Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Randi Rhodes: Never Forget & Channeling Teddy

Today is Pearl Harbor day—not an official holiday, so you don’t get off of work. And you certainly don’t have to attack each other with pepper spray at the Walmart. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt guided us through the Second World War. But as Republicans would remind us, he never could have done it if George Bush had not waterboarded people.

Yesterday, President Obama channeled a different Roosevelt, Teddy, at a stirring speech in Osawatomie, Kansas—the same place TR gave his famous “New Nationalism” speech in 1910. Then, Roosevelt pointed out “the men who possess more than they have earned and the men who have earned more than they possess.” For those of you who don’t speak 1910, he’s talking about the 1 percent and the 99 percent. Much of what Teddy Roosevelt said about the concentration of wealth back in 1910 is true today, and the rest of it is even truer. When Teddy Roosevelt pointed out the wealth gap, he was called a socialist and a communist. At least nobody claimed he had been born in Kenya.

Yesterday the President said that Republican economic theory “doesn’t work. It’s never worked.” Well, to be fair, it’s worked GREAT for one percent of the population. President Obama said “This isn’t just another political debate. This is the defining issue of our time.” The difference is pretty clear—President Obama is for putting people back to work. Newt Gingrich is for putting kids into workhouses. Maybe that’s why Republicans are so much against abortion and birth control—they want children for the cheap labor they provide.

Yesterday Mitt Romney said he won’t take part in Donald Trump’s debate. Of course, when Mitt said he wasn’t doing Trump’s debate, he was careful not to offend Trump. Mitt politely explained that he had other debates to attend and “we just can’t do them all.” Ugh! Mitt Romney is more fake than Donald Trump’s hair. Grow a pair, Mitt. It’ll make it more difficult to cross your legs, but it’ll be worth it.

Today’s Homework | Discuss

'Tis the season...


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