The Common Good and the Clueless

The Quote of the Day:
"The great crisis among us is the crisis of "the common good," the sense of community solidarity that binds all in a common destiny--haves and have-nots, the rich and the poor. We face a crisis about the common good because there are powerful forces at work among us to resist the common good, to violate community solidarity, and to deny a common destiny. Mature people, at their best, are people who are committed to the common good that reaches beyond private interest, transcends sectarian commitments, and offers human solidarity."

Walter Brueggeman, Journey to the Common Good ( Westminster/John Knox Press, 2010). Dr.Brueggeman is a theologian of the United Church of Christ and was a distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. His book is a detailed examination of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament on the subject of the common good and is heavy going if you are not into biblical exegesis. The book was started at the end of the Bush Administration and has an afterword of hope for the Obama years. Brueggeman believes that our economic collapse, more than the 9/11 attacks, has eroded our social cohesion more than anything in recent memory.

For the secular-minded, I have been reading Amitai Etzioni's The Common Good, (Polity, 2004), which reminds me of the dry, arid prose of ethical humanists. If communitarianism interests anyone, I highly recommend Robert Bellah , who has an insightful and riveting prose style. I have been reading Robert Bellah since college and Habits of the Heart is his examination of American traditions of seeking the common good.

Has anyone noticed how our major economic units deliberately ignore the law. Health Secretary Katheleen Sibelius has been fighting the major insurance companies since health care passed for them to adhere to the new requirements and to stop jacking up premiums before the fianl phase of health care reform kicks in. The major American banks were bailed out and are now churning profits again but they have systematically ignored President Obama's entreaties to loan to small businesses and to modify home mortgages for those in desparate need. And now the oil companies virtually stone-walled on the major environmental disaster of my lifetime, yet are pushing for more rights to offshore drilling. And now we are being treated to Pete Peterson's road trip through America to dramatize the situation of our debt, which, in his opinion, demands eliminating all entitlement programs.

This week James Galbraith, author of The Predator State, tells us our deficit has "zero" importance. Galbraith, joining Paul Krugman, in fighting off the"We are Greece now"mantra from the right, points out that the projections of our debt level imply that virtually nothing will be done in the next few years to lower health care costs, the biggest culprit beside the military/ terrorist complex, and that can be done to shore up social security. He also points out that there are very few times in the history of our country where we didn't have a deficit and he argues that to maintain any economic progress the government must continue to have one. But this is Keynesian economics, not supply-side orthodoxy.

Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times wrote this week that if our little job engine that could keeps producing jobs at the current rate, our economy in 2010 will have created more jobs this year than the entire Bush-Cheney years together. Brownstein goes further to analyze the fallacy that tax cuts to the rich and the corporations create jobs--in fact the largest periods of jobs growth in the last two decades came when these policy items were jettisoned. For the rest of America, USA Today reports that Americans are paying the lowest rate of taxes since 1950, a fact that runs counter to the tea party crowd's boisterous assertions.

In keeping with their anti-science, anti-job philosophy, the Republicans proudly defeated the House bill to provide additional funding for math and science research and job creation by adding an amendment that would require federal employees to watch porn. Democratic congressmen fled the bill. I guess Republicans were thinking about the recent discovery that the SEC employees under movement conservative Chris Cox were all watching porn on the internet instead of investigating Bernie Madoff and other criminals.

The "Quitter from Wasilla" said "We are all Arizonans now." I guess we didn't sign up for her war in Georgia. Arizona is getting slaughtered by the national boycotts so much so that Governor Jan Brewer urged citizens of the state to vacation at home this year. If there were any doubts about the racist intent of the immigration law, they were erased this week as the state prohibited any ethnic studies in public school and ended the legal requirement that certain businesses had to have interpreters for Spanish-speakers.

John McCain cut an ad about controlling illegal immigration with a very white sheriff from the central part of the state. The "Build the Danged Fence" ad drew ridicule and a great parody using Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. The actual sheriff from Nogales where the ad was filmed--a very Mexican-American looking figure--came out and blasted both the ad and the whole law. Still South Carolina's Jim DeMint tried to scuttle the financial reform bill in the Senate this week by submitting an amendment calling for the building of the border fence. All this forced Michael Gerson, former Bush speechwriter and Washington Post columnist, to admit that the Republican party is clearly now anti-immigrant and will be perceived as such.

That's apparently not all they're against. Pat Buchanan wondered why the Supreme Court had to have so many Jews in his criticism of the nomination of Elena Kagan. There is considerable irony here in that Pat Buchanan is responsible for the Republican strategy of selecting Catholic conservative judges. Now we have six Catholics on the Court. This not-so-veiled anti-semiticism was picked up in a more polite way by a conservative legal activist ironically named Miranda, who claimed Elena Kagan came from the New York Jewish socialist culture. He commended this culture for its vibrant contribution to American society but reminded his readers "but it's still socialist."

After Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal printed a picture of Elena Kagan playing softball, the New York Post dutifully followed with two articles about whether softball was a lesbian sport. Pat Buchanan chimed in on the Morning Joe show that everyone knows that lesbians are associated with softball. Rush Limbaugh reinforced the homophobic theme by calling Kagan " a Chaz Bono look-alike." So, Jewish, Socialist, Lesbian. For the record, I always felt that woman's professional basketball was the lesbian magnet and I noticed that Condi Rice made a big pitch for women's basketball this week without comment from detractors.

Elena Kagan as a lesbian Emma Goldman without experience and a thin-paper trail has Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions all a twitter. He claims that her objection to Don't Ask, Don't Tell showed what her real priorities are. Of course, this is all aimed at prolonging the process as long as possible so nothing can get done in the Senate. Newt Gingrich is demanding that Obama withdraw her nomination.

In my view, Elena Kagan is not really meant to replace John Paul Stevens, but is an early replacement of Ruth Bader Ginzburg, freeing up Obama for a different type of choice at that time.

But not all Republicans are going down this path. The band of legal brothers seem to be embarrassed by all this. None other than Ken Starr strongly came out in favor of her and Miguel Estrada wrote movingly about why she should be confirmed, stated that obviously his view might hurt her chances. Michael McConnell, the former federal appeals court judge nominated by W, stated, "She has had a remarkable and truly unusual record of reaching out across ideological divides." The two knew each other as law professors at the University of Chicago. I worried when even Johnny Yoo has endorsed her. Laura Bush, who seems off her meds this week after endorsing same sex marriage and pro-choice positions, also supported Kagan's nomination.

Dana Millbank, writing in the Washington Post, brought to the nation's attention the lunacy in the Republican Party of Maine and wondered whether they were expecting "a Viking invasion." The Portland newspapers reported that the Knox County caucus, which wrote the teabagger platform for the party, had trashed the schoolroom where they met, went through the teacher's desk and destroyed the copies of the Constitution he had, which were printed by the ACLU. One of the vandals was quoted as saying the caucus was disturbed that the teacher seemed to be a "Communist".

The NRA, which is always for the common good, again endorsed allowing people on the terrorist "don't fly" list to be able to purchase guns. Their position was affirmed by Sarah Palin. Sister Sarah also told the NRA that if Obama could, he would take away their guns. This despite Obama allowing guns into the national parks, which I think is wrong. And if Sarah could she would ban books. Oh, she did in Wasilla.

Here in Virginia , Governor Big Bob "Jobs" McDonnell passed his measure that allows citizens to openly carry guns into a bar but they are not allowed to drink. The NRA is insisting that gun carriers must be allowed to drink, while openly carrying. This is the new big debate in Virginia, which made the Daily Beast's number 2 corrupt state in the nation.

A "birther " group by the shadowy name of The New Legion for Christ based in Downer's Grove, Illinois, has funneled $1 million to the Republican primary for Governor in Alabama, home testing grounds for Karl Rove. Did the funds go to Judge Moore of Ten Commandments Fame or the candidate who was for teaching evolution before he was against it?

Haley Barbour wants y'all to come down and swim on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The oil spill is just like a "gasoline sheen around ski boats."

Glenn Beck received an honorary doctorate from Liberty University, home of the Falwells. He sensitively acknowledged that his Mormon faith presented problems for his fundamentalist audience and he did cry almost a dozen times during his speech. The first time I think was authentic when he acknowledged that he stopped going to college after the first semester because he didn't have enough money. He had many inspiring words of wisdom for the students. "Taxis smell the worst in summer." "Life is tough and only gets tougher and then you die." "Date someone who loves you as much as I do." "Shoot to kill". I'm convinced he's in some type of "scream therapy".

Democratic congressman Oberstar asked why Republicans have over 120 personal earmarks in the upcoming appropriations bill when they took a public pledge to suspend earmarks for a year.

America's oldest bloggers are back and in great form. For snarky, uninhibited commentary on our political scene from people who have lived a long life, check out http://www.margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/ . They succinctly put into perspective the problems Obama faces and have some snide comments of their own about the past inhabitants of the White House.

A raft of polls have come out this week which conclude that Americans are truly confused. For the first time in a while, Americans favor Democrats retaining control of Congress. But only 33% of Americans want to re-elect their own congressperson. In four polls I examined, Democratic approval ratings are far above Republicans in Congress. In terms of defending the average America versuis corporate interests, Obama is in the mid-55%, congressional Democrats only in the mid-30s, and Republicans at 20%. In a Roper poll, a teabagger complained that Republicans have gone too far Left! On the key right track-wrong track question, right track moved up two clicks to 42%, the third consecutive week of positive movement.

A Gallup Poll put concerns about the economy over the unemployment issue of the first time. This is disturbing because the U6 unemployment rate is till over 17%, an alarming high figure. A Washington Post/ABC poll show that Americans trust Obama overwhelmingly over Republicans to handle the economy, regulate the financial industry, the deficit and healthcare. In the Pew poll, Republicans still have a slight edge on national security. But the Pew poll does indicate that 60% like Obama personally ( a measure separate from approve, which I always take as important) and that 60% blame Bush for both the economy and the deficits. This latter number should strengthen the Democrats hand in resisting the conservative demands for gutting Social Security and Medicare under the pretense of deficit reduction.

Charles Cook is remaining tough. He still believes the Republicans will win the House. he also says that only Representative Cao from Louisiana will be the sole Republican defeated this fall. Cao took over from disgraced Democrat Jefferson, the representative found by the FBI with bribe money in his refrigerator. Cao had wanted to vote for healthcare refom but Tan Man Boehner placed two GOP handlers at each side of Cao during the vote.

Fast Eddie Rendell, the term-limited Governor of Pennsylvania, advises Democrats to go down firing. If you're going to lose, then lose for what you believe in. Rendell wisely advises Democrats to tie their Republican competitors as close to the teabaggers as possible. This seems to have been picked up in local races in the Midwest where Republicans are trying hard to avoid proclaiming their positions on the teabaggers call for the repeal of the 17th Amendment, the one that allows for the direct election of Senators. In several races Democrats are exploiting this in ads.

A strange ad by Texas secessionist Governor Rick Perry against Democrat Bill White claims White got stimulus money for the Houston metro by "cooking the books". It's unclear whether the crime is getting a $1 billion for the Houston Metro or cooking the books.

Carly Fiorina is pumping more of her cash into the Republican primary in California to try and salvage her sinking ship.

Tuesday's primaries will get alot of hype in the press but it's unclear whether they will mean anything other than local politics was the dominant factor. Progressives are cheering on Sestak in Pennsylvania and Halter in Arkansas, while Obama is for Specter and Blanche Lincoln. In Kentucky, expect Rand Paul to top Trey Grayson, Mitch McConnell's choice. Rand Paul is backed by the teabaggers, libertarians, fundamentalists, Jim deMint and Sarah Palin. Grayson was backed by the Republican establishment.