Little Difference

Glad bin Laden is dead. He was evil. However, the visceral reactions from some remind me that differences are often only skin deep. Take this from Chris of the third incarnation of Spotted Horse.

And yes it would have been cool if they cut off his head and stuck it on a pole in the middle of the White House lawn or in front of the Freedom Tower in NYC.

Change Chris' life history and have him raised in jihadi atmosphere and who do you think would be severing heads and celebrating mass murder? It's really sad. Someday we must find a way to overcome our deathly urges.

More Badger Blogger Funnies

It's late in the evening ... at that time I sometimes cannot help myself. Flew back to Badger Blogger to see if the nutcases had anything more to say and was rewarded with these two gems coming in a post about the death of bin Laden. First, Patrick Dorwin, feral cat lover and occasional Folkbum commenter (nothing ever to say, though):

I sleep peacefully at night, because our brave military stand ready to defend us all. I thank God for them, as I lay my head down to sleep.

You've got to be kidding me. I can picture Patrick at the side of his bed, kneeling and saying this prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the military my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the military someone's soul to take." Then milk and cookies.

Meanwhile, erstwhile human, PCD, had this to say about Judge Russell Stamper's concerns about the way bin Laden was taken out.

Hey, if he loves OBL so much, throw him in after the terrorist. A bullet to the head is optional.

Classy.

Badger Blogger Commenter Forgot One Thing

This is a comment from someone regarding President Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate. (unedited)

It seemed right to question BHO's place of birth because at his core he just seems, well, so foreign, so removed, so non-patriotic. Nothing he's done since inauguration lessens the gut feeling that there's just something not right about him as Commander in Chief. It's not really the lack of experience that has me uneasy (although its a serious flaw in him) it's just that nagging feeling I have that he just doesn't love America and doesn't at all mind our descent into third world status. Does he look in awe at a Grand Canyon sunset and thank the stars above he was born an American? Isn't that what was missing in today's press conference. "I was born in Hawaii and thank God I'm an American." "I'm so proud to be an American." It's my not ever hearing this from him that makes me uneasy and suspicious...

My gosh, what a load of tripe. Let me make it easier for anonymous and answer its questions, from its darkest corner of its mind.

It seemed so right to question the President's place of birth. (cause he's black).

Does he look in awe at sunsets? (cause you know, he's black)

He doesn't love America. (he's black)

He doesn't mind our descent to third world status. (because he's black)

He seems so non-patriotic. (black thing)

Conservatives have gotten so good at not admitting the truth that they can't even be honest with themselves.

Banned Again

Well, Fred Dooley of Real Debate (THAT is debatable) has blocked me again. I suppose asking how his watermelons were growing was a little mean. But hey, I was responding to another of his gems labeled under the "hate left" moniker and couldn't help myself.

Seriously, anyone who comes up with the excuse he was under the influence of doctor-provided drugs when he released a tweet regarding the stimulus package containing watermelon seeds, fried chicken, etc., really needs to look closely at himself.

By the way, one of Fred's favorite tactics is to call someone a hypocrite if that person does not spend equal time on something that is dear to Fred's heart, like misbehaving lefties. In that light, I don't recall his acting too upset over the picture of President Obama's head superimposed over a baby chimp. Hmmm. Must have been on drugs again, Fred.

Come on, Fred. Admit it. You're a closet racist. Why not come out of the closet?

If you do respond, I won't ban you. I'm not afraid of reading your nonsense.

Birther Nonsense Addressed by Priebus

You have got to be kidding me. President Obama decides to finally tackle these morons who continue to claim his illegitmacy for being president. It's true that many Republicans have distanced themselves from this, but Reince Priebus' comment the other day in response to Obama's speech was priceless. He called the issue a distraction, but then had this to say:

"The president ought to spend his time getting serious about repairing our economy," he said.

Really?

Obama has been trying to engage the right and everyone on the serious issues, but Republican refusal to shut down the numbskulls in their party has been the cause of the real distraction and why we find our economy floundering yet.

What a fucking moron.

Boycott Letters Missing the Point

I have read where unions are asking businesses in southeast Wisconsin to support workers' rights by displaying signs in their windows. The problem is if a business decides not to post the sign, the letter says, the business might be boycotted.

This is not the way to win hearts and minds. It is wrong.

Walker and his cohorts will be out soon enough. However, the momentum they build with every stupid comment and/or act will be marginally negated with actions such as these by union members. Don't do it!

Lee A. (Taz) Rich

A friend of mine was buried Tuesday in West Bend. Lee Rich was killed when the motorcycle he was riding was hit by an inattentive driver who ran a stop sign while talking on her cell phone.

I met Lee back when I was in 7th grade, 42 years ago. I was friends with his younger brother, Russ, and so I would go to their home and listen to albums, especially the Beatles, which was Lee's favorite group.

Lee had a temper. Most of Russ' friends would walk softly around Lee to ensure they did not become targets of his wrath. Consequently I didn't get to know Lee very well during my youth.

I would see him at family get-togethers and camping trips, but not much else. But there was one thing that was apparent to me as the years went by ... Lee was changing.

Lee became sober 19 years ago. He joined A.R.M (Association Recovering Motorcyclists) thirteen years ago and was active in that group until the end of life.

How did I know this?

Well, first, I have to admit that I was stunned when I saw the huge turnout at the funeral home. Like I said, I did not know what Lee had been up to, but there were a lot of people, much more that I thought would appear, who obviously thought highly of Lee. Highly enough to come and honor his life on a sad, dreary day.

After speaking with members of Lee's family and other mutual friends of mine, I spoke to a number of members of his other family. I did not know that Lee was active in sponsoring those who were tring to get clean. One woman, in tears, said Lee was responsble for her son's five years of sobriety. That without Lee, her son might have died too young. This refrain was repeated over and over. I'm sad to say I did not know Lee at all.

Afterword, I was off by myself thinking of what I had heard and I realized that I hoped that someday when I pass on it might be said I had done much good, just like it was said of Lee.

My condolences to all Lee's family members. The world is a lesser place without Lee.

More Teabagger Racism

The Motley Cow is my favorite place to go for examples of teabagger racism. This guy on the Youtube is classic. Kind of reminds me of local homophobe, dad29.

???

Oh, well ... the YouTube stayed up for a while. Here's the link.

Teabagger Racists

via Motley Cow and Crooks and Liars ...

Those wacky Republican Teabaggers. Marilyn Davenport, a Southern California Tea Party activist thought it funny to pass on a picture of a family of chimps with President Obama's face superimposed over the baby chimp.

Davenport had this to say when contacted by phone, "Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows that I am not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are black. Besides, I only sent it to a few people--mostly people I didn't think would be upset with it."

Revealing. I like the line about sending it only to a few friends who wouldn't probably be upset. Presumably the racist friends.

A GOP official contacted by Crooks and Liars said it was unbelievable the email was passed along. "It's much more racist than the watermelon email," the official said.

Watermelon email?

Oh yeah, I remember that. It occurred not too long ago in our little SE Wisconsin backyard. Remember this?

"Got my stimulus package in the mail today. It contained watermelon seeds, cornbread mix, and ten coupons to KFC."

You're right. It was good old Fred Dooley, author of the humorously named blog Real Debate who was the guilty party. He passed that on and fortunately for us, Dan Bice of the Journal Sentinel caught his faux pas.

Dooley had this to say when contacted by Bice for comment. He explained he had recently had gall bladder surgery. "In that state I didn't notice any racial connotations. I'm from the deep South and to me that's not a racial thing, it is a Southern thing. If I had not been under the effects of anesthesia I would have likely noticed that could have been taken the wrong way and would have passed on it."

Really?

Dooley's explanation sounds suspiciously like Davenport's. Must be in the Teabagger Manual for dealing with the media when their racist underpinnings are exposed.

The Daily Double

Two things today. First, I heard Charlie Sykes speaking with Bob Spindel (hope I spelled your name correctly, Bob) about ... you guessed it ... voter fraud. Bob was huffing and puffing that he would not be silenced, and of course this was a "breathtaking" story in the mind of Sykes. There is more to the story, but the central, real fact is there is no f*cking voter fraud. In fact, if one were to take all the innocent voter mistakes made the last twenty years, along with the miscast votes of a couple of idiots, the total would not be enough to turn the election in Justice Prosser's favor (if the weird Brookfield vote thingy had not occurred).

***

I've been meaning to get to this for a while, but life got in the way. Anyway, just before the elction I received two voter guides from Americans for Piggishness Prosperity. I'm not sure how I got them ... it was probably just a mass mailer, but you never know, they might have been sent as a little jab. So, the Prosser mailer had these statements:

Justice Prosser has stood up for the Second Amendment, guaranteeing that Wisconsin citizens have the right to defend themselves against criminals.

Justice Prosser stood up against criminal defense lawyers.

Justice Prosser has time and time again protected our law enforcement against defense attorneys and criminals who make unreasonable demands that weaken the fight against crime.

What a load of crap. First of all, last I looked everyone had the right to defend themselves against criminals. The Second Amendment simply states that the right to own arms shall not be abridged. Secondly, unless the Constitution has been changed and I missed it, defense lawyers are pretty important seeing how every citizen has the right to council. Unlike Peter DiGaudio and most conservatives I know, I believe in the constitutional right of innocence before guilt.

I suspect Justice Prosser does too.