All I can say is “What is wrong with this country I love?” (The United States of America)  Yesterday I read in horror about the Congresswoman from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat, who was senselessly shot through her brain by a madman who also killed 6 other people and wounded more than 10 at a gathering where Giffords was listening to her constituents outside a Safeway store in Tuscon Arizona.  The sad reality is that for many of us “liberals” we’ve been saying it’s just a matter of time before the vile rhetoric coming from the “right” causes some nutjob to “go off.”  Of course, this isn’t the first crazy result of all the ginning up of the so-called right wing “base” – a guard was shot at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, another “radical” flew a plane into an IRS building (which actually received the blessing of many on the “right”), and there have been other incidents – this, however, is the most profound example of the Limbaugh, Beck, O’Reilly, Palin (and others) effect on this great nation.

I’m going to give some examples to back up my contention that these right wing thugs – who are already backpedalling from their disgusting rhetoric – are out of control, and – as I’ve been saying since President Obama took over the White House – when are the democrats going to stand up and say ENOUGH already?!!!!  In this incident a sitting District Judge was murdered, one of the aides to the Congresswoman was murdered, three elderly citizens were murdered, and a little 3rd grade girl was MURDERED!  I feel compelled to remind anyone who reads this what people like John McCain, Sarah Palin, Sharon Angle, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and these “tea party” fanatics have been spewing out of their collective mouths.  For some reason it appears they believe “freedom of speech” has no consequences.  I don’t know if Sarah Palin posting a picture of Congresswoman Gifford’s district on her website with the image of the crosshairs of a rifle scope supreimposed over it bothered anyone when it happened – but, it certainly should now.  (The districts right next to this one were “targeted” by Palin as well)  Sarah Palin is a disgrace to the political dialogue of this great nation, she’s an illegitimate national leader thrust upon us by that pathetic OLD MAN John McCain in his desperate attempt to prevent Barack Obama from winning the White House.  And, I doubt that our “liberal media” will hardly mention what Palin had done – despite the FACT Giffords is lying in a hospital fighting for her life – and probably, even if she survives, destined to be a shadow of her former self.  I am praying for a miracle from God that her wounds would somehow be totally healed and that the other victims would survive this deplorable act.

Before I get back to Palin (I’m having a difficult time controlling my disgust and anger – hence, this “rant” will probably be more disjointed than usual) – I read the comments from the guy who founded the “tea party,” Jason Phillips who immediately started urging his tea party supporters to “blame liberals for the attack on centrist Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.”  This is the same guy who founded the “tea party” convention where Sarah Palin famously said, “America is ready for another revolution” to a standing ovation.  This is the same guy who supported Sharron Angle – as did the republican party, Fox “news,” Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, and others who claimed that if they don’t win at the ballot box “we still have our second amendment rights” – again insinuating revolution.  Phillips, in an incredible lack of compassion and defensive selfishness, went on to say to his followers, “The left is coming and will hit us hard on this. We need to push back harder with the simple truth. The shooter was a liberal lunatic. Emphasis on both words.”  No matter what the motive of the “shooter,” this thug showed where he’s coming from.  The judge who was MURDERED was a “leftist,” The Sheriff at the scene was a “leftist,” as was Giffords according to this unconscienable human being Phillips.  All I can say, I hope that “we the people” aren’t going to put up with these thugs for the next two years.  Let’s hope there are enough decent people in the republican side of congress to put an end to this “tea party” movement NOW!  The RACIST signs and threats at their rallies weren’t enough, but this should be!

Back to Palin.  The woman should be disqualified from this day forward.  The list of her abominations just goes on and on – yet, because Fox has no principles whatever, they continue to push her into the spotlight she’s TOTALLY incapable of handling.  I mean the woman was mayor of a town the size of the little suburb I grew up in and governor of a state the size of the University of Washington (population wise).  Plus, she quit her job as governor half way through her term to cash in on her notoriety – thanks to McCain.  Not what you’d call your dedicated public servant.  Palin has a history with the Alaskan Successionist movement which is connected to the overtly racist John Birch Society.  I still remember listening in horror during the 2008 presidential campaign when Palin ginned up her crowd to the point they were yelling things like “Kill him” in reference to now President Obama with nary a whimper coming from Palin’s mouth to stop the vitriol.  In fact, Palin has a history of making statements that range from stupid to really offensive to vile which eventually she has to retract – just as she’s now attempting to do regarding the “crosshairs.”  Honestly, this reminds me of Bill O’Reilly attempting to avoid any blame in the MURDER of doctor Tiller who was one of the only doctors in the nation who was willing to perform “late term abortions” – almost exclusively on fetuses which were already dead for the purpose of saving the mother’s life.  O’Reilly incessently referred to the doctor as the “baby killer” (when the truth was far different – I had to look beyond “Fox” to find what was really happening with this doctor) and then he tried to back away from his vile rhetoric once the doctor was dead.  These people all work with the same “modus operendi.”

Aside from the udder dishonesty of Palin’s claims that Barack Obama was everything from a communist to a socialist to a fascist during the campaign to her claims about the “death panels” during the health care debate and all the other misinformation she spews there is overwhelming evidence that she (and the tea party she is the torch bearer for) is an out and out racist.  The above referenced  remarks going unheeded were just one in a number of examples of Palin having no boundaries when she campaigns – for example during the campaign she was in Iowa and didn’t miss a beat as someone in the crowd yelled “N___er” while she was speaking and telling unbelievable lies that were totally ungrounded in facts.  She herself has referred to Obama as a terrorist, helped spawn the “birther” movement, and has inferred he’s a Muslim (although, that really shouldn’t matter in the “land of the free” should it?)  She was a natural to lead the “tea party” and her divisiveness has gone way past the president – hence the references to violence toward people such as Giffords and other democrats in the recently completed campaign.

I don’t know if you’ve ever listened to people like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Michael Savage(Wiener), Lars Larsen, and the republicans who are in concert with them – the other day I read a quote from a person who was affiliated with George W Bush who said, “We thought Fox “news” worked for us, we never realized we work for them.”  That’s the most profound statement I’ve heard coming from the mouth of a republican since I read the last Kevin Phillips book.  The republican politicians answer to the likes of Limbaugh and the rest – and, whoever is supplying the “talking points” they all are willing to regurgitate to the unsuspecting public.  But, it seems to me it’s long past time for the GOVERNMENT these people hate – yet want to control – to call an end to all this.  We need to find out if “free speech” is “unlimited” on OUR airwaves – both radio and television.  There really was a time in America when the level of civility was a lot higher.  Yes, there has been and there will always be the “fringe,” but it wasn’t that many years ago when there were much higher standards as to what was said on the airwaves of “we the people.”  Remember, companies like Fox are LICENSED.  There are supposed to be rules for them to follow – and, it seems to me, it’s time that covert groups like the “Family,” “Blackwater,” and others are publicly exposed – including the mega churches that are part of this hatred somehow claiming to be acting in the name of Christ.

And, this goes much deeper than  Palin and the “talking heads” of the “tea party” and the republican party.  There’s a large group of successful, wealthy Americans affiliated with the “Family” which I’ve written about recently (you can check the archives) who are part of this right wing conspiracy to take over power in America by any means possible.  The one example that comes right to my mind was when I heard Chuck Norris of Walker Texas Ranger fame calling for succession from the union and saying he was interested in becoming “President of Texas.”  He went on to claim that if Obama was elected there were “thousands of cells” throughout America who would prevent Obama from taking our guns – or something along those lines – I’m working from memory here – I couldn’t believe this when I heard it, might have been on Glenn Beck’s tv show.  Yet, I’ve heard about all these right wing cells from many other sources – so I believe the time is right to take these people seriously.  Norris was a strong supporter of Mike Huckabee who is one of the Fox “news” republican presidential candidates of 2012 and, who said nothing (at least that I heard) condemning Norris’ provocative remarks.

I’m going to conclude by saying that the American public need to rise up and reject the “tea party” movement, the republican party as it presently exists, and politicians (from any party) who rely on hate speeches and lies to gain power.  As I’ve said many times on this site, 35 years ago I considered myself a conservative.  I’m the type of person who just keeps “chugging” along and I haven’t changed my views that much – I am willing, at this point however, to accept that abortion is an issue which I certainly don’t have all the answers for – and, it’s not my place to condemn anyone on that or any other issue that is part of a civil debate – but, I still feel as if I should be considered a conservative – balance the budget and keep traditional values (of course, now we have to determine what they are – because the traditional values of the “tea party” are different from the ones I’m talking about).  Yet, the national debate has been PUSHED so far to the “right” in the last 30 years that I’m now considered a “liberal.” (and, proudly so at this moment in time)  When I listen to Mr. Phillips of the “tea party” call Barack Obama a “leftist” and Gabrielle Giffords a “leftist” – it becomes clear that these terms have become totally convoluted.  The “tea party” only has a forum because of the influence of “Citizens United.”  It’s time for the American public to refuse to support ANY sponsors of tv or radio personalities who spew hate along with the politicians for whom they’re doing the bidding.