*Do not impeach Bush and Cheyney ~ this is not a typo! - About 3 years ago I was emotionally expressing to a friend that Bush and Cheyney should be impeached. My friend said that he was on the fence on this matter. Whenever a lie or abuse by the Bush administration was revealed in the news I would call my friend and ask if he was ready to get off the fence. Needless to say, we spoke quite often. By mid- 2007 he was ready to join me in the call for impeachment. The justification for impeachment remains stronger than ever. The case for impeachment is emphatically made by Elizabeth Holtzman, a former Congresswoman who served on the House Judiciary Committee considering the impeachment of Richard Nixon. Kargo X at dailykos.com offers a succinct list of reasons for impeachment. However, I do not favor impeachment proceedings at this point in time. As Michael Tomasky discusses in a recent article, impeachment would fail (67 votes would be needed in the Senate – no way it would happen) and the unity that this country needs going forward would be jeopardized. An indictment of the Bush administration would also be an indictment of the Republican members of Congress who rubber stamped its programs. Even if overwhelming evidence for impeachment were presented these legislators could not support a conclusion of guilt. I certainly think that our country would be best served if the next president or congress appointed a commission to investigate and assess the illegal activities that occurred during the Bush/Cheney regime. The findings would be utilized to implement safeguards against future abuses of power. We are currently in the process of selecting new leadership for America and our hands will be full correcting the errors, crimes and misdemeanors Bush and Cheyney committed as well as addressing a broad spectrum of other problems America and Americans face. History will oblige the “impeachment” of George Walker Bush and Richard Bruce Cheyney. It is our imperative to move forward.
*Honoring Suharto ~ foreign policy fallacy and folly – “The United States Sunday hailed former Indonesian president Suharto as a "historic figure" who "achieved remarkable economic development," in a statement released by the U.S. embassy. “President Suharto led Indonesia for over 30 years, a period during which Indonesia achieved remarkable economic and social development," said U.S. ambassador Cameron Hume. Here is the truth. Jeffrey Winters, associate professor of political economy at Northwestern University, said “the graft effectively robbed Indonesia of some of the most golden decades, and its best opportunity to move from a poor to a middle class country... When Indonesia does finally go back and redo history, (its people) will realize that Suharto is responsible for some of the worst crimes against humanity in the 20th century," In my lifetime the U.S. has a history of supporting (and in some cases propping up) dictators that have been abysmal for interests of their people. In the case of Suharto the alibi was fighting Communism during the Cold War. Other examples involve dictators in Central America, South America, Africa and the Middle East. To achieve short-term goals America has created generations of people who have been victimized by these dictators and who now despise us. We too easily forget our support of the Shah of Iran led to the long-term hostage situation of Americans. The Iranians still hate us. If the situation were reversed, Americans would feel the same way. There are consequences to our actions and the Bush administration honoring Suharto only exasperates former U.S. decisions that were devoid of moral grounding and foresight. America is not the world and our current standing provides the evidence. When masses of people in many parts of the world demonstrate their hatred for America, instead of changing the channel, ask why.
*Airline security ~ getting down to basics – It confounds me why no one thought of this before. A German travel agency has begun booking travel for nudists that allow the vacationers to be naked on the plane. If this policy can be extended to check-in, security lines would substantially shorten. I do have concern about seat belts but it is probably a guy thing.
*Autism – It is a complex neurological disorder that affects 1 in 150 children. There is currently no cure. It inhibits the ability to communicate with and relate to others. This year more children will be diagnosed with Autism than the combined total for AIDS, cancer and diabetes. Most insurance plans do not cover the required intensive therapy. By clicking on this link about Autism and watching a short video a donation will be made to Autism Speaks, you will learn more about this disorder and a personal donation can be offered.
*Freedom and Opportunity – These two concepts have been American ideals since the founding of our nation. It is a sad fact that slavery continued to exist for 3 generations following the writing of the U.S. Constitution. For almost 200 years Blacks could not go to white schools in parts of the country, eat in white restaurants, drink from white water fountains or ride in the front of the bus. For a century and a half following our founding women had few rights and could not vote. Even today, on average, women earn less pay than men for the same job. There continues to be discrimination due to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, accent, political party affiliation or the brand of athletic shoes that one wears. Prejudice has accompanied the history of man no less virulently than disease. The freedom and opportunity we so boastfully proclaim to ourselves and the world is not without warts. This is not to minimize some of the greatest achievements in the political record of mankind. But deep down inside we know that challenges remain for our nation. This gives us all the more reason to celebrate the prospect of our first Black or female president. Regardless of the election outcome we have evolved – with no apology to creationists.
*Handgun control ~ shooting itself in the foot – When a handgun is purchased a background check is generally required of the purchaser EXCEPT at gun shows and this is a significant loophole. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that will keep criminals and other dangerous people (convicted felons, domestic violence abusers, or someone who is dangerously mentally ill) from buying and selling guns without Brady criminal background checks at gun shows. At The Brady Campaign web site you can send an email urging Senators to pass this important bill.
*McCain ~ Dr. Strangelove on Viagra – John McCain recently said that he could see American soldiers in Iraq for 10 years or even 100 years. This week he said that if elected president he would cut government spending sharply and lower taxes. I guess he failed to review the expense vouchers for the Iraq war. He reminds me of the beer-soaked college sophomore at a frat party who will say anything to the attractive coed to get into her dorm.
*McCain ~ bench-pressing the G.W. Bush scepter of fear – In a speech on Sunday John McCain warned supporters, "It's a tough war we're in. It's not going to be over right away. There's going to be other wars." The man driving the “Straight Talk Express” bus is not exactly Karnack incarnate. The history of man on this planet is a history of war. I would prefer a president who exhibits the leadership to avoid war rather than one who is looking to keep us in one that should not have taken place and mongers the next one that has not yet been invented. The need for a very strong national defense remains critical to our security. However, we must be vigilant to the fact that Iraq was the result of a mindset pre-conditioned to war. It is essential that we change the paradigm.
*What recession? – CNN is reporting that Exxon Mobil is expected to earn $10.37 billion in the fourth quarter and $39,000,000,000 (billion) for 2007. Shell just posted 2007 profits of $27.6 billion (a 9% increase over last year), a new record for a U.K. company. That should help fund a few meretricious advertising and lobbying campaigns that assert the use of their product does not harm the environment. Ka-ching.
*Exploding Easter Eggs – When one is a Baptist preacher I guess it is not unusual that many of one’s analogies will have a religious context. Mike Huckabee out-pulpits himself. When asked during a Republican presidential debate whether going to war in Iraq was worth it he replied, “Oh, gosh, yes... we didn't find the weapons doesn't mean they weren't there. Just because you didn't find every Easter egg didn't mean that it wasn't planted." Huckabee must have been busy proselytizing when he missed that fact that no (capital “N” capital “O”) weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq and there was no evidence that they existed and were moved to Syria, Jordan or the ancient mythical land of Lemuria where egg-laying ape-like creatures live. As Jason Linkins points out at the Huffington Post, “Doesn't this crazy "Easter Egg" idea provide the rationale to just invade anybody, anywhere in the world?" Recall that this neo-conservative philosophy led to the Iraq Easter egg hunt. Gosh, golly, gee!
*The hubris of Ralph Nader – That creaking sound you hear is the crypt of Mr. Nader once again opening to explore a presidential run. Many feel that his presence in the Bush-Gore presidential contest helped Bush to victory. Every progressive issue that Nader spent a lifetime championing suffered under Bush. It is beyond sad to see ego trump a life’s work.
*Labeling of cloned food ~ an opportunity to be heard – Nine of ten American consumers want labels on products from clones. Consumers Union has a petition urging Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor the Cloned Food Labeling Act.
*State of the Union 1 - President Bush’s seventh SOTU speech left me feeling gratified that it was his last one. In my euphoria I will not attempt to address the President’s claims. However, others are not so euphoric. ThinkProgress.org offers a comprehensive and documented fact check on Mr. Bush’s mendacity. This is information and analysis you will not find on the alphabet channels of NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN, MSNBC, or even PBS. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) offered a strong response to Mr. Bush’s stubborn adherence to failed and harmful policies concerning Iraq. The Philadelphia Inquirer offers an editorial that eviscerates Bush’s speech.
*State of the Union 2 - Okay, you knew I would have to make a comment. In his speech the President was emphatic that congress has to cut back on earmarks (pork barrel spending) and he threatened to veto legislation that contained earmarks. The President did not share with us that he is attempting to become a recovering spendaholic. In addition to converting the U.S. budget from a surplus to an avalanche-burying deficit Mr. Bush has signed spending bills containing 55,000 earmarks worth more than $100 billion. That equates to 22 earmarks and almost $4 million each day that he has been in office. Dealing with an addiction is a bitch – especially the stage of denial where one lies to both oneself and others.
*Presidential debates ~ an overview with bias - On Wednesday I watched the debate of the Republican candidates and on Thursday the Democrats. I felt that McCain (with a smirk) and Romney (with bluster) often sounded and acted like children disingenuously saying what they thought their parents wanted to hear while nah nahing each other. As I listened to Clinton and Obama I felt that I was listening to adults with well thought-out plans for this country. Their vision on a number of issues, including healthcare and immigration, differed mainly around the edges. If elected, each of their plans would eventually be fine tuned through congressional negotiations and subject to the degree of majority enjoyed in Congress. With either Clinton or Obama in the White House the future of America would be a lot brighter than its recent past.
*Democracy – At the heart of democracy is the free expression and exchange of ideas. Modern technology makes this more possible today than at any time in our history. Stephen Views the News (SVN) is one example of utilizing the internet to express oneself and share ideas. Writing about my view of the news began in June 2007 with a weekly email to several friends. In October my website was born. It was made possible by a free program provided by Google. By most standards the exposure of SVN is miniscule. At the same time, through another free program - Google Analytics – I know that my writing has been visited by people from 5 continents, from 18 countries (including India, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Bulgaria and Portugal) and from over 260 cities (including Brooklyn, Colorado Springs, Ahmedabab, Tours, Leeuwarden, Beersheba and Athens). I believe that Benjamin Franklin would have thought the internet pretty cool.
*Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)
Showing posts with label Huckabee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Huckabee. Show all posts
Friday, February 1, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
1/26/08
*I am beside myselves – Former football great Hershel Walker reveals in a new book that he suffers from multiple personality disorder. In the extreme it would be defined as a disorder yet each of us have multiple personalities. We are subtly to demonstrably different as a spouse or a parent, in our work or hangin’ with friends, when we go to the doctor or place a bet at a casino. I bring this up because the people we elect to represent us also have multiple (varying) personalities and the one that we see campaigning is apt to be much different than the one that affects policies and enacts laws. Whom we see on the stump may actually be a chump. I have been leaning toward one particular candidate but learned this week of some votes cast in the past that raise questions for me. Possessing some knowledge of a candidate’s past actions will tell us a lot more than what we get from the overload of sound bites rained down upon us from our television sets. For each of us there will not likely be a perfect candidate but, a democracy does require compromise. At best we can try to be informed so that our final decision is not compromised solely by a candidate’s personality.
*Dinner with the Clintons ~ satiated – You know that feeling one gets following a holiday meal? One more bite and you are certain that you will explode. That is the feeling I have about Bill and Hillary Clinton. Enough is enough. I have commented that I felt Bill was a decent president. I will not forget his loose zipper and the very questionable pardons he granted at the end of his presidency. These examples are not G.W. Bush destructions of the fabric of our country but character flaws that remind one of a fabric that causes a nagging itch. What bothers me the most, however, is the current Hillary Clinton presidential campaign that is heavily funded by special interests (as are some other candidates to varying degrees, unfortunately) and managed by philosophical reprobates better suited for the Republican Party of dirty tricks and questionable campaign ethics. As Bill’s recent statements attempted to revise history (such as his claim that he did not support the invasion of Iraq) and as Hillary’s campaign appears to be one huge scripted stage production, I am Bushed and Clintoned out. It is almost 20 years since the White House had a different name in residence. Burp.
*Responsible leadership – There has been a recent spate of letters falsely claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim. One target of these letters is the Jewish community. At a time when “religion” from the political right is polluting the national discourse I was pleased to see an intelligent, responsible and adult response to the attack on Obama. Seven Jewish U.S. Senators issued a statement against such attacks and said, in part, “Over the past several weeks, many in the Jewish community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo about Senator Barack Obama's religion and attack him personally. As Jewish United States Senators who have not endorsed a candidate for the Democratic nomination, we condemn these scurrilous attacks... All voters should support whichever candidate they believe would make the best president.” The signers are Senators Carl Levin, Barbara Boxer, Ben Cardin, Russ Feingold, Frank Lautenberg, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden.
*The fine print – footnoted.org is a very interesting web site founded several years ago my Michelle Leder. “Each day, the site takes a closer look at the things that companies try to bury in their routine SEC filings.” It is read by financial money managers and analysts and it is a place to perhaps see what is going on with a company you work for or invest in. Examples of her finds: Countrywide gives President and COO David Sambol $2.62 million promotion bonus and country club membership just before stock implodes; Hair-salon chain Regis Corp. doles out more than $2 million worth of goodies to relatives of corporate executives; Morgan's Hotel Group adds $30,000-a-month Manhattan apartment to new CEO Fred Kleisner's $750,000 salary; I2 Technologies, a troubled software company, spends almost $1 million ferrying former CEO Michael McGrath between his Maine home and its Dallas headquarters; Qwest Communications CEO Edward Mueller sends his step-daughter to high school on a private jet. It may be a footnote but we “note” who foots the bill.
*Sometimes the truth hurts – A Canadian training manual for its diplomats inadvertently became public. The following countries were identified as nations that torture: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United States, Afghanistan, Israel and China. (A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Ottawa said the Israeli Supreme Court was "on record as expressly prohibiting any type of torture".)
Update: Under heavy pressure from the U.S. ambassador to Canada, the U.S. was removed from the list. Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said that, “he regretted the embarrassment caused by the public disclosure of the list and promised it would be changed to reflect the Canadian government's official position.” I did not notice my embarrassment abate because of Canada’s “official” position.
*Non-violent conditions in Iraq ~ don’t ask – In an unusually cold winter in the Middle East residents of Iraq are particularly hard hit. There is a lack of water, a lack of electricity and a lack of heat. “Little kerosene is available on the state-run market at the subsidized price of $0.52 a gallon. But the fuel can be found on the black market, where it goes for more than $3.79 a gallon... An average household needs at least 1.32 gallons a day to stay warm, which translates into a monthly expense of $150, or half what an average Iraqi earns.” Since January 1st temperatures at night nave fallen below freezing. Success in Iraq requires going well beyond reducing violence but the Bush spokespeople seem blind to the needs of the Iraqi people when measuring “success”. Recall President Bush saying that his invasion of the country was in part to help the Iraqi people. Ask an Iraqi how they have been helped. Bring gloves.
*I didn’t know that – Living in the United States we take the English language for granted. I am sure that none of us imagine a day when “our” language would disappear. Yet, a U.N. report says that “one language disappears across the world every two weeks.” An example of this loss is taking place in the village of Ayapan in Tabasco, Mexico. Two men in their 70s, the last speakers of the indigenous language Zoque, have drifted apart and are no longer talking to each other. It is humbling that little if anything on our planet is forever. I wonder how these two men feel about the impending end of their language line. I wonder how our behavior would be altered if we each had a true sense of our transience?
*Flash Observations:
~Chuck Norris says that he supports Huckabee because McCain is too old for the job. He says that the presidency ages a person faster than normal because of the demands. If elected, McCain would be 72 at his inauguration. I don’t care much for Norris’ acting or politics but I tend to agree that the age of 72 is a bit old to begin the most demanding job in the world.
~If you are not offended by Huckabee’s desire to integrate church and state maybe another matter will get your attention. In 1993 he had no problem addressing the Council of Conservative Citizens (while Lt. Governor of Arkansas), a white supremacist group. An excerpt from their Statement of Principles: "We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races." I guess the part about all of us being created in the image of God is open to opinion in the mind(less)-set of these miscreants.
~The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is refusing to provide Congress with a full explanation of why it rejected California’s greenhouse gas regulations. Amidst the smog of reasoning is the fact that the Bush-appointed EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson went against the opinion of EPA employees and scientists in this ruling in favor of the lobbying efforts of the U.S. oil and auto industries. Congress is investigating and late this week Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) proposed legislation that would override the EPA decision.
~I find it interesting that many of those opposed to abortion as well as those seeking to legally expand human rights to an embryo (currently a proposed law in 20 states) have so little to say or interest in the welfare of that embryo once born. To advocate the sanctity of life but not the sanctity of the living is incongruous to me.
~The Center for Public Integrity researched the number of false statements made by the Bush administration leading up to the invasion of Iraq. From the report: “...the 935 false statements painstakingly presented here finally help to answer two all-too-familiar questions as they apply to Bush and his top advisers: What did they know, and when did they know it?
~Quote of the Week - Editor of the LA Times Jim O’Shea was pushed out of his job this week because he opposed budget cuts and the way that the parent company Tribune newspapers allocate resources. He said, “We need to tell readers more about Barack Obama and less about Britney Spears.” I applaud this adult approach to news reporting.
*Freedoms Under Attack – Unbeknown to most of us, organizations such as Save the Internet are working diligently to protect us from cable and telecommunication companies illegally blocking free speech and greedily and insidiously hindering free choice to enhance their power and their wealth. Some examples:
· In October 2007, the Associated Press busted Comcast for blocking its users' access to peer-to-peer file-sharing networks like BitTorrent and Gnutella. This fraudulent practice is a glaring violation of Net Neutrality.
· In September 2007, Verizon was caught banning pro-choice text messages. After a New York Times expose, the phone company reversed its policy, claiming it was a glitch.
· In August 2007, AT&T censored a live webcast of a Pearl Jam concert just as lead singer Eddie Vedder criticized President Bush.
· In 2006, Time Warner's AOL blocked all emails that mentioned www.dearaol.com -- an advocacy campaign opposing the company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme.
· In 2004, North Carolina ISP Madison River blocked their DSL customers from using any rival Web-based phone service.
As a nation we are becoming aware of the cost to society of businesses being allowed to become too powerful. This observation applies not only to telecommunication companies but to other industries as well - with special attention to financial institutions, energy companies, health insurers and pharmaceuticals. I anticipate that over the next several years the American people will demand that Congress (which is a part of the problem through self-interest and cronyism) legislate alterations to the unfettered power of corporate industry that has taken root. I expect that there will be a more diligent policing of the abuse exhibited by these entities. It will be an opportunity to verify our democracy’s viability.
*Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
~A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.~History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
~Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness
~The time has come for America to hear the truth…
*Dinner with the Clintons ~ satiated – You know that feeling one gets following a holiday meal? One more bite and you are certain that you will explode. That is the feeling I have about Bill and Hillary Clinton. Enough is enough. I have commented that I felt Bill was a decent president. I will not forget his loose zipper and the very questionable pardons he granted at the end of his presidency. These examples are not G.W. Bush destructions of the fabric of our country but character flaws that remind one of a fabric that causes a nagging itch. What bothers me the most, however, is the current Hillary Clinton presidential campaign that is heavily funded by special interests (as are some other candidates to varying degrees, unfortunately) and managed by philosophical reprobates better suited for the Republican Party of dirty tricks and questionable campaign ethics. As Bill’s recent statements attempted to revise history (such as his claim that he did not support the invasion of Iraq) and as Hillary’s campaign appears to be one huge scripted stage production, I am Bushed and Clintoned out. It is almost 20 years since the White House had a different name in residence. Burp.
*Responsible leadership – There has been a recent spate of letters falsely claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim. One target of these letters is the Jewish community. At a time when “religion” from the political right is polluting the national discourse I was pleased to see an intelligent, responsible and adult response to the attack on Obama. Seven Jewish U.S. Senators issued a statement against such attacks and said, in part, “Over the past several weeks, many in the Jewish community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo about Senator Barack Obama's religion and attack him personally. As Jewish United States Senators who have not endorsed a candidate for the Democratic nomination, we condemn these scurrilous attacks... All voters should support whichever candidate they believe would make the best president.” The signers are Senators Carl Levin, Barbara Boxer, Ben Cardin, Russ Feingold, Frank Lautenberg, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden.
*The fine print – footnoted.org is a very interesting web site founded several years ago my Michelle Leder. “Each day, the site takes a closer look at the things that companies try to bury in their routine SEC filings.” It is read by financial money managers and analysts and it is a place to perhaps see what is going on with a company you work for or invest in. Examples of her finds: Countrywide gives President and COO David Sambol $2.62 million promotion bonus and country club membership just before stock implodes; Hair-salon chain Regis Corp. doles out more than $2 million worth of goodies to relatives of corporate executives; Morgan's Hotel Group adds $30,000-a-month Manhattan apartment to new CEO Fred Kleisner's $750,000 salary; I2 Technologies, a troubled software company, spends almost $1 million ferrying former CEO Michael McGrath between his Maine home and its Dallas headquarters; Qwest Communications CEO Edward Mueller sends his step-daughter to high school on a private jet. It may be a footnote but we “note” who foots the bill.
*Sometimes the truth hurts – A Canadian training manual for its diplomats inadvertently became public. The following countries were identified as nations that torture: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United States, Afghanistan, Israel and China. (A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Ottawa said the Israeli Supreme Court was "on record as expressly prohibiting any type of torture".)
Update: Under heavy pressure from the U.S. ambassador to Canada, the U.S. was removed from the list. Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said that, “he regretted the embarrassment caused by the public disclosure of the list and promised it would be changed to reflect the Canadian government's official position.” I did not notice my embarrassment abate because of Canada’s “official” position.
*Non-violent conditions in Iraq ~ don’t ask – In an unusually cold winter in the Middle East residents of Iraq are particularly hard hit. There is a lack of water, a lack of electricity and a lack of heat. “Little kerosene is available on the state-run market at the subsidized price of $0.52 a gallon. But the fuel can be found on the black market, where it goes for more than $3.79 a gallon... An average household needs at least 1.32 gallons a day to stay warm, which translates into a monthly expense of $150, or half what an average Iraqi earns.” Since January 1st temperatures at night nave fallen below freezing. Success in Iraq requires going well beyond reducing violence but the Bush spokespeople seem blind to the needs of the Iraqi people when measuring “success”. Recall President Bush saying that his invasion of the country was in part to help the Iraqi people. Ask an Iraqi how they have been helped. Bring gloves.
*I didn’t know that – Living in the United States we take the English language for granted. I am sure that none of us imagine a day when “our” language would disappear. Yet, a U.N. report says that “one language disappears across the world every two weeks.” An example of this loss is taking place in the village of Ayapan in Tabasco, Mexico. Two men in their 70s, the last speakers of the indigenous language Zoque, have drifted apart and are no longer talking to each other. It is humbling that little if anything on our planet is forever. I wonder how these two men feel about the impending end of their language line. I wonder how our behavior would be altered if we each had a true sense of our transience?
*Flash Observations:
~Chuck Norris says that he supports Huckabee because McCain is too old for the job. He says that the presidency ages a person faster than normal because of the demands. If elected, McCain would be 72 at his inauguration. I don’t care much for Norris’ acting or politics but I tend to agree that the age of 72 is a bit old to begin the most demanding job in the world.
~If you are not offended by Huckabee’s desire to integrate church and state maybe another matter will get your attention. In 1993 he had no problem addressing the Council of Conservative Citizens (while Lt. Governor of Arkansas), a white supremacist group. An excerpt from their Statement of Principles: "We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races." I guess the part about all of us being created in the image of God is open to opinion in the mind(less)-set of these miscreants.
~The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is refusing to provide Congress with a full explanation of why it rejected California’s greenhouse gas regulations. Amidst the smog of reasoning is the fact that the Bush-appointed EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson went against the opinion of EPA employees and scientists in this ruling in favor of the lobbying efforts of the U.S. oil and auto industries. Congress is investigating and late this week Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) proposed legislation that would override the EPA decision.
~I find it interesting that many of those opposed to abortion as well as those seeking to legally expand human rights to an embryo (currently a proposed law in 20 states) have so little to say or interest in the welfare of that embryo once born. To advocate the sanctity of life but not the sanctity of the living is incongruous to me.
~The Center for Public Integrity researched the number of false statements made by the Bush administration leading up to the invasion of Iraq. From the report: “...the 935 false statements painstakingly presented here finally help to answer two all-too-familiar questions as they apply to Bush and his top advisers: What did they know, and when did they know it?
~Quote of the Week - Editor of the LA Times Jim O’Shea was pushed out of his job this week because he opposed budget cuts and the way that the parent company Tribune newspapers allocate resources. He said, “We need to tell readers more about Barack Obama and less about Britney Spears.” I applaud this adult approach to news reporting.
*Freedoms Under Attack – Unbeknown to most of us, organizations such as Save the Internet are working diligently to protect us from cable and telecommunication companies illegally blocking free speech and greedily and insidiously hindering free choice to enhance their power and their wealth. Some examples:
· In October 2007, the Associated Press busted Comcast for blocking its users' access to peer-to-peer file-sharing networks like BitTorrent and Gnutella. This fraudulent practice is a glaring violation of Net Neutrality.
· In September 2007, Verizon was caught banning pro-choice text messages. After a New York Times expose, the phone company reversed its policy, claiming it was a glitch.
· In August 2007, AT&T censored a live webcast of a Pearl Jam concert just as lead singer Eddie Vedder criticized President Bush.
· In 2006, Time Warner's AOL blocked all emails that mentioned www.dearaol.com -- an advocacy campaign opposing the company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme.
· In 2004, North Carolina ISP Madison River blocked their DSL customers from using any rival Web-based phone service.
As a nation we are becoming aware of the cost to society of businesses being allowed to become too powerful. This observation applies not only to telecommunication companies but to other industries as well - with special attention to financial institutions, energy companies, health insurers and pharmaceuticals. I anticipate that over the next several years the American people will demand that Congress (which is a part of the problem through self-interest and cronyism) legislate alterations to the unfettered power of corporate industry that has taken root. I expect that there will be a more diligent policing of the abuse exhibited by these entities. It will be an opportunity to verify our democracy’s viability.
*Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
~A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.~History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
~Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness
~The time has come for America to hear the truth…
Saturday, January 19, 2008
1/19/08
PRESIDENT BUSH VISITS THE MIDDLE EAST – Oy Vey
>Quintessential symbolism – One of Bush’s stops on his Middle-East tour was the wealthy country of Abu Dhabi. Upon his arrival “Bush was given a large necklace encrusted with hundreds of rubies, emeralds and diamonds and a medallion with a hand-painted enamel American flag.” The necklace is a fitting gewgaw for the man whose presidency enabled Arab oil-producing pals and wealthy American business and defense industry titans to become even wealthier. Let’s hope that Laura has a good chiropractor.
>Quintessential Bush – While visiting United Arab Emirates Bush described this country as a model society. As pointed out by smintheus at dailykos.com “the UAE is an oligarchy that appoints government officials... 80% of residents, immigrants who make up nearly the entire workforce in the U.A.E., have few rights, no chance to become citizens, and virtually no opportunity for improving their lot.” The U.S. State Department in June 2007 reported “the UAE remains a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purpose of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation... Some foreign women were reportedly recruited to work as secretaries, but were trafficked into forced prostitution or domestic servitude. The U.A.E. may also serve as a transit country for women trafficked into forced labor in Oman and Sudan, and men deceived into working involuntarily in Iraq.” With my stomach turning I will only provide a link to the part about kidnapped children. A model society from perdition!
>Never mind ~ again – Recall how our president kept telling us how he was listening to the generals for their advice on Iraq – although it turned out it was only those generals who told him what he wanted to hear. Bush is treating the combined opinion of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies in a similar fashion – yes, the agencies that cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year. The agencies opined “with high confidence” in the National Intelligence Estimate that Iran had ceased building a nuclear weapons program. Speaking to the Israelis last week Bush “told the Israelis that he can't control what the intelligence community says, but that [the NIE's] conclusions don't reflect his own views about Iran's nuclear-weapons program.” Billions of dollars is being spent on intelligence but GWB concludes he is better informed consulting with his dog Barney and a Ouija board.
>Just what the Middle East needs ~ more weapons – In Saudi Arabia “Bush is promising them 20 billion dollars in sophisticated weapons—including 121 million dollars worth of precision guided bombs.” Aside from being an oil pal of Bush the country would never permit democracy, is home to some of the most radical Muslim clerics in the world and treats their camels better than their women (they recently sentenced a woman to be whipped because it was determined that her rape by about 10 men was her fault). Arming Neanderthals while on a fools errand. I suggest that George W. Bush be on the no-fly list.
>Casting a long shadow ~ where the sun does not shine – While in the Middle East President Bush is making a long-term strategic agreement with the Iraqi government, ostensibly obligating the U.S. government well beyond Bush’s term of office. I would like to see the Democratic presidential candidates and especially the Congress publicly state that any commitment made by the U.S. government must be approved by Congress – since approving treaties is one of their responsibilities.
Update – on Wednesday Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008, which would require the administration to consult with Congress on the agreement and withhold funds for the agreement if it did not come in the form of a formal treaty. It remains to be seen if Congress can pass this bill as well as override a probable Bush veto. As pointed out at TPMmuckraker.com a similar bill was introduced by Sen. Hillary Clinton last month but it faces considerable Republican obstructionism. At least there is an attempt at some reasonable governance, which may be the best we can hope for before January 2009.
*Questions about the media:
~Where in our Constitution does it say that television executives can determine which of the legitimate presidential candidates can participate in a debate? NBC and FOX are abbreviations for “idiot”.
~Why is Chris Mathews so obsessed with the Clintons, especially Hillary? He even interrupts himself when ranting on the subject. I wonder if “Hillary” was the name of a powerful female figure in his youth.
~Why do conservatives dominate the political radio talk shows? It cannot be entertainment value.
~Why do Sunday morning political/news shows feature Republicans over Democrats? This past week the 5 major shows had 9 featured guests, 7 of whom were Republican. This is not atypical. Is it due to media ownership?
~Why does John Edwards receive so little press coverage compared to Clinton and Obama? He has been running a strong third. It is likely that even if he does not get the nomination many of his positions will influence the Democratic platform at the nominating convention.
~Why does Fred Thompson continue to receive so much press coverage even though he is running a weak fourth or fifth? Both he and his campaign are on Ambien.
~Why are reality shows so popular? Each morning that we wake up we experience a reality show. Perhaps it is a reflection of the paucity of quality programming.
~Why is the media not asking the candidates about the environment? According to the Sierra Club, in 2007 national reporters asked the candidates 2275 questions. Three of those questions involved global warming.
*Love at first sight ~ who knew? – In Britain “Twins adopted by separate parents soon after birth later fell in love and married, unaware they were related.” The marriage has been annulled. Their plight sparked debate over the rights of children to know the identity of their birth parents. Also being discussed is the broader issue of whether birth certificates should be changed to include information on both of the genetic parents as well as whether or not the child was conceived by a sperm donor. Life does in fact become more complicated with issues we never anticipated. Would you want to know or want it known that you were conceived from donated sperm?
*Kumbaya – This word is currently used in a sarcastic context to connote a blandly pious and naively optimistic view of the world and human nature. In today’s world we certainly could use a bit more optimism and a pinch of naiveté. It is also curious that expressing an optimistic view is too often demeaned. I wondered about the derivation of the word and interestingly it is the title of a spiritual folk song that has been recorded by the likes of Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. It is also associated with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. What song can we associate with the renewal of America when we regain our footing from the Bush years? “Let the Sun Shine In” would be one of my selections. If you have a suggestion please email it to me: stephenviewsthenews@comcast.net.
*Holy crap! – Mike Huckabee wants to amend the U.S. Constitution “so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view”. I must have been worshipping a graven idol while contemporary society was attempting to change God’s standards. But I do have sinful thoughts when a holier-than-thou pulpit proselytizer soars in on a wing and a prayer and wants to change the standards of my democracy and my country. The separation of church and state provided in our very basic law lead me to say to Preacher Huckabee, “Shut the perdition up”!
*Voting machines ~ controvertible confidence – Last week I noted that many are petitioning Congress to require a paper trail for electronic voting machines to ensure the accuracy of elections. I subsequently received an email from Brad Friedman (The Brad Blog), a leading authority on the unreliability and susceptibility to hacker manipulation of voting apparatus. Brad offered the following pointed observation: “We don't need paper trails. We need paper BALLOTS and ones that are actually counted at that!”
~You can help ensure that your vote counts. On Thursday Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced a bill in Congress that will ensure all states' voting machines are backed up by a paper record. The citizen advocate group Common Cause offers a petition to Congress enabling you to be a citizen co-sponsor of this bill.
*The War on Terror ~ meet The War on Drugs – “The cultivation of opium poppies whose product is turned into heroin is spreading rapidly across Iraq as farmers find they can no longer make a living through growing traditional crops.” I find it interesting and ironic that the Iraqi farmers are being assisted by Afghanis, who have considerable experience with this crop. As reported by The Independent (UK), “The move of local warlords, both Sunni and Shia, into opium farming is a menacing development in Iraq, where local political leaders are often allied to gangsters. The theft of fuel, smuggling and control of government facilities such as ports means that gangs are often very rich. It is they, rather than impoverished farmers, who have taken the lead in financing and organising opium production in Iraq.” America is abetting quite a mess. Consequences!
*Electile Dysfunction – A reader notified me of a serious condition that he is experiencing: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year. I am guessing that he is a Republican. I prescribed Votagra.
*Urinal Economics 101 – Republicans continue to push for additional tax cuts for the wealthy as a method to boost the economy. This would be in addition to the windfall granted the “have” class in the early years of Bush’s rule. The theory is that the wealthy will invest these tax savings and the investments will eventually trickle down to benefit the entire economy. We are currently experiencing rising unemployment, crashing house sales and slumping retail sales and an almost universal prediction of a recession. Based on its “success” the “trickle down theory” should be flushed.
*Cloned meats ~ an unappetizing prospect – On January 15th the Food and Drug Administration stated that cloned meats are safe AND it is not necessary to label products as “cloned”. At the same time “evidence surfaced suggesting that Americans and others are probably already eating meat from the offspring of clones... Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency's safety report.” Self-policing and adherence to regulations by many in America’s corporate world is a laughingstock. Government acquiescence to and oversight of business is a joke. Last week I noted that Pennsylvania is barring milk producers who do not use growth hormones on their cows from labeling their products accordingly. Recall that it took decades before it was realized that asbestos and formaldehyde were extremely injurious to humans. Government by the people and for the people has transmuted into government by and for the special interests. Some may say it has always been that way. I would argue that it does not have to be.
~The organization True Majority Action is providing a petition to Congress asking that cloned meat products be labeled.
~Update – Late this week, as a result of strong opposition by consumer advocates and consumers, the state of Pennsylvania reversed its position on milk labeling. I find this encouraging and a verification that our voices can be heard.
* “There are four chief obstacles in grasping truth, namely, submission to faulty and un-worthy authority, influence of custom, popular prejudice, and the concealment of our own ignorance accompanied by an ostentatious display of our knowledge.” Roger Bacon (1214 – 1292) English philosopher
>Quintessential symbolism – One of Bush’s stops on his Middle-East tour was the wealthy country of Abu Dhabi. Upon his arrival “Bush was given a large necklace encrusted with hundreds of rubies, emeralds and diamonds and a medallion with a hand-painted enamel American flag.” The necklace is a fitting gewgaw for the man whose presidency enabled Arab oil-producing pals and wealthy American business and defense industry titans to become even wealthier. Let’s hope that Laura has a good chiropractor.
>Quintessential Bush – While visiting United Arab Emirates Bush described this country as a model society. As pointed out by smintheus at dailykos.com “the UAE is an oligarchy that appoints government officials... 80% of residents, immigrants who make up nearly the entire workforce in the U.A.E., have few rights, no chance to become citizens, and virtually no opportunity for improving their lot.” The U.S. State Department in June 2007 reported “the UAE remains a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purpose of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation... Some foreign women were reportedly recruited to work as secretaries, but were trafficked into forced prostitution or domestic servitude. The U.A.E. may also serve as a transit country for women trafficked into forced labor in Oman and Sudan, and men deceived into working involuntarily in Iraq.” With my stomach turning I will only provide a link to the part about kidnapped children. A model society from perdition!
>Never mind ~ again – Recall how our president kept telling us how he was listening to the generals for their advice on Iraq – although it turned out it was only those generals who told him what he wanted to hear. Bush is treating the combined opinion of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies in a similar fashion – yes, the agencies that cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year. The agencies opined “with high confidence” in the National Intelligence Estimate that Iran had ceased building a nuclear weapons program. Speaking to the Israelis last week Bush “told the Israelis that he can't control what the intelligence community says, but that [the NIE's] conclusions don't reflect his own views about Iran's nuclear-weapons program.” Billions of dollars is being spent on intelligence but GWB concludes he is better informed consulting with his dog Barney and a Ouija board.
>Just what the Middle East needs ~ more weapons – In Saudi Arabia “Bush is promising them 20 billion dollars in sophisticated weapons—including 121 million dollars worth of precision guided bombs.” Aside from being an oil pal of Bush the country would never permit democracy, is home to some of the most radical Muslim clerics in the world and treats their camels better than their women (they recently sentenced a woman to be whipped because it was determined that her rape by about 10 men was her fault). Arming Neanderthals while on a fools errand. I suggest that George W. Bush be on the no-fly list.
>Casting a long shadow ~ where the sun does not shine – While in the Middle East President Bush is making a long-term strategic agreement with the Iraqi government, ostensibly obligating the U.S. government well beyond Bush’s term of office. I would like to see the Democratic presidential candidates and especially the Congress publicly state that any commitment made by the U.S. government must be approved by Congress – since approving treaties is one of their responsibilities.
Update – on Wednesday Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008, which would require the administration to consult with Congress on the agreement and withhold funds for the agreement if it did not come in the form of a formal treaty. It remains to be seen if Congress can pass this bill as well as override a probable Bush veto. As pointed out at TPMmuckraker.com a similar bill was introduced by Sen. Hillary Clinton last month but it faces considerable Republican obstructionism. At least there is an attempt at some reasonable governance, which may be the best we can hope for before January 2009.
*Questions about the media:
~Where in our Constitution does it say that television executives can determine which of the legitimate presidential candidates can participate in a debate? NBC and FOX are abbreviations for “idiot”.
~Why is Chris Mathews so obsessed with the Clintons, especially Hillary? He even interrupts himself when ranting on the subject. I wonder if “Hillary” was the name of a powerful female figure in his youth.
~Why do conservatives dominate the political radio talk shows? It cannot be entertainment value.
~Why do Sunday morning political/news shows feature Republicans over Democrats? This past week the 5 major shows had 9 featured guests, 7 of whom were Republican. This is not atypical. Is it due to media ownership?
~Why does John Edwards receive so little press coverage compared to Clinton and Obama? He has been running a strong third. It is likely that even if he does not get the nomination many of his positions will influence the Democratic platform at the nominating convention.
~Why does Fred Thompson continue to receive so much press coverage even though he is running a weak fourth or fifth? Both he and his campaign are on Ambien.
~Why are reality shows so popular? Each morning that we wake up we experience a reality show. Perhaps it is a reflection of the paucity of quality programming.
~Why is the media not asking the candidates about the environment? According to the Sierra Club, in 2007 national reporters asked the candidates 2275 questions. Three of those questions involved global warming.
*Love at first sight ~ who knew? – In Britain “Twins adopted by separate parents soon after birth later fell in love and married, unaware they were related.” The marriage has been annulled. Their plight sparked debate over the rights of children to know the identity of their birth parents. Also being discussed is the broader issue of whether birth certificates should be changed to include information on both of the genetic parents as well as whether or not the child was conceived by a sperm donor. Life does in fact become more complicated with issues we never anticipated. Would you want to know or want it known that you were conceived from donated sperm?
*Kumbaya – This word is currently used in a sarcastic context to connote a blandly pious and naively optimistic view of the world and human nature. In today’s world we certainly could use a bit more optimism and a pinch of naiveté. It is also curious that expressing an optimistic view is too often demeaned. I wondered about the derivation of the word and interestingly it is the title of a spiritual folk song that has been recorded by the likes of Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. It is also associated with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. What song can we associate with the renewal of America when we regain our footing from the Bush years? “Let the Sun Shine In” would be one of my selections. If you have a suggestion please email it to me: stephenviewsthenews@comcast.net.
*Holy crap! – Mike Huckabee wants to amend the U.S. Constitution “so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view”. I must have been worshipping a graven idol while contemporary society was attempting to change God’s standards. But I do have sinful thoughts when a holier-than-thou pulpit proselytizer soars in on a wing and a prayer and wants to change the standards of my democracy and my country. The separation of church and state provided in our very basic law lead me to say to Preacher Huckabee, “Shut the perdition up”!
*Voting machines ~ controvertible confidence – Last week I noted that many are petitioning Congress to require a paper trail for electronic voting machines to ensure the accuracy of elections. I subsequently received an email from Brad Friedman (The Brad Blog), a leading authority on the unreliability and susceptibility to hacker manipulation of voting apparatus. Brad offered the following pointed observation: “We don't need paper trails. We need paper BALLOTS and ones that are actually counted at that!”
~You can help ensure that your vote counts. On Thursday Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced a bill in Congress that will ensure all states' voting machines are backed up by a paper record. The citizen advocate group Common Cause offers a petition to Congress enabling you to be a citizen co-sponsor of this bill.
*The War on Terror ~ meet The War on Drugs – “The cultivation of opium poppies whose product is turned into heroin is spreading rapidly across Iraq as farmers find they can no longer make a living through growing traditional crops.” I find it interesting and ironic that the Iraqi farmers are being assisted by Afghanis, who have considerable experience with this crop. As reported by The Independent (UK), “The move of local warlords, both Sunni and Shia, into opium farming is a menacing development in Iraq, where local political leaders are often allied to gangsters. The theft of fuel, smuggling and control of government facilities such as ports means that gangs are often very rich. It is they, rather than impoverished farmers, who have taken the lead in financing and organising opium production in Iraq.” America is abetting quite a mess. Consequences!
*Electile Dysfunction – A reader notified me of a serious condition that he is experiencing: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year. I am guessing that he is a Republican. I prescribed Votagra.
*Urinal Economics 101 – Republicans continue to push for additional tax cuts for the wealthy as a method to boost the economy. This would be in addition to the windfall granted the “have” class in the early years of Bush’s rule. The theory is that the wealthy will invest these tax savings and the investments will eventually trickle down to benefit the entire economy. We are currently experiencing rising unemployment, crashing house sales and slumping retail sales and an almost universal prediction of a recession. Based on its “success” the “trickle down theory” should be flushed.
*Cloned meats ~ an unappetizing prospect – On January 15th the Food and Drug Administration stated that cloned meats are safe AND it is not necessary to label products as “cloned”. At the same time “evidence surfaced suggesting that Americans and others are probably already eating meat from the offspring of clones... Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency's safety report.” Self-policing and adherence to regulations by many in America’s corporate world is a laughingstock. Government acquiescence to and oversight of business is a joke. Last week I noted that Pennsylvania is barring milk producers who do not use growth hormones on their cows from labeling their products accordingly. Recall that it took decades before it was realized that asbestos and formaldehyde were extremely injurious to humans. Government by the people and for the people has transmuted into government by and for the special interests. Some may say it has always been that way. I would argue that it does not have to be.
~The organization True Majority Action is providing a petition to Congress asking that cloned meat products be labeled.
~Update – Late this week, as a result of strong opposition by consumer advocates and consumers, the state of Pennsylvania reversed its position on milk labeling. I find this encouraging and a verification that our voices can be heard.
* “There are four chief obstacles in grasping truth, namely, submission to faulty and un-worthy authority, influence of custom, popular prejudice, and the concealment of our own ignorance accompanied by an ostentatious display of our knowledge.” Roger Bacon (1214 – 1292) English philosopher
Saturday, January 12, 2008
1/12/08
*An anniversary ~ not to celebrate 1 – January 11, 2008 marked six years since the opening of Guantanamo prison to hold suspected terrorists. I have commented often about this national disgrace. Imagine the uproar in the United States if one of our American soldiers was subjected to incarceration, torture, no habeas corpus, little or no legal representation...for an indefinite number of YEARS. The organization Witness Against Torture , a campaign to shut down Guantanamo, has many details about this facility. I do not doubt that some of these prisoners are very bad guys. There is also suspicion that some of these detainees were in the wrong place at the wrong time and may be innocent of wrong doing. That is why, in a free society, there is a legal system that is intended to punish the guilty and abrogate the innocent from suspicion. Guantanamo exists outside of our legal system and is a stain on our national honor. It has diminished our moral standing in the eyes of the majority of Americans and the world community. Imagine a U.S. soldier...
*An anniversary ~ not to celebrate 2 - This past week marked one year since President Bush announced the surge for Iraq. A.J. Rossmiller at americablog.com sums up this failure: “The goal of the surge was political reconciliation, i.e., to provide a low-violence atmosphere in which the Iraqi government would agree on issues including oil revenue sharing, de-Baathification, federalism, and more. In the past year, none of those political objectives have been accomplished. There is a reduction in violence, thankfully, which means fewer Americans (and Iraqis) are being maimed and killed. There is not any movement on the political front.” As I listen to John McCain and Joe Lieberman spin the situation I hear that the surge is working. They apparently are watching a different channel. The U.S is an occupying military force expecting disparate groups of Iraqis, who have despised each other for centuries, to suddenly morph into shades of a Jeffersonian democracy. As this is not occurring the U.S. is paying and arming Sunnis and other minority groups in Iraq and praying that these groups do not turn their weapons on American soldiers and the Shiite majority. F for failure.
*Gulf of Tonkin ~ Gulf of Bullshit - Perhaps it was the hyper-reporting of the New Hampshire primaries on January 8th that overshadowed a report on the same day that we should all note and remember. The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident “was a reported North Vietnamese attack on American destroyers that helped lead to president Lyndon Johnson's sharp escalation of American forces in Vietnam... The author of the report "demonstrates that not only is it not true, as (then US) secretary of defense Robert McNamara told Congress, that the evidence of an attack was 'unimpeachable,' but that to the contrary, a review of the classified signals intelligence proves that 'no attack happened that night.” Do you find it as dismaying as I do that the basis for the escalation of the Viet Nam war, being a deliberate and deceitful fabrication, received so little attention in this country? The Viet Nam war dramatically changed this country, cost tens of thousands of American lives, untold physical and mental injuries and enormous treasure. It was predicated on an incredible LIE. Can you say Iraq?
*Ventriloquist warfare? - Remember the video this week of U.S. warships being harassed by Iranian speed boats? Remember a voice on the video saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes." President Bush was quick to label this a provocative act by Iran. ABC is reporting that the Navy is now saying that, “the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship.” I have no way of knowing the truth but the history of the Bush administration and other administrations leaves one cynical. Reference Iraq. Reference the Gulf of Tonkin.
*Consequences – A new study by the World Health Organization estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the first 3 years following the U.S. invasion of the country. That would be the equivalent of every man, woman and child living in Springfield, MA or Springfield, MO. The Bush group took the fight against terrorism to a country that was not responsible for terrorist acts against us and in the process increased terrorism in the world and the death toll. Consequences!
*No comment 1 ~ draw your own conclusion – President Bush said in an interview with Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 2 News: “I can predict that the historians will say that George W. Bush recognized the threats of the 21st century, clearly defined them, and had great faith in the capacity of liberty to transform hopelessness to hope, and laid the foundation for peace by making some awfully difficult decisions." Okay, I will comment. My Aunt Mollie, rest her soul, was the Queen of Sheba.
*No comment 2 ~ draw your own conclusion – ThinkProgress.com noted that the conservative website Human Events chose Rush Limbaugh as their 2007 Man of the Year “for his relentless pursuit of truth”. Reference Aunt Mollie.
*New Hampshire Primary 1 – I liked Bill Scher’s observation on the NH primary polling at the blog Liberal Oasis. He said that the 2 best jobs in the world are weather forecasters and pollsters. The weathermen can be wrong more than 50% of the time and still get paid. Just prior to the New Hampshire primary none of the 9 pollsters had it right. Both CNN and Gallup were embarrassingly wrong. They both had Obama with a 10 point lead over Clinton and Clinton won by 3 percentage points. Having expressed my lack of confidence in polls before (they often claim, for example, that a poll of 679 people tell you what the entire country is thinking) I will let the pollsters of the NH primary misspeak for themselves. I would much prefer that polls prior to elections not be allowed. Voters would be better served concentrating on the candidates’ qualifications and platforms rather than how other voters “indicate” they will vote.
*New Hampshire Primary 2 - Prior to the actual voting, when we were told that Obama would decisively beat Clinton, the media gurus and pundits concluded that Obama would then automatically be anointed the Democratic nominee for president. Let’s try to interpret this. The nominee is “selected” following the results of two primaries that took place in states with small populations that may be the least demographically diverse in the country. What is wrong with this picture?
*The Decider pulled the trigger – On Tuesday President Bush signed into law legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. The law provides for improved checks of gun buyers to prevent criminals and emotionally disturbed people from purchasing weapons. Since Bush has rarely or ever contradicted the interests of the National Rifle Association – which opposes virtually any restriction on gun ownership – it was not certain that Bush would enact this bill. For those who are counting, this is the second week in a row I have had a positive comment about our President. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence does important work on this issue and deserves our support and a visit to their site.
*Dickheads of 2007 – A reader sent me Rolling Stone’s Dickheads of the Year as selected by Bill Maher. Of the 13 selected there was maybe one that had not been discussed in SVN. You can review the less-than-honor roll at this link.
*Nothing is free – The Republicans repeatedly tell us that free markets, with no government oversight, are good for America. An example of this canard was cited by a recent editorial in the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). The volatility and magnitude of oil prices that could lead to $4 per gallon prices this summer is due, in part, to lack of government oversight of energy trading markets. “Washington had this authority until a company named Enron seduced Congress and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission into eliminating it for most of the energy markets back in 2000. Enron claimed growing electronic markets could operate fine on their own.” As we know, Enron’s management proved to be the personification of scumbags, cheating employees and investors out of tens of millions of dollars. The Star-Ledger suggests that restoring government authority to police energy trading markets would moderate wild petroleum price swings and even reduce prices. I continue to be amused (bemused) by the Republican fear machine that says “watch out”, Democrats will bring about higher taxes. What has been the cost of the Republican sell-out to U.S. business interests? I’ll take the taxes.
*Habla Espanol? – Rudy Giuliani has marketed his presidential campaign as tough on terror and tough on immigration. He has said that he believes all immigrants should be able to read, write and speak English in order to become U.S. citizens. I had to laugh the other day when I saw that he ran an ad in Florida in SPANISH. Although there is little to nothing that I like about Giuliani I do think that there is merit to the idea that some command of the English language be a requirement to citizenship or permanent residency. If this is the country in which an immigrant chooses to live their life they should be able to at least speak the language. They should be able to prepare their children for education in an English-speaking country. Both generations will be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities that America offers. Both generations will be more viable citizens. Habla Ingles?
*The odor of spoiled milk ~ and government performance – Effective February 1, 2008 the PA Dept. of Agriculture is prohibiting milk producers from labeling their cartons “no artificial hormones” .Dairy producers are not allowed to advertise the fact that growth hormones are NOT used on their cows. The synthetic hormones, produced by Monsanto, cause the cow to produce more milk but the effect on humans is not known. Imagine a state government agency, that has a mandate to protect citizen’s health, is interfering with the consumer’s ability to make healthy decisions. Ohio and other states are currently considering a similar regulation. I have just signed a petition to my Governor protesting this mindless ban on open labeling of milk. The petition is available at Consumers Union. Growth hormones may be okay for Barry Bonds and other cheating athletes but I have been told that my head is big enough.
*Crisis of friendship – I visited a friend the other night who was watching Walker, Texas Ranger. The show’s star is Chuck Norris, Mike Huckabee’s biggest supporter. Ugh. I did observe that Huckabee is a better actor than Chuck.
*Can you hear me now? 1 – “Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time... A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said... We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence, according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.” This situation is somewhat comical and more than somewhat serious. FBI management should be held accountable. At the same time a moment of perspective would be appropriate. I am grateful for the dedication and heroism that FBI agents exhibit in keeping us safe in a world filled with crime and hate. Yes there have been abuses by management and agents in this agency over the years but the entire organization should not be condemned because of occasional mismanagement and incompetence. It is a price we pay for bureaucracy.
*Can you hear me now? 2 – A number of telecom companies have forcefully lobbied for immunity from prosecution having broken the law assisting the government’s illegal wiretapping. They imply that they were supporting national security. When the government did not pay their phone bill the phone company pulled its patriotic plug. Oh say can you see?
*Will your vote count? – In the past I have referenced articles, organizations and studies that reveal unreliable and tamper-susceptible electronic voting machines being used across this country. A leader in the field of election integrity is Brad Friedman and his web site The Brad Blog is an excellent resource to learn more about this important subject. I mention it now because we are in a critical election year and The NY Times Magazine has a feature article that addresses this threat: “The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines.” Congress is about to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill. I signed a petition urging local, state and federal officials to require a paper trail for all votes cast in upcoming elections. The petition is available at this MoveOn.org web site.
*Will everyone’s vote count? – The Republican majority Indiana legislature enacted a controversial voter photo identification law that is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court (SC). The claimed intent of the law was to prevent voter fraud. This was in spite of the fact that there is no evidence of voter fraud. Groups opposing this law contend that the real purpose of the law was to disenfranchise poor voters who are much more likely to vote Democratic. Since the SC will likely rule before the November elections, the decision will therefore impact the elections. Having read about both sides of the argument it appears to me to be another attempt by the Republican Party to skew conditions in their favor (reference gerrymandering and the politicization and gutting of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division). Yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial spoke out against this law and offers a more complete analysis.
*Re-visiting Ron Paul ~ not unlike a root canal – Last week I made note of continuous racist and anti-gay remarks in newsletters published under the name of Ron Paul for some years. Copies of these newsletters have become quite public. This week Paul claims that he doesn’t know who wrote those comments. He is mystified. It was farcical watching Paul backpedaling and stuttering during a CNN interview. In case I am drafted to run for president some day I want to make the following statement: My name is Stephen Weinstein and I am solely responsible for everything written in Stephen Views the News. If nominated I will not likely run but I will accept campaign contributions. Thank you for your support.
* “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?” Robert F. Kennedy (1925 – 1968)
*An anniversary ~ not to celebrate 2 - This past week marked one year since President Bush announced the surge for Iraq. A.J. Rossmiller at americablog.com sums up this failure: “The goal of the surge was political reconciliation, i.e., to provide a low-violence atmosphere in which the Iraqi government would agree on issues including oil revenue sharing, de-Baathification, federalism, and more. In the past year, none of those political objectives have been accomplished. There is a reduction in violence, thankfully, which means fewer Americans (and Iraqis) are being maimed and killed. There is not any movement on the political front.” As I listen to John McCain and Joe Lieberman spin the situation I hear that the surge is working. They apparently are watching a different channel. The U.S is an occupying military force expecting disparate groups of Iraqis, who have despised each other for centuries, to suddenly morph into shades of a Jeffersonian democracy. As this is not occurring the U.S. is paying and arming Sunnis and other minority groups in Iraq and praying that these groups do not turn their weapons on American soldiers and the Shiite majority. F for failure.
*Gulf of Tonkin ~ Gulf of Bullshit - Perhaps it was the hyper-reporting of the New Hampshire primaries on January 8th that overshadowed a report on the same day that we should all note and remember. The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident “was a reported North Vietnamese attack on American destroyers that helped lead to president Lyndon Johnson's sharp escalation of American forces in Vietnam... The author of the report "demonstrates that not only is it not true, as (then US) secretary of defense Robert McNamara told Congress, that the evidence of an attack was 'unimpeachable,' but that to the contrary, a review of the classified signals intelligence proves that 'no attack happened that night.” Do you find it as dismaying as I do that the basis for the escalation of the Viet Nam war, being a deliberate and deceitful fabrication, received so little attention in this country? The Viet Nam war dramatically changed this country, cost tens of thousands of American lives, untold physical and mental injuries and enormous treasure. It was predicated on an incredible LIE. Can you say Iraq?
*Ventriloquist warfare? - Remember the video this week of U.S. warships being harassed by Iranian speed boats? Remember a voice on the video saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes." President Bush was quick to label this a provocative act by Iran. ABC is reporting that the Navy is now saying that, “the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship.” I have no way of knowing the truth but the history of the Bush administration and other administrations leaves one cynical. Reference Iraq. Reference the Gulf of Tonkin.
*Consequences – A new study by the World Health Organization estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the first 3 years following the U.S. invasion of the country. That would be the equivalent of every man, woman and child living in Springfield, MA or Springfield, MO. The Bush group took the fight against terrorism to a country that was not responsible for terrorist acts against us and in the process increased terrorism in the world and the death toll. Consequences!
*No comment 1 ~ draw your own conclusion – President Bush said in an interview with Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 2 News: “I can predict that the historians will say that George W. Bush recognized the threats of the 21st century, clearly defined them, and had great faith in the capacity of liberty to transform hopelessness to hope, and laid the foundation for peace by making some awfully difficult decisions." Okay, I will comment. My Aunt Mollie, rest her soul, was the Queen of Sheba.
*No comment 2 ~ draw your own conclusion – ThinkProgress.com noted that the conservative website Human Events chose Rush Limbaugh as their 2007 Man of the Year “for his relentless pursuit of truth”. Reference Aunt Mollie.
*New Hampshire Primary 1 – I liked Bill Scher’s observation on the NH primary polling at the blog Liberal Oasis. He said that the 2 best jobs in the world are weather forecasters and pollsters. The weathermen can be wrong more than 50% of the time and still get paid. Just prior to the New Hampshire primary none of the 9 pollsters had it right. Both CNN and Gallup were embarrassingly wrong. They both had Obama with a 10 point lead over Clinton and Clinton won by 3 percentage points. Having expressed my lack of confidence in polls before (they often claim, for example, that a poll of 679 people tell you what the entire country is thinking) I will let the pollsters of the NH primary misspeak for themselves. I would much prefer that polls prior to elections not be allowed. Voters would be better served concentrating on the candidates’ qualifications and platforms rather than how other voters “indicate” they will vote.
*New Hampshire Primary 2 - Prior to the actual voting, when we were told that Obama would decisively beat Clinton, the media gurus and pundits concluded that Obama would then automatically be anointed the Democratic nominee for president. Let’s try to interpret this. The nominee is “selected” following the results of two primaries that took place in states with small populations that may be the least demographically diverse in the country. What is wrong with this picture?
*The Decider pulled the trigger – On Tuesday President Bush signed into law legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. The law provides for improved checks of gun buyers to prevent criminals and emotionally disturbed people from purchasing weapons. Since Bush has rarely or ever contradicted the interests of the National Rifle Association – which opposes virtually any restriction on gun ownership – it was not certain that Bush would enact this bill. For those who are counting, this is the second week in a row I have had a positive comment about our President. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence does important work on this issue and deserves our support and a visit to their site.
*Dickheads of 2007 – A reader sent me Rolling Stone’s Dickheads of the Year as selected by Bill Maher. Of the 13 selected there was maybe one that had not been discussed in SVN. You can review the less-than-honor roll at this link.
*Nothing is free – The Republicans repeatedly tell us that free markets, with no government oversight, are good for America. An example of this canard was cited by a recent editorial in the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). The volatility and magnitude of oil prices that could lead to $4 per gallon prices this summer is due, in part, to lack of government oversight of energy trading markets. “Washington had this authority until a company named Enron seduced Congress and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission into eliminating it for most of the energy markets back in 2000. Enron claimed growing electronic markets could operate fine on their own.” As we know, Enron’s management proved to be the personification of scumbags, cheating employees and investors out of tens of millions of dollars. The Star-Ledger suggests that restoring government authority to police energy trading markets would moderate wild petroleum price swings and even reduce prices. I continue to be amused (bemused) by the Republican fear machine that says “watch out”, Democrats will bring about higher taxes. What has been the cost of the Republican sell-out to U.S. business interests? I’ll take the taxes.
*Habla Espanol? – Rudy Giuliani has marketed his presidential campaign as tough on terror and tough on immigration. He has said that he believes all immigrants should be able to read, write and speak English in order to become U.S. citizens. I had to laugh the other day when I saw that he ran an ad in Florida in SPANISH. Although there is little to nothing that I like about Giuliani I do think that there is merit to the idea that some command of the English language be a requirement to citizenship or permanent residency. If this is the country in which an immigrant chooses to live their life they should be able to at least speak the language. They should be able to prepare their children for education in an English-speaking country. Both generations will be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities that America offers. Both generations will be more viable citizens. Habla Ingles?
*The odor of spoiled milk ~ and government performance – Effective February 1, 2008 the PA Dept. of Agriculture is prohibiting milk producers from labeling their cartons “no artificial hormones” .Dairy producers are not allowed to advertise the fact that growth hormones are NOT used on their cows. The synthetic hormones, produced by Monsanto, cause the cow to produce more milk but the effect on humans is not known. Imagine a state government agency, that has a mandate to protect citizen’s health, is interfering with the consumer’s ability to make healthy decisions. Ohio and other states are currently considering a similar regulation. I have just signed a petition to my Governor protesting this mindless ban on open labeling of milk. The petition is available at Consumers Union. Growth hormones may be okay for Barry Bonds and other cheating athletes but I have been told that my head is big enough.
*Crisis of friendship – I visited a friend the other night who was watching Walker, Texas Ranger. The show’s star is Chuck Norris, Mike Huckabee’s biggest supporter. Ugh. I did observe that Huckabee is a better actor than Chuck.
*Can you hear me now? 1 – “Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time... A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said... We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence, according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.” This situation is somewhat comical and more than somewhat serious. FBI management should be held accountable. At the same time a moment of perspective would be appropriate. I am grateful for the dedication and heroism that FBI agents exhibit in keeping us safe in a world filled with crime and hate. Yes there have been abuses by management and agents in this agency over the years but the entire organization should not be condemned because of occasional mismanagement and incompetence. It is a price we pay for bureaucracy.
*Can you hear me now? 2 – A number of telecom companies have forcefully lobbied for immunity from prosecution having broken the law assisting the government’s illegal wiretapping. They imply that they were supporting national security. When the government did not pay their phone bill the phone company pulled its patriotic plug. Oh say can you see?
*Will your vote count? – In the past I have referenced articles, organizations and studies that reveal unreliable and tamper-susceptible electronic voting machines being used across this country. A leader in the field of election integrity is Brad Friedman and his web site The Brad Blog is an excellent resource to learn more about this important subject. I mention it now because we are in a critical election year and The NY Times Magazine has a feature article that addresses this threat: “The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines.” Congress is about to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill. I signed a petition urging local, state and federal officials to require a paper trail for all votes cast in upcoming elections. The petition is available at this MoveOn.org web site.
*Will everyone’s vote count? – The Republican majority Indiana legislature enacted a controversial voter photo identification law that is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court (SC). The claimed intent of the law was to prevent voter fraud. This was in spite of the fact that there is no evidence of voter fraud. Groups opposing this law contend that the real purpose of the law was to disenfranchise poor voters who are much more likely to vote Democratic. Since the SC will likely rule before the November elections, the decision will therefore impact the elections. Having read about both sides of the argument it appears to me to be another attempt by the Republican Party to skew conditions in their favor (reference gerrymandering and the politicization and gutting of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division). Yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial spoke out against this law and offers a more complete analysis.
*Re-visiting Ron Paul ~ not unlike a root canal – Last week I made note of continuous racist and anti-gay remarks in newsletters published under the name of Ron Paul for some years. Copies of these newsletters have become quite public. This week Paul claims that he doesn’t know who wrote those comments. He is mystified. It was farcical watching Paul backpedaling and stuttering during a CNN interview. In case I am drafted to run for president some day I want to make the following statement: My name is Stephen Weinstein and I am solely responsible for everything written in Stephen Views the News. If nominated I will not likely run but I will accept campaign contributions. Thank you for your support.
* “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?” Robert F. Kennedy (1925 – 1968)
Monday, January 7, 2008
1/7/08
*Campaign promises ~ we know how they usually turn out – Mike Huckabee is now promising miracles if elected. Promising a policy of energy self-reliance, he said that soon after his election "we will be able to tell the Middle East we don't need your oil anymore than we need your sand.'" The consistently irresponsible inaction by presidents and congress since the oil shortage of 1973 has left us dependent on the oil teat of the Middle East for decades to come. That is the inconvenient and unfortunate truth.
*Speaking of miracles ~ a positive comment about George W. Bush – This is the 35th edition of SVN and I have finally found something that is complimentary about President Bush. The NY Times reports, “the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (initiated 5 years ago) may be the most lasting bipartisan accomplishment of the Bush presidency... So far, roughly 1.4 million AIDS patients have received lifesaving medicine paid for with American dollars, up from 50,000 before the initiative.” Going against Republican conventional wisdom with respect to foreign aid Mr. Bush has made a meaningful impact against a widespread and devastating disease. This is a proud accomplishment.
*Campaign losses – Following extremely poor showings in the Iowa caucus both Joe Biden and Chris Dodd have dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. I believe that both are quality leaders and offer a depth of experience but neither captured the imagination of Iowa voters. As leaders in the Senate they will play important roles toward getting America back on track.
*Iowa surprise 1 ~ the turnout – The turnout for the Iowa Democratic caucus (236,000) set a substantial record and dwarfed the Republican turnout (115,000) even though registered Dems (600,000) outnumber GOPers (550,000) by only 50,000. I also found it interesting and promising that a state with an over 97% white population would give Barack Obama such a strong win over the other six candidates. Maybe America is becoming color blind. It has been difficult for many of us over the last 7 years to feel pride in a country that we love so much and yet has erred so often. Cycles of varying scale govern all activity on this planet. Let us hope that a new positive cycle is emerging for America.
*Iowa surprise 2 ~ the turnout of youth – “...13 percent of eligible 17-29 year olds caucused. That is more than triple the percent that participated in 2004. Most significantly, young people made up 22 percent of the Democratic caucus-goers, which means they had a real impact in that race.” It is reported that 57% of these young voters chose Obama resulting in his impressive victory. In 2000 and 2004 the evangelical vote propelled Bush to victory. It will be interesting to see if the youth vote has a similar impact on the Obama candidacy. For quite some time I have been disappointed about the lethargy exhibited by young people in response to what is taking place in America and how it affects their future. Perhaps we are seeing a wakeup call.
*Iowa ~ not such a surprise – I have seen varying figures that say between 60 to 80% of the Iowa Republican voters for Mike Huckabee were evangelicals. Is Huckabee in line to be Bush light? Is it possible to be lighter than Bush? The glare of the bible’s burning bush can be blinding, leaving its message in the dark.
*A Republican against militants ~ do we feel safer now? – Jim Talent, former senator and current advisor to Mitt Romney had this to say about Romney’s brave and steadfast stance about what they perceive to be a grave threat against America, “He’s always had the same position as regards to the gay agenda. “Look, he wants people to know he values gay people as people, okay? But he doesn’t want the militant gays to be able to change the cultural institutions of the country.” I happen to love this open-code speak of the Republican agenda. They continue to put on the front pages their disdain for the principles of a democratic and free society that values choice and diversity. Couched in religion and “family” values they encourage hate and prejudice. Their appeal to a pathetic minority of Americans will ensure their minority status as a political party. For that I express gratitude.
*The real America – Congressman Tom Lantos, a representative of California since 1980 and an advocate for human rights, civil liberties and social justice, has announced that illness prevents him from seeking a 15th term in Congress. An excerpt from his press release demonstrates an aspect of America that makes me proud: “It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress. I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country.”
*The real Arlen Specter – My Senator from PA (R) appears so senatorial while sitting on the Senate Judiciary Committee and lecturing about the rule of law. Apparently, this self-proclaimed moderate was so busy enabling Bush policies and looking the other way as Bush appointees slithered through his grasp of inquiries and investigations that he failed to notice his election campaign was breaking Federal Election Campaign (FEC) law. “Sen. Arlen Specter's 2004 re-election campaign collected more than $1 million in excessive contributions, failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in receipts from political party committees and political action committees, and missed a key reporting deadline before the primary election, according to a FEC audit.”
*The real John McCain – In November the Republican presidential candidate was asked by Charlie Rose if he foresaw a U.S. presence in Iraq lasting as long as the Korean experience. He replied, No. But I can see an American presence for a while. But eventually I think because of the nature of the society in Iraq and the religious aspects of it that America eventually withdraws.” Last week McCain told a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, “it would be fine with him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for a hundred years ... we’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea 50 years or so.” McCain’s comments are contradictory and his analogy is absurd. Our military presence in both Asian countries does not involve an armed conflict where almost 100 U.S. military personnel die each month, where the cost is $10 billion per month and where the government depends upon the U.S. military for its very existence. In fact, Bush’s puppet leader of Iraq, Nuri al-Maliki, is one of the few Iraqis that want U.S. troops to stay in Iraq. The Iraqi Parliament petitioned for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops back in May, 2007. U.S. foreign policy is in dire need of a makeover infused with some fresh thinking.
*The real Rudy Giuliani – In an act that can only be characterized as desperate or ignorant and certainly dangerous Giuliani suggested, “if he were to be elected president — he would like to choose someone like Dick Cheney to be his Vice President”. This is the Dick who deceived us into an unprovoked and unwarranted war, shredded our constitution and sold us out to the oil industry. Let’s clone that!
*The real Mike Huckabee – CNN recently estimated that the next president could have as many as 3 Supreme Court Justices to nominate. Huckabee recently said that if elected president he would nominate men such as Joseph Scalia. That would make the Inquisition look like a Saturday night bingo bash. When Huckabee strums his bass guitar he appears to be the guy next door. Unfortunately, he has demonstrated that he does not know squat about foreign policy, brings his politics from the very far right and if given the chance would shove his bible down your proverbial throat. The evangelicals may like his sermons but that is not a qualification for the leader of America and the free world.
*The real Bush – The NY Times reports, “Six months ago, the Bush administration quietly eased some restrictions on the export of politically delicate technologies to China. The new approach was intended to help American companies increase sales of high-tech equipment to China despite tight curbs on sharing technology that might have military applications.
But today the administration is facing questions from weapons experts about whether some equipment — newly authorized for export to Chinese companies deemed trustworthy by Washington — could instead end up helping China modernize its military. Equally worrisome, the weapons experts say, is the possibility that China could share the technology with Iran or Syria.” I concede that current world dynamics are very complicated. At the same time Bush policies so consistently damage American interests and increase the threat to American safety that I am reminded of the Manchurian Candidate. To avoid being accused of paranoia I will just call it incompetence on steroids.
*A real Justice Department – AG Mukasey appointed a tough, non-partisan, independent prosecutor to investigate the CIA’s destruction of interrogation tapes. “John Durham, who has served with the Justice Department for 25 years, has a reputation as one of the nation's most relentless prosecutors.” Under AG Gonzales either no investigation would have taken place or the investigator would have been Mary Poppins.
*Something to think about ~ the brain – The website New Directions often speaks about the disparity in coverage that health insurers provide for physical versus mental illness. However, like the kidney the brain is an organ. Mental health advocates have been urging congress to enact laws that will force insurers to correct this gap in health coverage. A recent article in the Phila. Inquirer discusses the toll that mental illness takes on society – 26% of adults have a diagnosable mental illness that is often untreated because coverage of mental disorders remains subject to the whims of employers and insurers. Lack of treatment not only affects the individual but also their family, friends and co-workers. In extreme cases of neglect it can lead to tragedies that we see in the headlines. Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-PA) is co-sponsor of the still to be passed “Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act” that would require health insurance companies to provide the same benefits for mental illness as for physical illness. It is beyond time to re-think the treatment of the brain’s illnesses. You can advocate the passage of this bill by locating and contacting your congressman at Project Vote Smart.
*Thank you ~ it’s about time – I was in my favorite bagel shop waiting for my order when I saw the following sign: “As a courtesy to staff and customers Fill A Bagel has developed a policy of no cell phones.” Cell phones offer a whole new set of ways to be rude – by employees and patrons. A well-managed business that actually keeps the customer in mind deserves our business.
*Thank you Crooks and Liars – This is one of the most popular political blogs on the internet. A daily feature is Mike Finnigan’s “Mike’s Blog Roundup” and last week it made mention of and linked to Stephen Views the News. It resulted in a significant increase in visitors to the site. Bloggers have feelings too.
*Can you hear me now – Two privacy groups recently rated countries for surveillance and privacy protection “The 2007 rankings indicate an overall worsening of privacy protection across the world, reflecting an increase in surveillance and a declining performance on privacy safeguards...” Countries with endemic surveillance are Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Russia, China, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Wired.com has more details about these trends.
*Platform for Change ~ Barack Obama – I recently sent an email to the presidential candidates (I do not remember which organization sponsored the effort) requesting that they develop policies against torture and indefinite imprisonment of suspected but unproven members of terrorist organizations and abusing the civil liberties of Americans. The following is an excerpt from the email reply by the Obama campaign:
“This Administration has put forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. When I am president, there will be no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. Our Constitution works, and so does the FISA court. By working with Congress and respecting our courts, I will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom.”
“My Administration will once again show the world that we are not a country that ships prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far off countries. That we are not a country that runs prisons which lock people away without ever telling them why they are there or what they are charged with. When I am President, America will reject torture without exception. I will also reject indefinite imprisonment without trial and close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions.”
These are certainly qualities that I expect of an American president.
* “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)
*Speaking of miracles ~ a positive comment about George W. Bush – This is the 35th edition of SVN and I have finally found something that is complimentary about President Bush. The NY Times reports, “the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (initiated 5 years ago) may be the most lasting bipartisan accomplishment of the Bush presidency... So far, roughly 1.4 million AIDS patients have received lifesaving medicine paid for with American dollars, up from 50,000 before the initiative.” Going against Republican conventional wisdom with respect to foreign aid Mr. Bush has made a meaningful impact against a widespread and devastating disease. This is a proud accomplishment.
*Campaign losses – Following extremely poor showings in the Iowa caucus both Joe Biden and Chris Dodd have dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. I believe that both are quality leaders and offer a depth of experience but neither captured the imagination of Iowa voters. As leaders in the Senate they will play important roles toward getting America back on track.
*Iowa surprise 1 ~ the turnout – The turnout for the Iowa Democratic caucus (236,000) set a substantial record and dwarfed the Republican turnout (115,000) even though registered Dems (600,000) outnumber GOPers (550,000) by only 50,000. I also found it interesting and promising that a state with an over 97% white population would give Barack Obama such a strong win over the other six candidates. Maybe America is becoming color blind. It has been difficult for many of us over the last 7 years to feel pride in a country that we love so much and yet has erred so often. Cycles of varying scale govern all activity on this planet. Let us hope that a new positive cycle is emerging for America.
*Iowa surprise 2 ~ the turnout of youth – “...13 percent of eligible 17-29 year olds caucused. That is more than triple the percent that participated in 2004. Most significantly, young people made up 22 percent of the Democratic caucus-goers, which means they had a real impact in that race.” It is reported that 57% of these young voters chose Obama resulting in his impressive victory. In 2000 and 2004 the evangelical vote propelled Bush to victory. It will be interesting to see if the youth vote has a similar impact on the Obama candidacy. For quite some time I have been disappointed about the lethargy exhibited by young people in response to what is taking place in America and how it affects their future. Perhaps we are seeing a wakeup call.
*Iowa ~ not such a surprise – I have seen varying figures that say between 60 to 80% of the Iowa Republican voters for Mike Huckabee were evangelicals. Is Huckabee in line to be Bush light? Is it possible to be lighter than Bush? The glare of the bible’s burning bush can be blinding, leaving its message in the dark.
*A Republican against militants ~ do we feel safer now? – Jim Talent, former senator and current advisor to Mitt Romney had this to say about Romney’s brave and steadfast stance about what they perceive to be a grave threat against America, “He’s always had the same position as regards to the gay agenda. “Look, he wants people to know he values gay people as people, okay? But he doesn’t want the militant gays to be able to change the cultural institutions of the country.” I happen to love this open-code speak of the Republican agenda. They continue to put on the front pages their disdain for the principles of a democratic and free society that values choice and diversity. Couched in religion and “family” values they encourage hate and prejudice. Their appeal to a pathetic minority of Americans will ensure their minority status as a political party. For that I express gratitude.
*The real America – Congressman Tom Lantos, a representative of California since 1980 and an advocate for human rights, civil liberties and social justice, has announced that illness prevents him from seeking a 15th term in Congress. An excerpt from his press release demonstrates an aspect of America that makes me proud: “It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress. I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country.”
*The real Arlen Specter – My Senator from PA (R) appears so senatorial while sitting on the Senate Judiciary Committee and lecturing about the rule of law. Apparently, this self-proclaimed moderate was so busy enabling Bush policies and looking the other way as Bush appointees slithered through his grasp of inquiries and investigations that he failed to notice his election campaign was breaking Federal Election Campaign (FEC) law. “Sen. Arlen Specter's 2004 re-election campaign collected more than $1 million in excessive contributions, failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in receipts from political party committees and political action committees, and missed a key reporting deadline before the primary election, according to a FEC audit.”
*The real John McCain – In November the Republican presidential candidate was asked by Charlie Rose if he foresaw a U.S. presence in Iraq lasting as long as the Korean experience. He replied, No. But I can see an American presence for a while. But eventually I think because of the nature of the society in Iraq and the religious aspects of it that America eventually withdraws.” Last week McCain told a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, “it would be fine with him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for a hundred years ... we’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea 50 years or so.” McCain’s comments are contradictory and his analogy is absurd. Our military presence in both Asian countries does not involve an armed conflict where almost 100 U.S. military personnel die each month, where the cost is $10 billion per month and where the government depends upon the U.S. military for its very existence. In fact, Bush’s puppet leader of Iraq, Nuri al-Maliki, is one of the few Iraqis that want U.S. troops to stay in Iraq. The Iraqi Parliament petitioned for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops back in May, 2007. U.S. foreign policy is in dire need of a makeover infused with some fresh thinking.
*The real Rudy Giuliani – In an act that can only be characterized as desperate or ignorant and certainly dangerous Giuliani suggested, “if he were to be elected president — he would like to choose someone like Dick Cheney to be his Vice President”. This is the Dick who deceived us into an unprovoked and unwarranted war, shredded our constitution and sold us out to the oil industry. Let’s clone that!
*The real Mike Huckabee – CNN recently estimated that the next president could have as many as 3 Supreme Court Justices to nominate. Huckabee recently said that if elected president he would nominate men such as Joseph Scalia. That would make the Inquisition look like a Saturday night bingo bash. When Huckabee strums his bass guitar he appears to be the guy next door. Unfortunately, he has demonstrated that he does not know squat about foreign policy, brings his politics from the very far right and if given the chance would shove his bible down your proverbial throat. The evangelicals may like his sermons but that is not a qualification for the leader of America and the free world.
*The real Bush – The NY Times reports, “Six months ago, the Bush administration quietly eased some restrictions on the export of politically delicate technologies to China. The new approach was intended to help American companies increase sales of high-tech equipment to China despite tight curbs on sharing technology that might have military applications.
But today the administration is facing questions from weapons experts about whether some equipment — newly authorized for export to Chinese companies deemed trustworthy by Washington — could instead end up helping China modernize its military. Equally worrisome, the weapons experts say, is the possibility that China could share the technology with Iran or Syria.” I concede that current world dynamics are very complicated. At the same time Bush policies so consistently damage American interests and increase the threat to American safety that I am reminded of the Manchurian Candidate. To avoid being accused of paranoia I will just call it incompetence on steroids.
*A real Justice Department – AG Mukasey appointed a tough, non-partisan, independent prosecutor to investigate the CIA’s destruction of interrogation tapes. “John Durham, who has served with the Justice Department for 25 years, has a reputation as one of the nation's most relentless prosecutors.” Under AG Gonzales either no investigation would have taken place or the investigator would have been Mary Poppins.
*Something to think about ~ the brain – The website New Directions often speaks about the disparity in coverage that health insurers provide for physical versus mental illness. However, like the kidney the brain is an organ. Mental health advocates have been urging congress to enact laws that will force insurers to correct this gap in health coverage. A recent article in the Phila. Inquirer discusses the toll that mental illness takes on society – 26% of adults have a diagnosable mental illness that is often untreated because coverage of mental disorders remains subject to the whims of employers and insurers. Lack of treatment not only affects the individual but also their family, friends and co-workers. In extreme cases of neglect it can lead to tragedies that we see in the headlines. Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-PA) is co-sponsor of the still to be passed “Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act” that would require health insurance companies to provide the same benefits for mental illness as for physical illness. It is beyond time to re-think the treatment of the brain’s illnesses. You can advocate the passage of this bill by locating and contacting your congressman at Project Vote Smart.
*Thank you ~ it’s about time – I was in my favorite bagel shop waiting for my order when I saw the following sign: “As a courtesy to staff and customers Fill A Bagel has developed a policy of no cell phones.” Cell phones offer a whole new set of ways to be rude – by employees and patrons. A well-managed business that actually keeps the customer in mind deserves our business.
*Thank you Crooks and Liars – This is one of the most popular political blogs on the internet. A daily feature is Mike Finnigan’s “Mike’s Blog Roundup” and last week it made mention of and linked to Stephen Views the News. It resulted in a significant increase in visitors to the site. Bloggers have feelings too.
*Can you hear me now – Two privacy groups recently rated countries for surveillance and privacy protection “The 2007 rankings indicate an overall worsening of privacy protection across the world, reflecting an increase in surveillance and a declining performance on privacy safeguards...” Countries with endemic surveillance are Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Russia, China, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Wired.com has more details about these trends.
*Platform for Change ~ Barack Obama – I recently sent an email to the presidential candidates (I do not remember which organization sponsored the effort) requesting that they develop policies against torture and indefinite imprisonment of suspected but unproven members of terrorist organizations and abusing the civil liberties of Americans. The following is an excerpt from the email reply by the Obama campaign:
“This Administration has put forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. When I am president, there will be no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. Our Constitution works, and so does the FISA court. By working with Congress and respecting our courts, I will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom.”
“My Administration will once again show the world that we are not a country that ships prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far off countries. That we are not a country that runs prisons which lock people away without ever telling them why they are there or what they are charged with. When I am President, America will reject torture without exception. I will also reject indefinite imprisonment without trial and close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions.”
These are certainly qualities that I expect of an American president.
* “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
1/1/08
*Lox and liver knishes – Certain things do not seem to go together. A recently released study of American Jewry by the American Jewish Committee verified an interesting phenomena/contradiction that I have wondered about. The study found that a strong majority of Jewish Americans are liberal in political philosophy and opposed to the Bush administration and its “campaign against terrorism”. By over a two-thirds majority they believe we should never have invaded Iraq. The contradiction is that the leading political Jewish voices in this country are Bush apologists and conservative/neo-con adherents. They helped concoct and/or support Bush’s misguided and failed unilateral foreign policy and preemptive war. Eric Alterman, writing for The Nation, notes that these less-than-representative Jewish voices dominate the political conversation. They include Irving Kristol, William Kristol, Seth Lipsky, Martin Peretz, Norman Podhoretz, John Podhoretz, Richard Perle, Richard Cohen, Mortimer Zuckerman, Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Goldberg, Lawrence Kaplan, Charles Krauthammer, David Horowitz, Jonah Goldberg, David Gelernter, Ruth Wisse, David Brooks and David Frum. Alterman notes, “Given the scare tactics the neocons routinely employ--from their frequent deployment of the intellectually vacuous term "Islamofascism," to Perle and Frum's warning that the nation's only choice is "victory or holocaust"--it is a remarkable tribute to the good sense of American Jewry that it remains a bastion of liberal humanism despite such naked attempts to manipulate longstanding fears and insecurities.” AND, like mayonnaise on corned beef, these pundits have been consistently wrong.
*Jews for Jesus in a Secular Society – This is a phrase I suggest characterizes the above noted Jewish “voices” that strongly support the poster boy for Christianizing America. Included in this group should be the Jewish Orthodox Joe Lieberman who genuflects at the Bush altar and recently endorsed for president John McCain, the man who said that America is a Christian nation. Apparently, selling one’s political soul has become a dollar store commodity.
*Let the games begin – Regardless of who wins the upcoming Democratic primary elections I will feel that America will be the winner. Edwards, Dodd, Biden. Obama, Kucinich, Richardson and Clinton give America a substantively better alternative to what we currently have and what the Republicans are offering. As noted by Markos at dailykos.com “every candidate on the Democratic side shares the same core principles, and that every candidate on the Republican side opposes them.” The choices are so clear and diametrically opposed that any candidates who speak of bipartisanship have a better chance of having pigs feet declared Kosher. Until the Republicans can locate a soul that embraces “American” values and the well-being of us citizens let them continue on the road to political Siberia.
*Platform for change ~ John Edwards– In an email I received this week from the John Edwards campaign he outlines some steps that he would take if elected President: “He will work to restore America's moral authority in the world by upholding the rule of law and safeguarding our civil liberties. He will say no to torture, protect our troops and our values by upholding the Geneva Conventions anywhere American security forces, military or civilian, are engaged. He will also restore habeas corpus. Because no president is above the law, he will respect the letter and spirit of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and end Bush's warrantless domestic spying program.
While much of the Patriot Act was necessary to ensure that intelligence agencies are able to share critical information, it included provisions that have been abused by this administration. John Edwards will restore important safeguards to the three provisions most susceptible to abuse: the "sneak-and-peek" delayed-notice searches, National Security Letters and the business and library records provisions.” These are certainly qualities that I expect of an American president.
*Recommended reading:
~NY Times Editorial 12/31/07 – As America moves beyond the Bush era it is imperative that we understand what took place during this administration so that it can be corrected and not repeated, continued or expanded. This editorial is an excellent primer.
~The Death of the Bill of Rights – markthshark at dailykos.com has written a well-documented timeline about how the Bush/Cheyney administration has damaged our democracy over the past seven years. The change that these men have insinuated into the framework of our government is not widely recognized nor does it bode well for our democratic well-being. When a society is relatively prosperous, relatively peaceful and has enjoyed unprecedented freedoms, there is a sense that it will continue unabated. World history has demonstrated this future view is naive. The vigilance that a free society requires has taken on a new importance.
~Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics has released it top ten ethics scandals of 2007
*Lest we forget – In 2007, one thousand and fourteen (1014) U.S. service men and women were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since these wars began over 3900 American service men and women have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of these deaths as well as 30,000 injuries were unnecessary.
*Quote of note - Clarence Thomas recently told an overflow crowd at Chapman University that he never wanted to become a Supreme Court justice, or even a judge. "There's not much that entices about the job," Thomas said, answering questions from the public that provided a rare glimpse of the man behind the office. "There's no money in it, no privacy, no big houses, and from an ego standpoint, it does nothing for me." I would like to suggest to Justice Thomas that on January 21, 2009 he resign from the Supreme Court and reduce both his misery and that of the majority of Americans since his jurist philosophy is best suited to a Neolithic society.
*Xenophobia ~ pandering – Many are wondering how the subprime fiasco came about. Theories about greedy financial institutions and unethical mortgage sellers aside, we have an answer from the somnambulant Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson. He told potential voters in Iowa that immigrants deserve some of the blame. "A lot of them couldn't communicate with the people they were getting the mortgage from." Hasta la vista Fredo.
*Scratching the surface ~ finding the tarnish – The site dailykos.com has done a series on Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. When running for this high office virtually nothing in one’s past goes unnoticed. In 1992 The Ron Paul Political Report had the following: “Indeed, it is shocking to consider the uniformity of opinion among blacks in this country. Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty, and the end of welfare and affirmative action.... Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the "criminal justice system," I think we can safely assume that 95% of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal... We are constantly told that it is evil to be afraid of black men, but it is hardly irrational. Black men commit murders, rapes, robberies, muggings, and burglaries all out of proportion to their numbers.” No oKKK to Paul.
*Privatizing immorality – “Two hundred and fifty-six people once held in Iraqi prisons -- and who were released without ever being charged with a crime -- have filed suit against a US military contractor for their alleged torture between 2003 and 2004. The former prisoners are asking for millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages against CACI International Inc. of Arlington, VA “. The State Department gave private contractors a free rein with no oversight. We will be learning much more about the murder, torture, rape and theft committed by employees of these private companies during the private war within the Iraq war.
*Did he really say that?
-Warning ~ from Mike Huckabee – The Republican candidate for president, once again establishing his “grasp” of foreign policy and protecting the home front, had this to say following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, "We ought to have an immediate, very clear monitoring of our borders and particularly to make sure if there's any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country.”
-Warning ~ about Mike Huckabee – On Meet the Press Mike Huckabee offered his solution to the illegal immigration problem. It goes something like this. During a 120 day window the U.S. will process out 15,000,000 illegal immigrants where they return to their country of origin. (Not to go unnoticed, this would require about 300,000 busloads or 50,000 flights.) The immigrants then apply to return to America while the borders are being sealed. Since this will all occur within 4 months the negative effect on the economy will be minimal.
*What’s good for the goose ~ is good for the goose – Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been one of the leading advocates for campaign finance reform. He must have meant for other people. The Washington Post reports: “McCain...has spent a long career decrying "special interests" and politicians who offer special access to them in order to raise money. As a presidential candidate this year, McCain has found himself assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising. He also counts more than 30 lobbyists among his chief fundraisers, more than any other presidential contender.” McCain likes to characterize his political campaign bus as the “Straight Talk Express”. It may be the only evidence of “straight talk” in his campaign.
*Bah humbug CIGNA HealthCare – On December 11th doctors at UCLA Medical Center determined that 17 year old Nataline Sarkisyan needed a liver transplant. CIGNA denied payment. A groundswell of protests by friends, nurses and caring people eventually convinced CIGNA to reverse their decision on December 20th – the day that she died. The profits of America’s health insurers and the compensation paid to their executives are growing and the actual coverage that most of us receive is diminishing. This is a poignant example of the questionable state of healthcare insurance in this country. It is a situation that will only improve when a responsible and proactive federal government gets involved. At the present time both health insurers and the pharmaceutical companies virtually own the decision makers in Washington. Republican strategists would have us believe that the “profit motive” is the incentive for corporations to be responsible members of the community. Empirical evidence suggests not in this country in this century. It will require a leadership change in the White House and the congress for Americans and their doctors to regain a more responsible and responsive healthcare system.
*The President speaks - At a recent press conference President Bush said, “It’s what I do during my presidency. I go around spreading good will, talking about the importance of spreading freedom and peace.” If I were at the press conference I would have asked the location of the freedom and peace he has fostered. It appears to be one of those state secrets.
*A toast to 2008 - Drinking a little alcohol every day, especially wine, may be associated with an increase in life expectancy in middle-aged men. A 40 year Dutch study found that light alcohol consumption was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular death and of death from all causes, and a nearly four year increase in lifespan. To your good health!
* “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.” Oprah Winfrey
*Jews for Jesus in a Secular Society – This is a phrase I suggest characterizes the above noted Jewish “voices” that strongly support the poster boy for Christianizing America. Included in this group should be the Jewish Orthodox Joe Lieberman who genuflects at the Bush altar and recently endorsed for president John McCain, the man who said that America is a Christian nation. Apparently, selling one’s political soul has become a dollar store commodity.
*Let the games begin – Regardless of who wins the upcoming Democratic primary elections I will feel that America will be the winner. Edwards, Dodd, Biden. Obama, Kucinich, Richardson and Clinton give America a substantively better alternative to what we currently have and what the Republicans are offering. As noted by Markos at dailykos.com “every candidate on the Democratic side shares the same core principles, and that every candidate on the Republican side opposes them.” The choices are so clear and diametrically opposed that any candidates who speak of bipartisanship have a better chance of having pigs feet declared Kosher. Until the Republicans can locate a soul that embraces “American” values and the well-being of us citizens let them continue on the road to political Siberia.
*Platform for change ~ John Edwards– In an email I received this week from the John Edwards campaign he outlines some steps that he would take if elected President: “He will work to restore America's moral authority in the world by upholding the rule of law and safeguarding our civil liberties. He will say no to torture, protect our troops and our values by upholding the Geneva Conventions anywhere American security forces, military or civilian, are engaged. He will also restore habeas corpus. Because no president is above the law, he will respect the letter and spirit of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and end Bush's warrantless domestic spying program.
While much of the Patriot Act was necessary to ensure that intelligence agencies are able to share critical information, it included provisions that have been abused by this administration. John Edwards will restore important safeguards to the three provisions most susceptible to abuse: the "sneak-and-peek" delayed-notice searches, National Security Letters and the business and library records provisions.” These are certainly qualities that I expect of an American president.
*Recommended reading:
~NY Times Editorial 12/31/07 – As America moves beyond the Bush era it is imperative that we understand what took place during this administration so that it can be corrected and not repeated, continued or expanded. This editorial is an excellent primer.
~The Death of the Bill of Rights – markthshark at dailykos.com has written a well-documented timeline about how the Bush/Cheyney administration has damaged our democracy over the past seven years. The change that these men have insinuated into the framework of our government is not widely recognized nor does it bode well for our democratic well-being. When a society is relatively prosperous, relatively peaceful and has enjoyed unprecedented freedoms, there is a sense that it will continue unabated. World history has demonstrated this future view is naive. The vigilance that a free society requires has taken on a new importance.
~Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics has released it top ten ethics scandals of 2007
*Lest we forget – In 2007, one thousand and fourteen (1014) U.S. service men and women were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since these wars began over 3900 American service men and women have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of these deaths as well as 30,000 injuries were unnecessary.
*Quote of note - Clarence Thomas recently told an overflow crowd at Chapman University that he never wanted to become a Supreme Court justice, or even a judge. "There's not much that entices about the job," Thomas said, answering questions from the public that provided a rare glimpse of the man behind the office. "There's no money in it, no privacy, no big houses, and from an ego standpoint, it does nothing for me." I would like to suggest to Justice Thomas that on January 21, 2009 he resign from the Supreme Court and reduce both his misery and that of the majority of Americans since his jurist philosophy is best suited to a Neolithic society.
*Xenophobia ~ pandering – Many are wondering how the subprime fiasco came about. Theories about greedy financial institutions and unethical mortgage sellers aside, we have an answer from the somnambulant Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson. He told potential voters in Iowa that immigrants deserve some of the blame. "A lot of them couldn't communicate with the people they were getting the mortgage from." Hasta la vista Fredo.
*Scratching the surface ~ finding the tarnish – The site dailykos.com has done a series on Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. When running for this high office virtually nothing in one’s past goes unnoticed. In 1992 The Ron Paul Political Report had the following: “Indeed, it is shocking to consider the uniformity of opinion among blacks in this country. Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty, and the end of welfare and affirmative action.... Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the "criminal justice system," I think we can safely assume that 95% of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal... We are constantly told that it is evil to be afraid of black men, but it is hardly irrational. Black men commit murders, rapes, robberies, muggings, and burglaries all out of proportion to their numbers.” No oKKK to Paul.
*Privatizing immorality – “Two hundred and fifty-six people once held in Iraqi prisons -- and who were released without ever being charged with a crime -- have filed suit against a US military contractor for their alleged torture between 2003 and 2004. The former prisoners are asking for millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages against CACI International Inc. of Arlington, VA “. The State Department gave private contractors a free rein with no oversight. We will be learning much more about the murder, torture, rape and theft committed by employees of these private companies during the private war within the Iraq war.
*Did he really say that?
-Warning ~ from Mike Huckabee – The Republican candidate for president, once again establishing his “grasp” of foreign policy and protecting the home front, had this to say following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, "We ought to have an immediate, very clear monitoring of our borders and particularly to make sure if there's any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country.”
-Warning ~ about Mike Huckabee – On Meet the Press Mike Huckabee offered his solution to the illegal immigration problem. It goes something like this. During a 120 day window the U.S. will process out 15,000,000 illegal immigrants where they return to their country of origin. (Not to go unnoticed, this would require about 300,000 busloads or 50,000 flights.) The immigrants then apply to return to America while the borders are being sealed. Since this will all occur within 4 months the negative effect on the economy will be minimal.
*What’s good for the goose ~ is good for the goose – Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been one of the leading advocates for campaign finance reform. He must have meant for other people. The Washington Post reports: “McCain...has spent a long career decrying "special interests" and politicians who offer special access to them in order to raise money. As a presidential candidate this year, McCain has found himself assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising. He also counts more than 30 lobbyists among his chief fundraisers, more than any other presidential contender.” McCain likes to characterize his political campaign bus as the “Straight Talk Express”. It may be the only evidence of “straight talk” in his campaign.
*Bah humbug CIGNA HealthCare – On December 11th doctors at UCLA Medical Center determined that 17 year old Nataline Sarkisyan needed a liver transplant. CIGNA denied payment. A groundswell of protests by friends, nurses and caring people eventually convinced CIGNA to reverse their decision on December 20th – the day that she died. The profits of America’s health insurers and the compensation paid to their executives are growing and the actual coverage that most of us receive is diminishing. This is a poignant example of the questionable state of healthcare insurance in this country. It is a situation that will only improve when a responsible and proactive federal government gets involved. At the present time both health insurers and the pharmaceutical companies virtually own the decision makers in Washington. Republican strategists would have us believe that the “profit motive” is the incentive for corporations to be responsible members of the community. Empirical evidence suggests not in this country in this century. It will require a leadership change in the White House and the congress for Americans and their doctors to regain a more responsible and responsive healthcare system.
*The President speaks - At a recent press conference President Bush said, “It’s what I do during my presidency. I go around spreading good will, talking about the importance of spreading freedom and peace.” If I were at the press conference I would have asked the location of the freedom and peace he has fostered. It appears to be one of those state secrets.
*A toast to 2008 - Drinking a little alcohol every day, especially wine, may be associated with an increase in life expectancy in middle-aged men. A 40 year Dutch study found that light alcohol consumption was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular death and of death from all causes, and a nearly four year increase in lifespan. To your good health!
* “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.” Oprah Winfrey
Thursday, December 20, 2007
12/20/07
*To my Christian readers I wish you a Merry Christmas, Peace and Joy.
To my Jewish readers I wish you Peace and Joy and offer this youtube video Chinese Food on Christmas
*The gelding of Democrats – A gelding is a castrated male horse. It seems an appropriate word to describe Democrats in congress who are giving in to Bush on war funding without troop withdrawals, not holding telecommunication companies accountable for assisting the Bush administration to spy on Americans without a legal warrant, approving an Attorney General that does not oppose torture and is aiding the Bush administration in covering up CIA torture activities and, and and...To Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid I say NEIGH.
*Over-reaching authority meets resistance ~ a refreshing and important development – The Bush administration announced that they will take over control of promotions of military lawyers at Guantanamo Bay. My guess is that the administration is concerned that JAG lawyers know too much about the terrible, disgraceful and probably illegal activities occurring at Guantanamo and it wants to silence this knowledge. “Retired Major General Thomas Romig, the Army's top JAG from 2001 to 2005, called the proposal an attempt "to control the military JAGs" by sending a message that if they want to be promoted, they should be "team players" who "bow to their political masters on legal advice." Even I did not think there was much left for Bush to politicize and place under his control. Like it or not, admit it or not, President Bush’s policies entail the early stages of a fascist state. The saving grace for America is that the outrage and outspokenness many of us have called for from the military and other leadership positions in the country is finally beginning to take place. Following considerable objection to this proposal by a number of retired JAG officials it was announced on Wednesday that the White House backed off from its proposal.
*Bail to the Chief ~ Republican fealty – Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) reminds me a lot of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). They both offer much rhetoric against Bush policy but in the final analysis they support it. Graham has recently had much to say against the use of torture. Last week, “Graham raked Brigadier General Thomas W. Hartmann, the legal adviser at Guantanamo Bay, over the coals for refusing to call waterboarding torture, even if done by Iranian “secret security agents” on an American pilot.” True to form Graham then puts a hold on a Senate bill that would ban waterboarding. It makes one wonder if Bush threatened to waterboard the South Carolinian.
*Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and grass roots activism – There are many of us who believe that telecommunication companies should be held responsible for illegally aiding Bush to spy on Americans without appropriate warrants (court approval). A Senate bill was proposed that would offer immunity to the telecoms and I say shame on Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for allowing it to happen. However, through Senator Dodd’s threat of a filibuster and through his web site encouraging over 500,000 emails being sent to senators expressing opposition to this legislation the bill was pulled and is pending further negotiations. Dodd is only one example of public interest groups such as the ACLU, People for the American Way, Democracy for America and others who voiced concern that offering immunity for breaking the law is contrary to a democracy. I do not doubt that the Bush administration put a great deal of pressure on Verizon, AT&T and others. However, the law requires warrants to spy on citizens. Over many months we have seen evidence that the administration is using this spying for unauthorized programs beyond preventing terrorist threats. This is why the law requires a warrant and why it would set a terrible precedent to offer retroactive immunity for breaking the law.
~You can read Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) statement as to what is wrong with the pulled FISA legislation at this link.
~As a result of Dodd’s show of strong leadership on the Senate floor there is now a momentum of support calling for him to replace Reid as Majority Leader of the Senate. I strongly support this effort.
*Participating in one’s government – Most of us experience frustration about many laws and decisions made by our elected leaders. Instead of feeling alienated and left behind there are times that one’s voice can be heard. This is especially true with the technology that the internet provides. Below are some instances where, within a couple of minutes (or less), you can tell a senator or representative or government agency or a company how you feel about a specific topic.
~Democracy left behind – As expected this week Bush’s appointees to the Federal Trade Commission voted to allow already large media conglomerates to expand their holdings. This is in direct opposition to the needs of a democracy to have open and varied free speech, opinions and dialogue. Congress has the power to throw out these rules and we have seen that Congress will act if and when the people make their voices heard. You can sign a petition to congress to oppose these new FTC rules at this link.
~General Electric ~ tough choices – “GE is promoting new, energy saving light bulbs known as compact fluorescents, or CFLs. These bulbs last longer and use less energy than the typical incandescent bulbs found in most U.S. homes. GE is asking consumers and its employees to sign a pledge to "go green" and start purchasing the CFL light bulbs, which are imported from China. The problem is that each pledge leads to the loss of jobs in U.S. lighting plants. GE is actually asking workers in its lighting plants to pledge to put themselves out of a job.” While going green is laudable, asking employees to concurrently eliminate their own jobs is senseless. You can sign a petition to GE urging the company to produce CFL light bulbs in the U.S. at this link.
~Don’t ask, don’t tell ~ but speak up – Under current law a gay or lesbian person in the military will be discharged if their sexual preference becomes known. The House of Representatives is considering a new bill, The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246) that would repeal the current law that is discriminatory as well as depriving our military of dedicated service people. I say “dedicated” because these people volunteered to serve their country. If you agree that the law should be changed, you can send a petition to your representative at this link as well as learn more about this issue
~Improving product safety – Over the last six months I have made several observations about the inadequate safety inspection of consumer products before they reach the retail shelves. There is a bill before congress, Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act of 2007 that would strengthen the Commission and provide additional resources for ensuring safe products. Under the Bush administration we cannot count on the Commission improving its record but at least the tools will be there when a new president takes over the White House a year from now. Consumers Union is providing a petition to congress urging the passage of this bill at this link.
*Preaching the truth ~ Huckabee style – Mike Huckabee recently said that he was the only Republican presidential candidate with a degree in theology. Well, it appears that the Hucker may have been pumping his resume. He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX for one year before dropping out to work for a televangelist – and not earning a degree. I do not know much about the Baptist religion but where I was raised I was taught that it was a sin to tell a lie. Preacher Huckabee must have his own unique set of Commandments.
*Huckabee and the Stepford Wives – I saw this item at americablog.com. “In June 1998, the Southern Baptist convention amended its official statement of beliefs for the first time in 35 years to declare that "a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband." And Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister then serving as governor of Arkansas, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement (along with 129 other evangelical leaders).” I am certain that if I had signed this statement, and after my wife recovered from exhaustive laughter, my rear end would find itself sleeping on the back patio.
*Bush’s last day ~ January 20, 2009 – A reader sent me the web site bushslastday.com that celebrates George W. Bush’s last day as president of the U.S. There is a countdown clock, products you can purchase that highlight this theme and organizations that you can support that are working to combat the negative effects of this president from Hell, Texas.
*Every child left behind – Once again our elected leaders genuflect to corporate pressure to the detriment of the citizens they represent. An amendment to the farm bill would have updated nutrition requirements for schools by banning fatty foods and high-calorie beverages at school snack bars, stores and vending machines. “The National School Nutrition Standards Amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), would have been the first legislation to update the nutrition standards since 1979, a period in which scientific opinion on what foods are appropriate has drastically shifted.” At a time when child obesity and diabetes is growing in epic proportions congressional leadership once again failed us. Reference gelding. Reference the need for public financing of elections. Reference the minuscule approval of Congress.
*Quote of the Week ~ Derriere Orifice Category - Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican Minority Leader
*Surprise of the week – Two groups that conventional wisdom would expect to be supporting Republicans over Democrats in campaign contributions are the military and the clergy. The leading recipient of contributions from the military is Barack Obama, a Democrat opposed to the Iraq war and calling for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of 2008. AND, “Thus far in the ‘08 cycle, 56 percent of religious groups’ and leaders’ donations have gone to Democrats, and 43 percent to Republicans”. Sometimes I imagine that only a small percentage of Americans have a sense of what Bush and the Republicans have wrought on this country. At other times information like this offers me hope that positive change is possible.
*Torture – The U.S. Army manual bans torture. The Army does not want to condone any behavior that could be used on its soldiers. The House of Representatives just passed a law banning torture based on the Army’s manual that would apply to other agencies including the CIA. Guess who said he would veto the ban on torture? Hints: the poster boy for the religious right; the compassionate conservative; the man who said the U.S. does not torture; the leader of the free world with the lying lips. For those 20+% of Americans still voicing approval of the Decider the answer is G.W. Bush.
*A Bush/Republican policy that is working ~ the rich are getting richer faster – From thinkprogress.org: “The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 ($524.8 billion) exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans ($383.4 billion), according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office. “On average, incomes for the top 1 percent of households rose by $465,700 each, or 42.6 percent after adjusting for inflation. The incomes of the poorest fifth rose by $200, or 1.3 percent, and the middle fifth increased by $2,400 or 4.3 percent.”
*America’s business plan ~ greed, incompetence and globalization – President Bush and the Republicans continue to tell us to trust in the business community while avoiding any oversight of their actions. This shell game has lead to many of our major financial institutions suffering billions of dollars in losses for making greed-driven stupid lending decisions in what is known as the subprime mortgage fiasco. It has led to untold numbers of people losing their homes and financial havoc within the financial community. It has also led to another piece of America being sold to foreign interests. Last week we learned that a significant percentage of Citibank was sold to Arab interests and this week it was announced that Morgan Stanley has sold a $5 billion interest in its company to China. Also this week, in a close the barn door after the cow has left strategy, the Federal Reserve has proposed tougher restrictions to curb unfair and deceptive mortgage lending practices. These restrictions include: bar lenders from making loans without proof of a borrower’s income; restrict lenders from penalizing subprime borrowers who pay off loans early; require lenders to make sure subprime borrowers set aside money to pay for taxes and insurance; prohibit certain types of misleading or deceptive advertising; and require lenders to provide financial disclosures so borrowers could use them while shopping for a mortgage. I wish I was making this crap up. HELLO – now we are requiring sound and ethical business practices of the financial industry and protection for borrowers? And the chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben S. Bernanke does this with a straight face, or two or three.
*Republicans and oil definitely mix – While the Senate passed a bill to raise gas mileage standards at the same time 40 senators (39 are Republican) blocked a provision that would have eliminated $13 billion in tax loopholes and subsidies for big oil companies. Over the last 4 years oil companies contributed a total of $4,097,810 to these senators. Quite a return on investment! The Center for Responsive Politics offers a list of these oily senators and what each has received in campaign contributions at this link. Some prostitution is legal.
*Much ado about little – Can anyone explain to me the hoopla over the just-passed energy bill that raises automobile gas mileage minimums to 35 mpg by the year 2020 – 13 years from now?
*One person, one vote ~ maybe – “All five voting systems used in Ohio, a state whose electoral votes narrowly swung two elections toward President Bush, have critical flaws that could undermine the integrity of the 2008 general election, a report commissioned by the state’s top elections official has found.” Experts involved in the study were able to pick locks and use hand-held devices to enter false voting data. It would certainly be ironic if the man who has done so much damage to this country was not legitimately elected to be president.
*I don't believe in an afterlife but please don't quote me. I've been wrong before.
Ruth Deming - friend, activist, mental health therapist and advocate, and founder of New Directions (the largest bipolar support group in the Philadelphia area)
To my Jewish readers I wish you Peace and Joy and offer this youtube video Chinese Food on Christmas
*The gelding of Democrats – A gelding is a castrated male horse. It seems an appropriate word to describe Democrats in congress who are giving in to Bush on war funding without troop withdrawals, not holding telecommunication companies accountable for assisting the Bush administration to spy on Americans without a legal warrant, approving an Attorney General that does not oppose torture and is aiding the Bush administration in covering up CIA torture activities and, and and...To Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid I say NEIGH.
*Over-reaching authority meets resistance ~ a refreshing and important development – The Bush administration announced that they will take over control of promotions of military lawyers at Guantanamo Bay. My guess is that the administration is concerned that JAG lawyers know too much about the terrible, disgraceful and probably illegal activities occurring at Guantanamo and it wants to silence this knowledge. “Retired Major General Thomas Romig, the Army's top JAG from 2001 to 2005, called the proposal an attempt "to control the military JAGs" by sending a message that if they want to be promoted, they should be "team players" who "bow to their political masters on legal advice." Even I did not think there was much left for Bush to politicize and place under his control. Like it or not, admit it or not, President Bush’s policies entail the early stages of a fascist state. The saving grace for America is that the outrage and outspokenness many of us have called for from the military and other leadership positions in the country is finally beginning to take place. Following considerable objection to this proposal by a number of retired JAG officials it was announced on Wednesday that the White House backed off from its proposal.
*Bail to the Chief ~ Republican fealty – Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) reminds me a lot of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). They both offer much rhetoric against Bush policy but in the final analysis they support it. Graham has recently had much to say against the use of torture. Last week, “Graham raked Brigadier General Thomas W. Hartmann, the legal adviser at Guantanamo Bay, over the coals for refusing to call waterboarding torture, even if done by Iranian “secret security agents” on an American pilot.” True to form Graham then puts a hold on a Senate bill that would ban waterboarding. It makes one wonder if Bush threatened to waterboard the South Carolinian.
*Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and grass roots activism – There are many of us who believe that telecommunication companies should be held responsible for illegally aiding Bush to spy on Americans without appropriate warrants (court approval). A Senate bill was proposed that would offer immunity to the telecoms and I say shame on Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for allowing it to happen. However, through Senator Dodd’s threat of a filibuster and through his web site encouraging over 500,000 emails being sent to senators expressing opposition to this legislation the bill was pulled and is pending further negotiations. Dodd is only one example of public interest groups such as the ACLU, People for the American Way, Democracy for America and others who voiced concern that offering immunity for breaking the law is contrary to a democracy. I do not doubt that the Bush administration put a great deal of pressure on Verizon, AT&T and others. However, the law requires warrants to spy on citizens. Over many months we have seen evidence that the administration is using this spying for unauthorized programs beyond preventing terrorist threats. This is why the law requires a warrant and why it would set a terrible precedent to offer retroactive immunity for breaking the law.
~You can read Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) statement as to what is wrong with the pulled FISA legislation at this link.
~As a result of Dodd’s show of strong leadership on the Senate floor there is now a momentum of support calling for him to replace Reid as Majority Leader of the Senate. I strongly support this effort.
*Participating in one’s government – Most of us experience frustration about many laws and decisions made by our elected leaders. Instead of feeling alienated and left behind there are times that one’s voice can be heard. This is especially true with the technology that the internet provides. Below are some instances where, within a couple of minutes (or less), you can tell a senator or representative or government agency or a company how you feel about a specific topic.
~Democracy left behind – As expected this week Bush’s appointees to the Federal Trade Commission voted to allow already large media conglomerates to expand their holdings. This is in direct opposition to the needs of a democracy to have open and varied free speech, opinions and dialogue. Congress has the power to throw out these rules and we have seen that Congress will act if and when the people make their voices heard. You can sign a petition to congress to oppose these new FTC rules at this link.
~General Electric ~ tough choices – “GE is promoting new, energy saving light bulbs known as compact fluorescents, or CFLs. These bulbs last longer and use less energy than the typical incandescent bulbs found in most U.S. homes. GE is asking consumers and its employees to sign a pledge to "go green" and start purchasing the CFL light bulbs, which are imported from China. The problem is that each pledge leads to the loss of jobs in U.S. lighting plants. GE is actually asking workers in its lighting plants to pledge to put themselves out of a job.” While going green is laudable, asking employees to concurrently eliminate their own jobs is senseless. You can sign a petition to GE urging the company to produce CFL light bulbs in the U.S. at this link.
~Don’t ask, don’t tell ~ but speak up – Under current law a gay or lesbian person in the military will be discharged if their sexual preference becomes known. The House of Representatives is considering a new bill, The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246) that would repeal the current law that is discriminatory as well as depriving our military of dedicated service people. I say “dedicated” because these people volunteered to serve their country. If you agree that the law should be changed, you can send a petition to your representative at this link as well as learn more about this issue
~Improving product safety – Over the last six months I have made several observations about the inadequate safety inspection of consumer products before they reach the retail shelves. There is a bill before congress, Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act of 2007 that would strengthen the Commission and provide additional resources for ensuring safe products. Under the Bush administration we cannot count on the Commission improving its record but at least the tools will be there when a new president takes over the White House a year from now. Consumers Union is providing a petition to congress urging the passage of this bill at this link.
*Preaching the truth ~ Huckabee style – Mike Huckabee recently said that he was the only Republican presidential candidate with a degree in theology. Well, it appears that the Hucker may have been pumping his resume. He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX for one year before dropping out to work for a televangelist – and not earning a degree. I do not know much about the Baptist religion but where I was raised I was taught that it was a sin to tell a lie. Preacher Huckabee must have his own unique set of Commandments.
*Huckabee and the Stepford Wives – I saw this item at americablog.com. “In June 1998, the Southern Baptist convention amended its official statement of beliefs for the first time in 35 years to declare that "a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband." And Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister then serving as governor of Arkansas, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement (along with 129 other evangelical leaders).” I am certain that if I had signed this statement, and after my wife recovered from exhaustive laughter, my rear end would find itself sleeping on the back patio.
*Bush’s last day ~ January 20, 2009 – A reader sent me the web site bushslastday.com that celebrates George W. Bush’s last day as president of the U.S. There is a countdown clock, products you can purchase that highlight this theme and organizations that you can support that are working to combat the negative effects of this president from Hell, Texas.
*Every child left behind – Once again our elected leaders genuflect to corporate pressure to the detriment of the citizens they represent. An amendment to the farm bill would have updated nutrition requirements for schools by banning fatty foods and high-calorie beverages at school snack bars, stores and vending machines. “The National School Nutrition Standards Amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), would have been the first legislation to update the nutrition standards since 1979, a period in which scientific opinion on what foods are appropriate has drastically shifted.” At a time when child obesity and diabetes is growing in epic proportions congressional leadership once again failed us. Reference gelding. Reference the need for public financing of elections. Reference the minuscule approval of Congress.
*Quote of the Week ~ Derriere Orifice Category - Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican Minority Leader
*Surprise of the week – Two groups that conventional wisdom would expect to be supporting Republicans over Democrats in campaign contributions are the military and the clergy. The leading recipient of contributions from the military is Barack Obama, a Democrat opposed to the Iraq war and calling for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of 2008. AND, “Thus far in the ‘08 cycle, 56 percent of religious groups’ and leaders’ donations have gone to Democrats, and 43 percent to Republicans”. Sometimes I imagine that only a small percentage of Americans have a sense of what Bush and the Republicans have wrought on this country. At other times information like this offers me hope that positive change is possible.
*Torture – The U.S. Army manual bans torture. The Army does not want to condone any behavior that could be used on its soldiers. The House of Representatives just passed a law banning torture based on the Army’s manual that would apply to other agencies including the CIA. Guess who said he would veto the ban on torture? Hints: the poster boy for the religious right; the compassionate conservative; the man who said the U.S. does not torture; the leader of the free world with the lying lips. For those 20+% of Americans still voicing approval of the Decider the answer is G.W. Bush.
*A Bush/Republican policy that is working ~ the rich are getting richer faster – From thinkprogress.org: “The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 ($524.8 billion) exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans ($383.4 billion), according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office. “On average, incomes for the top 1 percent of households rose by $465,700 each, or 42.6 percent after adjusting for inflation. The incomes of the poorest fifth rose by $200, or 1.3 percent, and the middle fifth increased by $2,400 or 4.3 percent.”
*America’s business plan ~ greed, incompetence and globalization – President Bush and the Republicans continue to tell us to trust in the business community while avoiding any oversight of their actions. This shell game has lead to many of our major financial institutions suffering billions of dollars in losses for making greed-driven stupid lending decisions in what is known as the subprime mortgage fiasco. It has led to untold numbers of people losing their homes and financial havoc within the financial community. It has also led to another piece of America being sold to foreign interests. Last week we learned that a significant percentage of Citibank was sold to Arab interests and this week it was announced that Morgan Stanley has sold a $5 billion interest in its company to China. Also this week, in a close the barn door after the cow has left strategy, the Federal Reserve has proposed tougher restrictions to curb unfair and deceptive mortgage lending practices. These restrictions include: bar lenders from making loans without proof of a borrower’s income; restrict lenders from penalizing subprime borrowers who pay off loans early; require lenders to make sure subprime borrowers set aside money to pay for taxes and insurance; prohibit certain types of misleading or deceptive advertising; and require lenders to provide financial disclosures so borrowers could use them while shopping for a mortgage. I wish I was making this crap up. HELLO – now we are requiring sound and ethical business practices of the financial industry and protection for borrowers? And the chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben S. Bernanke does this with a straight face, or two or three.
*Republicans and oil definitely mix – While the Senate passed a bill to raise gas mileage standards at the same time 40 senators (39 are Republican) blocked a provision that would have eliminated $13 billion in tax loopholes and subsidies for big oil companies. Over the last 4 years oil companies contributed a total of $4,097,810 to these senators. Quite a return on investment! The Center for Responsive Politics offers a list of these oily senators and what each has received in campaign contributions at this link. Some prostitution is legal.
*Much ado about little – Can anyone explain to me the hoopla over the just-passed energy bill that raises automobile gas mileage minimums to 35 mpg by the year 2020 – 13 years from now?
*One person, one vote ~ maybe – “All five voting systems used in Ohio, a state whose electoral votes narrowly swung two elections toward President Bush, have critical flaws that could undermine the integrity of the 2008 general election, a report commissioned by the state’s top elections official has found.” Experts involved in the study were able to pick locks and use hand-held devices to enter false voting data. It would certainly be ironic if the man who has done so much damage to this country was not legitimately elected to be president.
*I don't believe in an afterlife but please don't quote me. I've been wrong before.
Ruth Deming - friend, activist, mental health therapist and advocate, and founder of New Directions (the largest bipolar support group in the Philadelphia area)
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