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...admittedly more upbeat than my own (as written by my old friend ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) languagevirus and posted in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) liberal_talk)... Please take a few minutes to read it and share your thoughts with me: I've been as upset as most of my other progressive friends about the changes that have been imposed on the health care reform bill in the senate, and over how the most important measures seem to keep getting stripped out in order to please "moderates", insurance & pharmaceutical industry shills, abortion opponents and, of course, Joe "Look-At-Me-I'm-A-Pompous-Little-Man-With-Shit-for-Brains" Lieberman. But, I have to say that once I took a few deep breaths and did some reading, this is actually exactly par for the course when major social legislation is enacted. I find that a historical view is essential to keep things in perspective:
1) The Civil Rights Act of 1957:
- When Lyndon Johnson (as senate majority leader) passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, he faced all the same shamelessly hypocritical opposition that health care reform faces today, including hysterical claims that civil rights represented a takeover of states rights by the federal government, etc. This was the legislation that Strom "I Love Black Women" Thurmond filibustered for 24 hours straight, setting a record that sill stands. LBJ had to make so many compromises to win the support of southern dixiecrats, including stripping out anti-lynching provisions, that the final bill was almost completely ineffective. In fact, fewer african americans were registered to vote in 1960 than had been registered in 1956. But, the logjam had been broken, and "It did however open the door to later legislation that was effective in securing voting rights as well as ending legal segregation and providing housing rights. In particular, it established both the Commission on Civil Rights and the office of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Subsequently, on December 9, 1957, the Civil Rights Division was established within the Justice Department by order of Attorney General William P. Rogers, giving the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights a distinct division to command." (wikipedia). By passing an imperfect bill, LBJ established the framework for later improvements and expansions that provided true civil rights.
2) Social Security:
- When Franklin Roosevelt passed Social Security, it had to be watered down so severely in order for him to get it passed that at first it didn't even cover african-americans. Republicans screamed that social security was socialism and that it would cause the loss of millions of jobs. In the version that was finally passed, women and minorities were excluded from unemployment insurance and old age pensions. Jobs that employed mostly women and minorities were also excluded, including workers in agricultural labor, domestic service, government employees, and many teachers, nurses, hospital employees, librarians, and social workers. "Nearly two-thirds of all African Americans in the labor force, 70 to 80% in some areas in the South, and just over half of all women employed were not [initially] covered by Social Security" (Wikipedia). But, as Paul Krugman wrote in yesterday's New York Times "Social Security originally had huge gaps in coverage — and a majority of African-Americans, in particular, fell through those gaps. But it was improved over time, and it’s now the bedrock of retirement stability for the vast majority of Americans."
3) The Emancipation Proclamation:
- Finally, when Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation, it was also a very circumscribed piece of legislation that disappointed many abolitionists of the day. Josh Marshall discussed this at Talking Points Memo (www.tpm.com) and is worth quoting at length:
"Like President Obama, President Lincoln was seen by many of his supporters as something of a disappointment once in office. This was largely due to the number and types of compromises he needed to make, most notably with the institution of slavery. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln came out and said that he was not bound and determined to end slavery, that the President does not in any case have the power to unilaterally change the law of the land, and that his first priority was the preservation of the Union, even if the price of that preservation was to accept the continuation of slavery. During the war, when pressed by a group of ministers about why he had not more forcefully worked to end slavery, he reiterated that his overriding priority was to preserve the Union, and added that there were four slave states which had stayed loyal and which were currently contributing 50,000 soldiers to the war effort; these, he pointed out, were states and soldiers which he could not afford to lose in a dispute over slavery.
"When Lincoln finally issed the Emancipation Proclamation, its scope was remarkably circumscribed: it did not call for the emancipation of slaves in loyal states (for this, Lincoln would need the participation of Congress, and in any event, as described above, he did not seek such an act for fear of worsening the Union's position in the war); it did not call for the emancipation of slaves in those areas under military control by the Union; it limited emancipation to those areas which would be brought under military control subsequent to January 1, 1863, which was about 3 months after the Proclamation itself was issued. As one historian noted, this meant the Proclamation carefully excused all of the slaves which the United States actually had any authority over at the time of issuance! As another historian noted, the Proclamation was in essence the offer of a bribe: any state then in rebellion which would lay down its arms and return to the Union would not be compelled to give up its slaves; any state conquered by force of arms after January 1, 1863 would be so compelled.
"Needless to say, the Proclamation was seen by anti-slavery partisans of the time as wholly unacceptable, a compromise too far, and yet more evidence of the unfitness of their elected standard-bearer in the White House. And yet, as Foote points out, Lincoln is today hailed as the preserver of the Union, which he was, but as The Great Emancipator, which he was not. This is because the Proclamation, while useless in a practical sense at the moment of issuance, was the crucial starting point for the abolition of slavery, a project which was completed just a few years later."
Final thoughts:
So - my view, and the view of many people who I respect, is that many, if not all, social insurance programs tend to start out highly compromised, imperfect and incomplete. But, one the precedent has been set, and a framework is in place, then the programs can get better and more comprehensive with subsequent revisions and expansions.
- Obama knows this, he takes a long-term view to these issues, which is why he can maintain such calm and equanimity throughout the process.
- The Republicans know this, and they know that social programs tend to be quite popular once they are enacted (you don't see many of the older tea-baggers volunteering to give up Medicare, do you?), so they are fighting tooth and nail to deny Obama and the Democrats a victory.
- The insurance and pharmaceutical companies know this too - even if there is a short term benefit to them, the longer term trend will be to reduce costs and improve coverage, which will ultimately force change to their industries.
By passing the bill, universal coverage will be established as a goal and the process of cost containment will begin. The Internet and 24-hour news coverage allow us unprecedented views of the nitty-gritty of the legislative sausage-making process, and it's ugly up close, but if health reform passes, and I pray with every cell in my resolutely atheist heart that it does, Obama will be on track to be the greatest president since FDR. Tags: barack obama, health care, history, social security
From: Chicago
Mood:  Hm
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Spend, die, rinse, repeat... President Obama met Monday evening with his national security team to finalize a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he's called "a war of necessity" in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told McClatchy. Obama is expected to announce his decision on Dec. 1st, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill aimed at winning congressional support amid opposition by some Democrats who are worried about the strain on the U.S. Treasury and whether Afghanistan has become a quagmire, the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal could arrive in Washington as early as Sunday to participate in the rollout of the new plan, including testifying before Congress toward the end of next week. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry also are expected to appear before congressional committees. As it now stands, the plan calls for the deployment over a nine-month period beginning in March of three Army brigades from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and a Marine brigade from Camp Lejeune. In addition, a 7,000-strong division headquarters would be sent to take command of U.S.-led NATO forces in southern Afghanistan and 4,000 U.S. military trainers would be dispatched to help accelerate an expansion of the Afghan army and police. There are currently 68,000 U.S. troops and 42,000 from other countries in Afghanistan. The U.S. Army's recently revised counterinsurgency manual estimates that an all-out counterinsurgency campaign in a country with Afghanistan's population would require about 600,000 troops. Obama campaigned saying that he'd fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from the defense budget, but Mullen has said that the Afghan war — which some administration officials privately concede could cost $700 billion to $1 trillion over 10 years — might require a supplemental funding bill next year. Some senior Democrats have suggested that the administration may need to raise taxes in order to pay for the additional troops. Full article here.Tags: afghanistan, barack obama, dead u.s. troops, dumb americans, military stupidity, taxpayer money, war on terror
From: Chicago
Mood:  Ugh
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...or completely ruin it. First, watch this mess: Done laughing (and/or gagging)? Gotta be a parody... an awful YouTube gag video.... right? OK, now read this altogether frightening fascinating piece - "The Very Separate World of Conservative Republicans" - based on a focus group study conducted by the Democracy Corps. Seriously, read it all the way through. Thoughts/opinions most welcome (especially from the small handful of right-wingers that read this journal). Excerpted: "(I)t was striking how these voters constantly characterized themselves as part of a group of individuals who share a set of beliefs, a unique knowledge, and a commitment of opposition to Obama that sets them apart from the majority of the country [...] They also believe they possess a level of knowledge and understanding gained from a rejection of the mainstream media and an embrace of conservative media and pundits such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, which sets them apart even more.
"Further, they believe this position leaves them with a responsibility to spread the word, to educate those who do not share their insights, and to take back the country that they love [...] confident that their numbers will grow, and that they will ultimately defeat Barack Obama and the shadowy forces driving his hidden agenda.
And yet, remarkably, these voters had virtually nothing positive to say about the Republican Party..." Thanks to darksumomo for the article link. Tags: barack obama, politics, right-wing lunatics, tea bagging, youtube
From: Chicago
Mood:  *boggle*
Now Playing: Juicer (Fresh Pears Today)
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We woke up this morning with images on cable news and the Internet of President Obama solemnly saluting as the casket of a fallen soldier was carried in honor from a C-17 in Dover back home into the United States. The president, through his visit, brought a national spotlight onto the grimmest reality of the war in Afghanistan... 
(Hat-tip Tom Matzzie)This return would've otherwise gone without much notice just like the thousands before it. The images of America's troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in caskets have been few and far between in the eight years since the wars began. That fact has too often created distance between the American people and the military families who carry their grief. President Obama didn't have to go to Dover. George W. Bush never did. Obama could've stayed back at the White House and kept some distance from the war — almost suggesting it is the responsibility of the former president. But instead, he chose to put himself firmly in front as the Commander in Chief. He chose to create an image that will likely endure through his presidency and as part of his legacy. What a dramatic contrast to images from the last presidency of George W. Bush flying over a battered New Orleans or the now-infamous " Mission Accomplished" day. Unfortunately, although it is only a few hours since the president returned from Dover, we should expect that the Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks of the world will start whining about the president's visit accusing him of exploiting the event. Their vile script is so predictable that I can write this just after 9 AM with confidence that they'll do it. But our president should always be reminding the American people of the sacrifice our troops make. As of a few days, ago October has been the deadliest month yet of the war in Afghanistan — with 54 American soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice. No matter what your political views are or your position on the wars, we should never forget those making that sacrifice. Mr. President, thank you for reminding all of us. Tags: afghanistan, barack obama, dead u.s. troops, iraq, military, veterans, war
From: Chicago
Mood:  Thoughtful
Now Playing: Pumpkin carving
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I just finished reading the full text of the president's address to our nation's schoolchildren, scheduled for tomorrow...  Funny, I can't find a word about the Prophet Muhammad, universal health care, gay marriage, abortion on demand, banning guns, forced euthanasia, Bill Ayers, the war on Christmas, government re-education camps or Karl Marx... Guess I'll just sit here and hold my breath until someone from the right wing shows me the " indoctrination" part. Fuckin' imbeciles. Tags: barack obama, children, communism, dumb americans, education, loathsome people, lying liars, media hacks, republican scum, republican smear, right-wing hate radio, right-wing lunatics, swiftboat
From: Chicago
Mood:  Turning Blue
Now Playing: 'A Fool Such As I' - Slim Whitman
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The wholesale slaughter of the gray wolf is now back in full swing, thanks to Obama's decision to continue Bush's irresponsible environmental policies... 
(Hat-tip Chris in Paris)What a disappointment and waste of years of recovery efforts by the federal government. After being on the endangered species list for years (and with wolf populations slowly coming back), it's all gone, quicker than you can say "special interest." At least Obama can wrap up those critical rancher votes which he covets so much, eh? Melanie Stein, a Sierra Club spokeswoman, said that the wolf populations "are just on the cusp of recovery and that we are almost there." But she says the hunts represent "a step backward and away from recovery" of the wolf populations.
Defenders of Wildlife, one of several groups urging the court to stop the hunt, detailed the ecological role of the wolves on its web site.
"In what is known as the cascade effect, wolves are exerting influence over a multitude of species within the park's ecosystem. Elk, wary of the reintroduced top predator, have altered their grazing behavior... With less grazing pressure from elk, streambed vegetation such as willow and aspen is regenerating after decades of overbrowsing. As the trees are restored, they create better habitat for native birds and fish, beaver and other species..." More good reading on the topic — from a former Montana hunting guide, no less — right here. Tags: animals, barack obama, disgrace, dumb americans, endangered species, environment, greed, hunting, wildlife, wolves
From: Chicago
Mood:  Pyew
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School lunch is back on the policy menu for the first time in decades, thanks to President Obama's drive to make school food more nutritious and healthy...  Obama has proposed a $1 billion increase for the Child Nutrition Act, which lawmakers will consider this fall. One part of the bill would allow the Department of Agriculture to update decades-old nutritional standards for vending machines, as well as the typical pizza, French fries, etc. sold in cafeterias. Another bolsters reimbursements to school districts for meals; summer and after-school food programs; food served at many day-care facilities for children and adults; and the Special Supplemental Nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children. At least some of the proposed reforms seem likely, as the bill - authored by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) - has more than 150 cosponsors and widespread industry and school group support (although I'm sure it'll face opposition by the same dickheads who fought against SCHIP). Tags: barack obama, children, education, food, schip
From: Chicago
Mood:  Encouraged
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Open offer (and a bit more) to Lou Dobbs from Meteor Blades...  Ouch: Good journalists (you once had a reputation as one, Mr. Dobbs) check the facts. Especially on the big stories. There is nothing they won’t do, no place they won’t go, no amount of time they won’t spend to find out what’s really going on as best they can determine it. They’ll even spend money they don’t have to get access to information.
Good journalists (you’ve won a lot of awards for having been one once) can drive their spouses and their friends crazy working 80-hour weeks digging into files, reading documents and tracking down people to get the real skinny. Especially on the big stories.
Good journalists, as you allegedly once were, are skeptical of self-interested and ideologically driven sources.
Good journalists can sniff out an agenda faster than Zoom-Zoom Zumaya can put a fastball over the plate...
( Creamy Filling )
P.S. Karl Rove is a fucking cockroach. Just sayin'. Tags: asshole, barack obama, dumb americans, loathsome people, media assholes, media hacks, republican smear
From: Chicago
Mood:  Sweet
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(Hat-tip Tim Foley )Did you hear about how the constant mantra of "If you like what you have, you can keep it?" isn't true? That President Obama, or the House Democrats, or the Romulans somehow snuck a clause onto page 16 of HR 3200 (America's Affordable Health Choices Act) which would effectively outlaw private insurance? That private insurance would be forced not only to compete with the private plan but become no different than the public plan? It's insidious - how did they think we wouldn't notice? Well, for starters, because it ain't there... ( Read on )
P.S. Orrin Hatch remains a world-class cocksucker. Just sayin'.Tags: barack obama, dumb americans, health care, health care crisis, lying liars, medical insurance, republican smear
From: Chicago
Mood: Cranky
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Randomness from the day...  • Y'know, I just don't get it. How can a guy that does good stuff like this and this turn right around and do something truly shitty like this? • Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey tonight on HBO. Oughta be a war. • Took my son on his first official driving lesson this afternoon. Man, that was scary. • Cenk Uygar hits the Iran election nail right on the head. Hopefully, the Iranian people (with whom I bear no ill will) will turn it into a revolution. • Have a I mentioned lately that Bill O'Reilly is a fucking pig? No? Well, he is.• As I was telling jdack the other day, Chik-Fil-A's fried chicken biscuit was one my favorite (guilty) breakfasts when I lived in Atlanta. And it appears they're coming to Chicago. Nom. ☺ • My on-again, off-again fandom of Nancy Pelosi is on again. Until it's off again. • Seems that South Carolina GOP bigwig Rusty "Trombone" DePass just "misspoke" when he compared the First Lady to a gorilla. You stay classy there, Rusty - and keep up the good work as we roll into the 2010 election season, m'kay? • And finally - Want to help homeless animals and get something cool in return? Click the image below, damnit! All proceeds (less postage) go to my pals at PAWS...  Tags: barack obama, bill o'reilly, boxing, cool links, fatherhood, food, friends, iran, politics, republican implosion, teenagers
From: More Sleepover Racket
Mood:  Happy Hour
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Reader poll below the article (and yes, I am a smoker)...  The US Senate Thursday overwhelmingly voted to give the government unprecedented powers over cigarette makers, overturning decades of resistance by the powerful tobacco industry. The bill, adopted by a vote of 79-17, will give the FDA curbs to control tobacco use among youngsters, regulate nicotine levels, bar added flavorings and require tough new warning labels. The House of Representatives adopted a similar bill in April, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinted the chamber might accept the Senate's version in order for it to be swiftly signed into law by President Barack Obama. "I believe it will be possible for us to accept their bill and send it right on to the president," she said. The main opponents of the draft legislation were the senators from the tobacco-producing state of North Carolina, Republican Senator Richard Burr and his Democratic counterpart Kay Hagan. Obama hailed the passage of the bill, saying it would "make history by giving the scientists and medical experts at the FDA the power to take sensible steps that will reduce tobacco's harmful effects and prevent tobacco companies from marketing their products to children." The bill, backed by health groups like the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association, for the first time gives the FDA power to regulate tobacco products. U.S. officials say the legislation is needed because 400,000 Americans die from tobacco-related illnesses each year and more than 1,000 children start smoking each day. "At any given moment, millions are struggling with their habit or worrying about loved ones who smoke," added Obama, who has admitted to being an occasional smoker. "My administration is committed to protecting our children and reforming our health care system — and moving forward with common-sense tobacco control measures is an integral part of that process. I look forward to signing this bill into law." So I ask you, dear readers... Poll #1414546 Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 91 Do you agree with this legislation? Tags: barack obama, reader poll, smoking
From: Chicago
Mood: Curious
Now Playing: More Fuckin' Rain
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Ol' Step'n Fetchit Chairman Steele must be staying up late practicing his bullshitting technique. Normally, it takes him at least a few minutes to make a complete ass of himself... Let's review: Lie #1: Obama & Co. is planning to “squelch the basic freedom of speech on the nation’s airwaves,” a reference to the so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine.’ Problem is, the president opposes it. Lie #2: Obama & Co. is using violence in Mexico to impose “a new gun ban in America.” Um, no. The president supports the Second Amendment, and has stressed stronger enforcement of existing gun laws as they pertain to the situation in Mexico. Not that truth matters to the wingnutters. Bullshit scare tactics are, after all, their stock in trade. And the more desperate they become, the more the trade is plied. P.S. Perhaps we should get a Michael Steele Resignation Pool going, yes? Personally, I don't think the cocksucker will make it to Labor Day. Tags: barack obama, gop meltdown, guns, loathsome people, lying liars, republican scum, republican smear
From: Chicago
Mood: Amused
Now Playing: Right Wing Tantrum
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If you're anything like me, you've wondered every, single day what a right-wing mass suicide might look like. Well, with a little luck, we might just get to see it happen...  According to The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, President Obama may be considering nominating the first openly gay Supreme Court justice. "Two of the the most qualified center-left jurists in the country ( Kathleen Sullivan and Pam Karlan) are gay," he writes, "and they've got friends in high places." Needless to say, the nomination of a lesbian to the Supreme Court would represent a shining, watershed moment in our nation's history. But it would be even more significant if Obama didn't reference the nominee's sexuality as a factor. To wit, by nominating a highly-qualified jurist who just happens to be gay, Obama would be forcing conservatives to reveal how they really feel about gays in society. After all, most wingnuts who oppose equal rights for gays insist that they're not homophobic, but instead are merely fighting against "special privileges" for gay people and defending "traditional marriage" from attack... And I'm the Queen of England. :/ Bottom line: The SCOTUS vacancy presents a golden opportunity for Obama to call the Republicans' all-too-transparent bluff. Question is, does he have the guts, or will he slide back into his all-too-familiar "big tent politics" schtick? P.S. Congratulations to the gay community in Maine for the hard-earned right to legally marry, just like any other American citizen. Whattya say, New Hampshire? Tags: barack obama, gays, gop meltdown, scotus
From: Chicago
Mood: Making Popcorn
Now Playing: 'I Hear Them All' - Old Crow Medicine Show
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And the award goes to...  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who took a big step backwards in the history of American wildlife conservation with the stroke of a pen, moving the gray wolf from under the protection of the Endangered Species Act and squarely into the crosshairs of hunters, ranchers and special interest groups across the Northern Rockies. This asshole's decision to allow the Bush's last-minute delisting rule for wolves to take effect risks a tremendous loss for the 30-year legacy of recovering wild wolves in the region. The rule, effective as of May 4th, allows the majority of the region's estimated 1,600 wolves to be killed, once again putting their survival as a species in peril. The rule takes effect even as new pups are being born throughout the region, making them easy targets for those who want them shot, trapped and poisoned. All the reasons why this delisting plan was a bad idea when the Bush administration proposed it in January 2009 still stand today. The rule allows all but 300 of the 1,300 wolves in Idaho and Montana to be killed. It also eliminates protections for wolves in northern Utah and eastern portions of Washington and Oregon. Idaho, which hosts the area's largest wolf population, has already publically announced plans to kill more than half of its wolf population within the year after federal protections are lifted. It is beyond comprehension and without precedent that we find ourselves in this situation; with a wildlife population that has only just been declared "recovered" now facing a possible loss of over half of their numbers. No one would have dreamed of "managing" the bald eagle so aggressively as soon as it came off the Endangered Species Act, yet for purely political reasons, wolves in the Northern Rockies face the possibility of the eradication of the majority of their population soon after losing federal protections. Salazar should not have allowed this rule to take effect without engaging in a clear and transparent public consultation process. Instead, he made the surprise decision to move forward without considering current science, and without ensuring that appropriate state wolf management plans are in place to ensure a sustainable wolf population after delisting. In fact, Salazar rejected offers from groups in the region and around the country to work with him to find the right way to delist wolves in the region. Delisting under these conditions casts aside the decades of work, expense and stakeholder participation that went towards building a viable wolf population in the region. Hundreds of scientists have formally spoken out against the delisting rule, noting that the rule ignores contemporary scientific research on what constitutes a recovered wolf population, and allows wolf populations to be reduced to the point where they could not achieve the natural genetic connectivity deemed by scientists to be essential to the species' long-term survival in the region. Most recently, scientists with the Society for Conservation Biology wrote a letter to Salazar urging him to reconsider publishing the rule based on unresolved scientific issues regarding the genetic health and connectivity of the regional wolf population. Sadly, none of this was considered by Salazar, whose rushed decision is especially disappointing given President Obama's statements emphasizing the need to restore scientific integrity in the administration of the Endangered Species Act. Just three days before Salazar's announcement that he would delist the Northern Rockies wolf, President Obama pledged in a memorandum to "restore the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act." This pledge was not upheld by the administration in going forward with delisting the Northern Rockies wolf, a process which should have included in-depth consultation and a full scientific review. And it's a potential tragedy that could have easily been avoided. Click here now to give Obama a kick in the ass for allowing
this idiot Salazar to call open season on the gray wolf.Tags: asshole, barack obama, ecology, endangered species, environment, hunting, wolves
From: Chicago
Mood: Pyew
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If conservatives don't want to be seen as bitter people who cling to their guns and religion and anti-immigrant sentiments, they should stop being bitter and clinging to their guns, religion and anti-immigrant sentiments... 
(Hat-tip Bill Maher)It's been a week now, and I still don't know what those "tea bag" protests were about. I saw signs protesting abortion, illegal immigrants, the bank bailout and that gay guy who's going to win "American Idol." But it wasn't tax day that made them crazy; it was election day. Because that's when Republicans became what they fear most: a minority. The conservative base is absolutely apoplectic because, because... well, nobody knows. They're mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore. Even though they're not quite sure what "it" is. But they know they're fed up with "it," and that "it" has got to stop. Here are the big issues for normal people: the war, the economy, the environment, mending fences with our enemies and allies, and the rule of law. And here's the list of Republican obsessions since President Obama took office: that his birth certificate is supposedly fake, he uses a teleprompter too much, he bowed to a Saudi guy, Europeans like him, he gives inappropriate gifts, his wife shamelessly flaunts her upper arms, and he shook hands with Hugo Chavez and slipped him the nuclear launch codes. Do these sound like the concerns of a healthy, vibrant political party? It's sad what's happened to the Republicans. They used to be the party of the big tent; now they're the party of the sideshow attraction, a socially awkward group of mostly white people who speak a language only they understand. Like Trekkies, but paranoid. The GOP base is convinced that Obama is going to raise their taxes (which he just lowered). But, you say, "that's just the fringe of the Republican Party!" No, it's not. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, is not afraid to say publicly that thinking out loud about Texas seceding from the Union is appropriate considering that... Obama wants to raise taxes 3% on 5% of the people? I'm not sure exactly what Perry's independent nation would look like, but I'm pretty sure it would be free of taxes and Planned Parenthood. And I would have to totally rethink my position on a border fence. I know. It's not about what Obama's done. It's what he's planning. But you can't be sick and tired of something someone might do. Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota recently said she fears that Obama will build "reeducation" camps to indoctrinate young people. But Obama hasn't made any moves toward taking anyone's guns, and with money as tight as it is, the last thing the president wants to do is run a camp where he has to shelter and feed a bunch of fat, angry white people. Look, I get it, "real America." After an eight-year run of controlling the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court, this latest election has you feeling like a rejected husband. You've come home to find your things out on the front lawn -- or at least more things than you usually keep out on the front lawn. You're not ready to let go, but the country you love is moving on. And now you want to call it a whore and key its car. That's what you are, the bitter divorced guy whose country has left him — obsessing over it, haranguing it, blubbering one minute about how much you love it and vowing the next that if you cannot have it, nobody will. But it's been almost 100 days, and your country is not coming back to you. She's found somebody new. And it's a black guy. The healthy thing to do is to just get past it and learn to cherish the memories. You'll always have New Orleans and Abu Ghraib. And if today's conservatives are insulted by this, because they feel they're better than the people who have the microphone in their party, then I say to them what I would say to moderate Muslims: Denounce your radicals. To paraphrase George W. Bush, either you're with them or you're embarrassed by them. The thing that you people out of power have to remember is that the people in power are not secretly plotting against you. They don't need to. They already beat you in public. Tags: '08 elections, barack obama, bill maher, dumb americans, gop meltdown, republican implosion, right-wing lunatics
From: Chicago
Mood: Trainwreck Spotting
Now Playing: 'Poor Millionaire' - Gregory Isaacs
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Another step in the right direction — and away from Bush's horrifying environmental legacy...  In a major reversal of Bush policy, mountaintop coal-mining permits are being put on hold until the projects’ impacts on streams and wetlands can be reviewed,” the Environmental Protection Agency announced today: Citing its regulatory role under the Clean Water Act, the EPA said the letters stated that the projects “would likely cause water quality problems in streams below the mines, would cause significant degradation to streams buried by mining activities, and that proposed steps to offset these impacts are inadequate.” A " midnight regulation" by Bush & Co. attempted to make permanent its policy of permitting coal companies to strip the tops off Appalachian mountains and bury watersheds with the highly toxic waste. As J.W. Randolph of Appalachian Voices says: "Today, the people of Appalachia are celebrating." So am I, Mr. Randolph. So am I.P.S. All that glitters still ain't gold, i.e. Salazar is still on my personal shit list. Tags: barack obama, bush cronies, bush legacy, coal, coal mining, environment, mining, pollution, toxic waste
From: Chicago
Mood:  Encouraged
Now Playing: 'Right Round' - Flo Rida
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To the right-wing mouth-breathers howling about Barack Obama "quietly ending the program that allows pilots to carry guns"... 
Um, no.In an editorial published Tuesday in The Washington Times, the newspaper wrote that "President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology." Sterling Payne, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, vehemently denied the report and said the program that oversees a reported 12,000 federal flight deck officers (FFDO) is actually expanding."It's inaccurate, this program continues to grow," Payne said. "TSA continues to recruit and put new FFDOs on planes, and we continue to train them and do recurring training." According to Payne, TSA officials have recently opened a brand new training center for FFDOs in Atlantic City, with others planned to open in Texas and other states. "We have thousands of FFDOs right now and we add thousands each year," Payne said. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Airlines Pilots Association International — the world's largest airline pilot union, representing nearly 52,250 pilots in the U.S. and Canada — said the Times editorial "couldn't be further from the truth." "ALPA representatives met with TSA executives this afternoon and were told in no uncertain terms that TSA embraces the FFDO program, that there are no plans to reduce or restrict its growth, and that in fact the agency fully intends to grow and expand the program," the statement read. "Government representatives acknowledged that the program needs additional funding to achieve these goals, and that they are actively seeking same." TSA officials are currently training up to 1,500 pilots annually for the program, which was instituted after the Sept. 11 attacks, according to ALPA's statement. "The size of the FFDO cadre has grown so large that additional resources are needed to provide greater structure and oversight to this important program, which TSA referred to [Tuesday] as 'an important layer of defense.'" Representatives from The Washington Times (the rabidly right-wing rag founded by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon) did not return a request for comment. Color me shocked. Tags: barack obama, dumb americans, guns, homeland security, lying liars, media assholes, reality_hammer, right-wing hack, terrorism, tsa
From: Chicago
Mood: Amused
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In an interview with U.S. News & World Report, conservative Christian wingnut Pat Robertson has denounced radio clown Rush Limbaugh for saying he wants President Obama to fail...  "So you don't subscribe to Rush Limbaugh's " I hope he fails" school of thought?" asked interviewer Dan Gilgoff. "That was a terrible thing to say," Robertson responded. "I mean, he's the president of all the country. If he succeeds, the country succeeds. And if he doesn't, it hurts us all. Anybody who would pull against our president is not exactly thinking rationally." After the election, Robertson pronounced himself " remarkably pleased" with Obama and not so happy with President Bush. Robertson told Gilgoff that Obama hasn't been "as skillful" since taking office but that he wants "to give him the benefit of every doubt, and I definitely hope he succeeds." 0_oNever in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever be rooting for Robertson on anything. Let's see if Commander OxyContin comes back with a counterpunch, shall we? Hopefully, they'll tear each other to shreds. ☺ Tags: barack obama, christian lunatics, gop meltdown, pat robertson, republican implosion, right-wing hate radio, rush limbaugh
From: Chicago
Mood: Amused
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Tip o' the big, silver Aretha Hat to Greg Palast...  Republicans are right. President Barack Obama treated them like dirt, didn't give a damn what they thought about his stimulus package, loaded it with a bunch of programs that will last for years and will never leave the budget, is giving away money disguised as "tax refunds," and is sneaking in huge changes in policy, from schools to health care, using the pretext of an economic emergency. Way to go, Mr. O., Mr. Down-and-Dirty Chicago pol. Street-fightin' man. Covering over his break-you-face power play with a "we're all post-partisan friends" bullshit... ( And it's about time... )Tags: barack obama, democrats, politics, republicans
From: Chicago
Mood: Making Popcorn
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(Hat-tip Michael Markarian)When it comes to animal protection, more than a dozen federal agencies have a direct impact on the lives of millions of pets, farm animals, laboratory animals and wildlife. In years past, many of these agencies have functioned largely as an annex to industry, and have been inattentive (if not outwardly counteractive) to the wishes of Americans who care about animal welfare, food safety, and environmental protection. Rather than politics as usual, it's time for change. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund have developed a change agenda for animals (PDF), with 100 immediate steps the executive branch can take to advance the humane treatment of animals. Here are just a few of the most critical ones... ( Read more )
President Obama has already indicated his support for many of the issues on the HSLF agenda when he filled out the a presidential questionnaire on pending animal welfare bills and funding matters. Now it's time for him - and the agencies he ultimately oversees - to put these ideas into action.Tags: animal cruelty, animals, barack obama, ecology, environment, factory farming, marine life, wildlife
From: Chicago
Mood: Hopeful
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Hmph
Vindicated
53 (58.2%)
Trainwreck Spotting
Previous