Left In Lowell

If you have a good half hour, a lot of browser tabs, and the stomach, this has got to be the most comprehensive list of Republican hypocrisies, lies, and bigotry you’ll see on the internets. You’ll need a dump truck to deliver it all to your computer…

Look, we all know underlying the debate between Dems and Republicans is a fundamental philosophical difference, points of view that can be debated. (One side, albeit, which is more supported by historic proof and facts than the other, and I mean that. If the debate was fair and honest, there would be a clear winner - the fact-based one.) However, today’s brand of Republican is less governed by their philosophy, and more by winning at any cost.

And beneath the win at any cost attitude, is a whole large segment of the Republican population (egged on, now, by their leaders) which is scared to death of losing white power. This isn’t rhetorical - the evidence is right before our eyes. It’s not even veiled any more. It’s right there, in black and white, audio and video. While there was some pretty serious opposition under, say, Clinton, the tone is entirely different now. A significant minority of the American citizenry are not afraid of a socialist takeover, they are afraid of a black or minority socialist takeover.

For a long time, this bigotry was a quietly-held belief, simmering, mostly invisible, living everywhere, but more prevalent in some regions. It bubbled silently in places where poverty and lack of education are still a problem. In states, particularly, which take more federal tax dollars than they give. Who are not productive enough economies to hold their own. And the more help they need, the more they can be played for their fears.

That simmering has come to a fierce boiling over. If anything, I think the best outcome of electing a black president is to thrust these attitudes out from the shadows. For too long, we have thought we have progressed past racism, and allowed to think that we are, mostly, above it. We’re finding out now that it is still among us.

Racism, in most cases (maybe all?), is the attempt for someone who is discontent with their own lives to blame someone else, The Other, for their problems - instead of their leaders, or themselves, their own actions. It is people in pain, distress, anger, and fear turning blame outward to answer why. It’s tribalism no matter the truth.

What I find the saddest part of this past year and the lengths the Republicans have gone to win, is the cynical way these leaders have decided to use that fear to stoke up their electoral chances. Never mind that this is a losing proposition - that they will and are tuning out the moderate middle, crucial to winning general elections. The violence being embraced by a portion of their followers is a direct result of the statements of Republican leaders, this last year, and prior, about Dems. No longer a loyal opposition, Republicans in office and in the media have decided that calling Dems treasonous, anti-American, fascist, tyrannical, and the arbiters of the death of democracy is the path to regaining a grip on power. But these leaders and media talkers are more to blame for what is happening than even the militia leaders calling for the breaking of windows or other violent acts. The words of Republican leaders are making it permissible for these actions to occur.

All this, of course, while defending one of their own regarding torture, illegal wiretaps, search and seizures, and wars on countries and peoples which have not attacked us while ignoring the ones who did.

The next decade will be very telling for Republicans. Will they do some soul searching and decide that they still want to remain a part of active American democracy, solving the problems we face with honesty and, often, a simple difference of philosophy? To call for the best in our country instead of the worst? Or will they continue to play, and pray, on the fears of many in their party, and become, at best, a permanent regional minority party?

And if they choose the second, who then will be the loyal opposition? We progressives do think that the country needs to swing leftward - I mean, today’s far Right are to the right of Attila the Hun for goodness’ sake - but we don’t want America to be a one party system. I also don’t want the conservative moderates fleeing the Republican totalitarian attitude to stretch the boundaries of what it means to be a Democrat (as has happened in Massachusetts, or with people like Sen. Spector). Come back towards sanity, Republicans, because the future of our democracy - and the nature of the debate - is at stake.

I don’t hold out a whole lot of hope right now, however. Talk to me in ten years…

Marie, bless you. Nifty post!

Any takers? Just because Donoghue is my top pick and likely to get my full endorsement very quickly, doesn’t mean I don’t wanna see a horse race. A foregone conclusion is boring!

Update: Dave Conway? Really? Ug. Well, I guess if it got him to resign his current seat…since he’s my least favorite of the current SC (now that RF is gone). But. Talk about GOB…

Update II: FYI, there’s a ton of good stuff over on RichardHowe.com, particularly this…

I’m up to my neck in work stuff right now, but…I guess you can say it’s quasi official. We don’t know who else might jump in but with Donoghue in the race I can’t see big chances for a lot of them.

Sounds fun, if I weren’t teaching tonight, but the Lowell Film Collaborative has the last of their Agricultural Film Series going on at Life Alive:

Sunny skies, 60 degrees — it’s gonna be a beautiful day!
Usher in the evening with dinner-and-a-movie at Life Alive!

“Good Food”
Thursday, March 25 | 7:30 PM
Life Alive Urban Oasis & Cafe, 194 Middle Street, Lowell

Something remarkable is happening in the fields and orchards of the Pacific Northwest — small family farmers are making a comeback! They’re growing much healthier food, and lots more food per acre, while using less energy and water than factory farms. Hear the inspiring stories of the producers, farmers’ markets, distributors, stores, restaurants, and public officials who are developing a more sustainable food system for all!

Fellow Lowell blogger, the Mark (Lynch) of mrmillcity addressed the City Council last night to discuss one of his passions: people who own dogs but really shouldn’t.

This video is priceless because the Mark asks the City Council to raise fees so that we can close the budget gap.

And who knew that the reservoir was called “the rez”? It must be a Centraville thing.

I couldn’t help myself. I have to write down some of my speculative thoughts on the “suddenly” open Senate seat before all the chips fall. Because I can.

- First thing I noticed in the announcement from the Sun: it might have started in the “breaking news” section of the website, announced at an odd hour in the evening and all, but it don’t look like it was just broke. Indeed, the Sun tipped its hand in writing a very long, comprehensive piece about Pangiotakos and his background, history, and quotes. They’ve been sitting on this longer than 24 hours, is my guess from reading it. A lot longer.

- We all know, why don’t we say it, that Panagiotakos waited this long to announce his plans because they are hoping fewer people jump in the race to challenge whoever the handpicked successor is. This is awful late in the season to give us this news. A lot of his Senate colleagues not seeking reelection announced weeks ago. I rather resent the fact that we in this district were not accorded a similar courtesy. Especially since the rumors have it that this has been in the works for a while now.

- And let’s just mention that more than a few people have noticed how “out and about” Rep. Golden has been lately. Sure, out of our three Reps, he’s always been the more gregarious one, but that’s not saying much. Except Golden to be the GOB standard bearer. Dear god, let someone of decent stature oppose him in the primary. I do not want a GOB and a conservaDem in the seat.

- Speaking of people with stature, my hands-on most favorite candidate to run would, of course, be Eileen Donoghue. She has the progressive creds (running a close second to Jamie Eldridge in my esteem in the MA-05 race - that’s praise indeed), the district-wide capability, fundraising oomph, and what’s more, I miss her in public life. We wouldn’t lose a good vote on the City Council like we would if one of them ran, and she’d make a hell of a fine state Senator. And on top of this, we need more women leaders in the state house! Basically, it’s all up sides if Eileen runs. I would have waited and expressed my encouragement to her privately maybe, but what the hell? It’s public. That’s how much I’d want her to run.

- Last comment: there are others I’d be good with if they ran and won. Broderick is a top choice but he’d never do it. Martin would also be good. We’d lose them on the Council though (well, not technically, they can hold both, but I’d advise against it if they won the Senate seat).

Okay, your turn. Be polite! I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts too as this can ‘o worms is opened.

New Englander has a very nice, thorough rundown. (Thanks!)

Unfortunately, the answer to that is yes. We’ve seen violence in our past, in the civil rights era, during suffrage, and against gays. Add this new form of terrorism to our list - intimidation against liberals for political purposes.

The rhetoric is now having consequences, and Democrats in Congress are receiving death threats. Their families are being threatened. Five Democratic headquarters across the country have been vandalized.

In the very heat of the worst of the Bush administration, liberals never, ever condoned this sort of speech from their members. Even when it was obvious that Bush was overstepping his authority, perpetrating wars on countries we had no right to attack, and torturing people illegally, all we asked for was electoral respite. For the people to vote in a better leadership, and for the former leadership to be held accountable legally (which we never got).

The right wing teabaggers are what they say they hate. They claim to be against the the incorrectly percieved fascism, (or Nazism, Communism, take your pick, with no real idea what the hell they are really talking about), meanwhile from among their crowd, a number of them have gone to the next step: spitting on Congresspeople, calling them vile epithets, calling for vandalism and threatening Democrats and their families. Where are the Republican leaders condemning these acts and threats? Instead, we have Palin using terms like “RELOAD” and “aim” at the Dems on HCR, using crosshairs in her graphics to depict the “targets.” We have excuses and dodges from Republicans - “isolated incidents” and blaming the left for it.

I have to tell you, this anger and hate in our country is scaring me. It’s one thing to vehemently oppose people who subscribe to a different philosophy than you do. It’s another thing to encourage acts of violence, or condone them with your silence. The only consolation I have is that the Right is rapidly becoming a smaller minority, with people in the middle turned off by their tactics, lies, and most of all, their supporters.

Breaking news from the Sun:

State Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, the longest serving state Senator in the history of Lowell, will not seek re-election this fall, ending an 18-year political career in the Legislature that saw him become a driving force in state politics and his city’s redevelopment.

…

He came to a final decision in the past week to forgo another campaign, telling his family and a close circle of friends that it was time to simplify his life and look for a new challenge.

I’m in the “this better not be one of those ‘foregone-conclusions-handpicked-successors’ sort of elections” mode. Knowing Lowell politics like I do, however, I know that this (italics mine):

“I never really looked at this as a career for myself. I enjoy it. I love it. But there has to be a time when I pass the baton,” Panagiotakos told The Sun yesterday in an exclusive interview from his Statehouse office.

may not be just an innocent statement of “let the chips fall where they may.” It’s a little early to speculate who “they” will pick to run, though I have my thoughts on that, but I’m sure we’ll find out post-haste. If I were to bet, there’ll be another open seat or two around to watch. I also know who I’d prefer to see run and win this state Senate seat but that’ll wait until another day too. I guess this election season won’t be boring, whatever the outcome.

Honestly, speeding on Lincoln St and a serious accident?? Color me surprised. Our neighbor got his house hit by a car twice in one year (the second time right after we moved in). I have no idea why people zoom through our neighborhood like they do, over a blind hill and all, and several stop signs appearing down its length. All I know is that I hear the speeders - cars and motorcycles - going by constantly.

I don’t know what the solution might be but if there were more enforcement somehow, it might help. Maybe we could be helped by a few caution signs, I don’t know. But I doubt this’ll be the last incident on this road.

I hope that the biker recovers and all, but god, people, don’t be idiots. Stop speeding on residential city roads. There are kids, other traffic, and parked cars, and HOUSES for goodness’ sake.