Dear King of Filibuster Abuse:
Since I know writing to you is a total waste of time and my only hope for change is by reaching the people who support you, I’m reconsidering how to proceed with this project. There’s also that nasty problem coming in January – Rand Paul. I ignored Senator Bunning for the most part but that won’t be possible with this one.
You might have to share space. That seems likely since your party gives the impression that you share a brain. Then again, he might surprise me and demand his own space. I guess I have a few weeks to see if this becomes Life With Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul (otherwise know as hell), or if I have to come up with a new blog name for my letters to him.
Meanwhile, I offer this short story for your supporters. In order to get them to see it, I’m sure I must include appropriate buzz words, so here goes:
If you believe Jesus died for you, this country is falling apart because we took prayer out of school and Christ out of Christmas, and the troops are fighting for your freedom, please copy this story and send it to everyone on your mailing list:
The Story of Compromise
Mary put the kids to bed and mopped the kitchen floor before she approached John with the bad news. “Because of your boat accident, we’re a little short this month.”
“How much is a little,” he asked.
“Three hundred.” To avoid seeing the disgusted look she was certain must be on his face, she picked at the nail she had broken on the dryer door earlier. “The amount of your deductible. I thought maybe you’d skip the golf trip this time.”
John snorted but didn’t miss a play on his video game. “Think again, Mary. I’ve gone to Florida one weekend a month for as long as you’ve known me. Way it’s always been. Way it’s going to stay.”
“But we don’t have the money, John. And we can’t keep borrowing from the retirement account. Soon, there won’t be anything left.”
“It’s my money.” He slammed the game on the arm of the chair. “Thanks for making me lose.”
“Your money? I thought it was ours,” she said. “I have a future to consider here, too.”
“Maybe you should consider making deposits,” he said as he picked up Sports Illustrated and settled on a page. “If you want to claim the savings, you’ll have to put something in. Far as I know, my hard-earned dollars are the only ones going in there but you keep taking them out.”
“Maybe I will,” she said. “Soon as you start paying me for washing your clothes, cooking your meals, hauling your kids around, keeping your books, sweeping your floors . . .”
“Cut the drama, Mary. Nobody made you marry me.”
“You wanted children. And you wanted me to stay home with them,” she reminded him.
“You made your bed.”
“Literally,” she said. “No matter how you change the subject, the fact remains that we don’t have the money for your trip this month. We’re scraping bottom and the kids need school clothes.”
“Guess you’ll have to find somewhere to trim the budget,” he said. “Cut on groceries. Cancel a dance class or a sports team. Drive less. You’ll figure it out.”
“You think the whole family should do without so you can play golf? It’s your fault we’re in this bind. Your boat, remember?”
“Give up your manicure,” he said, burying his nose deeper into the magazine.
Mary looked at her hands. “John, that’s the one thing I do for me. I go once a month. I’m gone two hours and you’re gone two days, and my outing costs less than you spend on one meal while you’re gone.”
“Whine, whine, whine. Is that all you can do? You always want something from me, Mary. Instead of thanking me for all the other manicures you get, you’re whining about the one I’ve asked you to give up.”
“One manicure won’t fix this problem, John. Five years of manicures won’t fix this problem. And it’s your boat.”
“And it’s always going to be my boat, and I’m always going on the golf trip,” he said. “Tell you what, though. I’m willing to compromise.”
Mary’s heart skipped a beat. Could it really be? “Compromise? You’d really do that, John?”
“Yes,” he said. “Here’s the deal. You give up manicures for the next year, cut salads from the grocery list because I hate them anyway, cancel dance classes and soccer teams, and I’ll make sure the kids get their school clothes by borrowing from my dad. You won’t have to touch the retirement.”
She thought it over, wrote it on paper, reviewed the deal, and considered carefully. “That’s a compromise to you? It feels terribly lopsided in your favor. Can’t you give up a dinner or share a hotel room with Rob until we’re out of the hole?”
“Mary, get over yourself.” Bob lowered the magazine and smiled. “Both sides find something they aren’t happy with in every compromise.”
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet, Senator McConnell
Dear Senator McConnell:
Since you are supposed to be serving as a leader, I will follow your lead. You haven’t seen anything yet.
I take a tiny bit of credit for making all politics NOT local. Years ago, my refusal to fall for that line confused some of my friends. I explained, repeatedly, in person and in as many forums as I could possibly visit on the internet, that those of you elected to national seats affect the lives of all of us, so we should start campaigning across state lines. I believe I warned you way back then that I was going to do this, and I keep my promises.
Today, people from across the country (and world, actually) ask me what they can do to help Kentuckians oust you from our Senate seat. And I tell them. Politicians across the country request campaign donations from me, send updates to let me know what they support and why they disagree with me on other issues, and know that they are not dealing only with locals any more. The people I meet on the internet know more about representatives who do not represent their state than ever before. I did not do this on my own but mark it on my list of successes.
You, Senator McConnell, have made quite a name for yourself but I will stay on this project until you are gone. Your name is so huge these days that you need all the help you can get to spread such ugliness.
I’ll try to start with the positive. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for proving that Ronald Reagan was brain dead and George Bush never had any power. Now that you have earned the position of lead puppet, and the Chamber has come forward, it is obvious to everyone that the Republicans planted in political offices are only placeholders to be manipulated. Bad news for you is that you have gone so far overboard that this disgusts even some of the people who supported you before.
If I get my way, that ‘some’ number will grow. In the words of a very foolish man, “If you think it’s bad now, wait until next year.”
Republican Senators recently said that they won't pass healthcare for the 9/11 first responders because they don't want to work the entire week from Christmas to New Years Day. This is wrong on so many levels. You wasted the year with your obstructionism so you should stay as long as it takes to get the work you were elected (and are paid) to do. Most people get one day off work for a holiday. Who do you think you are? And you’ve shown how little respect you have for non-Christians by demanding that your religious celebration is more important than the nation’s business.
Following your lead again, I don’t want to waste my Christmas week rehashing all of your words and actions so I am just going to list a few of the more disgusting selections so far this week:
Mitch McConnell Found His Calling: Scrooge of the Year You had some good competition but won with 42% of the votes after spending your year leading a record number of filibusters against unemployment insurance, job creation, health care reform, Wall Street reform, health care for 9/11 first responders, the DREAM Act, Social Security cost of living adjustments, collective bargaining rights for public safety officers and just about anything that might benefit working families.
Mitch McConnell Accuses Obama of Plan to Seize Internet Of course, this is not true but you depend on your base to keep their fingers in their ears and their eyes closed rather than look for the truth. Shame on you.
The 9 Biggest Conservative Lies About Taxes and Public Spending Check them out. You will probably be proud to see that you’ve propagated every one on the list.
Dear Mitch McConnell: What the hell are you talking about on net neutrality? Mitch McConnell said that the proposed rule would "harm investment, stifle innovation, and lead to job losses." Would it really hurt you to tell the truth about one thing? (Glad to see that others are writing.)
McConnell Vows to Make Next Two Years Hell for Obama I’m copying this straight from the article since I couldn’t possibly say it better myself. “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a vile classless political hack of all hacks, at least is up front about his motives and priorities. He would sell out his own mother to regain the majority in the Senate and to destroy the Obama presidency to put a Republican back in the Oval Office. So, it should come as no surprise that he unleashed a slew of fresh threats aimed at President Obama and the Democrats during a Politico interview. And that he relishes his role as a bomb-throwing partisan obstructionist. McConnell gloated to Politico that if Democrats think the GOP’s scorched earth policy is bad, “wait ‘til next year.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told CNN's "State of the Union" that members of his party need more time to consider the START accord. "I've decided I cannot support the treaty," McConnell said in his first outright rejection of ratifying the treaty during the current lame-duck session of Congress. Seriously, Senator McConnell? 17 freaking pages? You can’t make it through 17 FREAKING PAGES? You are disgraceful.
Sarah got the misinformer of the year award, probably only because she talks faster and tweets more. Maybe you can try harder next year?
I do wish you a Merry Christmas, Senator McConnell. I hope it is as merry as that of the poorest, most resentful person in this country.
Sincerely,
Sandy
Since you are supposed to be serving as a leader, I will follow your lead. You haven’t seen anything yet.
I take a tiny bit of credit for making all politics NOT local. Years ago, my refusal to fall for that line confused some of my friends. I explained, repeatedly, in person and in as many forums as I could possibly visit on the internet, that those of you elected to national seats affect the lives of all of us, so we should start campaigning across state lines. I believe I warned you way back then that I was going to do this, and I keep my promises.
Today, people from across the country (and world, actually) ask me what they can do to help Kentuckians oust you from our Senate seat. And I tell them. Politicians across the country request campaign donations from me, send updates to let me know what they support and why they disagree with me on other issues, and know that they are not dealing only with locals any more. The people I meet on the internet know more about representatives who do not represent their state than ever before. I did not do this on my own but mark it on my list of successes.
You, Senator McConnell, have made quite a name for yourself but I will stay on this project until you are gone. Your name is so huge these days that you need all the help you can get to spread such ugliness.
I’ll try to start with the positive. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for proving that Ronald Reagan was brain dead and George Bush never had any power. Now that you have earned the position of lead puppet, and the Chamber has come forward, it is obvious to everyone that the Republicans planted in political offices are only placeholders to be manipulated. Bad news for you is that you have gone so far overboard that this disgusts even some of the people who supported you before.
If I get my way, that ‘some’ number will grow. In the words of a very foolish man, “If you think it’s bad now, wait until next year.”
Republican Senators recently said that they won't pass healthcare for the 9/11 first responders because they don't want to work the entire week from Christmas to New Years Day. This is wrong on so many levels. You wasted the year with your obstructionism so you should stay as long as it takes to get the work you were elected (and are paid) to do. Most people get one day off work for a holiday. Who do you think you are? And you’ve shown how little respect you have for non-Christians by demanding that your religious celebration is more important than the nation’s business.
Following your lead again, I don’t want to waste my Christmas week rehashing all of your words and actions so I am just going to list a few of the more disgusting selections so far this week:
Mitch McConnell Found His Calling: Scrooge of the Year You had some good competition but won with 42% of the votes after spending your year leading a record number of filibusters against unemployment insurance, job creation, health care reform, Wall Street reform, health care for 9/11 first responders, the DREAM Act, Social Security cost of living adjustments, collective bargaining rights for public safety officers and just about anything that might benefit working families.
Mitch McConnell Accuses Obama of Plan to Seize Internet Of course, this is not true but you depend on your base to keep their fingers in their ears and their eyes closed rather than look for the truth. Shame on you.
The 9 Biggest Conservative Lies About Taxes and Public Spending Check them out. You will probably be proud to see that you’ve propagated every one on the list.
Dear Mitch McConnell: What the hell are you talking about on net neutrality? Mitch McConnell said that the proposed rule would "harm investment, stifle innovation, and lead to job losses." Would it really hurt you to tell the truth about one thing? (Glad to see that others are writing.)
McConnell Vows to Make Next Two Years Hell for Obama I’m copying this straight from the article since I couldn’t possibly say it better myself. “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a vile classless political hack of all hacks, at least is up front about his motives and priorities. He would sell out his own mother to regain the majority in the Senate and to destroy the Obama presidency to put a Republican back in the Oval Office. So, it should come as no surprise that he unleashed a slew of fresh threats aimed at President Obama and the Democrats during a Politico interview. And that he relishes his role as a bomb-throwing partisan obstructionist. McConnell gloated to Politico that if Democrats think the GOP’s scorched earth policy is bad, “wait ‘til next year.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told CNN's "State of the Union" that members of his party need more time to consider the START accord. "I've decided I cannot support the treaty," McConnell said in his first outright rejection of ratifying the treaty during the current lame-duck session of Congress. Seriously, Senator McConnell? 17 freaking pages? You can’t make it through 17 FREAKING PAGES? You are disgraceful.
Sarah got the misinformer of the year award, probably only because she talks faster and tweets more. Maybe you can try harder next year?
I do wish you a Merry Christmas, Senator McConnell. I hope it is as merry as that of the poorest, most resentful person in this country.
Sincerely,
Sandy
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Putting Mitch McConnell on Notice About His War on Truth
Dear Senator McConnell:
I’ve been reminded several times in the last week that we are still at war. Someone on the internet reminded me of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadder still, friends reminded me last night that we are still involved in another war, also started unnecessarily by the Republican Party – The War on Truth. This one led to the support you needed to carry out the others. Since it is being fought on American soil and destroying everything that I hold dear, I have decided to make it the one I will fight.
Following, is what I wrote about your party's War on Truth several years ago. Since you’ve shown little regard for the letters I send you, I doubt you’ve followed my other writing so I am bringing this to you.
War on Truth, by Sandy Knauer
"Lord, I am not worthy to receive you. Say the word and my soul shall be healed."
The brilliance of the Bush administration's war on truth was in commandeering an unsuspecting army that had already surrendered critical thinking skills in return for the promise of paradise. A lifetime of reciting self-deprecating mantras like the one above, and blind faith in a deity who would expect it in return for the favors his father sent him to bestow, prepared the Christian soldiers for an unapproachable administration, sent by a higher power that considers itself above question.
The war on truth is creative, carried out behind the scenes, between the lines, under the covers, and up their sleeves. A few subliminal messages, offered in the form of innocuous religious phrases, served as weapons to kill intellects and souls, leaving empty shells to skew the body count. The shells, accustomed to chanting thoughtlessly, now repeat the administration's mantras like automatons.
Embracing God fearing as an admirable trait, Christian soldiers welcomed the opportunity to stockpile admiration, and readily assumed foreigner fearing, non-believer fearing, liberal fearing, and tax fearing. Proud of their Christian soldiers status, they sacrificed logic and accepted anything the administration presented as Christian values, without demanding harmony with their traditional values.
In meshing religion and politics, this administration uses the bible to remind their followers that they already embrace one documented set of contradictions that can be interpreted to support whichever side of the issue benefits them at the time, and it would somehow be sacrilegious not to accept the same level of contradiction from their earthly leaders. They call on their followers to pray, when action would be more appropriate, knowing that puts them in the vulnerable position of waiting for what they trust as an infallible decision from a higher power. Questioning higher power, worldly or heavenly, is a weakness.
By combining religion and politics, this administration has successfully silenced millions of unsuspecting victims. Now, these people march in fear of losing paradise if they question their spiritual or mortal leaders. Stripped of free will and the ability to process new information, they aren't capable of seeing what is happening to them, so we must protect them. We must become true soldiers in the war on truth, arm ourselves with facts, and combat the insidious messages they unknowingly spread. We must ask questions of and for them, and fight to refill their shells with what this administration took from them.
The Republican Party (including its Tea Party branch) has capitalized on innocence and ignorance.
<***>
Consider this fair notice. I am putting together an army of truth-seekers. We will call out you, and all of your followers, every time we hear or read that you falsified information, or made an untrue assumption or claim. We will do it in public and in private, in front of supporters and children (especially in front of children), and we will not cloak or messages in politically correct, nice words. We will not talk about our friends on the other side of the aisle because people who lie are not our friends. I’m sure you will understand since it was your party who laughed at the idea of diplomacy and said there is no “nice” way to deal with enemies and liars are the enemies of this country.
Sincerely,
Sandy
TO MY READERS: Please help fight this war on truth by putting your politicians, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family on notice and holding them responsible for their parts in spreading lies. You are welcome to share my letter.
I’ve been reminded several times in the last week that we are still at war. Someone on the internet reminded me of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadder still, friends reminded me last night that we are still involved in another war, also started unnecessarily by the Republican Party – The War on Truth. This one led to the support you needed to carry out the others. Since it is being fought on American soil and destroying everything that I hold dear, I have decided to make it the one I will fight.
Following, is what I wrote about your party's War on Truth several years ago. Since you’ve shown little regard for the letters I send you, I doubt you’ve followed my other writing so I am bringing this to you.
War on Truth, by Sandy Knauer
"Lord, I am not worthy to receive you. Say the word and my soul shall be healed."
The brilliance of the Bush administration's war on truth was in commandeering an unsuspecting army that had already surrendered critical thinking skills in return for the promise of paradise. A lifetime of reciting self-deprecating mantras like the one above, and blind faith in a deity who would expect it in return for the favors his father sent him to bestow, prepared the Christian soldiers for an unapproachable administration, sent by a higher power that considers itself above question.
The war on truth is creative, carried out behind the scenes, between the lines, under the covers, and up their sleeves. A few subliminal messages, offered in the form of innocuous religious phrases, served as weapons to kill intellects and souls, leaving empty shells to skew the body count. The shells, accustomed to chanting thoughtlessly, now repeat the administration's mantras like automatons.
Embracing God fearing as an admirable trait, Christian soldiers welcomed the opportunity to stockpile admiration, and readily assumed foreigner fearing, non-believer fearing, liberal fearing, and tax fearing. Proud of their Christian soldiers status, they sacrificed logic and accepted anything the administration presented as Christian values, without demanding harmony with their traditional values.
In meshing religion and politics, this administration uses the bible to remind their followers that they already embrace one documented set of contradictions that can be interpreted to support whichever side of the issue benefits them at the time, and it would somehow be sacrilegious not to accept the same level of contradiction from their earthly leaders. They call on their followers to pray, when action would be more appropriate, knowing that puts them in the vulnerable position of waiting for what they trust as an infallible decision from a higher power. Questioning higher power, worldly or heavenly, is a weakness.
By combining religion and politics, this administration has successfully silenced millions of unsuspecting victims. Now, these people march in fear of losing paradise if they question their spiritual or mortal leaders. Stripped of free will and the ability to process new information, they aren't capable of seeing what is happening to them, so we must protect them. We must become true soldiers in the war on truth, arm ourselves with facts, and combat the insidious messages they unknowingly spread. We must ask questions of and for them, and fight to refill their shells with what this administration took from them.
The Republican Party (including its Tea Party branch) has capitalized on innocence and ignorance.
<***>
Consider this fair notice. I am putting together an army of truth-seekers. We will call out you, and all of your followers, every time we hear or read that you falsified information, or made an untrue assumption or claim. We will do it in public and in private, in front of supporters and children (especially in front of children), and we will not cloak or messages in politically correct, nice words. We will not talk about our friends on the other side of the aisle because people who lie are not our friends. I’m sure you will understand since it was your party who laughed at the idea of diplomacy and said there is no “nice” way to deal with enemies and liars are the enemies of this country.
Sincerely,
Sandy
TO MY READERS: Please help fight this war on truth by putting your politicians, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family on notice and holding them responsible for their parts in spreading lies. You are welcome to share my letter.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Grounds for Divorce
Dear Senator McConnell:
I’ve had a somewhat rocky week with my fantasy husband, Lawrence O’Donnell. First, he disappointed me by defending President Obama’s decision to pay your ransom demands. I thought I might be able to excuse this slip even though I could not understand how a professed socialist could possibly endorse the reverse Robin Hood plan but then, last night, he used the words fair enough in the same sentence with your name. If ever there were grounds for divorce--fantasy or real--this surely qualifies.
Other readers might be snickering at me but I’m sure you understand living in a fantasy world. The difference I see between the two of us is that I admit that I entertain fantasies and you don’t. I do it for a laugh, not because I hope to fool anyone into believing that I am married to Lawrence O’Donnell. I do it as a compliment to Mr. O’Donnell, and to make the point that I share (more often than not) his positions and philosophy. And I do it to show that I appreciate his television personality. I make sure everyone knows that I respect the fact that he has a wife and that I have no serious hope or desire to interfere.
You, on the other hand, do not admit that you are living fantasies. I can't speak to your personal relationships and will stick to what I know - your relationship with The American People. You obviously hope to convince us that you are a Christian and a public servant. When it is obvious that a few people do believe those things about you, you do not attempt to clear up the misunderstandings.
I won’t pretend to be an expert and I will not look up appropriate bible verses. That isn’t necessary. Common knowledge and professed beliefs confirm my impression that Christ taught the opposite of what you live. Christians care about everyone, and they take care of those who have the least. They are not selfish, they do not lie, and they do not take what they don't need away from people who need it. They do not believe they deserve everything they want at the expense of others.
Odd, isn’t it, how you, Senator Kyl, and other fantasy Christians have convinced your authoritarian followers to rationalize resenting aid to the needy, and that “tithing” for the common good is an evil thing when it serves people you don't like? Odder still is that you have convinced some needy people to believe you actually care about them while you stab them in the back.
Do you honestly believe Christ would be pleased to know that you guys have insulted the very people you have held for ransom by implying that it is an affront to him for anyone to ask you to refrain from a long celebration of his fake birthday to remain in Washington to do the work you sloughed off the last two years? That’s a rhetorical question. I don’t believe it is possible for you to think anything that irrational. What I do believe is that your twisted principles allow you to take advantage of the pathetic people who will jump on your sick bandwagon and defend themselves against another fantasy war on Christmas.
Shame on you.
Sandy
p.s. In case it helps, repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, as far as I've heard, mentions nothing about the Senate, and does not mean anyone is obligated to tell.
I’ve had a somewhat rocky week with my fantasy husband, Lawrence O’Donnell. First, he disappointed me by defending President Obama’s decision to pay your ransom demands. I thought I might be able to excuse this slip even though I could not understand how a professed socialist could possibly endorse the reverse Robin Hood plan but then, last night, he used the words fair enough in the same sentence with your name. If ever there were grounds for divorce--fantasy or real--this surely qualifies.
Other readers might be snickering at me but I’m sure you understand living in a fantasy world. The difference I see between the two of us is that I admit that I entertain fantasies and you don’t. I do it for a laugh, not because I hope to fool anyone into believing that I am married to Lawrence O’Donnell. I do it as a compliment to Mr. O’Donnell, and to make the point that I share (more often than not) his positions and philosophy. And I do it to show that I appreciate his television personality. I make sure everyone knows that I respect the fact that he has a wife and that I have no serious hope or desire to interfere.
You, on the other hand, do not admit that you are living fantasies. I can't speak to your personal relationships and will stick to what I know - your relationship with The American People. You obviously hope to convince us that you are a Christian and a public servant. When it is obvious that a few people do believe those things about you, you do not attempt to clear up the misunderstandings.
I won’t pretend to be an expert and I will not look up appropriate bible verses. That isn’t necessary. Common knowledge and professed beliefs confirm my impression that Christ taught the opposite of what you live. Christians care about everyone, and they take care of those who have the least. They are not selfish, they do not lie, and they do not take what they don't need away from people who need it. They do not believe they deserve everything they want at the expense of others.
Odd, isn’t it, how you, Senator Kyl, and other fantasy Christians have convinced your authoritarian followers to rationalize resenting aid to the needy, and that “tithing” for the common good is an evil thing when it serves people you don't like? Odder still is that you have convinced some needy people to believe you actually care about them while you stab them in the back.
Do you honestly believe Christ would be pleased to know that you guys have insulted the very people you have held for ransom by implying that it is an affront to him for anyone to ask you to refrain from a long celebration of his fake birthday to remain in Washington to do the work you sloughed off the last two years? That’s a rhetorical question. I don’t believe it is possible for you to think anything that irrational. What I do believe is that your twisted principles allow you to take advantage of the pathetic people who will jump on your sick bandwagon and defend themselves against another fantasy war on Christmas.
Shame on you.
Sandy
p.s. In case it helps, repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, as far as I've heard, mentions nothing about the Senate, and does not mean anyone is obligated to tell.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sociopaths and Social Dominators
Dear Senator McConnell:
I said some things about you the other day that even I thought were harsh. Since I am angry with you, I considered the possibility that sociopath and social dominator might fall into the category of name-calling if my emotions were speaking louder than my knowledge. I spent the day with checklists and eased my mind. After checking off everything on this list, I feel comfortable with my opinion that both fit without emotion as the driving force.
Manipulative and conning e.g. I will obstruct and hold the U.S. hostage until I get my way
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them e.g. Announcing dishonestly that you have not heard from constituents who don't agree with you
Irresponsibility/unreliability e.g. I refuse to do my job because my only goal is to see President Obama fail
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams e.g. I deserve a tax break that I don't need even if it means other people in this country will be hungry, homeless, without health care
Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. e.g. The majority of people in my country are hurting but I don't care as long as I get what I want.
Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed e.g. My party drove this country into the ditch but I will blackmail President Obama into continuing the same failed policies so I can blame him
Lack of realistic life plan/parasitic lifestyle
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible.
They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used.
Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right"
Pathological lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis.
Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities.
Lack of remorse, shame or guilt
Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities
The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions
Callousness/Lack of empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
? Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them (Not sure about this one. I believe you don’t think anything you do politically is wrong, but I don’t know that you fail to recognize wrongs like missing the hamper with your socks.)
Authoritarian
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
They scapegoat; they are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault
Lies with impunity because followers will not check, or believe the truth when presented to them
Desire for power is so strong that no amount of power will satisfy them
Will go to any extreme to gain power and will justify any means to get what they want
Intimidating, ruthless, vengeful, and without conscience
Scorn noble acts like charity, helping others, intelligence
Believe there is no real right or wrong so whatever they can get away with is right for them
For years, I have tried to decide who is more at fault, the Mitch McConnells and George Bushes, or the thoughtless people who elect you. I resent all of you the same, since one couldn’t destroy this country without the other. Your authoritarian followers are intellectually weaker but, since laziness and lack of character are the reason, I don’t think that excuses them for shirking personal responsibility. Social dominators like you, who know exactly what you are doing, are the real danger when you carry your thirst for power to outrageous extremes – as in holding unemployment hostage until you get the tax breaks you don’t deserve but will insist on anyway at the expense of the country. (At least you proved, finally, without doubt, that you care nothing about this country or the people in it. I guess that’s the silver lining, but somehow being right doesn’t feel like much of a concession.)
This is all I have time for today but I will return soon with specific examples for each. Meanwhile, I call on my fellow Americans (especially Kentuckians) to help with this project – by sending links to articles that demonstrate examples, or adding to the list since there were a couple of criteria that I wasn’t sure you met.
Sadly,
Sandy
I said some things about you the other day that even I thought were harsh. Since I am angry with you, I considered the possibility that sociopath and social dominator might fall into the category of name-calling if my emotions were speaking louder than my knowledge. I spent the day with checklists and eased my mind. After checking off everything on this list, I feel comfortable with my opinion that both fit without emotion as the driving force.
Manipulative and conning e.g. I will obstruct and hold the U.S. hostage until I get my way
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them e.g. Announcing dishonestly that you have not heard from constituents who don't agree with you
Irresponsibility/unreliability e.g. I refuse to do my job because my only goal is to see President Obama fail
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams e.g. I deserve a tax break that I don't need even if it means other people in this country will be hungry, homeless, without health care
Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. e.g. The majority of people in my country are hurting but I don't care as long as I get what I want.
Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed e.g. My party drove this country into the ditch but I will blackmail President Obama into continuing the same failed policies so I can blame him
Lack of realistic life plan/parasitic lifestyle
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible.
They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used.
Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right"
Pathological lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis.
Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities.
Lack of remorse, shame or guilt
Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities
The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions
Callousness/Lack of empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
? Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them (Not sure about this one. I believe you don’t think anything you do politically is wrong, but I don’t know that you fail to recognize wrongs like missing the hamper with your socks.)
Authoritarian
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
They scapegoat; they are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault
Lies with impunity because followers will not check, or believe the truth when presented to them
Desire for power is so strong that no amount of power will satisfy them
Will go to any extreme to gain power and will justify any means to get what they want
Intimidating, ruthless, vengeful, and without conscience
Scorn noble acts like charity, helping others, intelligence
Believe there is no real right or wrong so whatever they can get away with is right for them
For years, I have tried to decide who is more at fault, the Mitch McConnells and George Bushes, or the thoughtless people who elect you. I resent all of you the same, since one couldn’t destroy this country without the other. Your authoritarian followers are intellectually weaker but, since laziness and lack of character are the reason, I don’t think that excuses them for shirking personal responsibility. Social dominators like you, who know exactly what you are doing, are the real danger when you carry your thirst for power to outrageous extremes – as in holding unemployment hostage until you get the tax breaks you don’t deserve but will insist on anyway at the expense of the country. (At least you proved, finally, without doubt, that you care nothing about this country or the people in it. I guess that’s the silver lining, but somehow being right doesn’t feel like much of a concession.)
This is all I have time for today but I will return soon with specific examples for each. Meanwhile, I call on my fellow Americans (especially Kentuckians) to help with this project – by sending links to articles that demonstrate examples, or adding to the list since there were a couple of criteria that I wasn’t sure you met.
Sadly,
Sandy
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Puddles of Pain
It seems not much changes when you are in office. I wrote this years ago - one of the few poems I have published. Sad how apt is still is today.
Puddles of Pain
Sequestered by collective greed
neglected puddles of pain
forgotten people bleeding
from wounds they've yet to sustain
They cry out, why can't you see
we're hurting here below
we're sick, we're poor, the oldest ones
possibly someone you know
Insulted by terminal apathy
starved for a morsel of hope
buried by society's fears
under what we refuse to know
They screamed out, we didn't hear
left them without smiles
the weak, the slow, the broken
possibly your neighbor's child
Trampled by heinous lies
pillaged of their dreams
forgotten humans dying
on cold, one-way streets
They reached out, we didn't see
the many blatant signs
the lost, the weary, puddles of pain
running through our lives
Sandy Knauer
ã January 2004
Puddles of Pain
Sequestered by collective greed
neglected puddles of pain
forgotten people bleeding
from wounds they've yet to sustain
They cry out, why can't you see
we're hurting here below
we're sick, we're poor, the oldest ones
possibly someone you know
Insulted by terminal apathy
starved for a morsel of hope
buried by society's fears
under what we refuse to know
They screamed out, we didn't hear
left them without smiles
the weak, the slow, the broken
possibly your neighbor's child
Trampled by heinous lies
pillaged of their dreams
forgotten humans dying
on cold, one-way streets
They reached out, we didn't see
the many blatant signs
the lost, the weary, puddles of pain
running through our lives
Sandy Knauer
ã January 2004
Friday, December 10, 2010
Who Are You, Senator McConnell?
There are some of us with no way out. We've paid the dues, walked the miles, swung the hammers, carried the loads, jumped through the hoops, and still wound up buried beneath the rubble.
We aren't lazy. We aren't trying to get something for nothing. We are trying to get rid of what we have – multiple sclerosis, arteriosclerosis, cancer, AIDs, bad luck, corporations that sent our jobs overseas, companies that were run out of business by the Waltons. We've fallen and we can't get up. You seem to take great pleasure in our misfortune, as long as you have your fortune.
We hurt. And you spit on us as you kick us aside or step over us.
Your prayers haven't cured us or made us disappear. Your God hasn't put the goodness in your heart to help us, to stop blaming us, or to realize you are not better than us because you have figured out how to beat the system and take advantage of us.
Your words and inactions destroy what our diseases and misfortunes haven't already taken. It's not enough for you that our bodies and circumstances have failed us. You aren't satisfied until we've lost our homes and spirits as well.
We've done nothing to you. We've done nothing to deserve our fate. We don't want to live and we can't die. You've destroyed our lives and jailed our Dr. Kevorkian, because, after all, you believe you own our souls and the rights to our decisions.
You decide we should live without medical care, without pain medications, without unemployment, without social services, without food. You don't care. You simply do not care about anything other than your power and your wealth, which you have abused.
We're in your hell. Who does that make you?
We aren't lazy. We aren't trying to get something for nothing. We are trying to get rid of what we have – multiple sclerosis, arteriosclerosis, cancer, AIDs, bad luck, corporations that sent our jobs overseas, companies that were run out of business by the Waltons. We've fallen and we can't get up. You seem to take great pleasure in our misfortune, as long as you have your fortune.
We hurt. And you spit on us as you kick us aside or step over us.
Your prayers haven't cured us or made us disappear. Your God hasn't put the goodness in your heart to help us, to stop blaming us, or to realize you are not better than us because you have figured out how to beat the system and take advantage of us.
Your words and inactions destroy what our diseases and misfortunes haven't already taken. It's not enough for you that our bodies and circumstances have failed us. You aren't satisfied until we've lost our homes and spirits as well.
We've done nothing to you. We've done nothing to deserve our fate. We don't want to live and we can't die. You've destroyed our lives and jailed our Dr. Kevorkian, because, after all, you believe you own our souls and the rights to our decisions.
You decide we should live without medical care, without pain medications, without unemployment, without social services, without food. You don't care. You simply do not care about anything other than your power and your wealth, which you have abused.
We're in your hell. Who does that make you?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Dear Blackmailing Hostage Taker:
(I have to admit that I get a little satisfaction in knowing that people will recognize you by that name.)
I was too upset to write yesterday and figured I’d probably get myself in trouble. Usually, I carefully weigh my wording to make sure I don’t cross lines or call you names that I shouldn't but the last couple of days, civility was not possible for me. Today, I’m writing because I can thank you for at least one thing.
The kids make fun of me because I take notes – when I read the news, watch television, talk on the phone . . . I do that for a couple of reasons. When I write something, I am more apt to remember it correctly. Also, I hate to trust my memory for details so the notes make me feel more secure about repeating what I’ve heard or read. However, thanks to you, today I was able to answer questions and make statements without my notes, or Google, or calling anyone for verification.
One guy asked: What kind of sociopath that already had millions of dollars would want more if the condition was millions of hungry elders? Who wants to live in a society where the old and poor are wandering the streets looking for cans or handouts?
I knew the answer without notes: Mitch McConnell!
Someone else suggested: Prayers really are answered.
“Absolutely not,” I was able to say without hesitation. “If that were true, Mitch McConnell’s tongue would have fallen out for lying, Sarah Palin would have gained at least 400 pounds (most of them in the form of warts on her face), and at least a couple of Republicans would have developed a conscience or accidentally spoken a truth.
“How can anyone be so heartless?” Someone tossed out on an internet site.
“Simple,” I typed. “Apparently, being born Mitch McConnell makes heartless simple.”
“Who could possibly think it’s a good idea to give tax breaks to the wealthiest and then deny a $250 pittance to those who depend on social security?”
“Mitch McConnell’s party,” I shouted.
And to think, a few months ago, there were actually people in this country who didn’t know who you are. I doubt that will happen again – ever.
I was too upset to write yesterday and figured I’d probably get myself in trouble. Usually, I carefully weigh my wording to make sure I don’t cross lines or call you names that I shouldn't but the last couple of days, civility was not possible for me. Today, I’m writing because I can thank you for at least one thing.
The kids make fun of me because I take notes – when I read the news, watch television, talk on the phone . . . I do that for a couple of reasons. When I write something, I am more apt to remember it correctly. Also, I hate to trust my memory for details so the notes make me feel more secure about repeating what I’ve heard or read. However, thanks to you, today I was able to answer questions and make statements without my notes, or Google, or calling anyone for verification.
One guy asked: What kind of sociopath that already had millions of dollars would want more if the condition was millions of hungry elders? Who wants to live in a society where the old and poor are wandering the streets looking for cans or handouts?
I knew the answer without notes: Mitch McConnell!
Someone else suggested: Prayers really are answered.
“Absolutely not,” I was able to say without hesitation. “If that were true, Mitch McConnell’s tongue would have fallen out for lying, Sarah Palin would have gained at least 400 pounds (most of them in the form of warts on her face), and at least a couple of Republicans would have developed a conscience or accidentally spoken a truth.
“How can anyone be so heartless?” Someone tossed out on an internet site.
“Simple,” I typed. “Apparently, being born Mitch McConnell makes heartless simple.”
“Who could possibly think it’s a good idea to give tax breaks to the wealthiest and then deny a $250 pittance to those who depend on social security?”
“Mitch McConnell’s party,” I shouted.
And to think, a few months ago, there were actually people in this country who didn’t know who you are. I doubt that will happen again – ever.
Monday, December 6, 2010
On Behalf of My Grandchildren, Senator McConnell, I Share My Pain with You
Surely, when your party talks about “sharing the pain” you don’t mean that as a one-way offer. It would only be fair if we share our respective pain with one another, right?
So you’ll know what to expect, I will describe my pain. It isn’t something I enjoy doing, but I think you deserve to know what you're in for.
If I sleep more than five straight hours (almost impossible these days), I wake with my eyelids stuck to my eyeballs, stiff joints and sometimes dislocated hips and/or shoulders if I accidentally roll over during the night. The eyes are more bothersome than painful, but a dislocated hip can be excruciatingly painful if the muscles have reacted. It will probably disgust you to know that I don’t brush my teeth right away, because there’s less chance of my jaw or wrist dislocating if I wait an hour or so. I hope you can deal with the dry mouth that long.
The fun part about sharing my pain, though, is that it changes so frequently that there is never a dull moment. I can start a project with an aching wrist and finish it feeling as though my knee is separating or my neck might break from the weight of my head. Dull aches fill some days while others are mostly electrical shock sensations. Increased eye pressure will make me completely forget that my left arm is numb or that my skin is so fragile it hurts for my hair to brush my cheek. If you’ve never had a Charlie horse in your neck, your breast, or your chest, or a flared intercostal nerve, I’m afraid you are in for a huge surprise. And if you haven’t fallen flat on the floor because you didn’t know your knee or hip was out when you tried to stand, you haven’t lived the wild life. Better buckle your seatbelt!
But something tells me this isn’t the pain you had in mind. So, I promise I will carry half the heartbreak of turning over your fortune to pay for that stupid war you started and, in return, I will only ask that you suffer an hour or two of wondering how we’ll survive if the social security check is cut and the Medicare deductible raised. We can split wondering how to pay the utility bills even-Steven but I’ll carry the brunt of the aches that accompany living in this cold, drafty place. Don’t thank me because I’m not that nice; I simply don’t think you are strong enough to endure as much as I do.
So far, I think I’ve been extremely fair. However, about that “cancer” you are trying to inflict on my grandchildren – it all changes here. You did say that increasing the deficit is a cancer to our children and grandchildren, and now you are holding our government hostage until we allow you to inflict a HUGE $700 billion cancer on our children and grandchildren. (I assume you mean mine since I haven’t heard anything about your children and grandchildren.) I refuse to share your guilt for that. I have pleaded with you for years not to hurt my grandchildren so you get to carry this one on your own.
I could have done more to warn my fellow Kentuckians about you. I could have campaigned harder for your opponents. But those children were not involved; they did not get a vote, and there was nothing they could have done to protect themselves from you. Guilt isn’t something I do well and considering the rest of my pain and my willingness to share yours, I deserve this break from your guilt.
I will also claim an exemption from the burn of the blood that is on your hands now, as well as what is to come. You do know, don’t you, that the decisions you are making now will cost lives. Closer lives – not lives of strangers in foreign countries that don’t seem real – people right here in your city and state will die because you want them to. Others will want to die because of the life you have forced them into by thinking that protecting your tax break is more important than their lives. That will be a heavy load, Senator McConnell, that the people who voted for you will have to help you with. Not me. My clear conscience is not negotiable.
Please let me know when you plan to hand over your fortune to pay off your war. I need time to prepare for sharing that pain with you and I’ll want to order balloons and noisemakers.
Since you continue to shirk your responsibilities and embarrass us by not hanging around to hear what others have to say, I'm bringing this to you:
And I ask that you respond to Sen. Mary L. Landrieu's question about how Democrats were supposed to negotiate with you after you've said repeatedly that your top priority is to see President Obama defeated in 2012.
Sincerely,
Sandy
So you’ll know what to expect, I will describe my pain. It isn’t something I enjoy doing, but I think you deserve to know what you're in for.
If I sleep more than five straight hours (almost impossible these days), I wake with my eyelids stuck to my eyeballs, stiff joints and sometimes dislocated hips and/or shoulders if I accidentally roll over during the night. The eyes are more bothersome than painful, but a dislocated hip can be excruciatingly painful if the muscles have reacted. It will probably disgust you to know that I don’t brush my teeth right away, because there’s less chance of my jaw or wrist dislocating if I wait an hour or so. I hope you can deal with the dry mouth that long.
The fun part about sharing my pain, though, is that it changes so frequently that there is never a dull moment. I can start a project with an aching wrist and finish it feeling as though my knee is separating or my neck might break from the weight of my head. Dull aches fill some days while others are mostly electrical shock sensations. Increased eye pressure will make me completely forget that my left arm is numb or that my skin is so fragile it hurts for my hair to brush my cheek. If you’ve never had a Charlie horse in your neck, your breast, or your chest, or a flared intercostal nerve, I’m afraid you are in for a huge surprise. And if you haven’t fallen flat on the floor because you didn’t know your knee or hip was out when you tried to stand, you haven’t lived the wild life. Better buckle your seatbelt!
But something tells me this isn’t the pain you had in mind. So, I promise I will carry half the heartbreak of turning over your fortune to pay for that stupid war you started and, in return, I will only ask that you suffer an hour or two of wondering how we’ll survive if the social security check is cut and the Medicare deductible raised. We can split wondering how to pay the utility bills even-Steven but I’ll carry the brunt of the aches that accompany living in this cold, drafty place. Don’t thank me because I’m not that nice; I simply don’t think you are strong enough to endure as much as I do.
So far, I think I’ve been extremely fair. However, about that “cancer” you are trying to inflict on my grandchildren – it all changes here. You did say that increasing the deficit is a cancer to our children and grandchildren, and now you are holding our government hostage until we allow you to inflict a HUGE $700 billion cancer on our children and grandchildren. (I assume you mean mine since I haven’t heard anything about your children and grandchildren.) I refuse to share your guilt for that. I have pleaded with you for years not to hurt my grandchildren so you get to carry this one on your own.
I could have done more to warn my fellow Kentuckians about you. I could have campaigned harder for your opponents. But those children were not involved; they did not get a vote, and there was nothing they could have done to protect themselves from you. Guilt isn’t something I do well and considering the rest of my pain and my willingness to share yours, I deserve this break from your guilt.
I will also claim an exemption from the burn of the blood that is on your hands now, as well as what is to come. You do know, don’t you, that the decisions you are making now will cost lives. Closer lives – not lives of strangers in foreign countries that don’t seem real – people right here in your city and state will die because you want them to. Others will want to die because of the life you have forced them into by thinking that protecting your tax break is more important than their lives. That will be a heavy load, Senator McConnell, that the people who voted for you will have to help you with. Not me. My clear conscience is not negotiable.
Please let me know when you plan to hand over your fortune to pay off your war. I need time to prepare for sharing that pain with you and I’ll want to order balloons and noisemakers.
Since you continue to shirk your responsibilities and embarrass us by not hanging around to hear what others have to say, I'm bringing this to you:
And I ask that you respond to Sen. Mary L. Landrieu's question about how Democrats were supposed to negotiate with you after you've said repeatedly that your top priority is to see President Obama defeated in 2012.
Sincerely,
Sandy
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Today's Short response to Senator McConnell
"All of this finger-pointing is doing nothing to create jobs," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "It's a total waste of time."
My response: Then put your middle finger down now and stop wasting our time.
My response: Then put your middle finger down now and stop wasting our time.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Lame Duck Laundry List For Senator McConnell
Dear Senator McConnell:
I spent the evening trying to decide how to address you. If I were your boss, I would fire you, effective immediately. If I were your spouse, my bags would be packed and there would be no looking back. If I were your friend – well, I would question my sanity for that decision. I think you deserve to be put in timeout for behaving like a two-year-old.
I’ve decided to address you like the despicable, dishonest bully that you are. The only thing that exceeds your dishonesty is the gall it takes to stand with a straight face and say that you care about the American people, and that the election was a month ago so you wonder why the Democrats have stalled. I’ve had enemies treat me with more respect and kindness than you do, and I can’t imagine anyone trying to insult my intelligence more often than you do. It would be laughable if it weren’t so important and so pathetic.
Your stall tactics are as transparent as the rest of your lies. You were sent to Washington to do a job, and that job affects my life, along with the lives of everyone I care about. If you don’t want to do that job, resign. Who do you think you are to hold us and our government hostage? Seriously, what on earth makes you think this is acceptable? It is blackmail – some say it is treason. I will join any and every group that tries to prove either of these, and I will give them all of my time. Legal counsel advised recently that there will be grounds for a class action suit when the people can prove personal damage as a direct result of your refusal to act on important matters in a timely manner. I hope what you delivered in writing to Senator Reid today will serve as proof that you have done exactly that.
Here is what THIS American person (and the majority of others I have spoken with) expects you to do, immediately:
• Let the Bush tax breaks expire for income over $250,000
• Speak out openly, loudly, and immediately against the violence your party is inciting, and the civil war they are encouraging
• Pass the Disclose Act
• Repeal DADT
• Ratify the START treaty
• Pass the DREAM act
• Extend unemployment benefits
• Keep your hands off Social Security and Medicare
• Say NO to your party’s absurd attempts to dismantle the constitution
There is no excuse to stall, filibuster, stomp your feet like a spoiled brat and demand everything your way, or to lie to the American people any more. Lead your party through the appropriate actions to get these things done quickly and smoothly during this lame duck session, and don’t imply that anyone other than you is responsible for this heavy load during the final weeks. You have obstructed for years. You blew off the President when he invited you to the White House after the midterm. You have stated repeatedly that your only goal is to obstruct this President at the expense of THE American people.
That is the truth. Own it. You’re living in a YouTube world now, and we aren’t all foolish enough to deny what we’ve seen and heard for ourselves.
Disgusted,
Sandy
p.s. The cost of Cokes did not double today. Truth is, they were on sale last week and returned to the regular cost today. Same as nobody is "raising" taxes by allowing Bush's "sale" to end - as planned, by the Republicans. You might want to get honest about that, too.
I spent the evening trying to decide how to address you. If I were your boss, I would fire you, effective immediately. If I were your spouse, my bags would be packed and there would be no looking back. If I were your friend – well, I would question my sanity for that decision. I think you deserve to be put in timeout for behaving like a two-year-old.
I’ve decided to address you like the despicable, dishonest bully that you are. The only thing that exceeds your dishonesty is the gall it takes to stand with a straight face and say that you care about the American people, and that the election was a month ago so you wonder why the Democrats have stalled. I’ve had enemies treat me with more respect and kindness than you do, and I can’t imagine anyone trying to insult my intelligence more often than you do. It would be laughable if it weren’t so important and so pathetic.
Your stall tactics are as transparent as the rest of your lies. You were sent to Washington to do a job, and that job affects my life, along with the lives of everyone I care about. If you don’t want to do that job, resign. Who do you think you are to hold us and our government hostage? Seriously, what on earth makes you think this is acceptable? It is blackmail – some say it is treason. I will join any and every group that tries to prove either of these, and I will give them all of my time. Legal counsel advised recently that there will be grounds for a class action suit when the people can prove personal damage as a direct result of your refusal to act on important matters in a timely manner. I hope what you delivered in writing to Senator Reid today will serve as proof that you have done exactly that.
Here is what THIS American person (and the majority of others I have spoken with) expects you to do, immediately:
• Let the Bush tax breaks expire for income over $250,000
• Speak out openly, loudly, and immediately against the violence your party is inciting, and the civil war they are encouraging
• Pass the Disclose Act
• Repeal DADT
• Ratify the START treaty
• Pass the DREAM act
• Extend unemployment benefits
• Keep your hands off Social Security and Medicare
• Say NO to your party’s absurd attempts to dismantle the constitution
There is no excuse to stall, filibuster, stomp your feet like a spoiled brat and demand everything your way, or to lie to the American people any more. Lead your party through the appropriate actions to get these things done quickly and smoothly during this lame duck session, and don’t imply that anyone other than you is responsible for this heavy load during the final weeks. You have obstructed for years. You blew off the President when he invited you to the White House after the midterm. You have stated repeatedly that your only goal is to obstruct this President at the expense of THE American people.
That is the truth. Own it. You’re living in a YouTube world now, and we aren’t all foolish enough to deny what we’ve seen and heard for ourselves.
Disgusted,
Sandy
p.s. The cost of Cokes did not double today. Truth is, they were on sale last week and returned to the regular cost today. Same as nobody is "raising" taxes by allowing Bush's "sale" to end - as planned, by the Republicans. You might want to get honest about that, too.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Senator McConnell Isn’t As Loveable As Uncle Charlie
To put it as nicely as possible, Uncle Charlie was full of crap and everyone knew it. He told me wild tales about pulling the plug in the bathtub, Daddy swirling down the drain, and someone having to rescue him from the river. He had fish stories, and deer stories, and the big, unbelievable stories about most every topic. He was fun, because we knew not to believe him.
He also played games. With me, it started out he would give me a quarter if I would scratch his back. I scratched his back – over here, a little higher, harder in the middle – until my fingernails threatened to fall off. When I finally cried uncle, he said he would pay me that quarter next time he saw me. I knew I would never see that quarter but about five years into this game I did remind him that next time never got there. He upped it to a dollar then, and said he was saving those quarters and dollars in the attic for me.
When I started bringing boyfriends around, Uncle Charlie told them what I would be able to buy with that money – houses, cars, big things, since I had faithfully scratched his back for so many years. I scratched, smiled, and rolled my eyes at the boyfriends, knowing I would never see a cent. Uncle Charlie wanted his back scratched, I didn’t mind doing it, and that was all there was to the story.
If I had believed – past the age of six – that Uncle Charlie was going to pay me those quarters, I would have been naïve. I would also have been terribly disappointed and he would have been a jerk if I had depended on that money to buy a house, or car, or anything big or small.
For some reason, this game isn’t nearly as much fun when President Obama plays me and Senator McConnell is Uncle Charlie.
He also played games. With me, it started out he would give me a quarter if I would scratch his back. I scratched his back – over here, a little higher, harder in the middle – until my fingernails threatened to fall off. When I finally cried uncle, he said he would pay me that quarter next time he saw me. I knew I would never see that quarter but about five years into this game I did remind him that next time never got there. He upped it to a dollar then, and said he was saving those quarters and dollars in the attic for me.
When I started bringing boyfriends around, Uncle Charlie told them what I would be able to buy with that money – houses, cars, big things, since I had faithfully scratched his back for so many years. I scratched, smiled, and rolled my eyes at the boyfriends, knowing I would never see a cent. Uncle Charlie wanted his back scratched, I didn’t mind doing it, and that was all there was to the story.
If I had believed – past the age of six – that Uncle Charlie was going to pay me those quarters, I would have been naïve. I would also have been terribly disappointed and he would have been a jerk if I had depended on that money to buy a house, or car, or anything big or small.
For some reason, this game isn’t nearly as much fun when President Obama plays me and Senator McConnell is Uncle Charlie.
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