How Republicans really feel

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA) was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."   (Harwood, Wall Street Journal, 9/9).

I wish the GOP would be this honest in their platform.

[John Dibble]

Let's assume for a moment that this one guy did say this - so, then, how does this one guy's opinion(which may have been a joke in bad taste) constitute the opinion of the rest of the people he shares a party with?

[Alcon]

I was unaware that things one idiot is saying qualified for the party platform.

That having been said, this was incredibly callous, especially for someone born in New Orleans.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Obviously I don't believe that Baker represents the whole GOP when he makes a comment like this.

But I think it is symptomatic of the lack of attention and respect that the Republicans have given to poverty as one of our country's most pressing problems.    People like Baker clearly wish that poor people would just go away, and I don't see many of his fellow party members proposing a more fruitful solution.

[Moooooo]

Wow.  Just wow.

[J. J.]

God had a lot of help cleaning out from Nagin.  A least they are saying the death toll might be less than expected.

[angus]

How do republicans really feel?

How do democrats really feel?

How do poor black folks from the projects really feel?

How do NFL quarterbacks really feel?

How do laywers, in love, really feel?

How do bitter females really feel?

How do environmentalists really feel?

How do people with three nipples really feel?

How do Catholic homosexuals really feel?


"something there that doesn't love a wall."
  --Robert Frost, from Mending Wall, my 2nd favorite of his poems.

And not just wind and waves.  Some posters are determined to build as many fences as they can.  Methaphorically speaking.  This is unfortunate, since the world is an unforgiving harsh place at times.  We need each other.  (by the way, you haven't made a habit of dividing folks based on party, race, religion, or geography.  I don't think you really want to start now.)  These emotional or sociological walls are not something I love. 

I was watching a Red Cross concert for hurricane katrina relief.  I heard a nice song, which I'm sure we all know well.  I'll post the lyrics here.

Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame
You say...

One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it's...

Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One...
Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...life

One


It was U2's opening song in this particular concert.  I thought it a particularly appropriate choice.  It certainly represents many of my thoughts about the (political) aftermath of Katrina and the Waves.



Edit:  I posted earlier that this was a Red Cross-sponsored event.  I was mistaken.  It is a Salvation Army concert for Hurricane Relief.  You may learn more about it, or make a donation, by calling 1-866-4AIDNOW.

[dazzleman]

It was an ugly comment to make, especially in light of the suffering caused by the hurricane.

In all honesty though, most people would fight tooth and nail to keep public housing out of their neighborhood.  There are a lot more de facto enemies of public housing than there are Republicans.

[opebo]

Obviously this is the attitude of not only the majority of Republicans, but the majority of whites. 

Just being realistic.

[dazzleman]

Obviously this is the attitude of not only the majority of Republicans, but the majority of whites. 

Just being realistic.

...and also some blacks.  I have a friend who's black who made distance from public housing one of her major criteria in looking for a house.

Realistically, there's a major dichotomy in the minds of most people on public housing, even people of goodwill.  One the one hand, we wish the best for people who are forced to live in public housing; on the other hand, we don't want to be subjected to the problems that inevitably come with certain types of public housing.  That's just realistic.

Some of public housing's severest critics are those who used to live in it.  People who used to live in it, and got out, are often the people who hate public housing the most.  They don't necessarily hate all the people who live there, people who are their friends, but they just hate the whole package -- the crime, the ugliness, the drug dealing, the fact that everything's always broken, nothing ever works, etc.

Not all distaste for public housing is based purely on ill will toward anybody who lives there.

[??????????]

Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA) was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."   (Harwood, Wall Street Journal, 9/9).

LOL!!! But yet pretty bad.

[KEmperor]

I feel slightly hungry, but how I really feel is tired.  How do Democrats feel?

[Joe Republic]

I feel slightly hungry, but how I really feel is tired.  How do Democrats feel?

BLOODTHIRSTY

[minionofmidas]

If you take this one literally...no, of course that's not how Reps really feel. But yeah, it's fairly telling of the attitude of loads of (not all) Reps, including on this board.

[dazzleman]

If you take this one literally...no, of course that's not how Reps really feel. But yeah, it's fairly telling of the attitude of loads of (not all) Reps, including on this board.

I think most people have a generally negative view of public housing, given the problems that inevitably come with it.

But it's a stretch to go from not really liking public housing, to being happy to see hundreds of thousands of people driven from their homes.

It's really a matter of degree.

[minionofmidas]

If you take this one literally...no, of course that's not how Reps really feel. But yeah, it's fairly telling of the attitude of loads of (not all) Reps, including on this board.

I think most people have a generally negative view of public housing, given the problems that inevitably come with it.

But it's a stretch to go from not really liking public housing, to being happy to see hundreds of thousands of people driven from their homes.

It's really a matter of degree.

Yeah...I didn't mean about public housing so much as about New Orleans in general, though.

[Giant Saguaro]

"Overheard?" Well, if this statement was made, do we know without ambiguity the context?

[opebo]

Obviously this is the attitude of not only the majority of Republicans, but the majority of whites. 

Just being realistic.

...and also some blacks.  I have a friend who's black who made distance from public housing one of her major criteria in looking for a house.

Realistically, there's a major dichotomy in the minds of most people on public housing, even people of goodwill.  One the one hand, we wish the best for people who are forced to live in public housing; on the other hand, we don't want to be subjected to the problems that inevitably come with certain types of public housing.  That's just realistic.

Some of public housing's severest critics are those who used to live in it.  People who used to live in it, and got out, are often the people who hate public housing the most.  They don't necessarily hate all the people who live there, people who are their friends, but they just hate the whole package -- the crime, the ugliness, the drug dealing, the fact that everything's always broken, nothing ever works, etc.

Not all distaste for public housing is based purely on ill will toward anybody who lives there.

No, no.  The fellow speaking was fantasizing a hurricane-provided genocide of blacks, not the destruction of some particular type of building, dazzleman.  This genocide is what I am saying is the generally GOP and white attitude.  They delight in the misfortunes of those they hate - they enjoy seeing blacks made worse off in the same way they enjoyed the impact of AIDS upon the gay community.

[dazzleman]

No, no.  The fellow speaking was fantasizing a hurricane-provided genocide of blacks, not the destruction of some particular type of building, dazzleman.  This genocide is what I am saying is the generally GOP and white attitude.  They delight in the misfortunes of those they hate - they enjoy seeing blacks made worse off in the same way they enjoyed the impact of AIDS upon the gay community.

You need serious help.

[MODU]

Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA) was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."   (Harwood, Wall Street Journal, 9/9).

I wish the GOP would be this honest in their platform.

I would have expected something like this from Missy, but not you Nick.  Don't fall into the blind partisanship hack trap.

[Cubby]

Obviously this is the attitude of not only the majority of Republicans, but the majority of whites. 

Just being realistic.

...and also some blacks.  I have a friend who's black who made distance from public housing one of her major criteria in looking for a house.

Realistically, there's a major dichotomy in the minds of most people on public housing, even people of goodwill.  One the one hand, we wish the best for people who are forced to live in public housing; on the other hand, we don't want to be subjected to the problems that inevitably come with certain types of public housing.  That's just realistic.

Some of public housing's severest critics are those who used to live in it.  People who used to live in it, and got out, are often the people who hate public housing the most.  They don't necessarily hate all the people who live there, people who are their friends, but they just hate the whole package -- the crime, the ugliness, the drug dealing, the fact that everything's always broken, nothing ever works, etc.

Not all distaste for public housing is based purely on ill will toward anybody who lives there.

No, no.  The fellow speaking was fantasizing a hurricane-provided genocide of blacks, not the destruction of some particular type of building, dazzleman.  This genocide is what I am saying is the generally GOP and white attitude.  They delight in the misfortunes of those they hate - they enjoy seeing blacks made worse off in the same way they enjoyed the impact of AIDS upon the gay community.

While your're right about the GOP's love of AIDS (Reagan himself felt those with the disease deserved it), lately Ken Mehlman and Evil Karl Rove have been openly courting blacks to join their party. I don't think they support a genocide of blacks, who they see as potential voters, but they do hate public housing.

Also, Orleans county was something like 80% for Kerry last year and makes up a big part of LA's population. While they are (hopefully) appalled at the destruction from Katrina, I'm sure the GOP is privately happy that a big bastion of Democrat support is now dispersed throughout the country. The Drudge Report said some refugees are even going to Utah!!

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/09/MTFH18824_2005-09-09_21-12-19_SPI974148.html

[Gabu]

Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA) was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."   (Harwood, Wall Street Journal, 9/9).

In summary, what he said is as follows:

"We did it.  We couldn't do it; someone else did."

Let p be "we were able to do it".

If you did something, then you were obviously able to do it, so "we did it" is equivalent to p.

Therefore, he declared the following:

p and not p.

At least make a statement that is not self-contradictory if you're going to say something controversial...

[Jake]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[A18]

While your're right about the GOP's love of AIDS (Reagan himself felt those with the disease deserved it),

Source?

[??????????]

Obviously this is the attitude of not only the majority of Republicans, but the majority of whites. 

Just being realistic.

...and also some blacks.  I have a friend who's black who made distance from public housing one of her major criteria in looking for a house.

Realistically, there's a major dichotomy in the minds of most people on public housing, even people of goodwill.  One the one hand, we wish the best for people who are forced to live in public housing; on the other hand, we don't want to be subjected to the problems that inevitably come with certain types of public housing.  That's just realistic.

Some of public housing's severest critics are those who used to live in it.  People who used to live in it, and got out, are often the people who hate public housing the most.  They don't necessarily hate all the people who live there, people who are their friends, but they just hate the whole package -- the crime, the ugliness, the drug dealing, the fact that everything's always broken, nothing ever works, etc.

Not all distaste for public housing is based purely on ill will toward anybody who lives there.

No, no.  The fellow speaking was fantasizing a hurricane-provided genocide of blacks, not the destruction of some particular type of building, dazzleman.  This genocide is what I am saying is the generally GOP and white attitude.  They delight in the misfortunes of those they hate - they enjoy seeing blacks made worse off in the same way they enjoyed the impact of AIDS upon the gay community.

While your're right about the GOP's love of AIDS (Reagan himself felt those with the disease deserved it), lately Ken Mehlman and Evil Karl Rove have been openly courting blacks to join their party. I don't think they support a genocide of blacks, who they see as potential voters, but they do hate public housing.

Also, Orleans county was something like 80% for Kerry last year and makes up a big part of LA's population. While they are (hopefully) appalled at the destruction from Katrina, I'm sure the GOP is privately happy that a big bastion of Democrat support is now dispersed throughout the country. The Drudge Report said some refugees are even going to Utah!!

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/09/MTFH18824_2005-09-09_21-12-19_SPI974148.html

Public Housing certainly is a terrible thing as it leads to increases in crime and drug use, dealing, etc.