The Hits Just Keep On Coming

Even though my run for the General Assembly folded a week ago, word has apparently been slow to reach the various special interest groups. Today saw the arrival of a big manila envelope with a questionnaire from the Progressive Leadership Fund, "a political action coalition made up of the election arms of Rhode Island's most progressive organizations." The members of the PLF include the American Association of University Professors, the National Organization for Women (which already sent me a questionnaire), the United Auto Workers, the United Nurses and Allied Professionals, the Sierra Club, and the National Education Association. The PLF questionnaire is 35 questions long, covering such topics as civil rights, health care, the environment, education, and taxes. (It turns out I'm not alone in wanting to reduce Rhode Island's sales tax to 5%.)

Tuesday saw the arrival of another questionnaire, this one from the RI Right to Life Committee. In glancing over it, I was surprised to find out that the rite2lifers not only oppose abortion and stem cell research, but also universal health care (which they refer to, in standard wingnut parlance, as "health care rationing").

Memo to conservatives everywhere: we already have rationed health care. It's rationed according to who can afford it. What has the wingnuts outraged is the thought that they might have to wait in line with us proles for their health care on a first-come-first-served basis, instead of being able to use their money as a magic wand.

What specifically have the rite2lifers got againt universal health care? Well, it turns out that "rationing" health care could lead to lack of treatment which equals involuntary euthanasia. So, to recap: if someone dies from lack of treatment because they can't afford it, that's perfectly acceptable; but if someone dies from lack of treatment because they've been put in the back of a queue, that's the same as involuntary euthanasia and thus unacceptable. This is so utterly twisted that I can only gasp in wonder. In other words, typical conservative thinking.

Here's a little questionnaire of my own for you to take.
1. Conservatism is
A. Nonsensical.
B. Stupid.
C. Insane.
D. Just plain evil.

(The answer of course is E. All of the above.)

Anyway, final item in today's mailbag is a catalog from a company that makes campaign materials: buttons, lawn signs, door hangers, bumper stickers, and much more. It turns out special interest groups aren't the only people who peruse the candidate listings on the Secretary of State's website.

UPDATE: Saturday brings another catalog, and a questionnaire from REPPAC, Real Equality and Progress for Rhode Island, a new progressive PAC founded by Jennifer Lawless, Jim Langevin's 2006 primary challenger. Given Langevin's recent vote for the Protect AT&T Act, it's a shame she isn't running against him this year.