Keith…who?
Keith Olbermann. His excellent news commentary program titled Countdown can be seen on MSNBC, weeknights, 8-9 p.m. Eastern time. It’s smart, witty and downright funny. I watched the program every single night during my recent visit to the States. I was instantly hooked. Still am, for that matter.
What I really like is that Keith does his research. He backs up his commentaries with video clips, etc. If you would like to have a look at some of the Countdown videos, click on:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#27329785
I just watched this one, which inspired me to write this post: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#27313459
And yes, in case you were wondering, I did cast my vote before leaving the U.S. It fell into the “in-person absentee voting” category. But I can assure you, I was not “absent” at all. Nope, I was in-person present. One hundred percent.
I’m so glad you voted while you were back in the US.
I’ve been trying to figure out why the Republicans have turned helping people into a bad thing. Spreading the wealth around, for example. What people don’t seem to understand is that the average middle/working class person isn’t going to have ANYTHING taken away from them. They’re getting all bent out of shape so MILLIONAIRES can keep more of THEIR money.
I know a pretty wealthy person who volunteers to prepare tax returns for the poor (mostly elderly and working poor). She told me that some of her clients pay more taxes than she does. How is that right?
It’s really time to stop being so greedy, Americans. Sharing with people who aren’t as well as off as we are is not a bad thing. What does it say about a candidate who’s trying to convince us that it is?
So am I!
And, it says A LOT.
If a lie gets repeated often enough, the saying goes, it becomes the accepted wisdom. Unfortunately…
Margaret
AND… permit me a shallow moment here, but Keith is SAH-mokin’ hot, too. Smart AND purdy. And I have a girl crush on Rachel Maddow, too. So pretty, so petite, and then — BZZZZ! — she delicately puts an interviewee through the shredder. It’s a wonderful thing to watch.
P.S. For all the talk about the “Liberal Media,” there is so little evidence that I think Keith and Rachel are more like token representatives.
I just want to comment on the post that stated “Republicans have turned helping people into a bad thing” and give you my perspective.
I am truly all for helping people and I give more than my fair share to the charities of my choice and to people in need. What I don’t agree with is the government dictating who I give my money to!
Please let me give you an example…….My husband Bob and I worked hard, really hard, all of our lives in retail. We owned our own grocery, market and deli bought and paid for by the sweat of our brow. I can’t tell you how may times a day we had customers who came in and were on welfare and foodstamps. They would buy the most expensive cuts of meat, the most expensive frozen and deli foods we had….all with food stamps. Then, they would cash their welfare checks and turn around and buy beer, liquor, tobacco, and other expensive non-food items. Of course they then let us know that the rest of the cash from their welfare checks would be for their nightly card games and their weekly trips to the casino. It amused them that some people (like us) had to actually work for a living. They slept most of the day and played all night. Their quality of living, as far as the foods they bought was better than our own, and we OWNED the store!
While we would eat chicken and ground meat on sale, they were eating filet mignons and ribeye steak…..Unfortunately, this wasn’t just a few people. This was practiced by 90% of our welfare and food stamp customers, and they made up at least half of our business……..So, this is another side of the story. One that isn’t talked about in the media. I really think it’s unfair that I should have to work 12 hour days, 5 or 6 days a week, to give half of my earnings to support the lifestyle of people who have never worked, who don’t want to work and who were insulted when we dared to offer them a job……..(oh….and they well let us know that it was easy to get welfare and foodstamps…..you just had to know how to lie on the applications)
We are Republicans and we’re not greedy! We pay a lot in the way of taxes! We do share what we have! We just don’t believe in being forced to give away what we’ve worked so hard for to people who don’t deserve it. It’s not fair to us and it does not motivate people who abuse the system to get a job.
If I seem to be defensive in my latest posts, I’m sorry……..It’s just that I have a different view of things that stem from the experiences I’ve had with a system that seems to give to those who don’t want to work for what they have….taken from those of us who have worked very hard for what we do have……
OK….sigh……blast away at me if you must…….
Hi Val,
I grew up in a rural area and still live in one. I’m sure I haven’t seen a lot of what you’ve seen, so maybe I’m being naive and idealistic.
I came from a middle class family and a long line of entrepreneurs, doctors, farmers, engineers and pioneers. We own a business and we pay our employees very well. We have full medical coverage (a nice plan with dental and Rx). We treat them the way we’d like to be treated.
What I see though, is a lot of unscrupulous people benefiting from the labor of the middle class and working poor without wanting to give anything back. They don’t want to raise minimum wage or pay for benefits. There are so many stories of people being exploited. Our tax dollars are going for corporate welfare to companies who can afford to pay their own way. There’s a double standard.
I guess that’s what makes me so upset. In my business, if I make a stupid mistake, my employees and I pay for it. Nobody offers me loans or piles of money to try again. My competitors are huge companies who receive government subsidies.
Since you’re a shopkeeper, have you had a Wal-mart move into your town with the help of tax abatements and such? That’s kind of how I feel every day when I lose a customer to one of the telcos.
I think this is what’s causing the backlash. We see the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
I’m glad to know your side of things. I don’t think anyone here means to be hostile. It’s very hard to tell what someone’s tone is without hearing them speak or seeing their expressions and body language.
I don’t think the country is going to turn into a socialist state in 4 years. We (our country) survived FDR, Kennedy, Johnson and Clinton. I’m sure we’re going to be ok. It’s just time for the pendulum to swing back the other way. Maybe it can at least make us a more tolerant nation.