Anybody watching NOW on PBS?

[alarimer]

They are interviewing people in Illinois who are losing their homes to foreclosure. Just when I start to feel sorry for them, Brancacio asks them who they voted for. In both interviews, they voted for Bush. One at least had the sense to be embarrassed about it but this other couple said they vote straight Republican because "they were raised Christian". I just about (but not completely) lost whatever sympathy I might have had for them. They lose their jobs and homes through no fault of their own but they cannot fathom that they are voting against their own interests. Voting Republican because they oppose abortion is not going to put food on your table or save your home from foreclosure. Those rich corporate fatcats in DC are not going to help you. People really need to get a clue- the Republicans hate working-class and middle class people. They will be doing you no favors.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. PBS schedules are set by the local station

If you gave the program and an episode name, we can look it up. :hi:

[TahitiNut]

2. "NOW on PBS"

8 WFUM: Friday, February 1 8:30 PM
Newsmagazine, Interview, Public affairs

Middle-class families on the brink of economic collapse.

[Adsos Letter]

5. Hello Tahiti Nut...

how are you feeling these days; have you recovered from your stroke? :hi:

[TahitiNut]

8. Feelin' fine. A little tired from shoveling snow ... weekly. (If not weakly.)

Any after-effects from the TIAs are apparently "below the (hypochondria) radar" - indistinguishable from imagination.

Thanks! :hi:

[Adsos Letter]

12. Good to hear!...

...careful with that snow... :)

Here is a shot of my youngest learning to drive in the Utah desert a couple of years ago...




:hi:

[TahitiNut]

21. That's gotta be frightening ... one's son or daughter beginning to drive. (Yikes!)

:rofl:

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. Thanks, I will watch for it

I don't have the TV on much, but I'll look for this.

[DB1]

14. It is on KCTS at 8 tonite, Bill Moyers is on at 9. TV worth watching.

[alarimer]

7. I guess I never knew that.

Here it is on Fridays, with rebroadcasts later in the weekend.

Anyway this one is the week's because they mentioned Super Tuesday. It's all about the middle class and the economy and I was just struck by the disconnect between how people voted and their circumstances.
The Democrats at least pretend to care about people and now and they they try to do something. But it seems all the Republicans have to do is shout "abortion! gays!" and "Democrats will eat your babies!" and people vote against their best interests.

I do not get it at all. It makes me angry when I hear these people go on and on about how Republicans are so much more moral and blah, blah, blah.

[Adsos Letter]

3. It is interesting to me how being raised in a certain form of Christianity...

can bring a person to view the gospel through the planks of the Republican Party...gives new meaning to the text: "You fool, first get the plank out of your own eye..."

I was raised a Christian too; but our emphasis was always on the need to defend personal conscience, extend compassion and empathy in view of our own need of the same, and work to keep religion and politics safely confined within there own spheres.

Huh... :shrug:

[blondeatlast]

22. So was I and I think i've identified the disconnect in large part--

they read a heavily edited version of the Holy Bible that completely left out Matthew.

Think about it--we're advised about hypocrisy, that our spirituality is our own and is to guide us--not consume us, the love of money, the Pharisees--that pretty much covers the entire RRRepublican Party right there.

[Adsos Letter]

24. I agree...

an emphasis on judgement rather than mercy, on self rather than on others...and a skewed Old Testament understanding of God, which Jesus had to struggle with his own people to try and correct.

[L. Coyote]

4. pbs.org/now/

http://www.pbs.org/now/

Middle Class Insecurity = http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/405/index.html
NOW investigates the rampant economic anxiety among America's middle class.

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. Excellent, thanks

I don't watch much TV, and then its usually the local news and weather (although I will admit an addiction to Project Runway.) Is this worth catching on a regular basis?

[alarimer]

17. It was better when it was an hour long and Bill Moyers was involved.

But they ran him off and trimmed it to a half-hour. Now he's back with his own show, which is also very good.

[islandmkl]

6. Maybe it's a form of the Stockholm Syndrome....

the LostHome Syndrome

[malaise]

11. About to watch Bill Moyers Journal

Waxman will be on. Kathleen Hall Jamieson is discussing Bush's crazy 'protective overwatch mission' and the Tehran rubbish which sounded like the Iraq rubbish.

Bill also asked what is the one book you think the next President should take to the Whitehouse. Email him with your choice.

[napi21]

13. NOW & Bill Moyer are broadcast here in Ga. on Sundays.

when I contacted our GPB station, they said "most of their viewers want it that way!" Hmmm, I don't know, but I'm glad it's on at all!

[abluelady]

15. I'm Not Surprised at All

It seems to me that many Repukes vote against their own best interest. I've never been able to figure out why they are so shortsighted.

[alarimer]

16. This is a phenomenon I've read about before

in What's the Matter with Kansas, among other places.

Partly it has to do with the right's demonization of liberals and Democrats. I have no idea why they can't see the connection between bad times and Republican rule.

[abluelady]

31. Not Trying to Be Funny

But I really wonder how the brain works in these folks. :shrug: Of course I also don't know why Repukes go into government when they don't believe in government. Must be something shortwired in their brains.

[L. Coyote]

18. Bill Moyers Journal examines waste and abuse of power in Washington

Bill Moyers Journal TV: Friday, February 1, 9-10pm OPB http://www.opb.org/programs/program.php?id=18103

Bill Moyers Journal examines waste and abuse of power in Washington with a look at
the investigations being conducted by Congress's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2008/02/the_curious_case_of_lurita_doa.html
The Case of Lurita Doan and the GSA

You may have been familiar with the scrutiny of Blackwater¹s mercenary army, or followed the troubles with oversight at the State Department, but chances are you hadn¹t heard of Lurita Doan. She isn¹t exactly a household name. So it might be surprising that, as head of the General Services Administration, Doan oversees $500 billion dollars worth of federal assets.
capitol


On the JOURNAL, Rep.Henry Waxman explains how an investigation that started with leaks about possible favoritism in awarding government contracts eventually uncovered documents and testimony that convinced Waxman that Doan had violated the Hatch Act, a law prohibiting federal employees from using government resources for partisan purposes. Waxman was so shocked by what the Committee found that he took the unusual step of asking Doan to resign at the end of the hearings. The Office of Special Counsel, which conducted a separate investigation of Doan, concluded that Doan should be "disciplined to the fullest extent for her serious violation of the Hatch Act and insensitivity to cooperating fully and honestly in the course of our investigation." Yet today Doan still heads the GSA.
Watch Video

[RedEarth]

19. Live Poor and Vote Rich

[high density]

28. Yeah because you never know when you'll win the lottery

and benefit from those tax cuts for the top 1%!

[begin_within]

20. Republicans only care about you until you're born.

[AlCzervik]

23. love the fetus, hate the child.

[Bigmack]

25. The "christian" couple that voted Repub...

disliked the "Democrat" party. That word is a tipoff that they've been listening/watching the wrong media.

They've not only been brainwashed, they've been brain fluff-dried, and brain folded, too!

I'm gonna use the word "stupid" to describe them.

When they persist in believing that 2+2=5, no matter how many times it is demonstrated to them that they are wrong, that's nothing but stupid.

[EstimatedProphet]

27. And yet the fucktard at the end says that the best person should be president

regardless of party.

He's not even consistent within the same interview.

[ogsball]

29. The wife was the Republican Only Christian

. . . It was clear that the man was very open to voting for someone else. I suspect when he sits in the booth he might vote differently than what he tells his wife.

You know "If Mamma ain't happy nobody's happy."

[EstimatedProphet]

37. Really? Strange, I didn't get that feeling about him

But I may easily have missed it.

[EstimatedProphet]

26. Just saw that

My first thought was "What assholes." They guy did make some point that it's all about money, but they still were idiots.

[high density]

30. "Who did you vote for?" "George Bush... teehehehehe"

She's laughing about it! What a dumbass. Thanks for your effort in helping to screw us all and getting yourself screwed in the process.

Then the idiot "straight Republicans." Christian home? What the hell? How's that single issue abortion shit working out for you now that the bank's taking your house? I hope it was worth it.

And these same screwed, naive IDIOTS are going to be out voting again in November. It's really scary.

[L. Coyote]

32. WATCH the VIDEO link is found here. = pbs.org/now/shows/

http://www.pbs.org/now

Middle Class Insecurity = http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/405/index.html
NOW investigates the rampant economic anxiety among America's middle class.

[Vinca]

33. It's astonishing how the 'pukes get people to vote against their own interests. nt

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

34. I don't feel sorry for that couple and the women at all.

They bought into the Repuke BS and where did it get them...

The mechanic and his wife really crack me up, the first thing out of her mouth is the Democrat party and abortion. Honey does the fact that abortion is legal in this country have anything at all to do with WHY you're losing your home.

Go cry on your Repuke friends shoulders, you'd get no sympathy from me.

[marlakay]

35. That reminds me of talk with my repub curves owner

yesterday. She is very religious and told me she votes republican for that reason. To which I said many democrats go to church too so it must be the abortion thing. I said the republicans are using the christians with that one thing. I said besides that what have they done for you? Do they help the poor? Have they brought jobs to people? Do many of the leaders look like christians (thinking of all the scandels)?

I told her the day christians stop voting on one issue only and vote on all the christian issues will be the day the republicans change.

She got quiet and had nothing to say, but I still could tell come november she will vote with them. Its a big issue and the right has them brainwashed that republican=christian.

They think to vote democrat is to vote for murder. That is how strong it is and I don't know how to fight against that. Its a very strong belief with them.

[sendero]

36. It's not just the Republicans..

... it's the unholy union between the evangelical movement and the Republican party.

The evangelicals (not all of them, but a significant number, such as ALL of them associated with the various mega-churches and TV evangelists) preach and believe that GOD owes them a big house and and big SUV and the whole nine yards.

I FULLY BELEIVE that this cultural meme is as much responsible for the debt crisis in this country as any other factor.

We'll all see in the coming months just how much god cares about our trapping of wealth.