for more read CREW of 42 — the unofficial blog on the Congressional Black Caucus
"How curious that a mob fond of likening President Obama to Hitler knows so little about history that it doesn’t recognize its own small-scale mimicry of Kristallnacht." — Frank Rich, The New York Times
It all started last August. You fondly remember last August right? An effigy of Rep. Frank Kratovil was burned. The lie of "death panels" is invented by Sara Palin.
A swastika is spray painted on a sign outside the office of Rep. David Scott. Rep. Brian Baird receives a fax of a clown image of the President with the message Death to All Marxists! Foreign and Domestic! But remember, these were isolated incidents. Let's not paint with a broad brush right?
And now a second round. Hard to believe this all took place over the last ten days: The office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is vandalized. Rep. Bart Stupak receives death threats and is called a "baby killer" on the House floor by Texas colleague Rep. Randy Neugebauer. Rep. Russ Carnahan has a coffin placed in front of his home. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is spat on. A photo of a noose is faxed to Rep. Jim Clyburn. A propane gas line is cut at the home of Rep. Tom Perriello's brother — after teabaggers put his brother's address as Rep. Perriello's online. Rep. Barney Frank is called a faggot on his way to vote. Rep. Steve Driehaus' address is posted online by teabaggers along with a request to show up at his home to protest health care. Rep. Louis Slaughter is sent a message snipers will be deployed to kill the kids of members who vote in favor of health care. A man calls Rep. Emanuel Cleaver at home and threatens to kill him. Speaking about the political future of Rep. Steven Driehaus, Rep. John Boehner tells National Journal, "He may be a dead man. He can’t go home to the west side of Cincinnati..." All that, yet assorted wingnuts need video evidence that Reps. John Lewis, Andre Carson and David Scott are called 'nigger' crossing the street to vote. It's OK to call us vandals, it's OK that we've been accused of threatening to kill people but don't dare call us racist. Deny it. Simply claim it never happened. Please.
These are the tactics of the teabaggers. This is the nature of their irresistible charm. That many Republican leaders can't find a way to criticize their tactics remains awe inspiring. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli found a way to make a strong statement against the Perriello gas line incident. Reps. Mike Pence and Sen. Lindsey Graham found a way to call for civility and decorum. Where are members of the Congressional leadership on the Republican side?
You can't stumble upon a Rhodes Scholar in the group yet they know everything about everything and are right about everything. Funny, since this is the same group of people who watched quietly as President George Bush gave us the fictitious 'weapons of mass destruction,' claim to the tune of hundreds of thousands dead later. Sean Hannity wasn't requesting video evidence there was WMD was he? Then, President Bush was sure to wreck the economy to sound of silence. Ask the next teabagger dressed as a Patriot and holding a Don't Tread On Me flag what they were doing during this period of time.
It's clear who these people are: They are the people who voted for Sen. John McCain with a new name. Instead of simply accepting that they lost and this is Democracy, everything has turned into talk of insurrection, repeal and patriot driven revolution. President Obama isn't just wrong he's a socialist. He's not just liberal, he's 'attacking our American values and our way of life..." The Democrats need to wake up and stay awake. Put Alan Grayson in charge of the marketing. Register votes. Raise money. Fight fire with fire. Is Kaine strong enough? He better take his Nancy Pelosi-Bill-Hill lessons. As Bill Clinton said years ago, people will vote for, "strong and wrong rather than weak and right..." This is not a fight for the timid and the tepid. This is a battle with 217 rounds left to November 2, 2010.
for more read CREW of 42 — the unofficial blog on the Congressional Black Caucus