What Republicans Offer in 2006

I've been building to a rant on this for awhile. It is an election year so idiotic comments often rule. Lately, however, nationally known Republicans in and out of government have demonstrated a new level of ridiculous statements and rhetoric. This ranges from:

Prominent Republican pundit Patrick Buchanan appears on talk radio (including Air America), broadcast and cable TV news shows pushing his new book arguing for an immigration moratorium to prevent white America from losing its majority. Why? He writes, “The civilization that we as whites created in Europe and America could not have developed apart from the genetic endowments of the creating people, nor is there any reason to believe that the civilization can be successfully transmitted by a different people.”

Sen. Conrad Burns (R-ID) during a fundraiser featuring Laura Bush stating that terrorists "drive taxi cabs during the daytime and kill at night."

To Vice-President Dick Cheney announcing ,"Some in our own country claim retreat from Iraq would satisfy the appetite of the terrorists and get them to leave us alone."

And then there is Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld branding critics of the War in Iraq appeasers like it is 1936 and George W. Bush is Wintson Churchill.

The best response to Rummy was from Keith Olbermann last night on Countdown. And I will not match his eloquence here.

My main point is all of these comments are what Republicans are offering to voters for the 2006 elections. No, I'm not predicting this will lead to a Democratic sweep in November. I don't trust Democratic intelligence enough for that, but when a party has leading members making racist remarks and advocating racist policies. When a government brands all those who dare to question their policies (which are failing miserably) as appeasers of terrorists and "fascists" then the smell of their political demise rising higher into the atmosphere. With use of the magic "some" President Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Rumsfeld and others in the government and supporting it have decided that this years politics of fear is to emphasize the fear of being labeled a 21st Century follower of Neville Chamberlin. When the Washington Post, "Pressed to support these allegations, the White House yesterday could cite no major Democrat who has proposed cutting off funds or suggested that withdrawing from Iraq would persuade terrorists to leave Americans alone." But that doesn't matter, it only matters if it works to advance the cause of Republican votes in the November election.

Improve Iraq policy? Create a national response to terrorist attacks or natural disasters that actually can work? No, that's not a priority. The photo-op in New Orleans that can then lead to the numerous 9/11 5th anniversary photo-ops. The branding of Republicans as "victors" and Democrats as "losers" is the key.

This is Republican platform of 2006. Will the Democrats respond with righteous indignation or fall to the fear?

Danger: School's Open

This is the first fall since I turned five that I am not in a classroom as either a student or a professor. I am on sabbatical. My subconcious doesn't quite get that I am not in school. I am still having my usual opening of school dreams. Last night I was back in college with my old college friends. It was rather pleasant. Ultimately, college professors are simply college students who found a way for someone to pay them to stay on campus. This semsester I am being paid to stay away.

Going Out of Town

I'm going to be away for a week or so to help out with a brother who fell and broke his back. He is improving, but support is needed and so I go to answer the call. Back to posting when I can.

Celebrity to the Rescue

Iraq is a seemingly endless mess. Lebanon is being destroyed as we watch on cable news. Nasty small wars continue in Chechnya, the Sudan and elsewhere. Bascially, the news universally sucks. Where do we go for rescue? To our celebrity heroes who provide us the needed relief from reality.

No, not "Superman Returns" or "Pirates of the Carribean." Our rescue comes from a drunken Mel Gibson.

Mel's drunken rantings has lifted all of us from the horror that is the real world. There are photos. There is a a yet to be released audio tape. There is the obligatory mug shot and multiple apologies from Mel. All of this lifts us up and reminds us that we create celebrities in part to revel in their fall. Mel's bigotry and battle with alcohol is irrelevant to our real lives. Thus, we spend a lot of time talking about it. It's not global warming or stagflation fears, it's just another celebrity gone bad. And this poor performance didn't cost $8.50 at the box office.

On a day that I spent waiting for news on the outcome of a family member's major surgery, Mel's idiocy and our obsession with it made me smile. The surgery went well and I end the day thankful for good doctors and stupid celebrites. Both made me smile today.