Democrat Congressman Tim Mahoney (FL-16), fresh off the embarrassment of getting caught being so out of touch with America's military that he sent out a taxpayer-funded mailpiece "in honor of those who defend our freedom" featuring a photo of a Soviet veteran, decided to get out of the spotlight for a few days during the Independence Day recess.
Unfortunately for Mahoney, while a Congressman may be able to leave the country for a few days, the spotlight is rarely far behind -- especially when the time you choose to leave the country and chill at your second house in Canada coincides with America's Independence Day, and your constituents -- and your opponent -- are dedicating time and energy to celebrating that most special of holidays.
Further, Tim Mahoney's Web site contained no acknowledgment of the 4th of July in any way.
Perhaps Mahoney is far more in line ideologically, and patriotically, with The Progressive magazine's Matthew Rothschild, who wrote:
Why I’m Not PatrioticBy Matthew Rothschild, July 2, 2008
(In memory of George Carlin.)It’s July 4th again, a day of near-compulsory flag-waving and nation-worshipping. Count me out.
Spare me the puerile parades.
Don’t play that martial music, white boy.
And don’t befoul nature’s sky with your F-16s.
You see, I don’t believe in patriotism.
It’s not that I’m anti-American, but I am anti-patriotic.
Love of country isn’t natural. It’s not something you’re born with. It’s an inculcated kind of love, something that is foisted upon you in the home, in the school, on TV, at church, during the football game.
Yet most people accept it without inspection.
In fairness to Mr. Mahoney, he may not agree with this; however, he was in Canada on July 4 and therefore unavailable for comment. Perhaps Mahoney simply doesn't believe in patriotism -- or his vision of "the New Patriotism" is so far out of touch with mainstream America's, and with the citizens of FL-16, that he thinks escaping the commemoration of what is the most important patriotic holiday of the year is something his constituents will neither mind nor notice.
The way in which you publicly attribute words, thoughts, motives, opinions, values, etc., to people such as in this blog, borders on slander, in my opinion. Your "in fairness to..." is pathetic and doesn't justify your remarks.
If you continue to treat people such as democrats and others with whom you disagree this way, you'll eventually find yourself isolated from the country you purport to love so much. Loving the US is not about loving war and hating enemies both of which you seem to fixate on. There are principles upon which this country was founded that are honored in many ways. You don't have a corner on patriotism because you love to fight and support the torture of people.
You write as if there is only one way to speak, vote, think, feel, value: your way. People like you "terrify" me, frankly, because of your caustic, hateful, demeaning communication about others and your unwillingness to consider that the perspectives of others might be superior to yours at times and because of your quick, shallow daily analysis of current events.
I'm waiting for your tribute to Jesse Helms and his conservative voice against civil rights. Your blog on Addington was telling. Where you see "superior intellect" I see superior arrogance. I noticed you selectively left out the part where Addington refused to state that he opposed torturing the innocent children of prisoners or burying prisoners alive. You probably don't like my comments, but this is how you write about other people. But hey, you're always right so I must be wrong.
i am a right winger. i am for abortion in the first trimester [six months if the woman is in severe physical stress], but no later. i support the use of "nucular"[see bush], weapons in iraq and iran[stevie wonder]. i support drilling in anwar and your and my backyards. for this blog to only receive one response guarantees a mccain defeat. this is hard to believe. a featured blog on mccains website and only one response. john, you need to change your message. call me. soon
hugh curd 410 2075038
ps
you r missing the boat with your present team!
Post new comment