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Monday, May 10, 2010

Still Thinking Out Loud

How are they going to spin this?

If you only read the Main Stream Media (MSM), the Tea Party movement is nothing but a stealth Republican movement.  Those of us that have participated in Tea Party events just scratch our heads when we hear this.  We are equally disgusted with Republican politicians as we are with Democrat politicians.  With the exception of a very few officials, they're all corrupt, regardless of party affiliation.  They're just two sides of the same coin.

Saturday, Republicans in Utah showed an incredible - almost unprecedented - amount of conviction by dumping their long-term Senator, Bob Bennett.

If the Tea Parties are controlled by the Republicans, why would they have allowed a powerful, 3-term Senator to be dumped?

They wouldn't.  How ya gonna spin that?  I can already hear the scampering of the rats...
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The major reason for his ouster was his vote of approval for Bush's bank bailout.  His constituents told him not to vote for it.  He knew better, and did it anyway.  He was also the author of a universal health care bill, and was a major seeker of earmarks.

He's now going to be able to apply for unemployment insurance.  Because of the way Utah chooses who gets to be on the primary ballot, he won't even be able throw is hat into the ring, unless he can get elected via a write-in campaign.

This arrogant bastard individual showed his true colors after being kicked to the curb -
"Looking back on them, with one or two very minor exceptions, I wouldn't have cast any of them any differently, even if I had known at the time they were going to cost me my career."
Well, Bob, that's why they tossed you out.  Utah, like much of America, is sick and tired of representatives such as yourself.  We expect you to act as we tell you, not as you choose.  Just like any other employee, if you don't do as you're told, you get fired.

Enjoy the time off, but I wouldn't ask for a Letter Of Recommendation...
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Speaking of spin (or maybe just gross incompetence) I was almost speechless watching the MSM try to explain the 1000 point drop in the Dow Jones last Thursday.  Someone floated the "fat finger" hypothesis:  Because the "M" and the "B" are so close to each other on a keyboard, a careless clerk made a sell order for a billion shares instead of a million shares.

When I first heard it proposed, I literally laughed out loud.  When I heard reporter after reporter repeat this idea, I got nauseous. 

Think about the absurdity of the idea.  The fate of our major stock markets are dependent upon typing skills?  Did even one of these Keepers of the Fourth Estate stop and think about how idiotic that sounded?  Question it even for a second before the studio lights lit up and they started their "report"?

Gawd, this country is in trouble...
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Regardless of what caused the sudden crash (my guess is it had something to do with electronic trading programs - we'll see), I want to know what got it to recover just as quickly.  It still took a big hit, but a big part of the loss was recovered.  Also, what cause the freefall to stop?

Hey, American Press!  Take a look into Executive Order 12631 and the Plunge Protection Team (PPT) it spawned.
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The European Union (EU) is following America's lead.  They announced a 750 billion Euro (about a trillion dollars) bailout package.
European policy makers unveiled an unprecedented loan package worth almost $1 trillion and a program of bond purchases as they spearheaded a global drive to stop a sovereign-debt crisis that threatened to shatter confidence in the euro.
The dollar is garbage.  The euro is garbage.  You don't own precious metals, why?
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A belated Happy Mother's Day!  I was with my own mom, wife and sis-in-laws.  I hope yours was as pleasant as ours!

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12 comments:

Andrea said...

CI-
Don't flame me, but I believe that the Tea Party is Republican and MSM has little to do with it. My knee-jerk reaction has been that it's Republicans who got mad following the election and are "taking their ball and going home." Sort of like the spoiled kid who wouldn't play unless he got to do things his way.

We didn't hear a peep from anyone during the Bush administration, but now that there's a Dem in the office, everyone is pissed off and marching in front of the court buildings. If the Tea Party doesn't want to appear Republican, they need to consider who they're using for their mouthpiece. Don't put freakin' Sarah Palin at the mic and then claim that you're not Republican. We need a true third party, but the Tea Party ain't it.

Why would they allow a powerful Senator to be dumped? Because they're smart. They know people are pissed off, and they know how they appear in the eyes of America and they're trying to change their spots. Of course, that's just the opinion of one uneducated, disgruntled blue-dog democrat who lives in one of those fly-over states noone cares about. What the heck do I know?

Chief Instructor said...

Andrea - LOL, no flames!

Before I start, I've been a "Decline To State" since my first election in 1980. I've voted R, D, I, and L.

If the Tea Party doesn't want to appear Republican, they need to consider who they're using for their mouthpiece.

Don't swallow the MSM Koolaid. There are some groups trying to turn the LOCAL Tea Parties into an actual political party. A group in TN did it with some sort of "National Convention", and now there's the "Tea Party Express" that I think Palin is a part of. I think there will be more attempts to "nationalize" this movement.

The very basis of the Tea Parties is local, grassroots people and organizations. We're tired of the same old power structure and aren't looking for another one to replace it.

At every event I've been to, anyone that has mentioned they are Republican has been boo'd off the stage. WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

With regards to Bennett, why would the Utah Rep Party care what people around the country think of them? The Reps are quaking in their boots with what has happened.

If the National Rep party had campaigned against Bennett, I'd say your comment about "changing their spots" might be correct. That's not how it played out. It was Utah Reps that booted him out.

All that being said, the Rep party is absolutely trying to ride on the coattails of the Tea Party movement. Their party platform is closer to what Tea Partiers believe, BUT we don't believe their words. We're holding people to their actions. Lie to us, and you're out.

We can only hope this dumping in Utah becomes a trend. Time will tell.

Andrea said...

Thanks for the thoughtful rebuttal.

It's all so frustrating, trying to find a party that really represents who you are and what you believe in. This past election was the perfect example of that. I didn't necessarily support Obama, but Palin scared the Bejeezus out of me. Where's Ralph Nader when you need him???????????????? He's always been my go-to candidate when neither party fit the bill for me LOL.

I do hope you're right and this will be a trend-setting, revolutionary year for politics.

MikeH. said...

CI,

re: the DOW

According to my wife, last Thursday, she had received a net "news alert" that stated the drop came on the heels of an announcement regarding a massive product recall by the FDA against Proctor & Gamble's disposable diaper line. The alert detailed the causes for the recall.

My wife said that in all subsequent alerts, there was no mention of P&G, the FDA OR any reasoning behind the retraction.

re: The MSN, the Tea Party (and beyond)

In recent weeks, my frustration level has gone through the roof. For as much BS and spin as the leftest MSM pushes, I have begun to wonder how much of the same the right shovels. (ie. their propaganda vs. our propaganda)

Who can you trust!!!

I lean heavily toward the ideals of the Tea Party folks but, what's to say they are not being "nudged" in a direction that benefits the republicans, or some other puppet master, as suggested by the MSM? How much "schmooze" does Fox toss in an attempt to justify and hoist the image of the Tea Party? After all, everyone has their own agenda, their own self serving goals, to promote.

I can't help but believe there are forces (more earthly than cosmic) in the universe that want us to distrust one another; driving a wedge between the races, religions, political affiliations, smokers vs. non smokers and, even buff vs. fat.

Why?

Maybe because, as stated in the motto of the State of Kentucky, United we stand, divided we fall. Divided and at odds, there's very little chance to come together, united, in numbers large enough to strike fear into the hearts and minds of those reprobates most deserving of living under the threat of that fear. (I'm not sure, there may be teachings from Sun Tzu AND Saul Alinsky at work here)

If any of this rings true, it's working on me. From my point of view, we as a nation are so totally fragmented that there is not, and can never be, a means for a reconciliation that could unite us once again. And, perhaps, this is why so many folks seem to be preparing more for individual type survival scenarios rather than survival as a nation united.

MikeH.

Chief Instructor said...

Andrea - one of the reasons I've always been Decline To State is I have yet been able to find a national party that meets all of my needs. I vote for the individual, not the party.

I don't need no stinkin' party!

Nowadays, if there isn't a candidate that meets enough of my core beliefs, I vote for anyone that's NOT an R or a D. For those two parties to get scared, enough votes need to go elsewhere for them to believe they have less than a 50/50 chance of winning.

Mike - You hit one out of the park! All of the national parties use their own propaganda to build an enemy they can "rally the troops" behind.

I've come to the point where the propaganda - or more importantly, the barbs that are tossed as a part of the propaganda - don't even make me flinch any more.

Want to call me a racist because I dare question the character and actions of a president who just happens to be black? Go ahead.

Want to call me a hard-hearted, cold-blooded capitalist bastard because I say government welfare causes more harm than good, and is ruining our country? Have at it.

Want to call me a hippy because I say the federal government has no right to tell any American what drug they can choose to put into their own bodies? I couldn't care less.

Want to call me a terrorist-enabler because I say the USA PATRIOT Act is perhaps the most dangerous and invasive piece of legislation ever enacted by our country? Knock yourself out.

I don't care. I read the simple, unambiguous text of the Constitution, and let it guide my decisions. I think the Tea Party movement is our last, best hope of bringing our country back together.

I do not think it will work, so I prep and plan. I think we're going to crash and burn - slowly or quickly, I don't know.

Until then, I'll work to make things right - Constitutional - even though I think I'll fail. Gotta keep swinging until they call you "out".

Joseph said...

Although I only follow this blog to see one part of the radical left's perspective, it is see how Olbermann sees these things: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/10/865121/-Overstating-Utah Personally I find guys like Obermann, Oreilly, etc. obnoxious and difficult to watch hence the reason I check their sites out to save my ears the pain of their poison.

On a somewhat related note you might want to rent John Adams starring Paul Giamatti. Not perfect but not bad either.

Andrea said...

So you have such great responses to the other insults and propaganda, what if someone wants to call you a 'little sawed-off redneck'...how would you respond? Okay, that one is for my own benefit, for future reference LOL.

Chief Instructor said...

Joseph, wow, it's been a while since I dropped by Kos. Like most similar sites, if you post any kind of facts or questions that run counter to their point of view, they will generally: Edit your post to their liking, or simply delete it.

I used to go over to TerraPass.com (a Carbon Credit scam) and mess with them for fun. In an old blog, I copied and pasted my responses before they were edited and deleted, and posted the whole "conversation". They didn't like me much over there...

Andrea, your possible "sawed-off" issue is similar to what I was describing with TerraPass. Online, they will delete your post. In person, you will get the ad hominem attacks when they have no reply to your fact.

The name-calling is nothing but a diversion and stalling technique. Bring it right back on topic.

"That's great. OK, if it makes you feel better, go ahead and call me a sawed-off redneck. Now, answer my question, which I'll repeat for you: Where in the Constitution does it allow for the Federal Government to ...."

Turn it back on them. And don't take the bait to turn it into a name-calling contest. They have no answer, so that's exactly what the want!

Andrea said...

LOL...Okay, I was trying to be humorous as I've been called a little sawed-off redneck a few times in my life and didn't have a response other than 'yep'. Maybe I should go the Palin route with 'You betcha' instead? Might have a broader appeal to the TPs in our area?

I drive my tractor in pearls... said...

I am going to jump in here and state that I am registered, but I change it as I see fit in order to vote for the person I think is best for the job in the Primaries. My state has made it impossible to vote third party or even get one on the ballot its disgusting.

We didnt even have a choice for a third party this last presidential election cycle.

As far as the Tea Parties go - I have attended some and the ones in my state do not let any political person speak - No D's and No R's. The great advantage (or disadvantage) is that each tea party in each state is self-directed. They do what is best for them, without checking with every other state.

This type of action speaks to me Constitutionally - These United States - not One National Country, kind of thing.

So, when the R's in Utah, and they may have also been Tea Party members, threw out the Senator, I saw it as a shot across the bow which says - If you look on DC as your "career" as this Senator did, you will need to find a new job.

And you can call me a redneck - it means I have been outside working and in this day and age, I wear that as a badge of honor!

Chief Instructor said...

Andrea, as a last resort, you could just Taze 'em ;-)

Pearls, yep, the Rs and Ds have a pretty good lock on the election process. Third parties have a real tough go of it.

Regarding the Tea Parties, you're exactly right. The local parties are all homegrown. Our local ones are organized by a couple of stay-at-home moms that got ticked off at what they saw coming down the road for their kids, so they are doing something about it.

Anonymous said...

I register as Democrat but vote conservative regardless of their party. I liked Bush II but disagreed with much of what he did. In particular I was angry with the Republican effort to give amnesty to the illegals. I was a vocal critic of Bush's deficit spending. However to put it in context Bush ran up less debt in 8 years then Obama did in 16 months. I am a member of the tea party (that is I attend their demonstrations, no one took my name and address or anything like that) but I will decide who I vote for not them. I support them because they support what I believe in, i.e. smaller government, less taxes, less spending, etc. The media and the Democrats got it wrong when they thought they could marginalize us but in the process they exposed themselves for who they really are. Nancy Pelosi and her band of merry men don't car at all about U.S. citizens and taxpayers. Obama may have been born in American but he acts like his alliegence is elsewhere. I do honestly expect the Democrats to deliver the coup de grace in the next 7 months or so even if they lose big in November. The cherry on thier "shit" dessert for Americans will be amnesty. Watch and see if they don't!!! Probably after the elction when they are a lame duck congress and don't give a damn how much they scr*w us over.