How Can They Even Say That? And How Do They Sleep At Night?

Back in my college days, we had an expression for someone who uttered an outrageous and/or offensive comment: "How did you fix your mouth to say some shit like that?"  Fast forward to 2010, and I find myself once again employing that phrase, as the next sentence in this post is one I never, ever thought I'd read or say:

"Homeless women veterans with children."

Let's say that again:

Homeless.

Women.

Veterans.

With Children.


What the hell?! How much of one's humanity has to be scrubbed away, how much like a demon (or like Dick Cheney) do you have to be, in order to let a situation like this develop, and do nothing to help? Indeed, how did it come about that we're forced to "say some shit like that," in order to describe a situation that should never, ever be, one that makes my head spin, my blood boil, and my heart ache? How could a situation like this ever come about?

One more time:  

Homeless.

Women.

Veterans.

With Children.

Disgusting. Horrific. Revolting. However, for the GOP leadership, it's apparently very easy for them to say that phrase, and then sit and do nothing:

HuffPost:

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked for unanimous consent to approve a $3.4 billion bill to help homeless women veterans and homeless vets with kids. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell objected on behalf of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who is taking a stand against any measure that adds to the deficit.
"If we don't start paying for new programs and continue on our path to bankruptcy we'll have a homelessness problem beyond imagination," Coburn spokesman John Hart told HuffPost. "The old Washington excuse that it's too hard to cut spending is undermining our troops, our veterans and our future."

Isn't the GOP the party that's always yammering about "honoring our veterans?" Aren't they the self-proclaimed "party of family values?" So how in any ethical, moral, religious, or compassionate sense can anyone claim that reducing the deficit is more important than helping homeless women with children, much less homeless women veterans with children?  How can they say that with a straight face, and how can they sleep at night?

Unfortunately, they sleep just fine.

It's things like this that reveal the true face of conservatism today. Senators Coburn and McConnell aren't unusual. The truth is, they're not in office to help people; Coburn, McConnell, and those like them are there to amass money and power for themselves and their corporate buddies. How any Tea Party dupe, any "dittohead", any Republican can support politicians like this has to be the result of soulless malevolence, rampant greed, or boundless stupidity. Personally, I think it's varying combinations of all three.