Sunday, October 11, 2009

GOP Sweethearts – 10/11/2009 – Jon Kyl and Robert Lowry

I’m reviving the GOP Sweetheart topic from the old Politics Plus.   GOP sweethearts are those individuals who go above and beyond the call for practicing the GOP values of fear, greed and intolerance.  Today we have two.  Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona and House candidate Robert Lowry of Florida.

jon-kyl If your unemployment ran out this week, you can thank Sen. Jon Kyl. Yes, the Republican whip objected to a quick vote that would have helped all those people. You can contact him here and thank him for his compassion:

Washington -- Key Senate Democrats tried unsuccessfully today to quickly pass legislation to give jobless workers in Michigan and other hard-hit states an additional 20 weeks of unemployment benefits.

That delays action on the high-stakes issue until at least next week.

Tom Clementson, a 58-year-old unemployed construction worker in Indian River, expressed frustration by the Senate's slow pace.

"So many people are out of work and need this extra money to put food on the table," said Clementson, who cashed his last check six weeks ago. "It seems like the Senate should spend more time on getting this passed."

Today's failed effort to quickly pass a bill followed the unveiling of a compromise bill by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and key allies. The bill would give all states an extra 14 weeks of jobless benefits, plus an extra six weeks for states with unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or greater.

[...] Reid introduced the bill after reaching a deal with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who had balked at the House-passed bill, which only gives extra benefits to the hardest-hit states.

[...] But when Reid asked senators to quickly pass the bill under a speedy procedure, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., objected. That's enough to prevent a quick vote.

Kyl said he wanted to have time to look at the proposal and consider possible Republican amendments, and also ask the independent Congressional Budget Office to estimate its cost… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>

If you remember, the reason that the vote on BARF (Baucus Against a Real Fix bill) was delayed until Tuesday was because Repuglicans wanted to wait for the CBO to complete their cost estimate.  When it came in that BARF, for all its faults, would reduce the deficit, they did an about face and said that the CBO estimate didn’t matter.  This is a standard GOP delay tactic.  Kyl’s claimed reason is a lie.  So why did Kyl block quick passage of the bill?  Does he hate the unemployed?  I don’t think so, despite the accusations sure to come from my side of the aisle.  Is he ignorant of the suffering he is causing?  I’m sure he’s too smart for that.  Kyl wants something.  I have no idea what it is.  I’ll let you know, if I find out.  Whatever it is, Kyl is holding the unemployed hostage in an attempt to get it.  Haven’t these poor people suffered enough already as a result of the GOP No Millionaire Left Behind policies?  If Kyl hated the unemployed and said so, I’d still cry “foul”, but at least he’d be honest.  Were he ignorant, I could feel empathy for him.  Repuglican leaders don’t care whom they harm, as long as they get their way.  Only a true GOP Sweetheart would cause so much human suffering for political gain.

Lowry The Associated Press reports today that the South Florida-based Southeast Broward Republican Club held an event earlier this week at a gun range where targets included silhouettes of Muslim stereotypes and of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). Among those who attended the event was real estate CEO Robert Lowry, who is vying to replace Wasserman Schultz in 2010:

South Florida Republicans held a weekly meeting at a gun range, shooting at targets including cut-outs of a Muslim holding a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

The GOP candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz fired at a full-body silhouette with “DWS” written next to its head. [...]

Robert Lowry, who’s vying for Wasserman Schultz’s seat, initially described his target as a joke. Minutes later, he called it a mistake.

Others refused to apologized [sic] for the Southeast Broward Republican Club event, featuring assault rifles and handguns. A conservative activist said they should stand up for their beliefs in the heavily Democratic county… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

Fortunately Broward County is enlightened enough an area that the only way a Repuglican can win an election there is to steal it.  This is obscene!  Shooting a sitting member of Congress in effigy is bad enough when a normal wing-nut does it, but for a candidate for Congress to do so sets a deadly example for every wing-nut on Kool-Aid!  Republican leaders will do anything, as long as they get their way.  Only a true GOP sweetheart could be so irresponsible.

What do you think about these Repuglicans?

(To learn why I call Republicans ‘Repuglicans’, check today’s Open Thread)

9 comments:

the walking man said...

I wonder if Kyl's supporters in his district realize that as he is in congress is how they are perceived by those of us in in areas where in one month, 100,000 people are going to lose benefits and an equal amount every month after that for the next few years?

I am going to begin proposing to my friends in MI who have lost home and jobs that they move Arizona where everything must be pretty good.

Infidel753 said...

Does he hate the unemployed? I don’t think so, despite the accusations sure to come from my side of the aisle.

You're probably right. So I hope that the voters of Arizona will have no hesitation in doing the right thing and ushering Mr. Kyl himself into the honorable ranks of the unemployed in the next election.

Kentucky Rain said...

When have the Republican pols ever cared about what happened to the people? They represent big business and corporate greed and their decisions are based on the interests of both. Kyl and Lowry are far from the exception. Their voting records are replete with insults to the middle class, and of course the poor, a group despised by the Rabid Right. The curious thing is they keep getting re-elected by the same people they keep hurting. Go figure.....

Tao Dao Man said...

i live in AZ. and i can tell you we have been one of the hardest hit with this manufactured re/depression. Kyl is worst than mc cain. they keep getting re-elected due to the old [white middle class inbred] guard. they are disappearing ever so slowly. the dems can not or will not put up a fight in az. why i do not know. with all the pain and influx of new blood in the state, they would now have a chance.KYL Is one of those shadows that slithers behind the curtain. thanks for bringing this snake into the light. they all have to be exposed for what they are. naysayers, and saboteurs.

Oso said...

The Right loves to push the angle that Unemployment Insurance encourages people not to work.What really sucks is the Teabag Working Class (TWC) buys into it.
There is a small segment of truth in that (from personal experience) we generally try to find a job which allows us to pay the bills,and if we can't find adequate work and the benefits are about to run out then yeah,we will go underwater to f**k fish if it feeds our family.But that's not laziness, it's common sense.
But the TWC and their leaders are too ideology bound to see that.

Jack Jodell said...

The left needs to mount an all-out Obama-style push in Arizona to boot that worthless sponge for lobbyist money Kyl out on his ass. His insensitivity and arrogant aloofness are thoroughly disgusting. As for that other cold-hearted GOP SOB (hey---I kinda like that!) I think Wassermann-Schultz will beat him. She is very bright, very articulate, and serves her constituents very well. Let's definitely hope for the best there---it would be a terrible tragedy to lose her in the House.

TomCat said...

Mark, I've lived there. Don't go. :-)

Infidel, wouldn't that be great.

Mike that's the problem. Poor brainwashed sheep!

RZ, you are most welcome, and I wish you every success in getting rid of him.

Oso, that's probably true in a few cases. I think most people need to work. I know I do. Being disabled, if I could not get a sense of purpose from blogging and volunteering, I'd go nuts.

Jack, I agree. Kyle has to go, and Debbie has no cause to worry.

Cellophane Queen said...

Oh, oh!!! I know (waving arm in air).

The Repugs want to pass the bill so that the six weeks extension starts exactly six weeks before Xmas, then they can say what good Santas they are by giving everybody a nice gift.

So, are they the Grinch or Scrooge (without the lessons learned)?

TomCat said...

Cute Marva, but isn't it more like them to wait until right after the after-Christmas sales end?