Roar

Vote tomorrow, people.  Vote.



And roar.

"Those people just hate America"

Could we stop saying the other political side "Hates America"?  Please?  It's nonsense. It's untrue. It's patently untrue. It's downright stupid.

That other political party, whichever one being referred to "loves America" just as much as any one person or any one group. To say otherwise is just patent silliness or irresponsibility or something but it serves no good whatever.

I've heard it from Left Wingers, Right Wingers, Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats and far too many sources.

It gets old. It's gotten very tiresome. It serves no good purpose, too. It gets us nowhere.

That "other political party", again, whoever you're referring to, understands America and things differently, likely vastly differently than you but the fact is, we're all Americans and we all want good things for our country.

The problems arise because, first of all, we don't talk to one another, second, we get emotional and let that get in the way, third, we don't want to listen to the other side and finally, we haven't been good at working at compromises any longer, for all the above reasons.

Let's get to work. All of us. Together. For the betterment of the country.

So, Congress is back from their 5 week recess

Okay, no complaints here about Congress getting 5 weeks more vacation time. This is going to be a conversation on what needs to happen, what lies ahead of them and what they need to do.

The Congress needs to come up with a budget compromise before the end of their year or we'll hit what has been too-frequently been called a "fiscal cliff" and it will be nothing but ugly.

News yesterday:

Moody's set to downgrade US without budget deal

Moody's says US government debt rating would be cut if no federal budget deal is reached

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. government's debt rating could be heading for the "fiscal cliff" along with the federal budget.

Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday said it would likely cut its "Aaa" rating on U.S. government debt, probably by one notch, if budget negotiations fail.

If Congress and the White House don't reach a budget deal, about $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and tax increases will automatically kick in starting Jan. 2, a scenario that's been dubbed the "fiscal cliff," because it is likely to send the economy back into recession and drive up unemployment.

Of course, it's an election year, as we all know, and the Republicans don't want to have this president be anything close to successful so they seem to be flirting with the idea of not compromising with the other political party:

House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said he's not confident that Congress can reach a deal and avoid a downgrade. No serious negotiations are expected until after the November elections.

Did you get that? "No serious negotiations are expected until after the November elections."

That is some kind of disgusting.

It's irresponsible. It's unacceptable.

It doesn't matter what your political party or leanings, this has to do, purely, with doing their work, doing the "right thing" and getting and keeping this country going forward on its work.

It's mid-September and Congress isn't even going to sit down to seriously TALK about our national, federal budget until after our November elections?

That is pushing insanity.

Email your Conressional representative now, in both houses, the Senate and the House, and let them know this is utterly unacceptable to you and that we need a budget and solutions sooner, rather than after the election: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

And so it begins...

The big push, from Summer, 2012, all the way to the first Tuesday in November--election day:

Romney bests Obama in May fundraising, raising nearly $77 million

It starts in earnest now but from now to that fateful election day, the big money--the really big money--from the wealthy and corporations of this country is going to pour out for Mitt "Mittens" Romney so they can get that corporate shill in the White House.

Mr. "I'll Say Anything, Just So You'll Elect Me President" is gunning for the presidency, as we know, and all those corporations and the rich people want him in there.

And they'll do anything and everything to get it, too, including shelling out all that big money and stealing your vote in the ballot box, let there be no dougt.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-bests-obama-may-fundraising-raising-nearly-77-152825223.html

On us, political parties and solutions

It seems we, as people of our towns, cities, counties, states and the country, ought to all focus far less on ourselves as parts of political groups--individuals in political parties--and far more as members of those same political areas.

Instead of being members of the Democratic or Republican or Independent or Libertarian Party or whatever and thereby point out our differences from one another, we ought to emphasize these things we have in common. That is, we should recognize and emphasize that we live in this area--whichever one we're emphasizing right that minute--and so, try to address those problems or issues.

Ever since the Soviet Union--our old, common "enemy"--fell apart, it feels as though we've chosen one another to go against.

It's me against you. It's Republican against Democrat. It's rich against poor. It's corporate America vs. the workers and/or Unions.

Not only that but we've further fragmented so we've become Christians vs. Mormons and Jews. We've become "straight" vs. gay and on and on.

It's crazy.

It's no way to live.

And it's no way to get to solutions.

Why can't we work together?

Why can't we all be Americans, first, last and foremost?

Whatever happened to that idea?

Can't we work together?

We share problems, whether they're sewers or highways or schools or guns or whatever.

Can't we share solutions?

As has been said so many times it's now a cliche'--"Can't we all just get along?"

Missouri gets a C- on accountability in state government

The Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity and Public Radio International just released their state-by-state evaluation of each legislature and their possible accountability to their citizens and, conversely, likelihood of political corruption. The good news? We're not Georgia, ranked worst. Eight states, in total, failed utterly. Missouri, as said above, got a C-. Kansas was only a bit better, garnering a C. A bit of what they found on the "Show Me State": "While blatant corruption is relatively rare in this state of 6 million residents, questionable behavior abounds within state government – particularly among lawmakers – and an undermanned ethics agency struggles to investigate and punish offenders." Here's the biggest issue, to me: "...there is a near consensus that a largely unfettered flow of campaign money presents big ethical problems. Missouri is one of just four states to have no contribution limits, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures." Representative Jason Kander is quoted in it, naturally, since he's been pushing for ethics reform, especially as it applies to campaign contributions. You can read the entire, rather brief report at the links at bottom. The bottom line? We need to hold these people more accountable. With the internet, we can do that, too. It makes it far easier to watch what they're doing, what they're planning to do and to communicate with them via email, giving them our thoughts. We have to be involved. We have to demand accountability. It's got to come from us. Links: http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=9198792767248747350; http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/03/19/8423/grading-nation-how-accountable-your-state; http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/political-corruption-8-states-earn-failing-grades/;

The guys asks some good, legiitimate questions

Don't get me wrong--I'm no Ron Paul supporter, by any means, but all the questions deserve a good, public discussion.

Who can't relate, right?

Heard it all before. We'll hear it again. (And again. And again.)

The American people on the State of the Union Address

"An overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the overall message in President Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, according to a CBS News poll of speech watchers. According to the poll, which was conducted online by Knowledge Networks immediately after the president's address, 91 percent of those who watched the speech approved of the proposals Mr. Obama put forth during his remarks. Only nine percent disapproved."

On tonight's State of the Union address

"Go big, Mr. President, tonight. Go big. This is the moment when the transformation away from the old politics happens; when the baby-boom battle recedes; when the extremism of the GOP finally eats itself; and when a saner future can be born. The real moment of transformation will be the re-election of a reasonable president in an unreasonable time. But tonight is the harbinger, the marker, the rally moment. Seize it." -— Andrew Sullivan, English-American author, editor, political commentator and blogger. For what it's worth--my take on it is that the President needs to push for jobs and jobs programs from this Congress and shove it down their throats. I feel sure the American people are solidly behind him on that.

The man who might be president

As ever, click on picture for better viewing.

That he has a chance is scary. So scary.

On the Congress that doesn't work

The Pew Research Center found the following in a recent poll: "A record-high 50% say that the current Congress has accomplished less than other recent Congresses, and by nearly two-to-one (40% to 23%) more blame Republican leaders than Democratic leaders for this. By wide margins, the GOP is seen as the party that is more extreme in its positions, less willing to work with the other side to get things done, and less honest and ethical in the way it governs." Just saying.

Plan vs. no plan

Good news/bad news on the debt ceiling negotiations

The bad news is that those chuckleheads in Congress haven't compromised an intelligent solution for the nation so we can go forward with our business. The good news is that both chambers of Congress--the Senate and the House--have to stay in Washington again this weekend, working, until they get this hammered out. Hammerheads. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/vote-delayed-debt-bill-default-date-looms-010308473.html

Quote of the day--on cooperation

"We must all learn to live together as brothers or we shall perish together as fools."  --The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This so applies, I strongly believe, to all America and Americans now, today.

Instead of calling out our differences and emphasizing those--especially as they relate to what political party or group we identify with (Democrat, Republican, Tea Party, Libertarian, Left, Right, Independent, whatever), it can't be said enough--we need to work together as Americans, first and last, in identifying and prioritizing our problems and then doing the same with solutions.  Then, when finished with all that, to "roll up our sleeves", figuratively or literally, as required, and again, work together on those solutions.

Let's stop with the names.  Let's start with the solutions.

From here to November 2012

After last week's election, we can now look forward to the following facts:

1)  The Republicans will be tearing each other apart, fighting internally for control--and direction--of the Party.  However, that said, they will save their true venom, anger and vitriol at the President in specific and Democrats in general.  They will not do what the country needs, to better our situation in any way.  They will not do things in any attempt of any kind to increase jobs, particularly, so they can, as Mitch McConnell said, make sure this is a one-term President;

2)  The Tea Party will fight somewhat, internally, but not nearly as much as the Republicans, in their own attempts to advance their Party.  They will, however, cause great problems and issues for the Republican Party since the Republicans do not and cannot control the Tea Party and/or its members in any way.  The Tea Party will, then, cause problems for the Republicans;

3)  Sarah Palin, at least for the short term, if not for the entire two years from now until November 2012, rise in popularity as a Tea Party member and as, seemingly, the defacto head of the Tea Party movement.  This, too, will cause great problems for the Republicans;

4)  The Libertarians and Independents will be completely on the political sidelines and not much will be heard from them;

5)  The Democrats will thrash around, and continue to thrash around, looking for the "right thing" to do, not wanting to upset the Republican House, in particular, too much, all the while trying, at the same time, to create jobs for the country and do various and sundry other "good things" for us;

6)  President Obama will have more direction than the Democrats but not incredibly so.  He will "reach out" to the Republicans, in hopes to gain compromises, it won't happen, he will be blamed for it and/or he won't even get credit for any conciliatory movements toward the Right.  This could change somewhat, in his own and the Democrats favor, but it doesn't look as though it will change greatly.  President Obama and the Democrats won't be sure quite what to do---like get tough with the Republicans---and so they'll all, as I said, "thrash about" for solutions;

7)  Finally, the country, overall, will not advance, as it needs to, in its job creation in specific or in the improvement of the economy, overall, particularly because it is in the Republican's favor that we not improve our lot and they will be seeing to it they do nothing that will help the country in either the short- or long-term.  They will also deny that this is the case--that they don't want the country's situation to improve--all the while creating bills that will assist corporations but not "main street" or the "person on the street", the common man an woman, the working-class man and woman.

In short, don't look for good things to happen in the next two years for the country either politically or economically.

That's the sad, pitiful, frustrating truth of where we are.

God forbid we have another financial calamity between now and November 2012.  I'm strongly certain this government would not react wisely to it.

Quote of the day--on America, 2012

"American politics, as the midterm elections demonstrated, have descended into the irrational. On one side stands a corrupt liberal class, bereft of ideas and unable to respond coherently to the collapse of the global economy, the dismantling of our manufacturing sector and the deadly assault on the ecosystem. On the other side stands a mass of increasingly bitter people whose alienation, desperation and rage fuel emotionally driven and incoherent political agendas. It is a recipe for fascism.


The corporate state, unchallenged, continues to turn everything, including human beings and the natural world, into commodities to exploit until exhaustion or collapse.  


Commerce cannot be the sole guide of human behavior."  --Chris Hedges, Truthdig




Personally, I'm trying to maintain hope.


Link to original post:  http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_recipe_for_fascism_20101108

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Republican Party

That’s Where the Money Is

by BOB HERBERT

It’s beyond astonishing to me that John Boehner has a real chance to be speaker of the House of Representatives.


I’ve always thought of Mr. Boehner as one of the especially sleazy figures in a capital seething with sleaze. I remember writing about that day back in the mid-’90s when this slick, chain-smoking, quintessential influence-peddler decided to play Santa Claus by handing out checks from tobacco lobbyists to fellow Congressional sleazes right on the floor of the House.


It was incredible, even to some Republicans. The House was in session, and here was a congressman actually distributing money on the floor. Other, more serious, representatives were engaged in debates that day on such matters as financing for foreign operations and a proposed amendment to the Constitution to outlaw desecration of the flag. Mr. Boehner was busy desecrating the House itself by doing the bidding of big tobacco.

Embarrassed members of the G.O.P. tried to hush up the matter, but I got a tip and called Mr. Boehner’s office. His chief of staff, Barry Jackson, was hardly contrite. “They were contributions from tobacco P.A.C.’s,” he said.
When I asked why the congressman would hand the money out on the floor of the House, Mr. Jackson’s answer seemed an echo of Willie Sutton’s observation about banks. “The floor,” he said, “is where the members meet with each other.”

For the love of all that is good, if you can't or wont' vote Democratic, vote Libertarian.  Vote Independent.  Vote the Green Party if there is one you can vote for.  But don't, by any means, vote Republican.  They're for themselves.  They're for Big Business.  They're for the corporations.  They're decidedly not for you and me.  They're not for the "little guy".  They're not for the middle or lower classes.
 
Link to original post:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/opinion/05herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

A Facebook group for virtually all Americans

A proposed Facebook for Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Independents--all--to join:

People against--and for the end of--corporate welfare:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=114068968607604&ref=mf


This is the problem, folks.

It's "us" against this "them", not against one another.