Bad Deeds for 8-7-2009

Republicans Cause Increase in Manufacturing (of Lies, That Is) – I am as happy as anyone at signs of an economic recovery. But I confess to having mixed feelings about the resurgence of the wing-nut industry. They are following the business plan of those earlier entrepreneurs selling the idea that Obama had killed his grandma. Consider the scare-biz Internet scribe who penned the memorable line: “Obama flies to Hawaii to visit his grandmother and just a few days later she winds up dead. Coincidence?’’

But now, Fearmongers Inc. has ratcheted up from accusing Obama of killing his grandma to accusing him of trying to kill your grandma. Panic is their most important product. May we please declare the scare biz bankrupt?

 

Facts and Integrity Don’t Matter When Political Power and Money Can be Gained – The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, [so driven by fear,] that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they’ve given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They’ve become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems [profit above life].

 

Why Do Some Americans Fall For These Obvious Lies? – America is a great country, but some Americans are not very smart. They do the dirty work handed them by the people who don’t care about regular Americans (including themselves). At a recent town-hall meeting in South Carolina, a man stood up and told his Congressman to “keep your government hands off my Medicare,” which is kind of like driving cross country to protest highways. Nearly half of Americans don’t know that states have two senators and more than half can’t name their congressman. And among Republican governors, only 30% got their wife’s name right on the first try.

We can be talked [scared] into anything, like wars, and we can be talked [scared] out of anything, like health care. We should forget town halls, and replace them with study halls. There’s a lot of anger directed towards Washington, but you know who concerned citizens should be most angry at? Their fellow (uneducated) citizens. “Inside the beltway” thinking may be wrong, but at least it’s thinking, which is more than you can say for what’s going on outside the beltway.

Yes, I want decisions made by an elite group of people who know what they’re talking about. Which is the way our founding fathers wanted it. James Madison wrote that “pure democracy” doesn’t work because “there is nothing to check… an obnoxious individual.” Then, in the margins, he doodled a picture of Joe the Plumber.

 

Republicans Disconnected From Facts – It is scientific fact that the continents were once a connected land mass. Only 16% of Democrats and 23% of Independents disagree with that. But 47% of Republicans disagree with this scientific fact. They’re anti-fact, anti-science, anti-healthcare, anti-labor, anti-civil liberty, anti-anything for the common good. [They are all about their values.]

 

The Health Insurance Racket: Getting Rich by Denying Americans Care – United Healthcare CEO Stephen Hemsley owns $744,232,068 in unexercised stock options. CIGNA’s Edward Hanway spends his holidays in a $13 million beach house in New Jersey. Meanwhile, regular Americans are routinely denied coverage for the care they need when they need it most.

Welcome to the American health insurance industry [- competition for profit not patients]. Instead of helping policyholders attain the health security they need for their families, big insurance companies get rich by denying coverage to patients. Now they’re sending lobbyists to Washington, DC to twist the arms of lawmakers to oppose reform of the status quo. Why? Because the status quo pays.

 

Rowdy Wing-Nuts Don’t Represent Most Americans Who Want Health Care Reform – In a new poll released August 5, 2009, 74% of Americans said that the health care proposals which Obama supports would help them or other families in this country. The same poll says that 77% of Americans believe it is necessary to make major structural changes in the nation’s health care system in order to make sure that all Americans have health insurance.

 

Yesterday, I Under-Stated the Positive Effect of the Cash for Clunkers Program – Yesterday, I stated that Cash for Clunkers yielded six times in benefits what it cost. Well, it turns out that the $3 billion federal government investment is now expected to yield a 0.5% increase in GDP. So what does that mean? Well, current GDP is 14.149 Trillion dollars as of 2nd quarter. A 0.5% increase would mean a $70.75 billion increase in GDP and on a $3 billion federal investment, that is a multiplier effect of 23.6!

And more than the cleaner air that I mentioned yesterday, there is the reduced gas consumption, which reduces the need for foreign oil, which improves our national security. Also, less CO2, thus slowing global warming. These new vehicles are safer also. The winners here are clearly the American people. But, the Republicans are still criticizing the program, despite the facts.

 

Glenn Beck Fantasizes About Poisoning Nancy Pelosi – On his Fox News TV show, Glenn Beck staged a scene in which he gave a glass of wine to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then Beck demanded, “Drink it. Drink it. Drink it.” He then said, “I wanted to thank you for having me over here in wine country… By the way, I put poison in your… No. I look forward to all the policy discussions we’re supposed to have. You know, on health care, energy reform, and the economy.

 

Glenn Beck Says the President is a Racist and Poses a Threat to America; Take Action – You can use some of the letter in the comment field of the color of change website form, or send a letter:

To: Chief Marketing Officer
company Name and address (see below)
Recently, Glenn Beck went on a different Fox show – Fox & Friends and called President Obama a racist. Not only did he call the President a racist, but he also said that President Obama “has a deep-seated hatred for white people.”

On August 4, Glenn Beck did his weekly appearance on The O’Reilly Factor, where he said that President Obama poses a threat to America. A few days later, he talked about putting poison in Nancy Pelosi’s wine.

Glenn Beck has the license to say whatever he pleases, no matter how outrageous or how unfounded, until he crosses the boundary. This is why you cannot shout “fire” in a crowded movie theater – there needs to be consideration for other people and norms in our society. Mr. Beck’s accusations, are nothing more than hate speech akin to yelling fire in a theater. They were made to turn up the hate on an administration he does not agree with. We are all free (and encouraged) to disagree with the policies of the opposing sides, what is not acceptable are hate and lies for the sake of hate, lies and ratings. What is also not acceptable is outright or even tacit endorsement of such incendiary speech.

I find it both offensive and irresponsible that you find it necessary to attract customers using Beck’s program as the messenger.
Sincerley,

Your Name

Here are some of his advertisers:

FreeCreditReport
Attn: Customer Care
PO Box 19729
Irvine, CA 92623-9729
877-481-6826

Nutrisystem
300 Welsh Road
Building 1, Suite 100
Horsham, PA 19044
1-800-585-5483

Orbitz Worldwide, Inc.
500 W. Madison
Chicago, Illinois 60661
U.S.A.

TD Ameritrade
1005 N. Ameritrade Place
Bellevue, NE 68005

GEICO
One GEICO Plaza
Washington, DC 20076

Others:
Scooter Store, Rosland Capital, UPS, Men’s Wearhouse, UPS, Ditech, Wall Street Journal, ADT, Pharamcia, Apple, Sprint, Lowe;s, Susan G. Komen Foundation(!), Mitsubishi, Procter & Gamble, Avis, Verizon, Exxon Mobil, Zyrtec, Doubletree, Steinmart, Purina Beggin Strips, Bose, Tylenol, Applebees, Target, Amway, Subaru, 1-800-Flowers, DirecTV, Joseph A. Bank, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Red Lobster

Fearful White Guy talks with other Fearful White Guy

Regards,

Jim