Dear Hal

2010_3_26 Dear Hal,
Well, the Democrats finally got their act together and pulled off a big win—a momentous accomplishment which was not only the right thing to do but it’ll be a great boost to their collective ego. Just when things looked so bad they won the BIG ONE and once that really sinks in they should see what can happen if they resolve their difference and pull together in one direction as a party. Instead of the Health Care Bill being “Obama’s Waterloo,” as Sen. DeMint of So. Carolina had predicted it would be, it turned out to be the swan song of the ‘Party of NO,” who now must pay the price of bad policy and bankrupt ideas. Their high-risk political uncooperativeness has now bit them in the ass, as they are now on the outside looking in. After 30 years of conservative dominance, the tide is now flowing in the opposite direction—and it is about time. What’s worse is they are now tied to the Tea Party movement, a political hothouse full of extremists for a base who will keep the party leaders with their feet to the fire. If any senator or congressman tries to cooperate with the current government, they will be attacked by their base. They are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea—again, due to their high-risk stance vis-à-vis the other party. Their helpers have become their controllers.
It was interesting how the R-Party collapsed yesterday during the reconciliation debate; instead of going on and on with their delaying tactics, they simply gave up and the bill passed after a mere 2 days. Getting 220 votes was a snap, no problem. The Democrats, newly aroused and bursting with new-found confidence, are ready to move on to other pressing issues, and god knows we have plenty of them.
The Obama Administration, through this baptism of fire, has changed dramatically in the past week: Instead of being a wannabe political force, they are the real McCoy, now that they are battle-tested. They have come of age while the GOP is sliding down the slippery slope of their own making, heading into a cesspool of rancor and ineptitude. They keep saying they will win in November and repeal HCB, but it seems like false bravado, mere wishful thinking and quite delusional. In truth they are reeling from this defeat and therefore whistling in the dark with blind faith. The Party of NO is written on their foreheads, like the Mark of Cain. In contrast the Democrats have unfurled two flags. One says Yes we can and the other saysYes we did.
However, there is the matter of the Tea Party folks. They seemed to be upping the ante and want blood. If it is mere bravado and exaggeration remains to be seen. But it is definitely worrisome. Over the weekend some black House members were called nigger and spat upon. Barney Frank was called a “faggot.” Rush Limbaugh, the chief idiot wind of Talk Radio, said,”We have to wipe out those bastards.” Some militia type who lives in Georgia, Mike Vanderboegh, is encouraging other wing nuts to throw a brick through the windows of Democratic offices across the country. There have been several incidents already. One brick had that famous line from Barry Goldwater’s acceptance speech back in 1964 attached to the brick: Extremism in defense of Liberty is no vice. Here in Tucson our representative in the House, Gabriel Giffords, had the glass office door to her headquarters shot out. Fortunately no one was hurt. Bart Stupak was called a “baby killer” in the House because he voted for HCB. This time the source was a congressman from Texas. Yesterday morning I was listening to the Dianne Rheims’ show on NPR and some Southern called in to announce he was prejudiced and said he hated blacks because they were ignorant, smelly and animalistic…The moderator cut him off before he got any farther. If this kind of crap comes to a boil remains to be seen.
Jerry P