Health Care For All!

Love is but a song to sing

Fear's the way we die

You can make the mountains ring

Or make the angels cry

Though the bird is on the wing

And you may not know why

Come on people now

Smile on your brother

Everybody get together

Try to love one another

Right now

~~ “Get Together” by The Youngbloods

I’ve been laying low lately. We spent a fun week in Vegas, I’ve been reading a lot, and with the shit show going on in the Yamistration, I just haven’t felt like writing much. Some days it’s all I can do to not Hulk-smash everything in sight. Sometimes it is best to just hunker down, and as REO Speedwagon says, I’ve been riding the storm out. As much as I can, anyway.

Today was a lesson in how engagement can energize, inspire, and strengthen our resolve.

I headed to downtown Mishawaka with Shane and Matt to join a protest outside of the office of our so-called representative, Jackie Walorski. I say ‘so-called’ because she doesn’t really spend a whole lot of time with her constituents, especially the ones who didn’t vote for her, so I guess she only wants to represent part of us. Hmph.

Anyway, this was a protest organized by Indivisible Indiana District 2 and the Northern Indiana Community Coalition for Health Care. The latter organized the recent town hall meeting concerning the Affordable Care Act and the so-called American Health Care Act, and although Jackie was invited numerous times, she didn’t show up and didn’t even bother to respond yes or no if she would be attending. I don’t think she understands the meaning of the word ‘representative.’ But we had the town hall without her.

Today’s protest was termed a “Die-In.” The goal was to get at least 80 people to show up, with 80 representing the number of people in Indiana District 2 who would die each year without the guarantees of coverage by the ACA. We all held signs shaped like tombstones with various slogans about who would suffer if the ACA is repealed and the AHCA takes its place. The last time I looked at the sign-up sheet, we had around 60 people, but the turnout surpassed the goal. We had over 100 people there! Not bad for 4:30 on an overcast weekday afternoon. (The rain even held off until we were done!)

We were all fired up and happy to be there. Everyone was friendly and peaceful. The overwhelming majority of people driving by honked and gave us the thumbs up. (Yes, those were thumbs, not another digit.) A couple of people drove by and gave us some grief, but they were definitely in the minority.

The most memorable of those was when a guy in a blue car pulled up directly in front of where I was standing with Shane and Matt, and stopped because of a red light. The guy turned to us and started saying “Trump for America! Trump for America!” I don’t know what came over me, but I started yelling back, “Health care for all! Health care for all!” Me and the guy kept at this for a few moments, and then a lady behind me took up my chant. Shane and Matt joined in, and soon our entire group of over one hundred people was chanting “Health care for all!” at this guy. He tried keeping up his chant for a bit but we kept chanting louder and louder...and then here was the best moment. He finally turned away, put his hands on his steering wheel, shut his mouth, and faced straight ahead. But he couldn’t go anywhere...because the light was still red.

[falling over laughing]

So he had to sit there with all of us chanting “Health care for all!” at him, probably thinking, “When is this fucking light going to turn green?” When it finally did, you can probably guess what he did. Yep, he flipped us the bird as he drove off. We all cracked up.

Somebody got owned! Man, what a douchebag.

Our organizer gave a rousing speech, we sang a song, and then we all filed into Jackie’s office to drop off our postcards that stated why we are against the AHCA or support the ACA. We weren’t there long, but we made our presence known, and we had plenty of traffic driving by and seeing us. On the way back to the car, we stopped off at Smith’s for a beer and a bite to eat and discussed things and had some laughs. It was a good day!

I feel reenergized. It is very easy to insulate ourselves against what is going on and to withdraw. That holds especially true for introverts like me. (I know that Shane is, too. Matt? Maybe a bit, but not to the extent that Shane and I are.) I think it is important to make an effort to get out every once in a while, connect with others, and affirm our commitment to resist and change the current administration, locally and nationally.

Being a part of this peaceful protest and talking with others who are committed to this cause really gave me a boost and made me want to continue to be involved to the extent that I can. I also enjoyed learning that I could confront others peacefully but forcefully. I didn’t flip the dude in the car off or call him names and I didn’t call his candidate names. I just affirmed my support for health care for all. And I’ll be damned if others didn’t join in and we got him to shut up. 

That is empowering as fuck.

I encourage others to get out as much as they can and check into local groups who are involved in protests and activism. Things are popping up everywhere and there are plenty of things you can do, big and small.

We are all in this together and we will help each other get through it!

Reckoning Day

And this is a call to arms

This is a call to hands

This is a call to the voices and the minds

Of the people in every land

~~ “Reckoning Day” by The Rainmakers

Today we attended a town hall meeting focused on health care with our District 2 Representative, Jackie Walorski.

Except Jackie didn’t show.

We knew she wouldn’t. She was invited numerous times and not only didn’t she have the balls to show, she didn’t even have the balls to RSVP.

But we carried on without her. It was a moderated town hall, with a panel of folks who deal with health care issues in their jobs, and I was delighted to see my own doctor there! (She had a great moment, too...more about that later.)

The most compelling part of the meeting was the testimonials from various citizens—all constituents of Rep. Walorski—that told about their experiences with health care and how the Affordable Care Act helped them. A woman whose daughter is disabled; a woman who, at a very young age, was diagnosed with breast cancer; a molecular biologist who spoke about the importance of federally-funded medical research; a woman who had premature triplets; and our friend Cassie, who despite her fear of public speaking and an anxiety attack, stood up and told her story about her own risky pregnancy and the premature birth of her son. I am so proud of Cassie for having the courage to speak about this!

Every question is being sent to Rep. Walorski and if she has a shred of decency, she will read them. I hope the organizers send her the video, too, because she needs to see it. She needs to realize that she works for us. The fact that she refuses to listen to her constituents is unacceptable. The crowd was well-behaved but there was a palpable sense of anger that we feel we are not being heard.

As for my doctor, as if I didn’t love her enough already! She has been a wonderful doctor, responsive to my questions and encouraging in my efforts to stay healthy. Seeing her there as part of the panel let me know that she is on the side of her patients and not happy with the efforts to repeal the ACA. She had one of the coolest responses of the entire meeting, when one of the mediators read a question from the audience. The gist of it was that the Hyde Amendment is already in place to ensure that federal funds are not used for

abortions; the Republican party continues to push for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, which means that thousands of Hoosiers from rural areas would have no access to basic medical care. Can anyone on the panel explain that thinking? The panel hemmed and hawed and looked at each other, and then my doctor pulled the microphone toward her and said…

“No.”

The crowd erupted in applause and I elbowed Ken and said, “See why I love her??”

If I were Jackie Walorski, I’d be pretty darn scared about 2018. Ignore your constituents at your own risk.

Quite a Saturday

Before I get to that, I want to tie up a couple of loose ends.

I recently wrote that my Congressman, Jackie Walorski, was a coward for not holding any town hall meetings. She did finally hold one, so I give her credit for that. However, she held it in Rochester, a small rural town about as far removed from the major media outlets of South Bend and Elkhart (cities in her district) as she could possibly get. I chose not to attend, but my friend Dan did. He said there were a lot of questions about the Affordable Care Act, the NSA, and immigration. It seems that Jackie is in hot water with conservatives over quite a few things, because they feel she isn’t being conservative enough. The usual teabagger stuff. When this town hall was announced (I believe it was announced the day before it took place), it was said that there would be “more to come.” There have been no more scheduled as of today.

So do I take back my “coward” statement? Not really. While I give her credit for finally scheduling a meeting, it was in a small town that was remote from the majority of her constituents, and she has scheduled no further meetings. It seems to me that she does not want to face anymore tough questions from her constituents, those on both side of the aisle. That still strikes me as cowardly.

On a more fun topic, I also posted the poll about the best sneer in rock and roll. There were only a handful of votes on the poll, but there were also several Facebook comments on my post of the entry there. I can tell you that the overwhelming winner was none other than the Blonde Bombshell, Mr. Billy Idol. Sid Vicious got a couple of votes, but almost everyone went with Billy. I have to agree, and that was who I voted for, too. Mark commented that it is an iconic punk look, and when he thinks of punk rock, Billy’s look and sneer springs to mind. There was just something about Billy’s look...that spiked blonde hair, the gorgeous face, and the way he did that sneer. Some really fun music, too, and I still enjoy listening to Billy and Generation X. Nutwood and Friends love you, Billy!

Now, a quick write-up of our fun Saturday. The Drewry’s kickoff party started at noon, but because we had another thing to go to afterwards, we didn’t get there until 2 pm. In retrospect, that was a mistake, because they had already run out of all the tasting beers, they had passed out the last t-shirts, and it looked momentarily like they had run out of food. However...silver linings, people, silver linings! We DID get our Drewry’s pint glasses, which are pretty cool. They did bring out more food, and although it wasn’t abundant, it was fairly tasty, and we got enough to take the “edge” off. But good grief...you’d think people hadn’t eaten in a week. As soon as they wheeled out the carts, there was a horde of people following them and swarming the cart like human pigeons. Chill, people! We also saw Drew, who is earning the title of Mr. South Bend because of all the work he’s doing with the State Theater and making downtown a destination!

The silveriest—most silvery?—silver lining of them all was that because they had run out of the other varieties of beer, they made the Classic Lager (which they still had plenty of) FREE. That’s right. Free beer. I won’t say that a choir of angels were singing, because the beer wasn’t all THAT great. So maybe one angel was singing. No offense, Drewry’s, but the Classic Lager I found sort of...meh. I look forward to trying some of the other varieties, though, as they become available in local stores.

Another bright spot was seeing a long-time South Bend fixture, Billy “Stix” Nicks and his current band Motown Dance Party. We chatted with Billy afterwards, as well as a couple of band members, and apparently they play Martha’s Midway fairly often. I look forward to seeing them there, because they were a lot of fun and very talented. Billy is a living legend, and is incredibly sweet and charming. I was so pleased to finally get to see this guy...his name crops up frequently, but I had never managed to see him before. Wonderful!

But wait! There’s more! We weren’t even close to being done. We headed over to the Cove for Ken’s company party. We chatted with several of his coworkers, I got to check out some of the valves and stuff that the company makes for firefighting equipment, and I got an up-close look at one of our city fire trucks. The technology is really amazing, and total respect for the firefighters who put their lives on the line every single day! I like being associated (at least by marriage!) with a company who helps keep the firefighters as safe as possible in a terribly dangerous job.

We hung out at the Tiki Hut—a nice addition to the Cove!—saw the bartender we talked to last time we were there for Bacon & Brews, and also saw and chatted with Ben, the head chef for the Cove. I pigged out on popcorn and my favorite thing there: Philly Cheesesteak Nachos. I’ll try to hit the workouts extra-hard this coming week! The Hawks lost, but it was still a great evening at the ballpark, and the weather was perfect. Then it was a stop at Fiddler’s Hearth for one last brew, and we chatted with a guy who works at the Morris, and talked about how excited we are for the coming season’s shows. A really fun day downtown!

Today has been a fairly lazy Sunday (although Ken got the mowing done), and we’ll top off the weekend with a couple of porterhouses, some grilled potatoes, a salad with blue cheese dressing, a bottle of wine, and a movie.

I hope your weekend was as pleasant!

Coward

Remember back in the summer of 2009 when the teabaggers descended upon town hall meetings conducted by their local Congresscritters, and got all up in their grills about the Affordable Care Act? Ken and I went to one that our Congressman at the time Joe Donnelly (now one of Indiana’s Senators) held, and he handled himself pretty well. The place was packed, and although a few people got a little angry, it didn’t get too crazy.

Well, it’s that time of year again, the August recess, time for all the Congresscritters to come home and talk to their constituents, get an idea of what they’re thinking and how they’re feeling about things like health care reform, immigration reform, tax reform, whateverthefuck reform...whatever is on our minds, this is when they come back to put their finger on the pulse of their constituency and get an idea of how we all feel.

So my friend Dan and I are planning on attending one of the town halls held by our Congresscritter, Representative Jackie Walorski. We’ll probably both take notes, and I might even ask a question about why Congress has wasted about $50 million on 40 repeal votes, when it has no chance of going anywhere in the Senate, let alone President Obama agreeing to repeal the signature achievement of his Presidency. I think Dan and I will enjoy it, because we’re both really into politics, and maybe we can even have lunch afterwards, and....

Wait, what? What’s that you say? Representative Walorski has no town hall meetings scheduled? She’s not coming out to talk to us? Only “her staff” is going to be available at a couple of the offices for a brief time frame in order to hear from her constituents?

What’s up with that?

My guess would be that someone doesn’t want to face their constituents and have to answer to both the right and the left. The right because she’s being shifty on immigration issues, and the left because she’s...well, she is pretty much antithetical to everything we stand for.

Rep. Walorski was happy to get tea party support, but file this under “They can dish it out, but they can’t take it.” They sure loved harassing Rep. Donnelly about his health care vote, but Walorski and her teabaggin’ buddies run from any confrontation from the other side.

Isn’t that typical of a bully, though? Talk shit, and then when confronted with someone who is willing to fight back and not take their shit anymore, they run off with their tails between their legs like the cowardly curs they are. You see it all the time. It’s especially disgusting to see it in an elected official, though.

Aftermath

Well, I suppose I should write briefly about yesterday's election, although I really do need a break, and I'm looking forward to taking a few days off of worrying about all this. I really am so glad it's over.

Of course, I wasn't happy with the outcome, although it wasn't unexpected. What slays me about it is that they asked people in exit polls if they think the Republicans will do a better job with being in charge in the House, and the majority said no. Hahaha! I just don't get the disconnect there. "Yeah, I'm going to vote for them, but I don't expect them to do anything!" Huh?

Anyway, we've got a Republican-controlled Congress now, and I suppose that will mean it will be even harder to get anything done. I am disappointed that President Obama continues to believe that there is some sort of middle ground to be found with the GOP. I think they've made it very clear that they do not want to work with the Democrats on anything, and merely want the President to fail. Screw the country. It's disgusting. The few GOP members who are willing to work with the Democrats are getting pushed increasingly to the right by the teabaggers, making it even harder to accomplish anything. Some of us have been laughing about how they've been in charge of the House for going on 24 hours now, and they have yet to fix anything! We're waiting!

But seriously...they expected President Obama to fix the big huge mess they made in two years. I plan on applying the same pressure on them. Where's the plan? (And we plan on checking your math.) Where are the jobs? Why do we still have a deficit? Why are we still in Afghanistan? How are you going to fix our broken health care system? I want an answer, and I want it RIGHT NOW. Heh.

Having said all that, I was happy about a couple of things, and I see a silver lining in a couple of others. First and foremost, my congressman, Joe Donnelly, defeated the evil Walorski. Narrowly, but he defeated her. It would have made me sick to my stomach if she were my Representative. Disaster was averted.

Also, the most bat-shittiest crazies of the teabaggers were losers, except for Rand Paul. Really, Kentucky? Really?! Wow. But at least O'Donnell lost in Delaware, and even more importantly, Sharron Angle lost in Nevada. O'Donnell is stupid-crazy; Angle is evil-crazy. Neither should be anywhere near Washington.

I was also disappointed that Alan Grayson lost in Florida. He was one of the fiercest progressives we had, and I hated to see him ousted. However, a friend pointed out that this might be an opportunity for greater things for him; I would love to see him as DNC chairman, driving the Democratic agenda and igniting the base for 2012.

I guess my feeling is that although we may have lost this particular battle, the war is far from over. I'm resigned to giving them their two years to make a difference in jobs and the economy. I'll be curious to see what exactly their plan is for turning things around in that short of a time, and to see how their tax cuts are going to result in a flood of new jobs. I would actually welcome that, because I care about my country and my fellow citizens. But I think you'll understand when I say that I'm highly skeptical that that will happen.

On a happier and non-political note, I'll be heading out Friday with Cousin Shane and Matt, and we'll meet up with my sisters and my brother-in-law in Cleveland for an outing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's my sister Sue's birthday, so it's a fun little road trip to celebrate that. Despite our love of all things rock and roll, neither Shane nor I have ever been to the Hall of Fame! *gasp* I KNOW! Diana will be focusing on Beatles stuff, I'm not sure what Sue will focus on (she's not really a rock chick, but I know she's looking forward to it), and I know that Shane and Matt and I will be all about the punk rock...and you don't stop! I might have to take an Ian Hunter CD so we can blast "Cleveland Rocks" on the way. If I had more time, I'd put together a compilation disc of some HoF members. I'll get some pictures, although I know you can't take pictures in the Hall itself. Should be a good time!

Finally, in all the excitement of the election, my blogiversary totally escaped my mind! It was four years of blogging on October 24. I'm not updating as often as I used to, but I'm okay with that. I've worked on making more substantive entries of late (I'm probably due for an Infection Connection entry soon), and I can't do that every day. I appreciate everyone who is still reading, despite my infrequent updates and even more infrequent comments elsewhere; I enjoy you all, but have been working on limiting my online time in order to enjoy other things as well. Thanks for hanging with me, and I hope I'll write enough things in the coming year that will keep you interested!

Cheers!

A coda with a curse

BWAHAHAHA! Happy Halloween, you little maniacs!

I'm not all into Halloween, although I always love scary movies. Being out in the boondocks, there are never any trick-or-treaters here, so it's pretty much just another night. However, I'm looking forward to watching the premiere of AMC's "The Walking Dead," which looks like a dandy series about the zombie apocalypse. Actually, by the time I post this, I will have watched it, so I can give a quickie review.

I've been more occupied lately with the upcoming election. Despite my intense interest in politics, I have to admit that even I have battle fatigue. The ads are constant, and the amount of postal flyers is staggering. Thank science for caller ID, because the calls are also coming fast and furious. I read somewhere that I believe it is $4 billion dollars that has been poured into this campaign, from both sides. That's obscene. All I could think of is how much good $4 billion dollars could do for people around the world, and people right here, who are hurting and even dying. I would love to see true campaign reform in which election time is quartered, and funds are limited to a certain amount. While I enjoy the run-up to the election, it gets pretty old by the time the actual day rolls around--even for me! In fact, I watched the second debate between Donnelly, Walorski, and Vogel and took notes in anticipation of writing about it a little bit here. I don't even feel like it. My mind is more than made up, and I don't feel like rehashing the same old stuff. Walorski is a dick. I don't usually call women that, but...it works here!

I have really enjoyed the lively debates on Facebook, though. Most of my friends there are of like mind, but every so often, you get a friend of a friend who does not agree and is ready to rumble. It's really entertaining. I'm always dismayed to see people who are so turned off by politics that they refuse to vote. "I hate the negative ads, so I'm not voting for anyone who uses them." "They're all crooks, so I'm not voting for anyone." Personally, I think it's a cop-out, and an excuse to not do your homework and learn more about your choices. I'm constantly amazed by people who think that somewhere, somehow, some way, they will find a candidate that agrees 100% with them. That they will find this prince or princess among humankind, the person that is a perfect reflection of their own political views. That person does not exist. It is up to us to find a candidate that we support because we agree with most of their views and most of their plans of what they want to do when in office.

I remember being amused some time ago when someone sent me a story about how President Obama is against gay marriage. They were like, "Have you seen this?! What do you think of this?" like I was going to withdraw my support because of this one issue. I said that it might surprise you to know that I don't agree with everything he does. However, I think he is the best person for the job right now. I also wish he did have more plans for stricter gun control laws, although that is not even a glimmer in his eye on his agenda, despite the hysteria you hear from some folks who seem to believe that Obama is going to personally come to their house and wrest the guns from their grasp. Not happening, folks.

Anyway, there are several things that Congressman Donnelly espouses that I don't agree with. He's a blue dog Democrat, for pete's sake, and I wish he were much more liberal. However, he's done a lot of good around here, especially with trying to bring jobs and stimulus money to his district, and his work on behalf of veterans. He is very visible, spends a lot of time in the district talking with people, and is amazingly accessible--always responding whenever I've sent a letter to him. He's a decent guy, and I think he proves the maxim "They're all crooks" wrong.

I honestly don't understand how anyone could give up one of our greatest freedoms and greatest privileges as U.S. citizens: the ability to vote for those who will represent us in our legislative branch of government. People fight and die for this privilege, and our ancestors did so when trying to establish our independence. I take it as a grave and amazing responsibility, and I don't mind telling you that I usually get a little choked up when I go vote. That is one of the reasons I take umbrage at those people who like to say that because I have certain political stances that I am not a patriot, or even that I hate America. You know what? Fuck you and the tired old nag you rode in on.

So please be involved, be informed, and no matter which way you go, right or left, please vote. It's important, and it's an honor.

Okay, the premiere of "The Walking Dead" is over. YES! I loved it! It's a gorefest, so if you don't care for that, don't bother watching. Graphic zombie killshots. I know I'll be watching again next week. I was really impressed, but I shouldn't be too surprised with a fine director like Frank Darabont. (You might have heard of a couple of his movies. "The Green Mile," and what was that one about the guy in prison...oh yeah, "The Shawshank Redemption." haha) Wow. I was glued to the TV, and usually I'm up and about doing other things. Not with this one!

It's kind of a typical story, in which a guy is hospitalized, in and out of consciousness due to a gunshot wound, and wakes up to find that everything changed while he was out. After a pretty quick learning curve, he gets an idea of what he's going to have to do to survive. And he must survive, because his wife and son are missing, and he has no idea if they are alive or dead...or undead. What always works in apocalypse tales is the relationships that are forged, often reluctantly. There is always a jerk that you just know is going to screw things up for everyone, and that you really kind of want to get eaten. There are people trying to find others, trying to either form a new society or just to get help in trying to survive. It's not a new story, but this one already promises some interesting relationships.

One thing that I always get a kick out of with apocalypse movies or shows like this: someone always wants to go to the city where there are said to be "people in charge" who are "working on a cure." It's often the CDC, but sometimes it's a fictional facility, like the one in Stovington, Vermont that Harold Lauder is so anxious to get to in The Stand. The sense of despair is palpable when they find that no one is in control.

By the way, the zombies in "The Walking Dead" are the worst kind...they're fast. It seems like when there are only a couple, they just sort of shuffle along slowly, but get them in a group and they seem to speed up. Yikes! The last thing you want when confronted by a zombie mob is a sense of competition amongst them!

Two undead thumbs up!

Here is my coda, and I will probably curse in it, thus my title. (Kudos to anyone who knows the origin of the phrase!)

Don't you just love it when someone who has treated you shabbily for some time, or has had little to no contact with you, suddenly gets a hold of you and asks for money? They seem to think they can say whatever they want about you, do whatever they want to purposefully hurt you, and then for some bizarre reason, they think you'll happily fork over some dough when they demand it. It's laughable, it really is. What's even funnier is when the person is the type who hates government entitlements, despises those who "demand handouts," and ridicules anyone who they think is unwilling to work for the money they get. I guess handouts are okay when you're the one asking for them! Everyone else is a bunch of goddamn slackers!

There seems to be a serious disconnect from reality in these people, or a complete lack of comprehension of cause and effect. You don't get to call someone names and say shitty things about them for years, then turn around and play nice when you want money. You know what I call someone like that? A manipulative, money-grubbing jerk, and someone who obviously has no idea of how to deal with people in a reasonable way. I suppose sometimes they can't help themselves; they just don't have the ability to understand that their actions have consequences, and they're so wrapped up in their own little world of deception and bitterness (Malice in Wonderland) that they can't control their own behavior. That doesn't make it any better, it doesn't make me sympathetic, and it certainly doesn't make me any less resistant to such manipulation.

We all make choices in our lives. If your choice was to purposefully treat others shabbily, time and time again, it's going to come back to bite you on the ass. Guaranteed. Go lie in that bed you've made.

That’s entertainment

Tonight I listened to a live stream on a Rochester, Indiana radio station of a debate between the candidates vying for the 2nd Congressional seat. This might not be of much interest to the vast majority of my friends here, although I do plan on speaking about the bigger picture. If you don't want to read about any of this, I am totally cool with that.

The candidates are the incumbent Democrat, Joe Donnelly, who is one of the "blue dogs." I'm not thrilled with the blue dog bullshit, but all in all, Joe has been a concerned and responsive Congressman. I don't agree with all of his positions, but I like him overall, and he is a Democrat voice in the Hoosier sea of red. The Libertarian candidate is Mark Vogel, a pharmacy student at Purdue. The Republican candidate is Jackie Walorski, a teabagger darlin' endorsed by Sarah Palin. (I tried to find a picture of all three of them, but to no avail. Vogel doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell, so I don't think a picture is necessary.)

I've made no bones about my utter loathing of Walorski, so I won't even pretend to be objective on this. However, I did take notes on the debate, and will write a few words here. My pal Milwaukee Dan #1 messaged me, said that he was taking notes, and that he was such a geek...I said I took notes, too, so I guess we're political geeks together! He then coined the term "Politigeek," and I think it's obvious that I qualify.

Here are several of the topics and the candidates' takes on them.

• Drug legalization: None of them were advocates, but all of them brought up meth and heroin. I cracked up. No one is advocating the legalization of meth and heroin. Come on! The question is obviously about the legalization of marijuana, but each of them sidestepped it and brought up freakin' meth. It was ludicrous.
• Abortion: Once again, Walorski tried to say that the health care bill allows for federal funds for abortion. Obama signed an executive order attached to the bill saying that federal funds would not be used for abortion, and that is the only reason that Donnelly, a pro-life, devout Catholic, voted for it. It's true that such an executive order can be easily changed, but to say that Donnelly voted for federal funds for abortion is completely wrong. At one point during Walorski's criticism of Donnelly, the crowd began to boo. In one of the most interesting moments of the debate, Donnelly took charge and said that no matter what the opinions here, everyone needs to remain respectful and respect the debate forum and all those involved. I thought that showed real leadership and real class.
• The United Nations: Both Walorski and Vogel said they want the United States out of the UN. Donnelly said that there is nothing wrong with sitting down and talking with people; Walorski said something about how inviting Ahmedinijad here, on U.S. soil, to speak at the UN is somehow legitimizing Iran's policies. On the contrary, I think that hearing Ahmedinijad talk about how there are no homosexuals in Iran simply showed how idiotic that regime is. The sort of isolationism espoused by Walorski, Vogel, and others really bothers me. We're all connected now, folks, like it or not. We have to try to deal with nations that we don't like, and simply ignoring them does not work. We can't just pick up our ball and go home.
• Privatization of Social Security: Walorski has said in the past that she was for it. There is tape of her saying it. Now she says no, she doesn't want that. The tapes don't lie. She also said that the new budget starts in January; the fiscal year starts in October. That was a dumb mistake.
• Stem cell research: Vogel and Walorski an emphatic "no," with little elaboration. Donnelly a "no" on embryonic stem cell research. I don't agree with him on that, but he did go on to say that he is for other stem cell research, including that on skin cells that can be converted to stem cells. I applaud his knowledge of recent research that has converted epidermal cells to stem cells. I can't remember if it was this topic in which Walorski mentioned how she tried to shut down Planned Parenthood in Indiana, but she was obviously very proud of that. Ugh.
• 14th Amendment: Walorski and Vogel did the expected anti-immigrant thing. Donnelly is anti-amnesty (another thing I disagree with him on) but said that he absolutely does not support any change in the Constitution.
• "Ground Zero Mosque": Amusing that someone asked this question. All candidates were pretty much in agreement that this was a property/state issue. Those of us in Indiana shouldn't really have a say in what those in New York decide about their own issues, anymore than those in New York should have a say in ours. However, the Libertarian candidate got off on a tangent about how the "federal government has attacked Christianity." Big load of horseshit. I don't think anyone is asking the federal government to step in and say that a Christian church shouldn't be built somewhere! More kudos to Donnelly for mentioning the Catholic convent that went up on the grounds of Auschwitz; he used it as an example of how something was moved because it was inappropriate, although it didn't happen for quite some time after some protested the convent there. Religious symbols weren't removed for 15 years after the establishment of the Carmelite convent. Still, I was impressed that he knew about it.
• Afghanistan: Walorski went off on a major tangent about spending, taxes, blah blah blah, then got burned by Vogel when it was his turn to respond: "Just want to make sure this question is about Afghanistan?" He got laughter and applause for that.
• Jobs: This was mentioned several times throughout the evening, because one county in this district, Elkhart, got hit really hard with unemployment. It was up to about 20% for a while. Donnelly has helped to bring jobs to the area with some big contracts for electric vehicles. He also got part of the stimulus money to the area, and helped to save a few thousand jobs in Kokomo, which is a huge vehicle manufacturing area. When he mentioned that, a huge cheer went up from the crowd, so I can only assume that there were some Kokomo people in the house.
• Education: Both Vogel and Walorski have called for the elimination of the Department of Education. Donnelly talked about the increase in Pell grants, the lowering of school loan interest rates, and the expanded GI bill, all of which he supported. When Walorski's rebuttal came, she said, "Okay, Joe, tell the truth---" and he immediately interrupted her and said, "I already did," and he got plenty of applause for that.

I have one more point here that I am choosing to set apart from those above. This happened early in the debate, with a question about global warming. Donnelly said that he is against cap and trade, and I don't feel that I can really speak to that until I learn more about it, and I know that I will need to. However, Walorski's answer summed up her philosophy, as well as the teabaggers', perfectly. She said that when it comes to global warming, she doesn't listen to the "liberal elitists." She goes around the area and talks to Hoosier farmers, and she thinks they know best what is happening with climate change, and she trusts THEM.

That's right. She trusts Hoosier farmers over climatologists to inform her about global warming.

For me, that was a Sarah Palin Fruit Fly moment. The fact that Walorski would reject science, scientists, and scientific findings and trust in what Hoosier farmers have to say is just...I'm sorry...I'm laughing. It is beyond ludicrous. I've known a few Hoosier farmers in my lifetime. I've known some smart ones. But while they might know about when to plant, if the soil is too wet to plant, and about what the weather has been like for the past couple of decades while they've been farming, that doesn't mean that they are experts on global warming. Holy shit, I could not believe my ears when she said that! I really shouldn't be surprised, though. This seems to dovetail nicely with the sentiment among some that opinions count for more than intelligence and knowledge. "I don't care about your fancy book learnin' and your goldurn scientific statistics! I'm a Hoosier farmer, by gum, and I know what I see!" Give me a fucking break. And Walorski can suck it for her troglodyte attitude that personal observation counts for more than scientific observation.

Okay! That is my take on the debate. There is another one (televised!) between these three candidates on Wednesday night, and I'll be watching it. I probably won't go in depth like I did with this one, but maybe there will be something new and interesting, and I'll comment on that.

I know that this race doesn't mean much to most of my readers, but it is a big deal around here. I would like to use this as an illustration as to why it is important to take an interest, and why it is important to be informed and vote! Especially when it comes to national elections. The winner of the race in my district will be going to Washington and making decisions for our entire country. I guarantee that I will do my part to make sure that Walorski won't be making decisions for all of you. I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy, let alone my friends!

VOTE!

Even small victories are sweet

I headed out to the store today, and on my way, I saw three signs for an area political candidate along the highway. I'd never seen signs like that along the main highway--on public land--so they really jumped out at me. I was pretty certain that you couldn't put political signs on public land, so when I got home, I posted on Facebook wondering if anyone knew more about it, and who they thought I should call. City? County? One person thought the city, and another thought either the city or county highway department. The latter sounded most right to me, so I gave the county highway department a call.

When I described the situation and the location of the signs, the woman I spoke to said that because it was along a state highway, US 31, I'd need to call the state. Okay. I could do that. I looked up the information in the phone book, and called the regional office in Plymouth, just a few miles south of here. Here was the conversation.

Me: I have a question about some political signs I saw along the highway this morning. I called my county highway department, and they told me that because it was on a state highway, I should call the state. I thought you couldn't put political signs on public land. Private is fine, I know, but I thought putting them on public land was against the law.

Her: Was it on the right-of-way?

Me: Well, it was just off of the highway, by the shoulder. [I described the exact location of the signs. And here is where it gets interesting.]

Her: Hm, okay. Who were the signs for?

Me: Jackie Walorski. [That is the teabagger candidate running against the incumbent, Joe Donnelly.]

Her: [a pause] Okay, I'll have my guys check it out, but if it's not obstructing the view, it's okay.

Me: Really? I thought they couldn't be on public land.

Her: As long as they're not obstructing the view, it's okay.

Me: Hmm. I really thought that wasn't allowed. I think I need to do some more investigating. Thanks for your time!

So guess what I did? That's right...I did some more investigating. First I looked on the INDOT website to see if I could find their policies about what was allowed on public land and what wasn't. I really couldn't make much sense of it, so I looked at their FAQs, and still couldn't find what I needed. So I sent them an email explaining what I saw and where I saw it (although I didn't include whose signs they were) and saying that I thought political signs weren't allowed on public land. I then wrote to one of my local TV stations, because they have a feature called "Good Question of the Day," where people write in about various topics concerning the area. I thought it was a legitimate question.

Much to my surprise, I heard very quickly back from the LaPorte office of INDOT:

Thank you for contacting the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). We appreciate you taking the time to contact us. Below is the press release that was sent on September 21, 2010 regarding Political Signs on INDOT right-of-way. Please feel free to contact the Plymouth Sub-District and they will investigate and remove the signs should they be on state right-of-way.

Again, thank you for contacting INDOT.

And here is the text of the press release that they included:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2010

Political Signs Removed From State And Federal Rights-Of-Way

Signs Will Be Taken To Nearest INDOT Subdistrict Office

LAPORTE, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) reminds all Hoosiers that campaign signs are prohibited from federal and state highway rights-of-way by Indiana Code 9-21-4-6. INDOT personnel are required by state law to remove all unauthorized signs within the state right-of-way. The right-of-way areas which must remain “sign free” for the safety of the motoring public include:

· All interstates and their interchanges;

· All intersections where at least one local, state or federal road intersects with a state or federal highway; and

· All rights-of-way paralleling federal or state highways (the right-of-way extends to the back of the ditch, to the fence line or up to utility poles). INDOT crews will not pull signs placed behind the ditch, fence line or beyond the public utility poles.

Removed signs will be saved at the nearest INDOT Subdistrict office. Candidates may reclaim signs between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for holidays.

As you can imagine, when I saw that, I pretty much crowed. I knew that couldn't be right! The broad at the Plymouth office had the nerve to tell me that it was okay! I honestly wonder if she said that because of whose signs they were? Was she a Walorski supporter? I have no way of knowing, but she definitely gave me false information.

I wondered if I should contact the Plymouth office again, or just wait to see what WSBT did. I couldn't contain myself, and I called the office. Here is that conversation:

Me: Hi, I called this office earlier about some political signs I saw along US 31, and--

Him: Yes ma'am, we checked them out and they've already been removed.

Me: Really? You're telling me they've been removed already?

Him: Yes, ma'am.

Ohhh, how sweet it is!

Someone asked if the signs were those of a candidate I don't like. I said that I don't just dislike Jackie Walorski, I loathe her. (I've written about her before.) If it had been signs from Donnelly, would I have called about them? No, I would not have. That's up to those who oppose him. I don't like Walorski, her supporters were wrong to put signs up on public land, and I got 'em removed. End o' story.

Check it out—I’m putting up a sign for Donnelly on my own blog. Because I can, and because I’m not putting it up on public land. That’s how it works.

Even beyond getting the signs removed, what I'm happiest about is that I didn't accept that stupid bitch's "Yes, it's okay" as the truth. I was almost certain that she was lying to me, or at least just trying to get rid of a call that she didn't want to take (and possibly trying to keep the signs up for someone she supports). Don't accept such an explanation if you are pretty sure that it's bullshit. Don't let some low-level bureaucrat brush you off with a glib remark, when you know it's not right. Don't let them get away with it.

Question authority.

An unwelcome solicitation

I’ve made it quite clear that I am no supporter of Jackie Walorski (that’s her over there… gahhhh!), the Republican nominee for my Congressional district seat. I couldn’t stand her when she was a state legislator, and I dislike her even more now that she is running against my Congressman, Joe Donnelly. I would like Joe to be a little more liberal, but all in all, he’s a good guy who his working hard for his constituents. He has helped bring jobs to our area, and has done plenty to help Indiana’s veterans.

Walorski, on the other hand, is all about bombast and talking points. She is antagonistic rather than problem-solving, and during the primaries, spewed nonsense about how she, personally, was going to make sure that Nancy Pelosi was sent home to California. One of her opponents dryly (and correctly) pointed out that only the people in Speaker Pelosi’s district can do that. Walorski is playing to the teabaggers, trying to build upon their irrational fears of government takeover and the “loss of their country and their freedoms,” although they can’t quite seem to articulate just how that is taking place.

In short, I am against everything she stands for. I abhor her personality and tactics and do not subscribe to her religion (she’s very vocal about that, too). So it was quite a surprise to find a letter from the Walorski campaign in the mailbox yesterday. She was asking for support and money. Talk about barking up the wrong tree! The contents of that letter don’t really matter. It was the usual talking points blather about vague fears and big spending and blahbitty blah blah. I did not react well (in fact, I was quite offended to have my mailbox sullied with her name), and I wrote this letter, which I will enclose when I return the pledge form with big fat zeros all over it. That will be worth the price of a stamp. Walorski needs to get the fuck out of my face, and if her campaign ever calls here, they’re in for an earful.

To the Walorski Campaign:

I received your mailing dated July 16th, a letter opening with the line “The liberals just don’t get it!”

As one of those liberals, I can tell you that I do get it. I get that you’re a reactionary fundamentalist who would have everyone believe exactly as you do. I haven’t forgotten that you attempted (and failed) to shut down the entire state’s Planned Parenthood clinics because of the transgressions of one clinic.

I do not support your agenda; I believe it is the same ludicrous behavior that got us into trouble under eight years of President Bush. I am a proud supporter of President Obama, I believe that the richest among us should be taxed more, and I am certainly willing to pay a little more in taxes in order to benefit my fellow human beings who are less well off. I am also a proud supporter of Congressman Donnelly, including his vote for health care reform, and will be doing what I can in order to help him get re-elected—and to defeat you and your corporate ideals.

Great job on the endorsements from National Right to Life (I support a woman’s right to choose), Gun Owners of America (I support gun ownership, but feel that our regulations are far too lax...when someone can buy a gun at a garage sale, we’ve got a major problem), Mitt Romney (a belief in magic underwear sort of spoils a candidate’s rationality in my book), and Mike Huckabee (a rejection of evolution makes me question a candidate’s intelligence). None of these endorsements make me want to support you. Quite the opposite.

In your letter, you mention the liberals’ “liberty-robbing policies.” I am really curious as to what you mean by that. Which liberties have been taken away from you by any “liberal” policies? I would love a reply detailing the liberties of which you have been robbed.

Congressman Donnelly is listening to me. I have sent him several emails, and he has responded to all my concerns. I have found him to be incredibly responsive and a member of Congress who represents me quite well. On the other hand, I sent you an email some time ago to ask you to stop your attack on Planned Parenthood in Indiana; you responded that you had forwarded my email to my representative, Joe Niezgodski. Interestingly enough, Mr. Niezgodski’s office checked and they never received any forwarded email. I have no reason to trust you as my Congresswoman.

I suggest that you save your precious campaign funds and not send any further solicitations to my address. I will not be contributing one cent to your campaign. One “red” cent, I could say. However, I would be quite interested to get an answer to my question about exactly which freedoms have been taken away from you. It’s easy to spew talking points; quite another to say something of substance. I’m still waiting to hear anything of substance from you.

The day the circus came to town

Fasten your seatbelts, batten your hatches, and hide the whiskey, Nashville...the Tea Party convention is paying a visit to your city! You lucky devils!

Maybe that's a poor choice of words.

Yes, the first somewhat-organized Tea Party convention is taking place in Nashville today through Saturday. I'm sure most of you have read about the problems they've been having. It seems that there is a lot of infighting among the various groups, there is paranoia about a takeover by the "mainstream" RNC, there are questions about who will profit from this, there is irritation at the price of admission ($549...a little out of reach for your average Joe the Plumber kind of douchebag, and why didn't they just round it up to $550?), and there were enough concerns from the Ethics Committee that Representatives Michelle Bachmann and Marsha Blackburn pulled out. A frustrated Tea Party convention had no comment. I never tire of that joke!

Oddly enough, despite being known for her extreme quittitude, Governor Sarah Palin is sticking with them. Yeah, she screwed Alaska over by quitting a year and a half before her term was up so that she could cash in, but by golly, she's sticking with those fine patriots at the Tea Party convention! What loyalty! What fortitude! What complete and utter bobbleheaded cluelessness!

Ahh, you know, I guess I can't really fault her. She's getting $100,000+ for her speaking fee, although she says she won't profit from it, and instead will funnel it back into other fellow patriots' campaigns...or her PAC, whichever comes first. Hey, people, there are plenty of copies of Going Rouge Rogue left that SarahPAC needs to snatch up. Those things don't come free, you know!

I can't say that I'm surprised at the lack of cohesion that we're seeing with this convention. The whole thing strikes me as angry people who aren't quite sure what they're angry about. (Not all...I've read stuff from some who lay out quite clearly what they're angry about. Some of the information is probably legitimate, but the majority I've seen is simply not true or highly misinterpreted and misrepresented.) Whenever I see these teabaggers interviewed, most can't quite seem to articulate what exactly it is that has them so pissed off. They talk about their Constitutional freedoms being violated (yet they thought the Patriot Act was just fine and dandy), they talk about their guns being taken away (despite the fact that President Obama recently got an F from the Brady Commission when it comes to his efforts at gun control), and they talk about how they "want their country back." I'm not sure from whom...the government? The godless commies? The people who look...different? The people who worship different? The people who don't worship at all and believe that religion has no place whatsoever in our political landscape? The Canadians streaming across our border? (Okay, I just made up that last one. That's not really happening. Maybe we should ask ourselves why.)

Who knows? I just know that I'm looking forward to some fun with this convention. I'm sure there will be plenty of amazing and amusing revelations. I'm sorry that Bachmann won't be there...that's always some great theater there. Theater of the absurd.

Speaking of absurd, I've recently mentioned Jackie Walorski (the renowned fashion maven—lookin’ good, Jackie!), who is running against my Congressman Joe Donnelly in the 2010 election. I've made no bones about the fact that I find the woman repugnant. (She wanted to shut down all Planned Parenthood clinics in the state of Indiana because of ethics violations at one clinic. The woman is a menace to my state.) Well, my friend Dan (this would be Milwaukee Dan #1, who I met in college) had joined her Facebook page in order to read and comment on her stuff and on the posts from her followers. He found out today that he had been "defriended" from the page, because of his dissenting voice.

Now, I've known Dan (AKA Guido!) for going on 30 years, and I can guarantee you that he was not antagonistic—that’s just not his style. In fact, he wrote, "And for the record, my comments were almost always civil and respectful and usually cast as questions. How harsh could I be while asking a question? I do think some of the regulars at her site considered my comments often to be a buzz kill on their Ra-Ra love fest." I know that he was merely asking legitimate questions, raising concerns, and offering a differing opinion, and I'm sure he backed most of them up with facts. He's a journalist, after all.

I find this very telling. I believe that there is no reasonable discourse to be had with teabaggers. They don't want to listen. They're just pissed off. They believe they're Taxed Enough Already (And cleverly incorporated that acronym into their name...get it? TEA party. Oh, that is good!), and don't want one red cent of their money going towards anyone else's health care, or programs for underprivileged kids, or for food stamps that will help put food on the table for people who have lost their jobs. They see taxation as "spreading the wealth around," which they then equate with socialism. Open your eyes, people. The roads you drive on, the library from which you borrow your books, your Social Security, your Medicare, your military, the aid you get from Washington when your town is hit by a devastating tornado, the funds you get when you've lost your job and can't find another one...these are all government programs that keep our country running. We all pay taxes as part of the greater good. Are there problems and abuses? Of course. There will always be those who find a way to scam the system. That doesn't mean that we should discontinue them. We can look for inefficiencies and try to limit them, but as citizens, we pay taxes in order to keep our country operating.

But I find it interesting that the teabaggers will gladly accept all of these government programs and more, only to draw the line at "others" getting a piece of the action. When the teabaggers get it, they've earned it; when we try to help others who are less fortunate, they see it as "entitlement." They will be the first to complain about all the money that we're spending on social programs or foreign aid. I highly recommend you take a look at this fascinating graphic from the New York Times concerning the proposed budget, which shows what we spend our money on. It might surprise you.

I have more to say (imagine that!), but it's getting late and this is long enough. I get very discouraged at times, I really do. This seems like a good time to repost this video.