2011: The GOP Candidates' Year Of Living Stupid

 By RF Schatten

There were many good stories about Politics in 2011...some very sad, some very inspiring, some very, very serious, and others...well! others, very stupid and extremely funny!! Which brings me to the 2011 Class of Republican Presidential Candidates. This could have been a very serious matter, with very important issues that could make or brake a candidate, and elevate an individual to possibly become the next President of the United States...but, as the days, weeks, and months past by...and a marathon of GOP Presidential Debates ensued, you just couldn't help but feel, that this whole exercise of Democracy in action, has been one great giant... “put on”.

If you are a political junkie, or someone who just wants to be able to look at the issues and the the people who might someday be the Leaders of the Free World...you would stay tuned to the election cycle's Presidential Debates, by either or both Parties...debates by both sides before the Presidential Primaries, has become part of Americana.

2011 was no different...except, a funny thing happened on the way to the primaries. The Democratic Party, because being the Party in power...and a sitting President ready to take the challenge of all comers...didn't need to participate in that exercise. So, it was up to the GOP, to pick who was going to be their Candidate to challenge the President. And before you can blink, a slew of Candidates were declaring their intention...at least 4 of them, jumped into the race because “God told me to run”...obviously, God must have a sense of humor...since he is “Almighty”, and you're not suppose to question his word, he must have been fucking with the minds with 3 of them.

From the start, the field of Presidential wannabees appeared as if they were a casting call for a Cecil B. DeMille epic!! You had enough people exploring or declaring their candidacy, that the entire Roman Legion in Cleopatra, would look minuscule compared to this field!

In all seriousness...there was nothing serious about the 2011 GOP Class. In fact, they resembled not a class of political candidates, but a mix of the classes in “Welcome Back Kotter” and “Saved by the Bell”. What this “Class” resembles, is a Cast of Clowns, right out of a 3 Ring Circus, which is what many writers and commentators call it...I call it: “The Freak Show”!!

Trying to pick who to start with, is difficult, so I'll just start with the 1^st Clown Freak...and he was dressed for the part...orange face and all...Donald Trump. With “The Donald”, there was nothing really funny about him, except his artificial tan. The only semblance of fun he could be associated with, was that he “was” a joke. He said he could deal with any foreign power, by simply telling them; “This is what I'm going to do...and you better line up with me or else”. Not much for diplomacy, and apparently, not much for the GOP...he dropped out soon...he had a choice of running for President or continue his reality show, “The Apprentice”...the GOP pretty much said to him: “You're Fired!!” His excuse was, that he really never formally decided to run.

Next, was a speech in New Hampshire...by another very scholarly member of the Class of 2011...Michele Bachmann. This Lady, not only professes to be a college graduate...but someone who is extremely patriotic. During her speech, she mentions how proud she is, in being in the Cradle of the American Revolution...Concord, NH!! “That's Concord, Mass” said an old friend of mine, from my days in NH. She continued as if nothing happened. “That's Concord, Mass”...he continued, “This is Cancard, New Hammshaa” he said in your typical Upper New England accent. She thought they were smiling, because they liked her speech...they were really laughing, because they saw a Lady running for President, who knew American History, worse than my 12 year old grandson...BTW, he does know American History...better than her. So did the Teenage Girl, who wanted to debate her. Then came “that” moment in Iowa, as she mentioned how proud she was being in the hometown of that great American, John Wayne...she got part of the name right...except, it was, a not so great American...serial killer John Wayne Gacy. There are so many more stories on our Welfare Queen, but just, not enough space for all of them.

We move on to the god ol' Texas Cowboy...Gov. Rick Perry, the Oops! Guy of the Republican Party. First, he could only remember 2 of the 3 Depts of the Government that he wanted to “Cut”...he just couldn't remember the 3^rd...pretty sorry, when those 3 cuts is a major portion of his very own plan. He just couldn't remember his own plan!!! His only remark, when that happened, during a Debate, was...Oops!!!!!! Then came an interview in which he couldn't remember the name of the SCOTUS Justice that he was criticizing...you might call that, another Ooops moment. But the strangest and funniest moment for this man, was in New Hampshire...when he spoke, and appeared to act...oh well!, a little strange you might say. Bill Maher, commented that he once said, that what Rick Perry needed to do was to take some Magic Mushroom... “Well! I never expected him to take me literally”. He did look a little giddy...as they said back in the 60s and 70s; “He must have taken some Windowpane” Well Rick! OOPS!!!!!

There are so many, many moments. Herman “The Pizza Man” Cain, wanted to be President, but his knowledge of Government was not to Par...he didn't know much about the Constitution...when asked about a controversial Constitutional Amendment, which he wanted passed, he said; “As soon as this Amendment passes...I will signed it immediately”. By the way, Mr. Cain...you don't sign Constitutional Amendments, once they are ratified by the States, they become Law!!! And then came the moment of “Uzbecky Becky Becky Stan Stan” , which he said; don't know where it is, who cares. Well, Uzbekistan happens to be the country from which the US Military uses to send its weapons over to Afghanistan. “Well, since as President, I'll have people to do that...I don't need to know where it is. Let's just say, that Foreign Policy, would not have been his strength...now, Family Values? Cain ran as a very deeply religious man, with Morality and Family Values as his strength. Then came the scandals...women after women... “Never heard of them” he pretty much said, “well! maybe I did know that person, but I was never involved in technical issues like Lawyers and Lawsuit Settlements”. Then his mistress of 13 years, Ginger White, came out...oh!!!! I thought we were just friends?”. It turned out that Herman Cain, Deeply Religious Family Man, was just a dirty old philanderer.

There are many stories in this Naked City of Presidential Wannabees, and we cannot cover them all...so I'll end this with one more Candidate...actually, someone who still not a candidate...the Reality Show version of Michele Bachmann...Sarah Palin. Like Bachman, another not too serious student of American History, as we all found out that Paul Revere was signaling the British, that the Americans were waiting to get them??? Sarah!!! Paul Revere was warning the Americans that the British were coming, not to the British, that the Americans were coming!! But, she just Winked and Smiled, and went on her Merry way, without ever acknowledging her mistake. NOW!! the grand finish for the Hockey Mom...she said, if the GOP Convention becomes brokered, she might just decide to enter the competition!!...because she can beat Obama!!

So, I'll end this little tale of Stupids, with what could be the funniest thought of all. The only person, not acting ridiculous throughout these debates and campaign stumps, has been Jon Huntsman...the only Candidate who has remained a gentleman, and looking like a real statesman. Huntsman, may very well be the only candidate who can seriously give Barack Obama, a run for his money. But, because he is an Honorable, Decent, and Respected Human Being and Politician...he is in last place. He is not stupid, and since stupid is as stupid does...the Grand Old Tea Party, will pick the stupidest person they can find.

The Great Upheaval

By Lorenzo A. Cañizares



To understand what is meant by “The Great Upheaval” is important to provide some pertinent facts. We need to realize that there is a dichotomy amongst the American people in how we experience the reality around us. Regular common people that have been lucky enough not to have had to deal with losing a job or being discriminated because of race, gender, sexual preference or religion trying to understand what’s happening in America today, can become difficult especially if they have been mainly just paying attention to daily living.

As we are seeing, most states are going through an attempt to change the reality that Americans live in. Those with jobs, as teachers and state workers that might have been oblivious to the pain being suffered by those that have lost jobs and benefits in the private sector, are getting to know now how it feels. The people doing the deciding are ruthless in their disregard for the popular will or well-being. For example, Charles M. Blow mentions in his NYT column of 2/12/11 that Republicans in New Hampshire have filed bills to overturn the state’s same-sex marriage law, even though, according to a recent WMUR Granite State Poll, the state’s residents want to leave the law in place by a majority of more than 2 to 1. Who cares about being concerned about what constituents want?

The above example of disregard for the popular will is assisted by the corporate stranglehold that exists in our political life. The Supreme Court through their decision in Citizens United has opened the floodgates to corporate money overwhelming our democracy. Conservatives use a committed group of cadres that through the pretext of social issues push for economic policies that will benefit the Greedy Rich. The excuse of fiscal responsibility is widely used a justification to attain the political goals that the Greedy Rich are after. Notice, as in Wisconsin, dismantling of labor unions is the goal under the banner of fiscal responsibility while promoting tax cuts for the very wealthy, tax cuts that will deepen the deficit even further. As the headlines of the newspaper Roll Call said in its July 18 edition “Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell blasts deficit spending, urges extension of tax cuts.” The monies behind the Citizens United decision allow this utterly ridiculous statement to acquire political legitimacy! To make it a double dosage of hypocrisy, McConnell also considers defense spending to be sacrosanct.

The Democratic Party could have not been more compliant in the last Congress. We have seen Democrats watering down legislation one after another trying to gain the cooperation of Republicans. Take the Health Care bill as an example, the Democrats through compromise watered down the bill, but even that watered down bill that if implemented could have been a windfall for health insurance corporations is being rejected because the goal is to defeat Obama. Can anybody be so witless not to understand what Republicans are trying to do? After such a barrage of verbiage regarding jobs, jobs, jobs they are forcing the nation to revive the health care wars, all with the intent of defeating Obama in 2012, as McConnell has let us know to be the goal. Isn’t it coincidental that several Republican Governors have refused government monies to deal with infrastructure reforms that would have produced hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs throughout the country?

A major part of the “Great Upheaval” is what the lap-dogs of the Greedy Rich have been able to come up with just to make sure that we understand the power that they have over us. What’s more clear than what E.J. Montini, a widely read Arizona Republic columnist, description of Arizona’s Governor and Republican legislators as a “death panel” that has originally condemned 98 Arizonans to death because it’s not cost effective to provide them organ transplants. Two has already died. Republicans do run effective death panels!

But, nothing is a more clear indication of the “Great Upheaval” than what’s going on in Wisconsin. Governor Walker intent is to destroy the unions, to destroy what brought the American working class into the middle class, and to destroy the societal cushion that was the base of America’s prosperity. Governor Walker’s plan would limit collective bargaining for most state and local government employees to wages, leaving issues like benefits and work conditions to their respective employer’s whims. It would require workers to contribute more to their pensions and health care, limit wage increases to a cap based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and limit contracts to one year. It would require unions to take annual votes to maintain certification while also permitting workers to stop paying union dues.

These are just a few examples of what the Greedy Rich have done in their attempt to maximize profits coming their way. Notice we have not talked about wars, Wall Street, the Mortgage crisis, etc. But, we can be certain now that we have arrived to the point that those who don’t see it, is because they just don’t want to see it.

The “Great Upheaval” is about to unravel.

The New Fourth Reich

 By Darwin Phillips


I awakened this morning to a most informative and accurate portrayal of what we are indeed facing once again in this world of cycles, I must have nodded off last night with the TV on, as I woke up to Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster in "Judgement at Nuremberg".

I had much to do, but was captivated by the incredible cast of actors and actresses as well as the subject matter, as I watched it became blazingly clear that we are yet again deeply ensconced in the trials and tribulations of that era, in other words what was happening then is again happening now, much the same as the correlation between our War in Iraq and the Police Action that was Vietnam, It became very clear that the Nazi's of that day are here among us yet today, just as the great inspiring words of Martin Luther King, the Kennedy's, and many others survive in the hearts and minds of our people, the evil insanity of a Hitler does as well for others, we must not forget the reality of Yin and Yang, and for every action there is a reaction, Hitler is not dead !...he never died in the minds of people that subscribe to that train of thought.

I have just over 500 friends on Face Book, and I do consider each and every one of them a friend, as most of us have conversed for quite a while, and my new friends seem every bit as committed to saving this Country as do any of us, I do not do this very often but I would urge every one of you to rent, download or otherwise watch this movie, those of you that have seen it in the past, I would urge you all to see it again, it will illuminate a great deal of what is going on today 62 years later !

99 Nazis were sentenced to life, not one of them completed that sentence and some survive I'm sure, what's important here is that I began to see correlations between the Nazi mind and those that conspire against America today...nothing has changed when one takes a hard unbiased look at what the neo-conservative branch of our Government is trying so desperately to accomplish, it is abundantly clear that they have simply expanded a deep hatred for minorities to the entire middle class and the poor, to them we are all JEWS and must be exterminated, the tactics are all the very same although slightly more polished in their presentation, but make no mistake, this is all still about World Domination by the Wealthy, the Corporations, the Banks, and the new Reich !!! from this point forward I have to see the so-called "YOUNG GUNS" the "HOUSE REPUBLICANS" and all of their backers and supporters as the New Nazis of the Fourth Reich.

Everything in our existence is cyclical, there truly is nothing new under the Sun, what has been will be, and what is, shall be repeated...what we need to do is awaken and see the reality for what it is, Please get the movie and see if what it portrays hits you the same as it did me !!!...when I see The John Boehners, Mitch McConnells, Paul Ryans, Dick Armeys of this present world I can't help but see them in SS Uniforms, long Black Boots and a Swastika emblazoned or their chest, yelling zieg heil !!! the difference I see however is that this group of Nazis is by no means as intellectually astute as those that Hitler commanded, they are fragmented and ill advised, but make no mistake about how dangerous they are or can be !!!

The President should never assent to any of their demands as they have made their case blisteringly clear, and we should engage and fight them at every turn, and especially with the VOTE !!!