I'm a little behind on this post, but thought it worth noting that Pelosi promised Weiner (through Waxman) that HR676 will be discussed and voted on at some point in the future. I'm very excited to hear that the only bill with close to 100 co-sponsors will actually see the light of day and be considered by Congress.
Progress is being made daily. What can you do to help?
1.) Print out a petition, collect signatures, and submit them to pnhp.org
http://www.pnhp.org/change/HR676-petition.pdf
2.) Write your representatives
3.) Continue to stay informed during the debate this fall and be prepared to respond if Pelosi breaks her promise to have a vote on HR676.
CIA-Central Intelligence Agency
Can’t Include All the Constant Inappropriate Alibis
Everybody knows the Agency is built on deception and lies
Nancy didn’t know her husband of 10 years
To be Collaborating In Assignations, not like what he appears
Ronald Comes Into Airports and with the greatest of ease
Arranges to pass through without examination for disease
Like a Conceal Identity Arranged this special pass
I Can’t Imagine Allowing some Contaminations In, Alas
No one should have the kind of clout
To keep Compromising It All as they travel about
Effectively transferring disease like the Swine Flu
Let this epidemic become pandemic by the stupidity they do
Like my friend who Covertly Indulges Adultery
Incorporates his Creative Inventive Aliases for infidelity
Government’s Clandestine Indecent Actions in guise of work
Evil man calling himself patriotic but I call him a jerk
Night and day he goes about in his double life
Cold Ignorant Asinine fool who lies to his wife
Every one working there or at least the majority
Are working in a Corrupted Intolerant Agency
Government people trained to deceive with lovers glances
Every one of them Coming Into Acute circumstances
Never Could I Agree to a job that requires such deceptions
Change I Accepted and now most Countries Imagine Americans
You Can Install A more truthful Central Intelligence Agency
In fact, it appears that Pelosi uses military aircraft less often than her predecessor, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.
It is difficult for 'common' Americans to understand the mindset of the wealthy in our country. For one thing, we common folk do not encounter these people very often. They travel by private air, boat, and yes, sometimes, even private rail. They eat out at exclusive clubs or special parts of restaurants dedicated to them. They limo, or have drivers. They live in chateaus which are penetrable only by their coded limo devices or from the air, by their private helicopters. It is a sneaky quiet dimension layered above the dimension we ordinarily inhabit, so we just don't see them. Occasionally, very occasionally, they come out for public events. You will know them by the looks of discomfort on their faces. The forced good will. The nodding paternalistic smile downward toward the rest of us. That we allowed their creation, existence and continuance is never even mentioned, anywhere. It is a truly secret world they live in.
I know some of them. I work for Hollywood, so sometimes I am graced by their presence. It can be delightfully humorous to listen to their chatter about these tough economic times. I actually listened to one man discuss how he was going to fly to Florida on his G-5 Gulfstream jet (12 passenger) instead of his Canadair Challenger (28 passenger wide body). He honestly and openly stated that he was trying to do his part for the economy and to be more green. I did not laugh. I worked on my chunk of prime rib looking down. Here is another one. Different dinner. This time the host almost broke down and cried. We were dining in his five million dollar chateau, by the way, one of three which he owns that I know of. He was terribly emotionally upset about discharging his long time driver of his limo. I spoke up on this issue, and complimented him for his obvious discomfort over the driver's loss of his long-time job. The table went quiet. The man then went on to explain in detail that the driver was a good man. He would find another job. The grief the man was experiencing was due to the fact that everyone was going to know that he no longer had a driver. That he was having to drive himself.
Now can you understand why the executives flew to Washington for bailout money in their private jets? When they were called on it, what did the do in reaction? They were extremely angry! They do not live in our world. They do not even have any comprehension of our world anymore. They are like Regis Philben on Regis and Kelly in the morning t.v. show. Regis can't remember anything anymore. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Pelosi, Kerry, McCain, Kennedy...the party affiliation does not matter. What matters is the wealth and the overpowering "God meant me to have this because I am special" mentality. Those people feel that is is part of their obligation to God Himself that they be kept wealthy and, and this is the really hilarious part, that the rest of us be kept poor. Or in our place, at least. You see, God meant us to be poor. And there it is.
Watch closely, after reading this short article, and see what you can pick up about those people. You will begin to frown, then smile and maybe even snarl, if you watch long enough.
http://www.from-the-chateau-dif.blogspot.com
http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com
http://www.themastodons.com
Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.
Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you - without a doubt - that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.
We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.”
I believe him. After all, the main author of the Stimulus package was Nancy Pelosi, so the chimp, in the cartoonist’s mind, was akin to one of those monkeys I referred to in my earlier post. It was too “overtly racist”, if you will, to refer to Obama. However, the key phrase in Murdoch’s statement is “sensitivities”. Old racist stereotypes die hard, and they are still alive in many people’s minds.
Not a business was stirring, not large corporationsTheir requests had been sent to Congress with care
In hopes that Pelosi, or Reid, would give them a share The CEO’s had their hopes set on the Fed
And visions of bonuses danced in their headsI was at home, full of hope and wonder
At the thought of big companies not going under.
Then out on the street there arose such a clatter,I looked out the window to see what was the matter.On the street was a hay wagon, making its way
Not the usual wagon, filled with bales of hay.
No, this one, (and I know this sounds funny),
Was filled instead with bales full of money.
With a very old driver, so morose and deadpan,
That I knew in a flash it was Alan Greenspan
There was a small note, stuck to each cash bale
With the name of a company too big to fail.
His wagon was drawn by eight sleek mega-bucksAnd he shouted their names as he whipped their buttocks “Now Paulson, Bernanke, Now Rubin and Volcker
On Krugman, On Samuelson, Kudlow and Cramer,To the next company’s holiday retreat! So I can deposit a bale at the revelers’ feet"And so the wagon continued on,Until the last bail-out bales were gone.Greenspan then to his team gave a whistle,And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.And as they flew way up into the sky,
Alan cried, “I must see Ayn Rand once more ‘fore I die.”And I heard him exclaim as they flew into the night"Happy bail-outs to all, and to none, oversight!"
I received an update yesterday from Speaker Pelosi on current House activities. Big among the issues was the big three automakers. Below was my response.
Dear Speaker,It is my opinion that the automakers' top management must go, if they receive federal assistance. After 30+ years of stupidity and arrogance, they have demonstrated that they are unfit to run these companies. Since the oil embargo of the 1970's they have stubbornly refused to see the future of petroleum based energy. Add to that, the arrogance exemplified by taking three private jets to Washington to beg for help is too much. Thursday one of the cable news programs made the comment, "The automakers can't decide what vehicles to make with gas prices rising and falling so rapidly. Do they go back to the SUV's or do they focus on high mileage and electric cars?" This is the same stupidity that the planning executives have shown. The answer to what kind of cars to make is blatantly obvious. We need to make fuel efficient and green cars. We need to make work vehicles as efficient as possible while converting them away from petroleum. Why? Because petroleum prices will continue to oscillate in an overall increasing pattern until global demand is permanently stabilized. As soon as the global economy starts to rebound from this current recession, oil prices will rocket back to $200 a barrel or higher and gasoline and diesel will be well over $7 per gallon by 2010.I suggest that as part of an assistance plan we implement the following steps:
This will save the jobs of the autoworkers and related suppliers and retailers. It will get rid of the biggest impediment to the big three's competitiveness, the entrenched, short sighted, and incompetent management of the last 40 years.Sincerely,
Timothy Schram
Will The Fairness Doctrine Silence The Conservative Voice?
Listen to the Ed Meese Radio SpotFreedom of Speech Our 1st Amendme... I have just taken action to stop the attacks on our Free Speech Rights, and I'm asking that you join with me by clicking here: Will The Fairness Doctrine Silence The Conservative Voice? + + Will The Fairness Doctrine Silence The Conservative Voice? Will 2009 usher in a fanatical push to re-instate the so-called Fairness Doctrine? Such a move would effectively silence the conservative voice and remove the last conservative stronghold against a fast-moving liberal agenda. James & Lydia, One need only read the words of Dianne Feinstein to see the true threat to conservative speech that is brewing on the horizon!" Talk radio tends to be one-sided. It also tends to be dwelling in hyperbole. It's explosive. It pushes people to, I think, extreme views without a lot of information ... I'm looking at the [Fairness Doctrine]... Unfortunately, talk radio is overwhelmingly one way." Recognizing this threat, the Media Research Center has created the Free Speech Alliance which is a coalition of organizations and citizens strongly opposed to any such move to limit or undermine our Free Speech Rights! Please take a moment right now to join the hundreds of thousands of Americans who oppose the Fairness Doctrine and all that it stands for by clicking here: Will The Fairness Doctrine Silence The Conservative Voice? Thanks for joining with me. Mr. & Mrs. James & Lydia Everitt P.S. If the liberal voice in America has their way, the Fairness Doctrine will end conservative talk--including Rush, Sean, Laura, Mark, and a host of others. Take action today by clicking here: Will The Fairness Doctrine Silence The Conservative Voice? Hey, President-Elect Obama is hard at work getting this country back on track, but he’s counting on all of us to get involved.I just signed up to learn more about the presidential transition, and I thought you might want to do the same. Just visit Presidential Transition, and enter your e-mail address in the top right corner. Thanks. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Amendment I, The Bill of Rights Freedom of Speech - Our 1st Amendment - Our Sacred Right! Posted by Better Home Business at 9:04 AM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: biden, blueprint, Bush, commercial, Congress, economy, Election, energy, gotcha, grassroots, independence, kennedy, McCain, News, Obama, outreach, palin, pickensplan, political, senate
Did you happen to catch Hardball on Friday, the 17th of October? A guest -- Rep. Michelle Bachman made some pretty offensive statements about America, Americans and members of Congress.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27243547#27243547
To all:
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO CENSURE MS. BACHMANN
I urge you to use the form at the speaker of the house website and tell her what you think of Rep. Bachmann's despicable comments on Chris Matthews show yesterday:
Here is my letter, submitted using this form: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
Dear Madam Speaker Pelosi,
Yesterday, I heard Michelle Bachmann, representative of Minnesota, make some of the most reprehensible and despicable remarks about our government and America on national television (Chris Matthews Hardball). Her rant about "anti-American" "liberals" in Congress and in our country -- as IF she had the final word on deciding just WHO is "American enough" -- could have been words uttered by Joe McCarthy -- a man who represents one of the lowest points in our country and our government. Michelle Bachmann (I won't give her the courtesy of a title, since I feel she is not deserving of it) spewed out demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations about Congressmembers -- public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents that seem to be the main strategy of John McCain, Sarah Palin and quite a few other REPUBLICAN surrogates... including members of the House and Senate.
It is easy to flame the fires of hate and few were better at it than Joe McCarthy. Another famous "leader" said:
"...the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
Substitute "liberals" for "pacifists" and you have the essence of Ms. Bachman's statements. Who said that, you ask? Why, Hermann Göring - and the statements coming out of the Republican campaign resemble his type of remarks every day, from the rants at rallies of Sarah Palin and John McCain to the "robocalls" being made by the McCain campaign and the Republican Party in states like Minnesota, Pennsylvania, W. Virginia and other states. Some of these calls are about terrorism; some even use the vile "N" word, per this article on fivethirtyeight.com, made in a "fake Obama" voice as if Senator Obama were making the calls personally.
"Over in Indiana, PA and Northern Cambria, PA, volunteers fielded complaints of a massive wave of ugly robocalls both paid for by John McCain's campaign and those paid for by third parties. The third party call was interactive, and purported to be from Barack Obama himself. The call starts out reasonably, and then "Obama" asks what the listener thinks is the most important issue. Whatever the response, "Obama" then launches into a profane and crazed tirade using "n***er" and other shock language. From what we've seen, this IS the McCain ground campaign. Robocalls count as "touches" on voters, as do direct mail pieces such as this one. As David Plouffe said in today's fundraising letter to supporters, "These tactics are all that the McCain campaign and their allies have left."
"Over in Indiana, PA and Northern Cambria, PA, volunteers fielded complaints of a massive wave of ugly robocalls both paid for by John McCain's campaign and those paid for by third parties. The third party call was interactive, and purported to be from Barack Obama himself. The call starts out reasonably, and then "Obama" asks what the listener thinks is the most important issue. Whatever the response, "Obama" then launches into a profane and crazed tirade using "n***er" and other shock language.
From what we've seen, this IS the McCain ground campaign. Robocalls count as "touches" on voters, as do direct mail pieces such as this one. As David Plouffe said in today's fundraising letter to supporters, "These tactics are all that the McCain campaign and their allies have left."
As an American and a voter, I am appalled and I believe this woman deserves censure for her unfounded and defamatory accusations, on behalf of ALL AMERICANS, not just those in Minnesota.
We are in a moment at a time of leadership: the fire and wood chips have been placed in the House of Representatives. When people start to lose their jobs, the secert room chats start to come out: "House Repubs (Reagan File Republicans) are voting against their own party presidents bill. Whoever is elected is screwed and will carry this big anchor around their neck. The repubs, who really don't care that much for McSame: as they call him (John McCain) anyhow, are pretty sure they are going to lose this election. They are hoping to see a dem fail to have a better shot in four years with a legitimate candidate." -- Former NY Sun Reporter
A rumor on the hill leaked from an out of work reporter stated: "House repubs are now losing lots of money in the market, like everyone else. They are caught between a rock and a hard place and most likely will have to pass this bill, but for all the wrong reasons." -- Former NY Sun Reporter
This country is at a moment in time where you can't sink the country; in order to regain the seat 4 years later. That's not leadership: that's rackateering. This is the time when you see the signs of real leadership. Please remember on election day that Barack Obama's campaign is united his party. While John McCain has divided his party. Here's how we got into this mess, a divided county -- where parties will throw wood-chips in a fire for power. You have many reagan file Repubs, and a few freshman Dems -- voting and creating bills for their friends in Wall Street. They are setting the un-regulated laws that has turned this country into greed. You can't blame them for thinking about greed, yet, I hate to say it but: President Bush dropped the ball. He was so hungry on the axis of evil, and forgot about his own house. Which in tern burnt his country -- maybe G. W. Bush didn't know because: NOBODY LISTENED. This is the change we need in Washington, when everyone knows that they can't beat the system. They can't vote for the regulations in Wall Street, and then say: I didn't make that law: The other party did. It's time to unify both parties, and stop the bickering of you did this and they did that. It's time to work for the American people -- because for once they really need it. It doesn't matter if your from the north, south, east west, middle, off the coast, or a terriorty: YOU are an American product. So if one state hurts, the next territory will hurt. We have 600,000 unemployed Americans, and in Washington they are fill-bustering the bills so they can make a few dollars in the market. Maybe their should be a tax on Congress that uses stock market revenues as campaign contribution. What I mean is they are placing their money into a product on Wall Street, and getting funds. That's how we got into this mess, and it started with the Reagan File Republicans: and when Nacy Pelosi told them the party was over they: wanted to remove her from the seat. That's a shame!
I keep thinking about the American people that bought houses that they KNEW they couldn't afford. (if something looks too good to be true; it probably is) Is that a popular thing to say? no. But, there really is something to be said for personal responsibility. Having said that; those homeowners have already paid for their greed by losing those homes. They paid for their mistake. According to Sen. Pelosi; Congress is blameless in this mess. The one that whipped up the Bill that DE-REGULATED the Banks in the first place(Gramm-Leach-Blily Act of 1999) is the CURRENT Financial ADVISOR for Sen. John McCain! So, apparently, they are blameless in this mess too. Has Wall Street or the Government paid for their perfidy? no.
Please check out this link for an idea that might work for the Banks, Government AND Taxpayers!
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1843659,00.html?iid=digg_share
(hint)The American taxpayer might look more kindly on a financial bailout of this mess if it is WE who get the benefits and the ones who put us in this hole are actually punished!
The bailout bill failed at 205 vs. 228. This bill was not perfect and did have its flaws but it was better than the first plan presented by Paulson and even if it wasn't the answer we need to do something and do something fast. Public perception of economic soundess is crucial to economic recovery, especially with regards to the stock market: if everyone believes a stock will go down tomorrow it will go down today. The bailout bill was floated as the economic savior of our crisis and its stalling shook perceptions enough to cause the largest single day drop in the Stock Market (by absolute standards only).
Why did the bill fail? Well it didn't have the votes. Why didn't it have the votes? Well apparently its cause Nancy Pelosi is mean.
Even before the markets closed Republicans were up in arms against Pelosi for tanking the bill, the very same republicans that voted 2 to 1 against it. Pelosi was accused of giving an incendiary speech that cratered republican support as she lashed out at the Bush administration.
Let's grow up. The tender souled republicans couldn't take a few accusatory remarks from someone who has spent her life across the aisle? The house floor is a hotbed of vitriol from Stevens screaming to Cheney's F-bombs, Pelosi's (admittedly partisan) speech was just more of the same: she claimed Bush came in with a surplus, was irresponsible, lazy, reckless and left us with a defecit. This is daily talk in the House!
Where were McCain's efforts during his allegedly suspended campaign? He was supposed to champion this and the entire Arizona delegation voted against, did he even speak to those in his own state? President Bush called all 19 delegates from Texas and only spoke to 4 of them I'm too angry to look up their voting records but I'm sure it ain't good.
More ineffective politics from an administration and a party we so desperately need to be rid of.
To put it into perspective let's look at www.samefacts.com:
Total Value of the Bailout Bill: $700 billion
Total Cost to Taxpayers: Unknown, but definitely less
Drop in Value of US Stocks 9/29 upon Partisan Failure in the House: $1.3 trillion.
I can't believe that Nancy Pelosi's speech offended so many Republicans that they had to refuse to vote for the rescue plan/bailout. Several Democrats voted against it. But the numbers don't lie: the Republicans revolted in droves.
I was actually glad to see and hear the Democratic leadership actually SAY who was interfering, and who was making things difficult. Pelosi and others have been very bold about saying that all week! This isn't news.
I think they were shocked that a Democrat actually had the spine to call them out for who and what they are- ultra conservative right wing ideology extremists. Period. The republicans have gone beyond spin. They've gone into a total tailspin....spiraling out of control, rushing toward the ground in flames. They don't want to admit that their own party has erupted into a kind of civil war. They couldn't just vote on the bill and take up their argument with her later?? Please.....
So they got exposed on national tv.
Now they're up in arms??? What a shame.
Given the exceptional knowledge of detail that many, if not most of those reading this post have I’m going to present it in outline form.
Imagine you are suddenly thrust into an entirely public, search lights full blast, blaring audio, moment in which you are told that unless you act the global economy collapses and America is the cause. Imagine some thug from Goldman Sachs shoves a terse document in your face and says ‘do this or the 2008 version of the great depression will happen and you caused it.’
Imagine millions of Americans are suddenly confronted with another dose of mega-fear. What do you do? Well, if you are both strategically brilliant and tactically skillful you do exactly what Obama, Pelosi, Reid & Frank have done during the past two weeks.
Firstly, you recognize the timing and the intended impact on the impending first debate between Obama and McCain.
You recognize that should you refuse to do everything you can to be responsive to the crisis, and explicitly open to dialogue with Republicans, as to reach a necessarily bi-partisan agreement you will be called everything from traitor to terrorist.
You recognize that if you immediately begin informing the public that the three page manifesto you had trust in your face amounts to nothing less than further ravage of the Constitution and poison to any hope of real economic recovery, you will likely see the vast majority of Americans being rambunctiously against “Wall St. welfare.’
You recognize that if you structure your responses as a transformation of Paulson’s trash into a framework of responsible containment of the supposed “crisis” you will have established the high-ground knowing full well that you have primed two critical responses.
One of those critical responses is that you recognized that the vast number of Republican incumbents would have very little chance of winning on 4 Nov 2008 if they supported the plan.
Knowing that, you would have realized that you could easily have a significant number of House Democratic members vote yes without risk, thus diffusing any claim that the Democratic Party was unwilling to support an albeit lame and dishonest Republican President.
Knowing that. you would have painted the Republican members of the House in exactly the picture the entire world saw – they, for the first time in eight years, broke with their President because they knew that if they voted yes – ostensibly the heroic action that the “crisis” demanded – they would be crucified on 4 Nov 2008. Politics trumped serving the good of Americans – and its all the Republican members of the House’s fault.
Sometimes thing have to get worse before they get better. I am surprised that the 700bn bail-out failed. But let's get the facts straight. First of all this problem was created after 8 years of Republican rule. 6 Years of which was rule of all three branches of government.
Now McCain and the Republican's as I have predicted earlier are running around saying that it was Pelosi and Obama's fault. Of course that was hours after McCain exalted himself as the Great Maverick that without him the Bill wouldn't have passed. But it didn't pass. He didn't even have enough leadership to get a majority of his party to vote for it. I guess we see now, who is NOT ready to lead.
So what do we do now? I have an idea. Pelosi and Obama need to lay it square on the laps of the Republicans. This is their doing make them fix it. All the Democrats need to step out of the way and let the Republican caucus come up with something. And then they'll look at it. C'Mon McCain and Roy Blunt...where's the plan to stop the economy from crashing? We all want to see it.
Meanwhile, the democrats need to hammer the hell out of them until they come up with one. As the market crashes, the run on bank's ensue, and full tilt recession comes into play over the next 30 days...leave it to the Republican's to come up with the answers.
We'll fix it come January anyway...everyone just try to hold on.
Dear Speaker Pelosi, I write to you with a sense of great urgency which, as you know, is shared by a great many people in our country. The bailout of Wall Street as proposed and supported by Paulson and backed by Bush simply must be stopped. It is a continuation of the all too familiar rash, imbalanced power plays - fed to the masses with large doses of fear - that the Bush administration continue to enforce to the benefit of a select few and the detriment of many.
The sad reality is that our country has been brought to its knees at the hand of Bush and his operatives. The repeated displays of absolute power and obvious disregard for the United States constitution has transformed what was a democracy into an oligarchy – despite ongoing propaganda to the contrary.
Though I do not feel it is the responsibility of the people to bail out the ailing Wall Street – still dizzy from its insatiable deregulated gorge of greed - I was relieved to hear of your push back and learn of Senator Dodd’s counter-proposal. I am not ready to give up hope but feel that the only hope that remains lies within the power of the Congress. We rely on you to stand up and employ that power with logic and reason to the benefit of the American people and our country.
Please see to it that Congress assert itself in keeping the Executive Branch in check by not allowing more rash proposals or decisions to pass through. Please exercise Congressional power in measures of restoring and protecting the strength of our nation. Thank you.
Remember please, I am Republican. I also like much of what McCain has done in his years in the Senate.
But...this is nuts to have Palin as a VP. And worse is the way that Orwell is running the comments about her. I mean, having a h.s. daughter having a baby out of wedlock is suddenly a positive for family values. BWAH???? --that's not a comment on the daughter or the situation, but for a national party, how the heck do you spin this as a positive?
And beyond that--now the Republican party won't allow her to be interviewed until the media shows her deference. BWAH??? Where were the Republicans when the media grilled Hillary Clinton? What do the Republicans think about hostile questions towards nancy Pelosi or other Democratic women?
--I don't like Pelosi. I don't like Clinton. But I absolutely hate hypocrisy like that shown by current Republican campaign managers...it's pathetic.
