NASA's newest astronaut is concerned... really, really concerned.

Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.

Poor pathetic Nancy Pelosi bemoaning the lack of civility regarding the current political debates and fearing it could lead to violence.

An uncharacteristically emotional Nancy Pelosi is warning Republicans — and other groups getting whipped up over the health care debate — not to incite unstable supporters who might repeat acts of violence that struck San Francisco in the 1970s.

A top Pelosi aide later confirmed reporters' suggestions that her statement — a reference to the City Hall murder of gay rights activist Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in November 1978 — an earth-shattering experience for Bay Area Democrats like the speaker.

Pelosi stumbled when asked about Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst and its impact on civility in the House, momentarily overcome by emotion.

See video here.

“I think we all have to take responsibilities for our actions and our words.”

“Some of the rhetoric is frightening.”

“I think they have to take responsibility for any incitement they may cause.”

We’re curious if any of this rhetoric entails calling the townhall protesters “un-American"? Would the Speaker like to take responsibility for that? And just wondering if any of this frightening rhetoric falls along the lines of one of her fellow elected representatives likening the same to the KKK.

Because if it is, then it’s a day late and a dollar short… and, we might add, directed the wrong way as it didn’t prevent an African-American from getting the crap beat out of him by union thugs at a townhall meeting (Kenneth Gladney is the only person thus far that can legitimately make the KKK charge).

And it hasn’t prevented the reckless and ad hominem charges of racism from everybody from cable talking heads to dottering former Presidents being directed at anyone who has had the temerity to exercise their 1st amendment rights in vocally opposing the President's ruinous proposals.

The whole “can’t we all just get along” plea is so bald-faced hypocritical it defies credulity.

It’s like Pelosi spent the last 3 or so months cut off from all the news of the world in the international space station and splashed down yesterday only to just discover all this mean and nasty stuff being cast about and then wimper (boo-hoo!) that we all need to take responsibility for what we say.

After you, madam.

"Why am I stuck over here on the left side of this post?"

KT has brought up an interesting point regarding the contentiousness we are witnessing at the townhall meetings as a direct result of government intervention, or even the specter of government intervention into something that is intensely personal and private in nature.

Milton Friedman spoke of “unanimity without conformity” whereby the free market is allowed to innovate and adapt in order to cater to a variety of needs for a variety of costumers. In a more perfect world, we would all be able to shop around for the healthcare plan that best fit our and our family’s needs with a minimum of government involvement. This would be the optimum situation as our own self-interest would be at the focal point of our decision. Anything short of that leads to pushback, resentment and resistance by corresponding degrees.

And this is what you have with the one-size-fits-all government plan. Unanimity with conformity. Even the threat of being shoe-horned into something else and away from something that the vast majority of Americans are happy with is a baffling concept and becomes an object that is lashed out against by these same Americans.

That Congress and union healthcare plans are exempt from any public option only adds fuel to this fire and further re-enforces the notion of two Americas, though, quite different than what John Edwards had in mind: not so much stratification by socio-economic class but rather politically-privileged class.

H/T: NRO

Townhall unrest...

Spanish-style

Youths in the Spanish town of Pinto have pelted their town hall with eggs and tomatoes in protest against budget cuts that have forced summer fiesta organisers to limit the number of bullfights, or scrap them.

Bullfighting is often the highlight of local celebrations, which also include music concerts and fireworks, and August and September are the months in which Spaniards flock to the country’s bullrings in greatest numbers.

The town hall, however, justified the measure on financial grounds. Juan José Martín, the socialist mayor, declared to El País newspaper that it had been a “difficult and painful decision”. The budget for the fiestas has been slashed from €500,000 ($711,200, £430,400) to €142,000 and the town owes 800 of its municipal staff back pay.

Damn Socialist kill-joys

We might say that this lends some perspective to what is going on over here but we think it might be more accurate to say this lends a different perspective to what we are seeing over here.