Alex Pareene rips Matthew Vadum to shreds for his vile attempt to justify voter suppression of poor and minorities, but part of me thinks Vadum has done us all a favor. I mean, when wingnuts come straight out and admit the reason they are going after ACORN and minorities is because they might vote Democratic, it makes life a lot easier. We don’t have to do anything to prove someone is a racist asshole if they are willing to walk around town in a Klan robe. Thanks, Matt!
In other teahadist news, we’re back to making Kenyan jokes publicly:
If the conservative media is looking for the civility they demand after Jim Hoffa’s much publicized comments, tea party activist Tony Katz may not be the place to look.
Appearing on MSNBC Tuesday afternoon, Katz had a heated discussion with both anchor Craig Melvin and Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. And in the midst of their reaction to Hoffa’s Labor Day statements, Katz certainly wasn’t afraid to make his own controversial statement.
“Democrats don’t like President Obama, they are trying to embarrass him,” he said. “I didn’t know that Obama was actually a Kenyan term for Rodney Dangerfield. They give him no respect.”
And finally, Koch spokesmen deny that Koch was comparing Obama to Saddam Hussein, but merely quoting him. Because that makes sense!
I think we can all agree that ABL and others are too sensitive about racism and need to just get over it.
Jennifer
I went over to Vadum’s blog and trolled that post with a couple of comments; he deleted the one where I attested to having volunteered with ACORN to register voters and drive people to the polls, perhaps because I ridiculed him for having stained his underwear at the thought of the little old ladies with walkers who I drove to the polls “thuggishly” coming after him. Or perhaps not. Maybe he just worried that any contact with anyone who had actually worked with ACORN might undercut his nonsense about the group being the greatest satanic force this nation has ever dealt with, or maybe it was because I noted that I worked with them even though I’m not poor or black. Or it might have been because I pointed out to him that he seemingly needed a refresher course on the constitution, which specifically guarantees the right of free association.
In any case, he’s a good example of ugly going all the way to the bone.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Only if you are tight, white and Right. Otherwise it’s business as usual.
Samara Morgan
Voter suppression or no, can the GOP win a presidential election without the cities?
can they actually do enough voter suppression to negate the majority minority in urban centers?
Guardiano says no.
KRK
Aaaaannnnndddd we’re off….
Makewi
Opposition to using tax payer funds to exclusively benefit one party is racist!
trollhattan
Yup, Saddam’s my go-to guy for political aphorisms. And you know who else gave good soundbites…
geg6
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Agreed. And my glaring whiteness agrees, too.
Just remember, every Democrat would be talked about like this. Every one. It’s no different than calling Clinton “Bubba.” Hell, Tupac once said “ni****” in a rap song, so why can’t I? Huh? Huh?
Nutella
Well, you know how those people are…
/snark
Phylllis
Sorta OT, but Craig Melvin is a homegrown star from these parts. He grew up in Columbia, SC and got his start on the monster NBC affiliate there, WIS. He’s a very good journalist; I can only imagine how horrified he was at Katz’ remarks.
Culture of Truth
Rasist Katz: I noe kan haz blak presnit?
Chad
No no@Makewi: it’s only classist and racist when you imply that registering poor people and minorities is akin to giving thieves the tools to gain their ill-gotten lucre.
The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik
The only problem left is actually explaining why that’s a bad thing now to folks who are convinced that White People are the real victims of racism. Somehow, those folks have pretty much taken over the political atmosphere these days.
cat48
Hoffa was right about the Republiclowns. We need to take them out at the Ballot Box.
Martin
Hmm. I’m trying to decide if Koch Industries and the rest of the Coalition of Right Wing Corporate Forces spending $2T to depose Obama is worth it. I mean, I’ll miss Obama and all, but sucking $2T out of wingnut coffers might be the greater victory. I’m conflicted…
MonkeyBoy
Dan Patrick of the Texas Senate – a fundamentalist supporter of Perry – thinks symbolic bloody anal rape of his political enemies is good fun at his birthday party.
Why are the right-wing religious so into anal sex?
Makewi
@Culture of Truth:
A black POTUS and black GOP Federal legislators is proof that racism is on the rise. Don’t try to understand it, just embrace it – repeat it like a soothing mantra.
Akadad
I’m glad Obama was elected, but I don’t think America was ready for a President born in Kenya.
Makewi
@MonkeyBoy:
I love it that you look at that picture and think “Bloody Anal Rape”. Others, perhaps more familiar with that fairly widely known marker, might have shall we say less asinine comments regarding it.
Jay B.
To the fainting couch!
It’s a dumb joke, but it’s not like Obama isn’t a Kenyan name, right? Or is there some restriction about bringing up his heritage now? If we’re playing the race card, this is like having a queen-high.
I think Vadum is straight out racist. The entire campaign against ACORN was racist. I think there’s a lot of racism out there — shirts with Obama-as-a-monkey, that kind of thing. I think making fun of a weird name falls WAY (by tying it into Rodney Dangerfield’s signature line) short of the real and egregious forms of racism that happen every day.
But whatever.
You should ban that guy.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Two trillion dollars will certainly stimulate the political hack industry Martin so the Koch brothers maybe on to something.
NobodySpecial
@MonkeyBoy:
Because too many blowjobs lead to lockjaw.
Hunter Gathers
@Makewi: I’m sure that all opposition to Allen West is due to liberal racism, and not the fact that he’s a raving loon who should have been fragged by his own men. Nothing at all, I’m sure of it. Also, too, he’s the new Harriet Tubman.
nellcote
Once again, how is it helpful to be giving the goopers this kind of amunition?
Lolis
Can we cut out all the sexual methaphors too? Many of them are homophobic in origin. Maybe you don’t intend them that way, but that is how they come across to some. Language matters.
Jennifer
BTW, if you, too, would like to troll Vadum’s blog post on the necessity of voter disenfranchisement, you can do so here.
taylormattd
John, I love you (except, of course, when you piss me the eff off – then I hate you).
taylormattd
@Jay B.: Qweshion PUMA is just asking queshions.
You know, you’d do well at Larry Johnson’s little shop of (BLACK KENYAN WHITEY WHITEY WHITEY) horrors.
greennotGreen
I followed the Politico link to the speech Charles Koch gave, and I have trouble hearing it as anything other than his equating Obama and Saddam. Here’s the transcript from The Brad Blog:
It’s possible that there’s an “as” in there before “Saddam” – it’s also possible he stumbled a little with the “S” in “Saddam.” But I do not hear a “said.” I don’t hear, “we have, as Saddam Hussein said…” And who leaves the verb out of their subordinate clause?
David Hunt
@Martin:
Don’t be conflicted, Martin. That money is an investment. If they’re willing to spend that much money to get rid of Obama, it’s because they think that his replacement will be so friendly to them, that they’ll make back at least $2 Trillion. The likely sources deregulation that let’s them screw over their employees and, of course, expand the massive externalities that is the corporate bread and butter (things like polution) that lets them export loads of their operating costs to the community at large.
Alex S.
@Makewi:
Heh, I like your binary thinking. It makes sure that, in the long run, the GOP will get 0% of the vote of many segments of the population.
Admiral_Komack
@taylormattd:
I’m waiting for the tape.
The Populist
@Samara Morgan: Arizona is suing the feds over the Voting Rights Act. This is not good and is bad if the crazies in the judiciary agree.
The Populist
@greennotGreen:
Funny how it’s okay for the idiots to say the meanest shit about Obama yet when Jimmy Hoffa calls for people to get to the voting booth, it causes a major ruckus with the tard right wing villagers.
The Populist
@Akadad:
Troll = rat. Time for the exterminator.
scav
I rather love it that in Makewii’s world, the soothing mantra goes along the lines of if Capt Jack can kiss a dude on da TVbox, then Matthew Shepard must be live and well and if there are any AAs at all in the south, it must be proof positive that there’s no racism whatsofukingever down there.
taylormattd
@Admiral_Komack: It’s on its way, it’ll be here any day, I swear! Larry told me!
DFS
Writing that shit was the smartest thing Matthew Vadum ever did. Got him linked like crazy and now every liberal blog on the map is going to be watching his stuff like a hawk to see what he says next.
The only trouble is that he’ll soon reach the asymptotic end of the lunacy inflation curve.
The Populist
@Hunter Gathers:
The hatred of Allen West is due to the fact he won’t talk to his constituents, he hates anybody who disagrees with him and he has no honor. This isn’t race. The freak was thrown out of the military for unbecoming conduct if I am not wrong.
Sorry, righties, Allen West is a freak. He has nothing to offer nor does he believe in freedom or debate.
I was not happy with Charles Rangel’s tax nonsense, I was not too thrilled with Rep. Jefferson’s stash of illegal cash in the freezer but I was critical of them.
Oops, the rightie trolls show they can’t lump people into a group. Unlike their system of beliefs, we progressive thinkers tend to be able to see good vs. bad, even in our own party. The right are sheep, too busy dittoing the likes of West when it’s clear he’s crazy as a loon.
Swishalicious
A Tea Partier explicitly stating his desire to curtail all methods of registering Democratic voting constituencies, primarily young and minority voters…
Another Tea Partier making a racist “joke” (typically, jokes are funny, so I use quotes here) about the President…
These things are very similar to ABL being a poor quality blogger whose sole purpose, it seems, is to inflame the holy hell out of this place whenever possible. I am glad that Cole has time to troll the front page!
Akadad
@The Populist:
Or, you could get a sense of humor.
The Populist
@NobodySpecial:
Well, having a stick up your ass 24/7 telling others how to live their lives while living a lie must be why these people are so angry.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Jay B.:
So you think the joke was made because Obama’s NAME is Kenyan? I believe this is what John was talking about in one of his earlier posts.
redshirt
I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere, but now that Maine has a Teabaggin’ governor, I think the Teabagger special forces are trying out some new moves in the small state.
They are actively trying to roll back same day voter registrations, since, you know, FRAUD. And those poor overworked clerks.
And we just had two incidents where one of James O’Keefe’s posse did the hidden camera trick as the tried to prove Maine Welfare services is filled with… FRAUD.
“Fraud”. So much fraud to stop for these Righteous Crusaders of the Right.
Martin
@David Hunt:
Well, if we draw strict parallels to Gulf II, I think the law of unintended consequences ruled pretty much every part of the result. No way we’re getting our $2T back from Iraq, after all.
But as EVT noted, I’m not sure I could go on with $2T in wingnut welfare dumped into the economy. No question the end result of that would be crops dying from agricultural Brawndo subsidies.
singfoom
@nellcote: I’m confused. That Tea Party guy is the source of that quote. So a Tea Party person says Democrats don’t like Obama.
So who is giving the goopers the ammunition of do you speak?
Akadad
@Martin:
I disagree, because Brawndo has electrolytes.
AA+ Bonds
Could a kind FPer please post this link for Jim Hoffa’s entire unedited remarks on the front page?
It just came up on the Teamsters Facebook feed, it’s a great speech for the Democrats to learn how to talk to people, and also I think some Republicans were talking about it or something?
Later:
trollhattan
O/T Five of nine shot in Carson City were National Guard, two men and one woman Guard members are dead, as is the shooter (self-inflicted in his case). Dreadful.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/06/3888213/report-several-shot-at-nevada.html
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Swishalicious: John forgot the sarcasm tag on the last line.
Culture of Truth
@Makewi: You said, I never did. Just keep making stuff up, I’m sure it’s soothing for you.
geg6
Shorter Jay B.:
I’m so white I must be an albino. Because my eyesight is too poor to see how my privilege is showing.
Tuck it away, dude. You’re only embarrassing yourself.
Culture of Truth
However, while inappropriate, I actually agree that this falls short of real racism; I should have gone with my first instinct and made another “Katz” joke
TooManyJens
@Jay B.: Why do you think they bring up his heritage so much?
Litlebritdifrnt
OT sort of (and apologies if this has been mentioned) but Romney is out there out and out lying about the President’s record.
http://twitpic.com/6h1xoz
Attributing GWB 8million jobs loss from 2007 through 2009 to Obama.
Jennifer
@singfoom: Like they wouldn’t just MAKE UP some Democrats who don’t like Obama if they didn’t exist?
Martin
@Litlebritdifrnt: The mere prospect of a black man shitting in the White House scared 8 million people out of their jobs.
Maude
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Of course he is. He is doing the typical deregulation, drill oil, tax cuts, slap China, as the AP headline said.
@trollhattan:
We do have too many guns in this country. I don’t usually say that, but the fear mongering of the wingers about the 2nd amendment is obscene.
cleek
@Litlebritdifrnt:
well sure. why not? there’s no penalty for it. might as well.
Jay B.
You guys are as predictable as the tides.
OK, you tell me: How was he making fun of Obama? How was the guy using his race against him? What was the dog whistle here?
It was a stupid joke. There is racism every fucking day. You choose to get all bent out of shape because a tea party guy says that his name means “no respect from Democrats”?
It’s cool. If this is the hill you guys want to die on, I’m sure “the country is racist against my president because they make fun of his name” will be the winner for the campaign.
cleek
@Jay B.:
it works like this:
once you’ve gained a reputation for making obviously racist statements, you no longer get the benefit of the doubt on things that aren’t quite as obvious.
don’t like it? well, maybe ya shoulda thought twice back when it was all “bone in the nose” jokes and witch doctor signs.
MagicPanda
Just to tie this into earlier conversations about messaging…
The right wing has a successful meme to vilify the poor, which is that “half of America doesn’t pay income tax.”
Never mind that it’s factually inaccurate, etc. It’s a statement that is designed to make people mad at poor people and want to take things away from them. In earlier decades, it was young bucks or welfare queens.
What is the left wing meme to counter this kind of thinking? It should be something simple that will give people a gut-level understanding of the economic situation as we see it?
Here’s are some (terrible) attempts (I am not a writer):
“Billionaires already pay less in taxes than you or I do, and they’re still not creating jobs, at least in the US.”
“Cutting budgets sounds good on TV, but that just means that teachers and firemen get laid off, which is going to turn this recession into a depression.”
Imagine talking to your GOP relatives over Thanksgiving dinner. What would you say to them in a single sentence that would get them to nod their heads in agreement?
cleek
@Jay B.:
(i’m assuming, obviously that you’re a teabagger. apologies, if you aren’t. sometimes it’s hard to keep track of who’s who around here.)
cleek
@MagicPanda:
i always like:
half the people in the country earn less than $30K/yr. how much money do you think you’re going to get out of them?
licensed to kill time
.
Unleash the Flying FreedumbFriers of Fraud!
FlipYrWhig
@Jay B.: Are you the same Jay B. who posts at alicublog and World O’Crap?
FlipYrWhig
@cleek: No, not a teabagger. A frustrated left-of-liberal guy.
cleek
@Jay B.:
shit. now i see you’re not teabagger at all.
apologies again.
maybe it’s time to quit the internet!
Jay B.
@cleek:
I’m not actually a teabagger. I am someone who thinks the President has latched on to a loser of a centrist platform and is holding on for all it’s worth. I also think the excuses being made for him are embarrassing. I also condemn Stalin, Jane Hamsher’s use of blackface and Obama-with-a-bone-through-his nose placards.
I think that bitching about racism in something that’s not obviously racist (sure, maybe if you squint and want to assume the worst, you could tease out something out-of-context) makes it even harder to properly identify actual racism which is still a gigantic problem in this country.
But your milage may vary.
Makewi
@Hunter Gathers:
Nah. Harriet Tubman was a chick.
Laertes
I’m with Jay B. I just don’t hear the hate in that joke. It’s a joke that I could picture one of Obama’s friends making, if the friend wasn’t very funny.
The Bobs
How stupid do you have to be to (in effect) give money to billionaires?
Samara Morgan
@MonkeyBoy:
because you can cheat Jeebus by giving up your “behynmen” and still save your hymen for the marriage bed.
Ruckus
@The Bobs:
SATSQ, pretty fucking stupid. Even if they are only millionaires, still pretty fucking stupid.
Jenny
I’m a lifelong Democrat. I registered as a Democrat at age 19. I have voted in every election, including mid terms and local county elections. I have never voted for any one other than a Democrat.
I love Barack Obama.
I’m sorry if you’re a privileged straight white male who’s tired of hearing about the Lilly Ledbetter Act, the Matthew Shepard Act, and repealing DADT. I’m not.
taylormattd
@FlipYrWhig: Shorter Jay B.:
Jay B.
@taylormattd:
Shorter taylormattd:
I have no discernable grasp of reality other than whatever it is my betters tell me I’m supposed to be outraged about.
Out of the entire clown car of lockstep bootlickers who infest this site, you really are the one who really gets in the creases the best. And that’s saying something.
But again, I’m sure screaming racism all the time will deliver the votes the President needs. Do I really have to cite all the times people, even supporters, have marveled at how the guy with the funny name got elected? Or is that now retroactively racist because WhiteyTapeKenyanUsurper!!!
Again, and I can’t make this clearer to anyone who doesn’t feel the need to lie for no reason at all, there is racism in this country. It’s real and it’s insidious. This is, at best, an idiotic stretch to force a stupid joke made by a stupid man into being racist.
Valdivia
@Jenny:
what you said.
MacKenna
How does someone grow up to become a douche like Mathew Vadum. Talk about your lowest of the lows. Pond scum wouldn’t associate with that guy.
AxelFoley
So Jay B.’s not a teabagger, he’s just the teabagger’s cousin the firebagger?
Right, Jay?
Anne Laurie
@MonkeyBoy:
Old joke: So they don’t have to look at each other’s faces during the act. And with faces like those, who could blame them?
Jon H
I don’t really see Katz’s comment as a Kenyan joke, really. It doesn’t hinge on the Kenyan, it hinges on the Rodney Dangerfield.
You could make a similar lame joke about Joe Lieberman. “Lieberman is a Yiddish term for Rodney Dangerfield…”
Or Roosevelt. “Roosevelt is a Dutch term for Rodney Dangerfield…”
It’s a crappy, lame joke, but it’s pretty far down on the “Obama is a Kenyan” scale, because you can drop any name/ethnicity pair in there.