This Is What Is Passing As The Republican Party These Days?

Washington Republican: Bicycles cause more pollution than cars (via Raw Story )

The ranking Republican member on Washington state’s House Transportation Committee thinks that riding bicycles causes more pollution than driving cars, the Seattle Bike Blog reported Saturday. State Rep. Ed Orcutt (R), pictured, wrote an email to a constituent who disagreed with his support for…

Know The Other Side

You want to use the opponent in the title but that is just reactive. They aren't opponents. They are our fellow citizens. They in this case are Republicans. The problem is they look at anyone who doesn't think like they do as the opponent. The best way to conquer this attitude is to first know who or what you are up against.

The Republicans pay good money to a man named Frank Luntz who is an American political consultant, pollster, and Republican Party strategist.

Luntz's specialty is “testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate.”

You see Republicans like to play games with peoples minds. They will stop at nothing including using Psychology against you. But you can , as corny as it sounds, arm yourselves with knowledge. What Conservatism espouses is not what America is about and never has been. But you have a set of people out there willing to pull all the stops to garner your votes to keep them in power.

It wouldn't be too much of an issue except for the fact that Republicans have shown time after time they are in the pockets of the corporations and the ultra-wealthy. They use their words (see Frank Luntz) to make you think you can be like them. The problem is if you aren't rich already then you will never fit into their club. But they sure can use your votes so they offer you crumbs and make you think you can join.

Luckily there are people like George Lakoff who study people like Luntz and politics in general.

What has been learned from the brain and cognitive sciences is that words are defined by fixed frames we use in thinking, frames come in hierarchical systems, and political frames are defined in moral terms, where “morality” is very different for conservatives and progressives. What lies behind the Occupy movement is a moral view of democracy: Democracy is about citizens caring about each other and acting responsibly both socially and personally. This requires a robust public empowering and protecting everyone equally. Both private success and personal freedom depend on such a public. Every critique and proposal of the Occupy movement fits this moral view, which happens to be the progressive moral view.

 This is an article worth reading which will help you understand the mindset of Republicans and give you knowledge on how to combat their arguments when they start off on their selfish rants. Check out  "Words That Don’t Work" and then look at the rest of his site. Another article I like to suggest to people is from the Boston Globe called "How Facts Backfire" that may add some context to what Lakoff is saying.

Romney Wants Business Record Removed From Obama Campaign Attacks

“[O]ur ads haven't gone after the president personally. … [W]e haven't dredged up the old stuff that people talked about last time around. We haven't gone after the personal things.”

This is classic! They know there is nothing they can go after the President with from the "last time around" that hasn't already been debunked six ways to Sunday! If the sensible American people have to relive the McCain campaign again it will be the end and he knows it or they would have gone there already.



Think what you want of McCain but he knew if he went the way of his "rogue" VP pick (whose name shall not be mentioned) he would have lost worse than he did. He did have a few shinning moments from his campaign. Namely when he stood up for then Senator Obama to the "he's an Arab" woman.



I recommend watching "Game Change" if you get an opportunity. I initially cringed when I finally decided to watch it but I think it will surprise you and I also believe it is about as close of a representation from that side of the campaign as you will get. It also shows what we dodged had the election gone the other way! So please Mr. Romney, go the way of the "mama grizzly" and we will see how that works out for you!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Rush Limbaugh Show Dropped By CBS Affiliate Station

“The real war on women is being conducted by the regime, by the Obama administration,” he explained. “Since Barack Obama took office, the unemployment rate for women has gone up from 7 to 8.1 percent. … The poverty rate among women rose to 14.5 percent last year, up from 13.9 percent when Obama was immaculated.”

Limbaugh continued: “If there is a war on women, it is happening and it is being directed from the White House with Obama as the generalissimo.”

Politico’s Josh Boak noted last week that job losses for women appeared to be worse than for men during Obama’s presidency because “[a]lmost 3.3 million men were fired during the George W. Bush’s last year in office, while the losses for women were more drawn out over time.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/04/09/limbaugh-obama-is-the-generalissimo-in-the-real-war-on-women/

As Rush continues to lie and act like there is no "war on women" being perpetrated by the right. He is actually projecting and trying to turn it around on to Democrats and President Obama. Straight out of the "Karl Rove playbook". Sadly some people will listen to him and believe it. As long as he continues his fictional reality people need to keep up the pressure on advertisers. My money is precious in these times like these as I'm sure it is with a lot of people and I have no problem not spending what little I have on people who continue to support his show.

Rush Limbaugh Show Dropped By CBS Affiliate Station WPHT-Philadelphia

Fact Checking "Mitt Romney Versus Reality"

I took the time and honestly gave myself a migraine finding every video and/or fact to show if this video has the correct timeline. I shouldn't have to tell you that Romney lies. I mean, if you look up the definition of liar in the dictionary you might very well see a picture of Mitt Romney beside it. But many people were doubting or questioning the timeline of the quotes used in this ad so out of curiosity and to erase all doubt I did the research.

It wasn't hard but it was tedious and mind numbing having to watch the Republican footage and listen to them lie and complain. I took a shot for all of you so you wouldn't have to suffer like I did. So here it is!

Mitt Romney Versus Reality

Segment one:

Romney has been stating "Obama apologized for America" since at least Sept. 22, 2001 at the Orlando debate. Even Politifact, which I believe leans right, Has called him on this lie.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/sep/22/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-repeats-claim-obama-went-around-world-/
           
Obama stated in his inaugural speech that he will not apologize for the United States.
President Obama Inauguration Jan. 21, 2009 http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address
           
Additionally, Factcheck.org gave Romney a "four Pinocchio" rating on this very subject.
http://youtu.be/AGgoVc3tfjc

Segment two:

Romney claims President Obama "has failed to communicate that military options are on the table". Romney makes these claims, to an 11 year old child, just hours after President Obama gave a speech to AIPAC stating:

"I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say. That includes all elements of American power: a political effort aimed at isolating Iran, a diplomatic effort to sustain our coalition and ensure that the Iranian program is monitored, an economic effort that imposes crippling sanctions and, yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency" on March 4, 2012.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73588.html

Also, Israel is concerned Romney is making things worse.
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/03/06/439217/halevy-romney-is-making-it-worse-iran/

Segment three:

This one is too easy but here you go. Romney says President Obama hasn't passed tax cuts for the middle class. Again Politifact rated it "True" when David Axelrod stated:

"We passed without, frankly, the help of the Republican caucus, we passed 25 tax cuts last year, mostly aimed at the middle class and small businesses" on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 on NBC's "Meet the Press".

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/feb/02/david-axelrod/axelrod-claims-democrats-passed-25-tax-cuts-last-y/


Segment four:

Romney claims to a crowd on March 13, 2012 the reason gas prices are high because:

"Maybe it’s related to the fact that you stopped drilling in the Gulf".

President Obama gave a speech on March 1, 2012 to Nashua Community College, Nashua, New Hampshire. He said:

"when it comes to oil production under my administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years."

Point being you can increase oil production but it is not going to affect the price of gas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=welINKWW9XU

President Obama made this statement almost two weeks before Romney makes his false statement. The facts have been out there much longer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/yes-oil-production-is-booming-under-obama-no-it-hasnt-lowered-gas-prices/2011/08/31/gIQAWv8bsJ_blog.html

Segment five:

Romney claimed President Obama has not approved any new trade agreements with other countries on March 3, 2012 at a town hall meeting held at USAeroteam, an aerospace and defense manufacturer in Beavercreek, Ohio.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2012/03/03/romney_takes_aim_at_obama_duri.html

President Obama signed "free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, as well as the latest trade adjustment assistance for workers." on October 21, 2011.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/obama-signs-free-trade-agreements/

Segment six:

Romney claims President Obama didn't mention debt or deficit in the State of the Union March 2nd, 2012 at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio. I again refer to Politifact begrudgingly, but if they can call him out anybody could. They gave him a "Pants On Fire" and I could feel the heat from here!
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/mar/05/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-says-president-ignored-debt-problems-s/

In President Obama's defense I'll just give you the link to the State of the Union but those are the clips from it in the ad.
http://youtu.be/6Tlp9Gx4lfo

Segment seven:

Romney tries to make the case that President Obama "fundamentally believes that..that...that this next century is a post American century"during the December 15, 2011 Fox News GOP debate in Sioux City, Iowa.
http://politicalcorrection.org/video/201112150016

President Obama gave a speech at the Alcoa plant in Bettendorf, Iowa on June 28, 2011 where he made the statement "we will lead the way forward and we will make the next century another great American century"
http://www.alcoa.com/locations/usa_davenport/en/info_page/president_obama_visits.asp

So yes the ad is accurate! Can you say the same about any of the GOP ads that are running?