Barack Obama inherited one of the biggest messes in the history of the
United States of America. Two wars and a collapsed economy, just to
mention a few.
When Barack Obama was running for President he said change wouldn't come easy and he would need help. So what have we done to help him and cover his back? I ask this question because I've watched the progressive community allow the Tea Party folks to own the streets and take over the Town-Hall meetings during the spring, summer and fall of 2009. I was on the streets and at Town-Hall meetings to see this first hand. Not only did I see it, Mike Watt and I shot photos and videos of these events and Richard Dillon wrote about them eloquently.
When Barack Obama was running for President he said change wouldn't come easy and he would need help. So what have we done to help him and cover his back? I ask this question because I've watched the progressive community allow the Tea Party folks to own the streets and take over the Town-Hall meetings during the spring, summer and fall of 2009. I was on the streets and at Town-Hall meetings to see this first hand. Not only did I see it, Mike Watt and I shot photos and videos of these events and Richard Dillon wrote about them eloquently.
When I saw, in April, 2009 what was going on in my hometown, Elizabethtown, Kentucky with the Tea Party folks, I issued a warning that these folks are serious. Then in May, 2009 when I shot video of John Conyers saying: "What
kind of Healthcare are we going to get?" I'm here to predict you get
the kind of healthcare you deserve, not the kind you ought to have, not
the kind that you want, but it's all going to depend on you." I understood what he meant. He meant that it was going to be a fight. A fight for the streets and for the Town-Halls.
During the dog days of August, 2009 Ali Vilshi and the CNN Express started their CNN Express Health Care tour.
CNN
Riding on the CNN Express, we are driving from Atlanta, Georgia, all the way to Des Moines, Iowa. Along the way we are going to stop in the heartland of America and simply let the people tell their own story. What currently works for Americans’ heath care coverage? What is in drastic need of change? How will the proposed government plan actually affect people’s lives?
When Ali Vilshi arrived in Paducah, Kentucky, one of the most conservative cities in the USA. We were there with our cameras and camcorders. Never mind it was a 350 mile round trip. Never mind we weren't getting paid. It was a matter of respect. It was a matter of standing our ground, as progressives, in a Red, Red state.
September 2, 2009 Congressman John Yarmuth held a Health Care Town-Hall meeting, in Louisville. Mike Watt and I had a press passes to shoot photos and video of the event. Congressman John Yarmuth did a great job, but it was obvious to everyone attending, that the progressive community decided to stay home and allow the Tea Party folks to outnumber them at the meeting.
September 5, 2009 the Tea Party Express held a rally in Louisville, Kentucky and this is part of what I had to say:
Saturday September 5, 2009 the Tea Party Express arrived right smack dab in the middle of Kentucky's most progressive city, Louisville, Kentucky. The home of progressive Congressman John Yarmuth.
This was not a surprise visit by the Tea Party Express. The progressive community knew about it and made a decision to stay at home and not counter this event. One could reasonably assume the Louisville progressive community is OK with folks coming in to their city and calling Barack Obama a Communist, Marxist or Muslim and signs like this about their Congressman John Yarmuth and allowing Right Wing Radio and Fox News Commentator Mark Williams to spew his venom unchallenged. Read more.
So if you've read this diary to this point. I suspect you may be asking what's the point? The point is this: "It's time to shit or get off the pot."
I'm tired of listening to whiny ass progressives with all their excuses and their willingness to blame everyone else for the situation we're in. I'm tired of hearing my so called progressive friends saying: "I can't go to that rally, because I might make somebody mad at me", "It's too cold to go out and carry a sign", "It's supposed to rain tomorrow" "Oh it's too hot for a protest rally", "It's not important to counter protest the Tea Party folks, Hell their just Astroturf, "Go to a protest rally are you kidding me?"
Sure the Tea Party folks are Astroturf, but they are on the streets and in the Town-Halls and that's more than I can say about the progressive community.
Yes I'm from a Red state, yes I live in rural Kentucky, yes much of the so called progressive community looks down their nose at folks like me, yes my writing leaves a lot to be desired, and yes my conscience is clear, because I've done everything within my power to fight for what I believe in. Have you? I'll let my record speak for it self. What does your record have to say?
If you've still reading, you may be thinking that I'm pissed at my progressive brothers and sisters. I'm not pissed. I'm just disappointed. I love my progressive brothers and sisters. I know what we are capable of doing. I see the potential and to ignore our potential and what we are capable of doing and sit back and watch without bringing it to the progressive community's attention, is simply not an option for me.
So by what authority do I make this call for progressives to take back the streets and the Town-Halls. Our record is our authority and below is a partial look at our record for 2009. And just for the record we didn't do it for money, because there was none. We did it because we believed it was the right thing to do.
Kentucky Tea Party. James Pence Video And Photos.
Mitch McConnell's Convocation at U of L Brandeis School of Law. Graduation Not Without Protest.
Single Payer Healthcare Rally In Louisville, Kentucky.
Congressman John Conyers Tells It Like It is At Indiana University Southeast.
Public Option Health Care Rally at Congressman Davis' District Office.
Cindy Sheehan Speaking at Bellarmine University.
Health Care Rally in Somerset, Kentucky. Photos And Videos.
CNN Express Comes To Deep Red Kentucky To Talk About Health Care. Photos, Videos.
Health Care Rally At Senator Mitch McConnell's Office In Paducah, Kentucky Photos.
Health Care Rally in Louisville, Kentucky. Videos, Photos And iPhone Videos.
John Yarmuth Town Hall meeting.
Louisville, Kentucky Tea Party, Video and Photos.
Health Care Rally And Overnight Sit In At Humana In Louisville, Video And Photos.
Yes, I'm Calling Senator Mitch McConnell A Liar! Rally.
Obama's actions continue to tell me I voted correctly for Nader for my progressive values (Kucinich was my first pick). He told us on the campaign trail he would escalate in Afghanistan but said in a town hall as an IL Senator that "we can do single payer once we take back the White House and both Houses of Congress".
But when I saw that the banks and healthcare companies were his biggest donors, I knew we wouldn't get the change we needed on healthcare.
If the 2008 election has taught us anything, it's that it doesn't matter who is in the White House, they don't make the decision. 4 words: PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS.
Until that happens, no "progressive" candidate will ever be elected.
The idiots on the Right continue to call Obama a communist even though his top 2 economic advisors helped engineer NAFTA. Morons.
Posted by: Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS | January 19, 2010 at 07:01 PM
A looming question is just how much anyone who thinks outside the old policy confines of the old Clinton Democratic Leadership Caucus is welcome in the Obama tent. With Rahm Emanuel calling Democratic legislators who don't hew the Obamatactical line "f--king idiots," with Bob Rubin of Citibank's proteges like Larry Summers running economic policy and that Nazi Gates running defense, and the Clinton pardoner Holder running justice where are the proressives supposed to hang their hats. Where are the Bob Kuttner's or Barry Bluestones of yesteryears. Where are the things that transform government forever, like transparency, and individual accountability for performance. Why isn't Guantanamo closed and where is the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the withdrawl from Iraq and the dialogue with Arab states that aren't foreign aid clients like Mubarak's Egypt. Where is robust foreign aid and foereign economic development. Hillary Clinton's speech on january 6 said everything, so it said nothing-she sounded just like Condolezza Rice and as much at the center of policy making as Rice. Now Obama has a commission on the deficit and one on entitlements on the drawing board. Can anyone spell Bush.
Posted by: Michael Dixon | January 20, 2010 at 02:45 PM
Michael Dixon,
I hear ya!
Posted by: Jim Pence | January 20, 2010 at 03:23 PM