The problem is the economy. Yes, it is improving . . . but not fast enough. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney is telling everyone who will listen that Obama has "failed" to fix it. He says that "business friendly" Republicans know so much more about what makes the economy work. If you go to Romney's website right now, you can see references to "jobs and growth" . . . as if he is going to create any such thing.

The perception of reality that "business friendly Republicans" create "jobs and growth" -- is a complete fabrication of the Republican propaganda machine. Republican policies have never created robust economic growth.

If you don't believe it, just look at the historical track record of conservatives.

In fact, it is the Democrats who have created robust economies.

So Tea Party Cult Congressman Allen West is throwing around the word "communist" is he? I don't know why people get upset about this. I just tell them they're right, I'm a "communist." Really? Tell them they're right? Absolutely! Don't you worry, they won't enjoy their "victory" for long. You see, according to them, every Democrat is a communist . . . going all the way back to 1933 when FDR set up New Deal Communism. That would be the same New Deal communism these tea partiers grew up under . . . the New Deal Communism that made the United States the richest, most powerful nation in history . . . the New Deal Communism that took us to the moon just 36 years after FDR was sworn in. Let me show you the track record of those New Deal Communist Democrats.

• Communist Truman left 2.5 percent unemployment to Eisenhower.
• Republican Patriot Eisenhower left recession and 6.5 percent unemployment to Kennedy.
• Communist Johnson left 3.5 percent unemployment to Nixon.
• Republican Patriot Ford left recession and 7.5 unemployment to Jimmy Carter.
• Communist Carter wasn't able to improve much on the recession he inherited . . .
• . . . and neither were Republican Patriots Reagan and Bush, who left recession and 7.2 unemployment to Bill Clinton.
• Communist Bill Clinton left 4.2 percent unemployment to Dubya . . .
• Republican Patriot Dubya left recession and 7.6 percent unemployment to Communist Barack Obama.

Tea Party Cult Belief #1. "The wealthy are 'job creators.'" They used to call it "trickle down economics." It's the theory that wealth flows from the top to the bottom, and the wealthier the rich become, the more prosperity they will spread around to the rest of us. The most obvious theoretical attack on this belief is in the very mechanics of wealth creation. Capital does not create labor, labor creates capital. When a small elite has accumulated the lion's share of wealth, demand dries up, and the economy grinds to a halt. It happened in 1929, and again in 2008. But you don't really need a theoretical explanation. Just look at the charts and data, after the jump.

Remember former Congressman Alan Grayson? Here was his defining moment. The video is two and a half minutes, but here is the short transcript: "The Republican healthcare plan is 'don't get sick. If you do get sick, die quickly.'" I actually remember seeing that clip played on Countdown the very day the Congressman delivered that speech. Like most of you, I cheered. If you're a Democrat, and especially a progressive Democrat, there is a lot to like about Alan Grayson. I have never heard anyone complain that Congressman Grayson was "centrist," or that he was an "appeaser" of Republicans, or that he practiced any of that "triangulation" stuff. Alan Grayson was an unapologetic liberal Democrat, who fought for his beliefs and principles. Alan Grayson can fairly be called a poster boy for the kind of progressive leadership many Kossacks hoped Obama would display. Which brings me to the bad news about Alan Grayson. Alan Grayson lost.

I've been trying to write this for days, including a big long drawn out explanation. I've decided to take my own advice to other diarists, and get right to the point. If Republicans control the White House and Congress: 1. They're going to privatize Social Security and Medicare. 2. They're going to repeal the minimum wage. 3. They're going to undermine if not outright destroy, public education. 4. They're going to repeal the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 5. Once that is accomplished, Republican controlled state legislatures are going to bring back literacy tests. For those of you who doubt this agenda, they're already doing it.

You know what I'm talking about . . . and you know who's sending them to you. You might have two or three people sending you those mail forwards full of rightwing myths, bromides, distortions urban legends, and outright lies.

But how to respond. It can take forever to track down facts and compose a response. It would be nice if progressives had a shop to produce responses to rightwing email forwards . . . and make no mistake, those forwards are produced by professional propagandists.

Well I've got the all purposes response to every rightwing email forward you ever received . . . and are ever likely to receive . . . regarding Barack Obama.

Send them a link to this.

Or if you prefer, download the wmv from this link, and send that to them.

Here is the simple question . . . and the simple answer. What should Obama do about closing the budget deficit? Yesterday, he actually came up with the answer . . . all by himself. Raise taxes on the wealthy . . . back to the level they were under Bill Clinton when we had budget surpluses. Now go to the watercooler . . . when the office dittohead is there . . . and say that. The dittohead will ask why we should "punish" the wealthy for their "achievement" by taxing them more. He will ask why we should "redistribute" their wealth . . . and give it to some undeserving deadbeat. He will ask why we shouldn't balance the budget by "making government smaller." He will suggest that the way to balance the budget is to "cut spending." The first question is whether you will respond to him at all . . . and second, what will you tell him.

Here is a simple thought experiment . . . conservatives love to use analogies and fables, you can use them too. Imagine your favorite restaurant. Perhaps it is locally owned . . . or maybe you like one of those chains like Chili's or TGI Friday's. You go in, and take a seat, and pretty soon somebody comes out and gets your drink order. Who makes that drink for you? And who brings it to you? Who cooks that steak, bakes that potato, and tosses that salad? Who fed the cow? Who cut the steak? Who grew that potato? Who picked the lettuce and the tomatoes in the salad? Who operated the distillery that made the tequila for your margarita? Who brought your steak out to you? Who cleaned up after you, when you were done? Now go find the restaurant owner. Better yet, go find one of the stockholders in a restaurant chain. Tell him that somebody slaughtered the cow, and picked the lettuce, and tossed the saled, and baked the potato, and broiled the steak, and brought it all out to you. Then someone cleaned up the dishes after you . . . . . . and you paid for all of that. What did you pay the owner to do? Supervise? Stockholders don't even do that.

This is a diary for Daily Kos. It is part of the opening effort to start promoting the film "Megadittoes: Rush Limbaugh's America." I am now putting segments together that will form the backbone of the film . . . and I want to start generating some buzz. [I'll be getting more active here doing other things too.] With that introduction . . . Here's what you do. Pick something you want to see Obama enact. Single payer healthcare? Close Guantanamo Bay? Civil trials for terror suspects? [That one's high on my list.] How about just a public option to buy affordable health insurance? Or how about something timely? Why don't you suggest that instead of cutting spending during a recession, we raise taxes on the wealthiest 1 percent. Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman thinks that's a good idea. Now, walk to the watercooler where you work. Or maybe it's the "break room" or the loading dock, or just wherever people hang out when they're taking a break. Just to make it interesting, wait until the office dittohead is within earshot. Every office has one [at least] . . . and I'm betting you know exactly who I'm talking about.

Here is the highlight reel from day one in Washington. Enjoy.

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It's been a busy August, and a busy Congressional recess. We've been to events for Congressman Allen Boyd, Alan Grayson, and of course, Ander Crenshaw. We've got a backlog of great interviews. After negotiating a steep learning curve with our video editing software, we are ready to launch our first short video -- with much more to come.

Also, we have Glen Beck's "912" event coming up in Washington. I can't think of a better venue to get some dittoheads on camera. But we need your help. Please think about using the Pay Pal button, below.
10:37 minutes (9.72 MB)

"So Long, For Now" After some "farewell" callers, we launch a Limbaugh Lie special, including a discussion about the future of progressive radio.

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40:50 minutes (18.7 MB)

"Local Keynesianism" Ramon Day opens this bonus hour with a discussion of the local Jacksonville budget. This leads to a really good discussion -- including another good call -- on Keynsianism and local government.

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