Daily Topics - Thursday September 1st, 2011
By shawnt56
The Big Picture "On Air" Questions or Comments for Thom?
Hour One: Why reward CEO's for tax dodging? Phil Kerpen, Americans for Prosperity
Hour Two: D-O-J says N-O-T to AT&T - Seton Motley, Less Government / Plus, is Hurricane Irene a wake-up call? Bill McKibben, 350.org / And, Geeky Science Rocks - BPA...in your genes?
Hour Three: Obama's war on the secret ballot? Ken Blackwell, Save Our Secret Ballot
Comments
#2
Rush's actual words
From Rush's transcript from his show yesterday:
"I don't care whatever, if they say Boehner's racist. I don't care whatever they say, you do not let this happen. This is intended to not only disrupt the Reagan library debate but to make Obama look bigger than Republicans and bigger plan politics, and they can't. The Republicans if they have any hope of winning the 2012 election, have got to put this guy in his place using this as their opportunity to do it. No doubt about it."
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_083111/content/01125109.guest.html
#3
Is Boehner an idiot? By one-upping the president and making him move his speech to the joint session of Congress to Thursday, Boehner deprived the GOP presidential candidates the role of rebuttal to the president - and of having the audience for their debate quadrupled.
#4
Republicans should be trying to reduce Limbaugh's influence. I imagine they're tired of him controlling the entire party. They could either convince him to retire (with plenty of rabid righties ready to fill the vacuum) or counteract the media consolidation that allowed his oversized [*pun*] influence in the first place.
#5
Seton Motley is rude, disparaging and unable to discuss his viewpoints in a cogent manner. Rather than present arguments based on "debatable" facts he prefers to attack Thom for his "uninformed" presentation of his viewpoints. His technique of changing to focus of a discussion when his belief system is threatened seems to demonstrate his inability to focus. I find his style of lashing out to be juvenile and perhaps pathological. I wonder if he has ever listened to a recording of his "debate" style.
I wonder if he has any sense that his tone of voice becomes shrill and childish when he becomes excited. Does he think that this style is evidence of the veracity of his viewpoint and his passionate defense of his "truth." I am not a licensed psychologist (I am a licensed healthcare worker) believe that he would benefit from professional support to explore hat may be unmet needs. I find this behavior reminiscent of a period of time when my highly intelligent, preteen son became manic and emotionally unstable. When confronted with a challenge to his demands his focus was to overwhelm the discussion with his facts and to verbally assault the person who stood in his path for not understanding his world view. Overcoming his "adversary" by any means was his sole focus. This behavior cried out for and required professional intervention including family therapy. With support and intervention my "high needs" child grew beyond his dysfunctional crises. He now is a skilled debater who can present his arguments without feeling that "winning" a debate by any means is the sole way to avoid "failure."
I am saddened when I listened to Mr. Motley's argumentative style while wishing for a actual debate. Kudos to Thom for once again maintaining composure while his dysfunctional guest de compensated on the show.
#6
Ken Blackwell says that voting booths were allocated according to past voter turnout. But was there a dramatic increase in voter registration leading up to the 2004 election? If so, one can find fault with the allocation method.
#7
The Constitution does not say that elections have to happen on Tuesdays. It says nothing about the timing.
#8
I can't understand why anyone listens to Rush Limbaugh - the man is a fat buffoon. He has nothing intelligent to say, only inflames people with his distorted viewpoints and resorts to name-calling. It's like listening to a fifth-grader discuss politics.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
At Mondragon - both the mountain and the cooperative city - in Spain (written about in "Threshold" book)
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Thom Hartmann channels the best of the American Founders with voice and pen. His deep attachment to a democratic civil society is just the medicine America needs."
From Screwed:
"If we are going to live in a Democracy, we need to have a healthy middle class. Thom Hartmann shows us how the ‘cons’ have wronged this country, and tells us what needs to be done to reclaim what it is to be American."
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"No one communicates more thoughtfully or effectively on the radio airwaves than Thom Hartmann. He gets inside the arguments and helps people to think them through—to understand how to respond when they’re talking about public issues with coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This book explores some of the key perspectives behind his approach, teaching us not just how to find the facts, but to talk about what they mean in a way that people will hear."
Re: the moving of the jobs speech:
Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh said that Boehner had to make Obama change his jobs speech or they would surely lose in 2012. Rush said he didn't care if it sounded racist or not, but Boehner needed to "put Obama in his place." White House spokesman said they already had approval from Boehner before they announced the date, but after Rush demanded that Obama be put in his place, Boehner threw a tantrum and forced Obama to change the date. Because they need to put our President "in his place." (I heard Rush's disgusting speech on Randi Rhodes's show.)
How does Rush get away with this? Why doesn't anyone make him ever apologize or at least point out what he said that spurred the GOP to force Obama to change the speech date?