Sharing a fundraising letter from James Carville

I had to share this fundraising e-mail, ostensibly sent by James Carville. I say that with skepticism only because I often doubt that these letters actually come from the people whose names are on them. But this time I have reason to believe it. Just because the tone of it is so classically James Carville. For my friends who are Democrats, enjoy his salty language. No offense intended to my Republican friends.

Ed --

This is nuts. At a time when most of America is celebrating historic health care legislation that's been a century in the making, a few narrow-minded tea party nut jobs are trying to tarnish this great achievement.

But if you think these vile two-bit wing-nuts are just gonna slink back into whatever century they crawled out from now that health care reform is the law, think again.

The same uncorked tea party rage that we saw before the health care vote is now being used against the courageous House Democrats who stood strong and made it happen.

In fact, the slimy thugs at the Republican National Committee already raised $1,494,084 in their "Fire Nancy Pelosi" campaign. That's why I'm asking you to help my Democratic friends in the House by contributing to their Million Dollar Match campaign.

Contribute $5, $10 or more to support Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats before the critical March 31st FEC fundraising deadline and your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of committed Democrats.


This is the first FEC fundraising deadline since the House passed health care reform. And, Republicans and the media are watching closely to see whether we reach our million dollar goal.

We gotta take this fight right to those Republican special interests and right-wing extremists determined to bring back the failed policies of the past.

Contribute $5, $10 or more to support House Democrats before the critical March 31st FEC fundraising deadline and your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a group of committed Democrats.

We will not be intimidated by the lies, distortions and hate spewing venom from the mouths of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner and the other Republican gas bags. And, we're not about to back down in the face of the tidal wave of special interest cash pouring into the campaigns of our Republican opponents thanks to the radical decision by the Supreme Court.

The March 31st FEC deadline is a golden opportunity to demonstrate that Democrats are on the march. We already dealt those tea party crazies a big blow by putting health care reform into the history books. Now let's make it a double-punch by beating them on this big fundraising deadline.

Thanks,


James Carville

Don't read my ads

I'm a Democrat and an Obama supporter. So, I'm dismayed at the anti-Obama and anti-health care ads on my blog this morning.

I don't have much time, but I just wanted to say, "Hooray for health care reform." It is probably not a perfect piece of legislation, but it is a start. It is better than nothing, and it can be improved an amended over time.

I'd like to see the Republicans try to repeal this. Taking away health care from people who need it? How does that help you politically?

The Image of God

We had a priest visiting from Colorado in church today. His sermon was on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He made the point that really it should have been called the Parable of the Benevolent Father. He said that this is the story that we should draw our image of God from -- one of forgiveness and love.

He took the opportunity to fire a blast at Pat Robertson, who had declared that Haiti was being punished by God for its past sins. He also attacked those who had claimed that Hurricane Katrina was God's way of punishing New Orleans.

This is not the image of God that we should have, he said, of a God that is vindictive and mean. He was actually fuming with anger over this idea of God as using nature to punish humanity for their sins. It was the wrong idea to have about God. For a Catholic service, this was probably the most emotional and energetic sermon I had witnessed ... ever.

God is love. God forgives, and let us be grateful for that.

Stumbled upon hate

Here's some unfortunate proof that racism exists: I was just surfing through YouTube just now and found this message embedded across the bottom of a video: "We are establishing a sovereign and independent all-White nation in the Pacific Northwest, which shall serve as a Homeland of safety and freedom for all White peoples the world over. www.northwestfront.org/"

The video is dated from September 2006, but it has had more than 2 million views. (2,237,584 views as of today). The link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmbSupnmK8k.

The weird part is that if you click on the link from my blog, the racist green box is not there anymore. It must be an add on. You do see it if you go directly to the URL. Here's what it looks like:

 
The Web site it sends you to spells out a plan to a create a separate all-White nation in the Pacific Northwest. They even have a flag. So, at the very least, this is treasonous.

If it is a joke, it is a poor joke. If it is for real, it is to be condemned.

I skimmed through the Web site and found something more disturbing. They claim they support peace. But it is the brand of peace created by separating the races. They also complain about how the media has stereotyped their movement:

"When you say 'Northwest separatist' most people conjure up a vision of a religious nut living with multiple wives out in a cabin on a mountain, or else some shaven-headed, tattooed punk in a compound screaming 'White Power' and giving a Hitler salute with one hand while waving a can of beer in the air in the other. Like all stereotypes, these are mostly false and the creation of hostile government propaganda, but there is enough truth behind them to sting. We haven’t been as good at presenting ourselves as we might have been in the past."

 So, what they are saying is that they want to carry on the ideas of white supremacy without the overt symbols of white supremacy. At best this is a brand of quieter racism, and a silent racism is as dangerous as an overt, offensive racism. 

I might have just ignored this posting, but I couldn't. We need to look at this ugliness to know the evils that lurk out in the world.

Unlocking the problem of hate

I was driving into work the other day -- heading up a steep, twisty hill that is part of the backroads shortcut that I take to the college -- when I started thinking about the old sayings: "You can't imprison an idea." "You can't kill an idea."

They come from a sentiment of the freedom fighters of history. A similar statement: "The pen is mightier than the sword."

For those of us who live in free societies, these are comforting thoughts. We take them as proof of the universal need for democracy and freedom. They are still comforting thoughts for those who today are locked up in prisons or house arrest because of brutal dictatorships. They offer hope that ultimately freedom will prevail over injustice.

But there is the other end of the gradient.

You may not be able to kill an idea like freedom, equality or justice. You may not be able to imprison such ideas. But it also is just as difficult to stomp out hate.

Those who hate the U.S. have attacked us, our soldiers and our allies. They continue to plan attacks.

And we have met their violence with our own.

But violence does not defeat hate, it creates more.

Violence results in martyrs and victims who can inspire a cause. When that cause is liberty, such victims and martyrs inspire freedom and democracy. When that cause is hate, they inspire more hate.

Have you not noticed that many terrorist attacks come not from al-Qaida itself but from "militants inspired by al-Qaida"? You could kill every single member of al-Qaida but still have a world-wide problem with terrorism.

Yes, we must answer our enemies with military force, but to truly defuse the potential force of our enemies we must unlock the problem of hate.

A final vote on health reform

Reposting an e-mail sent from the president:

Ed --

Last Thursday's first-of-its-kind summit capped off a debate that has lasted nearly a year. Every idea has now been put on the table. Every argument has been made. Both parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and gets more dire each day. Today, I want to state as clearly and forcefully as I know how: Now is the time to make a decision about the future of health care in America.

The final proposal I've put forward draws on the best ideas from all sides, including several put forward by Republicans at last week's summit. It will put Americans in charge of their own health care, ensuring that neither government nor insurance company bureaucrats can ration, deny, or put out of financial reach the care our families need and deserve.

I strongly believe that Congress now owes the American people a final vote on health care reform. Reform has already passed the House with bipartisan support and the Senate with a super-majority of sixty votes. Now it deserves the same kind of up-or-down vote that has been routinely used and has passed such landmark measures as welfare reform and both Bush tax cuts.

Earlier today, I asked leaders in both houses of Congress to finish their work and schedule a vote in the next few weeks. From now until then, I will do everything in my power to make the case for reform. And now, I'm asking you, the members of the Organizing for America community, to raise your voice and do the same.

The final march for reform has begun, and your participation is crucial. Please commit to join with me to take reform across the finish line.

Essentially, my proposal would change three things about the current health care system:

First, it would protect all Americans from the worst practices of insurance companies. Never again will the mother with breast cancer have her coverage revoked, see her premiums arbitrarily raised, or be forced to live in fear that a pre-existing condition will bar her from future coverage.

Second, my proposal would give individuals and small businesses the same choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves. And my proposal says that if you still can't afford the insurance in this new marketplace, we will offer you tax credits based on your income -- tax credits that add up to the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.

Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for everyone -- families, businesses, and the federal government -- and bring down our deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades. These savings mean businesses small and large will finally be freed up to create jobs and increase wages. With costs currently skyrocketing, reform is vital to remaining economically strong in the years and decades to come.

In the few crucial weeks ahead, you can help make sure this proposal becomes law. Please sign up to join the Organizing for America campaign in the final march for reform:

http://my.barackobama.com/commit

When I talked about change on the campaign, this is what I was talking about: coming together to solve a huge problem that has been troubling America for 100 years and standing up to the special interests to deliver a brighter, smarter future for generations to come.

I look forward to signing this historic reform into law. And when I do, it will be because your organizing played an essential role in making change possible.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama