Margaret and Helen

Lovely ladies,

Have you seen the transcript or heard the interview of Joe the Plumber with Glenn Beck? I found it on the huffingtonpost and followed it to Glenn Beck’s site. What follows is very long… it is the full transcript and my rantings on a message board. I don’t know what I expect y’all to do with it, but y’all have a bigger audience than I do, and I’m just so BEYOND on this whole type of “journalism” and speaking about things in shadow rather than taking the facts as they are and going from there. Thanks.

Tawnya

http://www.huffingtonpost…r-mccain-ap_n_149723.html

full transcript here: http://www.glennbeck.com/…ticles/article/198/19055/

GLENN: 888-727-BECK, 888-727-BECK. Joe the plumber is on the phone. Joe, some of us have written three New York Times best selling times. Who do you think you are, just picking up a pen and writing some sort of drivel?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Mmm…

GLENN: Joe, you obviously have seen the New York Times review, haven’t you?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Yeah, I saw that. I kind of laughed about it.

GLENN: Have you ever seen — you should wear that as a — I’d have T-shirts made with that review on it. Have you ever, have you ever read anything so full of hatred?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Unfortunately, yes. I have received a couple of letters and I’ve had some composed. I’ve seen a couple of letters out there. What amazed me is I haven’t done anything of late. So why stir everything back up again. I understand the book and everything. Just, that wasn’t news. I mean, just more or less this guy’s opinion and he just wants to stir the pot, you know. I was a reporter (if I was a reporter in New York Times, I think I’d actually go for something a little bit more hard hitting myself.

GLENN: Well, I have to tell you it makes me want to go out and buy your book just to piss the New York Times off. What a bunch of snobs. First of all, who’s the publisher? Who published your book?

JOE THE PLUMBER: PearlGate Publishing, a small company out of Austin, Texas.

GLENN: Oh, well, what do they know then. They don’t know literature.

JOE THE PLUMBER: No, but they do know struggle and strife, you know, a small company trying to get into the publishing business. That’s a pretty hard road to –

GLENN: They’re not too big to fail. You know what I’m saying? This won’t be a company that we’ll have to bail out. I mean, nor would we, nor should we when so many great companies like the New York Times need to be bailed out.

Joe, tell me about the book.

JOE THE PLUMBER: Oh, essentially it goes through the 2008 election, you know, what transpired a little bit as far as me. It gives you an inside look. You know, I like to think I’m a little bit more educated than some out there in politics just because it’s interesting to me that, you know, Washington talks about knowing your government and, you know, and actually keeping it in check and so I’ve always been interested in it, and getting the inside look, though, I honestly felt even more dirty after I had been on the campaign trail and seen some things that take place. It was scary, man.

GLENN: Like what?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Well, I spoke to John McCain pretty in-depth and, you know, I’ll tease you here. A lot of liberals are going to love that passage. Right now I’m painted as the right-wing conservative nut, but I’m just an American wanting, you know, what every other American wants and that’s, you know, honesty from our elected officials which, you know, has not happened in a very long time. So it’s just a straight talk about John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, some other people I met along the way.

GLENN: Well, okay. Let’s take them one by one. Tell me about John McCain, something that I don’t know.

JOE THE PLUMBER: Well, something you don’t know, actually it’s probably stuff that you’ve already guessed and has already been painted in the different media spotlights. Just, well, you know, the bailouts. When I was on the bus with him, I asked him a lot of questions about the bailout because most Americans did not want that to happen, yet he voted for it. At the same time he’s talking about how he’s going to make somebody famous if they even think about putting pork in the bill? We all know how much pork was in the $700 billion bailout package. And why did he vote for it? And I asked him pretty direct questions and some of the answers you guys are going to receive, you know, they appalled me, absolutely. You know, I was angry. In fact, I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him.

GLENN: Really?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: Why didn’t you get off the bus?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Honestly because the thought of Barack Obama becoming President scares me even more.

GLENN: Okay. Now, let me just —

JOE THE PLUMBER: I almost —

GLENN: Let me play devil’s advocate here and let me play the New York Times, except I’ll be fair. Isn’t that part of the problem, Joe, that people will sell out their values because they will say, “No, well, I just don’t want that; so I’ll take this, I’ll settle for this.” Isn’t that the problem with our system of government right now is we’ve settled for so long, we keep getting something that we don’t want and it just gets worse and worse and worse.

JOE THE PLUMBER: Well, and that’s exactly right. I mean, you know, hopefully I wasn’t too big a proponent of that, this — what do you call it — tripping post, if you will. There isn’t somebody. Neither campaign put out a — no, I’m not going to speak for the Democrats but I mean, the Republicans didn’t put out a candidate for us to really vote for. It’s the lesser of two evils. When you get to that level, you’ve compromised your principles, you’ve compromised your values so often and you owe your soul to whatever special interest group or lobbyist has padded your campaign finances and everything else that you no longer are your own man. So you can no longer stand on your own feet because they’ve been cut out from underneath you years ago.

GLENN: What did you think of Sarah Palin?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Sarah Palin’s absolutely the real deal. You know, I only got to spend a short amount of time with her but, you know, it was been asked if I felt any presence when I was with John McCain or Barack Obama. You know, with Sarah Palin, I don’t want to say I felt a presence but she definitely had energy and she definitely went to work for American people, and it disgusts me on how often they try to bash her just for her sincerity. It’s just, you know, she really wants to work for America and I mean, I wish people would listen to her and let them, and let her work for us. You know, she wants to serve us. She’s not looking for power.

GLENN: Don’t you think that people would listen to her but between the people in Washington that won’t let go of power and the people in the media that also don’t want to let go of power, they need to destroy her because she’ll destroy their power structure.

JOE THE PLUMBER: Oh, their way of life, absolutely. I mean, she would curtail that. She would bring in, you know, common sense answers to — you know, you were just talking about how you need to be a genius to run a system that, well, when you can’t run it. I mean, you need to break it down, really scale it back and start over a little bit. Maybe back where our founding fathers are at. I mean, you know, for example, you know, Hillary Clinton, the whole deal with her as far as becoming Secretary of State. You know, it’s kind of against — well, it’s not kind of. It’s against the Constitution right now where it stands. But they’re talking about getting around it. You know, seems like every time they want to do something, if something’s in the way, they will get around it. What are we teaching our children? What are we teaching people, just even ourselves? You know, if something’s in the way, we’re going to get around it? It’s there for a reason and I mean very good reasons. Our country’s been the greatest country in the world for a very long time, yet these people think they’re good enough or smart enough and they will get around it so that way they can serve? They don’t want to serve. They just want that power is all it comes down to, Glenn.

GLENN: Well, I think you are right on the money. I will tell you this in talking to one of my guys who’s deep in the Constitution, he’s saying that she can’t have two offices. That’s the problem. She can’t occupy the two offices and then two different branches, but it’s kind of iffy on that. It’s not really clear. And if she gets rid of her office, then it should be fine. But she couldn’t be a senator and Secretary of State. That’s the real problem there.

JOE THE PLUMBER: Oh, yeah.

GLENN: You would still have a problem with that?

JOE THE PLUMBER: No, I wouldn’t. You know, I have no problem with her being — well, I don’t want to say that. I mean, you know, will ultimately she become Secretary of State? I don’t question that. It’s just the fact that I believe I was watching Hannity and Colmes. You know, they had one of their guys on there saying that they will get around it and it will be okay. That’s the problem I have is the fact that, you know, if the Constitution gets in the way, they will have a lawyer or judge get around it. Kind of like God in their country. Gosh, it’s hard following them, we’ll get around it. We’ll just take this part of the Bible out because it’s hard. They are always looking to get around something, you know? Life is not easy, and to be a good person you’ve got to work hard at it. And people just want to kind of get around it and, you know, it’s just not — that’s not the moral fiber that this country was built on.

GLENN: Joe, you’re just a regular guy. You just, you know, feel what you feel. You are hanging out with normal people, unlike our politicians. You listen to this program, if I’m not mistaken, right?

JOE THE PLUMBER: You are absolutely correct.

GLENN: Okay. What do you think is coming our way if things don’t change in Washington? What do you think’s — where are we headed?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Well, I mean, you know, I’m not comparing anybody. You know, I don’t want you to stir up a hornet’s nest here but, you know, when Adolf Hitler had come to power, one of the first things he did was take guns away. You know, we’re a country that doesn’t really listen to history. Let me go that route. And so we seem to, our country repeating the mistakes that other countries have already made and they are bogged down in now and, you know, some of the things that our current elected President Obama is suggesting really goes down a socialist road and that’s just —

GLENN: So but I want to ask you, because I see where we’re headed. I mean, they are talking about nationalizing the car industry now.

JOE THE PLUMBER: Oh, Lord.

GLENN: I mean, you want that crappy car, what was it, the Zil or whatever it was that they made over in Russia, that’s where we’re headed. But what I want to ask you more is what do you feel from the average person? How is the average — is the average American going to take a socialized state, a huge nationalized state or are they going to want to reset the Constitution?

JOE THE PLUMBER: Well, you know, it really depends on the other 2/3 of Americans that didn’t vote, Glenn. They are so disenfranchised with the political system currently, they don’t feel they have a voice or that their vote even counts. So they stay home on election day. It really depends on them people, if they are going to actually get off their duff and become educated and get involved. As of right now, yeah, everyone who has their hand out. So you know, I see a lot of people out there who would much rather let the state take care of them and screw everybody else. “I want to look out for me.” It’s no longer “I want to look out for my country, I want to look out for my neighbor,” I want to look out for me and only me. Very selfish.

GLENN: Very quick, last question. Are you going to run for office?

JOE THE PLUMBER: I’m going to do my national watchdog group. Hopefully I have more of an impact in that process than congress. Congress would be one voice amongst many and that’s going into the snake’s den, so to speak. That would be real hard, Glenn. I’m not real sure about that.

GLENN: Strengthening your local community is the way to go. Joe the plumber, thank you very much. The name of the book is Fighting for the American Dream.

My Posts to a message board follow:

“That’s the problem I have is the fact that, you know, if the Constitution gets in the way, they will have a lawyer or judge get around it. Kind of like God in their country. Gosh, it’s hard following them, we’ll get around it. We’ll just take this part of the Bible out because it’s hard.” WTFFF?

I hardly even know where to begin with this. Let me start by saying that JTP doesn’t even know what he is talking about? He doesn’t have a full scope of not one issue that he has been given a platform and an effing book deal to spout off about. “People need to know history.” Yes, MFer, you do!

The slippery slope and spectre of socialism negates any government efforts to make the country work better?

Washington is afraid of a straight talking, sincere Palin destroying their power structure?

And people who look to sources like Glenn Beck, Hannity and Colmes (soon to be just Hannity), and fox News for their primary source of information, are being handled a load of S.H.I.T. and don’t even know it!! (and by s.h.i.t. I mean, misinformation, convoluted hypothesis, tangents coupled with scary outcomes, hyper focus on misleading and discredited issues, etc.) But because these media people look like them, seem relatable to their upbringings, and try so hard to make themselves one of the people, then the people believe what they are being told.

I don’t say this to demean the people who do watch. I say it to CONDEMN the media people who are playing to the peoples’ fear of their rights and traditions being taken away by all of the “others.” (and by “others” I mean liberals and “liberals,” feminists and “feminists,” non-evangelical Christians, non-Christians, big-city dwellers, and a whole lotta other folks).

This is but one example of the hyper focus on non issues that I am talking about.

JOE THE PLUMBER: “… I mean, you know, for example, you know, Hillary Clinton, the whole deal with her as far as becoming Secretary of State. You know, it’s kind of against — well, it’s not kind of. It’s against the Constitution right now where it stands. But they’re talking about getting around it. ”

GLENN: “Well, I think you are right on the money. I will tell you this in talking to one of my guys who’s deep in the Constitution, he’s saying that she can’t have two offices. That’s the problem. She can’t occupy the two offices and then two different branches, but it’s kind of iffy on that. It’s not really clear. And if she gets rid of her office, then it should be fine. But she couldn’t be a senator and Secretary of State. That’s the real problem there.”

So JTP, you and Glenn have brought up this scary scenario of Clinton and her lawyers crapping on the constitution so she can be both senator and sec’y of state?

But then you say that it doesn’t look like she’s actually trying to do that… but if she did, then she’d be trying to find lawyers and judges to help her get around it? WHO THE FUCK is trying to hold on to two seats? WHO THE FUCK is trying to get around it? Clinton? Not a lick of truth to that assertion/implication/insinuation/piece of crap. You are not a responsible journalist/commentator or whatever else you call yourself Glenn. You are a s.h.i.t. stirrer. Cloaking yourself in the good, hardworking American coat. You are an imposter. A Fraud.

JOE THE PLUMBER: “No, I wouldn’t. You know, I have no problem with her being — well, I don’t want to say that. I mean, you know, will ultimately she become Secretary of State? I don’t question that. It’s just the fact that I believe I was watching Hannity and Colmes. You know, they had one of their guys on there saying that they will get around it and it will be okay. That’s the problem I have is the fact that, you know, if the Constitution gets in the way, they will have a lawyer or judge get around it.”

And JTP, you are an idiot who has not done his own research on issue one.

“…and it disgusts me on how often they try to bash her [Palin] just for her sincerity.” False.

” It’s just, you know, she really wants to work for America and I mean, I wish people would listen to her and let them, and let her work for us.” Doing what? Championing which causes and platform? If I don’t agree with her, then I don’t want her.

You know, she wants to serve us. She’s not looking for power.” I will give the benefit of the doubt and not say “False.” But I will say “a-hahahaha!!”

GLENN: Don’t you think that people would listen to her but between the people in Washington that won’t let go of power and the people in the media that also don’t want to let go of power, they need to destroy her because she’ll destroy their power structure.

People at home are nodding along to this mess because they believe the messengers. Who here has an FUCKING break? Because I need one.

JTP “So you know, I see a lot of people out there who would much rather let the state take care of them and screw everybody else. “I want to look out for me.” It’s no longer “I want to look out for my country, I want to look out for my neighbor,” I want to look out for me and only me. Very selfish.”

The whole conflated capitalism vs. socialism saga is mish-mashed together in this statement of supreme stupidity and irony.

You are the BEST! Wish I had such sassy and thought provoking grandmas!

Matthew-
Thank you for your part in making Helen and Margaret’s virtual parlour so comfortable.

Matthew, hoping you get home for the holidays; if not, head up to Scotland and enjoy the holidays there. Thanks for all your hard work – and patience. Cheers!

Matthew – thank you for sharing your wonderful grandmother with us. I only wish I had a grandmother like her. But, at least I know have a role-model for who I want to be like when I grow up…

hey matthew – just thought i’d drop in again and tell you how much we appreciate your setting this up for your grandmother and keeping it alive!

-s
bee caves

This is my favorite web site. I’d give anything to have a grandmother like Helen! Thanks to Helen and Margaret and to you for making it all possible.

This reminds me a bit of our family business. My mom, who is 77, recently started writing murder mysteries (which we self-publish). I’m the editor, my sister does layout and designs the web site, and my son designs the covers. As with your grandmother, this new adventure has kept my mom young and enjoying life.

matthew – i didn’t know you were in london! i travel there from time to time for work so if you’d ever like to grab a cuppa with a texan, email me offline and i’ll let you know when i’m there next. thank you for all you do to keep this site going. all 3 of you rock.

sharron
bee caves, tx

Hey Matthew – life gets busy, we all know that. The new post will come when it comes, no earlier, no later. In the meantime, keep doing what you do so well. . . and if you’re still in London, take some time and wander over to Spain. . .

H&M – Here’s something I bet will get you feeling better! It’s another dumb move by your favorite former VP Candidate …http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-13/palins-new-disaster

Is this yahoo for real?

Thanks for keeping me interested in US politics, Ladies and have a great day!

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I just found this terrific blog through a commenter on FireDogLake. (Love the internet!)

I’m 71 years old, just a peanut in Margaret and Helen’s world, but I blog, too. In fact I wrote a blog today about those two remarkable ladies and cross-posted it on Talking Points Memo.

Here: http://ramonasvoices.blogspot.com/2009/07/82-yr-old-blogger-skewers-palin-and.html

and here: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/ramona/2009/07/82-year-old-blogger-skewers-pa.php?ref=reccafe

Note the comments on TPM. Lots of new readers–including me.

The blog is on my bloglist, too.

(Got the age wrong on the link but changed it on the blogs.)

Had my grandmother lived longer, she’d have made a fantastic blogger. She is my hero. I miss her heaps. Glad to see other amazing ladies like you are blogging.

Peace,
Jamie

How right you both are! If only those who give money to her campaign reslized how stupid she is, but then if they are giving money to her camgaign, they are pretty stupid as well. I really liked Helen’s comment about Palin not wanting more governemnt involvement except of course, on abortion. Keep them coming Helen and Margaret, you two are the best!

How lovely that you are so connected to your Grandmother and what an inspiration both of them are to us all!

Thank you so much for the “odd hours” you are able to contribute!

Yay for Matthew!! You are a rawkin’ grandson. I’m sorry I never saw this blog until today but am really really enjoying the archives and laughing my head off. My sixteen-y.o. daughter is another instant fangirl, like me.

Margaret and Helen, You Rule!

Please, please, please compile these posts into a book. I just found this blog and am amazed by the brilliance and wit. It is so rare to find these days and is such treat. Helen should be named a National Treasure.

A BREATH OF SPRING. TWO LOVELY, OPEN-MINDED WOMEN, WHO ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER. MY SON SENTME YOUR http://WWW.,ETC. HE THOUGHT I NEEDEED A LOT MORE LAUGHS AND INTEREST. ACTUALLY I LOST ‘THE FRIEND’ WHO WAS NOT ONLY WILLING TO LET HER HAIR DOWN BUT BELLOWED WHEN YOU DID. REALLY NOT VERY MANY OF US ARE WILLING TO DO THAT WITHOUT FEELING FOOLISH…OR IS THERE ANOTHER WORD? I HAVE RECENTLY BEGUN TO NAVIGATE THIS DURN MACHINE. 78 CAME AND WENT AND NO ONE TO HOWL WITH ABOUT LIFE’S VISCISITUDES/LEFTOVER JOY TO DREDGE UP. BLESS YOUR LITTLE PEAPICKING HEARTS FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND OUTLOOK. RUSH LIMBAUGH – WHO IS THAT MEALY-MOUTHED (SOB)? YES. POSSIBILITY OF IT BEING INTERPRETED AS A REAL “sob”. YOUR VIEWS ARE RIGHT ARE RIGHT ON.

ENJOY READING ALL RESPONSES FROM OTHER ‘BLOGGERS’, AS THEIR COMMENTS ARE ‘ HERE IN THE PRESENT..’, OR NOT ‘AS I REMEMBER’ OR ‘ BACK WHEN I WAS GROWING UP’…(WAAAY BACK BEFORE THE WHEEL WAS INVENTED.)

THANKS TO YOU BOTH AND ALL OF THEM..MERRY MIRTH TO US ALL, NOW REALLY.

COMPUTER MOM
09/08/09

ON

Thank you so very much for this site. I laugh out loud as well as feel inspired by your wisdom and delighted by the way you write.

I only recently found this wonderful blog, but I have been sharing it with everyone I know…including posting it on my facebook page.

You are definitely a little bit of magic…

Sending a giant hug and lots of encouragement your way! I will wait on the edge of my seat for your next post.

It’s been a while since I’ve checked this blog, Matthew. I just wanna say that someday i sure would like to be a granny like your granny and have a cool grandson like you… I need to find some margaret & helen wanna-bees in my community so we can get rid of that old biddy michele bachmann…she’s in my district!!! oh lordie, lordie.

Not sure if people use it, probably because there is no driving factor now, but if google starts indexing that metadata, we’ll see more videos have metadata injected in. ,

I too, am worried regarding the absence of Helen’s spot-on wit and humor. When irresistible world-shaking events occur (i.e. Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize), and there is no comment, I know something must be wrong. Please up-date if you can, my thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Rae

I’m a 60 yr old Texas grandmother who was recently introduced to Miss Margaret and Miss Helen. I’ve just whiled away a delightful Sunday reading some of the archives and wondered why there’s a gap from November 07 to October 08? I was really into Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, if more posts exist, I’d love to know how to read them. If not, I regret not knowing the ladies sooner. Thanks.