Gridlock Games

The Guilded Age becomes the Glutted Age

2010-10-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Joe the Plumber talked a lot about the redistribution of wealth and he was right. Wealth was redistributed when George W. Bush took office and instituted his tax cuts. It's still happening ladies and gentlemen of the Tea Party and will go on until business realize they are killing the fatted cow known as the middle class.

"Today, the concentration of privately held wealth at the top is at its highest peak since 1929, the year the financial markets crashed and gave rise to the Great Depression of the 1930s. At that time, 25% of the population was out of work.
Despite our economy being mired in the deepest recession since the 1930s, people in the top 1% continue to own as much wealth as those in the bottom 90%, and education is essential to reversing this trend and constructing a strategy for recovery."~ United Fair Economy Dot Org

What are we willing to do without so millionaires can take a few more trips to Europe, build another home to visit every now and then, speculate on the market while millions struggle to keep their homes, keep their jobs, eat well, enjoy their lives.

Never before have so few taken so much from so many and resent that the little people exist. Never before have so many people been so angry that they try to destroy all efforts to help them and their families and help the very people who's policies and propaganda made them angry.

Money is being redistributed alright - Flooding up and never trickling down.

"What is the chief end of man?--to get rich. In what way?--dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must." ~ Mark Twain-1871

The excesses of the Guilded Age were best shown in the breaking of unions in a more violent way then the movement Ronald Reagan began but it is a parallel between then and now.

"The brutal depression of 1893-94 triggered some of the worst labor conflicts in the country's history, including the strike against the Pullman Palace Car Company. When George Pullman slashed wages and hiked rents in his company town, a national strike and boycott was called on all railways carrying Pullman cars. Railroad traffic ground to a halt as 260,000 workers struck, and battles with state and federal troops broke out in 26 states. The strike ultimately failed, its leaders imprisoned and many strikers blacklisted.
The labor movement lay in shambles, and would not rise again for nearly fifty years. Although workers would find new strength in the next century, they would never again pose the same broad challenge to the claims of capital."

Those who refuse to understand their history are doomed to repeat it.

Amen brother

Common Sense and common senseless

2010-10-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

The GOP and extreme right wing puppeteers are being charlatans when they talk about President Obama lecturing, and living in an Ivory Tower as if education is a bad thing and college is a place to be indoctrinated.

Rush Limbaugh graduated from Cape Girardeau, Missouri Central High School, in 1969. Because of his parents' desire to see him attend college, he enrolled in Southeast Missouri State University but left the school after two semesters and one summer. According to his mother, "he flunked everything", and "he just didn't seem interested in anything except radio."

It isn't any wonder Rush Limbaugh resents education and makes statements like, "Now, we've all acknowledged while they are book smart, they're genuinely ignorant, devoid of common sense, real-life experience people. "

There is such a thing as smart and scheming and Rush is probably a little of both with his love on power and money far exceeding his morality and common decency.

Then there is Glen Beck.In 1996 Beck took a theology class at Yale University. The class was called "Early Christology" and it marked the extent of his post secondary education. This was followed by Beck going on a "spiritual quest" where he "sought out answers in churches and bookstores." As Beck later recounted in his books and stage performances, his first attempt at self-education involved six wide-ranging authors: Alan Dershowitz, Pope John Paul II, Adolf Hitler, Billy Graham, Carl Sagan, and Friedrich Nietzsc

Today Glen Beck lectures his followers in front of a blackboard while complaining about how President Obama acts like a professor (which he was, teaching Constitutional Law) when giving a speech.

It is Beck and Limbaugh and others that have convinced their listeners that only they know the Constitution of Common Sense and it's all smoke and mirrors.

There is no one who respects common sense more than I do but the common sense does come equally to those with an education and those without. I've known some very wise people in my lifetime who never went to a University and some really dense people with a Doctorate. I have also met some really misinformed individuals with no education and some very brilliant college professors who have a great deal of common sense and a genuine humble personality.

The most unsettling thing about Beck, Limbaugh and their followers is that while they say they want to restore the Constitution they at the same time have tried to tear down everything in the constitution except the Right to have a firearm.

They are teaching anarchy in the name of patriotism and division in the name of unity and neither is qualified to teach a dog to roll over.

Government is not the problem these people are the problem or spokesmen of a higher power with lots of money, gold and drugs.

This mid-term election isn't important to our country

2010-10-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

.Vote Reminder!!!

Carl Paladino Reacts to Heated Exchange With Reporter

Vote Reminder! This election is very important- Since when is the DMV part of the Federal Government? I got my drivers license in 15 minutes today - and where on earth is McDonald's considered a good meal rather than an unhealthy snack

Ken Buck on Health Care

Colorado US Senatorial Candidate Ken Buck on Health Care

Vote Reminder! This election is very important one more reason -Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino Reacts to Heated Exchange With Reporter

Republican candidate for New York governor sits down with Megyn Kelly

"Money" - Ron Johnson Uses Government Aid to Build and Grow PACUR

Ron Johnson rails against government aid, but news reports indicate he received $4 million in government-subsidized loans to grow his business and his company used a government $75,000 grant to build a rail spur.

Art Robinson: Revoke taxes for energy industry, that's something to dream about

"There is a brochure out by my opponent which says I proposed that we not tax the oil industry when in fact, what I proposed was we not tax any of those energy industries and let the whole system take off.

Vote Reminder! This election is very important Wacko personified

Art Robinson: I think the public schools should be abolished

Here is a video clip of Art Robinson responding to a question about public schools. Art Robinson says in this clip, "I think the public schools should be abolished."

ART ROBINSON vs RACHEL MADDOW pt.1

Vote Reminder! This election is very important

Delaware Senate Debate: Christine O'Donnell Refuses To Say Whether Evolution Is A 'Myth,' Calls Oppo

Delaware Senate candidates Chris Coons and Christine O'Donnell faced off in their first debate on Wednesday night, a feisty exchange on issues ranging from evolution to Afghanistan to gays serving in the military to whether China is planning to take over the United States.

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

Immigration Insider | 2 Weeks Out: With Interest In Voting Up, Ads Tell Nevada Latinos "Don't Vote"

Check out America's Voice new weekly resource, "Immigration Insider," which takes an in-depth look at immigration politics, leading up to the November election. SUBSCRIBE to receive Immigration Insider in your inbox every Tuesday-- absolutely gratis.Immigration Insider Election 2010Among Latinos,...

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

AK-Sen: Joe Miller on Border Security: “If the East Germans Could Do It, We Can Do It” | America’s V

At a town hall meeting in Anchorage yesterday, GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller (R-AK) argued for an interesting approach to border security: harkening back to the good old days of…East Germany.

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

Republicans Struggle To Say How They Would Pay For Tax Cuts (VIDEO)

On Sunday's morning public affairs shows, both Republican Senate candidates Carly Fiorina in California and Ken Buck in Colorado struggled to give specifics about how they would reduce the deficit while also supporting expensive extensions of the Bush tax cuts. Although journalists ask Republicans t..

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

Joe Miller Security Guards Handcuff & Detain 'Alaska Dispatch' Editor

Security guards for Alaska senate candidate Joe Miller handcuffed and detained the editor of the online magazine "Alaska Dispatch" on Sunday while he tried to interview the Republican nominee, according to multiple reports. The Anchorage Daily News reports that Tony Hopfinger, who founded and edits ...

If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

The Fourth Estate - Mass Media - Seducing the Masses

2010-07-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Oscar Wilde said,

"In old days men had the rack. Now they have the press... We are dominated by Journalism."

We are in very dangerous times, having lost any semblance of understanding. As information Technology has advanced the ability to find meaningful information has suffered. I think about the chaff used to defend fighter jets and bombers against radar guided missiles.

Countermeasure Chaff

"Radar countermeasure chaff is dispensed by aircraft to decoy radar-seeking missiles. Our chaff products offer high reliability, multiple broadband frequency protection, excellent operational radar cross section and a rapid bloom with minimal birds-nesting. Variations of products are available to suit specific user requirements."

If you can't outrun a missile just confuse it with what appear to be multiple targets. So it is with politics and the Mass Media. Misinformation is 2,000 times more prevalent that fact. We are inundated with molehills being made into mountains by the "Press," fake news shows (Fox), loud clowns like LimpBaugh, Beck, and even Ed Schultz on the left. There are Tea Baggers in 57 varieties (most radical some just angry and very few who understand the contradictions they espouse "Keep the government out of my Medicare"). There are Republican'ts that say they are for small business but vote against it and do nothing but make our government look ineffective.

No wonder we are all confused, clarity is in short supply while the amount of information has grown into one humongous cloud. I'm not sure but I think clarity in politics, policy and the media is a thing of the past.

Perhaps the acclaimed TV series "Mad Men" also gives a clue about how this all started with large, professional advertising firms and the honing of their craft. Branding, Weasel Words, Controlled Access and other techniques now dominate the news.

The political bible says Halderman begat Segretti who begat Atwater who begat Rove who begat Brietbart who begat O'Keefe etc... Dirty Tricks and false statements seem to get more coverage in the "news" than fact and now fact has been smothered by fiction.

I used to be able to discern easily right from wrong now I have to take days to get even a kernel of the truth. Perhaps I'm just becoming a skeptic but phone in polls on the Ed show are a joke because of the audience who watches Ed and Fox is worse having several hacks sit and call our president a racist as though they had the corner on sooth saying.

Everyone should rent and watch the movie "Network" to see what life has become with a fourth estate gone either wacko and influential or so affluent and droll they can't and should not be taking our time on the air.

A few notable exceptions are Bill Moyers, Rachael Maddow, Jon Stewart, Paul Krugman and E.J. Dionne.

I am tired of Chris Matthews fawning over Chuck Todd a young man with more snark toward our president and with almost enough brains to keep his commentary to himself and grow up to be a real "News" director. I am tired of Glen Beck crying and making connections out of thin air and Rush Limbaugh pontificating while both feed lies and innuendo to trusting followers and ditto heads. Sure we are angry but one day I hope they realize why and turn on the weasels who drove them mad.

The fourth estate has become a morbid joke that is tearing the country apart or do we need classes in critical reading, listening and thinking before a person is allowed to vote. The news business is almost non-existent and at this point has constipation of the facts and diarrhea of the bluster.

Headline: Chamber Of Commerce Calls Out Obama On Jobs

2010-07-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

I was listening to All Things Considered on NPR yesterday and heard some interesting thoughts from the Chamber of Commerce on how to improve the economy. It was the same tired old Trickle Down, Voodoo Economics, No regulations, Lower taxes for the wealthy confabulated drivel. This time it was couched in terms of improving job growth.

How could anyone in their right mind believe that illogical, proven wrong theory any longer. I heard things that any thoughtful, self respecting middle income citizen knows deep inside is pure bunk, as in bunko.

Here is the transcript with credit to National Public Radio, Talk of the4 Nation, Robert Siegel, Michelle Norris and Tamara Keith the interviewer. This transcript can be found here

The following is a transcript with comments in Yellow

Chamber Of Commerce Calls Out Obama On Jobs
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a jobs summit in Washington this afternoon and posted an open letter demanding that something be done to improve the business climate.

NPR's Tamara Keith reports.

TAMARA KEITH: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce building is virtually across the street from the White House, there's a small park between them, and the building is plastered with these giant red, white and blue banners that spell out the word: jobs. It's a not-so-subtle reminder of what is quickly becoming the Obama administration's Achilles' heel, and it was a rallying cry at today's summit.

Jobs - The Chamber and it's members need to first answer this question. "Do you see jobs or maximization of profits as your first concern?"

Mr. TOM DONOHUE (President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce): The need to create more than 20 million new jobs for America over the next 10 years, it's why we're here today.

The Real Demands of the Chamber - Is that really why you're here Mr. Donohue or are you here to demand lower or no regulation, no serious efforts to seek alternate energy and deny climate change, or is it lower taxes on the wealthy.

KEITH: Tom Donohue is president of the chamber. In his keynote address, he said the climate for business these days is bad, and recent actions by Congress and the White House are making matters worse. He points to health care reform, financial regulation and talk of climate change legislation.

Mr. DONOHUE: And all of this has injected tremendous uncertainty into our economy, and uncertainty is the enemy of investment, of growth and of jobs.

Uncertainty I - Investor uncertainty isn't about the economy but rather the confidence in the management of the companies they are being asked to invest in. When Steve Jobs illness was in the news it affected Apple. A company I worked for whose stock dropped dramatically was a market leader but when their main money maker had defects from lack of testing the stock went from about $60 to somewhere around $2.

Uncertainty II- is also caused by market demand or perceived demand for a companies products. When people (the average blue or white collar) cannot find work demand drops (as we can see today) and companies layoff more workers. Keeping the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy does nothing to improve demand for products and smart companies will not grow until demand rises with more employment either Private or Public.

KEITH: Of course, Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration don't see it that way. They say these bills and others will create jobs. Donohue is less optimistic. He says small business owners can't get the capital they need to grow. Others are struggling just to stay afloat. Many larger corporations actually have plenty of cash.

Mr. DONOHUE: But they're sitting on it. They cannot in good faith and responsibility to their shareholders incur the heavy obligations of expanding and adding to the payroll at this time.

Expanding Payroll and Responsibility to Shareholders - It isn't just the wealthy that are shareholders anymore but a mix of wealthy & middle class folks who own stock. Corporate responsibility is, if we are to believe the Supreme Court's recent decision, is like any other citizen. First responsibility is to our family and next our neighbors. When a corporation succeeds we all succeed but success is not unreasonable profit but sustaining profit especially in downturns. Of course you can't expand payroll without a well thought out plan but that requires wise management and some effort planning - get with it guys.

KEITH: And that's how you get stagnant job growth. Small businesses are the biggest engines of job creation, but most owners are like Jim Wordsworth. He hasn't hired anyone in two years. Wordsworth owns several small businesses, including a catering company that supplies food for White House events like the Easter Egg Roll.

Mr. JIM WORDSWORTH (Owner, JR's Goodtimes): I don't like the atmosphere in here. They're gray clouds of a business, and it's just a dark day.

Gray Clouds - What better time to plant crops?

KEITH: What is it going to take for you to hire again?

Mr. WORDSWORTH: I guess, if there was one word I would use, I would use confidence. I just have lost confidence in so many things.

Loss of Confidence - We have all lost confidence in a congress built on one group trying to get things done after an administration that put us in two unnecessary wars, increased the deficit beyond even the "Off The Books" wars, and brought this economy (the strongest in the world) to it's knees with lack of regulation and turning a blind eye to the sinking economy. And, by the way at the same time gave away over a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the wealthy, corporations (some Foreign) while not creating jobs in this country but over seas.

KEITH: One thing Wordsworth says would really help is also at the top of the chamber's agenda. A series of Bush-era tax breaks are set to expire at the end of this year, and the chamber wants them extended, at least for a couple of years.

Bush Tax Break Extension - How in he heck will tax breaks for the wealthy help when there is so much uncertainty and lack of confidence and no demand from the masses for lack of money. Wouldn't it be better to extend unemployment and have that money hit the streets. Does this sound familar

Stan Anderson is leading up the chamber's jobs campaign.

Mr. STAN ANDERSON (Legal Adviser, U.S. Chamber of Commerce): We'd like the president to say that that's the policy they're going to follow. We think that would have an enormous psychological impact.

Psychological Impact - Sure Stan that will perk up the economy. Reward the investors in stock while homeowners are losing $20, $50, $100 thousand in their only investment in their homes.

KEITH: The chamber's jobs strategy also calls for reducing the regulatory burden on businesses, cutting the deficit, expanding exports, even allowing more logging in national forests.

Regulatory Burden - Sure like the unbearable burden on BP (A foreign firm) who still cut corners and caused the death of it's workers, wasted a huge quantity of oil, and have fouled the environment for years to come.

Cutting the Deficit - Do they really think extending the Bush Tax Cuts will reduce the deficit? Did they think not putting the "Cost of War" in the budget helped the deficit or just hid it from view.

Expanding Exports - What are we going to export? Goods made in China back to China?

Logging in National Forests - Teddy Roosevelt must be turning over in his grave. Part of what makes this country great has been the conservation of it's wilderness and scenic recreational areas. I've seen "Old growth" forests and believe me it's isn't just the spotted owls that we should save those forests for but for places like the redwoods, or Constitution Grove of trees as old or older that the Constitution and other great parks.

President Obama held his own meetings with business leaders today to talk about what the administration can do to encourage employers to start hiring again.

What President Obama and Congress SHOULD do - If corporations refuse to plan better and invest in this country President Obama should call for major government projects in partnership with companies both large and small to lead us to energy independence just as John Kennedy led us to the moon.

Tamara Keith, NPR News, Washington.

Let Them Eat Dirt - Republicans to the Unemployed

2010-07-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

For all the talk by the Republican't Party about Barack Obama being all eloquent words, about lecturing, about being a celebrity, about naivety, and the rest who is it that simply will not lift a finger for those in need?

The Republicans refuse to allow the majority to pass a supplemental unemployment bill. The Republicans, in fact, seem to only care about extending the Bush Tax Cuts to the wealthiest people in and out of this country. Yes, I did say out of this country. How many multinational corporations benefited from the Bush tax cuts...?

"the tax package had grown into a massive giveaway that will add to the complexity of the tax system and end up rewarding multinational companies that move jobs overseas. " ~ MSNBC

"President Bush signed into law late Friday $136 billion in corporate tax breaks, including a one-year reduction from 35 percent to 5.25 percent on foreign profits for U.S. multinationals. The provision was strongly backed by the technology industry despite criticisms that the break rewards corporations that outsource jobs overseas. "... "The final version of the bill also eliminated efforts by Democrats to attach anti-off shoring provisions to the legislation. " ~ Roy Mark (IT MANAGEMENT online)

What will it take for the Independents, Libertarians and Tea Bagger Supporters who think they are grassroots to realize their grass is being spiked with Roundup® and being killed. Those people could give a flying flip about anything other than a vote even if it means destroying the country.

It's not really the original Country Club Republicans but the John Birch Society, blowhards, one issue haters of government that captured the Republican Party and are holding it hostage not to help the country but to destroy a good administration trying to help the average American who is lost in the rush to maximize profits no matter the costs or collateral damage.

GTL - Gun Toting Liberals Mass at Town Hall

2010-07-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Palin Forced to Leave Stage Under Heckler Heat

Curly Alexander
CBC Staff Writer

Sarah Palin speaking at a town hall in South Carolina had to walk through a crowd of liberals holding signs saying she was the anti-Christ. Other liberals in the crowd were openly carrying pistols.

One of the LRR (Liberal Ready Reserve) when asked if his 357 magnum was loaded said, "Of course it's loaded otherwise it is just a hunk of metal."

One placard depicted 1/2 Gov Palin drenched in oil and the words spill baby spill, That group is called SPOIL (Sarah Palin's Oil)

Other liberals shouted Palin down when she mentioned "Redistribution" of wealth shouting out we are already doing that and it's all being redistributed up to the wealthy and waving a placard saying "That's why they call them wealthy all of our money goes up"

Sarah Palin finally gave up trying to speak took a sip from he bendy straw and left on her private helicopter shooting down into the crowd with a Bear Rifle.

Absurd isn't it! Of course none of this happened or will ever happen.

I think it's sad that today the conservative minority keeps working on the notion that civil discourse is bad, frenzy is imperative to keep their troops in line. They are embracing racism, sexism, fanatic militias and fostering tyranny against the government we the people elected. They even call the effort to help the less fortunate "socialism" as if socialism is the same as communism.

So a group of people meet at a community building to discuss issues in their community and work together to solve problems. The fringe Republicans call that socialism, communism, Nazism. The world is coming to an end what will we do.

That group of people is the Grange:

The Grange, is a fraternal organization for American farmers that encourages farm families to band together for their common economic and political well-being. Founded in 1867 after the Civil War, it is the oldest surviving agricultural organization in America, though now much diminished from the over one million members it had in its peak in the 1890s through the 1950s. In addition to serving as a center for many farming communities, the Grange was an effective advocacy group for farmers and their agendas, including fighting railroad monopolies and advocating rural mail deliveries. Indeed, the word "grange" itself comes from a Latin word for grain, and is related to a "granary" or generically, a farm.

Whether it's the grange, or any other community group it is NOT "socialism" it's just common concern.

Hecklers are a conservative tactic much like a child holding their breath because they didn't get what they wanted. Now like sore losers all they can do is shout, intimidate, threaten, and lie.

How does it sound? watch this video created by Politico.Com VIDEO: Town hall heckler highlights - Politico Staff - POLITICO.com

How to Save the Economy

2010-07-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

I just happened to be flipping through the Channels and came upon Charlie Rose talking to Paul Krugeman PhD. While I wonder how ideas form and take on a life of their own, I do know it happens best when all the distractions are eliminated. I guess kind of like a retreat or a time to think our own thoughts.

I listened as doctor Paul Krugman talked and wondered why the thoughts he expressed rang such a strong clang in my head and stopped wondering why he won the Nobel Prize. Mr Krugman while an academic did not sound like an "Ivory Tower" theoretical professor but like a thoughtful analyst looking for answers in a morass of information and historical fact.

We look at the economy today and hear calls for belt tightening austerity as if spending less will solve the problem. Doctor Krugeman disagrees in his article titled Myths of Austerity and in the more at depth interview with Charlie Rose makes a cogent and fact based argument against austerity as the answer.

Sadly, however, he also points out that austerity sounds good to conservative politicians and the remedy will never be addressed by congress. We all respond with our own proclivities and ingrained beliefs in crisis much like self defense mechanisms we exhibit in our daily lives it is no different in this case.

Myths about economic policy are much like "old wives tales" and quack medicine. People try something - it seems to work - it becomes a hard belief. The odd thing about austerity theory is that it doesn't work if you believe in growth that keeps pace with the population.

Some people see cutting back as being the same thing as efficiency and waste reduction and that just isn't the case. Debt (their concern) is not just caused by spending but it is also caused by decreased revenue.

The crux of this issue and our economy is not spending (by the government) but lack of spending by our consumers. It is true! The causes are many and include outsourcing, two wars, the decline of our educational system and work force , loss of the innovation edge, etc.

Jobs is the best indicator and lack of investment in the future and short sighted corporate management follow closely.

Maximizing profit replaced growth and market share back in the 1990's and smaller more profitable ventures were seen as "hot" and constant but moderate companies lost favor. Consistently strong but non-flashy companies continue on today doing well but not always making flashy profits.

If we want to lead the world we cannot abdicate by shrinking our economy but we must have a national priority for job growth and company leadership enrichment.

Confidence in this economy will not happen if we "turn tail and run" hunkering down and thinking we can save our way out of debt. We MUST improve revenue, strengthen business practices, award innovation, create opportunity, inventory our resources, and create a plan for the future. It will cost money but the growth that follows will soon over shadow the debt if we do it right.

Entitlement programs will decrease as jobs are created and we can reverse and minimize dependence on Medicaid in the future.

We are on the verge of success or failure what we do as a country will determine the outcome.

Timelines Do Make Sense in the Big Picture

2010-07-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

Peter Feaver in a blog for foreignpolicy.com says,

"In short, the timeline made no military sense, no strategic sense, and little political sense -- except in partisan terms of enabling Obama to shift any blame from a potential failure from himself to the military. Clarifying who insisted on the timeline and who is merely accepting it is a useful function in an otherwise less-than-dramatic congressional hearing. "

It makes me wonder about wars and timelines, boots on the ground, strategy and tactics. Still it has never been stated clearly what the objective in in this or the war in Iraq. What is the goal and where does it fit into the National Goals and even further what are our National Goals?

What do we really want from government? This country was created to throw off the oppression of the English Kind George. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." one of the best-known sentences in the English language.

A lesser quoted but just as valid statement was this grievance against King George. "He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power." The military is an honored, loved and respected part of our country but they do not set goals or strategy but they do participate in developing strategy and creating the tactics necessary to achieve our goals.

No one can or should criticize General McCrystal for expressing his passion and views about the execution of the war in Afghanistan. I would, in fact, expect him to fight for those views. The problem is that he is part of a team of informed people and public statements disparaging the team was reckless and regrettable. Bringing the public into the debate only brings uninformed opinion and well intentioned but uninformed support creating a very fractured front for our country.

Timetables - With the economy of the US in critical condition, job creation slowly moving forward, people losing their homes and their investment in those homes and other pressing issues just how long can we afford to stay in Afghanistan and even better question why. 2...3....5...10...20...50. years? If half the money spent in Iraq and Afghanistan had been invested in public/private investment in technology, housing, manufacturing we would be a much stronger country with a bright future.

Knowing when to quit is not a sign of loss when we understand the full reason this country exists and the responsibilities of our government to we the people. There is a time to say we cannot spend our future and our wealth to fight a war with a few thousand gangsters while people are losing homes and jobs and self respect in this country.

Believe it or not most people just want to do their job, run their business and live a good life with their families and friends. They want a hamburger or hot dog at the beach, mountains, lakes or backyard and a few laughs. They want to better themselves, do sports, shop, eat out, see good entertainment, create beautiful, abstract, impressionistic art, race cars and smile.

Of course it isn't so easy to forget 9/11 but we need to understand the horror and inhuman acts we the acts of individuals not Iraq or Afghanistan or the Muslim faith. Hunt down the terrorists but we don't need a "Nuclear Bomb to kill and Ant".

What we do need is to get our people back on their feet working and back in their homes smiling.

Timelines in this case Mr. Feaver are necessary for our country to find solid ground and the reason we are a great country "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"

Timelines Do Make Sense in the "Big Picture" for our country.

A fool and his country are soon parted

2010-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Do you like to be treated like a fool? Do you know how often valid concerns are turned into invalid opinion? Perhaps the biggest "corruption in politics" isn't about the corruption most of us think about; bribes, lobbyists, back room deals but the corruption that allows black to become white and pink becomes purple. It's a tool used effectively today in politics called the "directed survey." It's usually built on unsubstantiated statements, insinuation, false premise and inflated priority.

Those who use this tool are after one thing, creating a false and misleading impression and a survey that is skewed.

Perfect example of a directed survey with a strong anti-Obama bias is this conservative survey.

1)	What is your opinion of President Obama?
	Favorable Unfavorable This is a perfectly fair opinion question.
2)	Do you believe President Obama was right in letting BP manage the oil spill disaster?
	Right Not right This is an example of a directed question where the question. "Letting BP Manage the disaster" assumes the Obama Administration did nothing and sat on their thumbs allowing the disaster to get out of control. The fact is, once the disaster began, it was beyond the control of anyone. It also assumes the management of the disaster overshadows the cause giving the survey taker President Obama somehow was involved in the cause, was responsible for the the immediate response to the blowout, and the plan of action to stop the leak. You do realize, of course, this comes from the same people who whine about government interference and regulation and - God Forbid - takeover of business.
3)	How would you rate President Obama's handling of the disaster?
	Excellent Good Fair Poor Did President Obama twiddle his thumbs? An industrial disaster happens and who is responsible?
4)	Do you believe BP's political donations to the Obama campaign have been a factor in how the President handled the matter?
	Yes, it played a role. No, it didn't play a role. I doubt it but do you think the fact that more in contributions went to Republicans like Joe Barton who apologized to BP for Barack pushing hard on BP to set up an escrow. So who's contribution looks like it was a bribe?
5)	Have the media been much more lenient on President Obama than on President Bush with the Katrina disaster?
	Yes, more lenient on Obama. No, it's been about the same. Actually I think harder in many ways. A lot of sludge washed up on Obama that was not deserved and he acted immediately to determine the severity.
6)	In the 2008 election between McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden, whom did you vote for?
	McCain-Palin Obama-Biden Other So what do you think they want to know this? To see if the Oil spill had an effect on Obama's popularity. Why ? So they would know whether to drive this message harder or back off. If you want to know more about the government response and The President's Actions read several sources and don't be led like sheep to the "Greener Pastures" of "Trickle Down economic robbery"

My Mass E-mail from President Obama

2010-06-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of what any politician says is orchestrated and while I realize this probably is not much different, it seems a lot different because rather than putting a glossy face on the tragedy President Obama gave me, at least, a more specific look at how devastating the Deep Water Horizon crisis really is for all of us and those on the coast in particular. To call this unprecedented disaster an "oil spill" really has softened the truth into a lie.

I wanted to pass on these comments from President Obama:

"Paul,

Yesterday, I visited Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana -- one of the first places to feel the devastation wrought by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While I was here, at Camerdelle's Live Bait shop, I met with a group of local residents and small business owners.

Folks like Floyd Lasseigne, a fourth-generation oyster fisherman. This is the time of year when he ordinarily earns a lot of his income. But his oyster bed has likely been destroyed by the spill.

Terry Vegas had a similar story. He quit the 8th grade to become a shrimper with his grandfather. Ever since, he's earned his living during shrimping season -- working long, grueling days so that he could earn enough money to support himself year-round. But today, the waters where he has worked are closed. And every day, as the spill worsens, he loses hope that he will be able to return to the life he built.

Here, this spill has not just damaged livelihoods. It has upended whole communities. And the fury people feel is not just about the money they have lost. It is about the wrenching recognition that this time their lives may never be the same.

These people work hard. They meet their responsibilities. But now because of a manmade catastrophe -- one that is not their fault and beyond their control -- their lives have been thrown into turmoil. It is brutally unfair. And what I told these men and women is that I will stand with the people of the Gulf Coast until they are again made whole.

That is why, from the beginning, we have worked to deploy every tool at our disposal to respond to this crisis. Today, there are more than 20,000 people working around the clock to contain and clean up this spill. I have authorized 17,500 National Guard troops to participate in the response. More than 1,900 vessels are aiding in the containment and cleanup effort. We have convened hundreds of top scientists and engineers from around the world. This is the largest response to an environmental disaster of this kind in the history of our country.

We have also ordered BP to pay economic injury claims, and this week, the federal government sent BP a preliminary bill for $69 million to pay back American taxpayers for some of the costs of the response so far. In addition, after an emergency safety review, we are putting in place aggressive new operating standards for offshore drilling. And I have appointed a bipartisan commission to look into the causes of this spill. If laws are inadequate, they will be changed. If oversight was lacking, it will be strengthened. And if laws were broken, those responsible will be brought to justice.

These are hard times in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast, an area that has already seen more than its fair share of troubles. The people of this region have met this terrible catastrophe with seemingly boundless strength and character in defense of their way of life. What we owe them is a commitment by our nation to match the resilience they have shown. That is our mission. And it is one we will fulfill.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama"

(fill in the blank) baby (fill in the blank)

2010-06-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Drill baby Drill
Barack Obama gave in a little to the howls of Sarah Palin's self-aggrandizing Drill baby Drill and ended up drilled by the Spill baby Spill. While some say it is his Katrina event I believe the public knows who caused the spill, who has the equipment to fix the spill, and who has the means and can clean it up. Now we need Seal baby Seal

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the rig left eleven crewmen dead. The resulting fire could not be extinguished, and on April 22, 2010, the rig sank, leaving the well gushing, causing an oil spill that has been considered to be the largest ever in the U.S.

On April 30, 2010 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that Admiral Thad Allen would serve as the National Incident Commander for the federal government's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

[Drill baby Drill] The issue saw increased coverage as president George W. Bush in July 2008 lifted a 1990 executive order by George H.W. Bush banning offshore drilling, while at the same time calling for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

As of August 2008, a 1981 federal ban is still in place, making Bush's action a symbolic gesture. The issue of offshore drilling became central in the 2008 presidential election, not least because of the oil price increases since 2003. It is also being debated in terms of both environmental issues and U.S. energy independence. As of September 2008, President Barack Obama is for limited offshore drilling as part of an extensive energy independence overhaul.

Steal baby Steal

Wall Street, Madoff, Enron, and the beat goes on...

Kill baby Kill & Bill baby Bill

We are still in Iraq a totally senseless waste of lives based in lies and fear. At the same time Blackwater, Halliburton, KBR and others soaked the taxpayers for billions.

NO baby NO

The Republican't Party has become dead weight dragging down the government as much as possible perhaps Barack and We the People can leap tall buildings if he can get the Nay baby Nay party off of his back.

I guess the thing that bothers me is that catchy slogans are not what we need in government or our lives. We all need to think baby think with our own brains and not the words of hate-mongers, Radio & TV street corner preachers, viral e-mail false messages and even some of our friends. There is no excuse for shirking the responsibility we all have for having an open mind.

Meanwhile spring is here and grab some grub and your favorite tea, soda, beer or wine set up the BBQ and Grill baby Grill

I'm don't mean Enhanced Interrogation when I say Grill baby Grill

Get that President a Wetsuit

2010-05-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Lets reduce the size of government and hold them responsible for poor decisions made by private corporations while at the same time reducing the government's ability to regulate.

I don't care who is responsible for the oil spill but I do care that it gets cleaned up and that this kind of disaster never occurs again.

Bill Nelson when asked about the cozy relationship between Minerals Management Service and Oil companies responded by saying the relationship was "incestuous". Then went on to talk about "breaking up" the agency. The question seems a bit obvious to me me but is anyone talking about criminal prosecution of the Oil companies for offering the bribes and influencing the MMS decisions. Why is it the focus is on government only when there is a crime instigated by the corporations who bribe the government people. Tough enforcement of this type of crime never seems to be an option. Why is it destroying the lives of millions of people and killing some creates less of an outrage against theses criminals that a shoplifter of a pack of twinkies?

I don't like the finger pointing even when it's at George Bush I do care about solutions. Who is responsible. All of us, for allowing our government and business leaders to drag their feet in working toward alternate solutions to oil.

Who is best equipped to solve the current problem? Where was the industry-wide response. Where was Shell, Mobile, and all the other offshore oil companies; where was T. Boone Pickens?

So the way some people talk we should send Barack Obama down with a wetsuit to fix it and have Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed cleaning the shore with scouring pads. Isn't it ironic that the Republican outrage is focused on the government when it is their own pet industry is the problem.

Meanwhile let's all grab a dish towel and head for the Gulf of Mexico or better yet start planning better and reduce our oil consumption. Perhaps we can get some Crayfish and Crude Etouffee.

Tea Party Logic Fails

2010-05-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

They scream they want smaller government yet with the BP oil spill they rant about how the government is doing nothing (not true). So do they want less government or more? Do they want more regulation or less? The Bush era loaded the government with "hands off" managers and regulators who allowed the decimation of the forests and now the destruction of the gulf.

The tea Party and Republicans are blaming the Obama Administration for their failures to protect the environment. It appears as if they never understood "the Environment" meant the fishing industry and coastal tourism. Did they think all the energy in the world would make up for the loss of income for all those on the coast?

It is about time for these people to stop and think beyond their sound bites and come to grips with what small government really means - no protection for the common person in this country.

Can we afford to complain and not support our government? Are we becoming a bi-polar, short sighted group of malcontents? Chris Mathews can't understand why other oil companies are not asked to help out and I wonder if he knows that multi-national oil companies have zero allegiance to the US.

A strong country with the support of its people could cope with huge issues and yet the supposed "patriots" are ranting about "bringing down the government" or taking back "their country" as if two thirds of our citizens are the enemy. It is all male bovine waste and what they call common sense is really either hindsight or mimicked talking points espoused by the radical right who look at the common folk as surfs.

So, we have a problem created by corporate greed and these clowns blame Barack Obama and government as if he specifically told BP, Haliburton and Transocean LTD. to screw up and cause a spill.

Well I need to let my blood pressure get back to normal (JK) and close.

The answer is stronger regulation and a strong government that really gives a flying flip for the country's best interests.

Elena Kagan and the Keystone Republican't Cops

2010-05-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Does it bother anyone that President Obama can't talk without us hearing how the world will come to an end if anyone agrees with him? I suppose if you are sliding over a cliff you will grasp at anything initially and then claw at rock until your finger bleed as you are at the brink.

Senator Jeff Session, the ranking Republican on the committee, told George Stephanopoulos he wasn’t so sure; “This is a confirmation process not a coronation." S here we have one Senator insinuating what? Why the talk of Coronations and Czars coming from the party of wealth and power?

Frank Lutz is the savvy wordsmith of the darkside that got it right about what most Americans hate these days his only problem it happens to be the arrogant Republican't jerks he represents. So Frank designed a tapestry of oft repeated points for getting poor and middle income people to "Hate Government" it goes something like this.

Repeat early and often these sayings:

"Big Government" = to take your eye off the real bureaucracy "Big Business"
"Czar, Coronation..." = To make you think of government as a dictatorship
"Cram/Ram/Stuff down your throats" = Make majority opinion appear something akin to rape.
"Socialism, Fascism, any-ism" = Something other than Democracy
"The Democrat Party" = we can't have people confusing democracy with "Those People"
"The Elite/Intellectual" vs "Common Sense" = So you believe Democrats are aloof snobs while listening to Republican't aloof snobs tell you what to do.
"Tax & Spend Liberals" = So you can't see the Republican't party has been "Spend and Bankrupt the Country Conservatives"

Sure the country is upset, so much so, some people are preparing for the "End of Days" with great delight while stocking up on guns, food, gasoline and other supplies for some vague catastrophic event that will wipe out mankind. Why do you need all of this for the end of the world? Is it to kill everyone in sight while waiting to die?

But back to Kagen

Elena Kagan has a superb record of legal accomplishment yet the buzzards are out pecking. I don't mind intelligent comment and I do consider Jeff Sessions an intelligent person after listening to his questioning of Halliburton at the Senate hearing on the BP oil spill, but really what kind of logic can you credit him with after comparing Kagen to Abdul.

From Andy Borowitz ~ "Howling in protest over Obama Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s lack of judging experience, leading Republicans today urged the President to withdraw Kagan and instead nominate Paula Abdul.

“The American people have had years of watching Paula’s judging expertise, and they know that she is fair,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.), top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee."

I look at the legacy the Republicant's gave us with John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Sam Alito and see something other than justice something akin to the phrase "gimme, gimme, gimme" with no understanding of what it means struggle in life.

Thee used to be a value in apolitical thought that was more concerned with right thinking and not right leaning.

So far Barack Obama has nominated two people to the Supreme Court both are even handed and better represent moderate thought and both have been blasted by the Republican'ts as unqualified even though both are extremely qualified and highly intelligent.

I read the comment Jeff Sessions made and wondered if he is expressing thoughts better said about Clarence Thomas and never got a chance to say.

Late news - BP, Transocean and Halliburton in a Ménage à trois made in hell.

It has been a day of finger-pointing at the first Senate hearing on what caused the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. None of the men representing the three companies — BP, Transocean, and Halliburton — have wanted to admit total responsibility for what caused the accident on April 20, which resulted in 11 deaths, and in 4,000 square miles of oil contaminated water in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ménage à trois ~ In contemporary usage, the meaning of the term has been extended to mean any living relationship between three people, whether or not sex is involved, but the term retains its suggestive quality.

There is No Comparison - At All

2010-04-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Business Insider said,

"It's been argued that Hurricane Katrina was one of George W. Bush's biggest organizational failures, for the tragedy was allowed to fester on for way too long before his much-vaunted homeland security apparatus sprang into action.
Will the oil spill in the gulf -- which some suspect could be worse than Exxon Valdez -- be the equivalent for Barack Obama?"

How could anyone compare the two incidents in severity, loss of life, timeliness of the response?

While George Bush did not cause the storm or create the circumstances of Katrina his administration did have an awful lot to do with the response and lack thereof. How many days did we see people dying at the Superdome and not even get transportation to a safer place or food and assistance?

Then comes a great BP corporate disaster in lives and environmental/economic losses. And what has been the response? First I must say to those who keep harping on how terrible regulations are not just for off-shore drilling, finance and mining but a myriad of business ventures that perhaps a little more regulation would help rather than cripple business. Business men at the top of these organizations are powerful but they are no more competent than government in being effective.

"The Response To The Oil Spill So Far
Posted by Robert Gibbs on April 30, 2010 at 09:51 AM EDT
Ed. Note: This post was updated at 3:45PM.

The response to the BP Oil Spill began as an emergency search and rescue mission by the U.S. Coast Guard and other partners on April 20. Concurrently, command center operations were stood up immediately in the Gulf Coast to begin also addressing the environmental impact of the incident.

The morning after the explosion, Secretary Salazar deployed Deputy Secretary Hayes down to the gulf to assist with coordination and response to the incident.

The Administration immediately began holding regular calls with BP leadership and numerous senior-level meetings have been held between the administration and BP to discuss BP’s response effort and federal oversight and support.

The National Response Team (NRT), an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents was quickly activated and a coordinated group of federal partners—including the United States Coast Guard, Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency—immediately began directing and overseeing BP’s response.

The President immediately began actively monitoring the incident and consulting on the response. The President has been in contact with all the governors of the states that may be affected and ordered that the administration use every single available resource at our disposal.

The Department of Defense is fully integrated into the DHS-led team and fully supportive of all response activities. Navy assets have been involved since day #1, and DOD continues to offer and prepare to offer what is needed as the situation develops.

The Secretary of Defense has approved a request for two C-130 aircraft with Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS), which are currently en route to the affected area. The Coast Guard has requested assistance from the Department of Defense for these aircraft.

These aircraft dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day.

Additionally, in direct support of the Coast Guard under an existing pollution clean-up and salvage operations agreement, the Navy is providing a variety of oil pollution control equipment. The Navy has sent thousands of feet of inflatable oil boom with mooring equipment, several skimming systems, related support gear, and personnel to support oil spill response efforts. Naval Air Station Pensacola is serving as a staging facility for Coast Guard contractor-provided equipment.

Early on, the President directed responding agencies to not only devote every resource to respond to this incident but to also determine its cause. Earlier this week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar laid out the next steps for the investigation.

The President has also dispatched Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to the Gulf Coast to ensure all is being done to respond to this oil spill.

DHS Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is of national significance, the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs and the EPA is conducting air monitoring activities to gather information on the impact of the controlled burn on air quality.

By the Numbers To Date:
Personnel were quickly deployed and 1,900 have been responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife—hundreds more than yesterday.
Approximately 75 response vessels have been responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
More than 217,000 feet of boom (barrier) have been deployed to contain the spill—an increase of more than 40,000 feet since yesterday. An additional 305,000 feet is available.
20,313 barrels (853,146 gallons) of an oil-water mix have been recovered—an increase of 90,000 gallons since yesterday.
139,459 gallons of dispersant have been deployed—an increase of more than 40,000 gallons since yesterday. An additional 51,000 gallons are available.
Six staging areas (Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla. Venice, La., Pascagoula, Miss. and Theodore, Ala., and Fourchon, La.) were set up to protect sensitive shorelines—an increase of 1 since yesterday. "

The real "Death Panels" Insurance Companies

2010-04-15T11:28:00.001-07:00

"I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." ~ G.W.Bush, 7/10/07.

The way Sarah Palin squawked about "Death Panels" you would think she didn't realize we already have them and they are administered by Insurance Companies. The real death panels are "certain rules" adopted by those we had trusted to keep us safe.

Insure - to do something in order to prevent something unpleasant from happening or from affecting you.

By excluding us from coverage too many people lose everything including their lives from lack of adequate care. When we have no coverage or coverage was dropped there is no true option other than letting an illnes fester until the Emergency Room is the only option and then in many cases it is too late, all other patients pay for the Dr./Hospital losses and many die.

So what are the real "Death Panels?" I found this on the web.

List of Pre-Existing Conditions - Declinable Conditions
Which Can Cause Denial of Health Insurance Coverage

Abnormal PAP Smear
Achalasia, Cardiospasm
Acne
Acromegaly
Acute Poliomyelitis
ADD
Addison's Disease
Adrenal Insufficiency
AIDS
Alcohol Abuser
Alcoholic Cirrhosis of Liver
Alzheimer's Disease
Amyloidosis
Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Aneurysms
Angina
Angioplasty
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosis
Anticoagulant Medications
Aortic Insufficiency
Aortic or Mitral Valve Replacement
Aortic Stenosis
Aplastic Anemia
Arrhythmia
Arterial Embolism, Thrombosis (clot)
Arterial Occlusion
Arteriosclerosis Obliterans (A.S.O.)
Arteriovenous Malformation
Arthritis
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Artificial Joints
Artificial Valves
Asbestos Exposure (Asbestosis)
Asthma
Atherosclerosis Obliterans
Atherosclerosis Thrombotic Disease
Atrial Fibrillation (chronic)
Autism (infantile)

Banti's Disease (Liver Disorder)
Biliary Cirrhosis
Bipolar Disorders
Blastomycosis
Brain Damage (Organic)
Bright's Disease (Glomerulonephritis)
Bronchiectasis
Buerger's Disease (Thromboangitis)
Bulimia
Burkitt's Tumor

Cancer (Breast or Prostate)
Carcinoid Syndrome
Cardiac Bypass
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiospasm, Achalasia
Cerebral Palsy (Infantile)
Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease
Chrohn's Disease
Chronic Glomerulonephritis
Chronic Hepatitis
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Pulmonary Heart Disease
Cirrhosis of the Liver
Coarctation of the Aorta
Colostomy
Congestive Heart Failure
Cooley's Anemia
Cor Pulmonale
Coronary Artery Disease (C.A.D.)
Coronary Heart Disease (C.H.D.)
Crohn's Disease (Ulcerative Colitis)
Curvature of the Spine
Cushing's Syndrome
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Kidney Disease
Cystic Lung Disease

Dementia
Dentofacial Function Abnormalities
Dermatomyositis
Diabetes (all types)
Disorders of Autonomic Nervous System
Domestic Violence
Down Syndrome
Drug Abuse Illegal
Drug Abuse Prescription
Drug Psychosis

Electroconvulsive Therapy
Emphysema
Encephalopathy
Enlarged Liver
Esophageal Varices

Fabry Disease
Factor VIII or IX Deficiency
Fatty Liver
Fertility Treatment

Gastric Bypass/ Stapling
Gilles De La Tourette's Syndrome
Glomerulonephritis, Chronic
Goodpasture's Syndrome
Guillain Barre's Syndrome

Heart and/or Lung Transplants
Heart attack
Hemiplegia
Hemochromatosis
Hemolytic Anemia
Hemophilia A or B
Henoch's Purpura
Hepatitis C, G, Non-a, Non-B
Hepatomegaly
Herniated Intervertebral Disc
HIV
Hodgkin's Disease
Huntington's Chorea
Hydrocephalus
Hydronephrosis
Hypersplenism
Hyperthyroidism

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP)
Immunodeficiency Disorder
Infertility Treatment
Insulin Use
Internal Cardiac Defibrillator
Ischemic Heart Disease

Kaposi's Sarcoma
Kidney Failure
Kidney: Polycystic Kidneys
Kidney Transplant
Klinefelter's Syndrome (Gonadal Dysgenesis)

Legionella Pneumophilia
Leukemia
Leukoencephalopathy
Lipisosis (Neiman-Pick Disease)
Liver Failure
Liver Transplant
Lou Gehrig's Disease
Lung Transplant
Lupus, systemic (SLE)
Lymphadenitis
Lymphoma

Malignant Melanoma
Marfan's syndrome
Medullary Sponge Kidney
Mitral Insufficiency
Mitral Stenosis
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Morbid Obesity
Multicystic Kidneys
Multiple Myeloma
Multiple Sclerosis
Muscular Dystrophy
Myasthenia Gravis
Myelopathy
Myocardial Infarction (M.I.)
Myocardial Ischemia (M.I.)

Nephritis
Nephrotic Syndrome
Neurofibromatosis (Von Recklinghausen's)
Neiman Pick Disease (Lipidosis)
Neuropathy, Inflammatory Toxic

Obesity
Occlusion of Cerebral Arteries
Organ Transplant
Organic Brain Syndrome
Organic Heart Murmur
Osteitis Deformans (Paget's Disease)

Pacemakers
Paget's Disease
Pancreatitis
Paralysis
Paranoid Disorder
Paraplegia
Parkinson's Disease
Pemphigus
Peripheral Occlusive Arterial Disease (P.O.A.D.)
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peroneal Peripheral Neuropathy
Personality Disorders
Pituitary Dwarfism
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumocystitis Carinii Pneumonia (P.C.P.)
Polio Myelitis
Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Polycythemia
Polymyositis
Polyneuropathy
Porphyria
Pregnancy
Premature Ventricular Contractions
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
Prostate Disorder
Psoriatic Arthropathy
Psychosis
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary Heart Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Insufficiency
Pulmonary Stenosis
Pyloric Stenosis

Quadraplegia

Rape
Raynaud's Syndrome
Renal Failure
Renal Hypertension
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sarcoidosis
Sarcoma
Schizo Disorders (bipolar or depressive)
Schizophrenia
Scleroderma
Seizures (recent)
Senile Syndrome
Serious Congenital Abnormalities
Severe Childhood or Adolescent Disorders
Sick Sinus Syndrome
Sickle Cell Anemia Disease
Silicosis
Sjogren's Disease
Sleep Apnea
Smoking (long term, other factors)
Spina Bifida
Spinocerebellar Disease
Spondylitis
Stroke (indeterminate, ischemic)
Suicide attempt
Syndrome X
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Syringomyelia

Tabes Dorsalis
Takayasu's Disease
Tay-Sach's Disease (Cerebral Lipidosis)
Temporal Arteritis
Testicular Dysfunction
Tetrology of Fallot
Thalassemia Major (Mediterranean Anemia)
Thromboangitis
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura
TIA
Too fat
Too thin
Tourette's Syndrome
Tracheostomy
Transient Organic Psychosis
Transient Ischemic Attack
Transplants
Transsexualism
Tricuspid Insufficiency
Tricuspid Stenosis
Trisomy 21 Syndrome
Tuberculosis
Turner's Syndrome

Ulcerative Colitis
Undiagnosed Symptoms (Kaiser)
Uremia

Valve Replacement
Ventricular Arrhythmias
Ventricular Septal Defect
Von Recklinghausen's Disease
Von Willebrand's Disease (hemophilia)

Wegner's Granulomatosis
Werlhof's Disease

This composite list is by no means exhaustive. These are just SOME of the reasons for denial of medical coverage.

It was compiled from conditions listed by Anthem (Blue Cross), Assurant, CIGNA, and Kaiser.

"Undiagnosed symptoms" is my favorite. That covers everything.

Wedge Issues and Division

2010-04-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

How do we see ourselves politically? Somehow we want to categorize each other in the most extreme ways. Why? Over the last few decades out view of the world is communicates by and to us in extreme ways, Vietnam, Cold War, War in Iraq I, War on Terrorism and Iraq II. Both sides of the polarization have been epitomized by extremes of demagoguery and like metal filings we have gravitated to the poles.

I find it amazing, when I step back and look objectively, that neither pole is as correct as they think and neither pole is as wrong as they see each other.

I was wondering aloud with my wife if it makes any difference to the extreme conservatives if a person is moderate, liberal, socialistic, and communistic if they are all considered extreme threats by those more conservative. I wonder if extreme liberals care if a person is either moderate, conservative, fascist before they call them wingnuts or "Big Business" thugs. All Tea Party folks are not the dangerous extremists they are made out to be but some are definitely a threat to society as are some left wing radicals.

Somehow we need to see our country as a United place not in thought necessarily but in purpose and that purpose is “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” lest we learn that “divided we fall.” Perhaps we all need to give a little for the common good and stop name calling in the darkness of blind hatred and blind faith in those who are too selfish to understand we are not all the same and not all that different.

We all need to listen and read better and discover more than one point of view on every issue. We all need to better at understanding that there is more than one issue that is important in our lives. Common sense and knowledge are two different things and both are more effective when both are used. Education and experience provide only part of being right with energy and courage also being necessary for the common good.

Common good is not a dirty word and neither is social justice and while there is a "dog eat dog" does describe some aspects of life we are not cannibals. While it is true the victor gets the spoils at times it's a hallow victory when the spoils discontent and hate.

Obama's Fatal Flaw

2010-04-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Who would have believed the president hidden flaw would be his downfall.

"Eric Spiegelman, of the blog "Bus Your Own Tray," noticed something fabulous while scanning the State Department's flickr page: Barack Obama's smile is amazingly consistent.
On Wednesday, the Obamas hosted a reception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and posed for over a hundred photographs with foreign leaders in town for the big UN meeting. His smile never changed." ~ Huffington Post

What kind of person would stoop to a smiling contest with utter disregard the decorum of the office of president. It was revealed that Rahm Emanuel whose secret Bolshoi dance fantasy was never realized per a wikipedia story.

Rahm saluting the "Just say no to smiling" Republican't Party

"Emanuel was encouraged by his mother to take ballet lessons as a boy and is a graduate of the Evanston School of Ballet. He won a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet but turned it down to attend Sarah Lawrence College, a liberal arts school with a strong dance program." ~ Wikipedia

Not Rahm's Mom

It was in a session with Nancy Pelosi that the group decided on playing the vicious "Smile Card"

John Boehner response to President Obama's Smile was "Hell no you can't" as he said without a smile. Then promised "Obama may be smiling less because he's been addressing the financial crisis, a situation that makes smiling often inappropriate."

One person noted, "What is behind the Barak Obama Smile?"

Undercover work by Eric Spiegelman discovered the sinisterness of Obama's consistent smile in his great video,

The pinko-commie, socialist,Fascist, Godlessness of the one true anti-Christ will always be the one without the S-M-I-L-E ...

From the emotionally two year old Rush Limpbaugh

Now wait. Drum roll please - dum dee dee dum. To ....... Glenn "baby face" Beck

Happy April Fools Day!

Marketing Incompetence

2010-03-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

The First Law of Marketing is to find a need and fill it.

The Second Law of Marketing is to Create a need and fill it.

The First Law of Politics is Create a problem and Blame the Aftermath on the Opposition

Marketing and Politics is all about gaining "traction" on solutions to problems that may or may not exist.

An example is do you really need a BMW or a car. Branding is a method of turning your attention away from the need for transportation and replacing it with the desire for luxury and/or status.

In politics it can take the form of the need for security and replace it with the desire for retaliation even if the retaliation is directed to the wrong target and the blame goes to your opposition for governmental leadership.

If we open our eyes we see a huge deficit in the US created by two wars, one that should have been a short effective police action and the other that was never necessary. The cost is huge just in dollars for the war not to mention the ancillary cost in lives and personal costs to families of those serving.

And while the costs are dropping under the Obama presidency the debt amassed by the Bush Administration will take time to reduce.

Then there is the loss of wealth created by lack of regulations or enforcement of regulations in the Financial industry that was allowed to fester since the Presidency of Ronald Regan. Wealth redistribution since Regan happened moving from the middle class to the upper class through lower per capita taxes paid by the wealthiest of citizens and loss of US middle class wealth through Globalization.

CEO salary as a Percent of average worker

There is a direct relationship between declines in wealth, and declines in consumption and business investment, which along with government spending represent the economic engine.

Between June 2007 and November 2008, Americans lost an estimated average of more than a quarter of their collective net worth.
By early November 2008, a broad U.S. stock index the S&P 500, was down 45 percent from its 2007 high.
Housing prices had dropped 20% from their 2006 peak, with futures markets signaling a 30-35% potential drop.
Total home equity in the United States, which was valued at $13 trillion at its peak in 2006, had dropped to $8.8 trillion by mid-2008 and was still falling in late 2008.
Total retirement assets, Americans' second-largest household asset, dropped by 22 percent, from $10.3 trillion in 2006 to $8 trillion in mid-2008.
During the same period, savings and investment assets (apart from retirement savings) lost $1.2 trillion and pension assets lost $1.3 trillion.
Taken together, these losses total a staggering $8.3 trillion.
Since peaking in the second quarter of 2007, household wealth is down $14 trillion.[125]
U.S. homeowners had extracted significant equity in their homes it doubled from $627 billion in 2001 to $1,428 billion in 2005 as the housing bubble built, a total of nearly $5 trillion over the period
U.S. home mortgage debt relative to GDP increased to 73% during 2008, reaching $10.5 trillion.

To offset this decline in consumption and lending capacity, the U.S. government and U.S. Federal Reserve have committed $13.9 trillion, of which $6.8 trillion has been invested or spent, as of June 2009.[126] In effect, the Fed has gone from being the "lender of last resort" to the "lender of only resort" for a significant portion of the economy. In some cases the Fed can now be considered the "buyer of last resort."

So what does the Republican Party try to sell us (US)? The old Ronald Regan adage, "Government can't solve the problem they ARE the problem." So we ask WHO was the government that WAS the problem? The Republican government that was sold as being run by Businessmen who know how to lead. I guess there is a reason the word lead has more than one meaning. One to lift up through guidance and the second a heavy metal used to weigh down.

Marketing misdirection is the key top Karl Rove's method blame the aftermath on the poor guy left with the mess and offer to fix the mess by using the same methods that created the mess.

So back to Mark Barett's First law of Marketing "When your product is indistinguishable from the competition, add sex."

Enter stage right Sarah Palin or maybe Paris Hilton

"If sex is used to market a nonsexual product, that product is generic." – Mark Barrett

"Success in being a good follower lies in picking the right leader." Anon

As true today as in the 60’s

2010-03-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

As true today as in the 60’s, "For What It's Worth" written by Stephen Stills is a reminder what the mind trapped in fear can do. So many people angry, fearful and anxious folks from the far left and right are creating a cyclone of distrust. The sad thing is we are all in the same boat trying to survive. Tea Baggers, extreme progressives and even the moderate middle are wondering what happened to America.

It's a little like we are all jumping out of the real boat for some delusional boat just an arm length away. It really is a mirage. Rodney King, for all the words said and hate, said it best. "Can't we all just get along"?

Gridlock and self righteousness is a slow poison and we all just need to stop drinking the "Kool-Aid" (Not the product the Jim Jones kool-aid) and start finding ourselves again. We really need to find the innocence of our youth coupled with the wisdom of our age.

"For What It's Worth"
Performed by Buffalo Springfield

Richie Furay - guitar, vocals
Dewey Martin - drums, vocals
Bruce Palmer – bass
Stephen Stills - guitar, keyboard, vocals
Neil Young - guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Pesident Obama sees Republicant's in Retreat

2010-01-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Ok so that' facetious but when it comes down to it the Republican't party better overcome their glee and wonder if their primaries will yield a strong shift to the right will lead to losses rather than gains. By bending over backwards to ultra conservatism will lead to the same results as the Upstate NY defeat.

So as the Republicant's retreat to the right they are losing the center. All Independents are NOT the fringe they are mostly people tired of political Gridlock and being manipulated by both parties.

So retreat ye grand wizards of misinformation you will lose.

Free Speech? Oh Really?

2010-01-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

Free Speech decision essentially changes something fundamental about our country and reminds me of the Gettysburg Address. Perhaps I should say a parapharase of that great speech. "...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

can this now be written ...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the corporation's money, by the corporation's money, for the corporation's money, shall not perish from the earth.

Did the court ever consider these corporate entities are not a person but a collection of Board Members, employees, stock holders and, yes, customers. We will see a few individuals deciding the decisions of government against the will of many of those stakeholders. I agree with free speech but not with Other People's Money (OPM). Goodby freedom.

By LIZ SIDOTI

The Associated Press
Thursday, January 21, 2010; 6:57 PM

WASHINGTON -- There'll be a lot more special-interest money in political campaigns. And maybe even more confusion for voters trying to sort out who is behind the increasing clamor of TV messages.

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision Thursday to allow corporations and unions to spend freely on elections seems certain to boost the political power of big business and labor. And perhaps diminish the clout of the political parties.

Its impact will be felt immediately. This year's midterm House and Senate campaigns already are under way.

By Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producer

January 21, 2010 --

"It's about money," said Lawrence Noble, former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission and a national expert on campaign spending. "It's about free speech and it's about the ability of corporations to influence elections through the use of their treasury money."

Who is more out of touch - Both Parties

2010-01-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

Scott Brown's win is a sharp message to BOTH parties. In my opinion the country is tired of both parties and their gridlock ways. Health Care is a perfect example of the fact that we are all tires of the sausage factory called Congress. It also shows we want results not argument along party lines for control. Political strategy is not what we want but results to the problems we all face.

The Health Care Plan was degenerated from a deep concern for a critical issue to a watered down usless piece of legislation. Scott Brown won because he addressed the problems Massachusetts voiced. For a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat I have to say he is a bad choice but I wonder how much better would Martha Coakley have been. Sure for the party it is an important setback but I'm tired like everyone else of a choice we are given by the majoe political parties, a choice between Dumb and Dumber.

Game Change and the Spin

2010-01-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

So much is being reported on Harry Reid's comments, a little about Bill and Hillary and nothing about Sarah Palin and her being chosen John McCain's running mate. Have we Democrats forgotten the lesson about P-e-r-c-e-p-t-i-o-n?

We hear so much Republican't spin it sounds like a swift boat hatchet job rather than an interesting account of the election. Anyone who thinks the public persona of any politician is accurate must be the truth is really dreaming. You can tell only by actions and votes and even that may be a manipulation.

Harry Reid's comments while seemingly are insensitive are a reality of the voting public. They are insensitive to the extent that Barack's race should not be an issue while in reality we know his questions were based in some reality of a portion of the electorate.

Why are we not getting the full story, however, and hearing on the news the questions about Palin's inability to grasp the history of the world?

In essence we, the Democratic Party, have failed to understand we need a swifter boat to stay ahead of the Republican't "talking points."

The Conservative Test - No Thought Involved

2009-11-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

The ten guidelines, distributed to RNC members in recent weeks, are as follows with my impression in Yellow :

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill;

(1a) We oppose Social Security, Unemployment Payments, Medicare, Medicade, WIC, Infrastructure improvements, Educational excellence, FDA regulations, Taxing the Wealthy, Safety Regulations, Environmental regulations, and any regulations on (the Oil & Gas industries, Health Care, Banking, Investments, Military-Industrial Complex, Militias and US Insurgencies)

(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;

(2a) We oppose any effort to assure every American has Health Care Coverage

(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(3a) We oppose any effort to improve our energy situation even though the Market based economy has proven they are not capable of transitioning to the energy needs and desires of the American Public.

(4) We support workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

(4a) We oppose giving American workers a level playing field in dealing with companies they have made wealthy.

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(5a) We oppose providing a legal path for citizenship or legal work permits for those who do the hardest and lowest paying jobs in the US .

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

(6a) We oppose having to define what "Victory" means in Iraq and Afghanistan but think putting more American lives in danger without a clear objective is okay.

(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;

(7a) We oppose working with our allies on a world wide front in dealing with nuclear proliferation and have never complained while our allies developed nuclear arsenals because they are our friends - for now. We are also opposed to stopping the arms trade to other countries because we are by far the largest arms dealer in the world (see Below)

United States 41%
Russia 17%
France 8%
United Kingdom 7%
China 3%
Germany 4%
Italy 3%
Other European 11%
Others 6%

(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act

(8a) We oppose gay and lesbian Marriage because they don't have rights because they are not like us.

(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion.

(9a) We oppose of assuring vulnerable persons health care and believe if they had coverage ours would be reduced.

(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership;

(10a) We oppose any effort to adhere to the full text of the second amendment that reads:
A "well regulated Militia", being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. We believe there are no "Regulations" acceptable in the "Right to Bear Arms even though "well regulated" is clearly stated in the amendment.

Why is the most powerful country in the world...

2009-11-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder why we would rather go to war to prove our greatness than put one red cent into our Health care system, our schools, our infrastructure, ecology, the environment .... blah blah... you get the picture.

While the understanding is that communications and technology are the "edge" our country needs our telecoms are hoarding money and providing second rate service in much of our country. Just look at the connection speeds by country and you will notice we are 29th or 25 places behind Latvia. There is no excuse for this or the Health Care Crisis.

Top Countries by Download Speed

22.27 Mb/s Republic of Korea
16.30 Mb/s Japan
15.40 Mb/s Aland Islands
13.94 Mb/s Latvia
13.73 Mb/s Lithuania
13.46 Mb/s Sweden
13.32 Mb/s Romania
12.72 Mb/s Netherlands
12.37 Mb/s Bulgaria
10.39 Mb/s Moldova, Republic of
9.74 Mb/s Hong Kong
9.73 Mb/s Andorra
9.27 Mb/s Slovakia
8.97 Mb/s Portugal

.. 29. 7.04 Mb/s United States

Like Flipping a Switch - Corsi Paranoia

2009-11-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

Why can a person make the absurd statement that the gunman at Fort Hood was a consultant to President Obama.

Jerome Corsi thrives on terrorism and increases his power over unsuspecting people who live in fear. Corsi is a purveyor of paranoia keeping large numbers of people under a paranoid cloud.

This is how he does it:

"Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shooter in yesterday’s massacre at Fort Hood, played a homeland security advisory role in President Barack Obama’s transition into the White House, according to a key university policy institute document.The Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University published a document May 19, entitled Thinking Anew Security Priorities for the Next Administration: Proceedings Report of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force, April 2008 January 2009,in which Hasan of the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine is listed on page 29 of the document as a Task Force Event Participant."It is a lie, of course Hasan only attended a meeting of a private organization that gave the transition some unsolicited advice. To a group of conspiracy theorists, this is the connection.How long before Fox News picks up the story?

Corsi treats this non-relationship as if Hasan was a major (no pun intended) consultant on policy during the transition of the Obama administration.

Jerome Corsi is making people mentally ill, fearful and living in constant fear that the reality of life is dangerous.

Definition

Paranoia is an unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. Paranoid individuals constantly suspect the motives of those around them, and believe that certain individuals, or people in general, are "out to get them."

“In the aftermath of 9/11, many Americans were so afraid of flying that they chose to drive instead. That decision, based on the perceived threat of another airliner hijacking, led to 1,600 casualties in the following year. The families of the people who died in those crashes thought they had lost them to “the routine traffic accidents we accept as the regrettable cost of living in the modern world.” Daniel Gardner begs to differ: What killed them was fear.” ~ Jane Bosveld (Discover Online)

[Martha] Stout defines terrorism as "violence committed with the primary goal of manipulating the minds of the surviving population." It creates a paranoia switch in our minds, or turns on an already existing one. Its "most cherished ambition is to affect us psychologically, to instill a sense of helplessness in the minds of individual citizens, and to steal, in wholesale grabs, from our collective store of hopefulness."

It is in this way that terrorists (whether they be Western intelligence agency puppet masters or foreign "terrorist" patsies) are able to steer a battered public in the direction of their choice. However, we can make sure that terrorism does not work on our minds by being aware of its effects and its purpose, and the tactics of those who exploit it. Martha Stout from The Paranoia Switch,

In this way, corrupt politicians can keep their enemy divided by focusing on side issues. While a population is busy infighting over gun control, abortion, religion, etc., the deviants in office can escape notice.

If the people were aware of the manipulations being used on them by their leaders, such manipulations would prove ineffective. "Witnesses, and the clear light of day, are crucially important to our safety from abuse, and anathema to abusers. In The Wizard of Oz, the little man in the draped compartment, working the knobs to project the image of a gigantic, frightening wizard, shouts, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" - because he knows that, as soon as people pull back the drapes, the illusion will be over." Wife abusers depend on the secrecy of their abuse, and do everything they can to keep it that way. In the same way, corrupt politicians use a controlled media to present their mask of sanity, operating behind a veneer of cheap propaganda and conduct their black-ops under "top secrecy".

The Landscape of the US

2009-11-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

So who really lost or won in the elections yesterday?

Both parties really lost and it's becoming clear the two major party's representatives have shown us all they have no clue of what most people really want. The angry "right" have shown that there is a frustration with rules. The vocal "left" think they "know it all" with intricate, nuanced and convoluted answers. Their "blind followers" fail to question and have great faith in core leadership.

That takes care of 40 percent of the country. Of course we cannot forget that is the 40% that makes up 60% of those who vote. Of course there is the "independents" made up of "Libertarians" and a wide spectrum of the disenchanted who do vote at about 10% and growing.

True moderates who are the largest group make up about 50% of the populace and vote at a rate of about 50% in presidential elections and 20% in off years unless some issue with "legs" pops up.

So what is wrong with this picture? We are all confused. Confused by spin, false information, ads, "bait and switch" tactics and a variety of overwhelming problems.

What we need is a clear Vision and mission statement and a set of goals both major parties and the "Independents" can work together on using a new approach - no slogans, sniping, no continuation of the same tired arguments that have proven wrong. Above all that the prime issue is jobs. We are finding quickly that we are no longer self-sufficient.

The main strength of out country was the sense that being strong internally is what made us strong throughout the world. We are no longer there. Look at almost any product today and not just consumer products and ask one question. How can we survive as a country if the global economy collapses? The answer is we cannot.

All the abortion laws, gay marriage laws, tax lowering bills, health care reforms, bank bailouts and crooked/unfaithful/immoral/corrupted by lobbyist politicians, and smaller/larger government cannot save us from degeneration from the greed, selfish and inconsiderate behavior of us all.

There is hope, however, but time is running out.

We WILL Vote

2009-10-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Strategy experts have convinced politicians that the vocal tea bagger passion is worth 10 apathetic voters who really want change. They believe a riled up citizenry full of hate will be more likely to vote. What they do not understand is that the frustration of the tea baggers will not totally close the minds of everyone. We are realizing more and more the dishonest arguments about cost, the "government," taxes, torture, lack of regulations, lack of any sense of the victimization of the American public is being understood by more and more Americans.

We are not safer, healthier, wealthier, happier, more secure under Republican't rule. In fact were were attacked at home under Bush/Cheney, more in debt, less safe from threat, our government is more distrusted by the Americans and the rest of the world. The Health Care system from Insurance to Pharmaceuticals to health care supplies to are robbing us of health, wealth and well being. We DO notice and we will vote.

It's time for a campaign with a simple slogan to be added at the end of every message to congressmen and congresswomen. Very simple to let them know the progressives and moderate forces of the Democratic party is being mobilized and does care about the direction Congress has shown in the Health Care proceedings or lack thereof - Very Simple Slogan:

We WILL Vote!

What a Warrior - or Not

2009-10-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

While Cheney shoots first and asks questions later (Harry Whittington doesn't look remotely like a quail) he seems to think everyone should do the same.

How stupid do you have to be to make this statement:

"The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger," Cheney told the conservative Center for Security Policy. "It's time for President Obama to do what it takes to win a war he has repeatedly and rightly called a war of necessity."

and follow it with this:

"Make no mistake. Signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries..."

While I personally do not confusion with responsible thoughtfulness. I do recognize that saying the President is dithering is saying to our enemies that we are weak. Does this guy really give a flying flip about how our is seen in the world or whether our actions take lives like the 5,000+ Americans and 100,000 lives of Iraq citizens.

He can talk to the American Enterprise Institute and idiots like Frank Gaffney all he wants about patriotism but it isn't patriotic to give awards to people who out our covert agents and are convicted felons but they do.

All in all I'd say let him talk though so history can record the insidious nature of the man and his callous use of our soldiers for his own self interests.

Good riddance Mr Dick Cheney

Run for Our Lives

2009-10-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

I believe the Public Option is the Compromise.

Republicant - Where Logic and Reason Fail

2009-10-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

Will Obama’s Nobel Prize Backfire on Peace Efforts?
Written by Arieh O’Sullivan

Even as the Nobel Peace Prize was being announced, Obama’s own special Mideast envoy was in Jerusalem holding intensive meetings with Israelis and Palestinians, trying to restart peace talks.

Yet, George Mitchell’s shuttle diplomacy in the region, now boosted by the fact that he not only represents a determined American President, but also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate-designate, was still being seen as a failure.

After nine months and one uncomfortable summit of leaders, American diplomacy in the Middle East is no closer to its goal of brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians within two years.

Reuven Rivlin, the Speaker of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, said he believed that the Nobel prize would cause Obama to step up the pressure on Israel. Echoing a concern among many Israelis, Rivlin said Obama is now going to want to prove that he was deserving of the prize.

So what does this say? President Obama is pushing for peace by having Mitchell start up the talks then how is the peace prize a problem?
~~~~

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh's website featured the headline "Our president is a laughingstock" and portrayed Obama as the darling of "European leftist elites."

Rush is so damned jealous her can't remember who our allies are anymore. I'd like to know who Rush is allied with if not Europe? Perhaps Rush doesn't need allies since he couldn't get any if he tried other than those who hate this country and our elected government. Anarchy sucks Rush.

BARACK Obama should have been "man enough" to refuse the Nobel Peace Prize, former foreign minister Alexander Downer writes today.

Alexander Downer won't ever have to worry about turning down the peace prize. What a downer

The president should use the acceptance ceremony in December “to remind the Nobel Committee that each one of them sleeps soundly at night because of the U.S. armed forces,” she said. So instead of attending the ceremony himself — which she said would only “add to the farce” — Obama should “send the mother of a fallen American soldier to accept the prize on behalf of the U.S. military,” Cheney said.

Liz Cheney is proof of nature over nurture or any combination thereof, personally I sleep a heck of a lot better knowing Dick and George are out of office and I'm sure 80% of the world is sleeping better today.

Conservative columnist George Will said “The Nobel Prize committee would with this decision have forfeited its reputation for seriousness if it had a reputation for seriousness,”

I wonder if George Will would feel the same if George Bush or Dick Cheney or Ronald Reagan or Dick Nixon had gotten the peace prize instead of Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Al Gore. Maybe your guys are not working very hard for peace George

William Kristol said, “This is an anti-American committee,” Kristol said on Fox. Mr. Obama should have turned down the prize, Kristol insisted. But barring that, “the second-best thing would be to go over and give a pro-American speech” at the acceptance ceremony.

Oh sure Bill, giving The Nobel Peace Prize to the American President is the most blatant Anti-American act a committee could do - are you stupid or stupefied.

Grapes to Vinegar - Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am a President Obama supporter so when he won the Nobel Peace Prize I was elated. I also immediately wondered what the party of Status Quo would say but I already knew. It goes something like this:

Washington » The surprise announcement that President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize turned into an almost instant partisan brawl in the nation's capital, with Republicans claiming he's not yet worthy and Democrats calling such remarks anti-American.

"I just lost all respect for the award," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. "It used to be one of distinction, but it is hard to give it any credibility."

He called Friday's announcement "a political statement" based less on anything Obama has done and more on who no longer resides in the White House.

"I just think they were glad George Bush is out of office and that is where the committee seems to be rooted in politics," he said. "Certainly there are people in this world more deserving than President Obama."

Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele also didn't congratulate the president for claiming the coveted prize.
"It is unfortunate that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights," he said. "One thing is certain -- President Obama won't be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action."

"What has President Obama actually accomplished?" ~ Michael Steele
"My first opinion is that he got it because he's black. What did he do that was so great? He hasn't even finished office yet." ~ A hospital worker on Broklyn
"Obama gives speeches trashing his own country and he gets a prize for it," said conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
"It looks less like an objective award than it does a political endorsement," said William Jelani Cobb, a history professor at Spelman College in Atlanta.

I'm waiting for the howls about how President Obama was campaigning of the Nobel Peace Prize when he should have been working on Health Care or sending troops to Afghanistan.

It seems to me this country is losing all perspective on life and what it means to be happy with in seeing another person honored. Sour grapes never taste good and never go down well. I do understand the usefulness of vinegar but I do not understand people who cheer when the loss of an opportunity to create jobs (the Olympics) is cheered and the honor of having our President awarded the Nobel Peace Prize id devalued and booed.

Should our president be derided because he and his expressed vision has world wide appeal as if it's appeasement rather than a call for us all to be better people and citizens of our community, state, country and the world.

President Obama won the Noble Peace Prize for the hope he has expressed and the vision he is working toward, not because he is "Not George Bush." Which, by the way, is a slap at George Bush and the party that supported him for eight years and now cant say "Ronald Reagan " enough.

Has the party of Lincoln become the party of Stromboli?

Alan Grayson - The New Dude

2009-09-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it here is a great presentation using simple charts.

CNN got an earful when they repeated the Republican demand for an apology.

So Alan did apologize on the floor of the house.

I think we need more Grayson and less Conrad and Baucus

From a Dr. Friend

2009-09-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

One of my friends is a Doctor and he sent me this thought provoking message for our Republican't friends and all the Libertarian Anarchists who hate government. Maybe they hate government because when they run the government they run it into the ground economically and spiritually.

Enjoy

A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican by John Gray

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a selfmade man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have"

Republican'ts in the UK - Yikes!!!

2009-09-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

The logic of the "Me Generation" shows it's ugly face again. Howard Jarvis' Prop 13 killed education in California and now the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) is striking out at our future in the same way. The net effect would be the dumbing down of the UK much like the destruction of education in the US. No wonder they constantly strike out at the educated just as Hitler did. I suspect it's pretty hard to enslave the enlightened.

The irony is that the wealthy do see the value of education for their children, just not for those who cannot afford the costs.

Enrollment will decline for fear of accumulating debt. Tuition fees had long held at £1,000 until it went up to Enrollment will decline for fear of accumulating debt. Tuition fees had long held at £1,000 until it went up to £3000 in 2006.

“Tuition fees make it harder for the working class portion of the public to further their education,” said Rebecca Glithero, a student. “If it wasn’t for student loans, only the upper classes or those who could afford it, would be able to attend university, especially as the cost of tuition fees are on the rise.” in 2006 and now the CBI wants the cost to rise to £5000.

Headline:
Students should pay higher fees, says CBI
Simon Lambert published in This is Money
21 September 2009

Students should pay higher fees, more interest on loans and get less grants says a new report by business bosses that has been backed by leading universities.

Tuition fees could rise from £3,000 per year to £5,000, while graduates should pay a market rate of interest on their debt, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

The report has been backed by the Russell Group of 20 leading universities but attacked by Million+, which represents newer universities, and the students' union.

The CBI said that businesses also had a part to play in improving the system and helping families by sponsoring more people through university.

It recommended the target for 50% of 18-30 year-olds participating in highr education should be dropped for the time being.

The National Union of Students (NUS) said it was 'astonished' at the report, and branded its recommendations offensive.

Middle-income families would be hardest hit by the proposals, as above a set threshold they would not qualify for any grants or interest rate subsidies on loans.

The CBI plans come as the government prepares for a major review of tuition fees that will begin this autumn but not report until after the general election.

It recommends restricting maintenance grants and charging the government's market rate of borrowing as the interest rate on loan balances, rather than the current system that maintains real value by setting them at the retail prices index measure of inflation.

The report by a CBI Task Force adds that a funding crisis facing the UK and universities means there is 'little choice but to plan to raise student contributions'. It says evidence from vice-chancellors suggests fees of up to £5,000 per year would not put students off.

All savings should be ring-fenced for universities and the system changed as soon as possible for new students. The report notes that 25% of public funding going to higher education is spent on student support, and the UK has one of the most generous levels of support in the world ~ This is Money

“Tuition fees make it harder for the working class portion of the public to further their education,” said Rebecca Glithero, a student. “If it wasn’t for student loans, only the upper classes or those who could afford it, would be able to attend university, especially as the cost of tuition fees are on the rise.”

Yes, the same is hasppening here in the US.

At prestigious universities around the country, from flagship state colleges to the Ivy League, more and more students from upper-income families are edging out those from the middle class, according to university data.
The change is fast becoming one of the biggest issues in higher education.

More members of this year's freshman class at the University of Michigan have parents making at least $200,000 a year than have parents making less than the national median of about $53,000, according to a survey of Michigan students. At the most selective private universities across the country, more fathers of freshmen are doctors than are hourly workers, teachers, clergy members, farmers or members of the military ? combined.

Experts say the change in the student population is a result of both steep tuition increases and the phenomenal efforts many wealthy parents put into preparing their children to apply to the best schools. It is easy to see here, where BMW 3-series sedans are everywhere and students pay up to $800 a month to live off campus, enough to rent an entire house in parts of Michigan. ~ New York Times

Is it any wonder the Republican't Party is also against any kind of meaningful Health Care Plan? Reminds me of the old "Barefoot and Pregnant" statement about keeping women "in their place." The new thing is keeping the populist rabble "in their place" by keeping them "dumb and sick with no job."

This is no game folks it's our future.

Will Farrel - Something Terrible is Happening

2009-09-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Where are our priorities when we want to throw insurance company executives out on the street to live like the ordinary rabble instead of keeping the Yacht industry rolling, what about the Private Exclusive Golf courses and Real Estate market for multi-million dollar estates? What a shame to expect these people to live on only 9,000% of the average guy's salary when they have so much responsibility to their even wealthier stockholders.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

True Health Care Reform D.O.A. - A Fable?

2009-09-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hope is a good thing but alone without persistence is a matter of luck. The thing the opposition doesn't understand is that people with hope deep inside actually will follow through.

The ant can't be bothered with the size of his/her task when it finds a spider that was D.O.A. when it was found. It drags its object little by little until it reaches home. It persistent ant works rests and works some more.

The thing about the ant is that it persists and exists not just for itself but for it's community. The ant never questions what the other ants are doing. It doesn't quit because another ant is just walking around goofing off. The ant will share the spider with the nest. If it were too heavy the ant would disassemble the spider and haul it piece by piece but it will never give up.

This tiny creature is, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "What a piece of work is a ant, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action..."

So that's how it is with Health Care. Dead on arrival from the Senate Finance Committee that unlike the ant decided the issue was too big and gave it up for another smaller morsel that, as it turns out was poisoned.

Perhaps the Congress can take it apart and get most of it back to the nest. All along Barack Obama has kept pulling and if we really want it dragged home perhaps we should help with calls, letters and expressions of hope backed with the persistence of belief in our country.

I'd love to see the headlines read "President Obama Drags Health Care Across the Line"

Let's Just Stop Writing Laws

2009-09-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Why write any laws and do away with government altogether. I'm sure the selective Republicant's would love that, and the Libertarians would as well. Our country was not based on anarchy and we are a governmental system. That government was meant to support our freedoms with a set of common laws. While there were Christians in those who founded America they were not like some of the "with us or against us" faiths but were supportive of all faiths or lack thereof. So if we follow that logic that says illegals will sign up anyway why not just take what we want until we are stopped by someone stronger and better armed.

While I certainly understand the argument made, I have to say the bill has specific language barring illegal immigrants from using the health plan. If illegal immigrants go to a hospital right now what would happen in an emergency situation? Right they would be cared for like anyone else.

This plan is definitive and excludes illegal immigrants and any breaking of the law is like any other illegal act. Should we not have theft laws because some people will still steal?

In the meantime legal Americans who have worked hard and lost coverage due to a layoff can still be covered. Why do some fight so hard to exclude the already excluded and in the process harm their fellow American elderly, children and everyone in between.

"The language of the health care bill, in regard to coverage of illegal immigrants, is obscure and can be understood to cover illegal immigrants but also to exclude them. President Obama assures the American people that illegal immigrants will not be covered; however, recently the House Ways and Means Committee rejected an amendment that would have required the government to verify that those enrolling in the "public plan" are not illegal immigrants.

Without a system in place to verify an individual’s immigration status, how will we identify those here illegally? We can’t, that may just be the point." ~ Christina Wijfjes-Smit Mesa Independent Examiner

This is what the White House communicated:

"Undocumented immigrants would not be able to buy private insurance on the exchange. Those who are lawfully present in this country would be able to participate.
Undocumented immigrants would be able to buy insurance in the non-exchange private market, just as they do today. That market will shrink as the exchange takes hold, but it will still exist and will be subject to reforms such as the bans on pre-existing conditions and caps.
Verification will be required when purchasing health insurance on the exchange. One option is the SAVE program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) which states currently use to make sure that undocumented immigrants don't participate in safety-net programs for which they are ineligible.
There would be no change in the law that requires emergency rooms to treat people who need emergency care, including undocumented immigrants. There is already a federal grant program that compensates states for emergency room costs associated with treatment of undocumented immigrants, a provision sponsored by a Republican lawmaker." ~ Domenico Montanaro MSNBC First Read

So let's Just Stop Writing Any Laws

Better than Cash for Clunkers - A laugh at cars

2009-09-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Very clever

An oldie

The end is great

Bait and Switch

Safety First

The "Bad" Joe Wilson

2009-09-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Of the 535 members of Congress one acts like a dope and carries the news for at least 2 days maybe more. Has the news services gone mad? Our President made a major speech to Congress appealing to our country and it's leaders to address one of the most pressing, persistent and pertinent issues of our times and the air waves both liberal and conservative media forget the speech and deluge us with the impulsive act of an ill informed mind of people like Joe Wilson (not the responsible and informed Joe Wilson) but a man who feeds on hate.

Look at the hits and News results for Joe Wilson

Times Online Obama Doesn't Want to Linger on Joe Wilson‎ - 1 hour ago

Joe Wilson to the White House for a few beers any time soon. ... shouted that Obama was a "liar" during the president's speech to Congress Wednesday night. ...

U.S. News & World Report - 14454 related articles »

14,454 hits on one inane person

Joe Wilson: The shout of "You lie!" by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., during the president's speech on health care was a significant break in decorum.

Barack Obama: "I'm a big believer that we all make mistakes," Obama said in acknowledging the apology from Wilson. "I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst of other people's motives."

The news should be ashamed as should the "Liberal" shows like Keith Olberman and Ed Schultz and even Rachael Maddow for even trying to rebut that fool. Then there are those who glorify this man like Eric Cantor who fans the flames and Rush and the talk show anti-anything-good-for-the-average-person street corner preachers who teach hate for our countries leaders daily. They don't care about the truth if they can gain an advantage or avert our attention. All they do is feed the fire and give one man who is 0.1869% of Congress, at that he only represents 54% of the vote in one District 2 of South Carolina. While I do believe everyone's view is important it shouldn't overshadow the bigger and more important issue, health care.

So if I got this right that is 0.10% or .0001 of our country dominating the President's message, a President that was elected by 53% of our country. So if we do another calculation President Obama received 66,882,230 votes while Wilson received 184,l583 or 0.00276 of the President's Mandate.

So I say we ignore the ignorant rant of a man who is sincere but totally wrong.

This man uses a campaign ad to vilify the very people who supported the party he represents and says he is working for the "little guy" while voting for the very policies that deregulated and gutted rules for financial institutions.

My personal action is to make this the last words I speak or listen to about the "wrong" Joe Wilson.

Can we afford half "S" change

2009-09-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

I wonder how much people believe in the "Right to Life" when they choose to ruin peoples lives, health, bankruptcy, self-esteem and emotional well-being in order to keep President Obama from Health Care Reform.

I find it incredulous that while most people want this reform with the "Government" option yet the press and some politicians seem unaware of those wishes. If the listen only to the wildly vocal fringe they will eventually find out it is the average person who will vent their anger at the polls next election.

Do they not understand the "Government" option is already the compromise and to move one inch closer for the Republican Party's appeasement is without value. They have a different definition of Bipartisan that means "do it my way."

I say forget them and put forth a strong bill and well defined plan that exposes them to the public.

In the meantime help the average person survive in these selfish and self centered times.

What I Wish

2009-09-07T14:08:00.001-07:00

So let me get this correct people don't want their children "indoctrinated" so they indoctrinate them to not trust their President? Doesn't make sense.

No One Expects The Spanish Inquisition! or do they?

Indoctrination

in·doc·tri·nate (ĭn-dŏk‘tra-nāt‘)
tr.v., -nat·ed, -nat·ing, -nates.

1. To instruct in a body of doctrine or principles.
2. To imbue with a partisan or ideological point of view.

indoctrination in·doc‘tri·na‘tion n.

I wish people who think that democracy means they should always get their wishes would just hold their breath. On NPR one person writes that there is no place in our schools for the president or other political people to talk. Having the President talk to students about working hard in school is not subversive. I think teaching alienation of children from their government is vastly more subversive than a government run Health Plan or enabling equality of pay between ment and women.

Do these people realize where George Bush was during the attacks on 9/11? I know some have made fun of George's reaction but it was totally understandable and the fact that he was interacting with school children was admirable.

Wharever hatred of a party or president there is no excuse for the stupidity being exhibited by people who strike out against clouds that look like boulders.

Whose Death Panel was that?

2009-09-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Who is already rationing Health Care and who will let it continue? The Senate Finance Committee and Republicans have taken a good plan and destroyed it and we the people are letting it happen by throwing up our hands and believing there is nothing we can do.

It big news comes from the medical community - The California Nurses Association. I know, from my time as Credit manager at a hospital, that this rings true. The insurance industry will give all kinds of excuses for rejecting claims. Preexisting conditions, some of the claims were later paid, the insurance expired but in the end it's that a large percentage of "covered" individuals got rejected. I know someone whose personal insurance (self employed) pays a very large premium for a policy with a $3,000 deductible - each claim not per year:

"Six of the state’s largest insurers rejected 45.7 million claims for medical care, or 22% of all claims, from 2002 to June 30, 2009, according to the California Nurses Assn.’s analysis of data submitted to regulators by the companies.

The rejection rates ranged from a high of 39.6% for PacifiCare to 6.5% for Aetna for the first half of 2009. Cigna denied 33%, and Health Net 30%.

Getting health insurers to pay their fair share of medical claims can be as much of a headache for physicians as it is for patients, said Rebecca Patchin, an anesthesiologist at Loma Linda University and board chairwoman of the American Medical Assn. She said each insurer has a different set of obscure, bureaucratic rules for processing and paying medical claims that result in as much as $210 billion of unnecessary cost annually, studies have shown."

In another Story I found this:

"More than one of every five requests for medical claims for insured patients, even when recommended by a patient's physician, are rejected by California's largest private insurers, amounting to very real death panels in practice daily in the nation's biggest state, according to data released today by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.

PacifiCare denied 40 percent of all California claims in the first six months of 2009. Cigna, which gained notoriety two years ago for denying a liver transplant to 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan of Northridge, Calif. and then reversing itself, tragically too late to save her life, was still rejecting one-third of all claims for the first half of 2009.

Kaiser Permanente, which denied 28 percent of all claims in the first half of 2009, was one of two systems to reject options for radiation and chemotherapy for 57-year-old Bob Scott of Sacramento after his diagnosis of a brain tumor in 2005. The reason cited was his age, says wife Cheryl Scott, RN. "He had been in perfect health all of his life. This was his first problem other than a sprained ankle. He died six months later."

"The United States remains the only country in the industrialized world where human lives are sacrificed for private profit, a national disgrace that seems on the verge of perpetuation," she said."

Glen Beck - The New Howard Beale Sans Brain

2009-09-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

I guess I like movies with a thought provoking theme and Paddy Chayefsky was a master at attacking the lunacy of life and the ability of demented people to gain power and even prestige. With Hospital it's the incompetency, "corporate doctor" and the burned out Dr. Bock.

With "Network" it's the corporation led by Ned Beatty as the Diabolical Chairman of the Board, in possibly the best ever movie scene, telling Howard Beale (the newscaster) he (Beatty) is God.

This is after Howard Beale has a meltdown on-air and collapses. At this point Faye Dunaway from the "Entertainment" division of the Network sees the ratings and takes power from the

"News" division and keeps Beale in all his suicidal and lunatic tendencies in his regular spot on-air. It doesn't end well for either Howard Beale or the public good and the "News" disappears into the past for ratings and corporate agendas.

So that was fiction and now for real we get Glen Beck.

This idiot actually called the President of the United States a racist. Glen Beck a person I've never watched on TV - until tonight. I thought Keith Olberman was just being a liberal jokester when he makes fun of Beck on Countdown with Keith Olberman. I am getting tired of hearing about Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter, Palin and Michele Bachmann.

So trying to be fair I listened to Glen Beck tonight with an open mind.

The man (benefit of the doubt) is a street corner preacher, nut case, rebel without a clue or a screw. I guess the screw was loose. He ranted the almost entire time about the drought in California being caused by environmentalists and how he doesn't believe in environmental reasons. All this despite the explosive population growth, the fact that little effort has been made to conserve water. Of course he jumps on the environmentalists and the Delta Smelt an endangered fish as the whole cause of the problem.

Simple-minded and simplistic but not as funny as it should be because Beck then incites anger in his audience about environmentalism. I'm not a strict and fervent environmentalist but I do know much of what we learn about our planet and human existence on it comes from that discipline. I don't like "pick and choose" minds who twist logic, spin a the truth and promote violent anger.

Beck's other hatred filled diatribe was against the National Endowment for the Arts. Does he really think all art is as extreme as Andres Serrano or Robert Maplethorpe? Does he think about all the fine art enabled by the NEA, the youth programs, the schools and careers enabled by this fine organization.

It all is coming back on him as one executive has disclosed so far Beck's show had a total of thirty-three sponsors pull out because of his Obama remarks.

I've watched Glen Beck for my one and only time.

Glen Beck must not realize that hacking into a federal computer system is a crime and has been for a long time. Disclaimers are notorious on the internet and with computer software.

Every system and web site on the web can gather information from your computer or put information on your computer if not protected. Poor Glen sees a conspiracy everywhere it's a little like the clinical definition of P-A-R-A-N-O-I-A.

One can only hope one day Glen understands that being seen on TV and pushing fear buttons of unhinged people can also endanger his own health.

ps Keith Olberman please stop giving these guys air time!!!

Health Care in the US - The Facts

2009-08-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

Health Care in the US - The Facts from Jason Summers Blog

http://www.jasonsummers.org/we-need-french-healthcare/

"
• 46 million Americans are currently without health insurance;
• 60 million Americans, both insured and uninsured, have inadequate access to primary care due to a shortage of physicians and other health service providers in their community;
• 100 million Americans have no insurance to cover dental needs;
• 116 million adults, nearly two-thirds of all non-seniors, struggled to pay medical bills, went without needed care because of cost, were uninsured for a time, or were underinsured in the last year;
• The United States spends $2.3 trillion each year on health care, 16 percent of its Gross Domestic Product;
• Americans spend $7,129 per person on health care, 50 percent more than other industrialized countries, including those with universal care;
• The U.S. does not get what it pays for. We rank among the lowest in the health outcome rankings of developed countries, and on several major indices rank below some third-world nations;
• The number of health insurance industry bureaucrats has grown at 25 times the growth of physicians in the past 30 years;
• In 2006, the six largest insurance companies made $11 billion in profits even after paying for direct health care costs, administrative costs and marketing costs."

Make Health Care for All a National Priority

2009-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Who are they kidding:

No Forms

No Forms
No Pre-existing conditions
No billing
No Insurance Company telling your Doctor what to do
One provider to deal with health care costs
No death squads
Remember no coverage or poor coverage kills
Profits held in check against overcharging

Remember not all problems with costs are not caused by the insurance industry. The entire Health Care delivery system if fraught with excessive costs.

I had a dentist who bought protective plastic glasses for patients from Home Depot instead of from the medical supplier because the cost was 10% less from Home Depot. The law of supply and demand should never be the rule in matters of life and death or good health otherwise costs would skyrocket - which they have in a "For Profit Health Care System."

Polls and Deception

2009-06-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

So what does this poll tell you? It looks to me President Obama's Approval rating is very high. Inside the numbers I find it interesting that FOX News found higher ratings for President Obama than NBC. Weird Times!

So what conclusion can I draw (Imagine)? President Obama is trying so hard to satisfy the right he may have disenchanted the left and to some extent the center.

President Obama Job Approval	Approve	Disapprove	Difference
RCP Average	59.6	33.2	26.4
CBS News/NY Times	63	26	37
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl	56	34	22
Gallup	61	32	29
Rasmussen Reports	56	43	13
FOX News	62	31	31

I find it interesting that Congress has taken the "Public Option" off of the table when polls show over 70% of those polled want the "Public Option" and have come to distrust the Insurance "Private Option" and want change. I think if we were talking about "Tea Parties" this Health Care issue has truly become taxation without representation. Congress no longer appears to be listening to the wishes of their constituencies but rather trying to propagandize in support of the Insurance Companies.

I thought Feudalism went out years ago when the United States were formed yet Congress and the Coalition of the Greedy seem to feel they know better.

Polls are not always innacurate and I went to Real Clear Politics Polls often during the Presidential Election and guess what, they were pretty good. The problem is when presented by the spin doctors or the slanted eye (either left or right) the interpreted version isn't always correct.

Renaming the Democratic Party

2009-05-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

The other political party is trying to change the re-name of the democratic party as the Democrat Socialist Party.

I had to crack up thinking about John Boner, Michael Steal, Rushing Limpbaugh, Lindsay Graham-Cracker, Gitch McConnell, Erect Can't-or, Bobby Gruntle, Sitting in a room trying to decide how best to deceive the general public one more time.

That Party is the one that uses racism to get poor whites in the South that it's OK to ship their jobs overseas and make sure they can't get health care, jobs or decent roads. It's the party that said they would lower taxes and ended up lowering taxes for the very wealthy while increasing the burden for the middle class and lower income people while shifting the burden of many local projects and education from the federal government to the states.

That party just can't seem to see their own demise at the hands of extreme religious, racist and survivalists factions.

That party can't seem to understand they have lost their ability to participate in the public dialogue and help find solutions to problems because the only problem they see is their own loss of respect by the public.

That party can't seem to see that they are losing the very good people who could possibly save the party from their own stupidity. They deride Colin Powell, Charlie Crist, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and have already run off Arlen Specter.

My Conclusion the new name for that party since they like Tea parties is just add the "T" to their name and become the:

Republican't Party

Tortured Logic

2009-05-12T22:08:00.000-07:00

The CIA Inspector General’s report found that the CIA water boarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times in March 2003 and Abu Zubaydah 83 times in August 2002.

Now let's let those dates sink in -

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on March 1, 2003 and immediately interrogated being water boarded 183 times that month.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was water boarded about six times a day.

On March 28, 2002, CIA and FBI agents, in conjunction with Pakistani intelligence services, raided several safe houses in Pakistan looking for terrorists and members of al-Qaeda. Abu Zubaydah was apprehended from one of the targeted safe houses in Faisalabad, Pakistan

Abu Zubaydah was water boarded about three times a day.

"Dick" Cheney stated recently that we quashed several attempts to attack the U.S. because of that torture. He boasts 7.5 years of no attacks since 9/11. Yet he seems to have conveniently failed to mention the Bush Administration was warned about the danger from Bin Ladin and AlQaeda before taking office and while in office before 9/11. Beyond that the war in Iraq has ended up with the deaths of 4,200 US Troops and over 91,000 Iraqi citizens all comming after 9/11 not to mention the the horror of those families at home and the terror imposed by the administration "selling the war."

Something never mentioned by any of those covering the torture conversation is the true reason to disregard all mention of plots foiled as "Dick" loves to mention (sans truth) is that once these players, especially KSM, were captured AlQaeda scuttled or pushed back their plans because they couldn't count on KSM or Abu Zubaydah not talking.

Just the capture of KSM would have killed all plans.

Of course all of my tortured logic is moot because:

Water boarding IS torture
These two men alone we tortured over 260 times
Whoever approved the torture is guilty
"Dick" said he approved of the torture
"Dick" and George ignored the law
"Dick" and George should be tried in court.

I thought republican'ts ...

2009-05-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Hated Civil Disobedience - "Dick" Cheney approved of Torture when he knew it was against the law but thought it was okay to do it anyway.

Didn't believe in Growing the size of Government - George "Shrub" Bush not only bloated the budget but managed to move the cost of the war out of the budget.

Abhored Activist Judges - Appointed Anton Scalia, John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas who immediately become activists for conservative causes ignoring past rulings.

Believe in Family Values - Proving that divorce and trophy wives are cool

Believe in Fiscal Responsibility - All this while deregulating the banking industry causing the worst fiscal crisis in my long lifetime.

Believe in and Respect the Military - They went into a war under manned and ill equipped against the advice of military leaders and intelligence.

Believe in being tough on Terrorists and Terrorism - They ignored the advice of Richard Clarke that Bin Laden was determined to attack within the U.S.

Wanted to Lower Taxes - But only for Big Business not the Middle Calss or the poor.

Believe in Hard Work - but they mostly live on investments and outsource to other countries or layoff workers on any whim.

... and the beat goes on

How Sad for America.

2009-04-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

Did we torture captured terrorists/enemy combatants to force them to provide a link between Al-Qaeda and Sadam Hussein?

Couldn't Bush "The Shrub"/"Dick" Cheney/"Rummy"/ "Maddington" Addington/"Scooter" Libby/"Green Slime" Wolfowitz/Richard "before swine" Perle/ Doug "eye before Eat" Feith/ John "Grumpy" Bolton/"un"Frank Gaffney A.K.A. "The Eyebrow" et. al. just continued to lie?

I suppose there would be some who they needed to support the War in Iraq that would ask why? My guess is Colin Powell was lied to early and often. Easy sales were Presidential Medal of Freedom winners Tommy Franks, George Tenet, L. Paul Bremer (please promise to keep what you know under your hat) who all toed the line like good lap dogs. I know all have had distinguished careers and one little mistake in judgement under the glare of the Lord of Darkness shouldn't disgrace them - too much.

What in the world were we all thinking in our collective states of shock after 911 to buy the bill of goods the president and his henchmen sold us. What's even sadder is the possibility it was all done behind the President's back by a cabal led by Dick Cheney. The ex President may just be the one who finally gives testimony that convicts the others. Wouldn't that be ironic! George Bush reclaims his legacy by proving he was duped by the others.

Perhaps his one courageous act will be after he is out of office and recognizes the damage to the United States done by evil men who torture to elicit lies and show so little respect for average Americans they lied with impunity to their own "base" whipping them into a bloodthirsty mob. How sad for America.

Ruben, Ruben I've been thinking (Have you)

2009-04-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

In a Ruben Navarette Jr. editorial in the San Diego Union-Tribune via SFGate some great logic appears right before our eyes. It's the old shift and transform, smoke and mirrors trick. What thrills me so much is it's so easy to see. Here is how it works.

Take an event (Torture justification)
Present a fact (Memos by Administration Attorneys)
Sidestep (Argue that Investigation hampers the C.I.A.)
Brand the Opposition (Those who want an investigation as "political" and "trying to settle old scores" or "seeking perverse satisfaction")
Close (Congratulate Barack Obama for not prosecuting those who "followed orders")

"While thrilled about the disclosure, many on the left are furious over the reluctance to prosecute.

Such a reaction is unfair. Obama was right to release the four memos and also right not to prosecute CIA officials who acted with authorization from superiors. You'll never convince the extremes - on both right and left - but both decisions serve our national interest.

Americans should not use truth commissions and political show trials to settle old scores, even if it would - in this case - give the Bush-haters some perverse satisfaction. What it would certainly do, as former officials in the Bush administration and others have said in recent days, is hamper the work of the CIA by making agency operatives afraid they could be punished depending on the prevailing political winds." ~ Ruben Navarette Jr., San Diego Union-Tribune

But Ruben you missed a spot.

Barack Obama never said there was be no crime.
Barack Obama never said there would be no investigation.
Barack Obama never said there wasn't wrongdoing.
Barack Obama never said anything about what Eric Holder and the justice department would do.

Don't gloat too soon Ruben it's not political revenge. This is really about something America believed strongly enough we prosecuted Japanese soldiers for using the waterboarding method against American soldiers in WW II. Perhaps you should read some very good reporting in the New York Times to gain some real perspective before you lecture anyone else like this:

"Those who serve our country, often at great personal sacrifice and against impossible odds, should be proud. And when elected officials simply do the right thing rather than manipulate public perception by making themselves look good and others look bad, they provide a kind of leadership of which we can all be proud." ~ Ruben Navarette Jr., San Diego Union-Tribune

Those who served our country against all odds should include our soldiers who have been tortured by countries who ignored the Geneva Convention. All policemen, firemen, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines and Army personnel know that they are subject to the laws of the land. Even the President and Vice President, Congress should know they are not above the law no matter how much good they have done at other times in their lives.

What a [Dick] Cheney

2009-04-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Dick Cheney is a forthright man there is no doubt but then again I once heard an interview with Jeffrey Dahmer that was also forthright. Dick said in a recent interview "

But what I find disturbing is the extent to which he has gone to Europe, for example, and seemed to apologize profusely in Europe, and then to Mexico, and apologize there, and so forth.

And I think you have to be very careful. The world outside there, both our friends and our foes, will be quick to take advantage of a situation if they think they're dealing with a weak president or one who is not going to stand up and aggressively defend America's interests.

The United States provides most of the leadership in the world. We have for a long time. And I don't think we've got much to apologize for. You can have a debate about that. But the bottom line is that, you know, when you go to Europe and deal with our European friends and allies, some things they do very well, some things they don't.

Sometimes it's important that a president speak directly and forthrightly to our European friends. And you don't get there if you're so busy apologizing for past U.S. behavior." ~ Fox News

Now that makes Dick a forthright man but it also shows his recalcitrance regarding the illegal torture and wiretapping he so often condones as "strong on terrorism." If he means he has become a terrorist he is right. If he means effectively fighting terrorism nothing could be further from the truth.

Strength doesn't come from proving you can be more brutal than your opposition but by proving you can outsmart your opposition. All Dick and George did was prove they wallow in the mud just as well as Osama.

The world is looking for leadership (Leadership meaning the ability to get others to follow) and Barack is not apologizing to Europe, South America or any one else including Antarctica. Barack is providing a direction for others to follow and they are following the United States in far larger numbers than ever before.

So Dick please get a grip on reality.

Flipantcy Run Amok

2009-04-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

I like Rachael Madow and I like Keith Olberman and I like Paul Krugman, most of the time. Keith and Rachael have recently made fun of the Tea-Bag protesters ad nauseum as if they are a collection of nutcases and political opportunist. I do have to agree there is something strange about people protesting "taxation without representation" (which was the purpose of the original tea party) when, in fact taxes are being cut for most people. The Boston Tea Party was about taxes going back to England and King George. I find it ironic the majority of tea-baggers are from states that receive more back from the Federal Government than they take in through federal taxes (debtor states) if anything the rest of the states should be protesting their taxes going to those mostly RED debtor states.

But still I can't understand Keith and Rachael even mentioning the tea bag protests it comes across as intellectualism, smart alec and pretentious. If the turnouts were as poor as reported they really were not as newsworthy as the ideas put forward by Ron Paul even though Ron Paul is 1/2 right and 1/2 wrong. Definitely not as newsworthy as Barack Obama's trip to Mexico or even the choice of first dog.

Paul Krugman on the other hand is publishing for attention when he spouts doom and gloom when, as an Economist, he should know while the economy is hurting you don't pour salt in on the wounds. Perhaps he has a point though recovery will not happen overnight. I take a little solace when he says:

"The Obama administration’s economists understand this. They say all the right things about staying the course. But there’s a real risk that all the talk of green shoots and glimmers will breed a dangerous complacency." ~ NY Times

I personally think Paul is confusing complacency with the comfort one feels knowing the truth and being kept informed. Personally I do feel better knowing we have more competent people running the government but I also understand the road to recovery is not yet paved but the road signs are at least accurate.

Keith is also not understanding we will all feel better if we nail the creators of the chambers of horror who misinformed the poor schmucks who were told to use water boarding and other torture techniques. Personally I think many of the hands on torture were probably just people who don't know the difference between imprisonment and revenge but the true evil rests in the minds and actions of those who do know better and just don't care. I know I didn't feel satisfied when the guards at Abu Ghraib were tried and the commanders in the CIA, the Military and the Bush Administration walked away free, rich and happy.

I also think Spencer Bacus should be forced to name all seventeen congressmen who are socialists. define socialism and tell us all why he thinks helping one's brother, sister, friend or countrymen when they are in need is a bad idea. "Am I my brother's keeper"

Firearm Refresher Course - oh really?

2009-04-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE - Oh Really?

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject. According to who? Are you saying if a person doesn't own a gun isn't a citizen? Who died and made Gun Owners kings and /or Queens? What an absurd statement. Sounds like a person who is a nobody with out his/her "equalizer."

2.. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone. How often have you needed a gun? How violent is your world that you think you need a gun to solve your problems? If so I suggest you are a danger to your community.

3. Colt: The original point and click interface. A nonsensical statement made by a computer phobic personality. I don't click my computer mouse to kill, targets, animals or people.

4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control. Seems to me the statement is made by a person wanting to control others. Registration of a firearm doesn't remove the firing pin it doesn't create a list to be used to confiscate guns. Gun control is based on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and mentally ill people. Sure it can't stop all of this but it can stop the obviously dangerous from buying guns.

5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords? Use swords for what? Nuff said

6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words. Duh! Inanimate objects do not cause anything. Uneducated people do, however, using a gun can cause gun deaths accidental and unintentional as well as intentional. I was once stabbed in the back with a pencil - and lived - I don't think pencils should be registered though they can be a lethal weapon. Guns other than for hunting can easily cause human death.

7. "Free" men do not ask permission to bear arms. Registration of guns doesn't restrict responsible or honest people from being free any more than registering your car, stocks, business or any other thing that must be registered. Free people don't mind registration even for school.

8. If you don't know your rights you don't have any. I know my rights I insist on my rights and I don't understand this need to secretly possess a small arsenal. Some laws are created to ensure the common good not to take away your rights.

9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither. So are you saying we can't have both? I personally feel both secure and free but it seems your security and bunker mentality are more important than mine. I'd hate to think we live in a country where we cannot disagree without one of us getting shot.

10. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights reserved. Yes a country of laws. Do you want to pick and choose which one's you follow if so do you really need a gun to protest. I don't mind you having a gun but it scares the bejeebers out of me to think you believe you need one.

11. What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand? What part of the entire statement do you not understand? "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Is it possible the "well regulated" part of the second amendment has been overlooked by the N.R.A. Gun regulation or Militia regulation shows an intention to protect the country and the state's National Guard?

12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others. (See Above)

13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday. How many did? between 1999 and 2005, 207,751 firearm deaths were reported or .32/100 gun owners that translates to 1 death per 300 gun owners every 5 years

14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians. I think probably at least three including dishonest gun owners and four mentally ill gun owners maybe five criminals who take away guns and kill the owners. There are probably more.

15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety. Our Army and law enforcement officers have guns, Our Army and law enforcement officers protect the peace, Our Army and law enforcement officers make us safe.

16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive. You get shot to be killed; you don't get shot to stay alive.

17. 911 - government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer. That's not very respectful of the Police sounds pretty smug and afraid to me.

18. Assault is a behavior, not a device. I'm sure a person needs an automatic rifle to hunt deer.

19. Criminals love gun control -- it makes their jobs safer. I doubt criminals care about gun registration.

20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson. Guns do not cause crime but they are the weapon of choice for violent criminals

21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them. Only a person that is afraid of the world distrust government government tries to make it ineffectual.

22. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for. If you have to fight for your rights you never really had them or understood them.

23. Enforce the "gun control laws" we ALREADY have, don't make more. Registration of guns is a good law. Assault rifles and high bore 50mm weapons should only be used under controlled circumstances.

24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves. I'll let you know when I feel like a slave or cannot buy a gun. That has never happened and never would affect a hunter.

25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control. Are you suggesting we are in the middle of a revolution?

26. "A government of the people, by the people, for the people..." ... and most people don't like the selling of assault rifle's over the counter

I have nothing against guns, hunting, collecting I do worry when it's insinuated a person isn't free without a gun, 911 is a useless concept, the 2nd Amendment is cut in half "regulated vs right to bear arms" Perhaps the Declaration of Independence should read "We find these [half] truths to be evident"

The Gun lobby and N.R.A. needs to start thinking about the good they do in teaching responsible firearm safety and follow up with the responsibility to others and eliminating the bunker mentality they seem to thrive on year to year.

The Great Teleprompter Debate

2009-03-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

No really! Obama uses a teleprompter to give clear well thought out speeches. Sure Obama is spending a lot of money trying to do what's necessary to improve the economy rather than do too little and falling short. His critics seem to want to eliminate all taxes and do away with the Federal government. Perhaps Barack Obama laughs too much. Too professorial, to casual in the Oval Office, too many late night appearances, he's putting Rush Limbaugh on the spot, wants to talk to world leaders, too much a celebrity, doesn't ridicule France or other European countries, too hip, too square. No wait maybe he tells the public too much. But Critics cannot say the President is:

1. Failing to build a real international coalition prior to the Iraq invasion, forcing the US to shoulder the full cost and consequences of the war.

2. Approving the demobilization of the Iraqi Army in May, 2003 – bypassing the Joint Chiefs of Staff and reversing an earlier position, the President left hundreds of thousands of armed Iraqis disgruntled and unemployed, contributing significantly to the massive security problems American troops have faced during occupation.

3. Not equipping troops in Iraq with adequate body armor or armored HUMVEES.

4. Ignoring the advice Gen. Eric Shinseki regarding the need for more troops in Iraq – now Bush is belatedly adding troops, having allowed the security situation to deteriorate in exactly the way Shinseki said it would if there were not enough troops.

5. Ignoring plans drawn up by the Army War College and other war-planning agencies, which predicted most of the worst security and infrastructure problems America faced in the early days of the Iraq occupation.

6. Making a case for war which ignored intelligence that there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.

7. Deriding "nation-building" during the 2000 debates, then engaging American troops in one of the most explicit instances of nation building in American history.

8. Predicting along with others in his administration that US troops would be greeted as liberators in Iraq.

9. Predicting Iraq would pay for its own reconstruction.

10. Wildly underestimating the cost of the war.

11. Trusting Ahmed Chalabi, who has dismissed faulty intelligence he provided the President as necessary for getting the Americans to topple Saddam.

12. Disbanding the Sunni Baathist managers responsible for Iraq's water, electricity, sewer system and all the other critical parts of that country's infrastructure.

13. Failing to give UN weapons inspectors enough time to certify if weapons existed in Iraq.

14. Including discredited intelligence concerning Nigerian Yellow Cake in his 2003 State of the Union.

15. Announcing that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, below a "Mission Accomplished" banner – more U.S. soldiers have died in combat since Bush's announcement than before it.

16. Awarding a multi-billion dollar contract to Halliburton in Iraq, which then repeatedly overcharged the government and served troops dirty food.

17. Refusing to cede any control of Post-invasion Iraq to the international community, meaning reconstruction has received limited aid from European allies or the U.N.

18. Failing to convince NATO allies why invading Iraq was important.

19. Having no real plan for the occupation of Iraq.

20. Limiting bidding on Iraq construction projects to "coalition partners," unnecessarily alienating important allies France, Germany and Russia.

21. Diverting $700 million into Iraq invasion planning without informing Congress.

22. Shutting down an Iraqi newspaper for "inciting violence" – the move, which led in short order to street fighting in Fallujah, incited more violence than the newspaper ever had.

23. Telling Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan about plans to go to war with Iraq before Secretary of State Colin Powell.

24. Allowing several members of the Bin Laden family to leave the country just days after 9/11, some of them without being questioned by the FBI.

25. Focusing on missile defense at the expense of counterterrorism prior to 9/11.

26. Thinking al Qaeda could not attack without state sponsors, and ignoring evidence of a growing threat unassociated with "rogue states" like Iraq or North Korea.

27. Threatening to veto the Homeland Security department – The President now concedes such a department "provides the ability for our agencies to coordinate better and to work together better than it was before."

28. Opposing the creation of the September 11th commission, which the President now expects "to contain important recommendations for preventing future attacks."

29. Denying documents to the 9/11 commission, only relenting after the commissioners threatened a subpoena.

30. Failing to pay more attention to an August 6, 2001 PDB entitled "Bin laden Determined to Attack in U.S."

31. Repeatedly ignoring warnings of terrorists planning to use aircraft before 9/11.

32. Appointing the ultra-secretive Henry Kissinger to head the 9/11 commission – Kissinger stepped down weeks later due to conflicts of interest.

33. Asking for testimony before the 9/11 commission be limited to one hour, a position from which the president later backtracked.

34. Not allowing national Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to testify before the 9/11 commission – Bush changed his mind as pressure mounted.

35. Cutting an FBI request for counterterrorism funds by two-thirds after 9/11.

36. Telling Americans there was a link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda.

37. Failing to adequately secure the nation's nuclear weapons labs.

38. Not feeling a sense of urgency about terrorism or al Qaeda before 9/11.

39. Reducing resources and troop levels in Afghanistan and out before it was fully secure.

40. Not providing security in Afghanistan outside of Kabul, leaving nearly 80% of the Afghan population unprotected in areas controlled by Feudal warlords and local militias.

41. Committing inadequate resources for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

42. Counting too heavily on locally trained troops to fill the void in Afghanistan once U.S. forces were relocated to Iraq.

43. Not committing US ground troops to the capture of Osama Bin Laden, when he was cornered in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan in November, 2001.

44. Allowing opium production to resume on a massive scale after the ouster of the Taliban.

45. Opposing an independent inquiry into the intelligence failures surrounding WMD – later, upon signing off on just such a commission, Bush claimed he was "determined to make sure that American intelligence is as accurate as possible for every challenge in the future."

46. Saying: "We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories."

47. Trusting intelligence gathered by Vice President Cheney's and Secretary Rumsfeld's "Office of Special Plans."

48. Spending $6.5 billion on nuclear weapons this year to develop new nuclear weapons this year – 50% more in real dollars than the average during the cold war – while shortchanging the troops on body armor.

49. Ignoring the importance of the Middle East peace process, which has deteriorated with little oversight or strategy evident in the region.

50. Siding with China in February, 2004 against a democratic referenda proposed by Taiwan, a notable shift from an earlier pledge to stand with "oppressed peoples until the day of their freedom finally arrives."

51. Undermining the War on Terrorism by preemptively invading Iraq.

52. Failing to develop a specific plan for dealing with North Korea.

53. Abandoning the United States' traditional role as an evenhanded negotiator in the Middle East peace process.

54. Signing a report endorsing outsourcing with thousands of American workers having their jobs shipped overseas.

55. Instituting steel tariffs deemed illegal by the World Trade Organization – Bush repealed them 20-months later when the European Union pledged to impose retaliatory sanctions on up to $2.2 billion in exports from the United States.

56. Promoting economic policies that failed to create new jobs.

57. Promoting economic policies that failed to help small businesses

58. Pledging a "jobs and growth" package would create 1,836,000 new jobs by the end of 2003 and 5.5 million new jobs by 2004—so far the president has fallen 1,615,000 jobs short of the mark.

59. Running up a foreign deficit of "such record-breaking proportions that it threatens the financial stability of the global economy."

60. Issuing inaccurate budget forecasts accompanying proposals to reduce the deficit, omitting the continued costs of Iraq, Afghanistan and elements of Homeland Security.

61. Claiming his 2003 tax cut would give 23 million small business owners an average tax cut of $2,042 when "nearly four out of every five tax filers (79%) with small business income would receive less" than that amount.

62. Passing tax cuts for the wealthy while falsely claiming "people in the 10 percent bracket" were benefiting most."

63. Passing successive tax cuts largely responsible for turning a projected surplus of $5 trillion into a projected deficit of $4.3 trillion.

64. Moving to strip millions of overtime pay.

65. Not enforcing corporate tax laws.

66. Backing down from a plan to make CEOs more accountable when "the corporate crowd" protested.

67. Not lobbying oil cartels to change their mind about cutting oil production.

68. Passing tax cuts weighted heavily to help the wealthy.

69. Moving to allow greater media consolidation.

70. Nominating a notorious proponent of outsourcing, Anthony F. Raimondo, to be the new manufacturing Czar—Raimondo withdrew his name days later amidst a flurry of harsh criticism.

71. Ignoring calls to extend unemployment benefits with long-term unemployment reaching a twenty-year high

72. Threatening to veto pension legislation that would give companies much needed temporary relief.

73. Under-funding No Child Left Behind

74. Breaking his campaign pledge to increase the size of Pell grants.

75. Signing off on an FY 2005 budget proposing the smallest increase in education funding in nine years.

76. Under-funding the Title I Program, specifically targeted for disadvantaged kids, by $7.2 billion.

77. Freezing Teacher Quality State Grants, cutting off training opportunities for about 30,000 teachers, and leaving 92,000 less

teachers trained than the president called for in his own No Child Left Behind bill.

78. Freezing funding for English language training programs.

79. Freezing funding for after school programs, potentially eliminating 50,000 children from after-school programs.

80. Not leveling with Americans about the cost of Medicare – the president told Congress his new Medicare bill would cost $400 billion over ten years despite conclusions by his own analysts the bill would cost upwards of $500 billion over that period.

81. Silencing Medicare actuary Richard Foster when his estimates for the Administration's Medicare bill were too high.

82. Letting business associate David Halbert, who owns a company which stands to make millions from new discount drug cards, craft key elements of the new Medicare bill.

83. Underfunding health care for troops and veterans.

84. Allowing loopholes to persist in Mad-Cow regulations.

85. Relaxing food labeling restrictions on health claims.

86. Falsely claiming the restrictions on stem cell research would not hamper medical progress.

87. Reducing action against improper drug advertising by 80 percent.

88. Abandoning the Kyoto Treaty without offering an alternative for reducing greenhouse effect.

89. Counting on a voluntary program to reduce emissions of harmful gasses—so far only a tiny fraction of American companies have signed up.

90. Gutting clean air standards for aging power plants.

91. Weakening energy efficiency standards.

92. Relaxing dumping standards for mountaintop mining, and opening the Florida Everglades and Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest to mining.

93. Lifting protection for more than 200 million acres of public land.

94. Limiting public challenges to logging projects and increased logging in protected areas, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest.

95. Weakening environmental standards for snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles while pushing for exemptions for air pollution proposals for five categories of industrial facilities.

96. Opposing legislation that would require greater fuel efficiency for passenger cars.

97. Reducing inspections, penalties for violations, and prosecution of environmental crimes.

98. Misleading the public about the Washington mad cow case and the likely effectiveness of USDA's weak testing program.

99. Withdrawing public information on chemical plant dangers, previously used to hold facilities accountable for safety improvements.

100. Cutting grants to state and local governments in FY 2005, forcing states to make massive cuts in job training, education, housing and environment. ~ Center for American Progress

Forget all the Hype - Duck the Sucker Punch

2009-03-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Hype #1 - The Republicans are against raising taxes and for a balanced budget.

Translation - What are they really trying to say? We can spend the country into a hole while lowering taxes for the wealthy and Corporations while shipping jobs overseas and maximizing profits with no oversight, but you can't try to fix the imbalance we created.

Hype #2 - That's all controlled by the "Law of Supply and Demand"

Translation - We want to control the supply in order to maximize profits by producing less and charging more.

Hype #3 - We should concentrate on the problems with the banking system.

Translation - We can help the poorly run and Ponzi-like financial district but not the teachers, manufacturing workers, unemployed. We can help the debtor states (mostly Red States) but not their poor. We can help Bankers but not the Artists that make us think and give us comfort.

Hype #4 - We don't want Obama's policies to fail and Rush is not our leader.

Translation - We don't want to work with this administration because if it succeeds we will not get elected and if we agree to work with the Obama Administration Rush Limbaugh won't support us and we will lose the election. So we must block all efforts to make America stronger to please Rush but make it look like we have valid reasons to kill every effort to succeed.

Hype #5 - We are the party of Lincoln

Translation - Yup the party of Lincoln and Grover Norquist, and Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Oliver North, Bill Frist, Tom Delay, Newt Gingrich and a bevy of slight of hand prevaricators. You party fought Civil Rights in the past and still does and all the Michael Steel's will not make it so; Abe Lincoln's party

you are not.

Foreclosure While We Wait

2009-03-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

You don't need to think hard about the effects of Gridlock when a Presidential administration is backed by a lockstep group in Congress to milk every ounce of vitality out of an economy. Here is the result.

Taxes vs Dow Jones

2009-03-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

The Dow Jones was at 13,028.16 on May 19, 2008 today its at 6,626.94. According to my calculations that's a drop of 6,401.22 or roughly 49%. I was wondering if the Gridlocking Republicans understand that their Administration brought this all on when they whine incessantly about a top income tax rate for the wealthiest Americans that would go from 35 percent to 39.6 percent for a grand total of 4.6%.

How many people saw their retirement, education for the children, their homes disintegrate this last year? Yet they cry foul and sick their hitmen like Rush Limbaugh, the Fox Network, Michael Steele, John Boehner, Cantor (the Elf) and hundreds of minions blast any plan to fix the problem. So what do they offer, TAX CUTS. But they don't care if Barack Obama already said he would lower rates for those making less that $250,000/year. The GOP wants more tax cuts for the wealthy and less government. Less Government at a time when the government is the only hope of salvaging the economy by spending on the infrastructure of this country and pumping money into job creating initiatives.

John McCain doesn't want earmarks? OK John create a list of the earmarks but tell us if they will create jobs and how many jobs does each earmark represent. What really are they for and don't tell me Salt Marsh Mice or the mating habits of the mosquito to unless you can explain why they are bad projects in an intelligent manner. If they are junk going nowhere let us decide. Also would you please tell us the party and identity of the person adding the earmark? If possible tell us why that earmark was put in the appropriation or budget. Some earmarks may actually be good, I hope you know that.

Maybe the single payer system for Health Care could be explained to us ordinary folks. Why don't you tell us all why you call a system used by most developed countries like Great Britain and France. Out health care system over the years has been falling apart:

Why doesn’t the United States have universal health care as a right of citizenship? The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee access to health care as a right of citizenship. Twenty-Eight industrialized nations have single payer universal health care systems, while 1 (Germany) has a multipayer universal health care system like President Clinton proposed for the United States.

The United States ranks 23rd in infant mortality, down from 12th in 1960 and 21st in 1990
The United States ranks 20th in life expectancy for women down from 1st in 1945 and 13th in 1960
The United States ranks 21st in life expectancy for men down from 1st in 1945 and 17th in 1960.
The United States ranks between 50th and 100th in immunizations depending on the immunization. Overall US is 67th, right behind Botswana

Don't rail on and on like Zach Wamp, the always self-assured Tennessee congressman, who on MSNBC this morning, railed against any health-care reform effort, calling it a move toward “socialism” and that Obama was engaging in almost “class warfare.”

Well, well, well I hate to tell you Zach but this country cares about its people. If you think it's socialism to help a fellow citizen perhaps it isn't "class warfare" it may just be America finding its roots and its soul.

--end rant--

Double feature and a Note

2009-03-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

Double feature today

First Jon Stewart's great shot at CNBC if you missed it you missed perfection in political commentary so here it is

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Second is the charge that the Democratic Party is putting too much emphasis on Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the Republican Party. After all the apologies to Rush in the past and now from Michael Steele (Head of the RNC) perhaps the Democratic Party is just letting us know the real force behind the GOP.

I wrote this on Newsvine yesterday and can only imagine why the Republican Party bows to this angry vile charlatan and some of the other wingnut preachers. That is their base and unless they (the GOP) joins most of this country in shunning people like Rush their base will continue to shrink. If they don't also start contributing to solutions for the economic problems of this country they will wither and die. They did get the South by refusing to support Civil Rights but perhaps that will end soon when unemployed southerners realize it was NOT the Republican that voted to help them with jobs, housing, health care and energy shortages and high prices.

* Note Speaking of Health Care - We all remember the GOP adage "Law of Supply and Demand" somehow I think they forgot the other adage about "Charging what the Market will Bear." I figure someone may soon figure out the Market can no longer bear unbearable profit.

Oil company the confidence game.

2009-02-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

Here we go again the old "oil refining capacity scam" so prices are expected to rise. I fell so sad for the poor oil companies who can't seem to have the capacity and production capability ..... until the prices go up. All of a sudden production does increase but then of course the "demand" is so high prices need to remain up.

The law of supply and demand is really intended in a free market economy but the market is never free when supply can be controlled by any business in collusion or with a monopoly. Honestly will the news people ever get a clue about what is happening. Oil companies should be expected to forecast demand and stockpile for the heavy use periods. The real question is have they already stockpiled the cheap oil purchased when the price was low and will sell at a high price feigning capacity problems.

If we are considering nationalizing the banks why not do the same with oil and gas products. They are a necessity for every family in this country and the unreasonable profits by Exxon/Mobile are a perfect example of redistribution of wealth in the toughest of times.

"In hearings before Congress last year, oil executives outlined plans to increase fuel production by expanding their existing refineries. Those plans would add capacity of 1.6 million to 1.8 million barrels a day over the next five years, for an increase of 10 percent, according to the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association.

But those plans have since been winnowed to no more than 1 million barrels a day, according to the Energy Information Administration, an arm of the federal government."

How much of the current economic meltdown is caused by Oil Company practices of creating high demand either literally because of poor planning or scare tactics. Every time the oil companies hint of shortage, capacity, storms in the Gulf, war in the middle east do the speculators and oil companies drive the prices to new highs.

Bring on the lobbyists and their minions... more gridlock ahead and who needed that family vacation anyway.

Como esta?

2009-02-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

This is not a unique thought expressed by Bill Balsamico a restaurant & bar owner in North Versailles, PA. He's complaining about having the option of a message in English or Spanish.

There are many Americans that are frustrated not just with this message but when they hit the number 1 they may get a person on the other end of the line who speaks Englishso broken they are hard to understand.

So it isn't hard to understand Bill's Billboards and why he does them. Casa D'Ice was originally an ice house that Bill converted into a successful business and he succeeded so why do we have to molly coddle those who cannot speak English?

First of all I have to say we have always had immigrants most of whom have and did learn English and unless we want to change the nature and history of our country we will always encounter people with language problems.

"...obviously, knowledge of a language is an acquired, not an inherent, characteristic — anyone can learn English, regardless of nationality or skin color. After all, immigrants already in the United States who don't speak English are lining up for classes, confident that learning English will improve their prospects. And millions of newcomers have indeed mastered English as a second language, their children often growing up not speaking the language of the old country at all." ~ Center for Immigration Studies

I don't think it's disrespectful to Bill to point out that not everyone who comes into this country does not already speak English and need to learn it in school. I also don't think we should assume that everyone who visits the United States including Family of citizens and tourists can speak English.

I've traveled to Mexico and I do not speak Spanish and was pleased to find that the places I visited generally had people there to help me with the language barriers. I don't think this country, in general, is any less thoughtful as those in Mexico. So I take that small inconvenience of dialing 1 should not be a problem when we understand why it is done.

New citizens to this country, contrary to some opinions that differ, do want to learn English to succeed and do want English language classes but they are not all wealthy. Here is an example.

"... some 600 immigrant adults were jammed into the auditorium of Fuller Middle School. Everyone knew the school’s free ESL courses were an obligatory stop for immigrants eager to learn the language of their future -- but that not all of them would get enrolled.

“If you don’t speak English, you’re missing out at work, at home. When you do, you’re more respected,” said Luciene Campos in Portuguese. Campos is a Brazilian immigrant who was trying for the second time to get into one of Fuller's ESL courses. Waiting patiently with her was a little girl, a friend's daughter, whom Campos was babysitting.

“I am sorry we don’t have spots available for everybody. This lottery is the fairest way to distribute spots,” said Christine Tibur, speaking into a microphone. Tibur, the director of ESL, created the lottery when, in 2002, she saw prospective ESL students sleeping on the school’s sidewalks the night before enrollment day."

Only 185 of the 600 who entered the lottery was chosen.

Believe me when I say it's easier to press that "1" even a few times a day than learn a foreign language, win a lottery or have to wait until you have the money for classes. If we want new citizen applicants and new citizens to learn our language then forgive them the #1 we have to dial.

I don't like gridlock

2009-02-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

I certainly do not like gridlock so I'm not going to say anything bad about the Republican Party. They are fellow citizens and as such I would fight for their right to disagree or agree with any bill. I respect them all and honor their service.

That said, I don't have to agree with them either and if they want to fight against change so be it. I believe the Democrat party for the most part is up to the task of making this government not a top-down or a bottom-up but a middle-out type of government.

The answer is proximity and the middle can see both the top and bottom kind of like looking at Russia from Alaska only better. Many of the middle class started at the bottom and some of the middle class hangs out, rarely but sometimes, with the upper crust. It's almost never, if ever the top sees the bottom or the bottom sees the top (maybe a caricature.)

For those at the top I have to say people on the bottom are all stupid lazy, dumb, and criminals. For those on the bottom I have to say people on the top are not all selfish, greedy, heartless and criminals. People in the middle aren't perfect or totally terrible either.

As a Libra and a left-handed guy I've seen both sides. I've received unemployment and food stamps and I've stayed a few nights at the Ritz Carlton and a Beverly Hills hotel on Rodeo Drive. I've lived on every coast (Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific) of the continental US of A. I've driven across the country 4 times and from Mexico to Canada. I love this country and I've seen it all. I'm not just saying that because I'm supposed to say it.

So when congress votes I promise not to ridicule the Congresswomen and Congressmen. They are only reflecting their constituents views. I must correct myself though they are reflecting the views of those who vote and those write to them expressing an opinion. I will write my congressional representatives when any vote comes to the floor and after their votes are cast. I'll say good job when they vote for things I want and tell them I'm keeping track when they do not. I will always vote.

From the last vote for the Restoration/Stimulus/bailout/Jobs Creation/Tax Break bill I can see that any reasonable bill will likely pass and that's all any of us can ask. I don't worry about gridlock or filibuster and not even bill defeats.

I do believe sometimes the opposition party can be right and needs to be listened to fairly. I hope more inclusion starts to happen in government. I don't necessarily think the POTUS should have to go out of his way talk to the other party but he should definitely listen to them with an open mind.

I do believe the Republicans will eventually put up better people and jettison the few duds they now have and I think the Democrat party should do the same.

Ah! Change is in the air
Can spring be far behind
Oh ! May, May
The merry month of May
Out year maneuvering begins today (well actually in 89 days)

THe Collegial

2009-02-13T16:40:00.001-08:00

Bipartisan Baloney

2009-02-12T22:47:00.000-08:00

Does the news readers these days know what bipartisan means? Why is it you bright politicos can't seem to understand that bipartisanism relates to the involvement of members of two parties ; (notice that's a small "p" parties) specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political Parties (Large "P" parties.)

To expect the lockstep Republicans to agree to or cooperate with the Democrat Party is a little too much to ask if we really want the change the people of the United Stated mandated in the election. I find it unbelievable that the Republican party except for a few expect the Democrats to bend over backwards to feed their horribly insensitive and selfish greed.

All the changes the minority party wanted to the recovery bill were aimed at taking from the poor and middle class and giving to those who do not need any more than they already have. Even their beloved tax breaks reduced amount of the Obama tax break for the working middle class by 20%.

I'm personally happy Barack wants bipartisanship but if the Republican party really cares about their country they would stop whining and acting like they "know it all" and try for once to act like decent people. Nancy Pelosi is not a horrible witch as they portray her, Harry Reed is no wimp. If you guys want respect earn it for a change or you will learn about humility the hard way - by being humiliated.

The "Gipper of Gridlock" and his Magic Number

2009-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Mitch McConnell is a real leader. Not because I think he is the brightest egg in the crate but he seems to be leading the gridlock effort. Mitch is either a master at conflation and fogging or someone writes his talking points and he is too un-inquisitive to wonder if there is any logic involved.

I heard him today stating one of those hard rules that are not based on anything other than someone's opinion. People who live by "hard and fast" rules must have never played team sports. He seems to think the answer to everything lies in the ratio of government spending and Gross Domestic Product.

There is something inflexible and unrealistic in thinking that ratio must be a always at one figure of 20%. The fact is is has not been at 20% since 1937. It's a little like saying that whenever they play Tiger Woods must always be 2 strokes ahead of Phil Michelson or the golfing world will go to hell in a hand basket. Of course now that the Republicans are out of power concern about the National Debt will become something they "invented." When actually it looks to me like their party was the one that invented National Dept as an actuality.

I like when people can stand by their principals but I like even more when people can take stock of their principals and see when they need adjusting. Now is the time Mitch to understand that ratios must change for the greater good.

Gross Domestic Product is taking a huge hit. as you can see here. Does Mitch ever stop to think maybe it's the business community that's failing and the government is helping the country succeed. If they want GDP to grow when will we see more jobs and less insistence on tax cuts.

I for one am glad the government is creating jobs in the "private" sector and if Mitch McConnell (Republican Senate Leader "The Mr. Spock of pond scum) , Eric Cantor (Republican Wimp) and John Boehner (House Minority Leader & Head of Bluster) all put their heads together they might understand the folly of their position.

Investment Crisis

2009-02-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

What exactly is the "Investor Class?" I've see all kinds of examples mostly dealing with those who invest in stocks, bonds or other financial instruments. I did finally find one that included real estate.
To folks like John McCain the investor class is seen as the wealthy who he sees as the people who make America great. To others it's any worker who has their retirement funds managed by an investment company.

To me it has been the investment in my children and home and in the community. I worked for several years for non-profit organizations.

Today after a good career in Information Technology and some financially trying times. We moved to and bought a home in Oregon. The plan was to live in this home for 6 years and sell the home and buy a small place we could afford on a much lower income. What I'm saying is my investment like many others is my home. Like the Investor class my investment is now as worthless as Enron Stock.

We all (or most of us) work hard to have a decent life there is just something wrong when the greed of others drain the rest of us. I do feel bad for the well off whose investments failed and will have to make do with less and have to live on a thin income. I feel worse for those who never had the chance to invest in more than their car and a good TV. There are others even worse off.

For the wealthy and the corporations who make unimaginably huge profits and salaries and bonuses at the expense of everyone else and whine about the tax on their excess I feel nothing.
There are some very wealthy people I admire however who give back to the world. Bill and Melinda Gates, Bono, Oprah and many others including Brad and Angelina. Being wealthy is not a curse and being poor doesn't make you a good person.

It's time the investor class invest in their own country a bit more.

Gridlock and Open-mindedness

2009-02-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

We are so shaped by the media. Not just the Main Stream Media and personally I don't think they are really main street anymore. There is also the very successful Right Wing Media led by Rush Limbaugh and other fear and lie mongers who want us to believe they are the majority and they are the "real" America.

The pendulum has swung way far right and the Republican Party's original fiscal conservatism to a more theocratic ideology and a "false patriotism" that insists that we cannot be a great country without being able to tell everyone else how to live.

Way too much is ass/u/me/d about right and wrong and we have fallen into an inflexible paradox. The more we think we know about what is acceptable the less is actually acceptable and we are trapped in a less free society.

One day we will figure out that free speech is a good thing and that bad ideas will fail and good ideas will succeed in a free thinking society.

I ran across this video from the Bill Moyers TV show that should make you really think. If it doesn't make I am sorry for you and gridlock is inevitable.

Dick Cheney and the wisdom of Vermont

2009-02-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

My friend Jim loves to go fly fishing in Vermont, New Hampshire - well actually anywhere in the world that has brooks, creeks, rivers and fish. I just realized lately why the sayings "The truth shall set you free" and "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" ring so true.

Fact is Jim can actually do just that - fly fish virtually anywhere he likes even here in Oregon.

Dick Cheney is not so lucky as Rachael Maddow points out in the video below:

What a hoot that this self-proclaimed "defender of freedom" is nothing more than a pig-headed, self aggrandizing, criminal who could care less about freedom. Just desserts comes to mind.

Beggars and Donors States

2009-02-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

I heard a term today used by Charlie Crist I'd never heard before. He was talking about donor states. He said Florida was a "donor state" so I looked it up on the net. Here is what I found. Donor states are the states that give more to the economy than they get back. So I got that list of states. Then I got the Blue state vs Red state list.

I found the results interesting:

There was only one Donor State that was Red (Voted Republican) and that was Texas (5%)
21 of the 22 Republican States were Beggar States (95%)
16 of the 28 Democrat States were Donor States (57%)
12 of the 28 Democrat States were Beggar States (43%)

Why is it the Republican Party and the Press always paint the Republicans as fiscally responsible and the Democrat party as tax and spend irresponsible politicians? How in this beautiful world do they get away with it?

It looks to me like the Republican Party is much like the irresponsible business leaders (they are not all irresponsible - you know who I'm talking about Merrill Lynch +.) Did the Republican Party do anything about the spending over the last 7 years?

President Obama can never be totally honest talking about the mess he inherited without hurting the small minded egos of the opposition party so why even try. Those Republicans who have the courage and wisdom to acknowledge the past will always be welcomed but they need to recognize they have no power left only the power to subvert the Obama efforts to save this economy. If they do subvert the effort they will lose the right to to be called patriots. The only weapon they have left is gridlock and filibuster.

Opinions Welcomed in the comments section.

I Just Love Gridlock - NOT!

2009-02-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

What really is courage? Wikipedia says:

"Courage, also known as bravery, will, intrepidity, and fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation."

A little further Wiki says:

"Civil courage (sometimes also referred to as "Social courage") is defined by many different standards, but the term is usually referred to when civilians stand up against something that is deemed unjust and evil, knowing that the consequences of their action might lead to their death, injury, or any other negative effect."

We may not be in total Gridlock but as long as a particular political party votes to oppose every attempt to repair the economy we may just get there. It's a little like a group of people trying to douse a fire before it destroys their home (assume that it's a big home in Alaska and they all live there in winter to keep from freezing to death.) There is an ample supply of water to put out the fire if they act fast.the water is 150 feet north of the house and there are 30 people. Now assume sixteen of the people want to face west when they pass the buckets because they are Westerners. The other fourteen want to face east while passing the buckets because they are easterners. That might work fine so they frantically talk about how to form the lines. They even vote for several proposals. Since 53% vote to face west and 47% vote to face east the easterners refuse to go along.

Neither side budges but the leader of the Westerners presents a plan that they will alternate west then east etc. Since there are more Westerners to do this the one who pulls the water out at the beginning of the line must be a Westerner and the person throwing water on the flames must also be a westerner.

The easterners more concerned for their status in the community than giving in refuse on the grounds that they are not being respected and refuse to participate.

It is just to slow for the westerners to put out the fire alone but they try and just can't keep up with the fire and the house is lost. They all suffer that winter and many westerners and easterners die of frostbite and exposure. The easterners go to their graves proud of their courage in not wavering and sticking to their ideas. The westerners go to theirs saying they tried.

It wasn't just those who fought over the fire line that died it was also tall of their children and elderly parents who were too young or old to survive.

The moral is that Gridlock Kills.

"Why can't the politicians in Washington get together to solve problems we face every day?" As a governor recently told Congress, "Do something. Anything. Move."
Some say our politicians lack political courage. But that's not exactly it. They have plenty of courage to fight each other. But they lack the courage to put partisanship aside and work for the good of the country. ~By William D. Novelli Reprinted from the January 2008 AARP Bulletin

If this were truly a free country our representatives in government and those who support them would understand and do what is right with true courage. Party ideology and block voting only shows me how poorly server we all are these days. I haven't seen one Republican with the guts to stand up for their country and lead rather than follow the lemmings over the cliff.

Of f The Grid(lock)

2009-01-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

Bonus Bonanza - Rewarding Failure

Sen. Claire McCaskill offered a bill capping pay at any company accepting federal bailout dollars. The cap would be what the President makes: $400,000 a year. The McCaskill plan would include salary, bonuses, and stock options.

Some have offered the opinion that the salary cap is not in keeping with the capitalistic principals that all incentive would be taken away from managing business if the government could limit compensation.

I would have to agree if we tried to limit compensation for every company but in this case it would only be those companies/corporations receiving bailout money. It makes sense and if you think executives need incentive to run their companies better. Can you think of a better incentive for getting their organizations off the government dole.

Speaking of Gridlock

How about those Representatives how can we have gridlock if there isn't equity and there were not enough Republicans, even with 11 Democrats, to block the Obama Stimulus Package. Sad thing is the bill was stripped of some issues objected to by the Republicans and still they didn't cast 1 vote for the bill.

So what is the message? The President (POTUS) wants to work with the other party but they refuse to play. Barack Obama ruffled some feathers of his own party to give a bit but was totally rejected. He is a smart man and sooner or later he is going to figure out why even try. Maybe he is smarter than all of us and will continue to seek workable answers to difficult issues from all sides including Libertarians and we will recover.

Wishing for failure of the current Administration, especially after supporting the last administration, like Rush Limbaugh has done must surely convince some of his followers that Rush is an opportunist and lacks the sense that "God gave a Goose."

I'll follow the progress or lack thereof regarding gridlock and report from time to time for my own amusement and perhaps a few other lost souls who are just as frustrated as I am regarding the dividing of the UNITED States.

Gridlock Games

The Guilded Age becomes the Glutted Age

Common Sense and common senseless

This mid-term election isn't important to our country

.Vote Reminder!!!

Vote Reminder! This election is very important- Since when is the DMV part of the Federal Government? I got my drivers license in 15 minutes today - and where on earth is McDonald's considered a good meal rather than an unhealthy snack

Vote Reminder! This election is very important one more reason -Carl Paladino

Another reason to vote in the Mid term election - Keep Feingold in Wisconsin

Vote Reminder! This election is very important Wacko personified

Vote Reminder! This election is very important - Art Robinson can't answer a question without being beligerant - oh I know Rachel is a Progressive - but this man has a short fuse. Vote DeFazio

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

Vote Reminder !!! If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

If you don't think this mid-term election isn't important to our country

The Fourth Estate - Mass Media - Seducing the Masses

Headline: Chamber Of Commerce Calls Out Obama On Jobs

Let Them Eat Dirt - Republicans to the Unemployed

GTL - Gun Toting Liberals Mass at Town Hall

How to Save the Economy

Timelines Do Make Sense in the Big Picture

A fool and his country are soon parted

My Mass E-mail from President Obama

(fill in the blank) baby (fill in the blank)

Get that President a Wetsuit

Tea Party Logic Fails

Elena Kagan and the Keystone Republican't Cops

There is No Comparison - At All

The real "Death Panels" Insurance Companies

Wedge Issues and Division

Obama's Fatal Flaw

Marketing Incompetence

As true today as in the 60’s

Pesident Obama sees Republicant's in Retreat

Free Speech? Oh Really?

Who is more out of touch - Both Parties

Game Change and the Spin

The Conservative Test - No Thought Involved

Why is the most powerful country in the world...

Top Countries by Download Speed

Like Flipping a Switch - Corsi Paranoia

The Landscape of the US

We WILL Vote

What a Warrior - or Not

Run for Our Lives

Republicant - Where Logic and Reason Fail

Grapes to Vinegar - Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Alan Grayson - The New Dude

From a Dr. Friend

Republican'ts in the UK - Yikes!!!

Will Farrel - Something Terrible is Happening

True Health Care Reform D.O.A. - A Fable?

Let's Just Stop Writing Laws

Better than Cash for Clunkers - A laugh at cars

The "Bad" Joe Wilson

Can we afford half "S" change

What I Wish

So let me get this correct people don't want their children "indoctrinated" so they indoctrinate them to not trust their President? Doesn't make sense.

Whose Death Panel was that?

Glen Beck - The New Howard Beale Sans Brain

Health Care in the US - The Facts

Make Health Care for All a National Priority

Polls and Deception

Renaming the Democratic Party

Tortured Logic

I thought republican'ts ...

How Sad for America.

Ruben, Ruben I've been thinking (Have you)

What a [Dick] Cheney

Flipantcy Run Amok

Firearm Refresher Course - oh really?

The Great Teleprompter Debate

Forget all the Hype - Duck the Sucker Punch

Foreclosure While We Wait

Taxes vs Dow Jones

Double feature and a Note

Oil company the confidence game.

Como esta?

I don't like gridlock

THe Collegial

Bipartisan Baloney