Well isn't this cute. Listen to what Rush Limbaugh had to say on his show today about the Governor's announced cuts in his budget address:
"Ladies and Gentleman, is it wrong to love another man? Because I love Chris Christie!"
Now that they've realized their feelings, maybe they'll help us fight for Marriage Equality. Especially since they're so passionate about cutting everything else.
Limbaugh got his daily health care diatribe going by airing a sound clip of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) on the Senate floor last night calling for people to "turn off" Rush Limbaugh and leave politics "in the cloakroom." Rush derided Menendez, calling him a "buffoon" and declared that ideology was the only way to beat the bill.
Here is the segment from Rush's show. First he played the Senator's comments and then made the statement:Well of course Rush is in charge of issuing the buffoon membership cards. I'm sure the Senator won't be able to sleep tonight knowing how Rush feels about him.
Not too long ago, there was a conversation between some of us political bloggers; it went on across the country and across state lines. We talked about this: How long do you think it will be before somebody on the right takes Ted Kennedy's memorial service, and what will inevitably be said there, and trashes it like they did Paul Wellstone's?
That struck me. I count two things as the engines behind everything I'm doing in politics right now. Howard Dean's What I want to know ...speech. And the massive arena celebration of the lives of Paul & Sheila Wellstone. Sen. Wellstone was not perfect; he was not angelic. But what he was, was brave. An ordinary, everyday guy with a Minnesota Senate seat.
Ted Kennedy was a very different guy. Tried most of his life to connect with the ordinary. And you bet there's going to be an effort to remind grieving congressional Democrats that health care was the cause of Kennedy's life. They'd better damn well pass it. And there's no way the right will not challenge that.
The answer to that question - How long? - is now. Today, Rush Limbaugh ridiculed Wellstone's memorial, that arena brimming with people who knew early that change was coming, and there was work to be done. Forward-thinkers, progressives, and fearless local organizers. There was more loss, and backlash, before there was winning. But that memorial - those people, those speeches - meant everything to me. And I can't just sit and listen to what was just said on the radio, without saying this:
Paul Wellstone didn't die. Not like they wanted him to.
In today's column in the Star-Ledger conservative columnist Paul Mulshine took some real hard shots at the big guy. He criticizes Rush, and other wingnut blowhards, for taking noncash payola in the form of gifts and free services from advertisers on their show. He cites Rush in particular as using his program to shill for General Motors in 2007 as an example of what he referred to as a "classic American car company doing it all".
He goes on to compare Rush with the world's oldest profession, "Limbaugh may be a hooker with a heart of gold. But he's still a hooker. And that is the category into which all of these radio talkers rightly belong. Limbaugh loves to deride honest journalists as members of the "drive-by media," but he's part of what I like to call "the streetwalker media."
It seems Mulshine isn't the only conservative writer distancing himself from rightist gasbags like Rush. Other writers and pundits are piling on as well. Some of it may be resentment at Rush's financial success and some of it may be genuine disagreement. Whatever the motives the Taliban wing of the GOP seems to be imploding within itself in a frenzy of backstabbing and an orgy of anklebiting.
Rush Limbaugh has openly called for Barack Obama fail (and Scott Garrett has not condemned Limbaugh's un-American attempts to sabotage America's economy). Evidently Garrett and Limbaugh want America to fail and to fall into an economic pit.
Why?
Because Rush Limbaugh and Scott Garrett are themselves corrupt creatures of a brand of toxic ideologically radical partisanship that puts its own power/agenda first, and damn the price that the American people will have to pay for their "victory".
Limbaugh and Garrett are turds of a feather who lie together!
It's time for progressives to take off the gloves and call out these people for being the primary cause of our current economic mess.
To believe Garrett and Limbaugh you have to believe that the world was created by Barack Obama on the day he took the oath of office. If that were true; then they could legitimately blame him for the status quo....but that's how far one would have to reach to actually believe their lies.
The truth is that Obama is stuck having to clean up the mess that the Limbaugh Republicans have left us.
Limbaugh said, ?I disagree fervently with the people on our [Republican] side of the aisle who have caved and who say, ?Well, I hope he succeeds.??
Limbaugh told his listeners that he was asked by a major American print publication? to offer a 400-word statement explaining his hope for the Obama presidency. He responded:
So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.
Every Republican in New Jersey must be called to account for Limbaugh's anti-American hateful remarks.
It's not enough for them to say, superficially, "I want Obama to succeed"......at this point they all need to openlycondemn Rush Limabugh's destructive toxic "hope".
Limbaugh's ugliness occupies the place where the Republican parties "heart and sould" should be.
Scott Garrett, as the most radical Republican in our congressional delegation, must be held to special account for Limbaugh's negativity.
So, Scott Garrett, come out and condemn Rush Limbaugh......or be prepared to wear him around your neck, like the Albatross he is, for the rest of your short political career.
PS
Looks like we're in for some big snow later tonight....so let's all go out and do our shopping and go to this afternoon's Town Hall meeting in Demarest while we're on the road. See ya later!!!
Here's Pallone's speech blasting Rush Limbaugh for calling military personnel who question the war "phony soldiers."
Rep. Frank Pallone: "Yesterday Limbaugh called service members who support a withdrawal from Iraq 'phony soldiers.' Is Limbaugh serious? Is a soldier who is honorably serving our naiton in Iraq any less a soldier if he questions what appears to be a never ending war? Last month seven soldiers from the US Army 82nd Airborne Division wrote an op-ed in The New York Times questioning our continued war efforts, but also stating, and I quote, 'we need not talk about our morale, as committed soldiers weeks will see this mission through.' Now since publication of that op-ed, two of the soldiers have died. As this op-ed showed, soldiers may question the war, but it does not mean that they're any less committed to their mission, and now I wonder if Republicans who showed so much outrage towards MoveOn.org yesterday will hold Rush Limbaugh to the same standard - and I wouldn't hold your breath."
So far not one of our Republican members of Congress have condemned Rush Limbaugh for his slander against our troops, yet all of them voted to condemn MoveOn.org.
Give them a call and ask when they are going to condemn Rush Limbaugh.
Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (R-2) : 202-225-6572
Representative Jim Saxton (R-3) : 202-225-4765
Representative Christopher H. Smith (R-4) : 202-225-3765
Representative E. Scott Garrett (R-5) : 202-225-4465
Representative Mike Ferguson (R-7) : 202-225-5361
Representative Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R-11) : 202-225-5034
And, while you're at it, give WABC-AM a call and ask them how they can keep Limbaugh on the air after a comment slandering our active duty, in combat troops?
Earlier today Republican hero and recovering drug addict Rush Limbaugh slandered thousands of American soldiers who are risking their lives overseas as "phony soldiers." Why? Solely because they question the rationale for the Iraq War.
Last week Republicans and a few cowardly Democrats -- including New Jersey's own Congressmen Andrews, Pascrell, Rothman, and Sires -- voted to condemn a newspaper ad from MoveOn.org that questioned the bonafides of a single soldier, Iraq theater commander General Petraeus, for twisting facts in support of the President's war. [Reward the NJ Dems who voted against the resolution on our ActBlue Standing Up page]
Today Frank Pallone -- who voted against that idiotic MoveOn resolution -- took to the Congressional floor to call Limbaugh out for his chicken hawk attack on people risking their lives daily at the command of our President, and then he turned on his Republican colleagues and asked if they were going to condemn Limbaugh the way they condemned MoveOn. But he already new the answer.
He said, "Don't hold your breath" and walked from the lectern.
One thing to remember is that the Democrats control both the House and the Senate, and they get to decide what resolutions come to the floor for a vote.
For some reason the Democratic leadership allowed the MoveOn resolution to move forward, and now they have a chance to be equally tough on a right wing blowhard who insulted not just one military soldier but thousands. They have a chance to undo the damage done with the idiotic MoveOn resolution and make the Republicans condemn Limbaugh or show themselves for the hypocrites they are. But will the Democratic leadership do that?
Unfortunately, I think that Pallone may have answered that questions, too.
Not too long ago, in response to the Sudanese government's genocidal policies, Assemblyman Bill Payne shepherded a bill through the Statehouse that would prohibit the state of New Jersey from investing in Sudan.
In doing so the Garden State joined Illinois as the only state in the land to put its money were its mouth is when it comes to the extermination of an entire race.
The move to divest was largely hailed as an important symbolic move. In fact, the House of Representatives commended New Jersey and Illinois for their leadership on this issue . Likewise, all over the country, men and women of conscience were pleased to see someone finally doing.... something. After all, genocide is forever and already the number of dead and displaced is too high to count.
You'd think with something as serious as mass extermination , most people would be sympathetic to the cause. But you'd be wrong.
From a recent Rush Limbaugh show:
Democrats "want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur," Limbaugh said.
He continued: "There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur? It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble."
Now it's possible that it was the OxyContin doing the talking, but still.....
Limbaugh fans notwithstanding, I suspect anyone troubled about the plight of Darfur is probably concerned that hundreds of thousands of people are dying. Black, white, or polka dotted, it wouldn't matter much. Am I right?
Now it's worth pointing out that Assemblyman Payne's leadership on the issue of genocide in Darfur is a family affair. His brother, Congressman Donald Payne chairs the Africa and sub committee in Washington and has made Darfur a huge personal priority.
Unfortunately the lack of leadership in the Whitehouse (and State Department) have limited the American response to hollow gestures for the most part. (In fact in a Dec 'o6 interview with Blue Jersey Congressman Payne remarked that the United States finds itself currently in a pickle where our purported human rights values are in direct conflict with our post-9/11 "intelligence" objectives.)
It's for these reasons that New Jersey and Illinois' brave position on Darfur (and genocide on general) is so unique and noteworthy.
Now what?
First of all, regarding Limbaugh, click over to Media Matters and add your name to the growing list of folks demanding an for this latest race-based rant. It might not seem like it would make much difference, but here at Blue Jersey we have a proud tradition of rising up to challenge hate speech on the airwaves. Imus? Jersey Guys? Hello!
After that, call your representatives in Trenton. Very, very few places have laws on the books that specifically address the situation in Darfur. New Jersey is one of them. This issue was very much a bi-partisam one so keep this issue on Trenton's radar!
Finally, call Congressman Donald Payne. He's chairman of the House Africa and Human Rights Subcommittee, thus represents all New Jerseyans in that capacity. Again, remind him how much genocide matters to you.
And when you're done with all that, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. I've no doubt that you have something to say about genocide or Rush Limbaugh (or both), so by all means fire away.
"Gay marriage -- it threatens the family just like drugs and gangs," said the Rev. Gloria Harris, whose Beth El Church is in a tough Newark neighborhood.
Right. Drugs and gangs couldn't do it, but marriage equality will be the straw that breaks Newark. I always thought making a statement like this would get you booted from the gene pool. Do newspapers have lower standards? Someone remind me why the press takes these people seriously.
Some people assume that Newark's problems began during the riots of 1967. It's not really true. Things were pretty bad as early as the 1910s. Lots of organized crime, rat infestations and rampant cholera. Still, people learned to cope and somehow survived. But then in 1920 their worst nightmares came true when women won the right to vote. It was like being hit by an organized choleric pack of rats, and since then, Newark has struggled to recover.
Assemblyman Neil Cohen responds to Rush Limbaugh's remarks that Michael J Fox was exagerrating his symptoms in the TV ads he made for some Senate candidates:
"Considering Mr. Limbaugh's unlawfully obtained controlled dangerous substances on a rather large scale, perhaps the cure for his self-admitted addiction can be found in stem-cell research. Since Mr. Limbaugh also was stopped attempting to board an airplane while possessing un-prescribed Viagra, he should understand that stem-cell research can cure 'his little problem' on that issue."
"Equal rights? I want the equal wording too," Toby-Heath said. "You can turn the tables around on somebody and say, 'Why don't you do it then? Why don't you become civil unionized?'"
(We're doing this simply as a public service. It may cause your eyes to bleed or burn, but the pain is temporary and should distract you from the budget mess for at least a few minutes. - promoted by jmelli)
Is this whole state shutdown just pissing you off to no end? Don't you want to gamble, stand in line at the DMV and watch busloads of New Yorkers invade your favorite state park as you seek some peace & quiet? Blue Jersey readers deserve a diversion.
To that end, I give you...
For the record, that's Rush Limbaugh planting a kiss on "24" actress Mary Lynn Rajskub.
