"I Paid for ths Microphone"

[photo from http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/12/elizabeth_warren_and_sen_scott.html ]


If you want to understand what's going on, you simply have to get past teevee news and opinion shows, be they on Fox or even on MSNBC. Consider the following excellent post:

http://rortybomb.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/the-new-and-old-attack-on-elizabeth-warrens-congressional-oversight-panel/

Well, probably you should have at least watched enough teevee to know that Karl Rove has put out the ad cited in Rorty's post. But that's about it. I watched two or three shows that discussed the ad in the past couple of days and gleened nothing of substance concerning the issue in question--whether Elizabeth Warren has changed positions, and more importantly, what positions.

In Rorty's post you have that answered. Turns out there's some serious economic analysis going on about the relationship of household debt to other major facts about our current economy. Turns out there may even be an ongoing effort to obscure that relationship, to the benefit of the big players (that's at least my tentative conclusion).

I hope Ms. Warren wins her election next fall. I sure do wish NC had a senator like she'll be. As I keep saying here, in different ways, the GOP has chosen a path that amounts to evil--they are more and more an amalgam of every prejudice and hate that can be found in the world of men--every disgruntled, shortsighted, angry voter is welcomed to the fold--plus the richest folks in the land, or at least the ones who have no larger vision beyond buying yet another villa or yacht or fillet mignon or trophy female, and no comprehension of the true fact that there's only so much money that one can actually spend, short of living like an illiterate former heavyweight champeen who has no financial advisors.

I am pleased to read that Bernie Sanders, Vermont's fine senator, is offering a constitutional amendment aimed at cancelling the pernicious Citizen's United Supreme Court Decision, which codifies the terrible practical fact that money and power do in the US convey a special First Class Citizenship. Of course Mr. Sanders will never succeed in this effort, but perhaps it'll help wake up a few people.

Sadly, the powerful seem long long ago to have decided that even the most basic effort to keep it between the ditches amounts only to a weakness in an all out war for power. Thus, the current Rove ad, presented with a straight face. Rove's candidate, on the other hand, is a handsome cowboy with an empty head and a nice pickup truck. Maybe Scott Brown should go down to Austin. He's more qualified to be governor of Texas than the current occupant of that office. As we've all discovered. It's remarkable that both Brown and Warren are reported as "decrying" the Rove ad. So Mr. Brown wasn't aware that Rove was running such an ad? More proof that he's Texas Governor material I guess.

Quick Update: the mendacity of the GOP is no better evidenced than in Newton Leroy's recent assertion that "really" there are no Palestinians. Here's a good rejoinder to such absurd panderings--with a dose of reality for the alternative to the Newt in our politics as well:

http://www.juancole.com/2011/12/washington-actions-on-palestine-dont-differ-from-gingrichs-words.html

(When Mr. Cole starts appearing weekly on PBS, replacing David F-ing Brooks, I'll consider sending in another check.)