The Day Breaks

And the black helicopter crowd get their wish. Late last night and early this morning, the FBI, Homeland Security and the Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted raids in Washtenaw and Lenawee counties in Michigan aimed at Hutaree, a Christian-oriented militia. Neighbors said "it looks like an invasion." Helicopters patrolled the skies at night. The Free Republic bloggers linked to the militia movement claimed the FBI had warrants for militia leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Another blogger chimed in that the FBI was also moving for arrests of militiamen in East and West Texas. Local news stations only reported the outlines of the raid and said that the FBI had several sealed warrants. Other observers said that the target was a militia training camp.

Clearly, news of the raid has put the extreme right on alert. Freepers called the FBI "Holder's Goon Squad" and accused the agency of agitating violence throughout the country. Another right-wing blogger referred people to Hal Turner and the "Turner Diaries", which is a bible for the militia movement. This represented for them " the ominous rise of the secret police".

Meanwhile teabaggers are saying that "a revolution is something that has tradeoffs" and would be just kept in their back pocket.

Glenn Beck claims the government needs "the teabaggers to be nuts". He told his audience that the radicals in the Obama Administration remember when the FBI stimulated violence and now they are doing the same. He blamed the DCCC and the DNC for 'dangerously fanning the flames by suggesting that these incidents be used as a political weapon." He urged his audience to avoid violence and just pray for miracles.

The World Net Daily proclaimed that 55% of Americans believe their civil liberties are being threatened by the Obama Administration and that one in four Americans now censor their throughts.

The Free Republic has now turned against Sarah Palin for endorsing "McAmnesty", the RINO (Republican In Name Only). They quoted her saying that she agreed with McCain on the immigrant issue--what position he now takes I don't know. Freepers claim that an Immigration Bill will mean the end of "The Great American Experiment." They attacked Palin as someone who places loyalty over principle and acts like another normal politician.

Frank Rich has a persuasive op-ed in today's New York Times saying that it didn't matter whether it had been a healthreform bill, or immigration reform, or cap-and-trade the anger would have been the same. Rich says we are undergoing the "same kind of national existential reordering that rocked America in 1964" with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. He points to the demographic change ,which has been in the works for some time, but is being revealed everyday from the majority of non-white school students to the increase in non-white births. The older white population feels threatened by these tectonic shifts.

A Quinnipiac poll of teabaggers revealed that they mirror the demographics of those who voted for McCain-Palin in 2008 and that 90% of teabaggers identify with the Republican party. The dominant voting block for McCain was white males, who had little or no college education, and were over 50 years old.

The New York Times also did an in-depth piece of teabaggers, which inadvertantly showed that many were unemployed, received social security disability or were on social security. When President Obama went to Iowa City to discuss the healthcare legislation, I was struck that the most vociferous protestor was a while male , who was 62 and unemployed. He was struggling to support two teen-aged daughters. He could see no relationship to the healthcare bill and his station in life. Interestingly, Senator Sanders of Vermont had proposed that all those people aged 55 or over, who were unemployed, should be eligible for Social Security now. This simple manuever would defuse some of the current rage and anger.

Paul Krugman, whom I'm beginning to feel sorry for, patiently explains again today why the huge debt problem can be solved rather simply. Of course, it requires the increase in government revenues, hence a very modest increase in taxes. He cites the CBO report about the prospects for the American deficit in the year 2020. This report has been blarring on the Drudge Report and all the right-wing blogs. As Krugman points out, this forecast depends on the United States doing nothing about it and that his modest solution would still leave America with some of the lowest tax rates in the world. However, with the current political climate, the deficit issue will be exacerbated by polarization and the ideological conflict over our own social welfare system.

Saturday Afternoon--Shards of Summer

President Obama pushed Gibbs out of the way and gave his own Friday press briefing recapping the progress toward Health Care reform and promises that his plan will not affect the deficit. he seems to have some fire over from his trip to New Jersey and the NAACP speech. Luckily for him the new Congressional Budget Office report backs him up and supports the House bill. Blue Dog Democrats wanting to postpone the health reform are going to be disappointed.

Senator DeMint of South Carolina declares this "Obama's Waterloo" and if health care reform is stopped, it will break his presidency. Which would lead 3 1/2 years left. And then what wait for the Republicans to conjure up some ideas? The awe-inspiring lack of any consideration for the public good still amazes me about the Obama-era Republicans.

Meanwhile Dick Lugar was the first Republican to announce his support for Sotomayor--Mel Martinez and Olympia Snowe were soon to follow. So, it's 63 so far and at least 1 Republican has to vote for her on the Judiciary to get the nomination to the floor. I think Grassley and Hatch will go for her. I am tired of hearing how the Republican strategy was to set the markers for the next nominee, not Sotomayor, who I insist is a moderate. I am more convinced than ever Obama should invite a donnybrook for the next nominee and name Laurence Tribe--with both men recognizing it might be a losing struggle. At least we might have hearing where constitutional issues might be openly debated--and it would be worth it. Tribe would probably not be long on the court but I would pay to hear a debate between him and Sessions.

The Obama era has not been kind to the Free Republic. Several bloggers have made the news--the Holocaust Museum killer, the Pittsburgh cop killer and the killer of Dr. Tiller. A few comments had brought the Secret Service around. Sarah Palin quits--despite the false bravado on the website about what a righteous move this was. Mitt Romney supporters purged and the quest to exterminate the RINOS continues. Now Jim Robinson has called for a revolution and armed resistance if----health care reform is passed. A curious thing since both he and his wife are wheelchair bound. Medicaid, Tricare --they must have something that the rest of don't have. For years I have been a lurker at the site and lament this descent into a certain lunacy. Before other sites covered certain topics on the right they did without the heightened religious content and now the vitriol over Obama.

Birthers are now being covered on television as sort of the Moon landing deniers and 9/11 truthers. The Young Turks this week covered the great Obama birth certificate flap with their sense of humor--they even showed a tape of the original certificate--creased with all the appropriate seals and signatures. They even quoted the harassed Hawaiian government officials about "how many times do we have to say it is authentic and he was born in Hawaii". Birthers made it on the Worse Persons of the World for encouraging serving military men to join in their suits to avoid service in Afghanistan. Another federal judge had to rule against an Army Reserve Major who protested his impending call-up--he volunteered after signing on as a plaintiff to this case--alleging Obama was not eligible to be Commander-in-Chief. After declaring a victory of sorts, when the case went against him and his lawyer and the military withdrew his call-up, CENTCOM had to make announcement calling their calls ridiculous.

Not to be outdone by Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh seems to be stirring the racial war pot himself. Frankly, I haven't seen blacks getting much advantage from the Obama Administration and especially during this depression. I'm wondering where the great grievances of Rich White Men are coming from. Even with a surtax for health reform, both men will be earning in a month more than the average American couple earns in a year or two. I think it's unseemly for the very wealthy to be bitter and angry. As the Bible says, From those who have received much, much is expected.

The gnostic cult here in D.C., the Family seems to be breeding more adulterers by the minute. Former Republican Congressman Pickering of Missippi apparently joins the list with Sanford and Ensign of those with Family connections who seemed to have gone soft on some of the 10 Commandments. His wife is suing the mistress for causing "alienation of affection"--I like that. Apparently, Pickering actually conducted the affair in the "C" Street house itself. It's cool to be one of God's Chosen--the rules don't apply. Meanwhile Gov Sanford seems to have misused state funds to facilitate his love affair--he at least fell in love.

Obama needs to go for the gold on health care reform right now or it will slip,slide away and , for get the political consequences, the economic effects will be devastating. With unemployment rising, those without health insurance increases, personal bankruptcy increases and the impact on the national deficit increases. The only other domestic reform Obama will be able to get out of Congress will be Immigration Reform. The Republicans know that health care reform, immigration reform and their opposition to Sotomayor and they are doomed. That's why Republicans are fighting tooth and nail over these things. Party uber alles--country last.