A note to the graduating class of 2009
News shows this past week broadcast excerpts of speeches given by well-known individuals at college commencement ceremonies. The wisdom and insight of Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Laura Bush, Robert Gates, Colin Powell, Ellen DeGeneres, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and others reigned down upon graduates as they are about to embark on life as adults. Below are some thoughts and observations that these esteemed speakers may not have noted in their addresses.
Graduates who have followed the news on CNN, MSNBC, FOX or Comedy Central have seen a very clear choice as to how to conduct one’s life. Regardless of whether one agrees with the policies of President Obama his embrace of civility and nobility is in marked contrast to the narrow sewer politics of Limbaugh, Gingrich and Cheney. Obama’s adherence to veracity is in marked contrast to the lies and twisted logic of these icons of failed leadership under the banner of conservatism. The college graduates of 2009 may have the clearest examples in American history of how poor leadership can weaken America, how greed on steroids can destroy an economy and how ignoring the environment and the health of its citizens can put our society and communities at great risk. Everyone we are exposed to in life is our teacher. Some people show us to what to do and some show us what not to do. Rarely have such choices for graduates been in sharper focus.
For decades the message to graduates has consistently been to make the world a better place as one seeks their place to pursue dreams, hopes and aspirations. Today’s graduates will begin careers and soon start families under the umbrella of a political system that is flawed – a system that in recent years has yielded more impediments than opportunities for individuals to participate in the American dream. It is a system where our elected officials must raise large sums of money to fund political campaigns that ensure re-election. Elected officials are lured into serving the needs of the special interests that provide campaign and other funds and the officials must devote an inordinate amount of time to fundraising, which reduces the time available to deal with issues important to citizens. This will only change with the public financing of elections because self-policing by elected officials is an American pipe dream. For the most part, today’s elected officials are owned by corporate interests of energy, finance and banking, pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations. The sellout led to de-regulation of financial markets, a reduction in product safety, a reduction in competition and blockage of sound energy policies that would have reduced dependence on foreign oil and more responsibly protected the environment.
Today’s graduates will have to bide their time until there is once again a viable two-party political system in America. The current version of the Republican Party (Conservatism) became the voice of corporate interests, the religious-right and the Neocons, also known as the warmongers. The GOP was embarrassed in the elections of 2006 and 2008. As the current version of conservative politics continues to lose support in almost every demographic, 2010 will likely be even more devastating to the Republican Party. Following repeated defeats I expect the GOP will seek candidates more moderate, more inclusive and more reflective of a society rejecting the narrow issues of abortion and gay marriage, more demanding that elected representatives actually represent their interests which include fair wages, intelligent broad-based healthcare, sound energy policy, verifiable voting apparatus, renewal of our infrastructure, reliable mass transit and improvements in education.
We can only trust that this year’s graduates will reject the lies that the conservative/GOP cabal continue to spew. Examples include: gay marriage will destroy traditional marriage and lead to pedophilia and bestiality; the U.S. will be endangered if prisoners at Guantanamo were housed in federal high security prisons on American soil; Obama is a Fascist and his policies will result in a socialist state; oversight of capitalism will result in a socialist state; evolution is not valid; the world was created a) 3000 years ago, b) 5000 years ago, c) 15000 years ago; torture is justifiable in our society and the use of torture made Americans safer; Saddam Hussein was an imminent threat to America.
Finally, this note to graduates should not be construed as an endorsement of the Democratic Party. Over the past decade its record is not seen as horrendous only because it is compared to the Republican Party. Democrats are also subject to the influence of special interests and their lobbyists, they participated in the reigning in of regulation and reduction of oversight and they were silent and impotent in opposing the invasion of Iraq and subsequent funding of the occupation. Both political parties governed out of fear and a cynicism in the American political system and the American people. You are the next generation and you can do better.
“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
Showing posts with label Democratic Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Democratic Party. Show all posts
Monday, June 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
* Patriotic sadism ~ if at first you don’t succeed… - Former VP Dick Cheney and his chain gang claim that waterboarding works. That being the case one would think that after one or two or three or even unbelievably ten waterboardings a suspect would provide the information sought. Okay, it wasn’t a lucky interrogation for the inquisitors. Let’s try it 20 times on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. How about 30 or 40 or 50 times? That should cover it. But then again, maybe the guy is an encyclopedia of information. Let’s try waterboarding him 80 or 90 or 100 times. Nah, this is America with a documented work ethic and a penchant for going for the gold. Let’s waterboard the SOB 183 times. Maybe the interrogations ceased because they ran out of water.
* The Ticking Bomb ~ The Catastrophic Fallout – Defenders of torture generally begin the debate by saying, “Torture methods are necessary to get information from a detainee who has information about a bomb about to go off that will take American lives.” Seemingly compelling, one wonders whether this scenario applied to any of the hundreds (or more) of detainees “harshly” interrogated at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and untold secret sites? Even more telling of this blanket reasoning is the recently released report by the Senate that abusive techniques were used to try to produce evidence of ties between al Qaeda and Iraq. To summarize: detainees were abused to extract evidence of a relationship that never existed, except in the necon planet of the Bush administration. This may be the greatest lesson to be learned from the Bush years: the dangerous and self-defeating consequences of believing your own lies.
* Bombastic rhetoric – I find it interesting that those folks defending the actions of the Bush administration at Guantanamo et al reply that critics of such behavior can only be found in the political far left. I guess this means that citizens on the near left, moderates and conservatives (near and far) believe that torture is acceptable. Except for the majority of conservatives the majority of Americans are against the use of torture. Look at the polling. For as long as I have been on this planet, at least until seven years ago, I was under the impression that AMERICA AND AMERICANS DO NOT TORTURE. That being said, Defenders of the Bush Administration would have us believe that what took place at Guantanamo et al was not torture. John McCain strongly disagrees with his fellow conservatives and stated on Face the Nation that under George W. Bush the U.S. violated the Geneva Convention. FBI director Robert Mueller told his agents who had observed and reported back CIA enhanced interrogation techniques, "No, you can't do that. That violates our own rules. That violates our understanding of the law. You have to step back." Both the inquiries yet to take place and history will condemn this period and note that torture, even when wrapped in the Stars and Stripes, is still torture.
* Two misunderstandings have gained widespread attention concerning Barack Obama and his approach to dealing with the torture issue. Contrary to many media pundits, it is not Obama’s decision to seek or not seek investigations into the commitment of torture. It is the decision of the Attorney General, the person designated to oversee the legal interests of the American people (contrary to how Alberto Gonzales interpreted this position).
The second area that requires further thought is when Obama said that he was immunizing CIA personnel from possible prosecution for committing torture. Recall that we function under the laws of the U.S. AND international law that our country has signed on to. From Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com: “After President Obama announced last week that he opposes prosecutions of CIA officials who tortured detainees in reliance on OLC memos purporting to legalize that conduct the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, announced that Obama's policy of immunizing CIA torturers violates international law and, specifically, the clear obligations of the U.S. under the Convention Against Torture (signed by Ronald Reagan in 1988).”
For those macho guys (and gals) who want to treat waterboarding as a day at Wet N Wild, they should be reminded that, “After World War II, we convicted several Japanese soldiers for waterboarding American and Allied prisoners of war.” They were hanged or sentenced to 15 years in prison. Apparently the Bush lawyers who wrote justifications for the use of waterboarding were ignorant of or ignored history and the law.
If you have the stomach the LA Times offers 10 just-released photos depicting treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib. We may never know to what extent abusive American actions contributed to the further recruitment of terrorists but it is safe to say that what are known as “enhanced techniques” did little or anything to make us or our troops in Iraq safer. If anything, such actions increased the threat to American troops and citizens.
And let us not forget the complicity of some Democrats, if the claim is correct that a small number were informed of the program. And let us not forget the pathetic lack of opposition by the Democratic Party as the enhanced techniques became publicly know. This is not a political party issue. It is a humane issue, a legal issue and strikes at the heart of what this country stands for. It matters not to me, and hopefully other citizens, whether an individual politically affiliates with an R or a D. If they knowingly enabled or did not vociferously oppose the use of torture, the light of shame should be shone upon them.
For the record, a new poll out today by the New York Times and CBS found that 71% of Americans consider waterboarding to be a form of torture. It is interesting to note that 26% said it was not torture, about the same percentage of Americans that approved of George W. Bush as he left office. I will leave it to the political scientists to draw conclusions.
* The Party of smaller government ~ until government is needed – The recent outbreak of Swine Flu is a reminder that we are susceptible to pathogens that result in widespread illness or worse. Rightfully so, Obama’s original stimulus packaging contained $870 million for flu pandemic preparedness. In order to gain the support in the Senate needed to pass the stimulus bill, Republicans Susan Collin and Arlen Specter demanded that this money be cut from the spending bill. Perhaps these esteemed Senators did not feel it necessary to prepare for viral outbreaks since they benefit from an excellent government-sponsored health plan. For the rest of the citizenry, let them eat cake.
Last week tough-as-a-longhorn Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, stood on a soapbox and suggested that Texas could secede from the union. It is a good thing that secession takes time because this week, “Gov. Rick Perry has asked for 37,430 courses of anti-viral medicine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of the swine flu outbreak.” It reminds one of the child who runs away from home but returns in two hours because it is getting cold and dark.
* Swine Flu conundrum – The Center for Disease Control says, “If you have a fever and you're sick or your children are sick, don’t go to work and don't go to school." The National Partnership points out: “nearly half of private sector workers in the United States don't have a single paid sick day. It's even worse for low wage workers. And nearly 100 million workers don’t have a paid sick day they can use to care for a sick child. “
* “The layman's constitutional view is that what he likes is constitutional and that which he doesn't like is unconstitutional.”
Justice Hugo L. Black (1886 – 1971) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court 1937 to 1971
* The Ticking Bomb ~ The Catastrophic Fallout – Defenders of torture generally begin the debate by saying, “Torture methods are necessary to get information from a detainee who has information about a bomb about to go off that will take American lives.” Seemingly compelling, one wonders whether this scenario applied to any of the hundreds (or more) of detainees “harshly” interrogated at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and untold secret sites? Even more telling of this blanket reasoning is the recently released report by the Senate that abusive techniques were used to try to produce evidence of ties between al Qaeda and Iraq. To summarize: detainees were abused to extract evidence of a relationship that never existed, except in the necon planet of the Bush administration. This may be the greatest lesson to be learned from the Bush years: the dangerous and self-defeating consequences of believing your own lies.
* Bombastic rhetoric – I find it interesting that those folks defending the actions of the Bush administration at Guantanamo et al reply that critics of such behavior can only be found in the political far left. I guess this means that citizens on the near left, moderates and conservatives (near and far) believe that torture is acceptable. Except for the majority of conservatives the majority of Americans are against the use of torture. Look at the polling. For as long as I have been on this planet, at least until seven years ago, I was under the impression that AMERICA AND AMERICANS DO NOT TORTURE. That being said, Defenders of the Bush Administration would have us believe that what took place at Guantanamo et al was not torture. John McCain strongly disagrees with his fellow conservatives and stated on Face the Nation that under George W. Bush the U.S. violated the Geneva Convention. FBI director Robert Mueller told his agents who had observed and reported back CIA enhanced interrogation techniques, "No, you can't do that. That violates our own rules. That violates our understanding of the law. You have to step back." Both the inquiries yet to take place and history will condemn this period and note that torture, even when wrapped in the Stars and Stripes, is still torture.
* Two misunderstandings have gained widespread attention concerning Barack Obama and his approach to dealing with the torture issue. Contrary to many media pundits, it is not Obama’s decision to seek or not seek investigations into the commitment of torture. It is the decision of the Attorney General, the person designated to oversee the legal interests of the American people (contrary to how Alberto Gonzales interpreted this position).
The second area that requires further thought is when Obama said that he was immunizing CIA personnel from possible prosecution for committing torture. Recall that we function under the laws of the U.S. AND international law that our country has signed on to. From Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com: “After President Obama announced last week that he opposes prosecutions of CIA officials who tortured detainees in reliance on OLC memos purporting to legalize that conduct the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, announced that Obama's policy of immunizing CIA torturers violates international law and, specifically, the clear obligations of the U.S. under the Convention Against Torture (signed by Ronald Reagan in 1988).”
For those macho guys (and gals) who want to treat waterboarding as a day at Wet N Wild, they should be reminded that, “After World War II, we convicted several Japanese soldiers for waterboarding American and Allied prisoners of war.” They were hanged or sentenced to 15 years in prison. Apparently the Bush lawyers who wrote justifications for the use of waterboarding were ignorant of or ignored history and the law.
If you have the stomach the LA Times offers 10 just-released photos depicting treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib. We may never know to what extent abusive American actions contributed to the further recruitment of terrorists but it is safe to say that what are known as “enhanced techniques” did little or anything to make us or our troops in Iraq safer. If anything, such actions increased the threat to American troops and citizens.
And let us not forget the complicity of some Democrats, if the claim is correct that a small number were informed of the program. And let us not forget the pathetic lack of opposition by the Democratic Party as the enhanced techniques became publicly know. This is not a political party issue. It is a humane issue, a legal issue and strikes at the heart of what this country stands for. It matters not to me, and hopefully other citizens, whether an individual politically affiliates with an R or a D. If they knowingly enabled or did not vociferously oppose the use of torture, the light of shame should be shone upon them.
For the record, a new poll out today by the New York Times and CBS found that 71% of Americans consider waterboarding to be a form of torture. It is interesting to note that 26% said it was not torture, about the same percentage of Americans that approved of George W. Bush as he left office. I will leave it to the political scientists to draw conclusions.
* The Party of smaller government ~ until government is needed – The recent outbreak of Swine Flu is a reminder that we are susceptible to pathogens that result in widespread illness or worse. Rightfully so, Obama’s original stimulus packaging contained $870 million for flu pandemic preparedness. In order to gain the support in the Senate needed to pass the stimulus bill, Republicans Susan Collin and Arlen Specter demanded that this money be cut from the spending bill. Perhaps these esteemed Senators did not feel it necessary to prepare for viral outbreaks since they benefit from an excellent government-sponsored health plan. For the rest of the citizenry, let them eat cake.
Last week tough-as-a-longhorn Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, stood on a soapbox and suggested that Texas could secede from the union. It is a good thing that secession takes time because this week, “Gov. Rick Perry has asked for 37,430 courses of anti-viral medicine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of the swine flu outbreak.” It reminds one of the child who runs away from home but returns in two hours because it is getting cold and dark.
* Swine Flu conundrum – The Center for Disease Control says, “If you have a fever and you're sick or your children are sick, don’t go to work and don't go to school." The National Partnership points out: “nearly half of private sector workers in the United States don't have a single paid sick day. It's even worse for low wage workers. And nearly 100 million workers don’t have a paid sick day they can use to care for a sick child. “
* “The layman's constitutional view is that what he likes is constitutional and that which he doesn't like is unconstitutional.”
Justice Hugo L. Black (1886 – 1971) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court 1937 to 1971
Monday, January 19, 2009
Stephen Views the News 1/19/09
* Intangibles – On Saturday, in between errands and chores, I followed on television the Barack Obama train ride from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. Reminiscent of the night that Obama was elected I watched the faces of people in large gatherings and listened to some of their comments that celebrated the rise of the next leader of America. The pride, hope, relief and renewed spirit were palpable. With a glistening eye I shared in this historic moment and the aspirations for a better future for my country. All eyes will be on the tangible programs that the Obama administration will try to implement to energize the economy, heal our environment, correct foreign policy and make affordable health care available to all citizens – something I believe is a right within our national community. The challenges are daunting but not insurmountable. The spirit of the American people is so often noted in political speeches that it had become a tagline. The failures and errors of the last eight years have brought Barack Obama and the American spirit to the forefront. I expect that each will be a vital force in America going forward.
* Tangibles – “The goal is to take those who volunteered during the president-elect's campaign and organize them to "work for change" in communities.” This is how USA Today described the initiative announced by Obama during his weekend train ride – “Organizing for America.” Obama said, “I'm asking people like you who fought for change during the campaign to continue fighting for change in your communities." By visiting barackobama.com and change.gov one can learn more about taking a role and responsibility in Our communities.
* Transitions – On Sunday the Meridian Star, a Mississippi newspaper, published a remarkable editorial that offered an apology for its past coverage of civil rights issues. "There was a time when this newspaper – and many others across the south -- acted with gross neglect by largely ignoring the unfairness of segregated schools, buses, restaurants, washrooms, theaters and other public places…We did it through omission… That was wrong. We should have loudly protested segregation and the efforts to block voter registration of black East Mississippians.” The entire editorial can be read at this link. While America has been one of the noblest and most successful experiments in freedom it has not been without ignobility. It is a proud time to be alive in America witnessing the gains we are making to form a more perfect union. While perfection is an ideal perhaps never realized, we have taken another step closer.
* Our tax dollars at work at the Department of Agriculture ~ more seed was being planted than the Department knew. “A former USDA statistician in Kansas City is accused of running a prostitution ring from her work computer,” according to federal prosecutors. Yes, there is merit to the old saying about the taxpayer getting screwed. One trial defense could be that the federal worker took it upon herself, in such a bad economy, to create windfall jobs. A positive note we can take from this is that there are at least some government employees that can multi-task, even as they lay down on the job.
* Fear that is well-founded ~ a glimpse at recent history – For decades the Republican Party mantra has been that government is the enemy and should be minimized, balance the budget and strictly adhere to the rule of law. Following Republicans controlling congress from 1992 to 2006 and holding the White House for the last eight years one can see why Republicans are afraid of government. During this period they exploded the national debt. They expanded government and especially its invasiveness. They sold government policy to special interests and alms-like handed over a portion of the government agenda to religious fundamentalists. If you were not either wealthy or a member of a narrow group of ideologies your interests were abandoned in Washington D.C. Almost every principle Republicans claimed they stood for imploded like the World Trade Center on 9/11. Republican fear of government is well-founded, especially when it is under their control.
* There is a new posse in town – On Sunday Chris Wallace of FOX News interviewed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Wallace kept coming back to the question whether Democrats were being bi-partisan in legislative proposals. Are they listening to the Republicans? He mixed in Republican talking points that we have heard for the past eight years. If Mr. Wallace had watched other stations besides FOX News he would have noticed that the American people have rejected Republicans and their failed policies. The political transition to Democratic Party control began in the 2006 congressional elections and continued through the 2008 elections. Democrats now control the House, the Senate and the White House. Republicans have been rejected while conservative thinking was proven defective in areas such as economic and foreign policy. If bipartisanship means watering down progressive initiatives needed to restore our wounded country than I say leave the Bush Republicans whimpering in their shrinking ideological corner until their constituents vote them out of office and put them (and us) out of misery.
If there are still some doubters as to Republican ineffectiveness and incompetence look at the administration of the $350 billion recovery stimulus package that congress approved in the fall. Under Bush and former Goldman Sachs executive and current Treasury Secretary Paulson the money went to the financial institutions that played a protagonist role in the economic implosion with the following results: the money did not get into the hands of homeowners and borrowers, it was doled out in secrecy with no apparent accountability, the person appointed to assure the funds were used productively and responsibly was shut out of being able to police the funds. At least for a while I am not buying bipartisanship. Republican snake oil hucksters will have to re-earn my patronage.
* “Proud” Moments in History ~ Achtung! – “On April 17, 2005, at the southern California Anaheim Angels sports stadium thirty thousand Saddleback Church members, more than ever gathered in one spot, assembled to celebrate Saddleback's 25th anniversary and listened as Rick Warren announced his vision for the next 25 years of the church.” Anti-gay activist Warren will deliver the invocation at Obama’s inauguration. Let’s hope that his words differ from that spoken to his flock four years ago when he said, “be as committed to Jesus as the young Nazi men and women who spelled out in mass formation with their bodies the words ‘Hitler, we are yours,’ in 1939 at the Munich Stadium, were committed to the Führer of the Third Reich.” The above link has the video. Anyone not fitting the mold of this religious fundamentalist’s world view should be wary as Obama so “graciously” provides Warren with a world stage. There are analogies that further one’s point and then there are analogies as odiferous as week-old bratwurst left sitting in the southern California sun. I wonder if Jesus is holding his nose while recalling that 55 million people died as a result of Hitler-generated hysteria. Achtung!
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ aka, Bring in the Clowns – Meet Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). During the primary this southern end of a bull “predicted Al Qaida would be ‘dancing in the streets’ if Barack Obama were elected president.” He told the Associated Press that Obama’s middle name was among the reasons Islamic terrorists would rejoice over his election. This week the deep-thinking Hawkeye told Geraldo on FOX News that he doesn’t like the fact that the president-elect will be sworn in using that middle name Hussein during Tuesday’s Inauguration. Imagine being some down on his luck resident in Iowa who can’t pay his mortgage or maybe his medical bills or perhaps find a viable job and learn that your congressman is concerned about the next president’s middle name.
* "Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed."
Abraham Lincoln August 21, 1858
* "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1956 sermon
* Tangibles – “The goal is to take those who volunteered during the president-elect's campaign and organize them to "work for change" in communities.” This is how USA Today described the initiative announced by Obama during his weekend train ride – “Organizing for America.” Obama said, “I'm asking people like you who fought for change during the campaign to continue fighting for change in your communities." By visiting barackobama.com and change.gov one can learn more about taking a role and responsibility in Our communities.
* Transitions – On Sunday the Meridian Star, a Mississippi newspaper, published a remarkable editorial that offered an apology for its past coverage of civil rights issues. "There was a time when this newspaper – and many others across the south -- acted with gross neglect by largely ignoring the unfairness of segregated schools, buses, restaurants, washrooms, theaters and other public places…We did it through omission… That was wrong. We should have loudly protested segregation and the efforts to block voter registration of black East Mississippians.” The entire editorial can be read at this link. While America has been one of the noblest and most successful experiments in freedom it has not been without ignobility. It is a proud time to be alive in America witnessing the gains we are making to form a more perfect union. While perfection is an ideal perhaps never realized, we have taken another step closer.
* Our tax dollars at work at the Department of Agriculture ~ more seed was being planted than the Department knew. “A former USDA statistician in Kansas City is accused of running a prostitution ring from her work computer,” according to federal prosecutors. Yes, there is merit to the old saying about the taxpayer getting screwed. One trial defense could be that the federal worker took it upon herself, in such a bad economy, to create windfall jobs. A positive note we can take from this is that there are at least some government employees that can multi-task, even as they lay down on the job.
* Fear that is well-founded ~ a glimpse at recent history – For decades the Republican Party mantra has been that government is the enemy and should be minimized, balance the budget and strictly adhere to the rule of law. Following Republicans controlling congress from 1992 to 2006 and holding the White House for the last eight years one can see why Republicans are afraid of government. During this period they exploded the national debt. They expanded government and especially its invasiveness. They sold government policy to special interests and alms-like handed over a portion of the government agenda to religious fundamentalists. If you were not either wealthy or a member of a narrow group of ideologies your interests were abandoned in Washington D.C. Almost every principle Republicans claimed they stood for imploded like the World Trade Center on 9/11. Republican fear of government is well-founded, especially when it is under their control.
* There is a new posse in town – On Sunday Chris Wallace of FOX News interviewed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Wallace kept coming back to the question whether Democrats were being bi-partisan in legislative proposals. Are they listening to the Republicans? He mixed in Republican talking points that we have heard for the past eight years. If Mr. Wallace had watched other stations besides FOX News he would have noticed that the American people have rejected Republicans and their failed policies. The political transition to Democratic Party control began in the 2006 congressional elections and continued through the 2008 elections. Democrats now control the House, the Senate and the White House. Republicans have been rejected while conservative thinking was proven defective in areas such as economic and foreign policy. If bipartisanship means watering down progressive initiatives needed to restore our wounded country than I say leave the Bush Republicans whimpering in their shrinking ideological corner until their constituents vote them out of office and put them (and us) out of misery.
If there are still some doubters as to Republican ineffectiveness and incompetence look at the administration of the $350 billion recovery stimulus package that congress approved in the fall. Under Bush and former Goldman Sachs executive and current Treasury Secretary Paulson the money went to the financial institutions that played a protagonist role in the economic implosion with the following results: the money did not get into the hands of homeowners and borrowers, it was doled out in secrecy with no apparent accountability, the person appointed to assure the funds were used productively and responsibly was shut out of being able to police the funds. At least for a while I am not buying bipartisanship. Republican snake oil hucksters will have to re-earn my patronage.
* “Proud” Moments in History ~ Achtung! – “On April 17, 2005, at the southern California Anaheim Angels sports stadium thirty thousand Saddleback Church members, more than ever gathered in one spot, assembled to celebrate Saddleback's 25th anniversary and listened as Rick Warren announced his vision for the next 25 years of the church.” Anti-gay activist Warren will deliver the invocation at Obama’s inauguration. Let’s hope that his words differ from that spoken to his flock four years ago when he said, “be as committed to Jesus as the young Nazi men and women who spelled out in mass formation with their bodies the words ‘Hitler, we are yours,’ in 1939 at the Munich Stadium, were committed to the Führer of the Third Reich.” The above link has the video. Anyone not fitting the mold of this religious fundamentalist’s world view should be wary as Obama so “graciously” provides Warren with a world stage. There are analogies that further one’s point and then there are analogies as odiferous as week-old bratwurst left sitting in the southern California sun. I wonder if Jesus is holding his nose while recalling that 55 million people died as a result of Hitler-generated hysteria. Achtung!
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ aka, Bring in the Clowns – Meet Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). During the primary this southern end of a bull “predicted Al Qaida would be ‘dancing in the streets’ if Barack Obama were elected president.” He told the Associated Press that Obama’s middle name was among the reasons Islamic terrorists would rejoice over his election. This week the deep-thinking Hawkeye told Geraldo on FOX News that he doesn’t like the fact that the president-elect will be sworn in using that middle name Hussein during Tuesday’s Inauguration. Imagine being some down on his luck resident in Iowa who can’t pay his mortgage or maybe his medical bills or perhaps find a viable job and learn that your congressman is concerned about the next president’s middle name.
* "Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed."
Abraham Lincoln August 21, 1858
* "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1956 sermon
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election on Tuesday its close will be welcome. Presidential politics have been in the forefront for almost two years and in recent months the calls, the mailings, the emailings and the television and radio ads have become burdensome. At the same time, the number of voter registrations and anticipated voter turnout should be a high mark in our democratic tradition. There still are concerns about Republican attempts to disenfranchise voters not prone to the GOP and unreliable voting machines, but these potential disruptions can lead to systemic improvements if the activism seen in this election remains energized. Safeguards for voter rights and voting systems require an upgrade.
McCain and Obama continue to offer striking differences in content and demeanor. Obama concentrates on issues important to Americans. The McCain campaign concentrates on characterizing Obama as a Socialist, a Marxist and a supporter of terrorists. Perhaps Mr. McCain does not sufficiently believe in his own platform that he has to emphasize empty issues that lack gravitas. Obama’s tax plan, ideas for economic recovery, foreign policy strategies, energy solutions and prescriptions for health care inadequacies and inequities is what most of us care about. A poll on Thursday indicated that 59% of voters felt that Sarah Palin was not prepared to be Vice President. The Palin selection was emblematic of a McCain candidacy constructed to appeal to a narrow base and plagued by impetuous execution. The Palin nomination understandably brought into question McCain’s judgment and ability to make sound decisions. Questionable economic stances and neocon/myopic foreign policy have not added to his appeal or credibility. The John McCain candidacy has proven to be a disappointment for many Independents, Republicans and even Democrats who once admired the long-serving Arizona senator.
* Under the radar ~ Leadership and Organization – The polls indicate that McCain is still within striking distance to win this election. What the polls do not show is the comprehensive ground game that the Obama campaign has designed and implemented. The Obama campaign has established offices and built an army of volunteers across America that is beyond the scope of previous national campaigns. One aspect of this effort was registering voters and it did so in record numbers. The other aspect is directed toward voter turnout. This weekend millions of registered Democrats will be visited by Obama volunteers. They will be reminded to vote, provided with information about voting locations and hours of operation and offered rides to the polls where needed. On Election Day these same registered Democrats will again be reminded to vote and a huge number of legal experts will be deployed around the country to protect against voter intimidation and vote stealing. The Democratic Party will be far better prepared this year to deal with Republican shenanigans than it was in 2000 and 2004.
* McCain ~ Change you don’t want to believe in – The McCain-Palin campaign did not invent racism and hate in America. Evidence of these ugly facets of human behavior can be seen throughout American history. However, one would think that a national political party seeking election to the highest office would go way out of its way to avoid any taint of such negativity and divisiveness. John McCain proves this premise incorrect. A survey of news outlets and blogs provides numerous examples of increasing expressions of hate and meanness, racism and homophobia - a result of the pandering McCain/Republican political campaign. I lay responsibility for these cancerous expressions at the feet of Senator McCain and Governor Palin. Regardless of the outcome of this election their candidacy was a big step backward for American principles, a regression stained with shame that will not disappear like political lawn signs on November 5th.
* The Bush Effect ~ Lest we forget – President Bush is still in office and still intent on his damaging policies and reign of error. A Washington Post article on Friday provides the details. “The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January.” If there was not such a damaging track record by the Bush administration I would have thought the article was a Halloween trick. It reminds one of an April 1st fool: lift constraints on power plants, mines and farms; clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities; ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming; relax drinking-water standards; and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining – a type of mining that damages the environment and has destroyed communities.
* Karl Marx meets Grouch Marx – Representative Steve King (R-IA) tells an audience in Sioux City that Obama is even more extreme than a Socialist. With Obama America will wind up with a totalitarian dictatorship. And, bless his little heart, he informs the audience that only Republicans have a legitimate claim to representing freedom as America knows it. From the Farm Belt – it’s Saturday Nigh Live. If one does not laugh at this crap one would cry.
* Let freedom ring – My efforts and my vote support Barack Obama. A number of Republican/conservative friends have told me they will vote for John McCain. I am disappointed in their decision but understand that all of our votes are valid. When the election is over we will move forward together. One cannot ask for more in a democratic society.
* “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.”
William E. Simon (1927 – 2000) 63rd U.S. Secretary of Treasury
McCain and Obama continue to offer striking differences in content and demeanor. Obama concentrates on issues important to Americans. The McCain campaign concentrates on characterizing Obama as a Socialist, a Marxist and a supporter of terrorists. Perhaps Mr. McCain does not sufficiently believe in his own platform that he has to emphasize empty issues that lack gravitas. Obama’s tax plan, ideas for economic recovery, foreign policy strategies, energy solutions and prescriptions for health care inadequacies and inequities is what most of us care about. A poll on Thursday indicated that 59% of voters felt that Sarah Palin was not prepared to be Vice President. The Palin selection was emblematic of a McCain candidacy constructed to appeal to a narrow base and plagued by impetuous execution. The Palin nomination understandably brought into question McCain’s judgment and ability to make sound decisions. Questionable economic stances and neocon/myopic foreign policy have not added to his appeal or credibility. The John McCain candidacy has proven to be a disappointment for many Independents, Republicans and even Democrats who once admired the long-serving Arizona senator.
* Under the radar ~ Leadership and Organization – The polls indicate that McCain is still within striking distance to win this election. What the polls do not show is the comprehensive ground game that the Obama campaign has designed and implemented. The Obama campaign has established offices and built an army of volunteers across America that is beyond the scope of previous national campaigns. One aspect of this effort was registering voters and it did so in record numbers. The other aspect is directed toward voter turnout. This weekend millions of registered Democrats will be visited by Obama volunteers. They will be reminded to vote, provided with information about voting locations and hours of operation and offered rides to the polls where needed. On Election Day these same registered Democrats will again be reminded to vote and a huge number of legal experts will be deployed around the country to protect against voter intimidation and vote stealing. The Democratic Party will be far better prepared this year to deal with Republican shenanigans than it was in 2000 and 2004.
* McCain ~ Change you don’t want to believe in – The McCain-Palin campaign did not invent racism and hate in America. Evidence of these ugly facets of human behavior can be seen throughout American history. However, one would think that a national political party seeking election to the highest office would go way out of its way to avoid any taint of such negativity and divisiveness. John McCain proves this premise incorrect. A survey of news outlets and blogs provides numerous examples of increasing expressions of hate and meanness, racism and homophobia - a result of the pandering McCain/Republican political campaign. I lay responsibility for these cancerous expressions at the feet of Senator McCain and Governor Palin. Regardless of the outcome of this election their candidacy was a big step backward for American principles, a regression stained with shame that will not disappear like political lawn signs on November 5th.
* The Bush Effect ~ Lest we forget – President Bush is still in office and still intent on his damaging policies and reign of error. A Washington Post article on Friday provides the details. “The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January.” If there was not such a damaging track record by the Bush administration I would have thought the article was a Halloween trick. It reminds one of an April 1st fool: lift constraints on power plants, mines and farms; clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities; ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming; relax drinking-water standards; and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining – a type of mining that damages the environment and has destroyed communities.
* Karl Marx meets Grouch Marx – Representative Steve King (R-IA) tells an audience in Sioux City that Obama is even more extreme than a Socialist. With Obama America will wind up with a totalitarian dictatorship. And, bless his little heart, he informs the audience that only Republicans have a legitimate claim to representing freedom as America knows it. From the Farm Belt – it’s Saturday Nigh Live. If one does not laugh at this crap one would cry.
* Let freedom ring – My efforts and my vote support Barack Obama. A number of Republican/conservative friends have told me they will vote for John McCain. I am disappointed in their decision but understand that all of our votes are valid. When the election is over we will move forward together. One cannot ask for more in a democratic society.
* “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.”
William E. Simon (1927 – 2000) 63rd U.S. Secretary of Treasury
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