Oy Vey! In times like these I try to remember wise words

[TayTay]

from the wisest political advisor who ever lived:

Theodore Seuss Geisel

(Don't laugh. Everything I know about politics I learned from Dr. Seuss. 'tis true. Reread the Butter Battle Book or Sneeches and other Stories or, esp. Yertle the Turtle. The good Doctor knew his stuff. Check out this page and the cartoons herein: http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/1aa/1aa291.htm)

Advise for getting through life, and politics, from Dr. Seuss. Apply liberally for all forums now.

My Uncle Terwilliger on
the Art of Eating Popovers

My uncle ordered popovers
from the restaurant’s bill of fare.
And, when they were served,
he regarded them
with a penetrating stare…
Then he spoke great Words of Wisdom
as he sat there on that chair:
“To eat these things,”
said my uncle,
“you must exercise great care.
You may swallow down what’s solid…
BUT…
you must spit out the air!”

And…
as you partake of the world’s bill of fare,
that’s darned good advice to follow.
Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.
And be careful what you swallow.
—Dr. Seuss

Seriously, there is an epidemic of mistaking hot air for something solid going on at DU. Beware!

and Happy New Year all!

[karynnj]

1. Funny and wise

Thanks, Tay and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

[TayTay]

2. Seriously, this is a nutty time in politics

Either we are experiencing a surge in cranial radiation brought on by a radical shifting of excessive sunspots or the Republicans must have discovered a way to ramp up the fear factor again.

Against my better judgment, I woke up early this morning and put "Morning Joe" on TV. Oy Vey! I think the Republicans must have thought the Christmas terrorist plane threat was a gift to them from Santa. "Oh my God, we get to play the fear card again. Quick, someone dig up Cheney and have http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouth_of_Sauron">The Mouth of Sauron say something really extra douchey." It doesn't take much to get Cheney to say something evil and foul and he has been in his formaldehyde bed just waiting for this chance since summer. Good Lord, why are we listening to these people? Do we really need another war? What happened to the "sorry, we are out of money" people? Suddenly, we have money, when it comes to buying Republican fear products. Oy!

And what in God's name was going on about the health care debate. THERE ARE NO PERFECT BILLS. There never will be. There are merely human ones, put through by people who do this by the skin-of-their-teeth. Of course the health care bill has bad parts in it, that is how the legislative process works. It is how it has always worked. You get something going. That is the hard part. It often takes years and years to get something approved, then you spend copious amounts of time making it better. That is what politics is. This battle has no beginning and no end, it just *is.* We, as players, take our place on the stage, do our part, exit and leave the next parts to the next players. That is what we do, that is how it works. Getting the health care bill approved is a start. It is up to the next players, the next links in the chain, to improve it. Oy, how can so many allegedly smart people not *get* that?

BTW, in keeping with my tribute to my political mentor, Dr. Seuss, I think I should mail a copy of "Green Eggs & Ham" to Harry Reid. Obviously, that is the blueprint for how to "sell" this health care bill to the American people.

"Do you like green eggs and ham"?
"I do not like them, Sam I am"

Then Congress changes the bill, adds the part about liking them in a boat, with a goat, with a fox, on a box, here (NY) or there (Nebraska) or anywhere. (Not enough takers at first, though the "with a goat" part is tempting.) Then, when the last admonishment of "I do not like green eggs & ham, I do not like them Sam I am" is said and the annoying salesman won't go away, then the public tries the dish and finds out, sacre bleu, they do like green eggs & ham. It'll work, trust me. The public does like and crave green eggs and ham, they just have to sample it. Democrats: sell it. (Not rocket science here people.)

[karynnj]

3. Nice analogy

It sounds like you read that book to your kids as often as I did to mine - the words come back so easily.

I think on DU there were some with very weird ideas of what we would get. I assume the real anger over no public option is that strangely THEY bought the Republican idea that it was a back door to single payer. The idea that the Republicans had a reason for saying that - that it would kill the bill for those who really did not want to lose what they had. There was the additional weird idea that single payer would be free for everyone. Many of these people never were seeing things realistically.

[beachmom]

4. Here is a ray of hope that the fearmongering isn't working.

I was listening to a pop station. As in top 40 hits (Satellite radio, but still a very broad audience). So the DJ talks about how cold it is in North America, and then he says, "I was so cold that I decided to put explosives in my pants and blow them up to warm up!". Now, bad joke, but still: the terrorist who we're supposed to be afraid of is already the butt of bad jokes. Not just clever witty comics. But really bad ones, too.

Sorry, but I am not freaked out by the underpants bomber. It is true he could have killed 300 people, but he screwed up (worse than the U.S. government or TSA did) and then passengers put out the fire and tackled him. His father is a BANKER and he is an elitist punk who apparently was bored so he decided to join al Qaeda. Well, if the Republicans want to hang all of their political fortunes on this turkey they can go right ahead. But frankly, President Obama does have the bully pulpit these days. And what he says and demonstrates is, "Guys, don't freak out." That's what Americans I hope are beginning to learn. The point of terrorism is not to kill people but to SCARE people. It's about time Americans decide not to play along with them.

As to the health care debate, well, I stepped back from it because it was so brain dead. I know how to count to 60. So does the President. Sorry the Kool Kids in Left Blogistan don't.

[MH1]

7. The Kool Kids have their chance to show their stuff

they get to elect their style of "progressives" as senators in CT and North Dakota and as governor of Colorado.

Oh wait what's that you say? ND and CO are going to be tough for leftists? Hmmm. Something to think about. And something tells me CT won't be as easy as they might think either.

[beachmom]

8. I'm from Conn. and my state has a FIERCE independent streak.

We want somebody who leans liberal (especially on social issues and the environment) but does not march in lockstep with his or her party. That is why Joe Lieberman got re-elected, even though he basically lied during the campaign, showing his true colors only after he was safely in his seat for another 6 years. The numbskulls on the blogs never understood how Conn. works. I would love to see a real progressive yet independent-style Democrat get elected. Maybe someone who knows a lot about the environment. But is sensible. We shall see . . .

See other thread on Dodd. There won't be any conflict between the Dem Establishment Party and the bloggers on the presumptive nominee.

[MH1]

9. thanks for the insights

I'm glad to hear there's a presumptive nominee the bloggers will like that's one less race to worry about. But when I heard this on NPR this morning (Dodd, Dorgan and Ritter all calling it quits), what I posted was my exact reaction - let's see the progressive bloggers get some progressives elected in these seats. It's one thing to complain about what guys like Dorgan (and Nelson, Tester, Conrad, Baucus ... ) do in the senate, but quite another to get somebody elected in those seats who will be more liberal.

[beachmom]

10. Well, it's all about hyperpartisanship which I realize I don't care for in either party.

So they look for the person to say key phrases and to have key things in their resume, and SUDDENLY they are the Darling of the Base. But I believe in voting for full human beings. Mark Warner, for example, is a full human being who represents Virginia and I am sure is hated by many on the Left. He talks like a Rockefeller Republican and is concerned about fiscal discipline, jobs, having businesses flourish. Progressives aren't impressed. But then check key votes: Aye on hcr, supports global climate bill (unlike Webb), aye on the stimulus. IMO, based on everything I have read about Mark Warner, he is a liberal in his heart, but how he gets to those goals is very unconventional. Like how he balanced the budget in Va., freeing up funds to . . . give for heating for the poor, Medicaid, and so forth. Yet it was all said in a business conservative way. Webb, who was initially adored by the bloggers, has proven more disappointing (although not a surprise to me), particularly the fact he is trying to kill the climate bill by offering a lame alternative bill. Webb says he is a Jacksonian Democrat, and I think that is the case. Populist through and through, unlike those hippie tree huggers. Still, I think Virginia has two interesting Senators who might have the chance to serve many, many years to come if they choose. I like that they can't be so easily pegged. I wish we had a few more Republicans like that (Lindsay Graham is one.)

[sandnsea]

5. Thank you Tay

I was just thinking about people and hot air earlier today. Some people just do not have a discernment gene. A lot of people perhaps. Or perhaps when they swallow too much hot air, it has to blow back out and I just need to duck when it does.

[MH1]

6. Timeless wisdom

"be careful what you swallow"

:)

[Mass]

11. Hard time on DU, I am afraid.

Always good to read Doctor Seuss's wisdom.

I just saw the weirdest post. Apparently, Peter Orzag's private life is a good reason to attack him by posting a teabagger post reporting Betty McAuffey's lies about the death panels and Rahm's Emmanuel's brother Ezekiel.

My head just exploded reading this. :nuke:

[rox63]

12. Thanks for the words-o-wisdom, Tay

This place (DU, not the JK group) is off the deep end again, and sometimes it just hurts my head to even read the front page. :banghead:

[MonteLukast]

13. I bookmarked the login page and the JK page a while ago

I can't stand to look at the front page either. It's an emotional flash-fire zone out there. E