This explains a lot...

[Sandy]

Joan Walsh does a good job of explaining the reasoning behind the unreasonable political blasting of the right wing GOP.

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/bara ... presidents

[Neil Heath]

There's definite truth in what they said, too.

I live in the south, and I have no doubt that some of the hatred for Obama that I see daily is what they've described. I also have no doubt, despite protests by some, that racism is a very real part of the equation.

[Gene Scarborough]

What concerns me most as an American citizen is the similiarity between the hatred focused on Obama compared to JFK. Again, it was over race in the South.

Make no bones about it, the same issues of hatred and racial discrimination apply to Hispanics and Asians in other parts of the country.

I experienced the subtle southern "civility" as I chased Hurricane Katrina to Mobile, Alabama. They have some of the biggest churches anywhere in the south of all kinds. They are so big and well-attended that off duty cops have to direct traffic. BUT beneath that surface "civility" exists a kind of racial hatred hard to describe in words.

What amazes me most is the Muslim background / half-black heritage seething among Republicans who can't admit he fairly won the presidency. When elections are over, this kind of demigogary should end, but it won't. Every week I get some kind of email of the most vile sort from a friend who has a Republican ideology. It won't quit!

I have a hunch the President's Advisors have warned him about the land mines of hatred focused on him. Although he was young at the time, JFK's head being blown off is an indellible thought for any president of major change. They produced a new presidential helocopter with enhanced protections against guided missles and other hand-held devices of destruction. I further suspect the reason we have not seen a withdrawal of forces from Iraq and the MIddle East is the Viet Nam factor with Kennedy which was a prime factor in his assassination.

Like it or not, we are a culture of hatred. It has been far too present in our society from early slavery / Native American displacement days along with immigrants. It has gotten no better with Welfare and further Hispanic immigration. We just want to get rich on the backs of the lower classes who come here seeking freedom and opportunity. The rich were great with it as long as they got their opportunity to get rich. Now they don't want the taxes or inheritance issues which were designed to keep us a middle class run society. The Tea Party is nothing more than a bunch of hot-heads wanting ONLY their way without compromise.

[Jim]

[Gene Scarborough]

1) You seem surprised. The whole world is one big culture of hatred. Does that make this country any worse than the others?

What a bunch of BS---we were founded on an "ideal" of "all men created equal!" Should we now desert such ideals in favor of the wealthy elite????

2) I assume you're speaking generically but that won't wash. You can speak for yourself when you use "we," but you can't speak for anyone else. You seem to be jealous of those who make it and want to keep at least most of it.

Jealous---not just NO, but HELL NO!!!! Anyone building an empire on the backs of others who don't benefit along with the owner is just a selfish SOB (Sweet Old Baptist), in my opinion! I happen to run my small business along this ideal and my men appreciate being given raises according to their production and worth to the company.

3) A middle-class-run society? The wealthiest people pay by far the most taxes individually, so why shouldn't they prefer an upper-class-run society. Not that it matters to you or the Obama-crowd, but the Constitution doesn't say anything about which class should run society or anything about distributing the wealth. In the early days, only property-owners could vote, thereby deciding how their possessions would be confiscated...or not. I don't agree with that but there's something smelly about the takers making the decisions about how the givers' money will be spent...and confiscated.

Preamble to the Constitution: "All men are created equal with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Try again, JIM!!!!

4) My statement: The Tea Party is nothing more than a bunch of hot-heads wanting ONLY their way without compromise.

That's true of every party and most individuals, except maybe you, of course.

Jim, my brother---do you have your head in the sand or what???? Our system of government is built on the "balance of powers." This means the constant debate between the Legislative / Executive / Judicial branches with the hope that reasoned debate and compromise produces that which is best for the population which sent them to represent us. The Judicial Branch is the only one appointed jointly by Executive and Judicial branches. In recent years it has become totally obvious that the original ideal of "Constitutional Control" has been replaced by "interpretation of the Constitution" with Justices appointed to the standards of Republicans or Democrats who appoointed them.

Wisely, some of the Justices recognized their responsibility to work above and beyond party lines to simply interpret the Constitution fairly and rationally. They have draw the wrath of the Party which appointed them. Sadly, some still adhere to their apointers and have done some strange stuff in interpretation of the Constitution of the United States of America. If ever the Judical Branch becomes politically motivated, we are in deep do-do!!! AND we ARE!!! Case in point: the decision to stop a vote recount in Florida when Bush was Elected over Al Gore = terrible abuse of power by the Judicial Branch.

I respect you, Jim, but I strongly disagree with some of your assertions above!!!!

[Jim]

[Gene Scarborough]

Jim---

When you declare Jefferson wrong and that all men are not created equal----does this mean you would do the same with the precepts of the Ten Commandments and Jesus' greatest commandment that we love God and our neighbor as ourself???

Ideals are for striving. In your take they are a waste, if I read you right.

[Jim]

[Gene Scarborough]

Jim---I suggest you tell it like it is: "Do unto others before they can do unto you / get a good lawyer to get you off / never, never take responsibility for your own actions!!! Always blame it on the parents, mental issues, medications!!!!"

[Stephen Fox]

Eunie Smith, the wife of Albert Lee Smith, the Bircherand friend of Jesse Helms who gave the BJC hades in the 80's; Eunie Smith is a leader of the Bama Tea Party.

I think Rick Lance and Bob Terry will have to address it soon.

The Albert Lee Smith lead on race relations in Alabama; his legacy is about the same as Jesse Helms.

In fact his family was one of the big impetus for the creation of www.bcoc.net

Church of the Covenant founders included the grandparents of Melissa Rogers.

So there is a strain, a genetic code for anybody paying attention.

Fareed Zakaria makes a good point in the current issue of Time Magazine, but Standard and Poor and the Stock market reaction mighta made it moot.

[Gene Scarborough]

Stephen---

Here's a good story from my life. I left GA in 1967---glad to be away from the strange governorship of Lester Maddox. As I tuned in on WRAL in Raleigh from my dorm room at SEBTS, there was the Station manager giving his editorial of the day ---- Jesse Helms!!! I said to myself, "Good Lord, I left GA smiling and here is his first cousin in politics ranting racial stuff to NC!!!"

Jesse was a Conservative's Conservative---and hardly helped anything nationally as the new Senator from NC. It was hard to believe that such a progressive state would elect someone like him to represent it. Beneath that progression, just like in GA, was an underbelly of southern conservatism based in large part on racial division and hidden derision only perceptible to a "son of the Old South."

Strom Thurmond was my grandaddy's idol in SC. Thank God grandaddy died before he switched to Republican. Even more so that he wasn't exposed to the scandal of a child by a black woman!!!! Us Southerners are such pretenders and so clever at hiding our real agenda.

The comparison of Jesse Helms to Sam Erwin, who was a real statesman, is miles apart. The same was true in comparing Carl Sanders as Georgia's governor compared to Lester Maddox. The South is a strange mix of progressive advance with a Siamese Twin of prejudice and revolt attached permanently to the other being. They cannot seem to be separated.

What amazes me most is that the average person does not detect the program: A Republican is nothing but a Democrat who made a lot of money----and wants to keep it all now!!!!

[Stephen Fox]

[Stephen Fox]

From douthat:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/08/opini ... ml?_r=1&hp

[Jim]

It might be a good idea to grow up and understand that there’s no such thing as the Tea Party, notwithstanding the idiocies of John Kerry and Axelrod over the weekend, blaming the Tea Party for the nation’s ills, showing either an exponential ignorance or an agenda aided and abetted by the mainstream media, known as the democrat propaganda arm. There is something called the Tea Party manifesto and it is being remarked now in the House as part of a republican approach to governance, whether liberal republicans (or all democrats) like it or not. The dear leader has made much lately of U.S. troubles being brought on by the Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster, as well as the “Arab Spring.” Silliness to the tenth power! While he read his teleprompter today with absolutely no passion, the market dipped by another 50%, losing altogether 614 points. He FINALLY said that Medicare will have to be “modestly” modified, which is what the republicans have been saying for months. His main deal in the speech was “tax reform” and he made it clear that the rich folks gotta pay their fair share, which apparently is whatever he says it is. As long as the government spends more than it takes in there will be no debt reduction, no balanced budget and precious little hope for the generation to come. Obama is a total disaster but finally said he would present some plans in coming weeks, not that they will be anything but about taxes. In 1993, the democrat Congress laughed the Clinton healthcare plan to scorn, understanding that it would be bankruptcy-bait. This latest democrat Congress, without even reading Obamacare (he didn’t, either), passed what the czars sent up, with the only certainty being that it will be much worse than Clintoncare…bankrupting a nation already in bankruptcy territory. Sad!

[Gene Scarborough]

Jim---

You continue your diatribe of derisive terms toward the President. That sucks!!!

Tell us what you think will help things----PLEASE!!!

The Tea Party is real and it is Republican and it is non-compromise. The events to last week showed the President to be willing to compromise for the good of the US. Despite this, the monkey shines last week on budget reform caused S&P to reduce its rating on government securities by 1 degree. Today the Stock Market took a terrible tumble---but it must all be Obama's fault????

And you dare to say, "It's all his fault????" Frankly, I don't see the rationale nor the point---except that you hate the black (half white) President we duely elected. I think you can do better than that.

[KeithE]

[Jim]

The terms “non-partisan” and “compromise” are wearing thin. If every question should be settled by non-partisan warm-fuzzies and comfy compromises there would be no need for political parties. There are different parties espousing different ideologies and this is good because it ultimately keeps the nation on an even keel. The problem lies now in the fact that the members of the parties don’t know exactly how to keep their seats and adhere to their philosophies of governance. As a result, the nation is leaderless since principle has been sacrificed on the altar of expediency on both the Congressional and administrative levels. The courts have been weakened, too, by the philosophy of particularly “liberal” judges and justices who have adopted the un-Constitutional principle that judges must legislate when their particular ideology dictates a superiority not equaled by the founding document.

The nation is in a watershed moment and must decide if it desires the failing European model or intends to get its house in order and remain eventually productive by maintaining the capitalistic/entrepreneurial system that’s made it, until recently, the envy of the world. This means both a change in what people expect government to do and a concomitant commitment to making it happen. The change Obama promised has resulted in a train-wreck of immense proportions, started many years before he took office but multiplied exponentially by his approach, which is strictly European. Just his assertion in February 2009 that he would cut the national debt in half by the end of his term is proof that he either is a nincompoop (not suggesting that he is) or has an agenda that is accommodated by the current fiscal failure. The latter is scary, while the former can be corrected at the polls. Even scarier is the fact that his czars are doing by regulatory fiat what the Congress (actually the Senate) wouldn’t pass with respect to cap-and-trade. Utility costs are going out of sight while the administration blocks any reasonable production of home-constructed energy.

There is virtually no faith in government at this point, meaning that job-makers will risk virtually nothing until someone can define their legal liabilities and stifling regulations in the near term so they can plan. As of now, no one in or out of government seems to have a clue, especially considering the expected intolerable costs of Obamacare. One thing is certain, to wit, there must be a complete revamping of entitlements on every level since the producers (workers and entrepreneurs) cannot come up with enough to support the permanent underclass already damned into existence by giveaway programs.

[Gene Scarborough]

Public health insurance and services is a positive aspect of many Old Country cultures. It is not perfect, but it guarantees better care for all citizens. There is enough bad experience to correct the problems. There is the good experience of bringing the cost of healthcare under some degree of control.

Our approach to medical care is elitist. Those with private (expensive) insurance get all kinds of better treatment. Those with Medicare are considered 2nd class citizens getting "compliance" care. Somewhere in the middle is a better way. Medical care here is rising at about 3 times inflation.

An example of over-priced medicine come from Ghana. My niece, in her 30's, had a coronary artery blockage. She required a stint to correct it. The cost: $1,500!!! She got the same procedures developed here and good care along with it. So why is it so cheap there????

Every time I have been in the hospital, it didn't pay to examine the detailed print out where asperin cost $10 a pill. A consult by another Dr. who just stuck his head in the door was billed at $300. Insurance paid it, but it was way over-priced!

[KeithE]

[Gene Scarborough]

Totally agreed, Keith!!!

[Stephen Fox]

[Gene Scarborough]

Thanks for the Emory nod, Stephen!!!

In fact, few days go by without one of its professors in the excellent graduate schools of medicine / international relations / business does not appear as a guest of CNN or the writer of down-to-earth commentary in a respected national publication.

Glad I know some of them from my alumni connection.

[KeithE]

[Gene Scarborough]

I think we are seeing the greatest requirement on a younger President = to see the difference between important matters and those which should be compromised.

Republicans have been more than mean and more than distorting in the last 30 years. They are calling themselves "Conservative" when I see little of the American dream they are CONSERVING! This country's dream is freedom and shared opportunity. It was a revolt on "all things continental." We have no King nor Dictator. We are supposed to share the cost of public projects through a fair tax on everyone. Bush used Executive Orders to change much as if he were a Dictator. If necessary, the current President can and should use the same "bully pulpit" to set a more wise course than we have been taking. Even if you get shot down, for God's sake---DO SOMETHING!!!! Make it plain and bold.

I think he promised to get us out of the expensive Middle East War, but hasn't done so. The Military/Industrial Complex was wisely warned against by Eisenhower. We have fed it royally for many a year and it's time to stop. Some programs and the bureaucrats running them need to be eliminated. Fat Cat bureaucrats with secure places need the same cuts that many of us in small businesses are having to do just to get by.

The industries of America are on a world-wide competition now and we can't expect to pay workers 10 times what they get elsewhere to produce the same goods. Our technology has been outstanding in the past and must return to that same excellence. When a foreign-built engine runs quieter and longer than an American-built one, we must now build better ones. When the Russians were beating us in rocket technology, we remember the words of challenge from JFK to reach the moon and land a man on it in 10 years---AND WE DID IT!!!! Now we know Russia still has more efficient and powerful rocket engines they developed. What is the problem with our scientists and technicians cooperating with them in putting such into our system????? We can no longer be so full of pride if we know someone else has a better idea.

The last President of major change was JFK and we know his fate. I'm sure President Obama is familiar with that history and may just not have the courage to put his very life on the line for that which is important. Great leaders around the world have stood tall for humanity and paid with their lives---Ghandi / Began / Sadat / MLK / etc. It simply takes courage to do the right thing and now the President has less than 2 years to fulfill some promises requiring courage. Banks and Corporations should not be running the government. Instead, the people who need wise spending of tax dollars to help us ALL need to step forward and quit bowing to them. The President is but one part of a balanced ideal of government. Put Congress on notice that they produce a better plan for cutting expenses and balancing the tax code---with a deadline attached! They signed to the compromise so do the cutting part which is required of EVERY program.

I well remember a story on JFK. Early in his tenure he had gone to Congress and made the statement, "My feet are set in concrete on this!" His proposal was not taken well and was getting no progress from the legislators. He called both the leaders of the Senate and House in a conference call. He started the conversation asking, "Do you hear a sound in the background? Well, that is the noise of breaking concrete so let's get together and get something done on this!"

[Jim]