Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
I read an interesting recent article about the status of the Republican Party in California. The article stated that the number of Republicans fell from 34.6 % four years ago to 30.8% in April. Meanwhile Democratic registration increased from 42.7% in 2006 to 44.6%. In another article, the story was even worse, apparently only 20% of voters in the entire country claim to be Republican, a 26-year low. Of this number, one in four believes President Obama is the Antichrist and that may be one reason for the low numbers. The other reasons may be connected to the outrageous statements, actions and blatant misinformation by party leaders and their followers, both nationally and locally, for example:
1. Locally, we were recently subjected to another letter containing more blatant misinformation, published on these pages (The government should be audited) from Mr. Frank Aquila, who addresses himself as President of the South San Joaquin Republicans. Everyone is probably well acquainted with Mr. Aquila’s need to pass on anything he finds on the Internet that serves his purpose, be it previously debunked Urban Legends or just random e-mails he may receive. This one was no different. If you are like me, I usually just scan over whatever he submits and look for the obvious. This one was rather easy. First he stated that EVERYONE had to pay more taxes this year. Well, I know I didn’t so that was quickly thrown under the bus. Then he attempted to pass on an old story I remember from an e-mail that went around a year or two ago and that was the story of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not being happy with her current jet, so she ordered a new Boeing757 as a personal replacement. Mr. Aquila spent two paragraphs on this blatant lie.
2. On the national front, on Monday, the Democrats tried to get the Wall Street Reform bill introduced into debate on the Senate floor. Mind you, this was just so that the bill could be debated, not to try to pass anything. Republicans immediately decided to filibuster and keep the bill from even being debated. They did however say they wanted to discuss the bill in private meetings, away from C-SPAN cameras, I assume. Sen. Mitch McConnell said the entire GOP delegation was dead set against the proposal and would use the filibuster to halt any progress on the Senate floor, surprise, surprise. The Senator failed to mention, of course, that he previously had a private meeting with about 20 or so hedge-fund greed heads to assure them, he would fight to kill the bill. He then sent John Cornyn, (R) Texas, who is also on the Senate Republican fundraising arm, around the room to shake down the attendees for campaign cash to help elect more Republicans who would join the team. The Democrats expected the filibuster tactic and said they would continue to bring the bill before the Senate until the Republicans blinked and blink they did. Today the Republicans decided to abandon the filibuster tactic and cave in to the Democrats. Of course, the Goldman Sachs hearings and public pressure had nothing to do with it, right?
An interesting fact on the filibuster issue, did you know that Republicans have turned to the filibuster to stop every major proposal put forth by the Obama administration with the exception of two, which were cabinet appointments and the appointment of Justice Sotamayor. They have used the filibuster 112 times in just one year that has never been done before in the history of American Government. Never!
3. Remember Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the guy who, in front of one of the Tea Party rallies on the steps of the Capitol, said the Health Care Reform bill would “pull the plug on Grandma”? Well, guess what, yesterday in his home state, he said he had “played a major part in obtaining money for Medicare... a part of the Health Reform Bill”. Sen. Grassley happens to be up for re-election. Wonder if the Tea Party knows about this sudden memory loss?
4. And finally, my favorite for obvious reasons, Arizona Republican governor signed a bill that would give police the power to stop anyone they suspect as being an illegal alien and ask for proof of citizenship. The “Let’s see your papers please” bill. The bill was introduced by Republican State Senator Russell Pearce who once forwarded an e-mail to his supporters he had received which described the Holocaust as a “tale”. He was also tied to an Arizona Neo-Nazi group.
When asked if she knew what an illegal alien looked like, the governor said, “No”. California Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray answered this way, “They will look at the kind of dress you wear, there’s different type of attire, there’s different type of…right down to the shoes, right down to the clothes.” So I assume if an officer noticed a brown-skinned individual with long dark hair, wearing a sombrero and a peasant Campesino outfit with huarache shoes, maybe a Mexican flag draped around his shoulders, the officer would have reason to ask for identification. But what if that same brown-skinned individual had short blond hair, wearing a Cowboys hat, a Sacramento Kings jersey and Air-Jordan shoes and the same flag draped around his shoulders? It would be the flag right? Not his brown skin, oh no, of course not.
I read an interesting recent article about the status of the Republican Party in California. The article stated that the number of Republicans fell from 34.6 % four years ago to 30.8% in April. Meanwhile Democratic registration increased from 42.7% in 2006 to 44.6%. In another article, the story was even worse, apparently only 20% of voters in the entire country claim to be Republican, a 26-year low. Of this number, one in four believes President Obama is the Antichrist and that may be one reason for the low numbers. The other reasons may be connected to the outrageous statements, actions and blatant misinformation by party leaders and their followers, both nationally and locally, for example:
1. Locally, we were recently subjected to another letter containing more blatant misinformation, published on these pages (The government should be audited) from Mr. Frank Aquila, who addresses himself as President of the South San Joaquin Republicans. Everyone is probably well acquainted with Mr. Aquila’s need to pass on anything he finds on the Internet that serves his purpose, be it previously debunked Urban Legends or just random e-mails he may receive. This one was no different. If you are like me, I usually just scan over whatever he submits and look for the obvious. This one was rather easy. First he stated that EVERYONE had to pay more taxes this year. Well, I know I didn’t so that was quickly thrown under the bus. Then he attempted to pass on an old story I remember from an e-mail that went around a year or two ago and that was the story of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not being happy with her current jet, so she ordered a new Boeing757 as a personal replacement. Mr. Aquila spent two paragraphs on this blatant lie.
2. On the national front, on Monday, the Democrats tried to get the Wall Street Reform bill introduced into debate on the Senate floor. Mind you, this was just so that the bill could be debated, not to try to pass anything. Republicans immediately decided to filibuster and keep the bill from even being debated. They did however say they wanted to discuss the bill in private meetings, away from C-SPAN cameras, I assume. Sen. Mitch McConnell said the entire GOP delegation was dead set against the proposal and would use the filibuster to halt any progress on the Senate floor, surprise, surprise. The Senator failed to mention, of course, that he previously had a private meeting with about 20 or so hedge-fund greed heads to assure them, he would fight to kill the bill. He then sent John Cornyn, (R) Texas, who is also on the Senate Republican fundraising arm, around the room to shake down the attendees for campaign cash to help elect more Republicans who would join the team. The Democrats expected the filibuster tactic and said they would continue to bring the bill before the Senate until the Republicans blinked and blink they did. Today the Republicans decided to abandon the filibuster tactic and cave in to the Democrats. Of course, the Goldman Sachs hearings and public pressure had nothing to do with it, right?
An interesting fact on the filibuster issue, did you know that Republicans have turned to the filibuster to stop every major proposal put forth by the Obama administration with the exception of two, which were cabinet appointments and the appointment of Justice Sotamayor. They have used the filibuster 112 times in just one year that has never been done before in the history of American Government. Never!
3. Remember Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the guy who, in front of one of the Tea Party rallies on the steps of the Capitol, said the Health Care Reform bill would “pull the plug on Grandma”? Well, guess what, yesterday in his home state, he said he had “played a major part in obtaining money for Medicare... a part of the Health Reform Bill”. Sen. Grassley happens to be up for re-election. Wonder if the Tea Party knows about this sudden memory loss?
4. And finally, my favorite for obvious reasons, Arizona Republican governor signed a bill that would give police the power to stop anyone they suspect as being an illegal alien and ask for proof of citizenship. The “Let’s see your papers please” bill. The bill was introduced by Republican State Senator Russell Pearce who once forwarded an e-mail to his supporters he had received which described the Holocaust as a “tale”. He was also tied to an Arizona Neo-Nazi group.
When asked if she knew what an illegal alien looked like, the governor said, “No”. California Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray answered this way, “They will look at the kind of dress you wear, there’s different type of attire, there’s different type of…right down to the shoes, right down to the clothes.” So I assume if an officer noticed a brown-skinned individual with long dark hair, wearing a sombrero and a peasant Campesino outfit with huarache shoes, maybe a Mexican flag draped around his shoulders, the officer would have reason to ask for identification. But what if that same brown-skinned individual had short blond hair, wearing a Cowboys hat, a Sacramento Kings jersey and Air-Jordan shoes and the same flag draped around his shoulders? It would be the flag right? Not his brown skin, oh no, of course not.
Larry Baca
Manteca
April 27, 2010
Manteca
April 27, 2010
