Healthcare Roundup: From Teabagger Viciousness to Democrats Making History, Again

Besides the filthy racist signs, there was this incitement to violence and treason (see sign below). Hopefully, the FBI and Secret Service are investigating and questioning these Teabaggers. Free speech doesn’t mean yelling fire in a crowded theater.

As if the treasonous and violent signs weren’t enough there were the racial slurs hurled at African American Congressmen John Lewis, a legend of the civil rights struggles, and James Clyburn, another being spat upon, shouting "faggot" at Barney Frank, and “go back to Mexico!” at a Latino Congressman.

Is there any rational person in this nation who would find such behavior acceptable? How about the Republican “rep” as an effective opposition party (joke) what’s left of it, with GOP Reps. egging these lunatics on and then saying, oh it's just a few bad apples, as they head into the November mid-term elections?

It's far more than a few bad apples, and it goes without saying that the Republicans have a moral responsibility to condemn this ugliness in the harshest of terms, just as the leaders of the so-called “Tea Party” movement do. 
Not that it’s going to happen. The new Republican “robo-call” might as well be a generic apology. Like the one issued today by Texas (is anybody surprised?) Congressman Randy Neugebauer after yelling “baby killer!” at Congressman Bart Stupak from the cesspool that has become the Republican side of the aisle in Congress.

I’ve seen four-legged basement claiming racehorses, non-winners for life, that are a classier bunch than these “Tea Party” animals and their Republican acolytes.

The Republican rhetoric got ever more outrageous as their frustration and desperation mounted. One congressman defended the Teabaggers’ conduct by claiming the healthcare bill would take us on a path to totalitarianism. Ayn Rand Objectivist Paul Ryan (pictured below) said the bill is a “fiscal Frankenstein,” (noo, he is) and wacko Marsha Blackburn said the bill, which expands the private marketplace for the insurance companies, means “dependency on the federal government and the death of freedom.” Right. The United States remains the only country in the world in which for-profit insurance companies deliver healthcare. They’ll be regulated, but their profit margin will hardly be affected.

Finally, kudos to Nancy Pelosi, whose place is secure in history beyond being the first woman Speaker of the House, but also, more importantly, one of the greatest Speakers in the history of Congress. Love her or hate her, no one will ever doubt her incredible results-oriented leadership style after Sunday’s historic vote. In a splendid symbolic move, Speaker Pelosi and the entire House Democratic leadership proudly walked the Teabagger gauntlet to demonstrate they would not be intimidated by the viciousness of the clueless haters.

This is only a beginning, but a good beginning -– a foundation to be built upon. It’s a proud day to be a Democrat. Once again, we’re on the right side of history, and Republicans are on the outside looking in, with envy, anger, and that loser’s hangdog expression.