From TPM Reader DM …
I’ve been a longtime silent reader and thought I’d weigh in on the Massa issue. I agree that “treason” is a very strong word. But I’m not sure if it has been emphasized enough how unacceptable the frequent tags of “Nazi”, “fascist”, and the comparisons of Obama with Hitler really are. To compare the efforts to extend health care to tens of millions of uninsured with a man who sent six million to the gas chambers is not only ludicrous, it is highly offensive and an insult to the tens of millions of people that have died in two world wars this century fighting against real “fascists.” How did this debate get so out of hand? Why will so-called reasonable Republicans like McCain not condemn such inflamatory language by defacto party leaders such as Limbaugh? Why is the media not pushing them to do so? As a non-US citizen, I must admit I am baffled, not to say a little frightened at the lack of reason in the current debate. The gun toting crazies outside Obama and health care events are another case in point. Who on earth in their right mind could argue that this does not amount to intimidation of those seeking a reasoned, rational debate? Where are the responsible Republican leaders speaking out against this frightening trend?
Public Policy Polling has a new poll out on the national ‘birther’ movement. And it turns out to be another fascinating look at the mystic overlap between ideological and simple ignorance.
Of the 24% of the population in the ‘birther’ category, one interesting thing to note is that more Americans seem to think Obama was born in Indonesia (10%) than Kenya (7%), which suggests not only that a frighteningly large number of Americans are birthers but that they have a shockingly low level of basic ‘birther’ literacy. As you know, according to orthodox ‘birther’ theory, Obama was born in Kenya.
Even better, 6% fully concede that Obama was born in Hawaii. They just don’t believe Hawaii is part of the United States.
[ed.note: Special thanks to TPM Reader SR for flagging my attention to the poll.]
From TPM Reader AB …
I was with the NY caucus at Netroots Nation when Massa was speaking. The guy is super-passionate and very, very articulate when it comes to health care, and not a lot of people realize that the guy is a cancer survivor. He is a huge believer that every American should have the same access to care that he had when he was in the military, and frankly he considers it almost a crime that not everybody does.
When looking at what Massa says about healthcare, and his passion about the subject, his comments about Grassley, and his very, very strongly negative opinions of health insurers, it is very important to understand where he’s personally coming from on the issue.
Aussie Reader PB, a comrade in the united socialist front of western industrial nations:
I’m a long time reader of your blog and a big fan. But i’m turning off all access to US media, it simply depresses me. I cannot understand why a bunch of people feel so outraged about having universal health care policy. How is that socialism? My country along with a bunch of Europeans have had similar systems for years and although they’re not perfect, they allow for the poor, middle and upper classes to seek treatment at no cost.
On a holiday to new york several years ago my grandmother had a heart attack, fell into a coma and passed away nine days later. We were told at the time that she was officially brain dead and that she had no chance of waking up. Thankfully we had travel insurance as there would have been no way we could of afforded treatment. Regardless it put into spotlight the difference between our two countries. If the heart attack occured in australia the treatment would have been no different and it would have been free. I can’t understand how the richest country in the world can’t have a similar system.
Thinking back on those bleak days in the 1930s, when fascism was on the march, the world was hurtling toward war and Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany and instituted the public option.
Dave Weigel compares the LaRouchie rhetoric on the president’s health care plan and the Republican party’s … and tries to find a difference.
Seems like only a few years ago the “nuclear option” was abolishing the filibuster. Now it’s just pushing through a health care bill without Chuck Grassley?
TPM Reader BG has a word or two for TPM’s foreign correspondents:
I’m ever so slightly irritated by the recent comments from two non-US citizens. Perhaps I’m reading too much into them when I seem to sense the subtle insinuation that this craziness is baffling only to them and not to most of us as well.