Let’s get the ball rolling

The very last thing Ron Bonlender said to me was “Start Blogging!!” I’ve been putting it off and putting it off but yesterday I received a letter from my best friend who lives outside the United States and it pushed my buttons when he said “I really spend lots of my spare time watching the news on FOX and getting brainwashed against Obama. “ My response from the gut follows. If I have strayed too far from being accurate I am sure some kindly reader will attempt to rectify or clarify my output.

My Dear Friend,
First and foremost you need to toss Fox. Several things have to be kept in mind about President Obama: #1 the Republicans are on the record as of the inauguration night affirming that the highest priority for the Republican party is to deny Obama a second term, no matter what – regardless of the impact on legislation. You must remember that in this country the President proposes but the congress disposes. Their game plan is too not do anything that would give the President credit much less a victory- for anything: that includes rejecting his proposing legislation that they, the Republicans at times originally put forth and/or supported. The R’s will not negotiate anything but cut, cut, cut. There is no negotiation only capitulation to their demands. They bitch about Obama not creating jobs but then reject his plan that includes several elements they put forth or previously supported. They reject it and then with the cuts eliminate thousands of jobs when the cuts happen and people are let go: teachers, police, firefighters and ricochet all the way down the line to the local neighborhood family owned and operated business. Really cynical jerks. Furthermore recall that Obama inherited TWO wars and as a candidate made commitments to wind them down. The withdrawal from Iraq that the R’s are bitching now about is the deadline set by BUSH. Obama is following that deadline the R’s all supported and now rejects. Cynical jerks. The R’s refuse any sort of tax increase on those making over 1 million a year – many of those R’s fit that category and are trying to protect their own money. It is amazing that they moan and groan over taxes as though they are the only ones to have to pay them, and Democrats don’t. Amazing. Amazingly selfish and mean. Then the increase in wealth among the richest is 273% in the last ten years, while 1 out of every 5 Americans now needs help to eat in many areas. The chasm between rich and poor in America is growing wider. Corporations are awash in money but are not investing it, of course they are still lavishing multi-million bonuses on CEO’s who have resigned, been pushed out or otherwise not earned it.

GW Bush set this mess in motion in 2001 when instead of paying down the national debt with the huge surplus Clinton left, decided to give a tax break, mostly favoring the super rich. The Republicans o so often like to lecture on not spending what one does not have – how about paying what you owe before giving the money away in tax cuts? On top of it GW removed the banking regulations that had been put in place to check abuse and voilá the abuse grew to the emergency we have today…. Nice no? Then furthermore the R’s are rumbling and making waves wanting to move on a few of their long standing agenda items: bust the unions, eliminate minimum wage, since 1938 they have wanted to zap social security and since 1964 eliminate Medicare.

So you think what Fox and the Republicans are railing against the President is brainwashing you – you are more right than wrong. If you wonder about supporting the President and the Democrats in the next election JUST CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE…. And ask if pushing middle class to the edge of poverty, eliminating the support system in place between Americans and the corporate greed and abuse, squeezing the basic elements of the quality of life we have come to enjoy in this country, just ask yourself if that is the way to go.

Are you really selfish enough and mean enough to vote Republican??

Stephen Colbert had an interesting observation I want to close with..
“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it”

Would Jesus be a good Republican in today’s party??