NONE are paid their regular checks on time. Oh, eventually they are. Unfortunately for them, most still have mortgages, a need for groceries, utility and medical bills, etc. But hey, they’re just part of that no good federal government. “F**k ‘em” the Rudelicans most likely say in private, if not in public.

OK, there are some of the Republicans that have sense. Some that are civil and courteous. Some that care about government employees and about actually governing and not pontificating rudely. People like John McCain, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and even—a fair part of the time, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell (but not all of the time. So for those that don’t belong in that new wing, let’s leave them as Republicans. For the rest, you know who they are and they know who they are—why not adopt this more accurate moniker, Rudelican?

America's Future, Politics

GOP Truculence Persists

From the time Obama entered office in 2009, the GOP has opposed virtually every initiative he has proposed. With little assistance and plenty of opposition, the economic collapse Obama inherited  from his predecessor Bush has been substantially dealt with–ongoing job creation has continued for nearly five years. GDP is on the upswing and interest rates remain low. Housing starts are up and unemployment down. A universal health plan first proposed decades ago by Republican presidents is the law of the land but the hair on Republican heads continues to blaze. One definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing with an expectation of a different outcome. The GOP-led house has attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (popularly/unpopularly known as Obamacare) over 50 times. The act has survived court scrutiny. Now Speaker of the House, John Boehner has said he will sue the president over it. Continue reading GOP Truculence Persists →

America's Future, Politics

Immigration Reform–Will Its Time EVER Come?

Lets be clear here, the number of  people crossing the southern border of the US has been steadily declining for several years, at least since the beginning of the Obama administration. At the same time, the numbers of Border Patrol agents has increased. The Obama administration has deported substantially more people during five and one half years than the Bush administration did in eight years. The US Senate has passed a bi-partisan bill to reform current immigration laws. The GOP led House has failed to take any action whatsoever and appears unlikely to do so any time soon. Only recently has the current crisis of children fleeing Central America into the US reversed the trend of border crossing. But that is NOT part of the overall issue. So what are the issues?  Continue reading Immigration Reform–Will Its Time EVER Come? →

Humor, Politics

Republicans Say the Darndest Things

To paraphrase the inestimable Bill Cosby, Republicans say the darndest things. This time it was Tennessee GOP State Senator Stacey Campfield who made the news, saying on his “Camp4u” “Thought of the day” blog,

“Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of manditory [sic] sign ups for “train rides” for Jews in the 40s.”

Wow, hardly requires a comment, does it? Stacey joins the club that includes Cliven Bundy (better off as slaves?), Mitt Romney (the 47%, “not concerned about the very poor,” likes “being able to fire people,” etc.), Todd Akin (“legitimate rape”), Richard Mourdock (about babies resulting from rape–“something God intended”), Louie Gohmert (almost anything he says) and the list goes on and on. Funny, if it weren’t so tragic.