OK, so today’s little gathering at which literally DOZENS of teabaggers showed up to decry the horrible bill that would ensure health care to people who don’t have it, the following happened today.

Rep. John Lewis, (D-GA), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a “n—-r” by screaming protestors.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, (D-MD), was spit on by teabaggers.

Rep. Barney Frank, (D-MA), was called a “faggot” by protesters using intentionally “lispy” voices.

Several protesters carried signs threatening gun violence.  (See accompanying pictures.)

One sign says, “I didn’t vote for the socialist” and has a picture of a jackass with President Obama’s head coming out of the donkey’s ass.

How many of these old, white teabaggers want Washington to get its dirty hands out of their social security and medicare, too?

These are the people who say they represent “grass roots” America.  The people who would taunt, mock, and throw dollar bills at a disabled man.  The people who would shout the worst insult of all at a civil rights hero.  The people who would use a homophobic slur against a congressman who has done more for the common good than the entire group of teabaggers will ever do in their lifetimes, the people who spit on a congressman for the “sin” of supporting health care for people so that they don’t die for lack of insurance.  The people carrying signs threatening to kill people who vote for passage of the bill.

If this is “grass roots” America… then I fear the lawn has been infested with grubs.

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• True Colors (Even Worse Than We Thought) (talkingpointsmemo.com)

The guy with Parkinson’s disease who got taunted and mocked and had money thrown at him during a teabagger rally in Ohio has been identified.

The man with Parkinson’s who sat down in front of a group of anti-health reform rally in Ohio this week, only to have dollar bills thrown at him by an angry protester screaming about “handouts,” tells TPM in a phone interview that he was aiming to present his own body as a powerful symbol of the debate.

“I feel I embody the controversy that was being fought out,” Bob Letcher, 60, tells us. “No one was engaging, everyone was screaming. I thought, I don’t have to scream, I just have to be there. I walked over and sat down … I sort of presented myself as an argument by myself.”

Now this is very, very brave.  To have such a debilitating infirmity, to sit silently in the face of such hatred not knowing if one of these idiots is gonna throw a brick at you or hit you with a sign… I think of it as kind of a “Rosa Parkinson’s” kind of moment.

Letcher says he has been on disability since 2005. His last job was teaching science and technology policy at Ohio State. He had brain surgery in 2006, paid for by Medicare and by a charitable contribution from the Cleveland Clinic, he says.

“I feel really responsible — the most important thing to me is thanking everyone who made that surgery possible.”

How he maintained such dignity is beyond me.  When I faced down a protester a year ago in February for carrying a sign saying that taxpayers were “niggars”, I almost lost my temper with him.  Thank God I had Gail with me to drag me away.

In a scene captured by the Columbus Dispatch that went viral online, a second protester then came up to Letcher. “No, no, I’ll pay for this guy. Here you go, start a pot. I’ll pay for you,” he says, as he places a dollar bill in Letcher’s lap.

“I’ll decide when to give you money,” the man screams, throwing another bill at Letcher.

Letcher said the dude looked like he had a lot of practice at being “cold.”

But it wasn’t all bad.

A “teabag kind of guy” holding a “don’t tread on me” flag at one point came over to Letcher in the street and whispered “hey buddy, you better move, that car almost hit you.”

“That was the only hopeful thing that came out of that day. Otherwise it was terribly discouraging,” says Letcher.

Still, Bob Letcher is my hero!  Bravery and dignity in the face of such blind, disgusting ignorance and hatred is to be admired.

And he makes me realize — I’ve been missing the boat.  I’ve been diagnosed as long as Letcher has, and I’m probably just as impaired.  So later today I’m gonna make ME a sign and carry it down to a busy street corner, plunk my ass down on a curb and hope teabaggers will throw money at ME!

Just sent a copy of my three most recent books to my Mommy.  Sent a PDF version to my brother, Joe.  Sent a copy of Hunky Dunk to my sister-in-law since her late hubby inspired me to write it.  I’ve sent some copies to folks who promise they will read them and write a review.   (And don’t think I won’t be pestering you for ‘em!)

Now, it’s up to you.  Every copy of Deep Brain Diary means a donation to the National Parkinson Foundation to assist their search for a cure.

As I have said, EVERY DOLLAR, EVERY DIME, EVERY PENNY of the author’s proceeds from “Deep Brain Diary” goes to the National Parkinson Foundation to assist them in their search for better treatments and a cure.  I WILL NOT GET A PENNY FROM THIS BOOK! So if you’d care to make a donation to a worthwhile organization and enjoy an entertaining read, buy the book or the download.

For Hunky Dunk, half of the author proceeds are going to my sister-in-law since I enjoyed many bourbon-fueled hours with my late older brother working over the plot details.  Still, buy the book or the download.

For Undercover Trucker, I’m keeping every last red cent of the author’s proceeds.  If you love me, and I hope you do, buy a copy of the book or the download.  (The only thing THIS book will help cure is a case of the blues — and whatever urge you might have to drive an 18-wheeler while drunk.)

Don’t make me have to beg.  You don’t want me to have to get down on my knees (cuz then yer gonna have to help me get back up on my feet).

What the heck are you waiting for?

If conservatives said what was really on their minds, even in front of other like-minded people, they would be shouted down by rational independents as racist.  Therefore, they speak in code.  They use words that act as a “dog whistle” that racists can hear loud and clear.  They don’t cross the line into overt racism, but the racists (wink, wink!) know what they mean.

Here is such a speech, edited for those who cannot hear the dog whistle.  Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) gave a speech at the recent CPAC convention.  There were dog whistles a-PLENTY!

The Speech:

Three years of a Democrat majority and just one year of President Obama have awakened Americans and led millions to become more passionate advocates for freedom.

(TRANSLATION:  That black guy has been in office a WHOLE YEAR now.  Can you BELIEVE it???  Yup.  Scares the hell out of ME, too!  That shit just ain’t RIGHT!)

This has created a wave of new Republicans who are embracing the energy and passion of the American people.

(And believe you, me!  Republicans don’t hold the corner on racism.  Independent and Democrat racists are embracing our point-of-view as well!  They don’t much care for that Indo-Kenyan jigaboo tellin’ THEM what to do, neither!)

The Democrats’ arrogance and audacious power grabs have made Americans stand up and say, “Enough is enough.”

(Now that they got ACORN to steal an election for them instead of doing things the American way, and by that I mean having a stacked Supreme Court decide it, Democrats have felt emboldened to use the same legislative tricks that Republicans used the entire time THEY were in power.  And we say, “Enough is enough!”  When WE did it it was for YOU!  When THEY do it, it’s for… THEM!  And you know who and WHAT I mean by… “THEM!”)

We now see all too clearly that the hope and change the Democrats had in mind was nothing more than a retread of the failed and discredited socialist policies that have been the enemy of freedom for centuries all over the world.

(We see now that what the Democrats REALLY want is to give stuff YOU already ENJOY to people who don’t DESERVE it!  Just think of all those n—-rs and all them other dark-skinned folks what don’t even speak ENGLISH good, sittin’ around, eatin’ their watermelons or tacos, waitin’ for that monthly check that Obama wants to send ‘em while YOU have to WORK for every little million-dollar bonus you GET!)

And now that the Democrat’s goals are glaringly obvious, the battle is between the American people and the Democrats … and I like those odds!

(It’s fun to play “pretend.”  Isn’t it?)

Americans have been stunned by the fact that in the world’s greatest bastion of freedom, our government now owns the largest auto companies, the largest mortgage company, and the largest insurance company.

(All of which was made necessary, of course, by the impending global economic collapse caused by the former Republican president and the former Republican led House and Senate.  We crapped all over the rug, and they are — gasp! — spending MONEY to CLEAN OUR MESS!  But is that YOUR problem?  Most of you are already wealthy or retired!  Would YOU give a rat’s ass if the entire economy went belly up?)

It controls our schools and is trying to take over our healthcare system.

(If we only put the schools in the hands of right wing Christian churches, like the founders wanted, everything would be OK.  But they want the same people who run the DMV and Medicare and Social Security and Veteran’s Health and every OTHER thing you would kill me if I took away from you to LOWER your HEALTH CARE COSTS!)

The federal government is assaulting almost every sector of our free market economy.

(Thereby ensuring that the economy survives.  But they’re using YOUR money to DO it!  And like I said, you know who GETS a lot of that money?  “THEM!”)

At a time when I fear America is teetering towards tyranny, I was thrilled to hear that CPAC adopted the theme of saving freedom for this year’s meeting.

(Cuz EVERYONE likes FREEDOM!  Even those who don’t deserve it but got it anyway thanks to that traitor Abe Lincoln.)

Saving freedom is something I’ve been thinking about a lot.  I published a book last year and titled it “Saving Freedom” because the danger of losing freedom is no longer theoretical … it is very real.

(And by “Freedom”, I mean the freedom of the wealthy to grow their wealth at the expense of the public at large.)

I wanted to remind people that our country has been the most prosperous nation in history and exceptional in so many ways because our economy, culture and government were built on principles of freedom that were unique in the entire world.   An understanding of America’s history will confirm that good government policy is always based on proven principles, and proven principles are derived from constructive values, and constructive values are founded on Judeo/Christian convictions.

(But not so much the “Judeo” part.)

If we remove the foundation for our principles and policies, America will fall.  Those principles were written into a contract with the American people that promised to limit the federal government’s power.  We call that contract the Constitution and, when it was signed, it didn’t even allow a federal income tax — that sounds like a good way to limit the size of the federal government to me.

(It also sounds like a good way to scrap some of those socialist programs like Medicare and Social Security that so many of you white-haired fogies would rip me to pieces over if I actually SAID that.)

(skip)

Real freedom includes the right to succeed, to build a large business and to make lots of money.   It also includes the freedom for mismanaged and insolvent institutions to fail.

(And the resulting hundreds of thousands and millions of people who lose their jobs, are forced out of their homes, lose their health care and would now be living on the street… is that really YOUR problem?  You’ve GOT what you got!  The rest of them can SUCK it!  As long as we can fund police and prisons to force these people out of your way as you drive to the fur store to get a nice mink to go with that diamond necklace hubby bought you with this year’s bonus, it just ain’t YOUR PROBLEM!)

Despite the clarion call for freedom from the American people, there is still a struggle within the Republican Party about who we are and what we stand for.

(Yes, there are Republicans — a few — who think we are batshit crazy.  THEY can suck it, TOO!)

(skip)

That’s why I, along with several other Republican Senators, introduced a budget reform proposal a few weeks ago.  This proposal would put a one-year moratorium on earmarks and require Congress to balance the federal budget.

(Of course we voted against a bill that would require congress to fund projects it legislates, “Pay Go” they called it.  But it was THEIR idea, not OURS.  So screw ‘em!)

(skip)

Folks – with our country drowning in debt – if we can’t give up pork for one year and won’t even try to balance the budget now, there’s no reason to think we will do it tomorrow.

(As proven by the fact that we Republicans took a budget surplus, ran up a deficit and nearly bankrupted the economies of the entire free world!  But who you gonna trust to FIX a problem?  The people who CREATED it and thereby know what they did wrong?  Or that uppity n—-r and his Jew assistants who want to take your money and give it to unwed Mexican mothers to get abortions?)

(skip)

Now let’s talk a minute about the Presidential race in 2012. I hope Americans will expect more from their next president than a great speech.    You can’t govern from a teleprompter.  Just because you are good on TV doesn’t mean you can sell socialism to freedom-loving Americans.

(See, that’s what we’re going with.  The n—-r cleans up good and talks pretty, but he reads his speeches from a teleprompter instead of from scribbled notes on the palm of his hand.  Is THAT what you want in a President?  Just because Nixon used teleprompters and Reagan used teleprompters and both Bushes used teleprompters mean that we should just SIT here when this uppity n—-r PREACHES to us from a — gasp! — TELEPROMPTER?)

We need a leader who will remind Americans how we became the greatest nation in history and what we need to do to make sure we’re still the greatest nation in the future.    This will require telling Americans the cold, hard truth … which is … if America is going to survive and thrive in the future, the federal government must do less, not more.

(That worked our real well for Somalia, after all.  Small, almost non-existent central government.  Wealthy warlords running the rest of the country.  Might makes right, and the powerful get the gold!  Somalia is the Teabagger’s DREAM society!  ‘Cept for all them n—-rs, that is.)

No more false hope and empty promises based on more failed government solutions.

(Like Medicare, and Social Security, which you all love and enjoy.)

We need to get back to the basics.  That means no more bailouts.  That means we will not spend money we don’t have.

(Let the pink slips fall where they may!)

It means we won’t throw out the faith of our Founding Fathers.

(Except for that “Judeo” part…)

And it definitely means we won’t give away our precious Constitutional rights to foreign terrorists who want to destroy us!

(But enough about Obama…)

America’s future will be brighter than our past if politicians have the courage to stop using other people’s money to impose their good intentions on others…

(The road to hell is paved with good intentions.  So is the road to health, prosperity for all, social justice and the sharing of responsibility for the care of all Americans.  And what good would THAT do for folks like US here at CPAC?)

… and if they have the courage to restrict the federal government to only those things that it has to do — like defend our nation, create a predictable, low-tax business environment, and keep our promises to seniors and veterans.

(Oh, we LOVE us some deficit spending as long as it goes to Blackwater and their no-bid contracts!  And as far as keeping our promises to veterans, we’ll be glad to do that as long as they don’t mind rotting away in vermin-infested rat holes.)

Then — for those things that don’t have to be done at the federal level – we should return power and money to the people and the states.

(Because if you let former slave states like mine decide social policy, you can TRUST them to do the right thing.  Anyone remember “poll taxes” and “Jim Crow” and women being killed by back-alley abortions?  THOSE were the days!)

(skip)

I have taken many positions that have offended the President, the Democrat leadership, the union bosses, the plaintiff’s bar, Move On.Org, the liberal media and even some of my Republican colleagues.

(Oh, and common sense.  And decency.  I’ve offended THAT, too!!)

Frankly, sometimes I feel like I’m trying to hold back the tide, and the constant fighting can be tiresome.  If I couldn’t come here every year and plug into the CPAC renewable energy source, I wouldn’t have the strength to even show up at Waterloo, much less win the battle.  Thank you!

See?  It’s easy if you know what to listen for.

Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH) has posted a blog entry on The Huffington Post stating the obvious… that the teabaggers who taunted and threw money at a man with Parkinson’s outside her office the other day crossed the line and “went too far.”

Well, DUH!

“Unfortunately, some of those opposing health care reform went too far. Instead of making their arguments against the bill they engaged in abusive language directed at one of my constituents who suffers the terrible ravages of Parkinson’s disease. They treated him like a beggar. They threw dollar bills at him. They did not respect his humanity. They did not respect his right to give his opinion on the health care bill.”

She continues by directing readers to “Sign Her Petition” asking that we all discuss these issues with civility.  All she needs is your name, e-mail and zip code on her “Kilroy for Congress” page.

Well, tell ya what, Mary Jo…

Why don’t YOU tell US something.  These idiots were gathered outside your office because you have not yet declared yourself.  You voted YES for the House Bill, but you haven’t said which way you’re going to go on the next vote, the important vote, the vote that takes that tiny baby step towards health care reform.  The step that these Teabagging Idiots were taunting that dude with PD in the hopes that they could SCARE you out of TAKING that step.

Will you TAKE that step, Congresswoman Kilroy?  Will you VOTE for Health Care Reform?

Or will these loathsome, disgraceful, teabagging morons win?

You want us to stand for Civility, Congresswoman Kilroy.

Who will YOU stand with?

Sometimes you really don’t need a reason to post a picture.  It speaks for itself.

Still…

My sister Becki has an evil cat.  His name is “Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.”  Everyone calls him “Scream” for short.  He is the bane of my sister’s existence.  It’s the only creature on God’s Earth meaner than she is.  I think they keep each other alive with a daily battle of wills.

This cat knows how to open the refrigerator.  He has stolen kielbasas and stroganoff.  And when Becki catches him, he runs faster than you could imagine a fat cat running, sits in a corner and glowers at her.

“Maaaaaahhhhhhoooooooooowwwwww!”

When I first met Scream years ago, Bexter told me not to get my hopes up about the cat “taking to me”.  I was staying at her place for the night, and when she got up in the morning, Scream was sitting on my chest on the couch, eyes closed, purring as I stroked him.

“YOU TRAITOR!” Becki hollered.  Scream opened his eyes wide and ran.

When I lived with her for a short while six years ago, I would come home with tasty treats for Scream and his sister, Dusty Springfield.  (“Dusty” for short.)  They got to know me as “Uncle Burger.”

The reason for the mask?  Bex has a home veterinarian visit set for this weekend.  Seems Scream has a bit of a skin problem.  The vet tried to show her this cute little kitty muzzle with tiny, thin spaghetti straps.

“Oh, you’re cute,” Becki told the vet.  “Scream would eat those in two seconds, then shred the both of us.”

So, she bought the device you see in the photo.  And she will put it on him before the vet visit.

Nobody gotta git HURT that way.

My wife and I celebrate two anniversaries.  Our wedding date on November 17th, and the day we met, March 18th, 1988

I was a bit more than two months into my breakup with my ex-wife and was working for a temp agency in Milwaukee.  I was waiting for my bus when it started to rain — a cold rain like the kind you get in March in Wisconsin.  I noticed I was standing in front of a book store and decided I could wait inside where it was warm and check out some of the magazines.

I saw one that caught my attention — “Single Life.”  Hell, I was “single” now.  And I was certainly “alive.”  And, dammit, I was ready to put myself back out there on the dating scene.  So I bought a copy and answered a few of the ads.

That next weekend my twin brother Bob and I were having a couple brews at a place called “The Country Castle,” when I saw a lovely blonde chick sitting with a nearly-as-attractive brunette.  But there was one guy sitting between them and I watched for awhile to see if I could figure out if the blonde and the guy were hooked up or not.  But there was no sign, so I just shrugged my shoulders and asked someone else to dance.  The girl I danced with seemed nice at first, in kind of a hard-bitten, edgy way.  And we made plans to meet at another club a few nights later.

That date?  A disaster.  She spent the whole evening laying out ground rules of what our relationship would be like — how I could address her children, what nights I should make myself available for dates, what kind of places she expected me to take her to.  I was done with it by 8pm.

Some days later, I got a phone call at work from a lady whose ad I had answered.  It turned out, SHE was the cute blonde I saw at the Country Castle previously.  She had been giving ME the eye as well, but by then I was dancing with the psycho.   We made a date for the next Friday.  But this time I was gonna be prepared.

I planned this all out with my twin brother.  I would plant him at the Country Castle.  I would meet this person at a George Webb’s near her home at 8 p.m.  If things proceeded from there, we would go to the Country Castle and would “run in to” Bob while there.  If this date turned out to be another nutjob, I would ask Bob about his wife, Lori, and whether or not her “flu” was any better.  Bob would absent himself, pretend to call home, then come back and tell me she was running a temperature of 102 and would I give him a ride to a drug store for some tylenol and to take him home.  I would apologize to the date for making it such a short evening, we would take her home first, then Bob and I would go out and drink some more.

Me, Gail and TJ on our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Nov. 17, 2009

I was at the George Webb at 8pm.  Gail came in, wearing a lovely blue sweater and blue jeans looking as pretty of a girl as I’ve ever seen.  We had coffee, had a little “get to know you” chat, and she accepted my invite to the Country Castle.  On the way to the car, we held hands.

We got there and, as planned, ran into Bob.  Gail and I danced a couple times and I made it clear that his services would not be required that evening.  Around closing time, we drove Bob home.  Then we went back to Gail’s place.

And only a cad would reveal what happened next.

Gail was certain she’d never hear from me again.  I waited until noon on Saturday (in case she was a late sleeper) and called her.  She seemed genuinely surprised to hear from me again.  We went to a movie, “Good Morning Vietnam“, and then back to her place.

Two weeks later, we were living together.

19 months later, we were married.

22 years later, she is my partner, my best friend, my comforter, my companion, my caregiver, my chastiser-in-chief and I love her with all my heart.

Not since Rush Limbaugh mocked Michael J. Fox on his radio show have I been so outraged by so-called “conservatives” treatment of a person with Parkinson’s disease.

Disgusting.

Protesters on both ends of the health care debate squared off in competing rallies outside the Columbus, Ohio office of district Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH), who says she’s undecided on her vote for the bill.

A wrinkled, kneeling man holding a stick crawled up to a group opposing the effort with a sign saying he’s “got Parkinson’s” and needs help.

“If you’re looking for a handout you’re in the wrong end of town,” one man yelled at him. “Nothing for free over here, you have to work for everything you get.”

Parkinson’s is an incurable and degenerative brain disorder that impairs the victim’s speech, motor skills and various other functions.

Another man walked up him and threw a dollar bill at him and said derisively, “I’ll pay for this guy, start a pot.” Tossing another bill at the sedentary man, he screamed, “No more handouts!”

The sign the man is holding says, “Got Parkinson’s?  I do.  And so could you.  Thanks for helping.  That’s Communist.”

Are conservatives REALLY that heartless?  Or are these folks not REALLY conservatives but just avaricious anuses who “got what THEY got” and everyone else can just fuckin’ FREEZE to death?

Are they SO greedy that they can’t feel any empathy for folks who don’t have it as good as they do?

If this doesn’t make you sit up and take notice about the true nature of these teabagging assholes, then I don’t know what will.

Shame on them.

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• Health care reform protesters mock man carrying sign saying he has Parkinson’s disease. (thinkprogress.org)

OK, I pretty much spend all day (ahem) clearing my throat and (ahem) driving Gail nuts.  But it gets worse at night.

Last night was the worst ever.  I would be in the middle of saying something and all of a sudden (clot!) have to stop because a wad of throat crud got caught in my vocal cords.  This happened over and over again.  And my voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

This morning, not so bad.  But I am under no illusion that tonight will be any different.  This is something that has been going on for a few months now, and it’s frustrating.  The newly-acquired stu… stu… stu… stu… (take a deep breath and concentrate) STUTTER is bad enough.  But when you combine the stutter with (clot!) — AHEM!!! — the nightly throat crud… it’s more frustrating than ever.

The Parkinson’s disease literature offers many reasons for this nightly collection of crud:  My chest muscles aren’t limber enough to allow for proper deep breathing, so the crud just kinda piles up until it reaches a tipping point.  Also, I’m less able to properly manage my saliva and it leaks into my trachea and makes me clear my throat until Gail wants to shove a knitting needle into my eye.  Also, I seem to be a “silent aspirator”, meaning I inhale small bits of food and drink when I consume… and eventually that crap’s gotta come out or I’ll get pneumonia.

Gail has offered some ideas that she thinks might help.  Drano, Liquid Plumber, shoving a doggie toy down my throat, and her most recent idea, the lint brush from the dryer.

All of these ideas would certainly work.  Let’s just hope I can retain enough of my cognitive abilities to continue resisting them.

I’ve used them as a source numerous times on this blog, and they’re listed on my blogroll.  Now, the good folks at Viartis are going to return the favor (a hundred-fold) by listing a link to this website and information about my book “Deep Brain Diary” on their site.

Who is Viartis?

From their website (it’s British, so excuse the Anglocentric spelling):

VIARTIS : Viartis are independent and entirely self funded medical researchers specialising in Parkinson’s Disease, based in London, England. Viartis is not part of any other company, university or organisation, and have no religious or political allegiances. Articles are chosen solely on the basis of their medical significance or potential interest. The overwhelming priority is the facts, regardless of whether or not they contradict prevailing views or vested interests. Analysis of articles is provided either to explain the background or implications of new information, or to balance misleading claims.  This web site is viewed in over a hundred countries all over the world.

They’re a fine group of blokes and birds, and I’m doubly honored that they are going to include this site and my book in their listings.

Check them out for yourselves at http://www.viartis.net.

UPDATE! They said they might have the listing up in a week or two.  But it’s already up in their Parkinson’s News section and their Parkinson’s Books section.   Fantastic!