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    Okay Meanies, You Can Come Out Now. The Pope Is Gone.

    Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how quiet the resident meanies were while the Pope was here? Even Donald Trump gave it a rest for a few days.  Or am I wrong?  Did I just not notice because, to their credit (and my relief), the press took to covering the Pope every day in every way and kept it nice?
     


    AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

    On Thursday, Pope Francis stood at the House podium and addressed the joint session of Congress.  Speaker of the House John Boehner sat behind the Pope, listened to what the pontiff had to say about justice, goodness, and mercy, and bawled his eyes out. 

    The next morning Boehner  floated into a press conference singing "Zipadee Do Dah, Zipadee Ay, My, Oh, My, what a wonderful day".   It was a charming if wacky prelude to his message:  "I quit".  Just like that.

    Now, John would like us to believe the Pope had nothing to do with it--Lord, no!--but I'm not buying it.  It's true, I suppose, that John has wanted to throw in the towel for a long time, but why now?  He said he woke up and told his wife, "I think today's the day."  She  was okay with it.  (No word yet on the Pope's reaction.)

    I want to believe the Pope made John Boehner a better person; a lacking leader seeing the light, contrite--but, as any sitting member of the Republican Party will tell you, that's death on wheels.  You can't be a better person and be loyal to the party.  Nowadays only worst persons need apply. 

    (Marco Rubio, another presidential candidate, announced the good news to a crowd of his peeps only moments after Boehner made his announcement and, wouldn't you know?--the crowd went wild! Yay!)

    Which brings me to the doggedly anti-government businessman and top Republican Party candidate, Donald Trump.  Trump is like the person you invite to the party thinking you've scored a big one--famous person!--and then realize he's obnoxious as all get out but you're stuck with him because there are no insults big enough to make him go away. And you would be too polite to use them, anyway.  (That's why Democrats lose--but that's another story.)

    So Donald took the opportunity of the Pope's visit to talk with Chris Cuomo, who took the opportunity of the Pope's visit to ask Donald Trump, of all people, what he would say to the Pope if he had the chance.   Donald said he would have to scare the Pope.  Of course he would.

    Carly Fiorina pretended she didn't notice the Pope was here and went on lying about what happens at Planned Parenthood.  She stood out like a sore thumb.

    Jeb Bush says something about Democrats offering free stuff to African-Americans and he's attacked for it.  The Pope says giving free stuff to people who need it is God's work and he is cheered.  It's all in the way it's presented.  Whose heart is really in it.

    And the press, at long last, moved away from, "How did it feel when so-and-so said so-and-so about you?", and seemed honestly happy to share in a celebration that hurt no one.

    We were a land of big hearts last week.  It's been a long time.   It felt good.

     

    (Cross-posted at Ramona's Voices)

    Comments

    I must confess to having a sneaking suspicion, at least when I read the headline - Okay Meanies, you can come out now. The Pope's Gone." - that I'm one of the resident meanies referred to.  After all, I do "reside" here, I haven't posted in over a week - well before Francis arrived on our shores, and it hasn't quite escaped my notice that many here consider me a "meanie".  Ironically, I saw Ramona's blog just as I was getting ready to post my latest, i.e., "come out".  So, even if this post wasn't meant to be about me.  It might as well have been. 


    There are Meanies and there are Meanies, Hal.  You're nowhere near the heights we saw today, for example at the Planned Parenthood interrogation.  Apparently the Pope's visit is but a distant memory.  They're back at it, full bore.  Boehner's replacement is already promising he'll be meaner than Boehner.  That's what they're all hoping for.

    No, Hal, I'm targeting the Meanies who don't just talk a good game, they act on it, and have the power to do it.  Compared to them, we're just talkin' here.  We're fine.


    Thanks Ramona!


    Shutting up Trump. One miracle down, two to go.


    I am just now getting a chance to catch up on today's news.  Those weird creepy sociopaths that questioned  Cecile Richards today will go down in history individually unknown and she will have her place in history for defending women's reproductive rights.  What will be remembered is how Richards was badgered by this rabid group. They elevated her to hero status in women's history. Few short clips I have seen, man, did she earn that place today. What a bunch of useless office holders!  Their stupid behavior made her a martyr. 

    It reminded me of the way Anita Hill was questioned about Clarence Thomas. 


    Yes the Republicans are fascists pure and simple.  We have to figure out a way to defeat them.


    One meanie, Kim Davis, didn't have to hide because the Pope coddled her.

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/kim-davis-pope-secret-meeting


    Kim deserves a gig at the Vatican, redeeming her divorce scarred life of sin for one that sees the ethereal beauty of government authority serving personal religious bigotry.

    I guess Francis forgot the Bible tale when the Pharisees confronted Jesus and he said: Render unto Caesar what is Caesars, and unto God what is God's.

    Of all the people or places he could visit - hospitals, immigrant detention centers, homes for abused women or children,  health clinics for inner city poor, cancer wards, companies researching green energy.....no...he meets with a publicity hound. He might as well have not come at all.
     


    I got wind of this earlier and I said then I didn't believe it.  Absolutely didn't believe it.  No way.

    Way.


    Yeah. Such a mistake, on so many levels.

    For example, giving a secret meeting to someone who would turn around and publicize that meeting as loudly as possible.


    There are conservatives also that serve the Pope.  Most of the time he has no idea who he is meeting until a couple of minutes before hand. I am sure they are not all that happy having such a radical pope right now and like to throw him a political curve ball once in a while.  I would be suspicious of a member in the House to set this up for political trade off or to appease the rabid right   


    I'm sticking with the Pope - I don't know what he discussed, but I'm pretty goddamn certain it didn't come out reading like a Family Research Council press release.

    Warning to "progressives": don't abandon friends so easily - it means slime works, and just makes you a warm-weather schmuck anyway.


    I have to agree with you.  

    He gets briefed just before the person enters so he knows what questions to ask.  You enter then he offers his ring for you to kiss.  He talks to you a minute or two and then he blesses you. You are then dismissed. Catholics like to bring a rosary, religious jewelry or pray book to be blessed by the Pope when they get to meet him. He take time to do that too. 

    If you are a person that is a political leader, he is going to really talk to you. Anyone else just gets to kiss the ring and the blessing.  

    PS I just read the link from above.  I forgot about the picture taking.  The Pope gave them a rosary.  Afterwards he met with the Little Sisters of the Poor who is also in a court suit over ACA mandate for contraceptives. 


    We agree.  Thanks PP for wise words.


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