As global attention on the official release by Apple of their revolutionary iPad tablet computer escalated, Republican leaders called for its repeal and replacement. In a press release issued to coincide with the product launch, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner say that the iPad is a threat to the freedom of owners and users of existing PCs and laptops.
Later in the day Sarah Palin twittered Tea Party activists, calling on them to arrange large "mostly non-violent" protests at Apple stores across the country. She called the iPads potential "death panels" for the mouse-based user interface that must be stopped.
McConnell and Boehner compared the iPad to Obamacare, the recently approved national health insurance reform program championed by President Obama and Congressional Democrats.
While consumers lined up to buy the latest Apple technology game-changer, McConnell, lunching with a group of banking, oil and mortuary lobbyists took time to tell nearby reporters that" "The United States has the greatest computers on the globe. A new approach to doing computing could prove to be subversive and must be closely monitored."
Boehner was interviewed as he departed from his daily session at his local DC area tanning salon. He pledged to introduce legislation to outlaw iPad purchases by anyone who is receiving financial support from the Federal government including unemployment benefits, student loans, social security, homeowner mortgage writedowns, etc.
Boehner claims the iPad and Obamacare share many things in common. He outlined the similarities as follows:
The iPad and Obamacare are designed to address public needs that don't exist
Only a minority of American's support the changes both will bring to the marketplace
Both are untested
Both will undermine the public's confidence in existing systems
Both will drain funds from existing systems and threaten established profit centers for many businesses
Both may prove easy-to-use and can result in popular support when consumers learn about their benefits
A Republican spokesman pointed out the the liberal media has given the Apple Company millions of dollars worth of free media support in the run up to the launch of the iPad. He added that the media bias is similar to what preceded the introduction of the Apple iPods and iPhones a few years ago.
The spokesman linked the media bias to the fact that Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, over the past several years has contributed several hundred thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns including those of Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel and hardly anything to Republicans.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, while attending a ribbon-cutting at an adult-themed employment counseling center in suburban Maryland, attacked the media claiming that because Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been even-handed with his campaign support over the years and at one point favored the Republicans, Microsoft's Windows products have consistently been attacked as trouble-prone and inferior.
Although many media networks are preparing applications to support internet access over the iPad, Fox News announced it would not contribute to a device that is not designed to support manipulation of content.
After the Congressional Republicans launched their attack on the iPad, Karl Rove twittered an accusation against Jobs for planning to undermine many of the corporate supporters of conservative causes, in an effort to assist the Democrats pursue their socialist agenda.
Sarah Palin twittered Tea Party activists, calling on them to arrange large "mostly non-violent" protests at Apple stores across the country. She said they should shout epithets at obvious early adapters as they leave the Apple locations with new iPads calling them "nerds, sheep, Padmen and iDiots."