Freedomworks’ Little Frankenstein Lab: Oregon

A scary, spooky Halloween story…

The “initiative” process, pioneered by Oregon in 1904, as a means of stopping corrupt and bribed legislators stalling needed reforms has been co-opted by the corrupters and bribers to STOP the Oregon legislature from making needed reforms.

Part The First

I haven’t written so much as an e-mail since October 14. Much needed vacation, although, in this case, it was more or less a “stay-cation.” Just the Oregon back country between here and Boise, Idaho (business convention).

So, I’ll intersperse this with Oregon pix, which turns out to be appropriate. This is the state that the [mystery benefactors]‘ little organization, Freedomworks* wants to buy with their stealth cash.

(* Founded as Citizens for a Sound Economy in 1984, after David Koch’s LITERAL purchase of the Vice Presidential slot on the Libertarian ticket in 1980 and walkout from the Libertarian Party Convention in 1984. The parallel Citizens for a Sound Economy FOUNDATION is now Americans for Prosperity. These are the two[?] main groups promoting the “Tea Party” movement.)

Rush’s Widdle Feewings are Hurted

[Limbaugh composed (although will not acknowledge it) the parody "Barack the Magic Negro" to the stolen music of "Puff the Magic Dragon." Smoking gun follows.]

Awww. It seems that somebody’s suggesting that he’s a racist asshole. Who?

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww …

And his widdle feewings are all hurted. I mean, who would LIE about somebody and then suggest he’s a racist? Why LIBERALS, of course!

Listen:

The Viper in the Armoire

[Note: an armoire is, according to Webster's Online Dictionary:

Main Entry: ar·moire

Pronunciation: \ärm-ˈwär, Southern also ˈär-mər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle French, from Old French armaire, from Latin armarium, from arma

Date: 1571

: a usually tall cupboard or wardrobe ]

Having had nothing meaningful to say, I have,  as admonished by my grandmother, said nothing. But new information has changed that.

This very American story of hate and its effects in modern day Indiana started out innocently. A source e-mailed me a copy of a letter that had been mailed to a Kiwanis chapter setting up a charitable event by Kiwanis International’s agent, Dennis K. “Denny” Flahault of Bloomington, Indiana; a Vice President of the Hylant Group, the 25th largest insurance company in the USA.

Dumb and Dumbererere

Kenneth P. Vogel — keep that name on the tip of your tongue, Bad Tabloid Hall of Fame jurists! — has managed to create a post today that ought to win whatever the journalistic equivalent of the Darwin Award is, or whatever the tabloid equivalent of the Raspberry Awards might be.

Incivility In American Political Speech

[NOTE: revised slightly, and with links, this was the presentation that I made last night at the panel  for Prof. Steven Candee's Political Science class at LCC, carried on Comcast Channel 23  in Eugene, Oregon. A necessarily abbreviated time-line essay, given a 15 minute time slot for the presentation. Other panel members were Jackman Wilson, The Register-Guard's editorial page director; Rick Dancer, former KEZI anchorman and 2008 GOP candidate for Oregon Sec'y of State, and Charles Dalton, Chair of the Democratic Party of Lane County. -- HW]

This is not the first time in American history that our language has become so toxic. There are two other times that this has happened.

The Actual Hamilton-Burr dueling pistols

The first time was when Americans ignored George Washington’s idealistic — as it turns out — plea

LCC Paper will be posted

… before morning, October 7.

Meantime, the panel is on Comcast Channel 23 from 7:30 to 9:00 PM tonight. (Locally).

The topic?

“Incivility in our current political debate.” Or words to that effect.

Courage.