This is the ugly face of fascism. Real, genuine fascism. Fascism doesn't work unless it can get a significant portion of the population to get angry and scared about things that are phony. Germany invaded Poland on a lie. It marched Jews to concentration camps on lies. Everything that the Republicans have stood for and by which they continued to reap financial benefit have been lies. They must create fear and division.

In some ways, these ugly last few months can be seen as the death throes of this particular fascist eruption. Or it could be used as a justification of some version of martial law by the national security wing. But this seems to be the beginning of the end of something.

More reasonable Republicans:

GRAND RAPIDS -- He endorsed John McCain in the presidential primary, but now former Republican Gov. William Milliken is expressing doubts about his party's nominee.

"He is not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken, reached at his Traverse City home Thursday. "He keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me.

"I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

Milliken, a lifelong Republican, is among some past leaders from the party's moderate wing voicing reservations and, in some cases, opposition to McCain's candidacy.

During a stop in Grand Rapids on Thursday, Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican U.S. senator from Rhode Island, said he's voting for Obama and urging others to do likewise.

McCain campaigned for Chafee's unsuccessful re-election bid in 2006, but Chafee said he is concerned McCain has swung to the right, a divisive strategy that could make it difficult for him to govern.

"That's not my kind of Republicanism," said Chafee, who now calls himself an independent. "I saw what Bush and Cheney did. They came in with a (budget) surplus and a stable world, and look what's happened now. In eight short years they've taken one peaceful and prosperous world, and they've torn it into tatters."

As for McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his running mate, "there's no question she's totally unqualified," Chafee said.

Well here's a tale from my backyard. Hunting season starts tomorrow. I always have a few gorgeous bucks in my yard this time of year and the neighborhood, to protect ourselves, post our property and chain up the driveways - normally tonight.
This morning about 4:30 I hear crashing outside. My favorite buck is racing to the backyard followed by 2 big hunters, fully outfitted, carrying guns. Dogs break out, lots of shouting and as I'm dialing the police they start screaming at me that the govt is collapsing and they are just trying to feed their families so get out of the way...
So it starts.

That video made me feel sick.  I would never yell those things at McCain supporters.  I would ignore them.  The level that non-issues are sinking through to the people in this video is stunning.  

Visit me at Tunnel Traveller

John Weaver, McCain's former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior

Since when do national-level Republicans care about responsibility? They've gone to the ends of the earth to fix blame on everyone else but themselves. Name the problem, it's the liberals' fault. Name an issue, it's the liberals and their agenda.

And the worst thing is that many conservatives like to talk about personal responsibility. Too bad the national level people don't believe in that.


Recommended by Hideo Kojima

Oh, just get a job, BooMan.  Can't you see these are the people of the heartland, salt of the earth, morally centered church going people.....who all just happen to have the day off to go to a barn burning I mean McPalin rally...

They are panicking, these people in the video. Evolution has passed them by, and they are panicking.

Frankly, I do not think that they are any kind of real threat.

Two, three generations ago? When they still had the taste of red meat in their mouths? When they ruled their communities by the use of terror? By the use of force?

OH yes!!!

Now?

Now they need Viagra just to get themselves up in the morning, most of them. They are helpless little shades of their savage grandparents.

Thank God for small favors.

AG

P.S. Now Blackwater and the other mercenary corps? ? The right wing-dominated armed forces? Intel? The angry, God-obsessed Xian right?

Now that's a whole 'nother ball of burning wax.

These people?

Ain't much to 'em. really.

All's they're gonna do is vote and blather.

Bet on it.

Vote, blather, settle down in front of their Fox network-tuned TVs and then slide on down into extinction by overeating.

Thank God for large favors as well.


Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

Angry mob provoked violence - a concern, but I'm more concerned that Bushco will use the violence to cancel the elections, that that is part of their current strategy

Viva Obama

This reminds of the comments hurled at us when we protested at a Dole/Kemp rally.

The crazy and hateful are still with us.

One of our group was even told to get off welfare. LOL!!

I want someone to ask one of these clowns for a definition of socialism.

Re Hannity, Savage, Limbaugh and the battalion of public hate mongers, it's about time we brought back the Fairness Doctrine and allowed these malicious and slanderous charges to be refuted on company time. That's right, by those who have been so victimized.  They get a chance to respond on  the same media that the original  charge was made and at no cost to themselves.  That would go a long way, I think, in muzzling such pathetic and vitriolic statements.

Suppose you scrub your ethical skin until it shines, but inside there is no music, then what? Kabir

Another responsible Republican:

A seven-term Republican Congressman from Illinois is taking issue with fellow Republican Sarah Palin, saying some of the vice presidential candidate's rallies "don't befit the office she's running for."

Republican Congressman Ray LaHood represents the 18th District: central and western Illinois, including Peoria.  He's retiring in January.

LaHood supports the McCain ticket, but doesn't like what he sees at some of the McCain-Palin rallies: When Barack Obama's name has been mentioned by Sarah Palin, there are shouts of "terrorist," and LaHood says Palin should put a stop to it.

"Look it.  This doesn't befit the office that she's running for.  And frankly, people don't like it."

Congressman LaHood says it could backfire on the Republican ticket.

He says the names that Obama is being called,  "Certainly don't reflect the character of the man."

I am so disgusted with all of this hate. I am appalled that the two rallies where people yelled out "He's a terrorist" and "Kill him" should have been stopped right then and there. Palin and McCain should have condemned these words right then and therre but what do they do and continue to do? Ignore it and then repeat it.

Arthur says don't be afraid of these people? Are you kidding me? These are the people that used to wear white sheets Arthur. This is what this country and eight years of fascists ruling has brought us to. These former closet bigots are now out.

I was speaking with someone yesterday that is a born again and she is stocking up for the "end times". That to me, that people think that way and feel there is nothing they can do that this is all God's Will is what is scarey to me.

This comment may not go over well, but most of these themes were raised and tested during the primaries by the Clinton campaign.  Drugs, association with terrorists (Ayers) and so-called radical black activists (Jackson, Wright), etc.  Among certain groups of voters, they worked.  The Republicans are the refuge for lots of these voters.  I am not one bit surprised that McCain and Palin are using what has already been shown to be effective with a certain kind of voter.  Hopefully, they will experience a massive blowback or backlash.

I guess once your reputation is shot, you can shill for ANYTHING:

Gen. Powell calls Senator Steven's word 'sterling':

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27120339/

I do supposed it is some sort of seriously tarnished silver, sir.

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..