George Rebane
Man Bites Dog Story – Of all places, in San Francisco we find Democratic Supervisor Sean Elsbernd challenging the city’s powerful mass transit workers’ union to back off on their contract with the city that is doing its share to wreak financial havoc (here). This kind of conduct, especially with Mayor Gavin Newsom’s support, would have been unthinkable in the recent past and has been the ‘third rail’ of liberal politics in that very progressive city. Now that they can’t get the folks in Ohio to continue supporting their generous benefits and poor (according to San Franciscans) service, a quiet introduction of a bit of sanity is attempted but with no guarantee that it will work.
The local know-nothings brigade that has been defending the public service unions may currently be sullen and silent, but that is not evidence that any of them understand the sources of the fiscal fiascos in political jurisdictions that now blanket the land.
There is a real useful and informative post on a local leftwing blog that shines light on the difference between people who share the Tea Party core values and principles of governance, and those of the progressive persuasion. Hat tip to Jeff Pelline to whose post I was directed that contains an excellent discriminant which helps distinguish the two national groups. It comes in the form of “a ballad for non-Tea partiers”, and is offered as an answer to the current TP favorite musical offering ‘I am America’. The liberal ballad’s telling chorus summarizes our current direction of hope and change to a fundamental transformation of America. It is ‘People Like Us’ sung by John Goodman and has the chorus –
We don’t want freedom
We don’t want justice
We just want someone to love
Someone to love
Please visit Jeff’s blog to read the rest of the lyrics, they are of a piece with the chorus.
This song would also have been a natural preamble in the Russia of 1917, the China of 1948, and several other locales of similar historical note. Even though history shows the freedom and justice parts of those people’s wish lists were granted, I’m not sure that they found anyone else to love in their new worlds except their fearless leader du jour.
[update] The Nevada County Tea Party Patriots announce, "Please watch the Glenn Beck show on Friday July 30th. Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots with Mark Meckler, will be on this show. We heard that it was great. This is the first time that Glenn Beck has featured the TPP. If you can't watch it live, record it on your DVR." For all of our readers who may have a love-hate relationship with the TPP, or simply want to see what's happening, tomorrow on Fox News at 2pm is a great opportunity to get a snoot full.
rebanesruminations.com 
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