I really wish there were two alternatives out there for people to consider voting for – and, let me try to get Lars Larson into the dialogue again – I’m talking about the people who are educated voters.  By “educated voters” I’m not implying some form of higher education separating one voter from the next – I’m talking about people who actually research out what the different candidates are saying and don’t make decisions based on the signs they see along the highways, or the soundbites they hear in the advertisements, or the propaganda put forth by right wing “water carriers” such as Larson – and, for that matter, they don’t just blindly follow the “urgings” on the other side as well – they look for candidates who will truly represent them (is that even possible anymore?).  In fact, there are now reports out about candidates who won primary elections and then actually TOTALLY changing their websites to reflect more “moderate” positions to give themselves a better chance in the general election.  Of course, this is just more of what American voters seem to be willing to tolerate – politicians telling them what they want to hear.  Today, I heard a clip of John McCain proposing to send ALL the “illegals” we can “round up” back to their countries of origin – this, the same John McCain who just a few short years ago “partnered” with Teddy Kennedy on a moderate “immigration reform” bill which would have given “illegals” a “pathway to citizenship.”  Oh, how a “tea party” opponent in the general election will get you to revisit what you REALLY believe!

Most of the people who I talk to about politics these days think I’m a democrat.  Well, the truth is, I refuse to vote for any republicans under the present “make-up” of the republican party but I’ve been a proud independent voter for over 40 years.  I have voted for republicans in the past and I hope to do so again in the future – it just won’t be one of the republicans who is willing to go along with the racist bigots who are in charge of the party today.  And, I have to add here that it’s a big disappointment to me that there isn’t one republican willing to come out and forcefully denounce some of the UNBELIEVABLE racist comments being made routinely these days  by republicans – with nary a whimper from inside the party.  (I do have to say that I heard a tape of Lindsay Graham commenting on Michael Steele’s incredible Afganistan comments, accurately pointing out that Steele calling Afganistan “Obama’s War” is ludicrous (my word) and urging unity in the “battle.”  Graham referred to Afganistan as “America’s War – despite my disagreements with his premise – it was a bit refreshing to hear a republican making even the slightest comment suggesting the need for unity with Obama in our “war” efforts)  However, what I heard the other night was simply OVER THE EDGE and, I’m anticipating there isn’t a republican out there with the “balls” to call Mr. Rush Limbaugh out on his latest venture into TOTALLY RACIST rhetoric!  If you haven’t heard, Limbaugh made the incredible claim – along the lines of some of his others – in fact, this is “right up there” with the “best” – that the only reason Barack Obama was elected president was because he’s Black!  He included in his rant that the reason Oprah Winfrey is successful and rich is because she’s Black.  I forget Limbaugh’s exact words, but he suggested that if President Obama wasn’t Black he’d be waiting tables in some Honolulu restaurant or teaching law in Chicago – the inference from his comments was that there is some mysterious conspiracy in America to make some Black people rich and successful so that we won’t appear to be racist – and, whoever is behind this scheme are the true racists.  You would have thought that Limbaugh would be able to tell when his mouth is getting TOTALLY out of control after his experience of getting “booted” from ESPN for saying something along the same lines regarding Donovan McNabb, then of the Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team – something like the media was making McNabb out to be a better quarterback than he actually was because he was Black.

It’s not that the venom never stops flowing from Limbaugh’s mouth – he’s been saying CRAP like that since the 80’s when he first hit the airwaves.  And, it doesn’t surprise me that the so-called “ditto heads” listen to this CRAP and just take it with a grain of salt – many of them, whom I know, actually expressing similar things as they also claim they too aren’t racists.  (Lars, these are some of what I call the “low information voters”)  It’s the republicans who are involved in the national political process who don’t have the GUTS to call Rush out on his racist CRAP (there’s a bunch more CRAP he needs to be called out on – but, allowing this to go on is beyond me – it’s one of the main reasons I wouldn’t consider voting for ANY republican at this point in time – PERIOD!)  Now, we’ve seen people like Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, and other republicans in action enough to know that covert racism (all experts with the code words, etc) is alive and well in republican circles.  Maybe these people simply admire Limbaugh because he just comes out and puts it on the table – HE’S AN OVERT RACIST!  Glenn Beck – my understanding is that he lost quite a few of his sponsors due to some of his racist comments – let’s wait and see if something like that happens to Limbaugh.  However, Beck’s still on the air – and, there seems to be plenty of support coming from somewhere for his show – and, I suspect that there would be no shortage of support for Limbaugh should some of his sponsors take a stand on principle (does that even happen anymore in America?)  So, their shows will continue – but, when is there going to be a republican who emerges and refuses to be identified with this GARBAGE?

The FACT that both Limbaugh and Beck can continue flooding hundreds – maybe thousands – of radio stations with this vile rhetoric is an indictment of America and a sign that the progress made during the sixties is UNDER ATTACK and is on shaky ground.  Most people have no idea how “shaky” the ground is.  Today, I spent the afternoon with a retired teacher friend of mine and two elementary school principals – one recently retired.  In the course of our interaction – keep in mind that all three of these people have Master’s Degrees and 30+ years teaching or administrative experience – I brought up “Citizen’s United.”  I simply asked if they knew what it was?  Shockingly, to me, none of them had a clue as to what “Citizen’s United” was/is.  When I explained it was a recent Supreme Court decision, before I could give any of the details, the Supreme Court topic went in an entirely different direction, I surmised it wasn’t the right time or place to bring this up, and I realized NONE of the three had the slightest interest in knowing anything about “Citizen’s United.”  The reason I’m pointing that out here is it’s my belief that the damage from the Citizen’s decision is already well under way.  How else can it be explained that people like Beck can lose 60 or so sponsors and just move right along?  Some entity out there is willing to fork out the dough to keep him on the air – because he’s spewing the corporatocracy message that has manifested itself in the “Citizen’s United” decision.  And, now we have Rush Limbaugh claiming our president is only president because he’s Black – using twisted logic to imply he should be waiting tables – this why Obama is trying to extract us from two occupations Limbaugh, Beck, and those they’re carrying the water for got us MIRED into, along with salvaging a ruined economy – the ruination which was championed by the likes of Limbaugh and Beck, and saving what’s left of our federal government which was dismantled under Bush/Cheney with Limbaugh and Beck leading the chears.  What are they doing now?  They’re trying to INSURE that President Obama FAILS – at EVERY turn, and, at least, they’re honest about this wish (although they’re not honest about much else) – even at the expense of the health of our nation.  To the likes of Limbaugh and Beck – a Black President succeeding would be far worse than the country falling apart during the Black President’s term – because if they play their “cards” right – and, if enough Americans are too busy to be paying attention – they will be able to “pin” the failure of America on our Black President.  And, I guarantee you, much of the rationale they will then be using is that Obama failed because he’s Black!

It would be uplifting to feel as if someone with a moral compass on the republican side of the isle was paying attention to all of this – and was as abhorred by it all as myself and millions of other Americans are.  For some strange reason it seems ALL REPUBLICANS are totally AFRAID of Rush Limbaugh – and to a lessor extent Glenn Beck.  I’m guessing the reason for this is that the republican caucus actually gives the Limbaugh’s, Beck’s, Larson’s and the rest of them their “talking points” – and, any criticism risks coming right back home to roost.  Therefore, the republicans are stuck in this endless cycle of mean spirited, self-righteous, racist, selfish interaction with their “base” – and, for some strange reason enough people are listening to give them hope of retaking both houses of Congress in November.  I find that hard to believe – but, with “Citizen’s Untied” in place, I don’t think anyone has a full grasp on how much “pull” the corporate masters will have on the next election and succeeding elections.  I can say this – if the democrats don’t get some legislation through to mitigate the effects of the decsion by November, it might be too late.  I’m already seeing signs of the large corporate interests “lining up” for November – either by how they’re spending their money or how they’re NOT spending it.  For example – it was recently reported that Wall Street is giving MUCH LESS to democrats as the result of financial reform.  Think about that – Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citibank, they’re all saying to the democrats – put in reform we don’t like and we’ll spend the money necessary to get you thrown out of office.  Just think about what kind of nation we will have if it actually gets down to that.

If there’s anyone who might happen across this post who believes that our Congress is not FOR SALE please explain it to me.  In my mind, the writing’s on the wall with “Citizen’s United.”  Candidates will NEVER be able to raise enough money privately to outspend a corporation which decides they need to be defeated.  I know I don’t fully understand how TV time is sold for advertising – but, I’m guessing BP, for example, could purchase much more air time than say a Senator or Congress person who is too harsh on them ( from their perspective) because they’ve destroyed the Gulf of Mexico recklessly.  And, keep in mind that BP is a foreign corporation, but despite the Supreme Court’s limiting these abhorent corporate “rights” only to American corporations I guarantee you they will be right in the middle of our next election.  And, as I’ve stated several times on this site, Fox “news” (which almost every “right wing” person I talk to gets their information from – that info which doesn’t come from the likes of Limbaugh, Beck, Larson, et al)  is owned by foreigners.  The majority owner is from Australia (a “right winger”) and the second leading shareholder is a Saudi Prince – the land from where the 9/11 attacks originated.  So, we’re down to this – foreign corporations and racist “right” wing pundits attempting to brainwash the American people into thinking that putting corporations in charge of EVERYTHING will be “taking our country back” in the words of Sarah Palin.  One other thing that puzzles me – as I listen to these “conservatives” complain about our President who is attempting to fix the MESS he was saddled with by Bush/Cheney – How does Rush Limbaugh’s OVERT RACIST behavior seem to get continually overlooked by our “LIBERAL” media?  Are there really enough “ditto heads” out there to look the other way as Limbaugh and his “ilk” attempt to undermine the very government we all depend on?