Race And This Presidency

Kathleen Parker (who?) and Bill Clinton both agree that criticisms of Obama's health care reforms are not (wholly) founded in racism. Wow, that's a hard position to take. I wonder if they think the sun is hot, too?

Of course, not all the negative reaction to Obama (including) Joe Wilson's infamous outburst are ground in racism.

That still doesn't mean race doesn't matter and isn't related to the current debate.

Obama, learning the mistakes from the Henry Louis Gates saga (remember that?), smartly tried to defuse the latest media-driven flap by stating that he didn't believe Wilson's comments were driven by racial animus. I mean, really, do you expect the president to accuse a sitting member of Congress of racism?

How does race matter, then? A recent Senate GOP mailer directly injects race into the discussion by scaring people into thinking that health care will essentially become a lottery rationed out by race.

Or, take that crusty old fart, Rush Limbaugh. Out of fear of young black students, he's taken to advocating segregating school buses. Real smart, Rush. That's certainly the best way to prepare young Americans to engage in a multicultural society.

I still stand by my earlier comments that there is a fundamental disrespect that some of Obama's opponents have towards him and all of his policies because he is black. Many more people oppose Obama because of principled conservatism or libertarian beliefs. Kudos to them. But, that does not hide the fact that some opposition to Obama is race-based. They'll never accept his legitimacy.

Tom Ridge Challenges Rush Limbaugh to a fight

Republican Party Leader Calls Sotomayor A Racist

Republican party spokesman and leader Rush Limbaugh says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a racist. And he didn't stop there...he also called President Obama a racist.

The Republicans are wasting no time with their attacks against this woman. It has only been a few hours since Obama made his announcement...and the Republican filth machine is already working at full capacity.



I have no problem with what Sotomayor said that supposedly drew Limbaugh's attention. They had these quotes picked out in advance to attack her...and they were going to attack her no matter what. But they are grasping at straws here.

The Republican Party's Makeover Is Going Well

It's going well if the goal is irrelevance.

Over the past week, Republicans have been busy self destructing and attacking one another. And I have to admit, it has been a joy to watch. The Republican base (the racists, the bigots, Southern White xenophobes, hate mongers, religious radicals, fiscal incompetents and the like) have been chastising a phony group of moderates who are at least attempting to appear reasonable and want to show that they are pulling the Party back to some sort of common sense position. The so-called Moderates, led by Congressman Eric Cantor, Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney are calling themselves the National Council for a New America. The group wants to travel the Country (outside of the South) to get a sense of what Americans are feeling and thinking and to get ideas on what direction they should take the Party. It's all part of efforts by Republicans to re-brand. But Rush Limbaugh (the Republican Party leader) is having none of it. Limbaugh & Co. believe that racism, greed, Laissez-faire government, free markets, torture, war, Wall Street, corporate incompetence, John Wayne Foreign Policy, Confederate Southern ideology, the Party of the White- Rich- and elderly, and the Party of "no" is the way of the future for the Republicans.

Tricky Dick II reaffirmed Limbaugh's position as the Republican leader and his out of touch ideology over the weekend by saying that he would support Boss Limbaugh's Republican Brand over that of Colin Powell (a man who actually served in war and has a very distinguished career). Because Powell endorsed Barack Obama during the 2008 General Election Campaign, Cheney stated that he "didn't know Powell was still a Republican".

The Republican Party is now being consumed by the very monster that it created some 20+ years ago - the powerful Right Wing Media.... which believes in the Party's more hardline, radical ideology regarding governance and religion. Don't doubt the strength they hold. They were able to sell the Country a phony war and were able to get a buffoon elected not once, but twice. Now the powerful Republican/Right Wing media is targeting its own. The resulting battle is going to be ugly.... but quite entertaining if you are a Progressive or Democrat.

This is why I have suggested that this is the time to force Republicans to make a choice. Force Republicans (those who will even admit to being Republican at this point) to either support the ridiculous comments and beliefs of their leaders in the Right wing media, or reject & denounce them. But this is a big dilemma for Republicans (and this is where Progressives trap them in a corner) because they can't afford to accept either choice. The Republican Party dies if the ideology of Limbaugh & Co. (the vast radical Republican media apparatus) is accepted by the Party's rank and file members. Because the rest of America (Democrats, Progressives, Independents, etc) isn't interested in buying the racism, religious radicalism, backwards thinking, out of touch beliefs, failed policies, and Laissez-faire attitude that the Republicans are selling. On the other hand, Republicans can't afford to reject the Right wing media either.... because the GOP has always relied on its propaganda wing to sustain the Party. It has never been sustained by its ideas (not in modern times at least) it has always been the Party's ability to control the narrative, control information and distort its opponents that has sustained the Party. The Republican Party is just a shell without its media platform. Right wing media is essential for the Party to gets its message out, to raise cash, to mobilize voters, to agitate and anger its base with wedge issues, to run its propaganda.... to do everything. Right wing media is a well orchestrated machine.

The problem is... that the machine has gotten so big.... that it's now a monster that has taken on a life of its own. It is no longer an apparatus that the old traditional Republican political leaders in Washington D.C. can control. Thus, they lost the real leadership of the Party a long time ago. The huge network of Limbaugh and Co. represent the true leadership of the Party....regardless of how backwards that leadership is.

Tea Parties and Make-Believe

When I think of Tea Parties the image that comes to mind is my little sister playing dress-up-- using her mothers clothes for a costume and having a make-believe moment. It's all about children pretending and using their imaginations to keep themselves entertained.

This same kind of make-believe is what the Republican "Tea Parties" were all about this week. The so-called "Tea Parties" were basically PR creations, crafted by Republican Strategists, sponsored by Right Wing front groups like FreedomWorks, and promoted by Right Wing Republican media. These people are masters at creating their own reality when the real world doesn't suit them. The events are designed to whip the Republican faithful into a frenzy. You even had Texas Governor Rick Perry (one of the Confederate Governors opposing Obama and rejecting stimulus funding) attend one of these events saying that Texas could secede from the United States... that whole Confederate thing again (if not in geographical terms...it's definitely alive in terms of ideology). What is it with Republican Governors and seceding from the Union? Sarah Palin and her husband have actually been connected with secessionists in Alaska.

One of the big ironies in all this is the fact that most of these "protesters" actually received a tax cut, which went into effect this month. I really don't believe these people understood exactly what they were protesting. All they knew is that this effort was part of the Right Wings anti-Obama campaign...and at the end of the day...that's all they really needed to know.

But are most Americans falling for this mostly manufactured outrage? Are Americans buying what Republicans are selling? Apparently not... at least not at the moment (although the power of Republican media has a way of changing that rather quickly). According to a new Gallup Survey, the tax issue is much ado about nothing, especially when put in historical context.



The Following Is Courtesy Of Gallup:

Views of Income Taxes Among Most Positive Since 1956

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds 48% of Americans saying the amount of federal income taxes they pay is "about right," with 46% saying "too high" -- one of the most positive assessments Gallup has measured since 1956. Typically, a majority of Americans say their taxes are too high, and relatively few say their taxes are too low.

These results are based on the Gallup Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted each April, including April 6-9 of this year.

Since 1956, there has been only one other time when a higher percentage of Americans said their taxes were about right -- in 2003, when 50% did so after two rounds of tax cuts under the Bush administration.

The slightly more positive view this year may reflect a public response to President Barack Obama's economic stimulus and budget plans. He has promised not to raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000, while cutting taxes for lower- and middle-income Americans. The latter has already begun, as the government has reduced the withholding amount for federal income taxes from middle- and lower-income American workers' paychecks.

In this year's poll, slim majorities of both lower- and middle-income Americans say they pay about the right amount of taxes, while upper-income Americans tend to think they pay too much. The views of upper-income Americans have not changed in the past year, while both middle- and lower-income Americans are more likely to say they pay the right amount of tax. Read more of the Gallup report here.

The Republicans, especially those in the Republican media, are trying to convince the American public that this is an issue with legs and that there is genuine anger towards taxes across the social and political spectrum...when in reality, most of the noise about taxes and fiscal responsibility is coming from a small fringe within their Party... almost a fringe within a fringe...because the Republican Party is down to its base at this point. Where were these people when George W. Bush and the last Republican majority were running up huge deficits, trying to hide spending by keeping it off the books, not monitoring Wall Street, allowing the Oil Companies to rape ordinary working Americans, and allowing Special Interest Groups (Government contractors) to literally rob taxpayers blind in Iraq with thefts of historic proportions. They weren't trying to stage these grand protests then. In fact, it was the Republicans lack of fiscal responsibility that largely contributed to the current mess that the Country finds itself in.

This is clearly an effort by Republicans and their media apparatus to whip up anger towards Obama. Many of the people at these "Tea Party" rallies did not show up to complain about taxes at all. Instead, they were complaining about a list of other perceived grievances with Obama... with signs suggesting that he's Muslim, friendly to terrorists, is a communist, a Nazi, ...you name it. To me, the events appeared to have the feel of last years General Election campaign where folks were calling for violence against Obama, carrying racists signs, vandalizing campaign offices, and using stuffed Monkeys to represent him. It almost harkens back to the Southern tradition of lynching picnics, where lynchings were social events. I know that's an extreme comparison....but race is surely playing some role in these events. How many Blacks did you see in these crowds? Let's be honest...these are generally White Americans who are simply looking for any excuse to protest Barack Obama.

This is really an example of Right Wing media using fear & propaganda to take advantage of the ignorant and the uninformed. They prey on folks who are driven more by ideology (religion, race, xenophobia, fears, prejudices, and culture war issues for example) than by facts. It sends the message that Right Wing media is still strong and can make themselves as relevant as they want to be... regardless of whether they are dealing with the real world or not.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson Is Dead Wrong on Limbaugh

In a recent commentary on the Huffington Post, Hutchinson criticized those who highlighted Rush Limbaugh's role in the Republican Party. Here's what Hutchinson had to say in a commentary entitled Wave the White Flag in the Limbaugh War:

Dated March 28, 2009

President Obama and the Democrats should wave the white flag in their strawman war on Rush Limbaugh. The Media Research Center delivered the grim casualty figures for the Democrats. Since January, the top talk show gabber's ratings have soared off the charts. Radio affiliates that carry Limbaugh's syndicated show call the ratings boost he's gotten from the Democrat's orchestrated attack on him a "dramatic surge." This writer predicted as much when President Obama cracked to Congressional Republicans in late January that they should knock off listening to Limbaugh if they expected to get anything done in Congress and with his administration.

The gabber instantly snatched at the quip and turned it into a multi show bonanza. No matter what topic Limbaugh gassed on, he managed to slide in a reference to Obama's prop up of him as the Democrat's prize punching bag. This did three things. It gave him an even bigger pile of fodder to puff himself up as the emperor of talk radio, claim to be the real kingmaker in the GOP, and in a perverse way paint himself as a credible and thoughtful political critic. It snapped many shell shocked Congressional Republicans out of their post election funk. Now suddenly feisty and combative, they draw a deep line in the sand against any and everything that Obama proposed. And it stiffened the spines of many timid Republicans and made them determined not to be bullied, or at least appear not to be bullied, by a mere talk show host into standing up to Obama.

This should have been the red flag warning to the Democrats to drop Limbaugh from their enemies rolodex. But no, they continued to blunder on. They took out ads, radio spots, and email blasts bashing and trashing bogeyman Limbaugh. The idea was to make sure that when the public thought GOP, they thought Limbaugh.

This was even more grist for Limbaugh. An he went on a tear. In quick succession he picked a fight with Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, Newt Gingrich, a handful of GOP accomodationists, and the usual suspect to him liberal Democratic interest groups. But the real payoff was that it let him pad his bully pulpit to further whip up the pack to nit pick, poke fun at, and blow up any and every alleged slip or misstep by Obama. This in turn added even more steam to his inflammatory campaign of rumors, half truths, distortions, and flat out lies about Obama, liberals, and just about any other issue he rants on.

Any other time this might be fun and games stuff, a side show distraction that bored reporters and TV talking heads used to fill up column space or a talk cast on off a slow news day, but the Democrats just couldn't let it go. And that insured that the Limbaugh as Democrat's foil ploy would continue to have shelf life.

Limbaugh in a phony self-deprecating moment mockingly minimized his importance as a radio talk show host, feigning puzzlement at why the Democrats were so obsessed with him. He was right. They never should have been. Obama didn't need him to get Congressional Democrats and whipsaw a few Republicans into backing his program and to approve his cabinet appointees. He still doesn't. And that's all the more reason to wave the white flag in the Limbaugh war.

***************************

I think that it's great that Progressives are finally starting to fight back and are linking the Republican Party to a leadership figure who is a bigot, a drug addict, and a windbag....an unpopular one as a matter of fact. Progressives should do everything they can to wrap Limbaugh and Co. around the necks of Republicans. Limbaugh and his ilk have been given a pass by the Republicans for years, allowed to say whatever they wanted while being the Spokesmen/Spokeswomen and defacto leaders for the Republican Party. Now the beast has grown so big that even the Republicans have no control over what they started.

Republicans should be forced to either support or reject what these people are saying on their behalf. They should be embarrassed and shamed. Either they support the repugnant behavior of their spokesmen and leaders or they don't. The resulting friction will create a mess within a political Party that is already in distress. That's good news for Progressives. It will further marginalize the GOP. Highlighting their hate speech will also cause them to lose moderates and independents, at a time when they need as many votes as they can get. They are already losing young people and minorities, two growing demographics. Within the next few decades, the U.S. will be a majority minority nation.

Who cares if Limbaugh sees a momentary spike in ratings (which are skewed by the way). Limbaugh is going to make money and have these spikes no matter what. He has been around for over 20 years now. In fact, he has tended to do well in years when there was a Democratic President.

Take a look at my Republican media page (still under construction).

Huffpo readers tended to see my view on this issue. Here are a few of their responses.

marignymitch:

Mr Hutchinson,

To heck with his ratings; Rush has repeatedly and eagerly humiliated himself (even more then usual) in the past several weeks, transforming himself and the party he heads into an ever larger laughingstock. It's been fun to watch the self-immolation. I therefore figure the Democrats are doing an excellent job of driving him straight up the wall. Perhaps they shouldn't stop until he explodes; it's coming, you know.

To those who accuse moderates and liberals of not listening to Rush's filth I say that I have listened to him but don't regularly because he is spiritual poison. I avoid him the same as I avoid tainted water; he's sick and the exposure makes me sick. Same goes for psychopaths at Faux Noise.

---

jsgaetano:

Every time a Republican denounced Limbaugh, only to go crawling back to Rush with their tail between their legs... it was a huge win for the White House.

In politics, nothing is more important than making your opponent look weak and impotent. Seeing the so-called "leaders" of the Conservatives run begging Limbaugh for forgiveness made them look more weak and impotent than ANYTHING else ever could. So did presenting a budget with no numbers, or being the "Party of No"... but to a much lesser extent than licking Limbaugh's boots.

Revealing Limbaugh as the leader of the GOP was the smartest thing the Democratic Party, as a whole, has done in decades.

---

LeftLeanerN08:

Totally disagree with you on this one Earl. Let Limbaugh have his ratings, and let the Congressional GOP think that Limbaugh is the way. Except for much of the deep south and Utah, most of these states are getting bluer everyday. Rush Limbaugh marginalizes many in his own party let alone Democrats. The Obama Administration should treat him just like Obama did Palin, let the fool keep talking and dig an even bigger ditch for himself. Most intelligent people do not even want to remotely be associated with what Limbaugh has to say. It will become painfully evident next year when even more Repubs are voted out of the house and the senate. Perhaps when there are only 20 house repubs and 10 senators, it will start making sense to them then.

---

Simon:

Limbaugh isn't the target. The Republican party was the target.

Yes, Rush got an ego boost when the Democratic party correctly IDed him as the current leader of the GOP. So what? He won't be on any ballot, and people aren't voting for his causes this year.

---

JRsNana

Totally wrong on this one Earl. The more people listen to his BS the better. As people realize he is nothing but hate and obstruction, the more they will abandon the Republican party. Talk about a great cause and effect.

---

clarryr:

Why would you wave a white flag when you're winning the war? Expose the hatred and venom that Rush Limbaugh spews - mission accomplished.

Former Evangelical Slams the GOP

Former Evangelical Frank Schaeffer smacks down the crazies running the GOP during an appearance in the DL Hugley show:



_________________________

Related Post

The Christian Right In America (sorry, some links are dead).

SNL Does Michael Steele - Hilarious!

Michael Steele Is Forced To Bow Down To His Masters

Michael Steele was forced to bow down to Rush Limbaugh after getting a little too brave on CNN yesterday when he stated that Limbaugh was not the leader of the Republican Party. Limbaugh and Veteran Republicans had to quickly correct Steele and remind him of his place. And they did it in public *ouch*.

Here is Steele on CNN speaking with DL Hughley (Carlton Ridenhour also on set):



But Rush Limbaugh was not amused by Steele's comments. Limbaugh had to remind Steele who was in charge.

Limbaugh also stated:

“It's time, Mr. Steele, for you to go behind the scenes and start doing the work that you were elected to do instead of trying to be some talking head media star, which you're having a tough time pulling off,” “But it seems to me that it's Michael Steele who is off to a shaky start.”

Steele immediately called Rush: (my paraphrasing)

I's Sorry Masta.... Please forgive Me... don't hurt me please. I understand sir that I am simply here to fill a role.... the role that you chose for me. I know I'm the token Nigra... I in no way meant to challenge your authority as leader. I just got carried away talking to that DL Hughley on CNN... I don't know what I was thinkin'. Masta... Please forgive me.

I hope I can stay in my position... I sure does like it here Masta... I hope this situation won't get me removed. I'll do anything you want me to just to make up fa dis. Can I shine your shoes the next time we meet? Just let me know where you need me...and I's make sure I bring ma shoeshine bag wit me. I'll shine those shoes so clean you'd be able ta see ya reflection.

Just as I have been saying here (and elsewhere) for years... Limbaugh and Co. represents the leadership of the Republican Party... they are the ideological and spiritual compass of the Party....and they speak for the Party. It has been this way for at least the past 20 years.

Somehow Steele actually believed that he was running something (funny). All this time... he has failed to realize why he was chosen as the figurehead leader of the Republican Party.

I have to admit...this kind of nonsense is disturbing... to see a grown man...an adult Black man... having his dignity stripped so publicly. It almost reminds you of another time. But it's equally bothersome to watch Black men like Steele, Keyes, Blackwell, and others... offer themselves up for this kind of public castration and submission to a Party that seeks to exploit them.

Whenever a Republican challenges the Right Wing Republican Media apparatus... they are quickly reminded of how powerful this group is...and they are made to apologize. This has happened about 3 or 4 times in the past week, and it happens all the time. Even Republicans are afraid of Rush Limbaugh and the other figures in Conservative Talk Radio and TV. In many ways...the Republican Party operates like an organized crime syndicate. What we are seeing now is a lot of infighting...and jockeying for position during a time of change....just like in the Mafia.

This is likely to go on for quite some time as the Republicans search for a new identity...try to determine what they stand for... as they try to find a message...and as they seek some sort of "official" figurehead leadership, now that Tricky Dick II, Tom Delay, Trent Lott, and other GOP stalwarts have all moved out of their official positions of power and influence.

I have been saying forever that it was past time to force Republicans to admit the obvious... that Right Wing nuts like Limbaugh are the spokespeople and the leaders of the Republican Party. Progressive strategists are finally learning. Once you shackle the Republican Political leaders with their Spokespeople they will be shamed... but would likely have no choice but to be content with the connection. The GOP's political success is dependent on the Right Wing media apparatus and its reputation for filling the airwaves with lies, distortions, propaganda & hatred. Republicans simply can't make it if they are forced to deal with real issues, real people and if they have to come up with solutions to real problems. They don't operate in the real world with the rest of us. If they do, then they are wearing blinders.

In years past... Republicans operated alongside the Conservative Talk Radio and TV lunatics... but in a more subtle way. Right Wing Talk Radio has always been more of a shadowy parallel companion to the official Republican Party. It was more of a wink and a nod relationship...where officially... Republican political figures were able to distance themselves from racist and incendiary comments from their media cohorts. This arrangement almost always allowed Republican political figures to claim plausible deniability...whenever their friends in the media (many whom they know to be racist and sexist jackasses) made offensive comments.

Now Republican Politicians won't be able to do that so easily anymore. And that's a good thing. I say... let their Conservative media buddies drag them down even further...and let them continue with their infighting. But if Progressives don't know how to exploit this... then they will miss an opportunity IMO.

As much as I have criticized Hughley.... I believe that what he did with Steele was a pretty smart move. He put Steele in an impossible position, where he had no choice but to say something that would cause a problem within the Republican Party. But the GOP can't call Hughley the bad guy. They have been running around with these media nuts for years.... now they either have to claim them or fight it out with them and purge them. (And that's not likely to happen because the GOP relies on its media wing for its very survival). They are stuck with Limbaugh and Co. And I couldn't be happier.

Republicans Hope to Be Obstructionists Towards Obama

Let me get this straight... the Party that primarily brought the Country to economic ruin, now believes that we should follow their advice on bringing the Country back to financial health??? Talk about delusional. They want more tax cuts... but we did that for several years already under their watch... and it didn't work. And of course they are offering no real alternatives.

When will Obama face the fact that the Republicans don't care about helping the Country... and that they are mainly interested in seeing him and the Country fail? Their leader, Rush Limbaugh, basically stated so last week. And the fact that Obama is non-white just aggravates them even more. It's killing them. Therefore, there won't be any bipartisanship in Washington. They plan to obstruct everything proposed by Obama and the Democrats. Since most of the Republican members of the House of Representatives are in "safe seats", they will cater more to their Conservative base. Unfortunately, having tea or Cocktails at the White House once a week isn't going to change any Republican minds. It appears as if they will be forced to play to the racial fears & partisan feelings of their constituents at home (particularly in the South...where most of these folks are concentrated). This may end up being a good thing for Obama... particularly if Obama can turn the economy around within the next two years. It will help keep the Southern Party marginalized.

Something tells me that half of these RepubliKlans go to bed at night just praying that Obama fails... or worst... that something happens to him.

But I like Obama's approach to them... by taking the high road and reaching out, Obama will keep the GOP marginalized for quite some time... he will blunt arguments that Obama is a far left partisan or doesn't listen to their concerns.

I do agree with some Conservative economists who believe that the stimulus is not the best piece of legislation. There seems to be little in the "stimulus" bill for sustainable job creation....or job creation over a wide range of industries. Obama's economic advisers believe that increasing employment in the Construction and heavy equipment industries will somehow spread through the rest of the economy. I don't see how temporary infrastructure projects will help the retail clerk, the telecom worker, the Bank rep, the Sales rep, the Restaurant manager, the Real Estate agent, or customer service person who has lost a job. This bill has plenty of money.... spends a lot, but does not seem to wisely target the money to areas that would create the best return - creating jobs (sustainable jobs). Although it will help the economy...simply because it is so massive. And apparently there was not much Republican input.... could there have been more...probably... but then again, Obama has the support of the American electorate to move in a different direction of economic policy. Why should we go back to what failed under Bush? The Republicans are behaving as if there is fresh evidence that their fiscal policies actually work. They don't!

I hope Obama succeeds. The Republicans are gambling... hoping that he fails as President....and that the Country goes down the tubes too. That's how desperate they are to regain power... hoping for the downfall of their own Country. But if the stimulus plan works (and there is probably a 50-50 chance that it will help enough to cause the economy to at least turn around), the Republicans will have to live with their vote. Hopefully the Democrats won't let American voters forget how the Republicans voted....that they actively voted against improving the lives of Americans during a time of economic hardship. I hope Obama takes some of his campaign money and runs ads reminding people that every Republican in the House of Representatives voted against his bill. Because you know what the Republicans will do.... if the stimulus fails... they will distance themselves from it (the whole purpose for their vote)...but if it succeeds... they will claim that they were responsible for it succeeding...and they will steal the success from Obama by lying their asses off....it's the same trick that they always play around election time.

Meanwhile, while the Congress twiddles its thumbs... the economy continues to slide further into a hole.

More Race Nonsense from the Christian Values Folks

The Republican Party’s Latest Attempt at Restoring Their Relevance - Play Up the Racial Divide - also known as... The Southern Strategy

It turns out that the good people at the RNC have been caught peddling racial nonsense targeting President- elect Barack Obama. Not the KKK, not the Skinheads, not the Nazi’s or any other hate group. Nope… this is the official governing body of the Republican Party.

Chip Saltsman, former head of the Republican Party in Tennessee and leader of Mike Huckabee’s Presidential Campaign, apparently distributed a Christmas CD to RNC members featuring the song “Barack the Magic Negro”. Rush Limbaugh must be proud.

At a time when the Country faces a perilous economic situation, with another wave of home foreclosures on the horizon and more layoffs coming, with a health system that only works for a privileged few, and with their Party in shambles, this is how they have been spending their time? Where is their plan for the Country? And Saltsman is someone who is running for the RNC chairmanship.

They can’t lie and say that it wasn’t meant to be an attack on non-Whites, because that was the whole theme of the CD, which also contained material mocking Mexican immigrants. (see the New Yorker Article below). Apparently Mexican immigrants are fine for the wealthy GOP corporate elites and business owners who need cheap labor… but once they are of no use to them, they become evil aliens who have to leave.

Saltsman’s response was typical…. He didn’t have any regret for sending out the CD… and he didn’t admit that it was boneheaded… instead he reacted to the backlash by releasing a statement saying:

"our party leaders should...refuse to pander to the media's desire for scandal."

What? He distributes a racially targeted song to commemorate “Christmas” and that’s supposed to be ok?

Needless to say, Obama supporters (and even a few non-supporters) don’t find this to be very amusing. Is there any wonder why Republican events are almost exclusively White….with the exception of a few symbolic token minorities? And they always try to say that they are genuinely interested in reaching out to other groups…that they want their Party to be diverse. Nonsense. They have never been genuinely interested in diversity. It’s been a White Party for the last 30-40 years…. as Blacks really began switching their support during the late 1960's. This is why Republican events look nothing like the actual ethnic and cultural make-up of America.

Here is the reaction from MSNBC news host Tamron Hall, as Republican minion Kate Obenshain attempts to rationalize & sanitize the song as a legitimate parody.



See more from ThinkProgress

As expected, the GOP trotted out one of their Black representatives for damage control… Ken Blackwell quickly defended Chip Saltsman:

"When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal," he said. "All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

But Jim Greer, the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party, had a different response according to CBS News:

"As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we've seen over the past few days," he said. "I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior."
"Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party," added Greer.

This just shows how far out in the wilderness the Republican leadership is… they remain tone deaf. It particularly shows how out of touch Ken Blackwell is, when many of his White Republican colleagues saw Saltsman’s comments as inappropriate, racially insensitive, and not in the best interests of the Party.

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Also See Article from the New Yorker Magazine

Rush Limbaugh: Obama really ISN'T African-American

Hat tip: Booman Tribune

From Media Matters:

Limbaugh repeats baseless Obama smear: "He's Arab. ... [H]e's not African-American"

Summary: Rush Limbaugh baselessly asserted of Sen. Barack Obama: "Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood?" Limbaugh continued: "He's Arab. You know, he's from Africa. He's from Arab parts of Africa. ... [H]e's not African-American. The last thing that he is is African-American."


From the September 22 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: These polls on how one-third of blue-collar white Democrats won't vote for Obama because he's black, and -- but he's not black. Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood? He doesn't have any African -- that's why when they asked whether he was authentic, whether he's down for the struggle. He's Arab. You know, he's from Africa. He's from Arab parts of Africa. He's not -- his father was -- he's not African-American. The last thing that he is is African-American. I guess that's splitting hairs, I don't -- it's just all these little things, everything seems upside-down today in this country.

Now folks. Please tell me that you see the racist forest for the trees.

If you can't see coordination in this, then you are as blind as Stevie Wonder.

The hack job done by the AP with their 'Obama's problem with racist Whites' story. Then, there was the Latino GOP Republican official that came out with this - "The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors," he said. "African-Americans came here as slaves. "Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won't vote for a black president."

Of course later, he explained that he was 'misunderstood.' (I keep on telling you - English is my PRIMARY language - I'm not misunderstanding a damn thing). This is, of course, as every poll of Latino voters says that Obama is stomping McCain 2-1, the exception being Cubans, and Obama is running well for a Democrat with them.

Then there are the smear fliers going around to the Jewish community connecting Barack Obama with PAT BUCHANAN.

But now..

After being HALFRICAN

And THE MAGIC NEGRO..

Limbaugh says that Obama 'really' isn't African-American. He's Arab.

This is but another variation of what Nicholas Kristoff says is The Push to ‘Otherize’ Obama.

In the ' Good Old Days'....all you needed to scare ' Good White Folk' was a picture or two of a Black man.

Rush has made it official.

Arabs and/or Muslims have replaced Black folk as the NIGGERS OF AMERICA.

There's no other explanation.

Used to be...a good old-fashioned racebaiting campaign with the Black man as bogeyman would do the trick.

Big Black Brute will attack the poor wittle defenseless White woman.

White men, get your guns! The Nigras are coming for your White Women!

Lord knows, they've been trying...that Franklin Raines ad was just the latest attempt at their Birth of a Nation advertising campaign.

I want to laugh. I know I should do what the ancestors have done time and time again before me and find some humor in this situation. Find some silver lining.

But, I don't find any silver lining in another group being maligned and denigrated and used as a club for White Supremacy. No humor in that.

I guess the only thing positive IS that I have been tired of that crew dancing and coming up to the edge of their bigotry. Like John Ridley told Limbaugh, his junkie racist ass needs to MAN UP. I guess outright lying to peddle anti-Arab/Muslim bigotry is him doing just that.

The Republican Party and Its Right Wing Media

Republican Party Leader Rush Limbaugh

The Conservative media infrastructure in the U.S. is huge. Republicans/Conservatives dominate Talk Radio and have a strong presence in the world of TV news. The Center for American Progress recently published a report showing the dominant presence of Conservative programming on the radio. This report backs up other reports that show the dominant presence of Right Wing media. Rush Limbaugh's program alone is broadcast on more than 500 radio stations across the Country, including to the Armed Forces Radio network which is piped in to U.S. troops stationed across the globe. Limbaugh also has approximately 20 million listeners. To put that into perspective, Canada has a population of roughly 34 million people. This gives the man once referred to as the most dangerous man in America one of the biggest message platforms in the Country... certainly one of the biggest amongst Conservatives. This allows Republicans to control the debate in the mainstream media on a variety of issues, even when they are the minority Party.
It is not unusual for the Mainstream media to use Right Wing talking points as a starting point for political and social discussions.

Right wing media has been the driving force behind the Republican Party for the past 2 decades and it continues to have influence. With an army of dozens of Conservative radio stations from coast to coast and hundreds of Right Wing talk show hosts, pundits, & columnists, Republicans have been able to drown out more Progressive voices. In fact the Right wing Republican media is strongest when their Party is in the minority.

Right Wing media, led by radio host Rush Limbaugh, represents the voice of the Republican Party. Right wing talk show hosts are the spokespeople for the Republican Party. Limbaugh & Co. not only speaks for the Republican Party, but they basically run the Party. It has been this way for years & will continue to be the case. Republican politicians have acknowledged the fact that Rush Limbaugh & Co. controls the GOP and its agenda. Right wing hosts and pundits set the tone, decide the message and determine what the Party stands for, leaving Republican politicians with no choice but to fall in line (even when they may not believe in the message or the tactics from the Party's far right Army of spokesmen/women). We see this with the more than ridiculous "Birther Movement", where Republican politicians - some of whom probably know better - are forced to chase ghosts. Even when they know the issue is a sham, they have to at least pretend to play along. Why? Because what used to be the fringe of the GOP is no longer the fringe. The crazies are now part of the mainstream base of the Republican Party. These politicians (the handful of Republicans with half a brain and a little common sense) can't afford not to play the game. They are forced to dumb-down to placate the base of the Republican Party; something that is fascinating to watch. Troubling...but fascinating at the same time.

The March 2008 dust-up between Limbaugh and RNC Chairman Michael Steele was a perfect demonstration of who is in charge of the Republican Party. And Michael Steele has not been the only Republican political figure who had to learn this the hard way… there have been several Republican members of Congress who have had to apologize and bow to Limbaugh after they have made slip ups, challenging Limbaugh’s clout and authority. It’s as clear as day that these folks dictate the Republican agenda. Whenever a Republican political figure slips up…. They have to turn right around and apologize....almost groveling at Limbaugh's feet as they do so. And they are often humiliated publicly. Republican politicians are scared to death of Limbaugh & Co. That's power!. And why is this the case? Because the Republican Party is fully dependent on its media foot soldiers to sell its message or to distort the message of its opponents. More important.... the Republican Party depends on its media wing to raise money. The Republican Party would be nothing without these propaganda spinsters.

Partisan politics is nothing new. But in recent years there has been a noticeable change in the tone and message, particularly from Right wing Talk Show hosts - The foot soldiers of the Republican Party. What’s different now is that the Republican Conservative media is embracing more aggressive & radical tactics. Hate speech has become the norm. The messages are more dangerous, destructive and toxic today. And many are even embracing the idea of using threats and violence. This is a dangerous turn for American political and social discourse and it threatens our so-called Democratic system.

See a video clip about the dangers of Right Wing Radio:


See the full Bill Moyers Documentary on Right Wing Radio (a must see).

Below are a few examples of acts of violence & terrorism in the U.S. that have been encouraged by the Right Wing media’s message. By whipping up hate, spreading propaganda, and playing on the fears and the ignorance of their followers, Republican Right Wing media hosts have created, and continue to create, an environment in this Country where racial and political violence is becoming all too common. No one is holding these media figures accountable.

1. Eric Rudolph - Killed 2 and wounded 150 others in a series of bombings between 1996 and 1998, including the 1996 bombing at the Olympic Games in Atlanta Georgia, and several attacks on abortion clinics.

2. Jim Adkisson - Shot 2 people to death and wounded several others at a Knoxville Tennessee Church in 2008. Adkisson wanted to kill Liberals and Democrats and was fueled by propaganda from Republican Right Wing talk show hosts.

3. Paul Jennings Hill - Brutally murdered 2 workers at a Florida abortion clinic in 1994.

4. Rev. Michael Bray - Conspired to attack abortion clinics with bombs, but was arrested before the attacks were carried out.

5. Timothy McVeigh - The most well known domestic Terrorist in America - he savagely murdered 168 people in Oklahoma City in 1995.

6. Lawrence Russell Brewer, John King, and Shawn Allen Berry - Murdered James Byrd Jr. in Texas in 1998. Byrd was killed because he was Black.

7. Tharin Robert Gartrell, Nathan Johnson, and Shawn Robert Adolf - Right Wing White Supremacists who were reportedly part of a 2008 plot to harm Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention in Denver.

Read the official Federal criminal complaint - see specifically counts 9, 11 and 12.

8. Dera Marie Jones - Arrested in 2005 for threatening to kill a Federal Judge. Jones was fueled by hatred whipped up by the Republican Right Wing Talk Show hosts who were creating a frenzy about the Terri Schiavo case.

9. Richard Alan Meywes - Arrested in 2005 for offering a bounty to arrange for the murder of a Federal Judge also connected to the Terri Schiavo case. Meywes also wanted Michael Schiavo killed.

10. Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman - Arrested in 2008 for threats against Barack Obama and others. [additional source]

11. James Kopp - Murdered Obstetrician Barnett Slepian in 1998. [additional source]

12. Benjamin Nathaniel Smith- Went on a shooting spree in 1999, targeting Blacks and other minority groups. [additional source].

13. Matthew Hale - Right Wing White Supremacist leader arrested for attempting to have a Federal Judge assassinated.

14. Richard Andrew Poplawski - Right wing nut murdered 3 Pittsburgh Police officers in April, 2009. Poplawski was paranoid that President Obama was going to take away all guns (which was never actually the case…the issue regarding Obama and guns really had to do with the Assault weapons ban, Concealed Carry rights, and more licensing…. However, Attorney General Eric Holder has made clear that even these efforts are not and would not be a primary focus for the Obama Administration). Taking away gun rights completely was never a proposition that was on the table… but Republican Right Wing Talk show hosts have been whipping up this rumor, sending their followers into an irrational frenzy. [additional source] [additional source]

15. Danny Ray Tollett - This Right Wing maniac entered 2 Louisiana gas stations in December of 2008 and shot the Arab clerks at point blank range with his .44 Magnum handgun. The motive? He wanted to kill Muslims. Watch the actual video of one of the shootings. [additional source]

16. The Phineas Priests (or Phineas Priesthood) - A Right Wing Terrorist movement, responsible for terrorist acts throughout the Northwest. Learn more about the Phineas Priests movement from the ADL (see here, and here). [additional source]

17. Scott Roeder - On May 31, 2009, this American terrorist assassinated Dr. George Tiller during Sunday services at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita Kansas. (Despite official claims of sympathy for the victim, many Conservative groups seemed gleeful about the murder, with many Right Wing Conservatives giving various signals of "a wink and a nod" support to Roeder.)
[Additional sources: FBI was warned about Roeder| Rachel Maddow Reveals background of Scott Roeder | Additional link to Maddow commentary | More violence to come according to Roeder | Wiki Page ]

18. James Von Brunn - This Right Wing (GOP) racist entered the National Holocaust Museum on June 10, 2009 and murdered Security Officer Stephen T. Johns.

19. Republican Tea Party Terrorist Byron Williams - In July of 2010, domestic terrorist Byron Williams opened fire on police in California and engaged in a major shootout before giving up. Williams, who was heavily armed, was stopped by Police while en-route to carry out killings at ACLU offices and other locations. Williams had planned to attack the ACLU & Liberals, and was influenced by propaganda from Conservative media. Read more here, here and here.


Great articles about the dangers of Right Wing radicalism.
The GOP and the Growing Right-Wing Terror Threat

Commentary on Anti Abortion Violence by Laura Flanders.

Great article about threat to Judges
Supreme Court Justice Ruth B. Ginsburg talks about death threats.



****************************
Why is this hate speech allowed to persist on the public airwaves?
It seems to harken back to the turbulent 1950’s and 60’s when Progressives & Blacks faced the threat of violence and death for their beliefs & for wanting civil & human rights - a time when American terrorism was a reality.

Republicans seem to be willing to bring that kind of divisive atmosphere back to life- in fact, it seems as if they want to expand it. It’s not just about race anymore. It’s now about race, class, immigration, abortion, religion, progressive politics, and all sorts of issues. They are looking for all sorts of ways & reasons to split the Country -- and more of these people seem to be open to the idea of violence. It’s no coincidence that Sarah Palin was whipping up hate during the 2008 Presidential Election campaign. Republican strategists knew exactly what they were doing….Playing on the fear and xenophobia of White Americans and fanning the flames of hate and divisiveness for their own political gain. It’s ironic that these folks really can’t stand the poor, the White poor included. Yet they are able to fool poor Southern Whites into believing that they (Republicans and their media foot soldiers) really have their interests at heart. In reality, Republicans have been able to use poor Whites to bolster Conservative causes by convincing them to work against their own best economic and political interests. This is one of the most amazing phenomenon’s in American politics today.

Republicans want to protect their geographical base… which is primarily the South and they seem to want to re-establish some sort of Confederacy…. If not a geographical one, certainly a political and ideological one.

It is important for folks to know who these people are, so….

Who Are They?

So who are the leaders and spokespeople for the Republican Party? Who are the GOP Cheerleaders?
(this is just a partial list of some of the biggest figures…but members of the Republican media apparatus actually number in the thousands across the Country; including national and local hosts, pundits, columnists, authors, religious leaders, Conservative activists, reporters and media execs).

In no particular order, they are:

1. Rush Limbaugh
2. Sean Hannity
3. Bill Cunningham
4. David Duke [1] Even David Duke has his own radio program that was once syndicated and beamed across the Country. Duke was arrested overseas for his extremism.
5. Michael Savage He was banned from Britain for hate speech
6. Neal Boortz
7. G. Gordon Liddy [1]
8. Laura Ingraham [1][2]
9. Glenn Beck [1] [2]
10. Pat Buchanan
11. Matt Drudge
12. Brit Hume
13. Mark Levin
14. Roger Ailes
15. Dave Glover
16. Elisabeth Hasselbeck
17. Bill Kristol
18. Ann Coulter
19. Bill O’Reilly
20. David Limbaugh
21. Kevin James
22. Jesse Lee Peterson
23. Chuck Colson
24. Tammy Bruce
25. Melanie Morgan
26. Hal Turner
27. Bob Grant
28. George Will
29. Chris Wallace
30. Michael Medved
31. Alan Keyes
32. Mort Kondracke
33. James Dobson
34. Michelle Malkin
35. Joe Scarborough
36. John Gibson
37. Pat Robertson
38. Jon Caldara
39. Mike Gallagher
40. John Ziegler
41. Jim Quinn
42. Michael Reagan
43. Steve Sailer
44. Scott Wheeler
45. Jerome Corsi
46. Cal Thomas
47. Alex Jones
48. Dick Morris
49. Oliver North
50. Bernard Goldberg
51. Jerry Doyle
52. Joseph Farah
53. Dana Perino - Former WH Press Sec. under Bush, Now a PR Spinster.
54. Karl Rove
55. Neil Cavuto
56. Christopher Ruddy
57. John Podhoretz
58. Aaron Klein
59. Jack Cashill
60. Matthew Sheffield
61. Charles Krauthammer
62. Armstrong Williams
63. Brent Bozell
64. Rick Santelli
65. Jay Severin (James Thompson Severino)
66. Cliff Kincaid
67. Joyce Kaufman
68. Brad O’Leary
69. Michael Patrick Leahy
70. James David Manning (Black preacher paraded around by White Conservatives). See him in action
71. Jim Robinson - of the 'Free Republic'.
72. Tom Tancredo
73. Gary Marx - Director of the Right Wing Judicial Confirmation Network (JCN)
74. Randall Terry
75. Curtis Sliwa
76. Wesley Pruden
77. Roger Hedgecock
78. John F. McManus
79. Heidi Harris
80. Dana Loesch - Loesch (pronounced Lash) works for KFTK 97.1 FM (the Republican/Conservative propaganda station in St. Louis, along with KMOX 1120 AM). She's what I call "The Little Ann Coulter". She's one of the leaders of the St. Louis Tea Party effort and has her own radio program. She also recently entered the national stage, filling in for other Right wing mouthpieces such as Michael Savage - on The Michael Savage Show.
81. Richard Land - Far right evangelical with his own talk show.
82. Dennis Miller
83. Lou Dobbs - A fiercely Conservative Republican who pretends to be an "independent".
84. Hugh Hewitt
85. Kevin James
86. Sarah Palin
87. Dick Armey
88. Dale Robertson - One of the national "Tea Party" leaders. Runs website TeaParty.org
89. Andrew Breitbart
90. Nicole Wallace - Former Communications Director for George W. Bush...now a pundit pushing Right wing propaganda.
91. Monica Crowley
92. James T. Harris
93. John Robert Bolton - Foreign policy radical
94. Wayne Allyn Root
95. Herman Cain (A Clarence Thomas Twin)
96. Ernest Istook
97. Pamela Geller
98. Mark Williams
99. Tom Fitton
100. Colin Hanna
101. Mark Belling
102. Lee Rodgers
103. Brendan Steinhauser - FreedomWorks (Tea Party Organizer)
104. Marc Thiessen
105. Tony Blankley
106. Stuart Varney
107. Megyn Kelly
108. Karen Hanretty
109. Jeffrey Lord

The Republican Media’s Anti Obama Campaign

The Republican Party & its media have teamed up for a campaign against President Obama. This campaign was officially launched in February 2008, with so-called “Tea Party” protests around the Country, in opposition to the stimulus legislation designed to save jobs and keep the economy afloat until the banking problem, the housing market and other issues could turn around. Although in reality, the Anti-Obama campaign got going as soon as Obama was elected - basically it's a continuation of the General Election Campaign. The clear irony here is that the economic mess at the heart of all this was a disaster left by their Republican President, but they are upset that Obama made an attempt to clean up their mess. Incredible. No furry at all towards the jackasses who caused the problem. According to Republican politicians and their supporters… it was poor folks… folks on Mainstreet who caused the recession (which started in December of 2007)…. Not the Bush Administration for having poor economic priorities and having an SEC, FTC, and Treasury Department asleep at the wheel for years and the Bankers for not having prudent lending practices or Executives on Wall Street who were making a killing by creating & trading in an underground, therefore largely unregulated, market of Mortgage Backed Securities and other exotic financial products. No… poor folks caused the recession.

I thought the election campaign was over and I had hoped that politicians in Washington would be willing to cooperate to solve problems. But Right Wing Republicans have decided that they will be obstructionists. They have declared war on Obama and have made it clear that they hope the President fails. Even though the Presidents failure could mean the nations failure & at the very least it could mean more suffering for Americans. Republicans see this as their only way to return to power. So they are on record hoping for the Country’s failure for the benefit of their own selfish interests. Notice, however, how Republicans offer few fresh ideas of their own- only the stale ideas of the past; ideas that have been tried and that have failed.

What are the aims of the Anti- Obama Campaign?

1. To discredit Obama.

2. To Paint Obama as Un-American

3. To Obstruct ALL of Obama’s initiatives, even those that Republicans pretend to be willing to support.

4. To block Obama’s efforts to improve the economy - Republicans hope for worsening conditions for Americans. (For their own narrow political interests).

5. To make the Obama Presidency a failure.

6. They will do anything they can to undermine Obama’s Presidency - ANYTHING. There seems to be no limit to how low they are willing to go to accomplish this goal.


How Do Republicans & Their Right Wing Media Plan to Accomplish These Goals? What Will Be Their Talking Points?

1. They will continue to call Obama a socialist & communist as a way to scare voters.

2. They will try to divide the Country based on class and race - the same thing that they tried during the 2008 Presidential campaign with Sarah Palin. However, this campaign may be even worse. They will really try to rip the Country apart.

3. They will continue to push the lie that Obama is not really an American citizen…and thus the idea that Obama is not the legitimate President.

4. They will say that Obama is anti-Christian.

5. They will suggest that Obama is unpatriotic.

6. They will use the term “Liberal” (which Obama has not been so far as President) as if it were a dirty word. They will try to equate “Liberal” with “Socialist” and “Nazi”.

7. They will disrespect the First Family. No… I’m not talking about the typical banter that we have seen over the last 200+ years… The kind of disrespect I am suggesting will be of a nature that we have never seen before.

8. They will try to blame poor economic conditions on Obama and will try to re-write history. They will try to convince Americans (who have extremely short memories) that Obama is the cause of their economic hardship.

9. They will push the idea that Obama is secretly Muslim.

10. They will say/suggest that Obama is friendly to terrorists.

11. They will try to stir up anger, hatred, and racial divisions among their supporters.

12. They will paint Obama as being weak on National Security...weak against terrorists, etc.

13. They will stoke violence among their supporters and may (in a roundabout way) even encourage their supporters to engage in violence against certain people or certain groups.

14. They will use lies, distortions & propaganda of all kinds to mislead the American public.

-- All of this sounds sickening, but this is what they hope to do. This is unfortunately where we are as a Country.

What Do They Generally Believe?

1. The Free Market should be allowed to run wild - with no oversight and no new laws to protect Americans.

2. Americans who don’t have enough to eat should be left to fend for themselves. “Haves” shouldn’t have to take care of the “Have Nots”. “Let em starve” is basically the attitude that Republicans have.

3. Americans who are out of work and are struggling to support their families should fend for themselves. Government has no business playing a role in helping the unemployed or providing entitlements. Let churches and charities take care of the unemployed. Not the government.

4. Americans who are losing their homes or who are in danger of losing their homes should fend for themselves.

5. Americans facing economic hardship are “whiners” (as a top economic advisor to Presidential candidate John McCain once stated).

6. Americans with no healthcare or inadequate healthcare are simply out of luck. They should grow up and stop whining. The Republican answer to this problem is… “sorry you are facing such a tough time”…. “we send our prayers”. Republicans support the “Pray You Don’t Get Sick Insurance Company”…perhaps the fastest growing insurance company in the nation…with thousands more new accounts each month.

7. Social Security should be privatized and put on the stock market. They would really like to do away with most "entitlement" programs.

8. Tax cuts are the cure for all economic problems. Tax cuts will create jobs. (Although this theory was allowed to play out during the Bush Administration…. Didn’t work so well. The theory was proven false).

9. War is a solution for most foreign policy problems.

10. Against increase in spending for education.

11. They don’t like the idea of the separation of church and State. Many believe that the U.S. should be a religious State - much like Israel & Iran, where religion often dictates policy.

12. Tend to be less supportive of Science and the Arts.

13. They oppose responsible sex education programs or family planning.

14. Don’t care much for international institutions like the UN, unless they are used to further the Neo-Conservative foreign policy agenda.

15. They generally despise Gays and Lesbians.

16. They generally can't stand Hispanics. They particularly hate Mexicans... They are hostile towards other Hispanics as well, but their hatred of Mexicans is visceral. Of course Mexicans are o.k. when Conservatives are exploiting them for cheap labor (disgusting stuff). Cubans are an exception to their general dislike of Hispanics, because they see Cubans as Republican votes or being at least Republican leaning.

17. They generally despise immigrants, especially Non-European immigrants - legal or otherwise. They see immigration as putting a strain on U.S. Taxpayers and threatening jobs for "real Americans” (code for White Americans). They especially dislike Arab and African immigrants.

18. They don’t like the Judicial Branch and seek ways to subvert the Constitution and weaken the authority of judges. They view judges who make decisions contrary to Republican ideology as “activists”…and “dangerous”. They have even expressed a desire to “remove” judges who don’t agree with them and have (in a roundabout way) encouraged their supporters to threaten violence against judges and do harm to them by whipping up hatred via the airwaves.

19. They are loyal supporters of big business interests over workers.

20. Muslims are terrorists. (all Muslims must be Terrorists... what else could they be?).

21. Support the growth of the Military industrial complex.

22. They don’t really like the poor (including poor Whites) or working class people.

23. They tend to support business interests over the environment.

24. They tend to be xenophobic.

25. Many don't respect Blacks, don't really see Blacks as equal citizens, and resent the idea of Blacks holding high office or accumulating wealth. The proper place for Blacks (in the minds of many Republicans/Conservatives) will always be in some sort of subservient role to non-Black elites, no matter how hard they have worked to be viewed as equal or to simply be respected as citizens in this Country. Some may not say these things publicly, but this is what many Republicans/Conservatives believe.

26. Any sort of tax is a bad tax.

________________________


Three Great Books About the Right Wing Republican Media

Since September 11, 2001, most attempts at reasoned political debate in America have been severely limited by the violent language of the Right. In books and on television, it has become a regular ritual for conservative pundits and intellectuals to infuse violence—particularly against Democrats or liberals—into discussions of the major issues of the day, such as terrorism, immigration and gun violence. The result is the creation of a shrill discourse that silences opposition and destroys any chance for serious, civil debate.

In Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right is Poisoning American Democracy, political language expert Jeffrey Feldman analyzes the words of leading conservative figures Ann Coulter, Dinesh D’Souza, James Dobson, Wayne LaPierre, Pat Buchanan and Bill O’Reilly to show how the Right’s language of violence is polluting our public discourse and limiting the free exchange of ideas. In addition to exposing the conservative obsession with violence, Feldman also shows how the civic discussion in America can be reshaped without the use of violent language, creating a healthier political climate.

“Outright Barbarous turns the spotlight on the rhetorical thuggery of the Right, exposing how the verbal excesses are being perpetrated not just by media blowhards like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh but by conservative thought leaders. But Feldman does more than point fingers; he offers practical steps for cleaning up our too-often-toxic political discourse.” - Arianna Huffington

“Since 9/11, America has been contaminated by the violence of right-wing language, in the speeches of Republican politicians and the rantings of the talking heads on Fox News and on conservative talk radio. Jeffrey Feldman’s insightful and important book cuts through the violence, and shows how we can restore the democratic ideals that America was founded upon.” - Thom Hartmann

“Jeffrey Feldman warns us to ignore the right wing noise machine at our own peril. Backed by right-wing think tanks, foundations and millionaire families, conservative standard bearers will continue to enrich themselves at the cost of a more civil, equitable society. Read Outright Barbarous to find out what they're really saying, and how we can stop it!" - Sam Seder

Link for more information on The Republican Noise Machine and Blinded By The Right by David Brock.

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Great Websites that Keep Track of the Lies, Distortions, Propaganda and Venom from Right Wing Media

1. Media Matters

2. Think Progress

3. RightWingWatch.Org

4. Hatewatch - from the Southern Poverty Law Center

5. On The Media (weekly program)

6. Crooks and Liars

7. ConWebWatch See homepage.

8. People for the American Way


Related Articles

Some good news.... the Republican Party and its Right Wing media are becoming irrelevant to young Americans, according to a survey highlighted by the blog, The Moderate Voice.

Iraq Veterans Respond to Rush Limbaugh

Veterans of the Iraq War have responded to Rush Limbaughs recent attack on their bravery and integrity when he referred to troops with doubts about Iraq as "phony soldiers".

See Video Below

Rush Limbaugh Refers to Troops In Iraq as "Phony"

U.S. Soldiers risking their lives in Iraq have been attacked by none other than Republican Party spokesman Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh referred to those troops who have reservations about the way the Bush Administration is handling the situation in Iraq, as "phony soldiers". Then he goes on to lie to his listeners, by deleting the "phony soldier" comments from his show. His show is piped in to troops in Iraq via the Armed Forces Radio Network, so he wanted to make sure that the soldiers did not hear his comments.

But luckily Media Matters has been following this story and has the audio. Listen Here.

Not surprisingly, Limbaugh has support from fellow Republicans in Congress, who are defending his comments. I guess this is their idea of supporting the troops.

First they lie to the American public in order to go to war, then they send these soldiers to a war launched based on false pretenses, then they fail to send enough forces, and they fail to provide the body armor (including the proper armored vehicles), then they keep the soldiers from their families for so long that military families are beginning to fall apart, then after all of that...the Republicans insult the bravery of the men and women serving in the quigmire and the hell that they created.

Keep in mind, this attack comes from yet another Republican with no military experience. These are the folks who ran the other way when it was their chance to serve.

He says that "we should stay there as long as it takes". And I want to know... who in the hell does he mean by "we"? Rush isn't serving. It's easy for this clown to sit in the safety of his studio and his luxury home, chanting pro-war slogans. He isn't the one who is doing the fighting.

Nor is he the one who has to be away from his family....his wife & children, for 12-18 months at a time.... sometimes enduring 2 or 3 deployments.

_________________________

See Great Related Post from the blog Papastraightalk

Rush Limbaugh and his Idiotic Comments About Darfur

How does an idiot like this maintain a radio show? What's worse is that there are thousands of White Americans who eat this stuff up everyday.... they hang on this mans every word. And I guess this answers that question... people want to hear this stuff. I won't even try to attempt to get into why he is wrong... that would be a waste of my time, but I will post the nonsense that spewed from his mouth.

Courtesy of Media Matters

Limbaugh claims Dems' interest in Darfur is securing black "voting bloc"

Summary: On his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh claimed that Democrats "want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur." He continued: "There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur? It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble." A caller responded, "The black population," to which Limbaugh said, "Right."

On the August 21 broadcast of the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show, a caller said to host Rush Limbaugh: "I know I'm no expert in foreign affairs, but what really confuses me about the liberals is the hypocrisy when they talk about how we have no reason to be in Iraq and helping those people, but yet everybody wants us to go to Darfur." Limbaugh responded by claiming Democrats "want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur." He continued: "There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur? It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble." The caller responded, "The black population," to which Limbaugh said, "Right."

Limbaugh also stated: "So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela -- who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing."

Limbaugh added: "Clinton sent the U.S. military off to Bosnia. No U.S. national interest at stake. The liberals will use the military as a 'meals on wheels' program. They'll send them out to help with tsunami victims. But you put the military -- you put the military in a position of defending U.S. national interest, and that's when Democrats and the liberals oppose it."

However, interest in ending the killing in the Darfur region of Sudan is bipartisan. In 2006, Congress passed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, sponsored by then-Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL). The law contained several sanctions on Sudan, including a ban on ships involved in Sudan's oil trade docking at U.S. ports of entry. An initial version of the bill passed the House by a vote of 416-3, and the final version passed the House by voice vote and the Senate by unanimous consent and was signed by the president on October 13, 2006.

From the August 22 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Here's [caller] in Lake Orion, Michigan. Thank you for calling. Great to have you on the EIB Network.

CALLER: Hey, Rush. It's great to talk to you. I talked to you once before. I've been listening to you for a couple of years now, and I think I'm getting brighter, but there's a lot to be learned. I know I'm no expert in foreign affairs, but what really confuses me about the liberals is the hypocrisy when they talk about how we have no reason to be in Iraq and helping those people, but yet everybody wants us to go to Darfur. I mean, aren't we going to end up in a quagmire there? I mean, isn't it -- I don't understand. Can you enlighten me on this?

LIMBAUGH: Yeah. This is -- you're not going to believe this, but it's very simple. And the sooner you believe it, and the sooner you let this truth permeate the boundaries you have that tell you this is just simply not possible, the better you will understand Democrats in everything. You are right. They want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur.
CALLER: Right.

LIMBAUGH: There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur?

CALLER: Uh, yeah.

LIMBAUGH: It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble.

CALLER: Yes. Yes. The black population.

LIMBAUGH: Right. So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela -- who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing.

CALLER: It's just -- I can't believe it's really that simple.

LIMBAUGH: Well, see, I knew you couldn't believe it. But here's the -- here's one that's even going to be harder to believe and it is even more truthful. Could you tell me what vital national interest, [caller], is at stake in Darfur?
CALLER: Um, I don't know.

LIMBAUGH: Nothing. Zilch, zero, nada. Darfur is not attacking us. Darfur has not said they want to attack us. So they will -- same thing -- Clinton sent the U.S. military off to Bosnia. No U.S. national interest at stake. The liberals will use the military as a "meals on wheels" program. They'll send them out to help with tsunami victims. But you put the military -- you put the military in a position of defending U.S. national interest, and that's when Democrats and the liberals oppose it. And --

CALLER: Right. Terrorists have attacked us and our oil supply comes from, you know, Iraq and Iran and the Middle East, and yet that's not worth defending.

LIMBAUGH: Right. That's exactly right. You've got it. You've got it. Now you just have to believe your own instincts from here on out.