I was reading my email this morning and got a good taste of why, as a sixth grade teacher, I try to teach my students the importance of “comparing and contrasting” as you process information.  First, there was the email from Alan Grayson which included the “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” written 50 years ago by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – to say the least a “profound” read (I posted the letter if you want to read it) – and then an internet petition to sign (they’re coming fast and furious these days – and, thankfully, there’s a lot of “activists” out there “fighting the good fight”) From Credo to oppose the Koch Brothers acquiring the Tribune Company, which includes several major newspapers including the Los Angeles Times.  What an interesting combination!  Dr. King is a hero to many like myself in America and yet people like the Kochs are, and have been for years, doing everything they can to make sure King’s dream is never fully a reality.  The election of a Black president put the Kochs and their “ilk” on “red alert” and they’ve been throwing everything, including, seemingly, “the kitchen sink,” at making sure President Obama FAILS and that they have such a stranglehold on the “message” that they don’t have to worry about a repeat of what, in their minds I’m sure, is a real tragedy.  You have to remember that the Koch’s father was an original member of the John Birch Society, and if you don’t understand what that means in relation to Black presidents, “Google it.”

The first reason this “comparison” has rung a “bell” with me is that I live in the radio market of Portland, Oregon.  Over the previous 8 (or so) years, prior to Obama’s initial election there was a “liberal” talk radio station in Portland that was kind of a prototype for what amounts to a miniscule opposition to the right wing messaging “machine” that has evolved on “talk radio” since the first days Rush Limbaugh started his right wing racist ranting during the Reagan years.  I have believed all along that it’s (right wing talk radio) part of the larger plan to form what Karl Rove calls the “permanent republican ‘majority'” (the additional quotes are mine – if it happens it will be a “majority” similar to Hitler’s “majority” in the 1930’s Germany).  After Limbaugh was established, along came Fox “news” and “think tanks” like the Heritage Institute of the Kochs both of which have worked in tandem with the right wing talkers like Limbaugh to “cement” the right wing propaganda “machine.”  Portland’s liberal talk station was a push-back, albeit a minor push-back because the “conservatives” control over 90% of the radio airspace.  So, it was no surprise to me when, shortly after Obama’s second election Portland’s (KPOJ) was replaced by (surprise surprise) a “wing” of the Fox network.  I was angry, but not surprised – for anyone not paying attention, this is just further evidence of the FACT the “conservatives” have a stranglehold on our “liberal media.” (seems like an oxymoron, huh?)

That gets me back to this morning’s emails.  I’ve known for weeks that the Kochs are attempting to purchase the Tribune company and that it will be a travesty if it happens.  I’m also very aware that Koch Industries generates over 100 BILLION dollars in revenue per year and the Kochs themselves are worth well over 50 BILLION dollars.  If they want to buy the Tribune company, they have the funds to do so.  The question then becomes how much of a stranglehold of our media are “we the people” willing to allow this right wing message machine to control?  I can’t even watch Fox “news” because I’ve read too much to allow me to NOT understand that they are purely and simply a right wing propaganda organization (as long as you’re “googling” things, Google the holdings of Rupert Murdoch – the owner of Fox “news,” the Wall Street Journal, and many other media outlets – and “Google” his political leanings).  They are run by a republican operative of the 70’s and 80’s – back in the days of Watergate (Roger Ailes).  They have “both barrels” aimed at Barrack Obama and anyone who might be considered “liberal” and they care only about POWER and nothing about the average and below American (their ONLY concern with the “average and below” Americans is keeping them IGNORANT of their REAL motive – ie – keeping them as “low information voters” – that’s the term that got Lars Larsen to call me an “elitist liberal” :o).  Their “talkers” (Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Limbaugh, along with the small time voices like Larsen’s, etc.) are willing to say anything for their large paychecks.  And, they are the epitome of liars who lie so much that they get to the point where they’re believing their own lies as the lies come out of their lips!  (the term is pathological)

Losing elections doesn’t slow this right wing cabal hardly at all.  That’s the problem I see with those of us “liberals” – and, that is we seem to think once we win an election the message has been “sent.”  For example, the previous election of 2012 was focused on the “social safety net” – programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, unemployment insurance, Head Start, etc. along with the so-called “roll-out” of “Obamacare” ie – “The Affordable Care Act.”  Since that election we’ve seen republicans in the House voting AGAIN (something like the 38th time) to repeal “Obamacare.”  There’s no shame with these people.  Instead of trying to figure out how to make the legislation better for “we the people” they’re focused – STILL – on undermining our president.  And, of course, he’s playing into their hands by seemingly an endless attempt to get them to agree to something – which led to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid being put “on the table” in the ill advised budget negotiations (which aren’t really negotiations at all because there’s no way the republicans will agree to anything Obama will sign).  Liberals like me have only to hope that the democrats will AGGRESSIVELY work to gain enough control in congress by 2014 to be able to pass some progressive legislation.  That hope was dealt a severe blow by Obama putting the foundation of the “New Deal” and “Great Society” signature achievements “on the table.”  And, sadly, many democrats are so concerned with their reelection that they’ve become intimidated by the power of the right wing media.  I can guarantee you, there will be no let up from the “right” until “we the people” vote them out (along with the wishy washy dems) en mass!

Additionally, the other day I listened to parts of a speech President Obama gave to the graduating class of Morehead State University in which he AGAIN chose to “lecture” an audience of Blacks – this time newly graduated Morehead seniors and their faculty and families about the importance of being responsible men in our society.  I guess because our president is Black he feels comfortable broaching this subject (over and over) with Black audiences – but, I find this a bit disconcerting.  While there’s validity, I’m sure, to what he’s saying – I can guarantee you the problem is “bipartisan” – or whatever the correct word would be for there not being a “color line” for irresponsible men and fathers.  So far, I haven’t heard the same subject being “preached” to a white audience – not that it’s impossible that he has.  My point in bringing this up is that I don’t see Obama as a great leader for the Black community.  Again, I realize he’s up against a congress which is NOT going to agree to ANYTHING he wants – and this suffocating “liberal media” – controlled by conservatives is bent on his “failure” – but, he MUST put up a fight for the basic values that made the democratic party the representatives of the average Americans, the workers, the Blacks, the Hispanics, the unions, etc.  Liberals feel as if they’re fighting a losing battle if they work to elect people who then turn around and push republican values in their faces.  As I’ve written before, if I wanted Social Security and Medicare cut, I would have voted for Romney/Ryan.  If I wanted to hear my leaders attacking the Black community, I would vote for republicans.  President Obama seems unaware of the magnitude of the WAR that’s going on right now internally in America.

As I stated above, despite losing elections (including the last one) republicans continue to try to cram the same CRAP down our throats we’ve been getting since the day Ronald Reagan gained the White House.  Only, now it’s the fringe “right” who are “guiding the ship.”  Most people I know, many of them with graduate degrees from top universities, don’t even know who Charles and David Koch are.  They have no idea how much power they’ve managed to gain in the last 30+ years and they have no idea how “out there” their philosophy is.  The Kochs are the money behind the so-called “Tea Party” which they managed to work up into a frothing lather in 2010 (after Obama’s first “victory”) that resulted in all the “Tea Party” freshmen republicans who took over the House in that 2010 election (if you watched any of their “rallies” during the 2010 election or listened to the speeches you know how overtly RACIST the “Tea Party” is).  What many of us didn’t understand at the time, was that they also gained control of many legislative bodies and governorships across the nation and managed to “gerrymander” countless congressional districts (this happens every 10 years – next time it’s possible will be 2020) making it more difficult for democrats to unseat some extremely radical republican members of the House.  Now, I’m hearing reports of the same type of aggressive, anti-government, anti-Obama rallies as they are evidently going to make the same “push” in the 2014 election with the objective of taking control of both the House and the Senate.

That’s obviously where the battle lines are presently drawn.  For those of us who are “liberals” (or progressives if you’ve “bought” the right wing “cool aid” that “liberal” is a dirty word) recognize that unless democrats can take back control of the House of Representatives the republicans will continue to block any kind of progressive legislation for the remainder of Obama’s term in office (and presumably going forward – they are trying to convince the American public that the “only” way to get anything “done” will be to elect a republican president (which would give them their “permanent majority – that is, control of the House, the Senate, the courts, and the media – and, in reality, they are correct – it will be hard to unseat them)  On the other hand, the liberals who are fighting back recognize the same problem and are (hopefully) intent on gaining control of the House while retaining control of the Senate (and removing the filibuster rule) so that we can move this nation back in the direction that created our great middle class in the first place – toward the New Deal and Great Society.  These “Tea Party” rallies should energize the “liberals” in America if they will only pay attention to what is being said there and how these people are carrying themselves.

In 2010 there was one BLATANTLY racist sign after another at the “Tea Party” rallies.  If you go back and listen to some of the speeches it was very disgusting.  Many of the remarks coming from members of congress pandering to the group.  The “code words” were “flying” hot and heavy.  Many of the speakers I heard made little attempt to hide their disgust that a person they referred to as “other” could be living in the “White House.”  Now, we’re hearing comments like “Waterboard Obama” and “Waterboard Clinton” at their rallies by people holding signs adorned with swastikas!  I’m not going to “go off” on my frustrations at Obama for not allowing the investigations into the war crimes of the Bush/Cheney regime, but if republicans gain control again, they’ve made it quite clear how they feel about torture.  And, as I’ve stated before on this site – there’s a group called the “Family” that are at the foundation of this right wing push of the last 30 plus years – and, their original affiliation was with members of the Third Reich who were not prosecuted after WW II and they’ve adopted the propaganda scheme of Joseph Goebbels, the head of Nazi propaganda – the so-called “Big Lie Theory.”  If you really believe our media is “liberal” then explain to me why no one seems to be pointing this out, or even investigating it?  Read the book “The Family” – I believe the author is Jeff Sharlett – it should open your eyes a bit.

One of the most blatant of the congressional speakers at 2010 “Tea Party” rallies was then senator Jim DeMint from South Carolina who was spewing out the racial “code words” in a speech I saw while the “Tea Party’ members he was speaking to had the most disgusting racist signs regarding President Obama I had, up to that point, seen.  And, of course, DeMint was encouraging them with his racist rhetoric.  Since that time he’s become the head of the Koch’s “Heritage Foundation” – a “conservative” think tank.  Other members include people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, two of the major mouthpieces of the right wing “big lie theory” in practice.  They have unlimited funds and they have every intention of continuing this WAR for the heart and soul of America until they succeed in gaining the aforementioned “permanent republican majority.”  Of course, they’ll never have a real majority, but they might be able to pull off enough CRAP at the ballot boxes to make it appear that they do.  (remember 2000 and the Supreme Court anointing GW Bush as president – think that can’t happen again?)  The Heritage website proclaims to be wanting to take America BACK to “her founding principles” – and, make no mistake about it, they’re talking about pre New Deal!  The principles of no unions, no Social Security, no Medicare, no unemployment insurance, basically NO social safety net.  They are talking about the times when the “Robber Barons” were in charge.  They’re pushing a “race to the bottom” for wages and benefits of America’s workforce. (As I’m writing this, republicans are leading an “assault” on things like food stamps)

On the Heritage website it is written right out front for anyone to see (evidently, our “liberal press” doesn’t pay much attention to the Heritage website) – “The clock is also ticking on this historic opportunity to advance conservative reforms. As many as possible must be enacted and defended now, while liberals have their guard down and we have an opportunity to rally public opinion.”  They believe (and probably rightly so – as 2010 proved) that post election “liberals” are back to taking care of their families and “have their guard down” – this is the time to  CRAM through as much “conservative” legislation as possible.  They’re calling this a “once in a generations opportunity.”  And, I guarantee you their plan is to have a complete STRANGLEHOLD on our government that they so often say they despise.  Their plan is to turn America into a fascist state!  And, they’ve got BILLIONS of dollars to spend in order to pull this off.

That is why the contrast between the two emails I received gave me such “pause.”  There was a day, not too many years ago, when I thought we were on the cusp of achieving Martin Luther King Jr.’s “dream.”  I thought we might finally overcome the obstacles to a truly free nation that were represented in King’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.”  The night President Obama was first elected president I can remember thinking how much I had believed that a Black person would not be elected president in my lifetime.  I remember calling my teaching partner at the time – a Black teacher, pastor, veteran of Viet Nam – to me, the epitome of a great American – who was literally in tears.  Little did we know at the time that Obama’s election was going to energize people like the Koch’s and those in America who believe that this is a nation that should only be led by White people – and, certainly, little did I know how many people would join the movement to attempt to make sure our first Black president FAILS.  History will judge our president against all the obstacles thrown his way – when I watched the movie “42” (the story of Jackie Robinson) I was reminded that President Obama’s situation is somewhat similar to Robinson’s.  I would love to see our president being more forceful in his battle against these republicans, but I’m constantly reminded (in my thoughts) about how I have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.  All I can say is that those of us on the “liberal” side have our work cut out for us – the “conservatives” as is published on the Heritage website – feel we have our “guard down” and they have every intention of taking full advantage of that.