Stephen Views the News 11/9/08
http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
* Republican Shell Game ~ in the guise of conservatism – Most Republican politicos and pundits are cautioning the Obama administration not to go too far left. America, they tell us, is a center-right country. This is a misleading strategy. The McCain campaign had positioned Obama as the most liberal member of congress since, uh, FOREVER. Obama gained a sweeping victory and Democrats increased their majorities in the House and the Senate. Perhaps the Republicans are observing an alternative Universe – the one their simpatico Creationists claim was created just 6000 years ago. This is not to say that all Republicans and true conservatives are religious-right fundamentalists. On the contrary, there are many intelligent and valued conservative principles and thinkers in America that have much to offer our national discourse. Unfortunately, their ideas were so bastardized during the Bush/Republican reign that conservatism lost its meaning. Perhaps it is time to step back from assigning labels and evaluate ideas and policies in terms of their benefit to the common interest and the common good. What is that interest and good?
An examination of Americans’ positions reveals the following: Based on recent polls and studies the majority of Americans do not want to see more restrictive limits on abortion and women’s reproductive rights and they do not want more restrictive measures imposed on gay relationships; minimum wage increases and union rights are supported; stem cell research has a mandate and universal healthcare coverage receives overwhelming support; science is accepted as a valuable and vital tool to advance human knowledge, address illness, spur our economy and enhance the quality of life; Americans emphatically say that the federal government has an important role in ensuring food and product safety and providing oversight of pharmaceutical efficacy; the American people do not want to see the Supreme Court tack far right; the use of torture is strongly opposed; Americans want their government pro-active on energy conservation and addressing global warming; Americans do not want the USA involved in unjustified preemptive war and they desire that the country return to a position of trusted leadership in the world community.
These are Progressive ideas and values. America being center-right is a Republican/Conservative marketing tool and about as accurate as the recently revealed eye-crosser that Sarah Palin believed that Africa is a country. In the pre-2008 election world, if Republicans said something often enough it became conventional wisdom, regardless of the wisdom. If Republican “wisdom” is to continue to move to their convoluted interpretation of the right I welcome their ensuing electoral losses until the attrition ultimately attracts Republican leaders committed to serving mainstream America. The day of single-issue social conservative values is over. Trickle down economics is in the storage shed if not the trash heap. Republican Party genuflecting at the altar of Reganomics has experienced a crisis of faith by the congregation. For the 10th straight month the American work force has lost jobs and there are currently 10 million unemployed in the U.S. Many of those still employed are working at lower-level or lower paying jobs than was the case 10 years ago. Republican/ Conservative philosophy failed Americans economically, militarily, environmentally and socially. Welcome to the 21st Century, even though it is nine years late.
* The politics of Three Card Monte ~ the dealer lost – Leading up to elections this year Republican operatives were filling the airwaves and filing lawsuits across the country raising the fear of voter fraud and the demise of democracy as we know it. The states primarily targeted with “cry wolf” warnings were Pennsylvania, Nevada, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota. Election officials in these states report that there was no evidence of voter fraud within their borders this election, nor have there been in previous elections for that matter. Perhaps the derriere-kicking endured by the Republican Party in the last two elections will inspire them to direct their efforts toward more responsible politicking and governance. Hopefully, the Democratic politicos received this message as well. It has taken an avoidable and interminable war and a crushing blow to the economy for the American people to pay more attention to the politic rhetoric but, in 2008 we did pay attention. Voter fraud was never a real issue and a more informed electorate was one of the deciding issues.
* Gay marriage ~ Straight conundrum – On November 4th three states dealt a setback for gay marriage advocates. I believe that many of those who voted for the setbacks are not necessarily anti-gay or anti-gay rights. They are having a tough time with the “marriage” part. This is understandable. Social change does not occur in flashes. It takes society time to alter long-standing custom and belief. I would suggest to gay-rights advocates that their energies be focused on the principle that same-sex couples are entitled to the same legal rights as heterosexual couples which include employer spousal benefits, hospital visitation rights and adoption rights. I believe that today’s society is ready to accept same-sex civil unions, a legal relationship between two people of the same gender. “Marriage” confuses and exasperates the issue. By advocates concentrating on civil union rather than marriage the anti-gay forces will lose a significant portion of their support, thereby fostering an environment for gay Americans to gain the rights they seek and deserve.
* Post facto, post mortem, post Joe – Senator Joe Lieberman is entertaining joining the Republican caucus upon learning that he may lose his chairmanships on Senate committees that include the very important Homeland Security. Did anyone notice Lieberman’s membership in the Republican Party took place quite a while ago. On one of the most important issues to Democrats, Iraq, Lieberman has voted with the Republicans and the Bush administration consistently. He unconscionably reiterated administration misinformation and spin relative to conditions in Iraq, demonstrating his loyalty to neocon philosophy not embraced by most Democrats and most Americans. He then jumped with both feet onto the McCain campaign giving a major speech at the Republican national convention and appearing next to John McCain on the campaign trail almost as often as Cindy McCain. During the campaign he was a conduit for McCain campaign innuendos against Obama and Lieberman sinisterly questioned Obama’s patriotism. Joe Lieberman donated his soul to the Republican Party and in their company may he rest in piece, a piece that Democrats going forward can do without.
Although Democrats seek a 60-vote Senate majority to avoid Republican filibusters blocking their legislation, I do not believe they need Joe Lieberman. I do not see Republicans voting in robotic unison as they did in recent years. They do not hold the White House, and the totalitarian hold Republican leadership held over GOP legislators is experiencing its wake. Incumbent Republican senators will look to recent voting of their constituents and conclude that the appeal of Bush’s version of Republican dogma and the track record of Republican governance has been rejected. I expect that a significant amount of legislation proposed by Obama and his party is legislation needed and wanted by a significant majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation. The Connecticut Democratic Party rejected Lieberman in 2006. The Democratic leadership in the Senate should do likewise in 2008.
* The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”
Louis D. Brandeis (1856 – 1941) US Supreme Court Justice (1916 – 1939)
I feel lately as though I’ve just awakened from a long nap during which entire countries have come into existence and then faded away and the people inhabiting those countries have lived, grown, died, evolved and devolved in societies that were once budding democracies but became stultifying, repressive regimes -- outposts for the evil empire. I feel as though I’ve wiped the crust from my long-shut eyes and now see everything around me as it is. I haven’t done that since I was a child.
It’s apparent that Republicans feel the only way they can win this election is by misleading and disenfranchising voters. What is truly appalling is that this is happening in a country that goes around the world denying aid to nations that we deem “too corrupt” to have free and fair elections….
Voters Across Nation Hit by Dirty Tricks http://news.aol.com/elections/article/voters-across-nation-hit-by-dirty-tricks/235328
The pre-paid credit cards are traceable.
hey have a card number on them just like any other debit or credit card which was applied for through a bank or loan company or savings institution. They have to be registered when purchased at the counter in order to be activated.
If Master Card and Visa and AMEX makes these for gift card purchases, then they have a paper trail of every purchase made and at every store they were made--even if they don't have the purchaser's name. The purchaser has a receipt for their purchase and can be brought forward. Anything that doesn't show up with a receipt gets rejected.
In other words, if they are accusing Obama donations of possibly being from "bad sources" the burden of proof is on them to prove they are--and they can't prove it. They're just preparing for a legal showdown Tuesday if Obama wins by stirring up a can of lies ahead of time to provide a backdrop for issues they themselves created and caused.
If they're so "up" on fraud and bad donations that can't be traced, it means they've done it themselves. Many times. As my granny said, "If a man accuses you of cheating and you KNOW you're not--you might want to take a deeper look into what he's doing." He might be telling on himself.
There are about 50 different ways those debit cards can be tracked down--they come through legal American banks. This isn't a government that spies on its own citizens and doesn't know how to track down the sources of credit card purchases, even if they ARE unregistered gift cards.
Besides, Obama can give it all back today if he wants. His campaign is, literally, IN THE BLACK. He's already slated to win on Tuesday without having to spend another dime. McCain and Palin have been doing all of his campaign spending for him, anywhere from inciting race riots and violence against a presidential candidate to heaven only knows what else out of plain pure jealousy.
Had they ran their own race on the issues instead of attacking Obama as a man, he might have had a bigger and more contentious fight on his hands; but they shot themselves in the feet and the mouth, thrashing around on a race card that likely cost them this election as it cost Hillary the primaries.
Suppose in your neighborhood there are 600 registered voters per machine, while across town there are only 120 per machine. (That's a 5 to 1 disparity, which is what exists in some places in Virginia today.) On Election Day, your line wraps around the block and looks to be a four-hour wait, while in other areas lines are nonexistent.
This ought to be a crime. It amounts to a "time-tax" on your right to vote, and some of your neighbors will undoubtedly give up and go home. This scenario raises three questions: Nationwide, will it discourage tens of thousands, or untold millions? Which presidential candidate and down-ballot candidates might benefit from this "tax"? And what can be done in the next few days?
Voting rights advocates, watching this slow-motion train wreck that could disenfranchise so many minority voters, have filed emergency litigation in Virginia and Pennsylvania demanding that, at the very least, officials be prepared with plenty of paper ballots and reserves of competent poll workers. More litigation may follow elsewhere.
It might be the supreme, ironic, twist of Republicans efforts to keep people from voting. It turns out that Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher – the infamous Joe the Plumber – may not be able to vote.
The Republican Party in Ohio lost a battle it took all the way to the US Supreme Court to force the Secretary of State to use “exact matches” against driver license or Social Security lists to purge voters. It turns out that Wurzelbacher is registered as Worzelbacher and might have found himself blocked from voting.
While this is happening everywhere, it is compounded by a protracted Republican effort to disenfranchise Democratic voters under the guise of combating voter fraud. Voter fraud is a serious issue.
The trouble is that it barely exists.
According to VotersUnite.org, most voters, early voters, are not aware of fact that in North Caroline, they may be doing Straight Ticket voting for Democrats in their state, but THEY MUST ALSO SEPARATELY VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PREZ. THERE SHOULD BE VOLUNTEERS WITH MIKES WARNING THEM THAT IT IS BEST TO VOTE STRAIGHT TICKET, AND ALSO FOR PREZ, TICKET SEPARATELY.
ALSO ON YOUR SHOW, TELL DEMS ACROSS COUNTRY THAT THE ONLY VOTING DAY AFTER THESE EARLY VOTING DAYS, IS NOVEMBER 4TH. THEY MUST IGNORE THOSE FLYERS THAT SAY NOVEMBER 5TH.
I HAVE MADE MY SHARE OF CALLING VOTERS FOR THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN.
I NEED THE CAMPAIGN TO KNOW THAT THE MOST ESSENTIAL TV ADS MUST BE IN CONNECTION WITH THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF VOTERS, AND OF HOW TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS AT THE VOTING BOOTH. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It may be that both new and veteran voters will show up at the polls only to be denied their right to vote due to Republican manipulation of the public voting records. Right now there are estimates that hundreds of thousands of Democratic votes have been unlawfully purged. I urge all voters to check their voter status and report any problems to the election board and the local - national news media.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-and-greg-palast/drinking-the-acorn-koolai_b_138390.html
