I just got back from the local town meeting of my Republican Congressional Representative, Tom Petri of Wisconsin's sixth. I can feel only sympathy for him right now, for I have now seen the hard path on which he travels.
I came prepared with questions, but dared not speak them, partly out of sympathy for what was already on the plate of this unfortunate man, but also a bit of concern for my own well being. Reason was as foreign as an "illegal" in this turbulent atmosphere, and I could see the concern in his eyes as he repeatedly advised the crowd that inciting hatred does no good.
I futilely tried to follow the Fox News nightmare of talking-points, but that soon became pointless. The uncontrolled "meeting" was unfolding with the clarity of a hallucinogenic collage scene from a cheap 50's lost-weekend type of drunken jag B movie, and featured several slow-motion duels of point-counterpoint within the confines of individual propaganda-crocked brains.
One moment's rail against the imminent collapse of our nation besieged by the dreaded sickness of socialism was quickly followed by a passionate plea to keep Social Security intact through the remaining retirement years of one zombie-brain's host.
Another of the abundant rants on the evils of socialism was followed by a neck-snapping course reversal to request increased funding for our state's roadside rest stops because that would save jobs, though the same dysfunctional brain reasoned concluded imagined repeated the talking-point only a few minutes earlier that stimulus infrastructure spending wouldn't.
And earmarks should be totally banned, though we need government help repairing winter damage to the (socialized) roads, at least to the roads in front of this earmark-hater's house. The point offered by Petri that earmarks account for one-half of one percent of the budget hardly slowed for even a moment the momentum of the unreasoned gathering.
Then there was the mind-bending rant against an alternate-universe type of "fascism" in which the government is repressively over-regulating businesses, sort of an anti-corporatism equivalence to anti-matter. Or maybe just a black hole for historic precedent.
This barrage of non-sequiturs occurred in the (socialized) public meeting room of the local (socialized) public library, across the street from the local (socialized) police station, where citizens gathered to have the ear of their U.S. Representative, who along with all the others should be "put out of office for never listening to the people!"
I guess it must be hard for a Republican to find good help these days. Since I was sitting next to a staffer, at one point I leaned over and asked in a whisper, "Why doesn't he just point out that the rest stops and roads and even this library are socialized institutions?" She looked dumbfounded for a moment, then cautiously whispered back, "I never thought of it that way!"
I could feel the despair in my Reps voice as the demands for repeal of the "death tax" continued unabated even after he explained that you currently have to leave behind over three and a half million dollars for it to be subject to any estate tax. The anti-socialist/concerned-about-Social Security lady said she was "tired of waiting to die" over concerns that her children would be robbed of their inheritance by the government.
She had on no jewelry or furs, and I noticed that she was wearing her slippers as she started to shuffle down the street afterwards. I tried to jokingly make a point by telling her that if she was rich enough to be concerned about an inheritance ("death", I was abruptly corrected) tax, I may want to get to know her. She barked a stern, "Goodbye!" at my obviously sarcastic friendliness. Sorry, rich-enough-for-inheritance-tax but poor-enough-to-need-my-Social Security lady.
At least a few there had the singularity of purpose to make a point without contradicting themselves, "That Obama's a socialist!", "He's not even American!" "Goddamn liberals are ruining this country!" "Show me where in the Constitution it says how you can spend our tax dollars by just voting on stuff!" "That Clinton shoulda been impeached!" Now these are issues Petri can take back to D.C. and really get to work on.
But all was not for naught. It turned out to be a great "social" clearing house for the impromptu organization (I use that term lightly) of more of the upcoming, fun-loving tea(-bagging) parties. Smiles all around for the first time, except for that painful one I just couldn't suppress for the duration.
So, what's my point? Well, sometimes it's good to have a point, sometimes all you can do is just observe and try to built upon your experiences. It seems pointless at this point to make a point of all this.
But I think I will suggest that Petri switch parties. He can easily hang onto his conservative views - that doesn't seem to be a problem for the Democratic party these days. And he did co-sponsor the State Secret Protection Act of 2009 (as the lone R), which actually puts him way ahead of Holder's Justice Department in allowing the courts to balance security with justice. He looked very nervous when I personally thanked him for his bipartisan courage in the presence of some of the crazies.
A U.S. Congressional Representative shouldn't need to coax people away from inflammatory rhetoric, but Petri certainly tried harder than McCain ever did. I give him credit for that. Maybe these town meetings would be somewhat less of a nightmare for him if he made the switch. I'm sure those who came out today know fully well that it's useless to try to talk sense to a Democrat.
They'd just think you were crazy.
UPDATE:
Good tea-bagging morning. Don't you people ever sleep? Thanks for reading and rec'ing.
This more than makes up for the totally weird day that this town meeting set off for me. That much zombie propaganda is hard to shake off; it gets in your head and slows cognitive function. Thus is the M.O. of Faux News.
Getting my first rec is worth the close encounter. I have survived and I am better for the ordeal.
I will get more coffee and try to scam(typo, really!) scan comments; I value them all, and I am thankful to all.
More:
I've been encouraged by some Kossacks who I deeply respect to work closer with Petri. (unseating him ain't gonna happen anytime soon)
To give you all an idea of who we have to work with here, I found this easily deciphered site with a rundown of Petri's voting record on major issues. It's easy to spot his splits with Republican positions:
*Stop government seizure of library and bookstore records. Yes
*Flag desecration amendment. No
*Banning cruel and degrading treatment of detainees. Yes
*Minimum wage. Yes
*Direct government drug price negotiation. Yes
*Repeal of oil company tax cuts. Yes
*Expression of disagreement with the surge strategy in Iraq. Yes
*State Children's Health Insurance Program. Yes
*State Secret Privelege Act of 2009 (this is a co-sponsorship which puts Petri ahead of Obama in progressivism)
And if you're one of the locals posting here, join me in reinforcing Petri's good qualities. Give his Fond Du Lac office a call and thank him for whatever you like on that list. His staff probably won't know what the hell is going on, but they might be swayed by some good will, too.