In addition to believing that gun control led to the Holocaust, Joe the Plumber thinks Fast and Furious was an Obama/Holder plot to put through "draconian" gun laws. Here's a campaign video he's put out:
If you don't feel like watching the whole thing, here's a still:
Of course, believing this nonsense doesn't make Joe the P unusually paranoid by the standards of the modern GOP. As The Hill notes, the NRA scored today's contempt vote, which means that if you voted nay, your NRA letter grade for the year will be lower and you've opened yourself up to election-year charges of being a filthy gun-grabber -- gun incorrectness, you might say.
John Aravosis says,
The NRA doesn't score issues that it doesn't consider dealing with gun control. And we know that the real motivation behind the GOP investigation of this issue has been some crazy conspiracy that this is all part of an Obama plot to take away our guns. So it's no surprise that the NRA is treating this issue as a key vote for them.I assume the full House vote will be scored by the NRA as well, which means that every Republican, and quite a few red- and purple-state Democrats, will vote yea.
And the message that an Obama second term will bring radical restrictions on gun owners -- which is exactly as crazy as birtherism -- will have effectively become mainstream.
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ALSO, TOO:
Newt Gingrich, on CNBC just now, endorsed nutty conspiracy that #fastandfurious was put in place to enact gun control.
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) June 20, 2012
Now this, THIS, is one conspiracy theory the Conservatives have, that I wish had some truth behind it.
ReplyDeleteWhoreporatist Congressional D's decided a long time ago, get whatever they can get from the NRA, to leave the issue of gun control to "urban" mayors and police chiefs, and let the hicks in the sticks stock arsenals - rocket launchers, bazooka's, and tanks, for all anyone cared.
Gun control is now much less likely to happen, than that SS, Medicare, and Medicaid are either being downsized, or legislated and/or bankrupted out of existence.
SS used to be the "3rd Rail" of politics.
Not anymore.
Now it's guns.
So, now, 'Johnny, got his gun.'
And Janie.
And the kids.
But don't let Leroy, Latwanza, Ahmed, or Ahdia, get anywhere near one.
It's not just joe the plumber. It's the whole GOP. Maddow gave an outstanding, detailed examination of this deranged conspiracy theory, and the GOP's embrace of it, last night. You should definitely take fifteen minutes and watch it. And post it on your blog, while you're at it.
ReplyDeleteWe really are screwed. The democrats simply have no ability to respond effectively to the GOPs madness or play-for-keeps approach to governing.
It's really terribly sad what became of this nation.
Maddow's report really was excellent.
ReplyDeleteThere's more about Vanderboegh here.
Thanks for the link to more about that disgusting pig, Vanderboegh.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how restrained Maddow's description of him was: she should have just called him what he is: a domestic terrorist, and an enemy of the state. But she probably figures, and probably rightly, that you can reach more people with more restrained rhetoric.
Like, maybe 1 more person. Or two.
Honestly, I'm with driftglass: I've given up on the idea that there is really anyone in the middle who can be reached. There are three groups, it seems: Democrats, Republicans, and the assholes/morons in between who can't be bothered to ever learn in enough detail which side is right and which is worse.
Did you happen to see the poll that shows 60% of Floridians support Rick Scott's effort to rig the elections in his state to favor the GOP? 60%. Sixty fucking percent.
Let's face it, Steve: There's no hope, and we can't win. The direction we're in is irreversible and inevitable. I will say, however, that I greatly appreciate your blog and what you do, though. You're one of the best at describing and documenting, in excruciating and accurate detail, just exactly how this country is being dismantled and turned over to the plutocrats. Blogs like yours will be a useful reference for future generations trying to understand exactly how this once great nation was destroyed.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteI have a tiny sliver of hope myself -- that someday maybe a few people in the center will stop saying "Both sides do it" and identify the real menaces to society. I think there's a 0.000001% chance this will happen, but I haven't lost all hope. More likely, though, everything we're saying is for posterity, in case some future society is civilized enough to grasp where we went wrong.