Born on a Mountaintop in Tennessee

A NATION MOURNS. Fess Parker, the TV figure "Davy Crockett", died at the age of 85 in his home in Santa Ynez Valley. How will we go on?

Radio Free America continues undetected by the authorities. The midwest-based radio show has recruited new "listening cells" in Boston, Baltimore, Princeton,Washington,D.C. and southern Virginia. Wednesday's show highlighted the Buzzcocks, the Stooges and the Dead Boys. And, yes, local high school students have caught on to the music.

Just don't tell Glenn Beck. Jim Wallis of the Sojourners wrote an extremely polite letter to Mr. Beck requesting a sitdown to explain to him the Christian view of "social justice". This man is extremely tolerant, polite and kindly. He comes off as a gentle soul. So what was the response of Glenn Beck? He could have accepted; he could have turned the request down. No, he unleashed FOX NEWS to investigate everything Wallis has ever done, all his writings and his "associates"as if Wallis is the "opposition". So be prepared to have a man who looks like Santa Claus attacked regularly on television. Even Joe McCarthy never had such a wide audience to broadcast witch-hunts.

Yesterday Glenn Beck had the Christian revisionist historian on Fox to show a letter by Thomas Jefferson signed in the "Year of our Lord Jesus Christ". While I always thought this was just a customary sign off from an older age. Historians claim this letter--which Mr. Barton claims is an original--is a forgery and that there is absolutely no historical record that Thomas Jefferson ever signed any such letter and certainly not with such a slogan. They also point out that the extensive record of Jefferson's correspondance reveals he never wrote such a letter. Yet, Beck is on the air deliberately spreading malicious lies. He didn't tell his audience that Thomas Jefferson has been expunged from Texas history books because he advocated a separation of church and state.

The Free Republic crowd has announced there are holding a Second Continental Congress --this time in Dallas, Texas. They sent a letter to Homeland Security, claiming they have no intention to overthrow the government but want to form a parallel structure and hope to co-exist. In their release, they advocate adopting the same Constitution, minus the Amendments adopted immediately after the Civil War providing for equal protection and the rights of black Americans. If you didn't know what you were looking at, you would miss that this Constitution is the project of the white nationalist movement and has been hanging around for years.

It goes back to the sovereign citizen notion. Because I am white, I have all natural rights. Anyone given rights "artifically" by the constitution are truly second-class citizens. Therefore, Barack Obama is not a legitimate President of the United States. This really is the argument of Moldova-born Orly Taitz, Queen of the Birthers, concerning Obama's eligibility. Our Free Republic crowd realised one slight problem--the rights of women--so they accepted their right to vote.

Rep Broun of Georgia lambasted the "Yankee aggression against the South during the Civil War" in a speech yesterday in the House, ostensibly about healthcare reform.

This debate now has become the civil rights struggle all over again. Chris Matthews had the head of Americans for Prosperity on Hardball and told him that over 30,000 Americans would receive health insurance for the first time. The response--"Why are we wrecking the finest health care system in the world for those people". Those people are not African-Americans as the conservatives suggest and want people to believe, but predominantly,white middle class people as Obama has pointed out. By and large,the poor are taken care of through Medicare.

Last week, the Republicans attacked the Senate parliamentarian--who they themselves appointed; this week it's the Congressional Budget Office. When the CBO figures showed the healthreform bill more than paid for itself, Republicans attacked the CBO as lying and unreliable. They also claimed that the healthcare bill didn't cut the deficit enough. The CBO has put out figures on some of the Republicans major initiatives in the past. The lowering of the top income tax bracket would increase the national deficit by $1.5 trillion; Medicare Plan D increase the deficit for $385 billion the first year; and the first Bush tax cut by another $380 billion the first year. All the current Republicans in both the Senate and the House voted for all of these well aware of the CBO's findings.

The most problematic for everyone is the attack on the CBO by Republican Pat Ryan, whom I've mentioned before. The CBO has cost out his Republican budget proposal and found it running huge deficits for ten years and destroying Scoail Security and Medicare. If--God forbid-- the Republicans take over the House anytime soon, it is Ryan's budget that the GOP will pass. From yesterday's performance, it's quite clear the GOP will attack the CBO and its findings. It is extremely important that people be aware of the fatal dangers the Ryan Plan poses for the future of the country--that is no exaggeration.

"Tan Man" Boehner reiterated the GOP's "commonsense health plan". This would involve getting rid of malpractice suits, having insurance sold cross state borders, and the usual pap. The CBO actually costed this one out and found that it increased the deficit and only enlarged the number of insured by 2 million. And, besides, most of the key points are already in the bill.

Barack Obama poured it on at George Mason today to a joyous crowd.In addition to the usual arguments for his plan, he tried to invoke our "better angels" and a vision for the greater good. But he put some knives in also--he referred to the healthcare plan as the largest middle class tax cut in history and the largest deficit reduction bill since the 1990s. A little ju-jitsu on his Republican opponents.

His tactic is now reminding me of the days leading up to securing the nomination. Hour by hour they are leaking out more "yes' votes from the undecided Democrats. Sort of like the release of the superdelegates during the primary process. Finally, he seems to be choreographing the events the way he used to.

When the CBO figures came out yesterday, 200 advocacy groups and medical associations jumped into endorse the plan. These are groups with real living and breathing individuals as members as opposed to the corporate front groups.

The Republican madness continues. Senator Tom Coburn threatened that he would put a hold on any Democrat who is defeated this November , who voted for healthcare reform, and is appointed to a federal position. Tom, you might be in jail by then. Coburn is part of the whole Senator Ensign scandal, which has moved into the Grand Jury stage, and Tom was the guy who negotiated the pay-off to the cuckholded husband.

The hysterical lying by the Republicans has caused me to wonder if they will ever pay a price for this. Judd Gregg, whom I always thought was at least honest, has simply lied and lied repeatedly about the reconciliation process, which he advocated on C-Span for years. The constant lies--everyday and around the clock--by almost every elected Republican have to be factored in this fall elections. If the Democrats don't pounce on this, they are missing a golden opportunity. Why vote for this guy, you can't trust him because he's a liar. Deficit reduction--who can believe him? Just pick an issue. Health Care Repeal--how would that affect the deficit?

Is this having any effect? A recent poll in Florida indicates there may be some movement caused by this tea bag, obstructionist, lunatic nonsense. The Democratic candidate for Senate is one Kendrick Meek, whose campaign so far mirrors his last name. He is extraordinarily weak. He will be running against the young darling of the teabag movement and conservatives, Cuban Marco Rubio. Rubio is crushing Charlie Crist in the Republican primary. But polls show the Meek-Rubio contest is almost a toss-up. Maybe there is hope that there will be a backlash against politicians who both lie like crazy and are obstructionists.

Back to the issue of Israel. Netanyahu's brother-in-law called Obama an anti-semite and a threat to Israel on their army radio. Bibi himself is a Facebook friend of Orly Taitz, the birther Queen. Shimon Peres actually came out and critized the Israeli government for jeopardizing the relationship with the United States. What do Israelis themselves actually believe? Three polls done in the aftermath of Biden's visit and Bibi dissing the Vice President show that 70% and some actually higher believe that Obama has taken a "fair and balanced" approach to Israel.

For the record, it would truly be strange if Obama were anti-semitic since he kicked off his political career at the Southside Chicago home of a rabbi. The rabbi was a neighbor and Barack would teach classes at the Synagogue. This is contrary to the urban myth that he declared his candidacy for Senate at the home of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn. But you never know because as Bibi said, David Axelrod is another "self-hating Jew". And David didn't serve in the UDF.

Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League must have heard the Bibi's dog whistle and attacked General Petraeus for his "dangerous" remarks on Israel before the Senate Armed Forces Committee. Politico speculates that the Jewish community will vote against Democrats this fall to "punish" the administration. Now how real is that? Abe Foxman himself warned in an ADL report that the teabaggers were infiltrated by neo-nazis, anti-semites and white supremacists. Now the Jewish community is going to run to embrace that?

Meanwhile Bibi has called Hillary to kiss and make up. Bibi is flying to Washington for a meeting and says he's preparing some initiatives to re-start talks with the Palestinians. Let's hope but I believe this little fracture can lead to bigger problems for Israel down the line.

Well, the last great tea party rally this weekend may have some problems capturing air time. the March for Justice will be happening the same time. This is the march for immigration reform. I hope they turn the corner and march into the teaparty gang, who will flee to avoid contamination with immigrants. Also, there is the first spring anti-war rally. I wonder which Fox will cover?

Meanwhile I wait for the new one from Johnny Lang. If you haven't listened to him before, just find Lie To Me,which is one of the finest rock albums ever.

The Calm Before the Storm--The Big Fade

The noise level has dropped dramatically. The Tea Baggers have one last go at it today by storming the Hill and button-holing members. Took me a long time to get an e-mail to our Congressman Jim Moran last night because the anti-health care folks are mass e-mailing Congress. Citizens United--those Citizens United--are robocalling against health care reform.

But I get a sense the air has gone from the fight. Bob Corker appearing on Charlie Rose looked like a defeated man when he admitted Health Care would pass. Jim DeMint, who thought this was Obama's Waterloo and vowed to break the President, says he's not sure it's going to end up that way. Teabagger-in-Chief, Dick Armey held a press conference yesterday, saying it would pass and that members of Congress are spineless and Nancy Pelosi isn't tough enough. I guess she's a girlie-girlie. 'Though I like Dick's Tony Lama boots. Americans for Prosperity will be driving around the District offices of congresscritters beeping their horns. Since it's the NCAA basketball tournament period, don't you think the message will be confused. You know it's over when World News Daily, the extreme right forum alerts everyone that healthcare reform will pass.

So the last burning question is whether Dennis "The Menace" is going to vote for it since his arm was twisted by the President while going and coming from Ohio yesterday.

What will be interesting to watch is whether Republican Senators have the stomach to submit amendments after amendments to prolong the fight. Democrats have already signed on to round-the-clock voting in the Senate. So, it might get interesting.

Lindsey Graham pouted that if health care passes , it will be much more difficult for the President to get any cooperation to pass anything else. Doug Brooks went off his meds today claiming the reconciliation process damages the "humanizing effect of the Senate". Doug, they are all dead there. The Senate reminds me of old Red Smith columns in the sporting section of the New York Times. The line was,"He only writes about famous dead people."

Our august Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia has distanced himself again from his hand-picked Attorney-General's embrace of the birther cause. And the mother of birthers, Orly Taitz, candidate for Secretary of State in California, received another blow--the court upheld her $20,000 fine for wasting their time. You will recall Orly petitioned the UN Human Rights Council to protect her from recriminations by the Obama Administration. Moldovan-born Orly is a Gsa-Gsa Gabor look-alike.

Arizona's own J.D. Hayworth is against same sex marriage because a man could marry a horse. John McCain is against same sex marriage because he doesn't believe marriage should be between two people who love each other. Great primary to watch. Cindy McCain has gone off to Africa for charity work while the two hombres shoot it out.

Sean Wilentz wrote a defense of my son's ancestor Ulysses S. Grant in the Sunday Times. He wanted to explain why Grant deserves to remain on the $50 bill and not be replaced by Ronald Reagan as proposed by southern congresscritter Patrick Henry. He said all the slanders against Grant and his Presidency were manufactured by " pro-South revisionists", who hated Grant's reconstructionist policies. Sounds similar to today.

The great state of Oklahoma has removed the picture of the President of the United States from the legislature. Apparently, it incensed to many representatives.

The FCC unveiled their internet plans today. It was a real snoozefest. All the attendees dozed off. I'm glad because it is as radical and meaningful as I said yesterday. This one will just pass through without anyone thinking about it. President Obama got the initiative off the ground through a downpayment hidden in the stimulus package. The FCC aims for 90% connectivity.

Progressives are complaining that President Obama is missing the opportunity to salt the courts with liberals. Not true--his nominees are now being quietly confirmed and they are from moderate-left to liberal. The problem will come when Justice Stevens needs to be replaced. he claims he will retire within three years. I think he will after the mid-terms if the Democrats maintain a decent majority in the Senate. But I bet President Obama will appoint a Sotomayor moderate on the bench so that the Court will tilt even more right than it is today. I would support Laurence Tribe and force the issue in the Senate about who knows the constitution and who doesn't.

My thanks to President Obama for the college tuition tax credit. This is the type of thing that he has been sprinkling around that really makes a difference. I am not sure people realize this. For an average American family, the enlargement of the credit allows you to send a son or daughter or even yourself to state universities for very little money. Here in Virginia, with the tax credit, the University of Virginia, an Ivy-League quality school, would cost you about $10K per year. And our knucklehead Governor will not be able to destroy the Virginia university system in the remaining three years of his term. For snobs like me, the tuition credit doesn't do as much good but it helps. This small act does alot for the future of education.

I am very ambivalent about President Obama's larger educational policy. I'll blog in later days some of the fall-out from this policy on our own local school system. And, having lived through the privatization of everything from prisons to our national seurity, I am very wary about Arne Duncan's plans to privatize charter schools.

The Israel flap will not go away. George Mitchell has cancelled his trip to the region. President Obama spent an hour on the phone to Bibi. The best thing that could happen now for Israel is Germany to release the Eichman files. Apparently, the files reveal that Germany smuggled Eichman to Argentina. These might remind everyone how we got Israel in the first place. Friends of Israel should call Tel Aviv and remind Bibi he isn't the mayor of Levittown. The actual background of this latest snafu is actually quite distressing and brings in some of the characters from our right whom I've been writing about.

Now when President Obama flies to Indonesia and all hell breaks out in the Senate, is the House bill he signed the law of the land? In other words, if the Senate can't get its act together, will the House bill remain as law? We know the minute he leaves the country, the Republicans will start some new nonsense. I have no idea.

(Note: I've consulted our in-house parliamentarian, Dr. Vinnie Boom-Bah, and he says it is the law of the land because the House passes the Senate version. So let the food fight begin.)

Other people are getting wise to Rep. Pat Ryan's Roadmap to Future Ruin. Several think-tanks have their analyses out and I'll share them with you as I digest them. In short--everyone earning up to $200,000 will have their taxes massively increased; the very wealthy will be earning upwards to $500,000 additional tax credits and the whole plan will basically run enormous deficits that can never be corrected. In policy language, all these think-tanks agree that the Ryan Plan is a conscious effort to de-develop the country and make us a third-world country. No wonder Tom Davis doesn't want Republicans to debate governance this year!