The Silence Of Our Political Leadership: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about the deafening silence of our elected officials to Tom Tancredo's Tea Party hate speech and blatant racism. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

The Silence Of Our Political Leadership

On Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, Tom Tancredo was the opening speaker at the Tea Party convention. He made the one of most outrageous and racist remarks I’ve have heard in years.

Mr. Tancredo said “ Obama was elected because we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country” and, “people who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House, His name is Barack Hussein Obama."

To me, his remarks and the warm reception they received (applause, laughter and cheers) from the convention attendees has clearly defined the kind of people who are members of the Tea Party. They would like to see this country return to the America of the 1950s, that of the Jim Crow laws, the era of McCarthyism and if they could revoke the civil rights amendments.

Mr. Tancredo's remarks maligned all Americans regardless of party affiliation, but especially immigrant Americans who came to this country and worked hard to become American citizens.

While some in the media have attacked Mr. Tancredo for making those remarks, what really has me upset and disgusted is the lack of response to those remarks from our political leadership.

Where is the outrage to Mr. Tancredo’s remarks from Senator Reid, Senator McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Congressmen Boehner, and Cantor plus all the other members of both parties? Their silence is deafening.

When the leadership of this country lets such racists remarks go unanswered, they only embolden Mr. Tancredo and others of his ilk to continue to make such statements, which will only increase the hatred we are seeing, and further divide our country.

I’m afraid unless we the electorate make our dissatisfaction known to our elected officials, on their silence of these racists remarks, they will let this issue die a slow death.

Many thanks again for another thoughtful, relevant piece, 42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.

From the Dep't. of Let 'Em Eat Cake-- The Bushes' new upscale Dallas home

By GottaLaff

It's bad enough that Bush's New Rules are some of the most offensive Nose-Thumbing assaults on the U.S. one can imagine, even for him. Now we have Laura's blithely oblivious, insensitive little holiday toss-off:

Laura Bush confirmed that she and the President are buying a house in Dallas, about two hours from his beloved Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.

She broke the news while unveiling the White House’s patriotic Christmas décor this morning, explaining that her family will be "very careful" with spending this holiday to save up for their real estate purchase.

“We will be moving to Dallas in January and there might be a new house coming along. So I think that's where we'll spend our Christmas money," she added.

So they'll actually have residual Christmas money to spend... after they pick up a new house... which will be near their other house... which is part of an enormous "ranch".

I'm simply tickled to pieces that they're able to go shopping with all that extra leftover cash... in all those stores... that no longer exist... because they went under.

Hey! I bet, if all of us are very frugal and wisely save our pennies, we could buy a house, too! Made out of cardboard. Under a bridge. Location! Location! Location!

The couple is said to be looking in the upscale Highland Park area around Southern Methodist University, where Mrs. Bush attended college, and where the president intends to build his library and a policy institute.

I hope they manage to qualify for a decent loan.

And that they, unlike a former Republican presidential candidate we know, can keep track of the number of homes they own.

Bush II sets example for Palin/McBush III: Ignore the press

By GottaLaff

Froomkin nails it again:

And here is what you might call the "money quote": "[M]y administration is focused on meeting these challenges. The American people can be sure we will continue to act to strengthen and stabilize our financial markets and improve investor confidence. "

Anbody reassured? I didn't think so.

His remarks, made just outside the Oval Office, lasted less than two minutes. Nothing he said changed the growing awareness in Washington that, despite being the nation's first MBA president, Bush has been and remains largely AWOL as the nation's wealth dwindles away.

And of course, he took no questions.

On Tuesday, Bush ignored a shouted question while touring hurricane damage in Galveston. "Mr. President, what are you going to do about AIG?" Tabassum Zakaria of Reuters yelled out. Bush shot back: "We're here talking about the people of Galveston, Texas. They've got a great mayor and they're working hard."

Yesterday, Bush ignored Associated Press reporter Deb Riechmann's request for comment during a photo op with Panama's President Martin Torrijos. The exchange was not reflected in the official transcript of his newsless event. But Cox News Service reporter Ken Herman captured it on video, and provided his own transcription:

"'With all due respect,' [Riechmann] said with all due respect, 'you haven't taken any questions since Aug. 6.'

"'I can't hear what you said,' Bush responded, with all due respect.

"'This way please, through the Rose Garden,' a pool wrangler said, with all due respect.

"'You got to speak with a louder voice,' Bush said, with a smile and all due respect.

"'I can't hear you,' he added. 'I'm old.'"

And Ben Feller writes for the Associated Press this morning: "As he finished his very brief statement and turned to walk back into the Oval Office, a reporter asked if he believed the economy was still sound. The president kept walking."

George W. Bush is a despicable little cretin who has accomplished two things in his unfathomably failed presidency: Deteriorating America to the point of its being nearly unrecognizable, and being the perfect mentor to Gramm-pa Sid and his granddaughter, Rookie McLipstick.

I say this with all due respect.