Moron Monday shows radical Left just doesn’t get it
Published June 10, 2013
by Senator Thom Goolsby
The circus came to the State Capitol this week, complete with clowns, a carnival barker and a sideshow. The “Reverend” Barber was decked out like a prelate of the Church of Rome (no insult is meant to Catholics), complete with stole and cassock. All he was missing was a miter and the ensemble would have been complete.
Several hundred people – mostly white, angry, aged former hippies – appeared and screeched into microphones, talked about solidarity and chanted diatribes. It was “liberal theater” at its best. Just like having a honey bun and double espresso for breakfast, the impact of it all left the participants jittery and empty in the end.
Never short on audacity, the Loony Left actually named their gathering “Moral Monday.” Between the screaming, foot stomping and disjointed speeches, it appeared more like “Moron Monday.” The gathering was supposed to influence legislators. However, no one thought to bring out any senate or house member from either party.
The gathering was a field day for the Raleigh press corps who came out in large numbers for the extravaganza. In a carefully orchestrated parade, photographers and videographers walked backwards as Barber and his minions strolled into an empty General Assembly Building to voice more complaints and engage in several rounds of sing-along. Even more press showed up to document the standard-bearers of liberalism who were politely arrested by General Assembly Police and escorted away well before session started. These “brave souls” can now claim hero status for all the courage they showed by standing up against the Radical Right.
Where were the protesters when the Democrats were bankrupting North Carolina? Just three years ago, North Carolina was in a deep crisis. The treasury was empty, with a multi-billion-dollar deficit. The state health care plan was bankrupt. The state retirement plan was underfunded by hundreds of millions of dollars. A multi-billion-dollar debt was owed to the federal government for money loaned to the state during the Great Recession for unemployment benefits. On top of everything, before getting roundly kicked out by the voters, Democrat leaders managed to raise North Carolina’s taxes to the highest in the Southeast, borrowing every dollar possible.
For over 140 years, Democrats had an almost total lock on power in Raleigh. It was not until the 2010 elections that the GOP had ever controlled both chambers in the General Assembly. Even then, they had to contend with Democrat Gov. Beverly Perdue who fought every commonsense reform brought forward. The Republicans finally consolidated their power with overwhelming wins in the 2012 election season where they took the Governor’s office, as well as many more seats in the NC House and Senate.
Once ensconced in power, the pro-growth, commonsense Republicans went to work like the business people they were. Government waste was cut, a billion-dollar tax cut was enacted and the budget was balanced. The state’s retirement plan was fully funded and the state health plan was made solvent. A responsible repayment schedule was arranged with the federal government to pay off the unemployment debt in record time. In other words, the sinking ship of this state was righted.
You might be wondering, “What is the left complaining about?” A better question is “What are they not complaining about?” Apparently, even in the light of the overwhelming GOP election victories, they believe that Republicans had no mandate to fix what the Democrats broke. Somehow, the new leadership is supposed to print money on a magical press and spend our way into prosperity.
Even Democrat pollsters say these protests are hurting their party and its long-term plan to recover power. Regular people, i.e. voters, tend to shy away from the real radical fringe. Nonetheless, the old hippies have found a new hobby and have once again fallen in love with the sound of their own voices. Too bad they were not around to help when they were needed.
Senator Thom Goolsby, Chair Senate Judiciary Committee
June 10, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Mary Few says:
I understand you try to show both sides but this op-ed is full of personal attacks and is one of the most degrading and disgraceful things I have ever read. I have been a long time fan of your show, watching religiously and reading this column. However, representing both sides does not mean sharing articles that sink to the level of this article. I will no longer be watching your show or subscribing to this page. I'm very disappointed.
June 10, 2013 at 1:05 pm
dj anderson says:
I admit this ridiculing reaction had me laughing as I envisioned Rev. Barber with a Pope staff and tall hat. Maybe some humor is needed regarding the huffed up Moral Monday, but this isn't it.
Goolsby must be a Jon Stewart fan for this could have been on his show. Still, it was unwise for an elected official to make such humor out of it all. Still, is it wise for the party in power, the one being protested, to counter with more theatrics? I think not.
Republicans have a proven track record of not being able to pull off sarcastic, ridiculing humor like the Demcracts have down to a polished art. Democrats can't do talk radio like the right, either.
Think I'm wrong? I didn't hear about Goolsby's comments until here and now, and judging by the volume of comments, no one much reads this. Goolsby might have thought him would get attention from this, but he didn't, yet he probably had fun himself saying it. Bottom line is that this reaction shows the Republicans do know what is going on outside and are bothered enough to react.
June 10, 2013 at 4:26 pm
Ray Reilly says:
Senator,
I am a Republican...and a Catholic. Your choice of words are very insulting. Since you are on the Judicial committee I would hope that your education and common sense would have served you better. There were far better words to use regarding Rev. Barber. I do believe that he is masks himself in the cloth of a Holy man as if it is a shield. He certaintly is not a Dr. Martin Luther King, but more a Jessie Jackson / Al Sharpton wannabe.
It is all to often that Catholics are the easy target and your words are that of a Bigot.
June 11, 2013 at 8:05 am
Rachel Powell says:
No one has a problem with a balanced budget. No one expects you to "print money on a magical press." You can act as though you don't understand why being responsible with finances would bother anyone, but I think you know damn well that it's HOW the GOP is doing it that angers people. Take from the poor and make sure the rich stay rich. THAT is the disgrace and you know it.
Also, aren't you at least supposed to PRETEND to care about the people? Since when did open mockery become okay? Isn't the GOP working on refining its image? Shouldn't you be attending a boot camp to learn how to hide your prejudice, ignorance, and stupidity?
June 14, 2013 at 9:36 am
Boyd Cathey says:
Unfortunately, too few people understand lancing political sarcasm and satire these days, at least if directed in their direction. Senator Thom Goolsby does, and he does it well. Too many citizens over on the neo-Marxist politically-correct Left pretend to be shocked by the good senator's word usage; but this feigned outrage is only directed at those on the Right, hardly ever at the vicious commentary vomitted out by those on the Left, that condescension and scarcely-concealed hatred that so characterizes the blogosphere and now major networks like CNN, MSNBC, and NBC. So it is very hard to take seriously the complaints of those who appear so outraged. Indeed, I thought his imagery of Barber-as-bedecked-clergyman was in no way offensive to Catholics (I am Catholic and found the image funny). Perhaps because Senator Goolsby hit so hard and so close to the truth is the real reason that our "establishment" media and the supercilious Left here in the Tar Heel State have reacted with such outrage. After all, until recently they've had things pretty much their own way, with a compliant media, and a smug conceit that THEIR "progressive" views were the ONLY views worth considering, and that anything else was just "right wing fringe" or "bigotry."
Senator Goolsby and the General Assembly were elected by sound majorities; they are doing what they promised they WOULD do. No amount of whining and tendentious complaints will change that. As a recent online poll conducted by WWAY-TV in Wilmington indicated, nearly two-thirds of respondents SUPPORT Senator Goolsby's views. I suspect that a solid majority of Tar Heels do, as well.
So, go ahead, Lefties, protest and whine all you will; that's your right. But each time you shout and scream and launch outlandish charges, you lose another few hundred voters....
June 14, 2013 at 10:19 am
Robin Livingston says:
I agree with the other commentators. While I'm not fan of Rev. Barber and think he would protest his own grandmother if he could score political points, this goes a bit far. It does seem like these protests are made up of the usual suspects, but there are real concerns as well. Name calling and belittling people for having opinions isn't right. We have rights in this country, and these people are exercising them. They should be allowed to do so without being insulted for it.
