The Shays Rebellion Redux

Well, Rush blasted Obama for stirring up "class envy" against all the people to whom we all owe our jobs. A curious formulation but one you'll see more of as the Tax Revolt against Tax Cuts gets into high gear.

We still like our idea that Obama in honor of Ronald Reagan should raise the top marginal tax rate to 50% where it was under the Great Man. As one sees these little teabag parties taking place, remember this is all about raising the top tax rate from 35-39% and increasing taxes of those who have taxable incomes over $250,000.

It looks like the whole teabag party was an idea of some of the conservatives' most devoted foundations and wealthy families. Rick Santelli's infamous rant on CNBC looks like it was staged to trigger the reactions of the right. Immediately, a dormant website called ChicagoteaParty.com sprang into life showcasing the rant and calling for the tax revolt. The sleeper cell website was in place since August and it looks like Fred Koch, cofounder of the John Birch Society, and funders linked to FreedomWorks used this occasion to start another anti-Obama campaign. Ironically, one of the funding sources was a foundation created by a family that took its wealth to Canada during WWII to avoid the income taxes imposed by FDR.

Sunday shows were spent by Republicans distancing themselves from Rush Limbaugh. Michael Steele outraged conservatives by referring to Limbaugh as an entertainer. Well, Ron Reagan was an actor and Al Franken a comedian. Eric Cantor looked subdued when he was trying to explain how concerned he was about working mothers. Karl Rove continued his Bush Legacy Tour by blasting Obama's speech and claiming the election was not about Obama's vision for America. Somehow he tried to spin it that the election was about budget-cutting. Fantastic!

Ben Smith in Politico ran a front page story about the birthers and the fight between some of the birthers, particularly against Berg, who also is one of the 9/11 conspiracy nuts. Birthers are now seeking to run democrats against Hawaiian Republican Governor Lingle so the truth of Obama's mysterious birth will be made public.

Did you ever wonder why select Republican Governors including Sanford,Barbour and Jindal opposed the extension of unemployment benefits? Even the McCain campaign agreed that the extensions would have an almost 1.7 multiplier effect in the economy. Why would Governors needlessly alienate the people in their state that most need help? The answer was supplied by Arkansas Governor Beebe when asked why he would accept this money. It seems our distinguished Republican southern governors calculate providing unemployment on a more restrictive basis. Accepting this stimulus money would mean they would have to be in compliance with federal guidelines. That's the whole beef behind Texas Governor Parry and Mississippi Governor Barbour denouncing the federal strings attached. Nice guys, hey?

The Left is making much of conservatives being the dominant audience for porno. The number one consumer of porno in the country is Utah and Alaska is second. Mormans are basically horny folks as environmentalist Edward Abbey often told us. And what else is there to do in Alaska?

Mitt Romney romped to his third consecutive victory in the CPAC straw poll. Evangelicals nixed him as McCain's number 2 and will block him from the Republican nominations because Mormans are considered a "cult."

Ansel Adams is turning in his grave. The Sierra Club was listed as a terrorist-linked organization during the Bush years. I guess W didn't tell Jeb because he used to hang out with Clyde Butcher, the great photographer of the Everglades and a Sierra Club honcho. Around Washington,we already know that anti-war activists in Maryland were spied on by Homeland Security, despite having virtually no link to terrorism. There will be more revelations as months go on.

I can't help but mention the nomination of Kansas Governor Sibelius as the Health and Human Services Secretary. She has been an able Governor in a Republican state and was a very early support of Obama and a surrogate of his to women's groups throughout the campaign. Once considered for the Vice-Presidency, she declined to spend time on the economic crisis in her state. Hope she does well.

The real hit of CPAC was Wayne LaPierre of the NRA, who reminded the audience that liberty isn't liberty unless you have the phsyical means to defend it--like in guns. His remarks danced up to and back off the line where he advocated open revolt.

Some of this reaction is understandable. If Obama gets most of his budget request, he will have reversed the last thirty years of politics in this country. Conservatives know this very well but can't articulate why that might not be a bad idea.