Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta in Fort Pierce, Florida, gives President Obama an old-fashioned bear hug. Obama had stopped into the place on Sunday, the 9th, during a campaign swing through Florida. Van Duzer says he’s a registered Republican who voted for Obama in 2008. Photo courtesy: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP.
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As I did with the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, I’ve pulled some of the top quotes from last week’s DNC in Charlotte, North Carolina. I have to admit that I’m somewhat biased because I’ve voted mostly Democratic in the past 20 years. In some ways, I consider myself a stereotypical “yellow dog Democrat.” In Texas talk, that means I’d rather vote for a yellow dog than a damn Republican. Actually, if a dog of any color was running for office, I’d vote for it quicker than a damn politician. Nonetheless, here are some quotable highlights from this year’s DNC.
“All they have to offer is the same prescription they’ve had for the last thirty years: Have a surplus? Try a tax cut. Deficit too high? Try another. Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning!”
“Folks, the Bain way may bring your firm the highest profits. But it’s not the way to lead our country from the highest office.”
“Ask Osama bin Laden if he is better off now than he was four years ago.”
– Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts.
“In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president’s re-election was pretty simple: ‘We left him a total mess; he hasn’t cleaned it up fast enough; so fire him and put us back in.’”
– Former President Bill Clinton.
“Sure, Mitt Romney loves our lakes and trees. He loves our cars so much they have their own elevator. But the people who design, build and sell those cars? Well, in Romney’s world, the cars get the elevator; the workers get the shaft.”
– Jennifer Granholm, former Michigan governor.
“Mitt Romney talks a lot about the things he’s fixed. I can tell you, Massachusetts was not one of them … As governor, he was a lot more interested in having the job than doing the job.”
– Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts.
“Being asked to pay your fair share isn’t class warfare, it’s patriotism.”
– Mayor Cory Booker, Newark, New Jersey.
“Republicans say they don’t believe in government. Sure they do. They believe in government to help themselves and their powerful friends. After all, Mitt Romney’s the guy who said corporations are people.”
– Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senate candidate from Massachusetts.
“‘Start a business,’ he said. But how? ‘Borrow money from your parents.’ Gee, why didn’t I think of that?”
– Mayor Julian Castro, San Antonio, Texas.
“Many names are on the ballot. So, too, is the character of our country.”
– Rep. Nancy Pelosi, House Minority leader.
“Last week, we heard folks at the other convention say they want to “take our country back.” But here’s what I noticed: they didn’t say back to what. Well, we know what backwards looks like. We know what happened to middle-class families after two tax cuts for people who didn’t need them; after deregulation of the banking and housing sectors; after the historic recession that followed.”
– Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“When women are in the halls of power, our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of American families. Women leading means that Congress is working to create jobs, make quality child care more affordable and strengthen the middle class because we understand that America grows the economy and opportunity from the middle out, not the top down.”
– Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Maryland.
“The president knows that the path to the middle class goes right through America’s classrooms. That was his path. That’s America’s path. However, his opponent believes differently.”
– Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
“We don’t need a President who fires steelworkers, or says, ‘Let Detroit go bankrupt.’”
– David Foster, a former employee at a company controlled by Romney’s Bain Capital.
“I’ll admit, I was glad Paul (Ryan) was picked (as the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee). I hoped it would result in a serious debate about the choice before us. Then I heard his acceptance speech – it kept the fact-checkers up all night.”
– Rep Chris Holland, Maryland.
“I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are – it reveals who you are.”
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“The Democratic Convention in Charlotte finally heard a pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-religious liberty message last night – but unfortunately, it came after the official speeches. For those who noticed, this convention was heavily focused on the issues of abortion and homosexuality, though speakers seemed afraid to utter either word. On his radical social agenda, the President did not disappoint. He explained that the only politicians who can talk about marriage are those like himself who wish to redefine it out of existence.”
– Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, on gay marriage.
At least all those goddamned queers have a punter on their side!
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“I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won’t come into your house and steal your children. They won’t magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won’t even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population – rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children.”
– Chris Kluwe, punter for the Minnesota Vikings on gay marriage.
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We have to speak for them and all abused animals. Video source.
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This remains the deadliest natural disaster in United States history with over 12,000 deaths; mostly on Galveston Island. Erik Larson’s book, Isaac’s Storm, provides a detailed and stunning account of that tragedy.
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Today is Labor Day in the United States. Thanks to all the hard-working people here and across the globe who try to make their communities a better place. This is an especially poignant and troublesome time in the U.S., due to the ongoing economic crisis and the relentless political wrangling. Nevertheless, people work hard – often too hard – for too little money and even less appreciation. Believe me! I feel your pain. For those working today here in the U.S. and all over the world, congratulate yourselves anyway for giving it your best. You deserve it!
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Survivalist Tip: I mentioned in a previous post that you should have hurricane lamps available in the aftermath of the apocalyptic upheaval. But, you’ll definitely need flashlights, too. Flashlights have been around for over a century and rank just below air conditioning and telephones as one of the greatest inventions of the past 200 hundred years. Flashlights, of course, are battery-powered; an essential feature, considering that utility companies will be rendered useless for some time. A flashlight, therefore, is critical as an alternative light source. It will help you search for food in the darkness, or surprise a member of your posse as they try to purloin more than their share of chocolate. Make certain you have more than just one flashlight on hand, along with an ample supply of batteries. We don’t know how long power companies will be out of commission. Besides, flashlights aren’t just for illumination; they also make great defense weapons.
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Chief Writing Wolf 