Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Fascinating Discussion on Bill Moyers's Journal
A quote from the discussion:
This is not an election story. It's a "let's face reality" story - click here to go to the video or podcast - the video is in two parts. This discussion will make you pause and reassess what's important - looking at yourself in the mirror may be a little more difficult - I urge you to take time to sit down, with no interruptions, and watch or listen to this entire discussion - it's well worth it
Well, I've been troubled by the course of U.S. foreign policy for a long, long time. And I wrote the book in order to sort out my own thinking about where our basic problems lay. And I really reached the conclusion that our biggest problems are within.
I think there's a tendency on the part of policy makers and probably a tendency on the part of many Americans to think that the problems we face are problems that are out there somewhere, beyond our borders. And that if we can fix those problems, then we'll be able to continue the American way of life as it has long existed. I think it's fundamentally wrong. Our major problems are at home.
This is not an election story. It's a "let's face reality" story - click here to go to the video or podcast - the video is in two parts. This discussion will make you pause and reassess what's important - looking at yourself in the mirror may be a little more difficult - I urge you to take time to sit down, with no interruptions, and watch or listen to this entire discussion - it's well worth it
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thoughts on the Debates
Okay, I've talked some about how we needed to have the debate this evening between McCain and Obama.
Although, we should get some sense of the candidates positions on certain issues from tonight's festivities, it's a far cry from the kind of debate it should be.
An excerpt from OpenDebate.org:
Although, we should get some sense of the candidates positions on certain issues from tonight's festivities, it's a far cry from the kind of debate it should be.
An excerpt from OpenDebate.org:
The Presidential debates -- the single most important electoral event in the process of selecting a President -- should provide voters with an opportunity to see the popular candidates discussing important issues in an unscripted manner. But the Presidential debates fail to do so, because the major party candidates secretly control them.
Presidential debates were run by the civic-minded and non-partisan League of Women Voters until 1988 [read their letter withdrawing sponsorship], when the national Republican and Democratic parties seized control of the debates by establishing the bi-partisan, corporate-sponsored Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). Posing as a nonpartisan institution committed to voter education, the CPD has continually and deceptively run the debates in the interest of the national Republican and Democratic parties, not the American people.
Every four years, negotiators for the Republican and Democratic nominees secretly draft debate contracts called Memoranda of Understanding [view the 2004 version] that dictate precisely how the debates will be structured; co-chaired by the former heads of the Republican and Democratic parties, the CPD obediently implements the contracts, shielding the major party candidates from public criticism.
Such deceptive major party control severely harms our democracy. Candidates that voters want to see are often excluded; issues the American people want to hear about are often ignored; the debates have been turned into a series of glorified bipartisan news conferences, in which the candidates exchange memorized soundbites; and debate viewership has generally dropped, with twenty-five million fewer people watching the 2000 presidential debates than watching the 1992 presidential debates. Walter Cronkite called CPD-sponsored presidential debates an “unconscionable fraud.”
Open Debates has helped establish a truly nonpartisan Citizens' Debate Commission comprised of national civic leaders to sponsor presidential debates that are rigorous, fair, and inclusive of important issues and popular candidates. The higher values of democracy and voter education will be restored to the presidential debates by the Citizens' Debate Commission.
Embarrassing...
Have you watched any of the Sarah Palin interview with Katie Couric? I've watched some excerpts, although maybe today or tomorrow I can watch it in its entirety.
I was embarrassed during parts of the interview - embarrassed I guess for Palin - when I get a good link to the interview I'll post it here. Please take some time to watch - I think you'll want to ask yourself, "do I want this person a heartbeat away from the presidency?" This interview isn't funny - it's kinda scary.
I was embarrassed during parts of the interview - embarrassed I guess for Palin - when I get a good link to the interview I'll post it here. Please take some time to watch - I think you'll want to ask yourself, "do I want this person a heartbeat away from the presidency?" This interview isn't funny - it's kinda scary.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
A Bailout We Don't Need - by James K. Galbraith
From the Washingon Post:
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Now that all five big investment banks -- Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley -- have disappeared or morphed into regular banks, a question arises.
Is this bailout still necessary?
The point of the bailout is to buy assets that are illiquid but not worthless. But regular banks hold assets like that all the time. They're called "loans."
With banks, runs occur only when depositors panic, because they fear the loan book is bad. Deposit insurance takes care of that. So why not eliminate the pointless $100,000 cap on federal deposit insurance and go take inventory? If a bank is solvent, money market funds would flow in, eliminating the need to insure those separately. If it isn't, the FDIC has the bridge bank facility to take care of that.
Next, put half a trillion dollars into the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. fund -- a cosmetic gesture -- and as much money into that agency and the FBI as is needed for examiners, auditors and investigators. Keep $200 billion or more in reserve, so the Treasury can recapitalize banks by buying preferred shares if necessary -- as Warren Buffett did this week with Goldman Sachs. Review the situation in three months, when Congress comes back. Hedge funds should be left on their own. You can't save everyone, and those investors aren't poor.
With this solution, the systemic financial threat should go away. Does that mean the economy would quickly recover? No. Sadly, it does not. Two vast economic problems will confront the next president immediately. First, the underlying housing crisis: There are too many houses out there, too many vacant or unsold, too many homeowners underwater. Credit will not start to flow, as some suggest, simply because the crisis is contained. There have to be borrowers, and there has to be collateral. There won't be enough.
In Texas, recovery from the 1980s oil bust took seven years and the pull of strong national economic growth. The present slump is national, and it can't be cured that way. But it could be resolved in three years, rather than 10, by a new Home Owners Loan Corp., which would rewrite mortgages, manage rental conversions and decide when vacant, degraded properties should be demolished. Set it up like a draft board in each community, under federal guidelines, and get to work.
The second great crisis is in state and local government. Just Tuesday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced $1.5 billion in public spending cuts. The scenario is playing out everywhere: Schools, fire departments, police stations, parks, libraries and water projects are getting the ax, while essential maintenance gets deferred and important capital projects don't get built. This is pernicious when unemployment is rising and when we have all the real resources we need to preserve services and expand public investment. It's also unnecessary.
What to do? Reenact Richard Nixon's great idea: federal revenue sharing. States and localities should get the funds to plug their revenue gaps and maintain real public spending, per capita, for the next three to five years. Also, enact the National Infrastructure Bank, making bond revenue available in a revolving fund for capital improvements. There is work to do. There are people to do it. Bring them together. What could be easier or more sensible?
Here's another problem: the wealth loss to near-retirees and the elderly from a declining stock market as things shake out. How about taking care of this, with rough justice, through a supplement to Social Security? If you need a revenue source, impose a turnover tax on stocks.
Next, let's think about what the next upswing should try to achieve and how it should be powered. If the 1960s were about raising baby boomers and the '90s about technology, what should the '10s and '20s be about? It's obvious: energy and climate change. That's where the present great unmet needs are.
So, let's use the next few years to plan, mapping out a program of energy conservation, reconstruction and renewable power. Let's get the public sector and the universities working on it. And let's prepare the private sector so that when the credit crunch finally ends, we'll have the firms, the labs, the standards and the talent in place, ready to go.
Some will ask if we can afford it. To see the answer, don't look at budget projections. Just look at interest rates. Last week, in the panic, the federal government could fund itself, short term, for free. It could have raised money for 30 years and paid less than 4 percent. That's far less than it cost back in 2000.
No country in this situation is broke, or insolvent, or even in much trouble. For once, Wall Street's own markets speak the truth. The financially challenged customer isn't Uncle Sam. He's up on Wall Street, where deregulation, greed and fraud ran wild.
James K. Galbraith is the author of "The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too."
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Now that all five big investment banks -- Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley -- have disappeared or morphed into regular banks, a question arises.
Is this bailout still necessary?
The point of the bailout is to buy assets that are illiquid but not worthless. But regular banks hold assets like that all the time. They're called "loans."
With banks, runs occur only when depositors panic, because they fear the loan book is bad. Deposit insurance takes care of that. So why not eliminate the pointless $100,000 cap on federal deposit insurance and go take inventory? If a bank is solvent, money market funds would flow in, eliminating the need to insure those separately. If it isn't, the FDIC has the bridge bank facility to take care of that.
Next, put half a trillion dollars into the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. fund -- a cosmetic gesture -- and as much money into that agency and the FBI as is needed for examiners, auditors and investigators. Keep $200 billion or more in reserve, so the Treasury can recapitalize banks by buying preferred shares if necessary -- as Warren Buffett did this week with Goldman Sachs. Review the situation in three months, when Congress comes back. Hedge funds should be left on their own. You can't save everyone, and those investors aren't poor.
With this solution, the systemic financial threat should go away. Does that mean the economy would quickly recover? No. Sadly, it does not. Two vast economic problems will confront the next president immediately. First, the underlying housing crisis: There are too many houses out there, too many vacant or unsold, too many homeowners underwater. Credit will not start to flow, as some suggest, simply because the crisis is contained. There have to be borrowers, and there has to be collateral. There won't be enough.
In Texas, recovery from the 1980s oil bust took seven years and the pull of strong national economic growth. The present slump is national, and it can't be cured that way. But it could be resolved in three years, rather than 10, by a new Home Owners Loan Corp., which would rewrite mortgages, manage rental conversions and decide when vacant, degraded properties should be demolished. Set it up like a draft board in each community, under federal guidelines, and get to work.
The second great crisis is in state and local government. Just Tuesday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced $1.5 billion in public spending cuts. The scenario is playing out everywhere: Schools, fire departments, police stations, parks, libraries and water projects are getting the ax, while essential maintenance gets deferred and important capital projects don't get built. This is pernicious when unemployment is rising and when we have all the real resources we need to preserve services and expand public investment. It's also unnecessary.
What to do? Reenact Richard Nixon's great idea: federal revenue sharing. States and localities should get the funds to plug their revenue gaps and maintain real public spending, per capita, for the next three to five years. Also, enact the National Infrastructure Bank, making bond revenue available in a revolving fund for capital improvements. There is work to do. There are people to do it. Bring them together. What could be easier or more sensible?
Here's another problem: the wealth loss to near-retirees and the elderly from a declining stock market as things shake out. How about taking care of this, with rough justice, through a supplement to Social Security? If you need a revenue source, impose a turnover tax on stocks.
Next, let's think about what the next upswing should try to achieve and how it should be powered. If the 1960s were about raising baby boomers and the '90s about technology, what should the '10s and '20s be about? It's obvious: energy and climate change. That's where the present great unmet needs are.
So, let's use the next few years to plan, mapping out a program of energy conservation, reconstruction and renewable power. Let's get the public sector and the universities working on it. And let's prepare the private sector so that when the credit crunch finally ends, we'll have the firms, the labs, the standards and the talent in place, ready to go.
Some will ask if we can afford it. To see the answer, don't look at budget projections. Just look at interest rates. Last week, in the panic, the federal government could fund itself, short term, for free. It could have raised money for 30 years and paid less than 4 percent. That's far less than it cost back in 2000.
No country in this situation is broke, or insolvent, or even in much trouble. For once, Wall Street's own markets speak the truth. The financially challenged customer isn't Uncle Sam. He's up on Wall Street, where deregulation, greed and fraud ran wild.
James K. Galbraith is the author of "The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
From CNN:
These are the lengths McCain will go in order to avoid debating Obama and to shield Palin from any substantive, unscripted questioning and answering.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...if you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention!
McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate, currently scheduled for next Thursday, October 2 in St. Louis.
In this scenario, the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin would be rescheduled for a date yet to be determined, and take place in Oxford, Mississippi, currently slated to be the site of the first presidential faceoff this Friday.
Graham says the McCain camp is well aware of the position of the Obama campaign and the debate commission that the debate should go on as planned — but both he and another senior McCain adviser insist the Republican nominee will not go to the debate Friday if there's no deal on the bailout.
These are the lengths McCain will go in order to avoid debating Obama and to shield Palin from any substantive, unscripted questioning and answering.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...if you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention!
McCain Wants to Suspend Campaign?
Methinks McCain is playing political games. I just read that McCain wants to suspend campaigning and postpone Friday's debate so he can focus on the current historic financial crisis. He's waiting on a response from the Obama camp as to whether they'll agree. McCain is trying to play the statesman now.
I don't think the debate should be postponed. Campaigning - yes, debate - no. The first debate on Friday, September 26 is covering the topics of foreign policy and national security - these are McCain's strongest areas - at least that's what he's been saying this election cycle - so, it's not like he has to cram for the questions.
We have just over one month until the election - I think we can all agree that this is one of the most important elections in our lifetime. Taking a few hours to debate some important issues isn't going to adversely affect the handling of the financial crisis.
Our country needs this debate, Mr. McCain.
If I was Obama, I would say yes to suspending the campaigning, but NO to postponing the debate.
I don't think the debate should be postponed. Campaigning - yes, debate - no. The first debate on Friday, September 26 is covering the topics of foreign policy and national security - these are McCain's strongest areas - at least that's what he's been saying this election cycle - so, it's not like he has to cram for the questions.
We have just over one month until the election - I think we can all agree that this is one of the most important elections in our lifetime. Taking a few hours to debate some important issues isn't going to adversely affect the handling of the financial crisis.
Our country needs this debate, Mr. McCain.
If I was Obama, I would say yes to suspending the campaigning, but NO to postponing the debate.
Bridge to Nowhere...gag...more...
CNN headlines: "Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive"
Here's the thing that irritates me about politicians - they don't get it. All congress people (Representatives and Senators) are always trying to get money for their states - everyone does it - some better than others - if you don't bring money home to the state, your constituents are asking what you're doing in Washington.
Here's my irritation - in an earlier blog I talked about the "bridge to nowhere" - you'll note that I didn't question the merits of the bridge, I didn't question if the money appropriated was too much or not enough...the entire point of my post was that Sarah Palin was lying when she said that she had not supported the bridge. Rightly or wrongly, she had supported it and then lied about it later. That's the point I'm trying to make - and I wish the candidates would pursue it- they can all throw stones regarding earmarks, pork, graft, etc. Instead of talking about the amount of dollars that might have been spent on the bridge, Joe Biden should have been talking about Palin's honesty and integrity when answering questions about her past positions.
Here's the thing that irritates me about politicians - they don't get it. All congress people (Representatives and Senators) are always trying to get money for their states - everyone does it - some better than others - if you don't bring money home to the state, your constituents are asking what you're doing in Washington.
Here's my irritation - in an earlier blog I talked about the "bridge to nowhere" - you'll note that I didn't question the merits of the bridge, I didn't question if the money appropriated was too much or not enough...the entire point of my post was that Sarah Palin was lying when she said that she had not supported the bridge. Rightly or wrongly, she had supported it and then lied about it later. That's the point I'm trying to make - and I wish the candidates would pursue it- they can all throw stones regarding earmarks, pork, graft, etc. Instead of talking about the amount of dollars that might have been spent on the bridge, Joe Biden should have been talking about Palin's honesty and integrity when answering questions about her past positions.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
An Open Letter to Tina Fey
by Suzy Shuster, The Huffington Post
Dear Ms. Fey,
We, the people, need you.
We need you to be Sarah Palin each and every Saturday night, live from New York.
How else to explain the sudden about face of Governor Palin's popularity in the polls just days after your brilliant spot-on impersonation on one of the highest rated Saturday Night Live's in the show's history? The hair, the glasses, all perfect, but truly it was the flat mid-western accent, the lip-lick, and the insipid comments which did seem like they came directly out of Palin's mouth ("I can see Russia from my house!") made you question whether it was real or was it Memorex.
Frighteningly, it was too real.
From the Friday before the skit on SNL aired to the following Tuesday, Palin's approval rating dropped ten points. Coincidence? I think not. After all, people in this country are tending to be more influenced by who or what they see on entertainment television, more so than on broadcast news or in print. Americans tune into Jon Stewart for their political appetites more than ever ( and why not). So when you, Ms. Fey, don your Palin wig, you influence millions of voters more than Charles ("Charlie") Gibson or Brian Williams, Paul Begala or that anorexic blond McCain spokeswoman ever could.
And I think its your responsibility to do so, or else we face the consequence of a woman in the White House who would strive to take away your daughter Alice's right to choose along with every other woman's in this country.
Most of us who read the Post are already scared out of our wits of what this woman could "accomplish," should she reach the Vice Presidency or beyond. Abortion outlawed even in the case of incest or rape. Global warming research dismissed. Polar bears left unprotected, not to mention moose murder celebrated. But you, Ms. Fey, have the ability, with just a wink and a smirk, to change the minds of millions of casual viewers and even more casual voters, to educate them as to what this woman stands or doesn't stand for. These viewers don't react to a radical move like Republican Senator Chuck Hagel coming forth to question Palin's credentials or credibility, or really care about what political pundits prognosticate on cable news shows. Whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, many swing-state voters get their information and cue from you, Ms. Fey, and you need to provide as much of it as one woman possibly can, before the election is upon us and it is too late.
Comedy can cure and comedy can enlighten, but it must be a constant to reach enough ears to change the hearts and minds of this country, Ms. Fey, and not a minute more can afford to be wasted. So smear on your lipstick, get that slightly crazy look on your face, sharpen your No. 2 shotgun and get to work.
When you won your three Emmy awards the other night (congrats on that, by the way) you wondered aloud:
"I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5. So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me."
Well, I think it's obvious. That person is you.
Save us, Tina Fey. You may be our only hope.
Dear Ms. Fey,
We, the people, need you.
We need you to be Sarah Palin each and every Saturday night, live from New York.
How else to explain the sudden about face of Governor Palin's popularity in the polls just days after your brilliant spot-on impersonation on one of the highest rated Saturday Night Live's in the show's history? The hair, the glasses, all perfect, but truly it was the flat mid-western accent, the lip-lick, and the insipid comments which did seem like they came directly out of Palin's mouth ("I can see Russia from my house!") made you question whether it was real or was it Memorex.
Frighteningly, it was too real.
From the Friday before the skit on SNL aired to the following Tuesday, Palin's approval rating dropped ten points. Coincidence? I think not. After all, people in this country are tending to be more influenced by who or what they see on entertainment television, more so than on broadcast news or in print. Americans tune into Jon Stewart for their political appetites more than ever ( and why not). So when you, Ms. Fey, don your Palin wig, you influence millions of voters more than Charles ("Charlie") Gibson or Brian Williams, Paul Begala or that anorexic blond McCain spokeswoman ever could.
And I think its your responsibility to do so, or else we face the consequence of a woman in the White House who would strive to take away your daughter Alice's right to choose along with every other woman's in this country.
Most of us who read the Post are already scared out of our wits of what this woman could "accomplish," should she reach the Vice Presidency or beyond. Abortion outlawed even in the case of incest or rape. Global warming research dismissed. Polar bears left unprotected, not to mention moose murder celebrated. But you, Ms. Fey, have the ability, with just a wink and a smirk, to change the minds of millions of casual viewers and even more casual voters, to educate them as to what this woman stands or doesn't stand for. These viewers don't react to a radical move like Republican Senator Chuck Hagel coming forth to question Palin's credentials or credibility, or really care about what political pundits prognosticate on cable news shows. Whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, many swing-state voters get their information and cue from you, Ms. Fey, and you need to provide as much of it as one woman possibly can, before the election is upon us and it is too late.
Comedy can cure and comedy can enlighten, but it must be a constant to reach enough ears to change the hearts and minds of this country, Ms. Fey, and not a minute more can afford to be wasted. So smear on your lipstick, get that slightly crazy look on your face, sharpen your No. 2 shotgun and get to work.
When you won your three Emmy awards the other night (congrats on that, by the way) you wondered aloud:
"I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5. So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me."
Well, I think it's obvious. That person is you.
Save us, Tina Fey. You may be our only hope.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Are You Kidding Me?
I just finished reading an article in the Gainesville Sun about how Sarah Palin is employing the same means to squash "troopergate" as the Republicans did in the 2000 election in Florida.
But there's a couple of paragraphs at the end of the article that has me shaking my head. The entire article is here. But the excerpt I'm concerned about is this: (Note that Branchflower is the investigator and Colberg is the Attorney General appointed by Palin.)
Choose where their loyalties lie? Seriously? This is a reason to dismiss the subpoenas? Because these employees would have to choose between upholding the state constitution or protecting Palin? Isn't that why they took an oath to uphold the constitution? It's not a choice, people. Are you kidding me?
But there's a couple of paragraphs at the end of the article that has me shaking my head. The entire article is here. But the excerpt I'm concerned about is this: (Note that Branchflower is the investigator and Colberg is the Attorney General appointed by Palin.)
When Branchflower sought to subpoena 10 employees of Palin's administration, Colberg responded with a letter that said they had been placed in a untenable position.
"As state employees, our clients have taken an oath to uphold the Alaska Constitution," he wrote.
Yet, he added, "our clients are also loyal employees subject to the supervision of the Governor" whom he said has stated that the subpoenas were of questionable validity.
"We respectfully ask that you withdraw the subpoenas directed to our clients and thereby relieve them from the circumstance of having to choose where their loyalties lie," he added.
Choose where their loyalties lie? Seriously? This is a reason to dismiss the subpoenas? Because these employees would have to choose between upholding the state constitution or protecting Palin? Isn't that why they took an oath to uphold the constitution? It's not a choice, people. Are you kidding me?
Friday, September 19, 2008
Michigan is still at it...
Hmmmm.., who moves around a lot? Oh, of course, young student voters, many of whom would support Obama...yes, the trend is becoming very clear...read on...
Read the filing
Michigan Is Disenfranchising 'Thousands Of Voters,' ACLU Says
DETROIT (CN) - The Michigan Secretary of State has disenfranchised "thousands of voters" and continues to do so by striking them from the rolls "upon notice that original voter identification cards have been returned as undeliverable," the United States Student Association Foundation and the ACLU claim in Federal Court. Plaintiffs say the state violates its own laws and federal law by the hasty disenfranchisements.
They say they notified Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land of this by letter on July 8, and she responded, on Aug. 29, that she is canceling voter registrations in the manner the plaintiffs described, "and that the onus lies with the voter to 'correct the record.'"
Plaintiffs say the state's purging procedure is illegal. They want it enjoined, and the people whose names were stricken from the roles illegally reinstated.Their lead counsel is Matthew Lund with Pepper Hamilton.
Read the filing
Obama in Jax on Saturday, Sept 20
This Saturday, September 20th, please join Barack Obama in Jacksonville, where he will talk about his vision for creating the kind of change we need.
Change We Need Rally with Barack Obama
Metropolitan Park
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Saturday, September 20th
Doors Open: 12:30 p.m.
Program Begins: 2:30 p.m.
Not required, but you can RSVP at: RSVP Here
The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are not required. However, an RSVP is strongly encouraged.
For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal items. No signs or banners allowed.
Change We Need Rally with Barack Obama
Metropolitan Park
1410 Gator Bowl Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Saturday, September 20th
Doors Open: 12:30 p.m.
Program Begins: 2:30 p.m.
Not required, but you can RSVP at: RSVP Here
The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are not required. However, an RSVP is strongly encouraged.
For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal items. No signs or banners allowed.
Disenfranchisement in Full Swing...
From Courthouse News Service:
Obama Campaign Sues Over Republican Suppression Effort
DETROIT (CN) - Barack Obama's campaign has filed a class action to try to stop the Republican Party's effort to prevent voting by those who have lost homes to foreclosure. The complaint calls the Republican plan the "lose your home, lose your vote" vote-suppression program. (see filing here)
The suit says Michigan seeks "to strip the right to vote of individuals who reside in homes for which a notice of foreclosure has been issued."
Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee sued the Macomb County Republican Party, the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee in Macomb County Court.
"This complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to challenge the 'lose your home, lose your vote' vote-suppression program adopted by the Macomb County Republican Party, in concert with the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, as well as unnamed Defendants who will implement the scheme at polling places in Macomb County and throughout the State," the complaint states.
"Republican operatives have announced that they will seek to strip the right to vote of individuals who reside in homes for which a notice of foreclosure has been issued by making challenges on Election Day to each such citizen's right to vote. This 'lose your home, lose your vote' program is part of a broader scheme - misnamed an 'election integrity' program - to harass voters and suppress the vote throughout the State of Michigan in the upcoming election on November 4."
The three individual plaintiffs are longtime homeowners in Macomb County whose homes are in foreclosure proceedings.
Plaintiff Duane Maletski was laid off from his job making auto parts and his home entered foreclosure proceedings in late July but he still lives there legally.
Plaintiff Sharon Lopez, 61, owns her home and is buying the home next door. That home entered foreclosure after the renter, her son, broke his leg in five places, lost his job and could not work, and Lopez's husband was laid off from his job as a welder. The interest rate on her rental home jumped from 2 percent to 10 percent and it has entered foreclosure. So her name is on the foreclosure list, though she lives in her own home, which is not in foreclosure.
Plaintiff Frances Zick lives in the home she bought from her parents 15 years ago. Its adjustable rate mortgage rate jumped to 10%, her monthly payment rose from $1,100 to $1,800 and the lender foreclosed after she got two months behind. She works, and has worked for 17 years, as a cashier in a supermarket. She still lives in the home legally, though it is in foreclosure and may be sold.
The complaint states: "The mass and systematic challenge of voters under the Defendant Republicans' 'lose your home, lose your vote' scheme will impair the right to vote of Individual Plaintiffs and all others similarly situated. The presence of an address on a list of foreclosures provides no legitimate basis for challenging a voter's eligibility to vote, and use of such foreclosure lists for mass and systematic challenges can have but one purpose: to threaten, harass, and intimidate voters whom Defendant Republicans believe are unlikely to vote for their candidates. The result of the mass challenges envisioned by the 'lose your home, lose your vote' scheme will be denial and/or abridgement of the right to vote, indeterminate and inordinate delays at polling places affecting Individual Plaintiffs and all others similarly situated who must suffer through a baseless challenge process, as well as others affected by the diversion of election resources compelled by the mass, baseless challenges of the 'lose your home, lose your vote' scheme, and the subjection of Individual Plaintiffs and similarly situated voters to potentially harassing public questioning that is unrelated to their eligibility to vote."
Plaintiffs are represented by James Bruinsma of Grand Rapids.
Obama Campaign Sues Over Republican Suppression Effort
DETROIT (CN) - Barack Obama's campaign has filed a class action to try to stop the Republican Party's effort to prevent voting by those who have lost homes to foreclosure. The complaint calls the Republican plan the "lose your home, lose your vote" vote-suppression program. (see filing here)
The suit says Michigan seeks "to strip the right to vote of individuals who reside in homes for which a notice of foreclosure has been issued."
Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee sued the Macomb County Republican Party, the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee in Macomb County Court.
"This complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to challenge the 'lose your home, lose your vote' vote-suppression program adopted by the Macomb County Republican Party, in concert with the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, as well as unnamed Defendants who will implement the scheme at polling places in Macomb County and throughout the State," the complaint states.
"Republican operatives have announced that they will seek to strip the right to vote of individuals who reside in homes for which a notice of foreclosure has been issued by making challenges on Election Day to each such citizen's right to vote. This 'lose your home, lose your vote' program is part of a broader scheme - misnamed an 'election integrity' program - to harass voters and suppress the vote throughout the State of Michigan in the upcoming election on November 4."
The three individual plaintiffs are longtime homeowners in Macomb County whose homes are in foreclosure proceedings.
Plaintiff Duane Maletski was laid off from his job making auto parts and his home entered foreclosure proceedings in late July but he still lives there legally.
Plaintiff Sharon Lopez, 61, owns her home and is buying the home next door. That home entered foreclosure after the renter, her son, broke his leg in five places, lost his job and could not work, and Lopez's husband was laid off from his job as a welder. The interest rate on her rental home jumped from 2 percent to 10 percent and it has entered foreclosure. So her name is on the foreclosure list, though she lives in her own home, which is not in foreclosure.
Plaintiff Frances Zick lives in the home she bought from her parents 15 years ago. Its adjustable rate mortgage rate jumped to 10%, her monthly payment rose from $1,100 to $1,800 and the lender foreclosed after she got two months behind. She works, and has worked for 17 years, as a cashier in a supermarket. She still lives in the home legally, though it is in foreclosure and may be sold.
The complaint states: "The mass and systematic challenge of voters under the Defendant Republicans' 'lose your home, lose your vote' scheme will impair the right to vote of Individual Plaintiffs and all others similarly situated. The presence of an address on a list of foreclosures provides no legitimate basis for challenging a voter's eligibility to vote, and use of such foreclosure lists for mass and systematic challenges can have but one purpose: to threaten, harass, and intimidate voters whom Defendant Republicans believe are unlikely to vote for their candidates. The result of the mass challenges envisioned by the 'lose your home, lose your vote' scheme will be denial and/or abridgement of the right to vote, indeterminate and inordinate delays at polling places affecting Individual Plaintiffs and all others similarly situated who must suffer through a baseless challenge process, as well as others affected by the diversion of election resources compelled by the mass, baseless challenges of the 'lose your home, lose your vote' scheme, and the subjection of Individual Plaintiffs and similarly situated voters to potentially harassing public questioning that is unrelated to their eligibility to vote."
Plaintiffs are represented by James Bruinsma of Grand Rapids.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A Conservative for Obama
The following is from D Magazine (D for Dallas). The writer is a former publisher of National Review.
My party has slipped its moorings. It’s time for a true pragmatist to lead the country.
By Wick Allison, Editor In Chief
THE MORE I LISTEN TO AND READ ABOUT “the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate,” the more I like him. Barack Obama strikes a chord with me like no political figure since Ronald Reagan. To explain why, I need to explain why I am a conservative and what it means to me.
In 1964, at the age of 16, I organized the Dallas County Youth for Goldwater. My senior thesis at the University of Texas was on the conservative intellectual revival in America. Twenty years later, I was invited by William F. Buckley Jr. to join the board of National Review. I later became its publisher.
Conservatism to me is less a political philosophy than a stance, a recognition of the fallibility of man and of man’s institutions. Conservatives respect the past not for its antiquity but because it represents, as G.K. Chesterton said, the democracy of the dead; it gives the benefit of the doubt to customs and laws tried and tested in the crucible of time. Conservatives are skeptical of abstract theories and utopian schemes, doubtful that government is wiser than its citizens, and always ready to test any political program against actual results.
Liberalism always seemed to me to be a system of “oughts.” We ought to do this or that because it’s the right thing to do, regardless of whether it works or not. It is a doctrine based on intentions, not results, on feeling good rather than doing good.
But today it is so-called conservatives who are cemented to political programs when they clearly don’t work. The Bush tax cuts—a solution for which there was no real problem and which he refused to end even when the nation went to war—led to huge deficit spending and a $3 trillion growth in the federal debt. Facing this, John McCain pumps his “conservative” credentials by proposing even bigger tax cuts. Meanwhile, a movement that once fought for limited government has presided over the greatest growth of government in our history. That is not conservatism; it is profligacy using conservatism as a mask.
Today it is conservatives, not liberals, who talk with alarming bellicosity about making the world “safe for democracy.” It is John McCain who says America’s job is to “defeat evil,” a theological expansion of the nation’s mission that would make George Washington cough out his wooden teeth.
This kind of conservatism, which is not conservative at all, has produced financial mismanagement, the waste of human lives, the loss of moral authority, and the wreckage of our economy that McCain now threatens to make worse.
Barack Obama is not my ideal candidate for president. (In fact, I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses.) But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history. I disagree with him on many issues. But those don’t matter as much as what Obama offers, which is a deeply conservative view of the world. Nobody can read Obama’s books (which, it is worth noting, he wrote himself) or listen to him speak without realizing that this is a thoughtful, pragmatic, and prudent man. It gives me comfort just to think that after eight years of George W. Bush we will have a president who has actually read the Federalist Papers.
Most important, Obama will be a realist. I doubt he will taunt Russia, as McCain has, at the very moment when our national interest requires it as an ally. The crucial distinction in my mind is that, unlike John McCain, I am convinced he will not impulsively take us into another war unless American national interests are directly threatened.
“Every great cause,” Eric Hoffer wrote, “begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” As a cause, conservatism may be dead. But as a stance, as a way of making judgments in a complex and difficult world, I believe it is very much alive in the instincts and predispositions of a liberal named Barack Obama.
Both Candidates Respond to the Financial Crisis
These are the two ads both campaigns put out regarding the financial crisis. Which is more substantive? You decide.
The Invisible Constitution
I was listening to the Diane Rehm show this evening and the subject was the new book "The Invisible Constitution" written by Laurence Tribe. It was a fascinating discussion - Tribe offers his opinion as to what kinds of justices Obama and McCain would appoint to the Supreme Court. Tribe taught Justice Roberts and Barack Obama at Harvard. For those of you who like to say that there's really no difference between the candidates - this discussion will change your mind. I urge you to listen to the show and read the book.
Obama Rally at the Hipp
Over the weekend there was an Obama rally at the Hipp. Rep Maloney and Deidre Hall from the soap "Days of our Lives" was there to speak. The Hipp filled up so some of us had to sit outside - but both guests gave their speeches inside and outside. The first pic is Deidre Hall giving her talk. FYI - the pics were taken with my camera phone, so the quality is diminished a bit.
In the other picture both Deidre and Rep Maloney were posing for pictures. They were both very nice and approachable. Now, we just need Barack to come - although the crowd said it would settle for Michele Obama. Yes We Can!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Pics from Hurricane Ike
My sister lives in Kemah, Texas.
If you look at the above pic you can see her privacy fence going under water - the chain link fence at the end of the yard is completely submerged. They were fortunate - the water never got up to the house - but she was worried there for a while.
This next pic shows the water receding. The chain link fence begins to appear.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Questions for Sarah Palin
Katha Pollitt from The Nation magazine has some questions she'd like to ask Sarah Palin. What do you think?
§ Suppose your 14-year-old daughter Willow is brutally raped in her bedroom by an intruder. She becomes pregnant and wants an abortion. Could you tell the parents of America why you think your child and their children should be forced by law to have their rapists' babies?
§ You say you don't believe global warming is man-made. Could you tell us what scientists you've spoken with or read who have led you to that conclusion? What do you think the 2,500 scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are getting wrong?
§ If you didn't try to fire Wasilla librarian Mary Ellen Baker over her refusal to consider censoring books, why did you try to fire her?
§ What is the European Union, and how does it function?
§ Forty-seven million Americans lack health insurance. John Goodman, who has advised McCain on healthcare, has proposed redefining them as covered because, he says, anyone can get care at an ER. Do you agree with him?
§ What is the function of the Federal Reserve?
§ Cindy and John McCain say you have experience in foreign affairs because Alaska is next to Russia. When did you last speak with Prime Minister Putin, and what did you talk about?
§ Approximately how old is the earth? Five thousand years? 10,000? 5 billion?
§ You are a big fan of President Bush, so why didn't you mention him even once in your convention speech?
§ McCain says cutting earmarks and waste will make up for revenues lost by making the tax cuts permanent. Experts say that won't wash. Balancing the Bush tax cuts plus new ones proposed by McCain would most likely mean cutting Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Which would you cut?
§ You're suing the federal government to have polar bears removed from the endangered species list, even as Alaska's northern coastal ice is melting and falling into the sea. Can you explain the science behind your decision?
§ You've suggested that God approves of the Iraq War and the Alaska pipeline. How do you know?
Our New Family Addition
Meet Dead Donna!
She's our new Halloween addition this year. All the dogs were very wary of her - Boxer was nosing her and almost knocked her over, but Miriam was lightening quick and able to catch her before she hit the floor. The dogs were a lot of fun to watch. We took a short video of them barking at her.
She's our new Halloween addition this year. All the dogs were very wary of her - Boxer was nosing her and almost knocked her over, but Miriam was lightening quick and able to catch her before she hit the floor. The dogs were a lot of fun to watch. We took a short video of them barking at her.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Lightening things up...
I'm working on a small project to lighten things up a bit - I'm creating a little video - I'll post it when it's ready.
It's Thursday and since I've gone back to 5/8 work days, I will have to work tomorrow. At least I get off at 3:30 - so, it ain't too bad.
Tonight I had my first guitar lesson since summer break. I fessed up and told Mark that I hadn't practiced much. He said sometimes the break is good for students to take it easy. So, I'm energized again to play - still working on my first CD.
Mir represented us at our neighborhood meeting tonight. It went well. The fall season is off to a good start. Now, to start working on Halloween. It's never too early to start planning.
It's late and I should be in bed.
Goodnight.
It's Thursday and since I've gone back to 5/8 work days, I will have to work tomorrow. At least I get off at 3:30 - so, it ain't too bad.
Tonight I had my first guitar lesson since summer break. I fessed up and told Mark that I hadn't practiced much. He said sometimes the break is good for students to take it easy. So, I'm energized again to play - still working on my first CD.
Mir represented us at our neighborhood meeting tonight. It went well. The fall season is off to a good start. Now, to start working on Halloween. It's never too early to start planning.
It's late and I should be in bed.
Goodnight.
Banning books...uhm, again...?
Here's a clip by ABC News about Sarah Palin and banning books:
Didn't we, the United States, already settle this question? Didn't we already determine that banning books was unconstitutional - a violation of free speech? So, here we are in 2008 and another small town Mayor is wanting to ban books. The fact that Sarah Palin would even ask about the possibility of banning books is chilling. Do we really want her as our Vice-President? I don't.
Didn't we, the United States, already settle this question? Didn't we already determine that banning books was unconstitutional - a violation of free speech? So, here we are in 2008 and another small town Mayor is wanting to ban books. The fact that Sarah Palin would even ask about the possibility of banning books is chilling. Do we really want her as our Vice-President? I don't.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lipstick on a Pig
The Republicans are at it again - accusing Obama of insulting Palin by using a "lipstick on a pig" phrase in a speech. This is an old saying, in fact, even John McCain has used it. Now, who is being disingenuous here?
Are you tired of the McCain campaign yet? They can't talk about the issues so they make something out of nothing.
Here are some more examples - funny how Republicans also use the same phrase...and they don't get attacked...
Are you tired of the McCain campaign yet? They can't talk about the issues so they make something out of nothing.
Here are some more examples - funny how Republicans also use the same phrase...and they don't get attacked...
"I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." – John McCain, in reference to Hillary Clinton's health care plan, last year.
"George Bush has given a mission to General Petraeus, and he has done his best to try to figure out how to put lipstick on a pig." – Barack Obama, last year.
"Or as we say out in our home state of Wyoming, you can put all the lipstick you want on a pig, but it's still a pig." – Dick Cheney, 2004.
"It's all about withdrawal or not withdrawal, okay? I mean that's what it's all about. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." – John McCain, last year.
"You can put lipstick and earrings on a hog and call it Monique, but it's still a pig." – Texas Gov. Ann Richards.
"John Kerry tries to put a bunch of fancy, fancy talk...but there is nothing you can do to really -- to really obscure that record. You can try, though. And in Wyoming, we've got a saying for what it is when you keep trying to make something that's not so good look good, we call it putting lipstick on a pig." – Lynne Cheney, 2004.
"It gets down to whether you support what's being done in this new strategy or you don't. You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig in my view." – John McCain, last year.
Americans aren't that Stupid....well...
NYTimes article regarding remarks Barack Obama made:
Umm, Mr. Obama, 50% of American voters re-elected George Bush and you're telling me they're not that stupid? That fact that this election is so close should serve as another example of American stupidity. Don't give Americans too much credit - you'll save yourself a lot of grief.
He has declared her family off limits. He has praised her biography, telling an audience, “Mother, governor, moose shooter — that’s cool.” But he has taken sharp aim at her record as Alaska governor, vigorously questioning her evolving stance on the state’s so-called bridge to nowhere.
“She was for it until everybody started raising a fuss about it and she started running for governor and then suddenly she was against it,” Mr. Obama said, speaking over an applauding crowd in Michigan. “I mean, you can’t just make stuff up. You can’t just recreate yourself. You can’t just reinvent yourself. The American people aren’t stupid.”
Umm, Mr. Obama, 50% of American voters re-elected George Bush and you're telling me they're not that stupid? That fact that this election is so close should serve as another example of American stupidity. Don't give Americans too much credit - you'll save yourself a lot of grief.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
A Draft is in Order
It's time to get serious about our two wars and the troops who are fighting them. We Americans need to start contributing more than we have. This country is fighting TWO wars. Never in our nation's history have we fought one war, much less two wars, and cut taxes at the same time. Our government is NUTS. Americans need to be contributing more to the war effort and need to be more affected by it.
Therefore, it is time to implement a wartime military draft. Our military is stressed to the max and needs relief. And those of you who voted for Mr. Bush the second time around need to stand up and accept your responsibility. If you are too old to join, then you should be encouraging your children to join. You may not have known what you were voting for in the year 2000, but you damn sure knew what you were voting for in 2004. There are no excuses.
Now get yourself or your kid to the nearest recruiting office. Waving a little Amercian flag doesn't cut it with me - support our military by joining up. Oh, and by the way, I am a military veteran.
God bless America.
Therefore, it is time to implement a wartime military draft. Our military is stressed to the max and needs relief. And those of you who voted for Mr. Bush the second time around need to stand up and accept your responsibility. If you are too old to join, then you should be encouraging your children to join. You may not have known what you were voting for in the year 2000, but you damn sure knew what you were voting for in 2004. There are no excuses.
Now get yourself or your kid to the nearest recruiting office. Waving a little Amercian flag doesn't cut it with me - support our military by joining up. Oh, and by the way, I am a military veteran.
God bless America.
Monday, September 08, 2008
The End of 4/10
After two months of working 4/10s, I went back to a regular 8 hour workday today. Although, I loved having Friday off - I felt I was losing the other four days of the week.
With my guitar lessons starting up again from summer break and our neighborhood association meetings starting up again - the 4/10 just didn't work. Getting home later, around 5:50pm for me, meant pushing back dinner, less time for the dogs, and being very tired by 8pm such that I didn't want to do much of anything, not even play my guitar.
Last week I had a chance to see how working 7am to 3:30pm felt - and I liked it. I got home early and was able to have dinner almost ready by the time Mir got home. The dogs had more outside time and we were done with dinner before 7pm. We even took several walks last week after we ate. This is the kind of lifestyle I like.
So, I'm glad I had the chance to experiment with a different work schedule, but in the end, for me and my family, 4/10 is out and working the conventional five days is in.
With my guitar lessons starting up again from summer break and our neighborhood association meetings starting up again - the 4/10 just didn't work. Getting home later, around 5:50pm for me, meant pushing back dinner, less time for the dogs, and being very tired by 8pm such that I didn't want to do much of anything, not even play my guitar.
Last week I had a chance to see how working 7am to 3:30pm felt - and I liked it. I got home early and was able to have dinner almost ready by the time Mir got home. The dogs had more outside time and we were done with dinner before 7pm. We even took several walks last week after we ate. This is the kind of lifestyle I like.
So, I'm glad I had the chance to experiment with a different work schedule, but in the end, for me and my family, 4/10 is out and working the conventional five days is in.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Anne Killkenny Letter
Anne Killkenny is a resident of Wasilla, Alaska and immediately after the announcement of Sarah Palin as VP candidate, wrote this letter to friends and family. The letter began circulating the internet. It's very interesting and gives you good idea about who Sarah Palin is.
Read Letter
For those of you skeptical, the letter has been verified by Snopes as authentic and written by actual Wasilla residence Anne Killkenny.
Read Letter
For those of you skeptical, the letter has been verified by Snopes as authentic and written by actual Wasilla residence Anne Killkenny.
I Couldn't Resist
Nerve.com is having a Photoshop contest with the theme "pitbull with lipstick". This was created by their "design geeks".
Quite frankly, Palin's joke was an insult to pit bulls.
Here's another joke:
What’s the difference between Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney? Lipstick.
Quite frankly, Palin's joke was an insult to pit bulls.
Here's another joke:
What’s the difference between Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney? Lipstick.
Joe Biden on "Meet the Press"
I'm watching "Meet the Press" right now - Joe Biden is being questioned by Tom Brokaw. I see now why Sarah Palin is not doing these shows - she wouldn't be able to answer any of the questions. It's amazing how much Senator Biden knows about Iraq and the Middle East.
I also saw a brief clip of Bill O'Reilly interviewing Barack Obama. I have to give Obama a lot of credit being interviewed by Bill. I will be going back and watching the entire interview. Personally, I wouldn't have given Bill O'Reilly the time of day - he's certainly no journalist - he's just a mouthpiece of the Republican Party.
You know this is so unfair - Tom is asking Joe about domestic issues now. Where the hell is Sarah Palin?! Why isn't she out there answering these same questions?!
There are only about 60 days left until the election - and the Republicans are telling us that they are not yet ready to allow Palin to answer any questions?
If you're not mad as hell, then you're not paying attention.
I also saw a brief clip of Bill O'Reilly interviewing Barack Obama. I have to give Obama a lot of credit being interviewed by Bill. I will be going back and watching the entire interview. Personally, I wouldn't have given Bill O'Reilly the time of day - he's certainly no journalist - he's just a mouthpiece of the Republican Party.
You know this is so unfair - Tom is asking Joe about domestic issues now. Where the hell is Sarah Palin?! Why isn't she out there answering these same questions?!
There are only about 60 days left until the election - and the Republicans are telling us that they are not yet ready to allow Palin to answer any questions?
If you're not mad as hell, then you're not paying attention.
When will Sarah Palin Meet the Press?
It's been a few days since my last posting on this blog. I was waiting for Sarah Palin's first real interview to take place - apparently, the McCain campaign is keeping her under tight wrap. Hmmm...methinks the campaign is afraid of what she might say in an unscripted moment. I also read recently that Charlie Gibson might have been given the first opportunity to conduct an interview - how Republican! Give the interview to one of your soldiers.
Ladies and gentleman, forgive the cliche, but Sarah Palin is literally a "heartbeat away from the Presidency". John McCain is 72 - he likes to parade around his 95 year old mother - but everyone knows women live longer than men. Papa McCain died at age 70 of natural causes. So, if John McCain wins the election, there is a very real chance that he would die in office and Sarah Palin would be our next President.
So, to those of you supporting McCain - think very carefully about this election - if he wins, the odds are that Palin will become President. In your heart, is this really what you want?
As soon as Palin has her first real interview, check back here for my comments.
Ladies and gentleman, forgive the cliche, but Sarah Palin is literally a "heartbeat away from the Presidency". John McCain is 72 - he likes to parade around his 95 year old mother - but everyone knows women live longer than men. Papa McCain died at age 70 of natural causes. So, if John McCain wins the election, there is a very real chance that he would die in office and Sarah Palin would be our next President.
So, to those of you supporting McCain - think very carefully about this election - if he wins, the odds are that Palin will become President. In your heart, is this really what you want?
As soon as Palin has her first real interview, check back here for my comments.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Hypocrisy - A Republican Party Artform
It's a real shame when a comedy show does better journalism than ABC, NBC, NYTimes, Washington Post, etc.
NYTimes Editorial Says It Better Than I Can
From the NYTimes:
Running Against Themselves
Three days into the Republican National Convention, it is clear that the G.O.P. has settled on a message: “Washington is not working.” The phrase is included in virtually every speech and every statement in St Paul.
We agree completely that Washington is in desperate need of renewal and reform. We’re not even going to quibble about the fact that Barack Obama said it first. The problem is that American voters have yet to hear — from John McCain or his warm-up acts — any serious ideas on what, exactly, is wrong with Washington, apart from the fact that a Democrat might win the White House, never mind how to truly fix it.
The difficulty for the Republican ticket in talking about change and reform and acting like insurgents is that they have been running Washington — the White House and Congress — for most of the last eight years.
Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee, was a combative and witty relief at a torpid convention. But it was bizarre hearing the running mate of a 26-year veteran of Congress, a woman who was picked to placate the right-wing elite, mocking “the permanent political establishment in Washington.”
And we couldn’t imagine what Mitt Romney was thinking when he denounced “liberal Washington” and then, at the convention of the party that brought you unimpeded presidential spying, declared: “It’s time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother!”
As hard as he tries, Mr. McCain cannot escape the burdensome shadow of President Bush because his policies offer no real change. On the all-important issue of the economy, Mr. McCain has no prescription for ending the mortgage-driven crisis or for fixing the huge fiscal problems Mr. Bush has bequeathed the nation. He wants to make even deeper cuts in corporate taxes, eliminate the alternative minimum income tax and make permanent the Bush tax cuts that vastly favor the wealthy and that he once correctly opposed.
His only idea for balancing the budget seems to be controlling earmarks, which Republicans now denounce with the sort of single-minded fervor they used to reserve for Democratic-appointed judges.
Permanently extending the tax cuts would reduce tax revenue by $1 trillion over four years. If Mr. McCain eliminated every earmark (including money for the gas pipeline that Ms. Palin wants to build in Alaska), the savings would total about $18 billion a year. He hasn’t offered any idea of where he’ll get the rest of the money.
He has not explained how he plans to rein in out-of-control financial firms and avoid a repeat of the mortgage disaster. Mr. Bush’s ideological opposition to sound government regulation is in large measure to blame for the economic crisis, but when Mr. McCain talks about fixing Washington, that subject never comes up.
Mr. McCain also has yet to explain to voters how he intends to go on paying for the war in Iraq — and also fix a dangerously stretched and overburdened military. Mr. McCain talks about energy independence. But his primary solution is not a solution: drilling and more drilling.
Mr. McCain says he is the candidate who will better protect the country from terrorism. But about all he has to offer is his pledge to continue the war in Iraq. We have yet to hear an explanation for how he plans to do that while also salvaging the war in Afghanistan — the real front line in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Now that everyone agrees that Washington needs fixing, we hope Mr. McCain will offer more than partisan boilerplate when he addresses the convention on Thursday night.
Running Against Themselves
Three days into the Republican National Convention, it is clear that the G.O.P. has settled on a message: “Washington is not working.” The phrase is included in virtually every speech and every statement in St Paul.
We agree completely that Washington is in desperate need of renewal and reform. We’re not even going to quibble about the fact that Barack Obama said it first. The problem is that American voters have yet to hear — from John McCain or his warm-up acts — any serious ideas on what, exactly, is wrong with Washington, apart from the fact that a Democrat might win the White House, never mind how to truly fix it.
The difficulty for the Republican ticket in talking about change and reform and acting like insurgents is that they have been running Washington — the White House and Congress — for most of the last eight years.
Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee, was a combative and witty relief at a torpid convention. But it was bizarre hearing the running mate of a 26-year veteran of Congress, a woman who was picked to placate the right-wing elite, mocking “the permanent political establishment in Washington.”
And we couldn’t imagine what Mitt Romney was thinking when he denounced “liberal Washington” and then, at the convention of the party that brought you unimpeded presidential spying, declared: “It’s time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother!”
As hard as he tries, Mr. McCain cannot escape the burdensome shadow of President Bush because his policies offer no real change. On the all-important issue of the economy, Mr. McCain has no prescription for ending the mortgage-driven crisis or for fixing the huge fiscal problems Mr. Bush has bequeathed the nation. He wants to make even deeper cuts in corporate taxes, eliminate the alternative minimum income tax and make permanent the Bush tax cuts that vastly favor the wealthy and that he once correctly opposed.
His only idea for balancing the budget seems to be controlling earmarks, which Republicans now denounce with the sort of single-minded fervor they used to reserve for Democratic-appointed judges.
Permanently extending the tax cuts would reduce tax revenue by $1 trillion over four years. If Mr. McCain eliminated every earmark (including money for the gas pipeline that Ms. Palin wants to build in Alaska), the savings would total about $18 billion a year. He hasn’t offered any idea of where he’ll get the rest of the money.
He has not explained how he plans to rein in out-of-control financial firms and avoid a repeat of the mortgage disaster. Mr. Bush’s ideological opposition to sound government regulation is in large measure to blame for the economic crisis, but when Mr. McCain talks about fixing Washington, that subject never comes up.
Mr. McCain also has yet to explain to voters how he intends to go on paying for the war in Iraq — and also fix a dangerously stretched and overburdened military. Mr. McCain talks about energy independence. But his primary solution is not a solution: drilling and more drilling.
Mr. McCain says he is the candidate who will better protect the country from terrorism. But about all he has to offer is his pledge to continue the war in Iraq. We have yet to hear an explanation for how he plans to do that while also salvaging the war in Afghanistan — the real front line in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Now that everyone agrees that Washington needs fixing, we hope Mr. McCain will offer more than partisan boilerplate when he addresses the convention on Thursday night.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Keeping the Children out of the Election
I find it interesting that the McCain election party would declare that the children of the candidates should be off limits.
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno."
Joke made by John McCain at a June 1998 Republican fundraiser. See how NYTimes columnist Maureen Dowd's responded.
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno."
Joke made by John McCain at a June 1998 Republican fundraiser. See how NYTimes columnist Maureen Dowd's responded.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Blog Posting Removed
Dear readers,
I had written and posted a blog about current political events. After posting I was so proud of myself that I text messaged my editor to read the post. Shortly after, my editor called me and requested that I remove my post. I explained that my post was intended to point out the hypocrosy of it all (abstinence-only sex education and sacrificing teenage pregnant daughters for political ambition) - however, my editor advised me to wait it out a few days to see how things play out. Although, I disagree, I do respect my editor and will give her the benefit of the doubt.
So, dear readers, I am sorry for not having a current post for you to read. I will endeavor to correct this within the next day or so.
The picture of Peanut? Well, she's cute and makes me smile.
Thanks for your patience.
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