Townhall Meetings, Leaked Memos, and Coincidences

THIS flyer was leaked by a volunteer with Freedom Works and got all kinds of attention on the blogosphere yesterday... Personally, I don't find anything terribly offensive or shocking about encouraging folks to be more active in their local politics. I know of several liberal action groups that are also fervently trying to rally grassroots level support at townhall meetings themselves, so the outrage is rings a tad false. What I do take offense to though is this implicit encouragement to manipulate the conversation and ridicule representatives. The whole purpose of a townhall meeting is to have a discussion and exchange information - these people are turning them into a chance to get attention (as apposed to a chance to listen to what the bill entails, ask questions, register educated question ABOUT HEALTH CARE REFORM, or make any constructive suggestions) from the media.

Now, I can not prove it - but I am willing to bet it's not a coincidence that the author of the leaked memo happens to have a penchant for video taping himself cornering his local representative and suddenly TODAY OperationEmbarassYourCongressman.com is launched. Wanna know what else seems like quite a coincedence? No videos of Republican reps on the site (they claim no one has sent them any).

UPDATE: The latest in what feels like a string of coincidences... on the OperationEmbarrass homepage they provide a link to a listing of townhall meetings and suspiciously includes the phrase "(hosted on another website I don't manage)". That site? TeaPartyPatriots.com. Guess who is a member at TeaPartyPatriots.com...

NUTTERS

You might be "a nutter" if...

*you think our president is not an American citizen despite evidence to the contrary. lots of it. seriously, tons.

*you bought a gun before the election because Obama was going to ban guns.

*you think teaching children only abstinence works.

*you don't believe global warming is real.

*you can admit global warming is real, but don't believe it has anything to do with how we humans (particularly Americans) live our lives here on the earth.

*you think it is justifiable to kill doctors willing to perform abortions.

*you are seriously and actively posting and reading on the Free Republic website. Or read WorldNetDaily. (sorry, i refuse to link to them and give them traffic)

*you believe a public health care insurance option will lead to the government euthanizing the elderly to cut costs.

*you made (had, let, whatever...) your kid pose for this picture.

SEE ALSO:
Ann Coulter
Sarah Palin
Glenn Beck
Sean Hannity
Michelle Bauchman
Orly Taitz
Pamela Pilger

AND THERE'S MORE! Just puruse the results of a google image search on "right wing extremists"... that's where I found this little gem. Charming.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Healthraiser
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Leon Panetta

Really? I swear to God this the dad from American Pie!!!

Special kinds of stupid:

So many options for examples of Michelle's mind at work. Here's one of my favorites:



My favorite description Bachmann: "She teh ignorant, lightly pan-fried in rabid froth, wrapped in a warm crazy, smothered in a heavy layer of stupid sauce, and served up with a side of bizarre on a layer of crisp, shredded cluelessness." by Redpin, DKos commentor 4/6/09.

Is the clock running out on the two-party system?

Well, for those of you who had already known that Palin was the antichrist from the campaign coverage last year - you are quickly finding yourself in wider company! Her emergence on the political scene heralded not only the end of basic standards for our representation, but to also to the Republican Party as a whole...

It will be interesting to see over the next few years, how our political parties reorganize. I simply can not see the GOP being capable of pulling together enough votes to get anywhere near the the numbers they had just a few short years ago. And with the trending demographics, they are fighting an uphill fight. The circular firing squad took aim before the polls even closed on election day, leaving repulicans dividing into two distinct subgroups: social-conservatives and fiscal conservatives. Nutters and sane folk frantically watching their party become destroyed/defined by right wing talkshow zombies...

You might think I'd break out my dancing shoes right about now, but it really isn't a good feeling. Let's face it, a democracy with only one viable political party is no democracy at all. Not to mention, it stirs up the crazies who apparently have already exceeded their caffine allotment.

Democrats are not entirely safe from the threat of splinterization either, as the recent health care debate is revealing. Battlelines are being drawn by progressives against the more centrist, more entrenched democrats. The people are awake and paying attention, wondering where their "change" is... And in the philosophy of "lead, follow, or get out of the way" they will begin to see which kind of people we"ve put in office.

So as I said, it will be interesting to see what happens down the road. I wasn't comfortable calling it until now, but i think it is official. RIP GOP. Wish I could say we hardly knew 'ye... May the Haig avenge your death... or something like that.

So what does 60 really mean?

Well, it means THIS - that's what! And THAT is the sweetest gift of all...

Know Your Enemy On Health Care Reform

Do you support a strong, robust Medicare like public health care option being included in any health care "reform"? If so, THIS is what you are up against. These people are your enemy. They represent corporations (health care/pharmacutical industries) that function solely to sell a product (insurance/drugs) for as much profit as possible for the least cost. Trust me, whether or not you are healthy (or - heaven forbid - CURED) does not even enter in to the equation. They pay your politician lots and lots of money so that they can continue to profit as much as possible from your "health care" for the least personal cost. Your politicians hear them, have you made your voice heard?

True

Woah! Slow down Harry!

Reid Orders Dems: Stop Chasing GOP Votes On Health Care

Staycation vs. Vacation

I have been on "staycation" all week, and (as a parent of 1 & 3 -year-olds) have not had ten straight minutes to peruse the interwebs in what feels like forever... for those of you unfamiliar with the "staycation", let me sum up. It's like a vacation in that you do not go to work, but that is pretty much the beginning and the end of all similarities. Unlike a vacation, on "staycation" you:

1. don't go anywhere exotic (no, Warren Ohio is not exotic. quit it.)
2. actually have more work and stress than you would have if you'dve just worked
3. end up not even liking your family anymore by the end

To be fair, that last one happens sometime with vacation to but usually you are distracted enough by the new, exotic surroundings. I was only able to distract myself with fussy kids all off their schedules and mounting piles of dishes I could not get to by the aforementioned fussy kids.

So as I was saying... I haven't been able to read any news, blogs, or even watch my beloved Charlie Gibson in time out of mind! And most distressing of all - SARAH FREAKIN' PALIN got to resign completely under my radar and I had to learn third hand from my cousins twitterberry!

It's a cruel, cruel summer...