New Timothy Egan column in NYTimes..."House of Anger"

[Lifelong Protester]

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/house-of-anger/?hp

(Excerpt)

Unfairly or not, the defining images of opposition to health care reform may end up being those rage-filled partisans with spittle on their lips. Whether the outbursts came from inside Congress — the “baby killer” shout of Rep. Randy Neugebauer, and his colleagues who cheered on hecklers — or outside, where protesters hurled vile names against elected representatives, they are powerful and lasting scenes of a democracy gasping for dignity.

Now, ask yourself a question: can you imagine Ronald Reagan anywhere in those pictures? Or anywhere in those politics? Reagan was all about sunny optimism, and at times bipartisan bonhomie. In him, the American people saw their better half.

The Republican Party has taken some of the worst elements of Tea Party anger and incorporated them into its own identity.
Compare that to the closing days of a week that will soon be chiseled into the larger American story. One Democrat, Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, said he was called a “wetback” by Tea Party hecklers at a meeting a few days before the vote. Black members of Congress say they were spat on, and called racial epithets. Bricks were thrown through the office windows of two other Democrats. And now, the inevitable death threats.

From the leader of the opposition, at least, was expected a level of decorum. But instead, Rep. John Boehner, the Republican who wants to be the next speaker of the House, predicted “Armageddon,” and shouted “Hell, no!,” his perma-tan turning crimson in rage.

Read the rest....please!

[Cha]

1. Kr

[NWHarkness]

2. I have no trouble imagining Reagan in that picture

He was as big a hatemonger as any teabagger.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Teabaggers ARE Republicans......

So this writer got a little bit of it right, and yet in other ways sounds naive.

[my2sense]

5. Yes, I wish

media would stop referring to them as Tea Bagger/Party - they are REPUBLICANS and need to be identified as such.

[WCGreen]

4. Kicking of his presidential campaign in 1980 in Philadelphia, Miss

was one of the most boorish acts of politically driven racism in the last quarter of the 20th Century.

[Lifelong Protester]

6. I have to add a bit more

because Egan is taking to task the Faustian bargain the GOP has made with the tea baggers/ partiers, whoever the hell they want to call themselves. And I especially like his characterization of McCain in this bit, as these echo my sentiments:

>>>snip<<<<
But it’s always better to be building something than destroying it. John McCain had a positive campaign slogan in 2008 — “Country First.” This week, he vowed “no cooperation for the rest of the year.” This is an adolescent living in the shell of a former statesman.

He took his position, he said, using the same justification as the Texan who yelled “baby killer,” because “the American people are very angry.”

Having welcomed Tea Party rage into their home, and vowing repeal, the Republicans have made a dangerous bargain. First, they are tying their fate to a fringe, one that includes a small faction of overt racists and unstable people

[SoCalDem]

7. Burnt Orange

[cilla4progress]

9. Harry Reid

I don't think Harry Reid needs to be mocked for being timid. Despite his low-key style, Sen. Reid has shown real courage and character in the health care negotiations, esp. since the serious accident involving is wife and daughter.

[SoCalDem]

10. I made this ages ago.. when he was being wimpy

:)

[cilla4progress]

11. Ok, then - you're excused!

Thanks for the explanation!

[jillan]

8. Good! I am glad to see all the attention being turned on these hatemongers.

Hopefully it will tone down some of the hate speech and threats.

[Berry Cool]

12. Actually, in some ways Reagan was more dangerous

because he could smile, and smile, and be a villain. He could say and do hateful things with a smile on his face and a joke on his lips to be laughed at by those who agreed with him, which he assumed to be the majority, the "us" of his "us" and "them" world.

[JHB]

13. Reagan was about image over substance...

Can I imagine Reagan anywhere in those pictures?

Is he kidding? The guy who talked about Cadillac-driving welfare queens, and "strapping bucks" buying steaks with food stamps? And blamed them for high taxes and government waste?

The guy who called Medicare "socialism? The guy who said hippies "look like Tarzan, walk like Jane, and smell like Cheetah"?

Reagan is EVERYWHERE in those pictures. He's the Teabagger's parton saint.