

Today’s L.A. Times letters to the editor, because our voices matter:
Re “Time to grow up, GOP,” Opinion, Jan. 15
Jonah Goldberg accurately describes some of the Republican Party’s problems, but he is deluding himself if he truly believes its main issue is that it isn’t doing a good job of persuading Americans.
The real problem for the Republican Party is the extreme ideological views of its core constituencies. The religious right believes God is on its side; economically conservative Republicans believe in failed policies of deregulation and trickle-down tax rules; climate-change deniers believe global warming is a hoax; the GOP money establishment maintains that giving money to politicians is free speech rather than legalized bribery; and the gun-rights wing is opposed to any sensible measures on firearms.
The problem is not that Republicans haven’t done a good job of persuading but rather that their views are unpersuasive.
Michael Asher
Valley Village
***
Goldberg expresses his frustration that conservatism is not connecting with the masses. Could it be because many Americans rely on the basic government safety nets that the conservatives want to eliminate? And when the religious right hijacked the GOP, it turned off moderate conservatives.
Goldberg doesn’t address these issues, but they are a big part of the reason voters have turned away from the GOP. And until the party realizes that the demographic changes in this country don’t favor Republicans, it will continue to lose national elections.
Mike Lockridge
Mission Viejo
My impassioned 72-year-old friend (who is now 75, but who’s counting?), who goes by the Twitter name @42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about a few Republican gun-revering buffoons and their response to the Newtown massacre. I am more than happy to oblige.
But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:
Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.
Buffoons
Last Friday, an horrific event occurred in our country, where 26 human beings, 20 of them young children, were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, by a deranged individual.
Like many of you, I shed tears over the weekend as we learned more and more of the facts as to what actually took place at the school. When I think about what took place and the horror those children, teachers and school official went through, I still tear up, even as I write this special comment.
But I get extremely upset, mad, angry, irate or whatever word that describes outrage, when I read and hear the remarks coming from the religious right and the right wing of the Republican Party regarding what took place at the school.
Consider the following remarks and statements:
Huckabee in his remarks about God being removed from schools, forgets there is such a thing as the separation of church and state.
As far as Gohmert and Perry, I wonder what they would say if a student overpowered a teacher and took a gun and used it. Who would they blame? The teacher for not be strong enough? Would they expect a 100-pound female teacher to take on a male high school student?
Will getting a teaching degree or certification require taking Hand Gun 101 and Shot Gun 102?
No one seems to have taken into consideration the possible ramification of an armed school. It’s like they want to take us back to the wild, wild, west.
The fact that Ms. Allen could make such a remark when six women gave their lives trying protect the students in their schools is disgusting and outrageous.
All of the above statements, were from buffoons pushing their own agendas and not really trying to address the issues that confront the nation. I hope the task force being headed by Vice Pres. Joe Biden can come up with the solutions that will prevent such tragedy from ever happening again.
Many thanks again for another thorough, relevant piece, @42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.
Wait, so according to Rick Santorum, preventing and condemning another from loving someone, caring deeply for someone, having a legal, monogamous, life-long relationship with the person of their choice is now more important than all that passionate “pro-life”, “baby killer” talk?
“Man on Dog” Santorum’s priority is no longer the irrational love of zygotes? Who’d a thunk it? He’s now placing the fight against love between two consenting adults over his obsession with women’s reproductive rights.
That’s right, he’s suddenly more focused on men’s private parts than women’s.
Via Salon, where there are more details, here he at a closed-door Spokane fundraiser for the Family Policy Institute of Washington:
“The movement you are fighting is the most important movement to win,” Santorum added. He said it is even more important that the movement to block abortion in America. He warned that marriage will “disintegrate” along with the American family if same-sex marriage becomes legal.
“This issue will destroy and undermine the church in American more than any other movement,” said Santorum.
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I got an email from Sean Harris just now… at least I think it’s from him. I have no idea why, since I didn’t write a post about him (I didn’t want to expose our readers to his vile screed), nor did I tweet about the utterly disgusting, despicable things he said. Instead, I chose to shun the poor excuse for a human being.
He likely blast-emailed every political site in the entire blogosphere.
Here’s a screen grab of the email, which I assume is authentic based on the return address (which I blacked out). If not, one of his supporters is desperate to rebuild what’s left of his wretched image:
You can’t click on that link, and yes, that was intentional.
In the letter that the link takes you to, he says he “misspoke.” No, Pastor Sean, using the term “misspoke” to cover your ass just doesn’t cut it when you devote an entire sermon to encourage violence, sick hatred, verbal abuse, and bigotry.
Here’s Lawrence O’Donnell’s take since I don’t have the stomach to go further. The video includes everything I’ve avoided writing about, in case you missed it:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
“No, sweetheart,” you get no second chances. You were clear enough the first time.
Wow, this clip is no where, can’t even find in on The Late Show site. Via Mediaite who poli8tics blah blah blah.
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