Unity? A Respectful Dissent.

 

I really, really, really do want all this unity I’ve been hearing about to happen and I do so wish I could actually get my hopes up that such a miracle — and that’s what it would amount to in today’s vile and mean atmosphere — could actually happen. I know many of us also harbor that hope, as evidenced by the comment of one of the members who characterized Paul Ryan’s speech about an “attack on one of us is an attack on all of us” as one of the great speeches of all time. While it was a nice speech and quite typical of the Speaker who says many “nice things”, as much as I would dearly like to believe all this kumbaya attitude will continue, I find myself in agreement with the brilliant commentator Mark Steyn, who stated, on the Tucker Carlson show last night:

“Yes, I think so,” said Steyn. “If you have people like the Southern Poverty Law [Center], which has become fabulously wealthy by labeling everyone they disagree with as a hate group, if you keep calling everybody a hater, and in fact, if your organization calls people haters, you are the hater. I would like to disagree with the tone of what we have heard today, including in the last hour for Martha MacCallum and Brit Hume, when they were talking about unity and will this unity last?”

“Obviously, the unity won’t last because ultimately, Rand Paul has very little that unites him with Bernie Sanders. We don’t actually need unity. We need robust, civilized disunity — people honestly recognizing that they disagree with each other on health care, on immigration, on Islam, on transgender bathrooms, and a bazillion other things, but that doesn’t make the other person a hater. Simply put, the left has to be willing to actually engage in debate with people that disagree with them.”

As if to put an exclamation point on this kind of argument, right on cue appears the truly vile Minority “Leader” Nancy Pelosi, who promptly blamed the action of an obviously deranged person of the far left on–you guessed it! — the President and the Republicans’ Politics of Personal Destruction!

“It didn’t used to be this way,” Pelosi said. “Somewhere in the 1990s Republicans decided on the politics of personal destruction as they went after the Clintons and that is what started and it has continued.”

“Again, I feel as if we’re having a family moment that is very, very serious and we’re talking about things that we can say, the discussion — save the discussion for another day,” Pelosi continued, before immediately attacking Trump.

“When the president says ‘I can shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and nobody would care’, when you have somebody say ‘beat them up and I’ll pay their legal fees’, when you have all the assaults that are made on Hillary Clinton, for them to be so sanctimonious is something that I really am almost sad that I had to go down this path with you because I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to have the fullest discussion of it. It will be for another day.”

Unity? This is unity? With this kind of venomous language from one of the “Leaders” of our Government, where is the basis for hope that there will be a basis for some kind of amicable cooperation between the two parties?

And, on a personal note, as a fellow Louisianian, we fellow Cajuns are praying for a full recovery of Congressman Scalise and all of those injured in this grotesque attack, and no one would be more happy to be wrong about the outlook than I. But I just don’t see it happening any time soon, what with the kind of rote response of the Pelosis of the Government, together with, right on cue, as well, another major media report based on nothing but anonymous sources to the effect that the new Special Counsel is using his many, many, many new and hungry Hillary and Obama supporters to determine if the expression of a “hope” amounts to obstruction of justice. This being the one and the same Special Counsel who is not only one of James Comey’s closest personal friends but is also (try to find this in the Mainstream Media) the Godfather of one of his children and who, if there was a shred of common sense left in Washington, should be removed on the basis of a glaring conflict of interest. Alas, there does not seem to be any such quality around and the Special Counsel machine will just continue to go clunking down the road until it finds something, Anything, to pin on someone! Just ask Mr. Libby about out-of-control machines just like this one.

Unity! Isn’t it just lovely? What a lovely thing to behold! ….. oh–must have dozed off there for a minute…have to get back to the real world! Too bad, really. Wish I could stay in that dream world just a little longer!

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  1. Brian Wolf Inactive
    Brian Wolf
    @BrianWolf

    Pelosi is a an evil old crone.  She may be a fine mother and Grandmother for all I know and perhaps she is a good friend.  But in politics she is an evil old crone.  Nothing good comes from her, nothing honest originates in her and she as much as Obama drained the life out of the Democratic party and hollowed it out in the states and in the House.  Can’t think of a positive thing she has ever really done.

    Let us hope that one day soon Democrats will get better leadership Pelosi is terrible for the Democrats and more importantly the country.

    • #1
  2. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    Brian Wolf (View Comment):
    Pelosi is a an evil old crone. She may be a fine mother and Grandmother for all I know and perhaps she is a good friend. But in politics she is an evil old crone. Nothing good comes from her, nothing honest originates in her and she as much as Obama drained the life out of the Democratic party and hollowed it out in the states and in the House. Can’t think of a positive thing she has ever really done.

    Let us hope that one day soon Democrats will get better leadership Pelosi is terrible for the Democrats and more importantly the country.

    One thing we know for sure, she’s a Baltimore Catholic who ignores the Baltimore Catechism.

     

    • #2
  3. Sash Member
    Sash
    @Sash

    Pelosi was vile today.  So were all the headlines, they couldn’t even wait a day before starting up the war again by announcing headlines, with no new information in the article… it was completely fake, it was nothing new, it was done to stop the public sympathy.  To stop Democrats conscience from kicking in.

    They can’t let the public remember Republicans are humans with feelings.  If they allow even a moment of silence, of peace people will lose the fire and anger against Republicans.

    I am afraid, from what Trump said, Scalise isn’t doing well at all.  Trump always tries to be upbeat, but he couldn’t pull it off.  That is troubling.

    This is huge.  And the left can’t even begin to talk about it honestly.

     

    • #3
  4. Larry Koler Inactive
    Larry Koler
    @LarryKoler

    Jim George: This being the one and the same Special Counsel who is not only one of James Comey’s closest personal friends but is also (try to find this in the Mainstream Media) the Godfather of one of his children and who, if there was a shred of common sense left in Washington, should be removed on the basis of a glaring conflict of interest.

    Who is this Rod Rosenstein? That’s the question. What’s he up to? Why doesn’t he know this stuff?

    • #4
  5. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    The incentives are all wrong. To stand the horse up one more time:

    Conservatives think the liberals are wrong and the liberals think the conservatives are evil.

    Conservative voters think conservative politicians are venal cowards.

    • #5
  6. RyanFalcone Member
    RyanFalcone
    @RyanFalcone

    Honesty > Unity

    • #6
  7. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Steve C. (View Comment):
    The incentives are all wrong. To stand the horse up one more time:

    Conservatives think the liberals are wrong and the liberals think the conservatives are evil.

    Conservative voters think conservative politicians are venal cowards.

    I’m a conservative, and I think liberals are evil.

     

    • #7
  8. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    Larry Koler (View Comment):

    Jim George: This being the one and the same Special Counsel who is not only one of James Comey’s closest personal friends but is also (try to find this in the Mainstream Media) the Godfather of one of his children and who, if there was a shred of common sense left in Washington, should be removed on the basis of a glaring conflict of interest.

    Who is this Rod Rosenstein? That’s the question. What’s he up to? Why doesn’t he know this stuff?

    My guess he’s a buddy of theirs, part of the same Deep State Knitting Circle. Sessions got played on the recusal (he was trying to be too ‘Bi-Partisan’), I’m guessing that “straight shooter/non-partisan Rosenstein” also has an extensive working relationship and friendship with Mueller & Comey.

    I’d like to see Sessions ask for an immediate status report, within one week,  along with the names and violations of the law (actual law/statute numbers violated) be presented to an open session of both the house & senate committees investigating the matter, with sub-committees voting whether to continue to fund or not. If they don’t vote to fund – fire Special Counsel.

    • #8
  9. Herbert defender of the Realm,… Member
    Herbert defender of the Realm,…
    @Herbert

    WI Con (View Comment):
    Sessions got played on the recusal (he was trying to be too ‘Bi-Partisan’),

    So he was lying when he said the law required his recusal?

    • #9
  10. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    He was being entirely too generous in his interpretation. His contacts with those noted Russians in his day to day duties as Senator did not warrant recusal.

    • #10
  11. Larry Koler Inactive
    Larry Koler
    @LarryKoler

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):

    WI Con (View Comment):
    Sessions got played on the recusal (he was trying to be too ‘Bi-Partisan’),

    So he was lying when he said the law required his recusal?

    He’s a lawyer so there is always wiggle room — I think he used that as an excuse afterwards. He knows he’s seen as a fool.

    Here’s the question: we are fighting Democrats, right? Would Eric Holder view that law the same way for himself? If not, then the wiggle room should be exploited.

    • #11
  12. Larry Koler Inactive
    Larry Koler
    @LarryKoler

    WI Con (View Comment):
    I’d like to see Sessions ask for an immediate status report, within one week, along with the names and violations of the law (actual law/statute numbers violated) be presented to an open session of both the house & senate committees investigating the matter, with sub-committees voting whether to continue to fund or not. If they don’t vote to fund – fire Special Counsel.

    Great idea — which means that Sessions will never do it.

    • #12
  13. Mike-K Member
    Mike-K
    @

    Sash (View Comment):
    I am afraid, from what Trump said, Scalise isn’t doing well at all.

    I ran a trauma center for seven years. A GSW of the pelvis is bad news. The rectum, bladder, sciatic nerve and lots of other serious things are close together there, There are big vessels, as well. He will out for months and his life will be in danger for a month or more.

    If you want to see someone who makes Pelosi look benign, try this.

    https://pjmedia.com/video/this-bernie-supporter-on-the-young-turks-network-just-victim-blamed-steve-scalise-for-getting-shot/

    • #13
  14. Mike-K Member
    Mike-K
    @

    I should add that it sounds like Sarah Palin is thinking about suing the NY Times for libel.

    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sarah-palin-may-sue-new-york-times-for-tying-her-to-gabby-giffords-shooting/article/2626087

    It couldn’t happen to a better bunch. They have backed off on the offending article but it may be late.

    • #14
  15. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Steve C. (View Comment):
    The incentives are all wrong. To stand the horse up one more time:

    Conservatives think the liberals are wrong and the liberals think the conservatives are evil.

    Conservative voters think conservative politicians are venal cowards.

    I’m a conservative, and I think liberals are evil.

    Me too.

    • #15
  16. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    I will never agree with leftist progressives.  Since the prevailing winds say agree with them or else I think disunity is called for.

    If the political classes decide to show their unity by destroying this admin they will reap a different kind of unity.

    • #16
  17. Freeven Member
    Freeven
    @Freeven

    The Left and Right have different visions of what America should be, and therefore different agendas. They also use different tactics to pursue those agendas. Unity is simply not possible, and suggestions that it is stem from either foolishness or willful deception. What is needed is clarity — sharp, distinct lines separating Left from Right. Unfortunately, clarity is elusive. Not only does politics blur those lines by its very nature, but many on the Right seem to be buying increasingly into the Left’s vision and agenda. We are losing clarity instead of gaining it. Perhaps if the Left continues their rule or ruin (I forget who I stole that from) strategy, this will change.

    • #17
  18. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    I think we want unity with regard certain forms of decorum and decency. Trump for all his flaws has been Presidential at this moment. Praying for everybody to recover and telling the wounded that the country is behind them and that the cops were heroic as all get out. We will never unify about policy but, thankfully, America has strong democratic norms against this kind of violence that we all ought to preserve.

    Nancy Pelosi’s rhetoric is undercutting that. I wasn’t at all comfortable with much of Trump’s rhetoric early in the campaign but her nakedly politicking at this time is disgraceful.

    • #18
  19. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    You are absolutely right. We are three hundred million of the most diverse people on earth, in the largest most diverse economy on earth, it was and in many ways still is market based and representative therefore highly decentralized in millions of different pieces, so the idea of “unity” is total nonsense.  Fascists want unity by controlling everything, centralizing the economy and the power and suppressing differences.  Conservatives should embrace orderly chaos.  It’s what works for human flourishing.  We must stop playing fascist word games.  Our leaders shouldn’t call for unity but for the left to cease inciting violence with their hate, false narratives, and lies.    We must  investigate those who commit violence, incite violence, burn cars break windows, shut down free speech and fund the same and attempt to identify and make pay people who hide in the mob or the mob of mass media.  We’ll be called fascists.  Of course we already are and for believing in the constitution and the rule of law.   Laws should be enforced, free speech protected, education  should actually take place in our universities and for that to happen the thugs have to be split off from the mob that gives them cover, cowardly administrations must lose funding etc.    How did the sherif cause the lynch mob to back off.  By threatening to make the leaders accountable.  We’re dealing with perpetual lynch mobs and have to act accordingly.

    • #19
  20. Herbert defender of the Realm,… Member
    Herbert defender of the Realm,…
    @Herbert

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    I think we want unity with regard certain forms of decorum and decency. Trump for all his flaws has been Presidential at this moment. Praying for everybody to recover and telling the wounded that the country is behind them and that the cops were heroic as all get out. We will never unify about policy but, thankfully, America has strong democratic norms against this kind of violence that we all ought to preserve.

    Nancy Pelosi’s rhetoric is undercutting that. I wasn’t at all comfortable with much of Trump’s rhetoric early in the campaign but her nakedly politicking at this time is disgraceful.

     

    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

     

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    23h

    You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history – led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA

     

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    Crooked H destroyed phones w/ hammer, ‘bleached’ emails, & had husband meet w/AG days before she was cleared- & they talk about obstruction?
    3:56 PM · Jun 15, 2017

     

     

     

     

    • #20
  21. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):
    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    What’s “disgraceful” about that?  It is true, after all.

     

     

    • #21
  22. Herbert defender of the Realm,… Member
    Herbert defender of the Realm,…
    @Herbert

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):
    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    What’s “disgraceful” about that? It is true, after all.

    You don’t think personal attacks from a sitting president on fellow citizens is not disgraceful?   Has the coarsening of our culture really deteriorated so much as to find this behavior acceptable?

    • #22
  23. Larry Koler Inactive
    Larry Koler
    @LarryKoler

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):
    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    What’s “disgraceful” about that? It is true, after all.

    You don’t think personal attacks from a sitting president on fellow citizens is not disgraceful? Has the coarsening of our culture really deteriorated so much as to find this behavior acceptable?

    I’m more worried about a coup right now.

    • #23
  24. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):
    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    What’s “disgraceful” about that? It is true, after all.

    You don’t think personal attacks from a sitting president on fellow citizens is not disgraceful? Has the coarsening of our culture really deteriorated so much as to find this behavior acceptable?

    Where’s a personal attack in that?  The Democrats *did* make up a phony collusion story to cover for their election foul-up.  They did find zero proof, and now they *are* trying  to gin up a phony obstruction charge.  It is a witch hunt, it is total BS, and if it was being done to any other citizen other than Trump you’d be calling it out for the abuse of process that it is.

    • #24
  25. Freeven Member
    Freeven
    @Freeven

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    I think we want unity with regard certain forms of decorum and decency. Trump for all his flaws has been Presidential at this moment. Praying for everybody to recover and telling the wounded that the country is behind them and that the cops were heroic as all get out. We will never unify about policy but, thankfully, America has strong democratic norms against this kind of violence that we all ought to preserve.

    Nancy Pelosi’s rhetoric is undercutting that. I wasn’t at all comfortable with much of Trump’s rhetoric early in the campaign but her nakedly politicking at this time is disgraceful.

    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    23h

    You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history – led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    Crooked H destroyed phones w/ hammer, ‘bleached’ emails, & had husband meet w/AG days before she was cleared- & they talk about obstruction?
    3:56 PM · Jun 15, 2017

    Though Trump has proven himself quite capable of tweeting “disgraceful crap,” none of these strike me as examples of that.

    • #25
  26. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly and politicians gotta say self-justify. But I’m happy Trump didn’t talk about himself or his administration when he was praising the police and hoping that the victims would recover.

    • #26
  27. Terry Mott Member
    Terry Mott
    @TerryMott

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):
    Yes the POTUS was good on the day of the shooting, but less than 24 hours later he was back to his tweeting disgraceful crap….
    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    Jun 15

    They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

    What’s “disgraceful” about that? It is true, after all.

    You don’t think personal attacks from a sitting president on fellow citizens is not disgraceful? Has the coarsening of our culture really deteriorated so much as to find this behavior acceptable?

    As mentioned above, there’s no personal attack here.

    And yes, the coarsening of our culture has deteriorated that much.  Bill Clinton went on the offensive in the face of impeachment, blaming it all on a “vast right-wing conspiracy”, and it worked for him. Obama regularly castigated the GOP and Fox News in much more direct terms than these Trump tweets, albeit in a more dignified setting, and it worked for him.

    I think Trump is a buffoon, as I’ve often stated, but at least he fights back.  Bush wouldn’t have done anything remotely like this, and would have been steamrolled.  Unilateral disarmament doesn’t work.

    • #27
  28. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    You can’t make nice with these people. They don’t do nice.

     

    • #28
  29. Herbert defender of the Realm,… Member
    Herbert defender of the Realm,…
    @Herbert

    Terry Mott (View Comment):
    As mentioned above, there’s no personal attack here.

    And yes, the coarsening of our culture has deteriorated that much. Bill Clinton went on the offensive in the face of impeachment, blaming it all on a “vast right-wing conspiracy”, and it worked for him. Obama regularly castigated the GOP and Fox News in much more direct terms than these Trump tweets, albeit in a more dignified setting, and it worked for him.

    I think Trump is a buffoon, as I’ve often stated, but at least he fights back. Bush wouldn’t have done anything remotely like this, and would have been steamrolled. Unilateral disarmament doesn’t work.

    What would Reagan have done?

    • #29
  30. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Herbert defender of the Realm,… (View Comment):
    What would Reagan have done?

    Anyone who thinks he knows how Reagan would have responded is talking out of his posterior.

    • #30
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