Originally published on March 25, 2010 at Yo Mama For Obama
Finally, finally, the GOP leadership has publicly spoken out against the violence perpetrated against those lawmakers who voted their support for the new health bill.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Sorry, the Republican’s leadership response is too little, too late. Let me explain why this is so.
Do not tell me that John Boehner’s outburst right before the vote stating that this bill will be "our Armageddon" did not instigate and give his stamp of approval to such conservative anger, vicious actions and malignant malice that has followed the enactment of this bill. The irony of his remark is that without this bill, millions of Americans, children and adults alike, would have no health coverage or medical care. That is the real Armageddon. Perhaps Boehner’s anger is really in response to the 10% tax, as dictated by HCR, on tanning salon sessions. Why else would our Tan Man, The Prince of Orange, be so irate, addled and furious at this bill’s passage? Something is out of whack.
Similarly, John McCain has demonstrated the same vitriol at this bill’s enactment. McCain was always a bitter man, but something about his latest behavior smacks of contentiousness, almost as if his sanity was in question. Could this be the beginnings of Alzheimer’s, often making its first appearance as belligerence? For McCain to say that he will no longer work and fulfill his Senatorial duties until the election in November, is basically saying "F*** you" to all of the Americans who pay his salary and benefits. For the GOP to pledge in unity not to work past 2 P.M., as specified in some vague procedural rule, is also an abrogation of their sworn oaths of office:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
This poisonous behavior on the part of the GOP, plus their acceptance of violence to their opponents, is indicative of much more than just "sour grapes" over their loss on health care. For heaven’s sake, a bill is just a bill. One side "wins" and the other side "loses". Then everyone comes together to make it good for everyone. Even in past presidents’ darkest moments, when the wrath of their opposition was the greatest, the party’s leadership stood up and said enough. Acceptable as it was to criticize the man who held the Presidency, it was not acceptable to disrespect the office of the Presidency. When the public’s venom was directed to Bill Clinton over the Lewinsky mess and George Bush over Iran, the anger was kept in check. Alas, we see none of that now. Why is this so?
The answer is pure racism, tinged with more than a dab of anti-intellectualism,wrapped up in a feeling of hopeless stupidity and sprinkled with a goal of revenge. The GOP cannot stomach the fact that we have an African-American as President of the United States, especially one that is intellectually heads and heels above 99% of all Congressmen. They despise his cool, calm demeanor and when he wins a major legislative battle such as HCR, they derogatorily call it due to his "Chicago tactics". There is no respect for either the man or the office from our minority leaders. Thus, the GOP is giving tacit approval to the like actions of such rabble-rousers as the Tea Party and brick throwers.
As an aside, in line with the GOP’s racism is their sexism. The GOP’s call for the firing of Nancy Pelosi is purely sexist in nature. I said it before and I will say it again: she wielded more control and power in getting this bill passed than any other lawmaker. In addition, her loyalty to her President was unfailing. She was sedate and polite, yet she stayed on task and got the job done. That is the key here: Pelosi got her job done. Her tactical ploy of threatening to use "deem and pass" was brilliant in getting the public’s acceptance of simple reconciliation. How threatening was that mere fact to the opposition, who lost? What permanent damage to their testosterone levels was done?
This beating down of the Republicans’ testosterone levels opened up their floodgates of anger and violence. They view Pelosi’s victory as a virtual castration. Wait a minute: I thought it was the gentler sex, the women, who were supposed to be subject to hormonal variations, ruled by emotion. Imagine that a woman fulfilled her job description despite this innate weakness. No wonder the contempt of the Congressional GOP: it is they who are looking to be the weak ones. Just like the tanning salons aid in one’s appearance, this power-seeking of the GOP is an all-out effort to keeping up appearances. Unfortunately, that is the driving force in the survival of today’s empty Republican Party.
I tried to stay positive for as long as I could after the vote. I really did. However, when our lawmakers’ behaviors lead to harming people rather than protecting them, something has got to give. Shame on the Party of No. They cannot accept defeat graciously, much less at all. Their nod of acceptance to the ensuing violence is shameful and the very antithesis of the definition of leadership.
And to think all of this combative behavior resulted from a 10% tax on tanning sessions. My, oh my!
POSTSCRIPT:
This just came over the wires. The GOP, in their anger and lashing out at utter defeat, are now eating their own, almost assuring their own self-destruction:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...