Bachmann-Perry Overdrive

As I was sitting down to read over Rick Perry's SC remarks just now, a horse-and-buggy went down our street. A horse-and-buggy, I tell you! Yes it's a rural area, but no, that is not a normal sighting in these parts. A front-end loader, a tractor, a hay truck, a snow plow, sure, but not more-than-one-century-old transportation, even here. I sent the kids out into the street to have a gander, and while they were impressed, I think the dogs got more out of it than the kids.

Now, on with the show, this is it. Geez, what a day for American politics. It's like we're supposed to have forgotten what the last decade was like. Perry's main points made in a speech to a conservative bloggers' forum sponsored by "Red State", was that we need to do four things:
1) balance the budget (I've made numerous comments on this idiocy; feel free to read them.)
2) lower tax rates (Yeah, 'cuz it's worked out so well now for all these years.)
3) have less regulation (Again, worked so well. Talk to anyone who used to work on Wall Street and can afford to tell you the truth. And there was that whole oil spill thing, too.)
4) cut out frivolous lawsuits
Do any of these four seem to be getting at anything other than making the US a "right-to-work" nation? Is there anything in there for the poor or the middle class? (And is there going to be any light between those two for much longer?) Is there anything in there that is not written for the express purpose of making the sailing smooth for corporations? Add the business community to the Congress on the list of "entities allowed to operate without accountability to the people".

Perry also promises that when he gets to DC he'll fulfill his obligation to NOT make any friends, because as you can tell, that's working like a charm these days. Let's just all sit in our little corners and flick boogers at the other kids. Let's vow not to talk so that we can get things done.

He also wants the federal government to be "inconsequential" in our daily lives. Really. Oh sure, as long as you do not happen to be gay, born outside the borders, an ill or raped pregnant woman, a non-Christian, without healthcare, or too damned poor to be assessed an income tax. (He complains about the folks who "don't pay income taxes" not realizing that because they work for Wal-Mart or some other franchise in one of those terrific "right-to-work" states, they don't make enough to qualify for even the lowest tax rate. He should know this however, as a large chunk of the Texas population is living in poverty--sorry, I mean "tax-free government-freeloading" status. Lucky bastards. Oh, and I guess all those corporations that pay no taxes are A-OK with Ricky. I'm looking at you, General Electric.) When men can get pregnant and Republicans don't "prey" on everyone with their theocratic ideologies, talk to me about government not "micro-managing" our lives.

Perry also says we need to invest (I wasn't aware that word was allowed in the Repub's lexicon) in education. Uh-huh. Specifically in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. And if you choose to attempt to read the text of his comments, you'll understand why Language Arts, or as we old timers called it, "English", is absent from this list.

Things don't get much better when you cast your attention to the center of the country: Ames, Iowa. You've no doubt heard by now that Michele Bachmann (R-MN) won the polling of the straws. (Probably those "silly straws" that loop all around in your drinking glass.) But the light bulb--incandescent of course--went off over their heads and they rallied behind the gal from Waterloo. She'll be meeting up with Rick in Waterloo for dinner tomorrow night. That should be sweet. Maybe Sister Sarah will drop by as well.

Yep, Palin was at the Iowa State Fair today just as she was within miles of Romney when he made his Presidential bid announcement in New Hampshire a few months back. Is she gonna run, or just remain a stalker? Maybe she's the mouse skirting the edges of the room looking for crumbs. Whatever it is, she and Rick were certainly on the same page today, a page which read: "Hey, no, look over here--LOOK AT ME!!"

I am looking, and reading, and hoping like hell that "We don't get fooled again." Oh that's right, "You can't get fooled again." Or so George said. Uncurious George, who next to Perry, looks like he belongs in the Progressive Caucus.

Good grief, I'm almost pining for W. That's how absurd these candidates have become. Remember President's metaphor about the country being the car and the Repubs driving us in the ditch? You think they were in that horse-and-buggy that just passed by? Their ideas certainly belong in that incarnation of the President's metaphor.