We don't need no stinkin' czars: Interviews with 9/12 Tea Party demonstrators

Because Jesus is our King.
-- Demonstrator, 9/12 Washington Tea Party



What struck me more than the ignorance and assumption of fact and the irrelevance of supporting evidence the people interviewed showed -- we all know all about that by now, unfortunately -- was the fact that when the young independent (I am supposing) interviewer from NewLeftMedia countered their assumptions with facts without being condescending or aggressive, some actually listened and admitted not knowing about what he had said.

That is a very tiny possible indication that even tinier baby steps in education on a really, really small scale, one-to-one or small group interaction with people of widely opposing points of view, is just possibly maybe just possible.

Can you imagine worse than being isolated amongst people who are so ignorant of reality, insulating one another and giving comfort in each other's point of view, and what it must feel like to look out at the world from that rabbit hole?

By the way, did I hear a chant of "Shame France! Shame France! Shame France!"?

I got to get back to my drafting (paving plans) before the workers beat me to it and start twiddling their thumbs, which is never, ever a good thing. My husband is already on my case to get the windows sealed and finish the balcony before the weather turns permanently foul.

I'm on it. Right after I check out the NYT's OpEd page to see what they have to say after Baucus's delivery of exactly the garbage he promised to take care of his constituents.

PS: I checked. This is what we get, Ron Wyden of Oregon's Free Choice amendment, designed to simplify everyone's life. Good grief.

PPS: Fortunately, I checked out Gail Collins afterwards, writing mostly about congress's work on the student loan system, she gets this in. I just love her to death:

It is a tad depressing to imagine all those committees of yore, sitting there and saying: “Gee, it sure would be nice to improve Pell grants and community colleges. But everybody says we need that money to give to the banks.”

The House Republicans have a different proposal. Which, as Representative John Kline of Minnesota explained, is to leave everything the way it is and “convene a nonpartisan commission.”

Perhaps there will come a time when the words “convene a nonpartisan commission” do not cause people to topple over in depression and despair. But it may take a while.

Just hours before, Senator Max (Futility is My Middle Name) Baucus had unveiled the long-awaited product of his blue-ribbon, bipartisan committee on health care reform. You will remember that the whole legislative world came to a screeching halt so Baucus’s group could do its work. All summer long, the members floated above tawdry political concerns and labored on a meeting of the minds. Now the final product has landed, its wishy-washiness exceeded only by its total lack of bipartisan backers.

“No Republican has offered his or her support at this moment,” said Baucus, ever cheerful, ever hopeful.

Thanks, Gail.

Yours,
Sisyphe, ever cheerful, ever hopeful
....