GOP to 9/11 First Responders: “Fuck You! DIE!!!!”
It’s time for the GOP to go over their to-do list and make sure there isn’t ANYBODY out there that Republicans HAVEN’T shat on yet. Let’s see: low income people, the unemployed, small businesses, minorities, gays, non-Christians, people who’ve been dumped by their HMOs, people losing their homes — Check.
What about the first responders who risked their lives on September 11th, 2001 — Check.
The House has defeated a bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid — over a ten-year period — to people who have become ill from the smoke, dust and debris from the 9/11 attacks. OK, so that’s a lot of money; we probably spent that much in Iraq and Afghanistan while you were reading this sentence.
The 9/11 victims are kind of like soldiers: Conservatives don’t give a flying fuck about either of them, but they make excellent grist for soundbites and talking points. “Support the troops!” “9/11!” “You’re undermining the war effort!” “9/11!” “You can’t be against the war AND support the troops!” And don’t forget:
9/11
And then when soldiers and 9/11 workers become sick or disabled, rightwing bumpersticker patriotism morphs into “We don’t need you any more. Run along now. Fuck off.”
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) chewed ‘em a new one. Check out the video.
Alan Grayson, Anthony Weiner — this is the kind of Democrats we need. And unlike talk radio and Fox News, these guys not only pack a punch; they can also string together complete sentences with big two-syllable words and everything.
Labels: 9/11 first responders, Alan Grayson, Anthony Weiner
posted by Tom Harper @ 3:47 PM
15 Comments:
Weiner and Grayson need to be cloned seriously. I love it when he just basically tells them to sit down and have a nice big helping of STFU. He has done it so many times now, but every time is a thing of beauty. those GOopers should be ashamed of themselves.
Here is a nice little chart of how gummed up things are from my girl Digby.
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/democrats-will-abolish-filibuster-when.html
If this bill had gone through when George W. Bush was president – especially when he was seeking re-election – the Republican House majority would've passed it in a heartbeat. I'm talking about the same Republican majority that had virtually nothing to say after $9 billion disappeared into Iraq months after the invasion. Their blatant hypocrisy is something to behold.
I admire Weiner's fighting spirit. I think the $3.5 billion for medical expenses is in order, if that much is actually needed. However, I'm not comfortable with the $4.2 billion for "compensation." Someone would have to make a very convincing case before I would vote for that one.
We've got teachers headed for unemployment offices all over the country and schools that will be closed down. That's because state revenues are depressed and Republicans and conservadems killed a measure to help keep the teachers on the job and the schools open. With that kind of thing going on, I think it's hard to justify billions for an amorphous compensation fund.
Tom
I just posted something on this myself. That Peter King is an asshole.
What bullshit! I sure would like to see more Dems. standing up for what's right.
Like everyone else not compensated via the oligarchy, nothing but disposable props, though I'm on board with SWA on the teacher gig. Of course, education DOES get in the way of good cubicle work.
I just hope that those caught in Weiner's echoing screams remembers that he's an extra hawkish Go, Israel, Go kinda guy. Which I guess doesn't really differ him from the rest of Congress. Nevermind.
Wouldn't the medical insurance of the 9/11 heroes take care of the illnesses, they suffer? Just asking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PuAh53WYzo&feature=player_embedded#!
Here is a follow up. No, before you ask I did not wade in the cess pool that is Fox, I got it somewhere else. Weiner still giving it to King.
Great minds, Tom. :-)
Like they treat soldiers, first responders are cannon fodder, disposable when damaged.
Priorities, man. What is more important, the health of a EMT or extra bling money for Paris and Lindsey?
Jess: Damn right, we definitely need to clone those two. Goopers have no concept of shame; they're either too dumb or they're just plain soulless.
SW: I'm not completely sold on that other $4.2 billion portion of the bill. But I don't think that has anything to do with why Republicans voted it down; all they want to do is say No to everything Obama attempts to do.
And you're right that if this bill had been voted on during Dumbya's presidency, anyone who voted against it would be a "traitor" who "hates America."
Tim: Peter King is definitely one of the biggest assholes in Congress; and that's saying a lot.
Randal: Disposable props, that's all they are. And our future cubicle workerbees don't need none of that there edumucation.
Anonymous: If health insurance was more reliable and not so full of loopholes and "Gotcha!" clauses, that would be an option.
Jess: Cool link. I hate to admit it but that Fox talking head had a point when he said "this may be why Congress has an 11% approval rating from the public," after 4 minutes of King and Weiner screaming at each other.
TC: Yup, you've got it -- cannon fodder, disposable when damaged.
JR: Aw shucks, when you word it that way, more bling for Paris, of course.
S.W., good points. I agree about schools... and if we think it's bad for schools now, we haven't seen the worst of it. If something isn't done about NCLB, the systematic defunding of our public schools will be complete within the next few years.
I may be quite biased because I work in public schools... but I thought from the beginning that NCLB was little more than a way to defund the schools to the point where there would be no choice but to privatize them all. I don't think it ever had a thing to do with making schools serve kids better. There are lots of ways to get the schools going in a better overall direction, and it needs to happen... but making them all into private schools is not the way to do it.
But this was about 9/11 first responders, my bad!
And you're right Tom. It seems they have to smear just about EVERYBODY any more...
The Right is fucking amazing.
Guess they're too busy banging little boys and keeping them pesky Beaners out of the U.S. of A. to care about this kind of shit.
Must of the dust and debris that first responeders were breathing was ASBESTOS!! The towers were lined with that shit, and when they collapsed, all that ASBESTOS was reduced to a fine breathable powder. In fact, those building were so lined with asbestos that it would have cost more than the buildings were worth to remove the asbestos following proper procedures. Fortunately, Al Qaeda took care of it for them.
You know, the bush congress would have passed this through, and then made a huge PR stunt out of it.
Bee is right. But not on Obama's watch.
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