Anyone Else Sick of the Wink Hartman Campaign Ads?

Anyone else getting really sick of the Willis “Wink” Hartman campaign commericials.  They spread the most vile misinformation.  If Obama would get off the backs of small busniness, our country would flurish.  Men with business experience should run the government.  Women and sissy men should be excluded from the process!

I drive by the Hartman arena more than I would like.  They always have Cox, etc. ads running on their signboards.  The wind machine runs almost never.

Surely, Kansans can do better than this!  See this Link. 

iggydonnelly

The Obama Census Form: Methinks He Should Please Himself…

Elizabeth Chang, of the Post Sunday magazine, was disappointed with Obama’s racial self-designation as black on his 2010 Census Form.  Chang, the mother of Asian and Caucasian children, thinks that Obama’s “accurate” portrayal of himself as biracial would serve a useful purpose of helping rid our society of the needless construct of race. She makes some compelling arguements.

Chang points out that Obama was rasied by a white mother and grandparents.  She fails to point out that his current extended family include a wife and daughters widely seen as black.  Obama says he self identifies as being black and that he is proud of that racial designation.

I ask, why can’t we let him decide on these types of personal questions?

Islam is Immune from Parody?

This New York Times editorial raises questions as to why South Park has be censored when they depicted images of the prophet Muhammad?  The writer contends the fear and censorship stems from the threat of violent retribution.

Please recall that no subject has ever been safe from the parody of South Park.  Why a difference in this case?  It is hard to imagine a different explanation from what our editorial writer offers…

iggydonnelly

What is Meant by the Statement that “America is a Christian Nation”?

This Washington Post article examines the question of what is meant by the assertion that America is a Christian nation.  They cover the 1790s treaty that asserted we were not a Christian nation, Andrew Jackson’s efforts to resist the starting of a Christian political pary, and Lincoln’s burying of a Christian amendment to the constitution.

The article also describes the statements made Obama that led to him being seen as a non-Christian.  Sarah Palin’s assertions that we are a Christian nation are described as well.

The article finally asks the question what do we mean when we say America is a Christian nation?  What are your thoughts?

iggydonnelly

The Huge Growth in Patriot Groups

The Southern Poverty Law Center indicates that there were 149 Patriot groups in 2008 and as of 2009 their numbers were 512; an increase of 244 percent!  These groups include militias as well.  They all hold the view that the Federal Government is their primary enemy.

In the above referenced source, the authors conclude that our situation currently is much like the time before the Oklahoma City bombing.  Bill Clinton reminds people that words do matter and those of the media have a special responsibility in not inflaming people.

iggydonnelly

Perceptions of U.S. Improving Since the Start of the Obama Administration

According to a BBC poll, the influence of the U.S. is seen as more positive than negative by a number of countries.  This contrasts with poll results during the Bush years. 

I heard these results on a BBC news program which is broadcast overnight by KMUW.  They, of course, interviewed a conservative talk radio host, who viewed the positive views of Obama by “Democratic/Socialist countries” as less than reassuring.  The BBC host did a fairly good job of ridiculing this bumpkin on how it is hard to see how positive views can be so negative.

My president is not perfect, but I am still proud of him and support him.

iggydonnelly

A Confession of an Avowed Liberal…

Here’s my confession:  Panhandlers piss me off.  There.  I said it. Shouldn’t I feel better having said that – some how, though, I don’t.  I confess, also, that I don’t know why the real oldest profession affects me this way.

Today, I declined to lower my car window in the rainy McDonalds parking lot despite the request of a woman panhandler – I watched her work the whole lot and she had some success, too.  I recognize pretty quickly when I am being targeted for begging.  It happens to me often and I wonder to myself, “Do I look like a sucker and a liberal, or what?”

My favorite panhandling story happened last spring in the parking lot of a Dillons store not usually known for such things.  A young African American man, who was either on some really good amphetamines, or what I suspect, he was having a pretty serious manic episode, approached me at the speed of light.  He was literally running from person to person in the lot.  He comes running up to me and before he makes his pitch, I hold up my hand and say “Sorry I can’t help you out.” 

He broke into a fit of laughter, and said “Hey!  You know what I’m about, don’t cha!”

I really need to introspect more about this failing, if is that…

iggydonnelly

Faux Populism… The Angry Affluent Instead of Oppressed Commoners

Dana Millbank notes that Grover Norquist fails in his role as a Populist.  Millbank lists the groups supporting the Tea Bag movement as: “British Petroleum, Fannie Mae, the Distilled Spirits Council and the Interactive Gaming Council.”

The Tea Partiers from Millbanks’ view are mainly the “angry affluent” who want poor people to “pay more taxes.”  Doesn’t sound like much of a populist cause, now does it?

I think the Millbankster nails it this time.  What do you all think?

iggydonnelly

Obama Hostile to the Press?

Dana Milbank of the WashPo reports on Obama’s alleged hostility to the press. I am inclined to see these reported actions as “smart management” of the 4th estate, rather than supression of my right to know.

I had not seen this amusing photo before.

iggydonnelly

Enemies or Frienemies?

This fascinationg video esamines the relationship between Obama and Hillary Clinton.  She has been a good and faithful servant for the Obana team.  She was instrumental in sending Bill Clinton to North Korea to help win the release of a couple of women detained by them.

She does not see herself staying an 8 years for Obama, should that be possible.  My hope is that she will be named as a Supreme Court Justice.  What are your thoughts on this possibility?

The False Equivalency of the Left vs. Right Rage

In response to the unprecedented rage that has been leveled at Obama, the Right contends that the Left’s rage against George W. Bush was just as toxic.  This has to be the best example of False Equivalency I have seen for some time.  Were there an equal number of death threats against political figues during the Bush terms?  I am not recalling them.  The whole tenor of the rancor is much worse now than at any time during the Bush junta.

Sure we said Bush looks like a chimp.  The fact is:  he does!  Even though he invaded foreign lands on false premises, did we ever refer to GWB as Hitler:  we did not.  Even though Bush did everything he could to shuffle govenment resources to his corporate friends, did we say he was out to squander our country’s resources:  we didn’t.

We should have done all of the above and more.  Where else did we fail in our criticism of POTUS 43?

iggydonnelly

Tweet Justice For Beck???

Starting at 9:00 this morning the Jewish Funds for Justice will start sending twitter messages to Glenn Beck; one every minute to the television host.  Their reasons for doing so: “to confront Glenn Beck about his bizarre and incongruous opinion that there is no place for social and economic justice in religion.”

An example: 

 And Jesus said to
All his hungry disciples
Hands off my fish, chumps.

Will this attention be helpful or a problem for Beck?  I think ignoring him is better.

Read more here.

iggydonnelly

Erick Erickson: The Utterly Silly…

This man, who started the blog “RedState”, is threatening to pull his wife’s shotgun on any census worker who comes onto his property.  From this politico article Erickson rants:  “‘They’re not going on my property. They can’t do that. They don’t have the legal right, and yet they’re trying,’ Erickson said, in a recording by the liberal media watchdog Media Matters. ‘The servants are becoming the masters. We are working for the government. We are becoming enslaved by the government.'”

It is not difficult to understand why viewers of CNN have become upset with the network for hiring Erickson.

What far and away upsets me the most is that this clown has the same name, although, gratefully, spelled differently, from my all time favorite psychoanalyst – Erik Erikson.  I’d like to start a petition that insists this dude has to change his name – to something like “Ranting Dumbass.”

iggydonnelly

Poll: Census Is Not an Invasion of Privacy

Representative Michelle Bachmann has stated that the Census does not need all the information it solicits.  A Poll done by CNN/Opinion Research finds that 83% of a sample representative of the U.S. population does not think the information sought by the Census is an invasion of privacy; while 16% thought it was an invasion of privacy.

80% of the respondents to the above p0ll thought the information obtained by the Census was useful compared to 20% who did not think so.

Read more here.

The fact that the census is constitutionally mandated does not seem to deter Ms. Bachmann.  Read more here.

I think the image below, might be on to something.

Guess What Google is Changing Its Name to…

At 1 a.m. on this date, Google changed its name to “Topeka” in reciprocation for the Mayor’s offer to change Topeka’s name to Google.  I did not know this, but did you know the Indian word “Topeka” means “a good place to dig for patatoes.”  Read more here.

Oh, and I am sure this has NOTHING to do with today’s calender date!

iggydonnelly