While headin to town today I switched the radio to see what Uber (in his own mind) Conservative Fair and Balanced talking head Sean Hannity might have on his mind today. Whether I agree with or like a particular perspective I do force myself to listen to all sides of the issue because I'm crazy enough to believe you can learn something from anybody. And "force" is the operative word when I choose to hear what Hannity has to say.Ah, but today was a delight. I had to laugh as Hannity spent approx. 20 minutes or more expressing his concerns over Tea Party candidates running in certain areas that could upset the Republican dream applecart. He was almost pleading as he invoked Ronald Reagans name Tea Party members to come back to the republican fold for a "revitalized" republican party.
Now it appears to this writer that Mr. Hannity may be suffering from more than one delusion as it pertains to grass roots movements such as the Tea Party and others. It just may be they were not all "Republicans" to begin with. That many of them do not want there movement co-opted by any one political party and the reason the Tea Party and like movements have gained the steam is because maybe, just maybe, they are sick of the broken promises from both sides.
My hope would be that Tea Party people would see the danger in allowing themselves to be co-opted by any one party as it will weaken their hand and alienate potential members. Remember the original Boston Tea Party was not aimed towards the good British versus the bad British. It was aimed against the "Ruling" British who using us as a servant class just as the Corporate/Government alliance is today. Republicans and Democrats both.
I understand that this may come as a shock to Mr. Hannity but the republican politicians currently in office are robbing us blind also. They have learned to do it in a way that keeps their actions out of the limelight however.
While Elected Republicans were crowing in front of the T.V. Cameras about how irresponsible the stimulus plan was as it would drive up the national debt, guess what they were doing behind the scenes?
R. Senator Christopher Bond Missouri, The "YOU LIE" R. Representative Joe Wilson South Carolina, R. Senator Robert Bennett Utah, R Representative Pat Tiberi Ohio, R. Senator Mike Johanns Nebbraska, R. Sen Lamar Alexander Tennesse, R. Represenative John Linder (ranked among one of the most conservative members of the house by the American Conservative Union), R. Representative Robert Aderholt Alabama, R. Senator Lisa Murkowski Alaska, Ranking Republican on the Senate finance Committee Senator Charlse Grassley Iowa, and according to records at least 8 other republican law makers petitioned the USDA for money to fund projects iin their own states. Every one of them an out spoken critic of government spending.
See, as if by design one might suspect, their is a little known loophole by which politicians can talk out of one side of their mouth on the floor for public consumption, yet behind closed doors pursue the discrete option.
What is that option?
More than a dozen Republican lawmakers, while denouncing the stimulus to the media and their constituents, privately sent letters to just one of the federal government's many agencies seeking stimulus money for home-state pork projects.
The letters to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, expose the gulf between lawmakers' public criticism of the overall stimulus package and their private lobbying for projects close to home.
"It's not illegal to talk out of both sides of your mouth, but it does seem to be a level of dishonesty troubling to the American public," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
and
watchdog groups say the lawmakers' public talk and private letters don't square, highlighting a side of government spending largely overshadowed by the "earmarking" process. While members of Congress must disclose their earmarks — or pet projects they slip into broader spending bills — the private funding requests they make in letters to agencies fall outside of the public's view.
"There is a definite disconnect between the public statements and the private letters," said Thomas A. Schatz, president of the nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste. "It does seem inconsistent to say you're against the bill but then you want some little piece of it."Although the aforementioned individuals who would comment rationalized their actions. One has to wonder about how firm is the foundation of their "principles".
What is really Ironic is expenditures for expanding "broadband" is mentioned five times in this article by the Washington Times where much of this information for this post was obtained.
Was this not one of the issues Obama campaigned on? Expanding technology? Which if you will excuse me is just stupid.
While Hannity and the other talking heads have been bashing Obama over spending and accusing him of being a socialist they have overlooked where the money has been going, TO THE DAMN BANKS.
Broadband is not going to create long lasting jobs. Once it is up it pretty much runs itself.
But Broadband companies are spending millions lobbying in Washington, for everything from the ability to create monopolies to advocating for slower Broadband speeds (it's cheaper) to getting tax credits for building out systems they will profit from. So much money that very few really know just how much!
But where are any of our representatives when it comes to the infrastructure? Where is the money that was promised for that?
According to the American Society of Civil engineers:
"With each passing day, aging and overburdened infrastructure threatens the economy and quality of life in every state, city and town in the nation." Conditions have grown so bad that the ASCE estimates it would cost $1.6 trillion over a five-year period just to bring the nation's infrastructure up to "good" condition. "Establishing a long-term development and maintenance plan must become a national priority," says the group.
And that was posted here in 2007?
And what about:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Kentucky's Wolf Creek dam has been a hazard for years.
Some 150 miles northwest of Nashville, the 270-foot high, 1950s era dam on the Cumberland River has been leaking for decades.
The problem seems to have gotten worse in recent years. The dam poses such a threat that in 2008 counties down river installed emergency evacuation horns.
Although the Army Corps of Engineers is working aggressively to fix the problem and says the dam should be stable in seven years, the consequences of a breach are huge. The pent-up water in Cumberland Lake would spread over over 200 miles - flooding Nashville. The Corps estimates over 100 lives could be lost, and cause over $3 billion in property damage.
It's against this backdrop that the American Society of Civil Engineers recently said over 1,800 dams nationwide are deficient, and their failure could result in loss of life. That's almost a five-fold increase from 2001.Again where is the money to address infrastructure that is such bad shape in all states that fixing what is broken could dramatically increase jobs and create a flow of money into communities all across the country. Addressing this one issue alone could helped to pull the economy our of recession/depression. Not to mention the lives that will be saved, the homes and towns that will be saved and the boost to national security that would result.
Where is the Money? IT's going to the fat cat bankers to refurnish their bathrooms with golden toilets and the politicians of both parties to insure their re-election while pocketing some lobby money to boot.
It just may be MR. Hannity that there are some of us that understand it is not about the corruption of power and control and the selfish interest of politicians and bankers. It is about the saving of this country from idealoges such as yourself and Obama. Thats right Hannity. You and Obama are no different, you both are blinded by the battle for power.
After I attended my first Tea Party I warned the the original organizers that we must at all cost avoid having this movement co-opted by any political party. It may be that some others are finally seeing the wisdom in that.Add to Technorati Favorites
