Left, Right, or Wrong?

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was quick this past week to accuse the Democrats of ‘fanning the flames’ of voter discontent by blaming the GOP for recent threats against 10 House Democrats. The Democrats, on the other hand, have been complaining for a very long time (since the 2008 Presidential campaign) about GOP collusion with extremists that resulted in multiple threats to President (then candidate) Obama’s life.

Indeed, threats of violence to 10 house democrats and vandalism to multiple Democratic headquarters across the country seem related to dangerous rhetoric by the GOP.  Such rhetoric included Sarah Palin’s cross-hair map symbols targeting Democratic districts and telling her supporters to ‘reload’. House Minority Leader Boehner was quoted as calling someone a dead man and referred to the health care vote as ‘armageddon‘.  Not only that, but extremist threats made were not limited to law makers. In fact, threats directed at the 10 Democrats extended to their spouses, and even, their children.

Cantor’s outrage at the Democrat’s alleged politicization of the threats is disingenuous at best. House Republicans received one call and an alleged incident at Congressman Cantor’s campaign office – none of which was serious enough to warrant police protection.

Democrats, on the other hand, before and after the vote were spit on, called racial epitaphs, and harshly criticized for their sexual orientation. These incidents, coupled with the vandalism and threatening phone calls,  were serious enough to prompt the FBI to investigate and for Democrats to receive police protection.

Adding insult to injury, Democrats were beginning to see a more pronounced problem with their GOP colleagues both in the house itself and on the capitol lawn during the health care debate.  GOP law makers, live on C-SPAN, cheered on a disruptive tea party protester who was ejected from the gallery of the house during the health care debate, unfurled a ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ flag (now usurped by the Tea Party as their flag) to a jubilant crowd of Tea Party protesters outside, and participated in a plethora of Tea Party protests leading up to the health care vote, even sponsoring some of them with Fox News close behind.

But the crowning achievement of the GOP during the health care debate was when Abilene Congressman Randy Neugebauer interrupted Rep. Bart Stupak during debate on the house floor to call him a ‘baby killer’ for supporting the health care bill publicly (shown in this footage):

For all those tempted to say ‘both’ sides are at fault, both sides own some of the responsibility for outrageous and unprofessional behavior on the House floor or by Tea Party extremists, ask yourself this question: Have the Democrats spit on anyone? Have Democrats told their followers to ‘reload’ in reference to a renewed campaign against a bill? Have Democrats called the President a liar in national TV during a speech to a joint session of congress? Have the Democrats called anyone a ‘baby killer’?

All extremists that call for violent opposition to a democratic form of government or threaten the lives of people because they disagree with them are shameful and dangerous – plain and simple. There is no place for them in our society.

Any law maker, that fans the flames of discontent by cheering on extremist protesters that disturb a house vote, call for the physical replacement of a Democratic member of congress at a Tea Party rally, or side with Governors that threaten to secede from the Union, is an embarrassment and should be censured (at a minimum) or perhaps even prosecuted under federal law (at a maximum).

It is time for the GOP to calm the dangerous rhetoric of the past year. I’m sure they will continue to disagree with Democrats and that is fine. That disagreement in an open and public forum for all to see is what Democracy is all about. Dangerous rhetoric that prompts violence is not.

People have always rallied against the President and Congress regardless of whether Democrats were in power or Republicans were in power. However, with the unprecedented level of media attention (and at times actual support) of fringe elements – including the Tea Party – has a line been crossed?

It is of little surprise that Fox News, for instance, has leaned strongly to the right on all political issues, but their support of – and heavy media coverage of – the Tea Party may have crossed a line into a very dark area: sedition. It seems almost apocryphal to even think this, but the more time that goes by and the more the media – especially Fox News -  heavily covers this, the more it seems seditious. Members of the group itself have – at times – threatened the President’s life during the campaign and beyond prompting more than a single visit from the Secret Service to residents. But where does free speech end and sedition begin?

According to the Sedition Act of 1798, the following activity is criminal and considered sedition:

…inter alia, malicious writings which defamed, brought into contempt or disrepute, or excited the hatred of the people against the Government, the President, or the Congress, or which stirred people to sedition.

There has certainly been a gray area here for many years in regard to how you can interpret this vs. freedom of speech. However, in the last year, we have seen certain members (retired and active) of congress publicly support tea party discussions about overthrowing elements of their government and even Texas Governor Perry talked publicly and loudly about possibly seceding from the Union. Even Clarence Thomas’ wife formed her own (not legally registered, by the way) Tea Party.

Alone, these acts may not add up to sedition, but together, with support from members of congress, Fox News, and several state Governors, it seems to me that we are talking about sedition. The tea party itself has been unabashed about it’s intentions – even mentioning civil war and taking back their country. Combined with the violence at Tea Party rallys, threats to the President’s life, threats to physically replace members of congress – specifically by name – then there is no doubt: their acts and support of their acts in rallying civil war, violence, and overthrowing undesirable parts of the U.S. government is nothing less than sedition.

Watch this video for a quick sample of a very common Tea Party sentiment.

Representative Alan Grayson has done something really very interesting. He has side stepped Health Care Reform as they fight about a public option and introduce his own proposed bill called the Public Option Act. This 4-page bill is simple: allow all Americans to opt-in to Medicare if they want to! Simple, straight forward, and doable. I like it.

Read more about it here and sign up to tell congress to pass it!

At this time of the year, when so many are struggling with financial burdens, unemployment, and family serving in Afghanistan or Iraq, I would like to extend a sincere and warm wish for the holidays for all those people. Christmas is, after all, in the final analysis, a time of  love. And although I do not have the resources to bring families separated by war together, or employ those that find themselves still unemployed, or bring toys to all those families facing financial burdens this holiday, I do want to extend a feeling of communion and brotherhood to let all these people know, you are not alone.

And for all those fortunate enough to not be personally affected the by economy or the Wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, reach out to a friend having trouble or a veteran home from war but having trouble adjusting or any of the multitudes of people in need – even a stranger.

An extra toy to a needy family, a hand of friendship to someone in need, a letter to a veteran, and a spirit of communion will go a long way and cost you almost nothing.

It is at this time of year, that I think of the parable of the Good Samaritan. If we could – in some modest way – follow this example I think it would make the lives of so many in need just a little brighter this year and in the future. After all, Christmas is once a year, but the Christmas spirit lives on every day of the year.

Dean in an inteview today stating that we should wait and see what happens in conference to the Health Care Reform bill, but in it’s current form, he can’t support it.

Dean is right on in this video. We need to dump the senate version and send it back to the house for reconciliation!

Howard Dean on ABC News

Ok. Granted losing his temper was not good. But he makes a valid and excellent point. One that President Obama should pay attention to – as should Rahm Emanuel.

I was genuinely shocked to be alerted to a story about how a conservative National Review columnist thinks that our populace – as a whole – should guilt trip people on food stamps into feeling guilty for feeding their children. Yes, you read it right, guilt trip them – stigmitize them – for scraping by during a time when the country is recovering from it’s worst recession since the Great Depression. Not to mention that it is generally considered a jobless recovery.

It’s heartening to me to know that these ‘compassionate conservatives’ are looking out for us so diligently. What I want everyone to consider is – where would we be if such conservative pundits along side their GOP congressmen, got their way? What if all social programs were eliminated? What if there were no food stamps or social security or medicare or welfare of any kind?

Actually, we did live like this for a while – between 1929 and 1939. When the Great Depression hit our country, there were little or no programs under Hoover (a Republican) to help the jobless who became destitute. Under Roosevelt, work programs, government assistance to the jobless poor (1 in 4 people in our country) saved many families from complete destruction.

But conservatives think that we should stigmatize poverty and joblessness. They think that everyone is a welfare cheat – skimming the system. This is dangerous propaganda. But what is even more dangerous is when Democrats or independents go along with their conservative brethren.

There will always be a small percentage of people that take advantage of any system. But to postulate that all welfare or food stamp recipients are scamming the system is foolish and idiotic. And that is exactly what John. J. Miller did in his article in the National Review.

In this White House video, the President makes a clear case for general support for Health Care Reform for many reasons, including financial ones.

This is a long video (feel free to skip to the end) but for this historic moment, C-SPAN covered it uninterrupted.