The LuLac Edition #1431, Jan. 9th, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: FORMER CONGRESSMAN PAUL KANJORSKI, CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GILFORDS AND PRESIDENT NIXON GREETING SENATOR TED KENNEDY AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

VIOLENT DISCOURSE

Many political observers will tell you the last 20 plus years of opinion and discourse has been mean spirited, emotional, devoid of facts and just plain downright scary. There has been an absence of perspective on the debate. There has been no respect for the positions of others. The rhetoric has bordered on the absurd. I don’t know how many times I have heard people say this country is being taken away from those who have an opposite opinion on social issues. When someone tries to mess with the Constitution, we stop them. Case in point: Richard Nixon. In this country we are used to political violence. We’ve had 4 Presidents assassinated in office, numerous attempts made on people like Teddy Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Harry Truman, and Ronald Reagan. Before they took office both FDR and JFK had plots foiled against them at the last minute. Political people are fair game for criticism but not for violence. The attack yesterday on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was in my estimation a direct result of how the American people are influenced by political commentary. Some are merely parroting fools. You hear them locally who listen to Rush or Glenn Beck the day before and then the next day spout off what the masters said verbatim. Others use it for political gain to get a toehold in politics. Spouting off “We’re being socialists”, “I want my country back” and “Not in my neighborhood are crowd pleasers. It is easy to say but difficult to articulate. I have run into so many Tea Party and Conservative people who spouted these lines and when I ask them what they mean, they can’t defend it and veer off into how the Constitution needs to be protected. I’m still trying to understand how the Iraq War was threatening our Constitution. The real worry though is when people who have lost all personal hope, or who want to make a name for themselves inflict violence on citizens gathered for an event. Those are the people who are susceptible to the hate speech that has manifested itself on Talk Radio and on Cable TV. My point I’m sure will be proven on Monday morning when the right wingers get back on the air and blame liberals like me for pointing this out. You’ll see. In the meantime the Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said, "When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," the sheriff said. "And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry”. Good for him, someone had to say it.
Last summer Representative Paul Kanjorski was roundly criticized for refusing to hold face to face Town Hall Meetings. His famous quote was that he didn’t want some kook with a camera putting up a video on You Tube that would be untrue or damaging. That wasn’t the half of it, we never dreamed some nut with a gun would show up at one of these meetings and attack people ranging from a Judge, a Congresswoman, a grandmother and a 9 year old little girl. Maybe those who say are country is being taken away are right, because now everyone might be afraid to go to a meeting to meet a Representative. But those who are making it unsafe are those loudmouths who spout hate every day of the week. They get millions of dollars and some, as I did, call it entertainment. Some like me laugh at them and don‘t take them seriously, others ignore them, some have tried to reason with them. Others believe them and put a bullet in someone’s brain. America the beautiful right? Sure, anything you say!

STATEMENTS

Our local Congressmen made the following statements on the tragedy in Arizona:
Congressman Tom Marino said, "I am deeply saddened by today’s tragic and senseless attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, her staff and constituents. It is especially discouraging since this past week we witnessed the peaceful transition of power that makes America the greatest nation on Earth. My wife Edie and I, and members of my staff are praying for the full recovery of Rep. Giffords and all other victims of today’s shooting. We extend our condolences to the families of Judge John Roll and the others who sadly did not survive the attack, especially to the family of the young child who was killed."
Representative Lou Barletta said, "It is with shock and great sadness that I learned today of the tragic incident in Tucson, Arizona, involving Representative Gabrielle Giffords. I have not yet had the opportunity to get to know and work with Representative Giffords, but I have heard many things about her professionalism, her dedication, and her willingness to work with her colleagues across the aisle. I extend my heartfelt thoughts and prayers to her family, friends and staff. I would also like to offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of U.S. District Judge John M. Roll and the other victims of Saturday’s senseless tragedy. I ask all residents of the 11th District to join me and my family in praying for them."


TEDDY AND RICHARD

Today is Richard Nixon’s birthday. He would have been 98. Nixon despite his problems with Impeachment was avery good President domestic issues. He implemented the concept of New Federalism, transferring power from the federal government to the states; new economic policies which called for wage and price control and the abolition of the gold standard; sweeping environmental reforms, including the Clean Air Act and creation of the EPA; the launch of the War on Cancer and War on Drugs; reforms empowering women, including Title IX; and the desegregation of schools in the deep South.
In 1971 Nixon introduced a National Health Care plan. It was similar to what passed last year. Teddy Kennedy and the unions were opposed to the Nixon plan because they wanted 100% cradle to grave services. Both plans would be funded by the Payroll tax. Kennedy said in his later years that his biggest regret was not working with Nixon on the Health Care bill because after that, thanks to Watergate, the momentum was lost. On the second clip of this video, listen to what UAW Leader Leonard Woodcock said about not seeing Congress do anything rather than compromise on the Nixon bill. The fact that there was a Nixon bill was driving conservatives crazy. Nixon recognized that something was needed. Kennedy did too but it didn’t help when Nixon put him on the White House enemies list. If only there was compromise we would have had health care 40 years ago.