A Sign of the Times
By Paul Begala
September 13, 2009
The sign said it all. It was not some last-minute message some meth addict scrawled in crayon on a scrap of cardboard. No, this sign was professionally printed. White block letters on a blue background, the four-word message was in all caps. Someone had to have thought this through. Someone wrote it, edited it, planned it, designed it, ordered it, paid for it. Someone approved it, printed it, distributed it. And then someone thought this was a message he or she wanted to convey to the world. Thank goodness someone had the courage to take a photo of it, and then Huffington Post had the guts to post it on its home page.
The sign made me nauseous, made me embarrassed, made me wonder if at long last there is no decency on the far right. The sign said:
"BURY OBAMACARE WITH KENNEDY"
Oh, I get it. Sen. Kennedy is dead, and these slugs want health care reform to be dead too. That is so clever.
Fourteen days after Edward Kennedy was laid to rest in the company of his fellow American heroes in Arlington, right-wing hate-mongers decided to use his burial to make a cheap point about their opposition to health care reform.
What would they have done if liberals had printed signs that equated Ronald Reagan's burial with the hoped-for death of George W. Bush's plan to privatize Social Security? Or Bill Buckley's painful passing with the GOP's loss of the White House in 2008? Or the demise of my right-wing former colleague Bob Novak with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts? You can't imagine that, can you? Because, while we progressives have our moments of frustration and our occasional lack of couth, there is nothing I can think of that compares to the sick, savage sign that the teabaggers were waving in Washington.
The inmates have taken over the asylum. The ever-sunny Reagan is dead. The congenial Buckley is dead. The old-school conservative Novak is dead as well. In their place is the party of Joe the Shouter and Joe the Plumber and Sarah the Death Panel Screecher.
They hate Pres. Obama - even though he has bent over backwards to accommodate Republicans. They hate tax increases - even though the Democrats have cut taxes for 95% of Americans. They hate health care reform - even though Ted Kennedy fought his whole life to get them the same health care millionaires like him already had.
There was not, to my knowledge, a sign that said, "Let's Bury Medicare," even though Medicare is precisely the sort of single-payer, government-run, socialized health insurance the whack-jobs say they hate. Nor did I hear about a sign that said, "Let's Bury Tricare," although the military health system is as socialized as Britain's, its beneficiaries (including, according to Newsweek, Congressclown Joe Wilson of South Carolina) are very happy with their socialized health care. Nary a sign, so far as I know, decried the Bush prescription drug entitlement, even though it ballooned the deficit, enriched the pharmaceutical companies and furthered the supposed slide toward socialism. Nor, I'm told, were there any signs criticizing the $2 trillion Mr. Bush's unjust, unwarranted, unwise war in Iraq will cost our children and grandchildren. Nor ever a single sign about the Bush tax cuts, which helped squander the Clinton surplus. If this were about fiscal policy, the protests would have happened long ago.
These tea parties are, at least for some, more about hate than high-minded debate. Anyone who needed proof need look no further than the sign captured in the photo on the front page of the Huffington Post.
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I already did we listen to people like u 4 eight 8 years.
Well, I'm going to bed. Your homework for tonight Erock is to think about why the Republican party has lost favor with the American public, and come up with an intelligent blog. Extra points for not mentioning Obama or Democrats. Peace.
Your right we failed not to nation, we failed not to balance the budget, we failed to not shrink the government, and we failed under Bush with ethics. Your right we failed but your path would mean more years of being in the minority.
I'm not talking about you Erock or Obama. I'm talking about the Republican party and it's problems. I mean, there must be some reason why America has rejected the Republican party, doncha think?
Yea and everything Obama touches is gold .... tell that to the 216,000 newly unemployed. Yep typical left wing attack just call them neo-nazis. U calling me one FNG? Because I have no issue with Obama other then his policies so. O and hows Obama's numbers O right they went down down down. And if the GOP is so dumb why are blue dog dems in GOP districts rejecting Obama on Cap and Trade and now healthcare? Hmmm maybe they know something like a silly red dog does not.
Ya know, I think the Republican party is trying desperatly to stir people up about health reform so that we can all forget about the fact that they just fucked this country so hard in the arse I can still feel it. It was the same thing during the heat of the Iraq war, when they tried to turn Mexican apple-pickers into our arch enemies just to get everyone to forget about how badkly they fucked that one up too. I can see right through Republican bullshit. I want my part back. I want the neo-nazis that control the party to fuck off so we can have some semblence of rationality. That's all. But most of my fellow Republicans are just too stupid, too stubborn, too naive to see the light. Therefore, you can expect a long, long drought for Republicans. When some rationality returns to the party, I'll be there for them. Right now, it;'s a struggle to stay in this party. A real struggle. But I just don't know where else to go!
And yet 1) the White House Friday announced that they needed to add an amendment to keep illegals from getting the public option. Check and fucking mate. 2) Many Americans 77% according to the NY Times like their heatlhcare coverage. 3) why would we force private companies to offer full coverage to everyone? Do I need a mamogram at this point in my life? lol nope. And 4) why would I want government healthcare when they will in the long run do exactly what private companies do which is ration healthcare? o 5) if the majority of ones consitutuents oppose a plan are u saying they should ignore them? of course not. So u know what let me know when u are kissing Obama's ass.
I'm sorry, Erock, but I've been watching the news and listening to these morons. They are morons, plain and simple. I don't know how to put it any other way. Even the whole arguement against a government option is just so astoundingly stupid that I cannot believe anyone would say it. They have been claiming that health insurance companies would not be able to compete with a government option. SO WHAT! We win! The insurance companies who have been ripping this country off blind for years lose. BIG FREAKING DEAL! Why would Joe Blow at a town hall meeting have such a concern for the insurance industry? It doesn't make any sense at all. MORONS!!! Plain and simple. And the Republican congressman, who sit like pompous and rude douche-nags during the President's speech don't even try to hide it - they are much more concerned about the insurance companies than their constituents. It's astounding how ignorant this whole thing has gotten.
FNG again clueless on facts that healthcare insurance groups have spent almost 150 million to support President's plan. Futher it is not reform but type of reform that is being talked about. U should know better then that. and for you to call everyone an idiot that oppose the so far proposed legislation is very stupid on your part.
Idiots can be whipped up into a frenzy for virtually any reason, that was abundantly clear with all the twon hall meetings this summer. The question is - who is whipping everybody up? It's health insurance reform, for Chrissakes. Big freaking deal. What, don't we want health insurance reform? I know I do! And even if you think that everything is honkey-dorey the way it is, why would health insurance reform cause people to froth at the mouth? The Republican party has the insurance industry's proverbial penis stuffed deeply into it's mouth and is going to great extents to discredit the whole idea of reforming health insurance. Maybe some of you people ought top put two and two together and see what is really happening.
Yea and it wasnt called the invade your privacy act either it was called the Patriot Act.
Funny thing is, Erock, they aren't talking about government-run health care. They are talking about health insurance reform.
Right.... so much integrity that he can claim to be bi partisan yet make a partisan speech. and I am sorry but government run healthcare is not the answer.
I like Obama, and I'm a Republican! He's a moderate, he's a consensus builder.
The economy has been sucking hind tit. That pisses people off I guess. The thing is, however, Obama had nothing to do with the economy tanking. In fact, he's doing a good job leading us back from the brink. All the anti-Obama fervor just doesn't fit. It doesn't make sense. He's trtying to fix a real problem that afects this country, our hyper-exoensive health care ystem. Health costs are just OUT OF CONTROL! We cannot as a nation afford to spend 1/6th of our GNP on doctors! Something has to be done. The government needs to get a handle on it, plain and simple. At least they are talking about it, at least they are debating it, at least they are trying. WTF??
Do people actually think Obama has some sort of anti-American hidden agenda? This ain't Clinton we are dealing with here, folks. This guy has integrity and he's smart and a good person. He has shown flexibility and moderation, and has tried to set a positive tone. Republicans, desperate for a repeat of 1994, are just getting ridiculous. The guy has been in office for 7 and a half months, his first budget hasn't even taken effect yet, and the rancor and mudslinging started virtually the day he took office. It stinks to high heaven and it's disgusting.
Imagine? fit's don't it.
Penis envy?
"Oh, I get it. Sen. Kennedy is dead, and these slugs want health care reform to be dead too. That is so clever." These slugs? Boy, this guy has balls to write a piece about how us slugs are so hateful. A yes, the loving Paul Begala also calls us "whack-jobs", "hate-mongers", "asylum inmates", and he calls Joe Wilson a "congressclown", and Sarah Palin a "screecher". And what is his justification for his own hate-mongering? Out of a million TEA partiers, they found one sign that says "bury Obamacare with Kennedy". I figured that would be a pretty nice parallel to the left's attempts to enshrine Obamacare with Kennedy. But we see this same pattern played out once again. If you oppose the left you are a hater. If you support the left, you can insult people all day long and it only proves how much more intelligent you are than anyone else.
Anything that opposes Imagines favorite theory's is hate speech. He publicizes everything supporting his theory but fails to mention the cost. Those who do are full of hate.
And they did for some. I used to have an (R) behind my name until the bullshit spending kept happening and no one on my side said shit about it. So yes, some people didnt agree with W on everything. I think he was a shitty President and spent like a liberal whore in a casino. i jumped to the party I should have been in all along because of my social views anyway. Your attempt to group all people into one bunch is laughable and a pitiful attempt to hide the fact that the DEMOCRATS dont have all the DEMOCRATS to pass the legislation. They have the votes if they had their own people. The GOP cant stop shit. Only the democrats can.
"They hate Pres. Obama - even though he has bent over backwards to accommodate Republicans. They hate tax increases - even though the Democrats have cut taxes for 95% of Americans. They hate health care reform - even though Ted Kennedy fought his whole life to get them the same health care millionaires like him already had.
There was not, to my knowledge, a sign that said, "Let's Bury Medicare," even though Medicare is precisely the sort of single-payer, government-run, socialized health insurance the whack-jobs say they hate. Nor did I hear about a sign that said, "Let's Bury Tricare," although the military health system is as socialized as Britain's, its beneficiaries (including, according to Newsweek, Congressclown Joe Wilson of South Carolina) are very happy with their socialized health care. Nary a sign, so far as I know, decried the Bush prescription drug entitlement, even though it ballooned the deficit, enriched the pharmaceutical companies and furthered the supposed slide toward socialism. Nor, I'm told, were there any signs criticizing the $2 trillion Mr. Bush's unjust, unwarranted, unwise war in Iraq will cost our children and grandchildren. Nor ever a single sign about the Bush tax cuts, which helped squander the Clinton surplus. If this were about fiscal policy, the protests would have happened long ago."
I did you tard. I said what is wrong with republicans hating Obamas policies? Democrats hated Bush's. Whats the difference?
Niether I nor the articel discussed race. You saw the word "hate" and automatically though of race. Interesting. Comment on the subject matter or shut the fuck up. This is why conservatives ruin evrything good. Anytime theres an actual debate they side track it with made up bullshit like non-existant death panels or non-existant racial content. It gets old.
I'm not race baiting at all. You were. And yes they probably do hat the policies. If hey didnt they'd be democrats.
The article clearly discusses conservatives hating Obama's progressive policies. Race was not hinted at here. You brough it up. Interesting. Don't race bait.
The article clearly discusses conservatives hating Obama's progressive policies. Race was not hinted at here. You brough it up. Interesting. Don't race bait.
No, but you brought up the word, "Hate". Not hard to see what you were insinuating.
Who said anything about hating Obama because he's black? The article didn't bring up race. You did. Interesting.
Did you watch any coverage on the march? I saw all kinds of people there. Black, white, asian etc. The racist excuses have to stop. If that's all you have to defend policies with then I feel sorry for you.
Who said anything about hating Obama because he's black? The article didn't bring up race. You did. Interesting.
LOL. It's still hate when it's a black man holding the sign? You fuckers are funny with your bs racist excuses. LMFAO.
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