As the GOP flounders and starts to come to terms with its own internal problems, we are forced to observe helplessly as they enter the next stage of the grieving process: anger. Having displayed signs of the first stage, denial, through the entirety of the Stimulus debate, die-hard conservatives are now lashing out in reactions ranging from petty lies and insults to full-blown “wingnuttery.”
Some current examples:
- By now you should have heard of the New York Post’s recent publication of the following cartoon…on the page immediately preceding the cartoon is a picture of President Obama signing the Stimulus Bill:
The cartoon, using the recent shooting of a chimpanzee on a rampage, most obviously draws a parallel between the chimp and President Obama. This inferred connection between two entirely unconnected events should be clear to even the most forgiving viewer. It should go without saying that comparing the first African-American President to a monkey that had to be violently put down is unacceptable in both its racial and violent overtones. The New York Post…claims it is a harmless “parody of a current news event” and offers no form of apology. They even go so far as to insult the people criticizing the cartoon. The cartoon’s author? He made a joke that perhaps people should see it as referring to Pelosi.
- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is back. In a recent interview she claims that “America is running out of rich people” because of Democratic economic measures. She claims that ACORN is under federal indictment (which it is not) and that ACORN will receive $5 billion dollars from the Stimulus Bill (there is no mention of ACORN in the entire bill). She claims that Obama is going to redistrict the states to the Democrats advantage (states have full control over redistricting) and that he will soon seize control of the census data and use it for this purpose (census data is free and available to the public…anyone). Oh…and according to Bachmann, the bill has a provision to create a “rationing board” that will prevent your doctor from making healthcare decisions…perhaps she’s unaware that a medical “rationing board” already exists, and that the bill contains no language that would lead to a lessening of your doctor’s decision-making power.
Here’s the audio:
- I guess you can understand the GOP’s frustration…I wouldn’t want to have to endure an interview like Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn) visit with Rick Sanchez:
And if you think being faced with those kinds of FACTS stings a little…check out Contessa Brewer’s conversation with Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times:
- Not to be outdone by Limbaugh or Coulter…conservative pundit Michelle Malkin decided that it was a good idea to pose with a guy holding a anti-Obama sign that prominently featured a swastika:
Oh, and “State Senator Josh Penry, Congressman Mike Coffman, Colorado GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams, State Senator Dave Schultheis, former Congressman Tom Tancredo, and Independence Institute president Jon Caldara, among others” who were on stage also with this guy and his sign…they seemed fine with it, too. Malkin’s defense? She said, “But those mean liberals used swastikas too!” Classy, Michelle.
- When Representative Eric Cantor has been very busy telling us about all the horrible things in the Stimulus Bill (so far almost nothing he has mentioned actually WAS in the Stimulus Bill), he’s been very busy NOT telling us that his wife’s bank (she is managing director for one of the bank’s subsidiaries) received $267 million of the bailout money. Ooops.
- Real quick: latest conservative-driven lie about the Stimulus Bill…is that it calls for a high-speed train to be built from Las Vegas to Disney Land. You guessed it: totally not true. But FOX said it, so if you Google “stimulus train disney” you get back a ton of conservative bloggers LOSING THEIR MINDS over it.
- Speaking of FOX…did you hear about recently when they read a GOP talking point right off a memo from the Senate Republican Communications Center as if it were a “news item.” They might have gotten away with it…except the memo contained a typo…and they read it, typo and all. Their response…they apologize…for the mispronounced word. NOT for treating party propaganda as “journalism.” It’s not news…it’s FOX News.
- New Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele has provided us with some fresh weirdness…he says he wants to give the RNC a “hip-hop” makeover and that “I don’t do ‘cutting-edge.’ That’s what Democrats are doing. We’re going beyond cutting-edge.” Oh and the Stimulus? It’s just the President’s “bling bling.” No I’m serious…he really said these things. Really.
- Oh…and for anyone counting…the count stands at FIVE. That is, five Republican legislators have gone to their home districts and bragged about measures that they managed to get into the Stimulus Bill…and all of them, voted against it. And the rest of the GOP…they may have opposed the stimulus, but they really want some money from it. They claim their interest in seeing the money go to THEIR home districts is simply “to make sure this money is spent properly.” The sickening details here.
The next phase of the grieving process…bargaining…can not come soon enough.