Glenn Beck is a Socialist and a Communist!

Glenn Beck apparently wants to be the next Martin Luther King Jr.  Apparently Glenn Beck doesn't know anything about MLK's beliefs.  Here's a handy primer for anyone who might be suckered into thinking there are similarities.

Graffiti with a purpose.

I saw this message in Elm Park yesterday, and I don't think it was part of Art In The Park.

Sign Spotting.

I wonder if Mike will do another post on Worcester's political signs.  If he does, I'm curious to see what he will say about Paul Franco's sign:

Does he not want to be seen at night?  Is he playing off the Army's black and gold color scheme?  This picture was taken at high noon, with a few afternoon shadows creeping towards the sign.  I wonder how it will look at night.

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Sadly, my favorite mixed message picture is no more.  

Apparently someone has bought this abandoned house and doing some improvements, which is great.  Boarded up houses are never fun, even when they have political signs on the front lawn.

Next Week's Traffic Report.

In honor of Jeff Barnard's annual school's about to start post, here's a few images of Newton Square:

 I don't envy anyone who has to navigate Newton Square next week.  It would have been nice to see all this done before the yellow school buses started rolling, and I thought they would get it done.  Now I'm not so sure.

I'll try to get some pictures of the inevitable traffic jam next week.  Hopefully it won't be as bad as this.

What about the 3rd Congressional Distict?

This Far Left Side comic strip is the best summation of last night's Shrewsbury League of Women Voters' debate between the Robert Delle, Michael Stopa, Marty Lamb and Brian Herr.  (Robert Chipman wasn't in attendance.)  I've yet to hear them discuss local issues, only jump on the latest Republican/Tea Party meme.  Here are a few howlers from their websites:

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From Michael Stopa's Core Belief: I Believe in American Exceptionalism:

"For that reason, in the dungeons around the globe the sound of our name has often been the sound of hope."

Or would that be the sound of waterboarding and 'enhanced interrogation techniques?  Michael Stopa is also a fan of Atlas Shrugged:

"Another great article, this one about why "Atlas Shrugged" is more meaningful today than ever before. Businesses cannot and will not grow and thrive until government gets out of their way. And that won't happen unless we defeat liberals like McGovern!"

Bonus points for Mr. Stopa: he has a blog with actual updates, unlike Robert Delle's blog.

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From Marty Lamb's Issues page on Illegal Immigration:

"2. Authorizing the deployment of the United States military along the border and building a permanent border. 

5. Limit birthright citizenship to the children of United States citizens and legal permanent residents."

We have a permanent border, affirmed by treaties with Mexico and Canada, Marty.  Perhaps you mean fence, not border?  And have you ever heard of the Posse Comitatus Act, or the 14th Ammendment?  I do appreciate his efforts to use his name throughout the website, referring to himself in the third person as "The Lamb Chop" and his signs as "Lambscaping."

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Brian Herr can only talk in bullet points.  Check out his sparse Talking Points Cribbed From Watching Fox News Page Issues page:

"o    Repeal the crippling aspects of the recent health care legislation and push common sense reforms"

 What would those common sense reforms be?  Perhaps he doesn't know, because later he says:

"·         I will be a true Citizen Legislator and Representative.  True representatives seek to understand the general will of their constituents and then serve as a voice for them in Washington."

He used the future tense, so I guess after he is elected, he ask us what the common sense reforms are?

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Robert Delle's casual knowledge of grammar and spelling hasn't changed since I first reviewed his website.  Nor has he expanded his list of links, which consists of one: Newsmax.com.  Newsmax happens to be the favorite of another spelling challenged talking point candidate, Ms. Sarah Palin:

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 Bob Chipman is also a fan of bullet points, and his first Issue is the following:

"No Voice in Congress. Independent and moderate voters are under the discretion of Speaker Pelosi and the democratic controlled Congress."

That's called an election, Mr. Chipman.  The Pelosi/Reid Junta didn't invade Washington D.C. and stage a coup of the Republican Congress (despite what Glenn Beck told you).  I find it funny that he thinks all non-Democrats are 'independent and moderate.'  Like Robert Z. Nemeth, he seems to confuse independent with Republican.

Nativism is alive and well.

Following up on yesterday's post is an Op-ed from the New York Times' Ross Douthat.  Douthat makes the argument that mainstream pressure on immigrants to assimilate is in the best interest of our society.  He makes the argument in the context of the 'Ground-Zero Mosque,' but references the Nativist and  Know-Nothings of 19th century America and says that:

"Nativist concerns about Catholicism’s illiberal tendencies inspired American Catholics to prod their church toward a recognition of the virtues of democracy, making it possible for generations of immigrants to feel unambiguously Catholic and American."

How he can make the argument that violence, murder, intimidation and discrimination is the best path to promote assimilation escapes me.  Salon.com's Joan Walsh has an excellent rebuttal.

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While we are on the subject of the 'Ground Zero Mosque,' here's a blog post from the Village Voice's Foster Kamer putting the location of the Park 51 Community Center in perspective.

And The Daily Show nails it as usual:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mosque-Erade
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Tea Partiers, pay attention!

It's never been easy in America as an immigrant.  It doesn't matter what year, or even what century we live in.  It seems to be an American tradition to hate newcomers.