D.C.'s gay marriage law that passed the City Council faces pushback from Rep. Leo Chaffetz, Republican from Utah, who wants the question put to a referendum. The only problem is that lawyers believe that Congress, even though it oversees D.C., can't impose a direct vote on DC because of its status. Interesting.
In reference to my previous posts on the Prop 8 trial, I receive about a dozen e-mails a week decrying the appointment by President Obama of some gay or another. But the charges are curiously the same. All the accused encourage gay sex with underage children. When I look into these, it always turns out that the alleged incident has to do with people,almost always men, who are of consenting age. The appointees are usually accused of either explaining kinky sexual practices at seminars or recommending sexual relations with older males.
In every case, it's like six degrees of separation. The speaker at a seminar at Tufts University on gay sexuality happens to be there as pamphlets on safe sex practices are available to the audience. The speaker has absolutely no connection with their production or the organization that produced them. Yet somehow the connection is made that the speaker, since he was there, condones everything in these pamphlets, which may offend someone who is homophobic. The same applied with the young man--of consenting age who was thinking about having a relationship with an older man. The Obama appointee--many years ago--tried to convince the younger male to be careful. Hardly, the advice of someone urging such a relationship. And it goes on. But it all fits with Dr. Tam's ,Mr. Prop 8, position that a vote for gay marriage is a vote for legalizing sex with children. The meme is there--gay men are pedophiles. This is the line of reasoning that the anti-gay lawyers in California are trying to sneak into the court arguments but the expert witnesses are shutting them down.
Pentagon lawyers are saying that now is not the time to repeal DADT, which Obama has promised. I haven't made up my mind on this but I want to relay that Bill Clinton changed his mind on DADT. At last year's Netroots conference, he basically said that Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "blackmailed" him with this and that DADT was a compromise. But Clinton said he changed his mind after he found out that the troops who led the obliteration of the Republican Guard in Iraq were primarily gay. He later found out that the top commanders knew this, let them inflict their punishing victory on the Iraqis, and then promptly fired them all. Most recently, we have seen that at a time when we urging needed Arabic translators the military discharged the top translators because they were gay. As Dr. Chauncy testified at the Prop.8 trial that enforcing DADT has cost the US Government roughly $90 million--of course, a drop in the bucket when you have a trillion budget, but is it worth it? Senator Levin promises hearing on DADT rather soon and we will see what the compelling arguments are for keeping it.
It sure didn't take long. President Obama is now being criticized for his..drumroll--slowness to respond to the Haiti earthquake. He could only have been quicker if he had been telepathic. His response with the display of all the appropriate cabinet members and Vice President Biden today--all of whom cancelled all prior commitments--is a model for humanitarian disasters. He pledged an immediate $100 million to the effort and spoke eloquently about less fortunate among us. Yes, planes with aid are having a tough time landing in Haiti, since there is a bottleneck that is caused by the collapse of the total infrastructure of the country. And, as predicted, there is an outbreak of malaria and stomach viruses. But, common on, folks. Always remember only one American city was destroyed under George W. Bush. But let's keep that instant gratification going!
The Republicans believe they will take back the House in 2010. They are going to run the election as a referendum on the national Democrats. Presumably, they will spell out their exciting ideas about creating jobs and securing the Homeland through torture. I have no idea what the appeal will be except to run against incumbents. I would like to see Republicans finally fess up to destroying the economy and plunging the country into almost insurmontable debt.
The CBO doesn't believe we will get back to 8% unemployment until 2012. I think we are facing a generation of 6-8% unemployment. When I was young, I was taught that 5% unemployment was the absolute limit when the economy is running at maximum efficiency. With the collapse of our mmanufacturing base and the export of so many jobs abroad, I don't see things turning around in a strong direction until the basis of our economy is transformed. President Obama has laid the groundwork for this but I doubt whether he will be President to see it pay off.
The Health Reform Bill keeps getting tweaked. Labor has won a big concession that their insurance plans will not be taxed and I think that is just because their health benefits were won through their concessions on pay. They already paid for them. As anyone who paid attention to President Obama through the campaign and listened closely to his ideas about exchanges, it seems the bill will contain health insurance exchanges like those available to federal employees. The House claims a bill will be finalized and sent to the CBO on Saturday. Republicans vowed to run on repealing the health reform bill. On Social Security, Medicare and Health Reform, they will be voting 0 for 3.
The Teabaggers are holding their first national conference with keynote speaker Sarah Palin. The only media allowed are Fox News, Breibart, World Net Daily, and the National Review. The CPAC conference will end with Glenn Beck. This year;s conservative gathering will be cohosted by the John Birch Society. A fun time is guaranteed by all.
Showing posts with label Health Care Reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Care Reform. Show all posts
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Friday, September 4, 2009
Gonzo America--The Crazy, the Demented and the True
It's been a busy week as the incoming has been hot and heavy. The birthers or Orly Taitz or Oilie Taint acting as attorney had their case thrown out by a District Court because Orly never signed the papers. A woman medic in this brief likened President Obama to Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Francois Duvalier and was seeking to apply for conscientious objection because Obama has not shown his birth certificate.
The Tenthers-- the new Tenth Amendment movement--is trying to change the Georgia state constitution to prevent health care reform. Tenthers claim that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional--something real constitution scholars deny. I would like them to succeed in their effort so when healthcare reform passes, they'll find their effort will have literally no effect--nada, zippo, the big goose egg.
Gover Rick Parry of the Republic of Texas resents President Obama planning to address the nation's school children on the first day of school. He insists that Obama should have talked to school principals about what he's going to say. The problem,Gov. Rick, is that President Obama points in the speech are already on the Department of Education website and a letter already went out to all schools. Stay informed! Stay Classy! The Florida Republican Party has denounced the speech as Obama's effort to indoctrinate children with socialism. South Carolina and Georgia are making it optional for students to attend school because of parental protests. Even here in Virginia, Loudon County with the wealthiest of Republicans will forgo the President's speech. Christians have petitioned some counties in California and in Colorado to prohibit the broadcast of the President speech.
So let's get this straight. The President, who has been a constitutional law professor and graduated law school magna cum laude, would be a bad role model for children. Having heard him on education before, he comes off like a nerdy guy emphasizing all the usual bromides of attend school, study hard, do your homework and eat healthy foods and get your sleep. The very stuff of socialist utopias. All the criticism and censorship of the speech will only make it more attractive for kids. Somehow all the protesters forget the speech will be on C-Span, WhiteHouse. gov and Youtube in case the children want to disobey their parents.
The question really is why the media actually give these morons any publicity. If anything, most of these characters protesting the President of the United States talking to the nation's students should be declared unfit parents. The head of the Florida Republican Party in his television appearances implies that he prohibits his children from ever watching the President. In my ancient youth, all parents encouraged children to listen to the President, whether they voted for him or not, because it was all a part of civics.
Levi Johnston, the once future son-in-law of Sarah Palin, has brought high entertainment back to politics this past week. Levi claims that Sarah was not the best homemaker, didn't know how to shoot a gun even though she kept one under the bed, tired of the Government's job because it was "too hard" and just wanted to make money. Levi hopes to be a male model and pose for all the gays reading Playgirl. Meanwhile, Sarah is in an undisclosed location, occasionally phoning into her family. She is"writing her memoir" and has been asking her dad about how many points she scored in basketball,when they went to the Boston Marathon and other exciting sports-related questions.
Republicans are scouting around for future Presidential candidates. Among them are General Petraeus, whom no one will remember, especially after we leave Iraq in ruins. Another is Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe fame. And another still--a favorite of the base and gays is Rick Santorum. As we all remember, Dan Savage of America's greatest sex advice column "Savage Love" had a contest about what sexual reference should be "Santorum". The winner was the bodily fluids excreted after Anal Sex. This has immortalized Rick Santorum to millions of Americans.
The Left is going bonkers over every statement or cryptic reference coming from the White House and Democratic leaders concerning whether the 'public option" is in or out of the healthcare proposals. As of this Friday before Labor Day, it's still in, although people are afraid that President Obama is negotiating a "trigger" option with Senator Olympia Snowe.
During the past week, our ace media have missed several pro-health reform rallies where thousands have gathered in support of the President's plan. Instead, the big story was a healthcare opponent having his finger beaten off by a pro-healthcare supporter. We were even treated to the drops of blood on the sidewalk.
The press continued their superb coverage by criticising the President for going on a second vacation to Camp David. OK, now President Bush spent a total of 3 full years at his ranch without a great deal of criticism. President Obama's vacation on Martha's Vineyard was something less than relaxing. He re-annouced the appointment of Ben Bernacke to the Fed, wrote and gave a statement on Senator Kennedy's death, flew to see the Kennedy family and gave a eulogy. The networks even got around to criticising him for not sticking around for the family-only funeral.
The radical Right Christian communities have topped themselves by coming out against healthcare reform. I understand one could have criticisms but a church coming out against the whole thing. Amazing. The Archdiocese of St Louis gave the reactionary Catholic voice by saying the Church does not endorse socialized medicine. One really has to get in the weeds to find anything remotely socialist in anything being proposed. It is incredibly disconcerting for religious organizations to come out against health coverage for the poor and uninsured. To put it mildly, it's theologically disturbing. A great Pastor in Tempe, Arizona, which must breed more nuts per acres than anywhere in the U.S., called for Obama to die and go to Hell. Not for anything he did, mind you; it's because the Pastor admits he hates him--something that strikes me as anti-Christian.
The great lover and fundamentalist Governor of South Carolina Sanford is being pressed to resign by the state's GOP. The Lt.Governor Andre Bauer has offered to sit for the remaining term and promised not to run for election. It appears that some of the Governor evangelical friends soon circulated rumors that the gay community has confirmed that Mr. Bauer has had gay affairs. Local evangelicals, who support his very heavy family values approach and his leadership in getting a variety of Christian slogans on license plates, had an amazing response. "Just because he had sex with men doesn't mean he's gay." "It was probably some sort of mistake." Wow!
The Head of the Board of Education selected by loverboy Sanford has been upholding family values. She home-schools her children and has introduced a consevative curriculum in the school system. At night she likes to play on line suggesting she would really like to be in a threesome and looks forward to some girl-girl action. She even dabbles in writing erotica and likes to show up at political functions and show off her sheer underwear. That might make the South rise again.
Lawrence O'Donnell, who has been ably defending Democratic views on MSNBC, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and claimed that President Obama was desparate on the health care issue and was pessimistic about it passing. It was an unusual statement in a week of unusual events. Strip away all the noise and polling on healthcare reform remains fairly consistent when people are asked about the particulars of the plan. My gut tells me something substantial will be passed.
Margaret and Helen, America's oldest bloggers, have been unkind on the subject of Republican criticisms of the health care reform. In their eighties, they promise everyone they'll live as long as they want and will spend the grandchildren's inheritance doing so. The ladies warn Americans about congress types who claim God speaks to them. They particularly aim their arrows at Michelle Bachman of Minnesota, who loves to boast she is the most hated Republican woman in America--after Sarah Palin. Michelle Bachman urged her supporters to slit their wrists this week and create a blood bond to prevent healthcare reform from passing. She also promised that even though Democrats want to elect the first woman President, God will decide on a Republican. Pretty strong stuff. Margaret and Helen dished about the lack of education of some of the Republican luminaries such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, both of whom dropped out of college. They did say at least Palin got her degree after six years and five colleges later.
And speaking of Glenn Beck--he continues to infuriate me because of his colossal ignorance. The other night he decided to "decode the architecture of Rockefeller Center" as an allegory of progressive-fascist-communist conspiracies somehow linked to the Rockefeller Family and --ergo--Obama (?) The history of art in Rockefeller Center is well-documented with such pyrotechnics as Diego Rivera creating a fresco with Lenin and a lampoon of Rockefeller as part of a pay dispute. This is so well-known you have to be truly ignorant to make up your own history without any reference to it.
Advertisers continue to flee Glenn Beck, which only fuels his self-aggrandizement as the sole purveyor of truth. In Washington, we look forward to the grand finale of his 9-12 project, which somehow believes the United States was created during the Revolution and then time-travelled to 9-11, which in Beck's perverse world we became as One--sort of like a post-modern Woodstock built on tragedy. And the fine country that existed then is being taken away from us by the fiendish black man Barack Obama. The 9-12 project is to conclude with the gathering of the tea-baggers, who I guess will wait the Rapture. On the 13th then, we are to see the March on Washington of all those for healthcare reform.
This non-stop insanity since September shows no let-up. Birthers, Deathers, Tenthers, Gun nuts and the Ayran Christs make a very dangerous brew. Dan Savage was quite correct that these people want the President dead--no iffs, no ands or buts. You would have to go back to the tail-end of the Eisenhower era, when the extreme right emerged to accuse Ike and his cabinet, which included General Marshall, of being fellow travellers and Comsymps. When JFK was elected, this underbelly of our society put the train in motion that fueled the assasinations of JFK, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, even though the assassins themselves had a variety of politics. They legitimized violence as a way to settle disputes in our democracy. The same is going on today. What is striking is that there are no mature adults emerging on the Right to neutralize this. Instead we have Senator Jim Inhofe claiming "all our institutions are under attack today. And the President is thinking about letting terrorists free in our country" And you can make your own list of elected officials that re-iterate this nonsense ad nauseum.
I'm tempted to give it rest myself. These people are so certifiable, it is anxiety provoking just to follow their rantings. In the next posts, I'll talk about some good books that have been printed--some even by socialists.
The Tenthers-- the new Tenth Amendment movement--is trying to change the Georgia state constitution to prevent health care reform. Tenthers claim that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional--something real constitution scholars deny. I would like them to succeed in their effort so when healthcare reform passes, they'll find their effort will have literally no effect--nada, zippo, the big goose egg.
Gover Rick Parry of the Republic of Texas resents President Obama planning to address the nation's school children on the first day of school. He insists that Obama should have talked to school principals about what he's going to say. The problem,Gov. Rick, is that President Obama points in the speech are already on the Department of Education website and a letter already went out to all schools. Stay informed! Stay Classy! The Florida Republican Party has denounced the speech as Obama's effort to indoctrinate children with socialism. South Carolina and Georgia are making it optional for students to attend school because of parental protests. Even here in Virginia, Loudon County with the wealthiest of Republicans will forgo the President's speech. Christians have petitioned some counties in California and in Colorado to prohibit the broadcast of the President speech.
So let's get this straight. The President, who has been a constitutional law professor and graduated law school magna cum laude, would be a bad role model for children. Having heard him on education before, he comes off like a nerdy guy emphasizing all the usual bromides of attend school, study hard, do your homework and eat healthy foods and get your sleep. The very stuff of socialist utopias. All the criticism and censorship of the speech will only make it more attractive for kids. Somehow all the protesters forget the speech will be on C-Span, WhiteHouse. gov and Youtube in case the children want to disobey their parents.
The question really is why the media actually give these morons any publicity. If anything, most of these characters protesting the President of the United States talking to the nation's students should be declared unfit parents. The head of the Florida Republican Party in his television appearances implies that he prohibits his children from ever watching the President. In my ancient youth, all parents encouraged children to listen to the President, whether they voted for him or not, because it was all a part of civics.
Levi Johnston, the once future son-in-law of Sarah Palin, has brought high entertainment back to politics this past week. Levi claims that Sarah was not the best homemaker, didn't know how to shoot a gun even though she kept one under the bed, tired of the Government's job because it was "too hard" and just wanted to make money. Levi hopes to be a male model and pose for all the gays reading Playgirl. Meanwhile, Sarah is in an undisclosed location, occasionally phoning into her family. She is"writing her memoir" and has been asking her dad about how many points she scored in basketball,when they went to the Boston Marathon and other exciting sports-related questions.
Republicans are scouting around for future Presidential candidates. Among them are General Petraeus, whom no one will remember, especially after we leave Iraq in ruins. Another is Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe fame. And another still--a favorite of the base and gays is Rick Santorum. As we all remember, Dan Savage of America's greatest sex advice column "Savage Love" had a contest about what sexual reference should be "Santorum". The winner was the bodily fluids excreted after Anal Sex. This has immortalized Rick Santorum to millions of Americans.
The Left is going bonkers over every statement or cryptic reference coming from the White House and Democratic leaders concerning whether the 'public option" is in or out of the healthcare proposals. As of this Friday before Labor Day, it's still in, although people are afraid that President Obama is negotiating a "trigger" option with Senator Olympia Snowe.
During the past week, our ace media have missed several pro-health reform rallies where thousands have gathered in support of the President's plan. Instead, the big story was a healthcare opponent having his finger beaten off by a pro-healthcare supporter. We were even treated to the drops of blood on the sidewalk.
The press continued their superb coverage by criticising the President for going on a second vacation to Camp David. OK, now President Bush spent a total of 3 full years at his ranch without a great deal of criticism. President Obama's vacation on Martha's Vineyard was something less than relaxing. He re-annouced the appointment of Ben Bernacke to the Fed, wrote and gave a statement on Senator Kennedy's death, flew to see the Kennedy family and gave a eulogy. The networks even got around to criticising him for not sticking around for the family-only funeral.
The radical Right Christian communities have topped themselves by coming out against healthcare reform. I understand one could have criticisms but a church coming out against the whole thing. Amazing. The Archdiocese of St Louis gave the reactionary Catholic voice by saying the Church does not endorse socialized medicine. One really has to get in the weeds to find anything remotely socialist in anything being proposed. It is incredibly disconcerting for religious organizations to come out against health coverage for the poor and uninsured. To put it mildly, it's theologically disturbing. A great Pastor in Tempe, Arizona, which must breed more nuts per acres than anywhere in the U.S., called for Obama to die and go to Hell. Not for anything he did, mind you; it's because the Pastor admits he hates him--something that strikes me as anti-Christian.
The great lover and fundamentalist Governor of South Carolina Sanford is being pressed to resign by the state's GOP. The Lt.Governor Andre Bauer has offered to sit for the remaining term and promised not to run for election. It appears that some of the Governor evangelical friends soon circulated rumors that the gay community has confirmed that Mr. Bauer has had gay affairs. Local evangelicals, who support his very heavy family values approach and his leadership in getting a variety of Christian slogans on license plates, had an amazing response. "Just because he had sex with men doesn't mean he's gay." "It was probably some sort of mistake." Wow!
The Head of the Board of Education selected by loverboy Sanford has been upholding family values. She home-schools her children and has introduced a consevative curriculum in the school system. At night she likes to play on line suggesting she would really like to be in a threesome and looks forward to some girl-girl action. She even dabbles in writing erotica and likes to show up at political functions and show off her sheer underwear. That might make the South rise again.
Lawrence O'Donnell, who has been ably defending Democratic views on MSNBC, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and claimed that President Obama was desparate on the health care issue and was pessimistic about it passing. It was an unusual statement in a week of unusual events. Strip away all the noise and polling on healthcare reform remains fairly consistent when people are asked about the particulars of the plan. My gut tells me something substantial will be passed.
Margaret and Helen, America's oldest bloggers, have been unkind on the subject of Republican criticisms of the health care reform. In their eighties, they promise everyone they'll live as long as they want and will spend the grandchildren's inheritance doing so. The ladies warn Americans about congress types who claim God speaks to them. They particularly aim their arrows at Michelle Bachman of Minnesota, who loves to boast she is the most hated Republican woman in America--after Sarah Palin. Michelle Bachman urged her supporters to slit their wrists this week and create a blood bond to prevent healthcare reform from passing. She also promised that even though Democrats want to elect the first woman President, God will decide on a Republican. Pretty strong stuff. Margaret and Helen dished about the lack of education of some of the Republican luminaries such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, both of whom dropped out of college. They did say at least Palin got her degree after six years and five colleges later.
And speaking of Glenn Beck--he continues to infuriate me because of his colossal ignorance. The other night he decided to "decode the architecture of Rockefeller Center" as an allegory of progressive-fascist-communist conspiracies somehow linked to the Rockefeller Family and --ergo--Obama (?) The history of art in Rockefeller Center is well-documented with such pyrotechnics as Diego Rivera creating a fresco with Lenin and a lampoon of Rockefeller as part of a pay dispute. This is so well-known you have to be truly ignorant to make up your own history without any reference to it.
Advertisers continue to flee Glenn Beck, which only fuels his self-aggrandizement as the sole purveyor of truth. In Washington, we look forward to the grand finale of his 9-12 project, which somehow believes the United States was created during the Revolution and then time-travelled to 9-11, which in Beck's perverse world we became as One--sort of like a post-modern Woodstock built on tragedy. And the fine country that existed then is being taken away from us by the fiendish black man Barack Obama. The 9-12 project is to conclude with the gathering of the tea-baggers, who I guess will wait the Rapture. On the 13th then, we are to see the March on Washington of all those for healthcare reform.
This non-stop insanity since September shows no let-up. Birthers, Deathers, Tenthers, Gun nuts and the Ayran Christs make a very dangerous brew. Dan Savage was quite correct that these people want the President dead--no iffs, no ands or buts. You would have to go back to the tail-end of the Eisenhower era, when the extreme right emerged to accuse Ike and his cabinet, which included General Marshall, of being fellow travellers and Comsymps. When JFK was elected, this underbelly of our society put the train in motion that fueled the assasinations of JFK, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, even though the assassins themselves had a variety of politics. They legitimized violence as a way to settle disputes in our democracy. The same is going on today. What is striking is that there are no mature adults emerging on the Right to neutralize this. Instead we have Senator Jim Inhofe claiming "all our institutions are under attack today. And the President is thinking about letting terrorists free in our country" And you can make your own list of elected officials that re-iterate this nonsense ad nauseum.
I'm tempted to give it rest myself. These people are so certifiable, it is anxiety provoking just to follow their rantings. In the next posts, I'll talk about some good books that have been printed--some even by socialists.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Saturday Afternoon--Shards of Summer
President Obama pushed Gibbs out of the way and gave his own Friday press briefing recapping the progress toward Health Care reform and promises that his plan will not affect the deficit. he seems to have some fire over from his trip to New Jersey and the NAACP speech. Luckily for him the new Congressional Budget Office report backs him up and supports the House bill. Blue Dog Democrats wanting to postpone the health reform are going to be disappointed.
Senator DeMint of South Carolina declares this "Obama's Waterloo" and if health care reform is stopped, it will break his presidency. Which would lead 3 1/2 years left. And then what wait for the Republicans to conjure up some ideas? The awe-inspiring lack of any consideration for the public good still amazes me about the Obama-era Republicans.
Meanwhile Dick Lugar was the first Republican to announce his support for Sotomayor--Mel Martinez and Olympia Snowe were soon to follow. So, it's 63 so far and at least 1 Republican has to vote for her on the Judiciary to get the nomination to the floor. I think Grassley and Hatch will go for her. I am tired of hearing how the Republican strategy was to set the markers for the next nominee, not Sotomayor, who I insist is a moderate. I am more convinced than ever Obama should invite a donnybrook for the next nominee and name Laurence Tribe--with both men recognizing it might be a losing struggle. At least we might have hearing where constitutional issues might be openly debated--and it would be worth it. Tribe would probably not be long on the court but I would pay to hear a debate between him and Sessions.
The Obama era has not been kind to the Free Republic. Several bloggers have made the news--the Holocaust Museum killer, the Pittsburgh cop killer and the killer of Dr. Tiller. A few comments had brought the Secret Service around. Sarah Palin quits--despite the false bravado on the website about what a righteous move this was. Mitt Romney supporters purged and the quest to exterminate the RINOS continues. Now Jim Robinson has called for a revolution and armed resistance if----health care reform is passed. A curious thing since both he and his wife are wheelchair bound. Medicaid, Tricare --they must have something that the rest of don't have. For years I have been a lurker at the site and lament this descent into a certain lunacy. Before other sites covered certain topics on the right they did without the heightened religious content and now the vitriol over Obama.
Birthers are now being covered on television as sort of the Moon landing deniers and 9/11 truthers. The Young Turks this week covered the great Obama birth certificate flap with their sense of humor--they even showed a tape of the original certificate--creased with all the appropriate seals and signatures. They even quoted the harassed Hawaiian government officials about "how many times do we have to say it is authentic and he was born in Hawaii". Birthers made it on the Worse Persons of the World for encouraging serving military men to join in their suits to avoid service in Afghanistan. Another federal judge had to rule against an Army Reserve Major who protested his impending call-up--he volunteered after signing on as a plaintiff to this case--alleging Obama was not eligible to be Commander-in-Chief. After declaring a victory of sorts, when the case went against him and his lawyer and the military withdrew his call-up, CENTCOM had to make announcement calling their calls ridiculous.
Not to be outdone by Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh seems to be stirring the racial war pot himself. Frankly, I haven't seen blacks getting much advantage from the Obama Administration and especially during this depression. I'm wondering where the great grievances of Rich White Men are coming from. Even with a surtax for health reform, both men will be earning in a month more than the average American couple earns in a year or two. I think it's unseemly for the very wealthy to be bitter and angry. As the Bible says, From those who have received much, much is expected.
The gnostic cult here in D.C., the Family seems to be breeding more adulterers by the minute. Former Republican Congressman Pickering of Missippi apparently joins the list with Sanford and Ensign of those with Family connections who seemed to have gone soft on some of the 10 Commandments. His wife is suing the mistress for causing "alienation of affection"--I like that. Apparently, Pickering actually conducted the affair in the "C" Street house itself. It's cool to be one of God's Chosen--the rules don't apply. Meanwhile Gov Sanford seems to have misused state funds to facilitate his love affair--he at least fell in love.
Obama needs to go for the gold on health care reform right now or it will slip,slide away and , for get the political consequences, the economic effects will be devastating. With unemployment rising, those without health insurance increases, personal bankruptcy increases and the impact on the national deficit increases. The only other domestic reform Obama will be able to get out of Congress will be Immigration Reform. The Republicans know that health care reform, immigration reform and their opposition to Sotomayor and they are doomed. That's why Republicans are fighting tooth and nail over these things. Party uber alles--country last.
Senator DeMint of South Carolina declares this "Obama's Waterloo" and if health care reform is stopped, it will break his presidency. Which would lead 3 1/2 years left. And then what wait for the Republicans to conjure up some ideas? The awe-inspiring lack of any consideration for the public good still amazes me about the Obama-era Republicans.
Meanwhile Dick Lugar was the first Republican to announce his support for Sotomayor--Mel Martinez and Olympia Snowe were soon to follow. So, it's 63 so far and at least 1 Republican has to vote for her on the Judiciary to get the nomination to the floor. I think Grassley and Hatch will go for her. I am tired of hearing how the Republican strategy was to set the markers for the next nominee, not Sotomayor, who I insist is a moderate. I am more convinced than ever Obama should invite a donnybrook for the next nominee and name Laurence Tribe--with both men recognizing it might be a losing struggle. At least we might have hearing where constitutional issues might be openly debated--and it would be worth it. Tribe would probably not be long on the court but I would pay to hear a debate between him and Sessions.
The Obama era has not been kind to the Free Republic. Several bloggers have made the news--the Holocaust Museum killer, the Pittsburgh cop killer and the killer of Dr. Tiller. A few comments had brought the Secret Service around. Sarah Palin quits--despite the false bravado on the website about what a righteous move this was. Mitt Romney supporters purged and the quest to exterminate the RINOS continues. Now Jim Robinson has called for a revolution and armed resistance if----health care reform is passed. A curious thing since both he and his wife are wheelchair bound. Medicaid, Tricare --they must have something that the rest of don't have. For years I have been a lurker at the site and lament this descent into a certain lunacy. Before other sites covered certain topics on the right they did without the heightened religious content and now the vitriol over Obama.
Birthers are now being covered on television as sort of the Moon landing deniers and 9/11 truthers. The Young Turks this week covered the great Obama birth certificate flap with their sense of humor--they even showed a tape of the original certificate--creased with all the appropriate seals and signatures. They even quoted the harassed Hawaiian government officials about "how many times do we have to say it is authentic and he was born in Hawaii". Birthers made it on the Worse Persons of the World for encouraging serving military men to join in their suits to avoid service in Afghanistan. Another federal judge had to rule against an Army Reserve Major who protested his impending call-up--he volunteered after signing on as a plaintiff to this case--alleging Obama was not eligible to be Commander-in-Chief. After declaring a victory of sorts, when the case went against him and his lawyer and the military withdrew his call-up, CENTCOM had to make announcement calling their calls ridiculous.
Not to be outdone by Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh seems to be stirring the racial war pot himself. Frankly, I haven't seen blacks getting much advantage from the Obama Administration and especially during this depression. I'm wondering where the great grievances of Rich White Men are coming from. Even with a surtax for health reform, both men will be earning in a month more than the average American couple earns in a year or two. I think it's unseemly for the very wealthy to be bitter and angry. As the Bible says, From those who have received much, much is expected.
The gnostic cult here in D.C., the Family seems to be breeding more adulterers by the minute. Former Republican Congressman Pickering of Missippi apparently joins the list with Sanford and Ensign of those with Family connections who seemed to have gone soft on some of the 10 Commandments. His wife is suing the mistress for causing "alienation of affection"--I like that. Apparently, Pickering actually conducted the affair in the "C" Street house itself. It's cool to be one of God's Chosen--the rules don't apply. Meanwhile Gov Sanford seems to have misused state funds to facilitate his love affair--he at least fell in love.
Obama needs to go for the gold on health care reform right now or it will slip,slide away and , for get the political consequences, the economic effects will be devastating. With unemployment rising, those without health insurance increases, personal bankruptcy increases and the impact on the national deficit increases. The only other domestic reform Obama will be able to get out of Congress will be Immigration Reform. The Republicans know that health care reform, immigration reform and their opposition to Sotomayor and they are doomed. That's why Republicans are fighting tooth and nail over these things. Party uber alles--country last.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)