Posts with the tag democrats

"An Open Prayer": Something we normally do in private

"NERVIE" — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:25:38 EST

Dear Heavenly Host, We understand, and see "up close" and in a personal way, how leaders of banks and other financial institutions do not want to see the economic stimulus that President Obama developed to work. We see how they are making Obama appear "less attractive" to the future American voters. Obstructionist don't want him to go down in history as the President who released the economic, healthcare and financial hold on American's lives. They are trying to save this anointment for their next "Presidential" pick, inspite of the eight years they held the pulse, fear, chaos of American thinking in their hands. It is the same cat and mouse game that was played with President Jimmy Carter and the release of American captives in Iran. We still hear "how fantastic Ronald Reagan was" in doing this. The same with the Berlin Wall. We know the elements were already in place before Reagan became President.It appears no matter how hard President Obama may insist on bipartisan participation, the harder the other side comes up with excuses to not work as a collective. And this is what is causing many to say, don't worry about the other side anymore, they are obstructionist, the "party of no", serious denial and don't want to admit "their prior selfish leaders got us in this mess in the first place". Now they want believers in Obama to own up to Democrats being part of Republican bad decisions. Lord we see the split in their party's attitude. We see how they are using your name to feather their beds more. We see the fear mongering and hatred being used to divide us. We know some in their party feel they were blindsided by the other side in creating a war with one nation that had nothing to do with 9/11. Yes, there were Democrats who voted with them. Many Democrats say now they were doing the immediate, efficient, "patriot vote" for political survival and not asking enough questions and exploring the options. We Lord these individuals lost sight of you and the human purpose, for the "selfish purpose", and hence we are where we are. There may be little new under the sun to you Lord, but if you know where we should look to learn more about "the past" so we don't continue to make the same mistakes, please guide us. The support that President Obama needs now is "tantamount". The Gridlock is increasing the closer we get to "voting time". To make us disheartened and walk away is the goal. Then they can say the American people are disappointed in President Obama and he doesn't deserve a second term. We hear the negative repetition like drum beats but we know they are not drum beats from you Lord. Right now, the media is hungry, looking for any "missteps", "mistakes", or any "hesitationon the Obama Administration's part and they believe they are our "little Gods". Obama, Lord, selected individuals who had been part of the Bush and Clinton Administrations to find peace and understanding in where we have been to rectify the present. May the Lord's wisdom continue to be Obama's guide and we pray that Obama does not lose sight of the most needed elements of the American people knowing the world is too as dependent on his walk to progress. AMEN! Minerva & Todd, "The Communiators" of Santa Clarita

Response to Vice President Al Gore and DCCC Chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:53:09 EST

By Padmini Arhant

Dear Mr. Vice President and Rep. Van Hollen,

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your request. However, the required information sent on priority basis should be available prior to the deadline.

Enclosed please find the contribution and the survey completed with specific targets vital for immediate economic recovery and national progress.

I appreciate your kind remarks and the invitation to participate in the legislative affairs. I pledge my support to defend the policies benefiting the people of the United States of America as well as the global citizens.

Furthermore, I consider it’s really important for the incumbent and the prospective legislators to make a firm commitment to serve the people electing them to office and not become the proxies for the special interests. I reiterate the fact that despite millions of dollars in investments towards any political campaigns, the ultimate power lies with the electorate in a democracy.

Remaining content available @http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Vice President Al Gore - Communiqué

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:23:41 EST

By Padmini Arhant

Health Care Reform - A priority for the victims of the status quo.

Please be sure to watch the videos.

Full Content available @http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Election Lesson: It's right -- not Right -- to be Democrats.

Douglas from South Gate, CA — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:46:15 EST

Given the mixed results in this off-off-year election -- Republicans win governorships in traditionally Democratic New Jersey as well as in traditionally Republican Virginia; Democrats win House seats in a traditionally Republican New York district as well as in a traditionally Democratic California district -- there is more spin being spun by pundits on the Left and the Right than by Kobe Bryant goin' to the hoop. So what's the real deal?

Click For Obama

Click For Obama — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:24:53 EDT

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Times are tough and money is tight, but if you Click For Obama we can generate funds without having to pay one penny.

Click here then click around the sites links. Tell your friends and make this link viral.

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Our first announcement

Worship from Aiea, HI — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:36:38 EDT

How do you post a blog?

Health Care Legislation

"Voice for Humanity" — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:20:20 EDT

By Padmini Arhant

The Congress is engaged in the Medicare payments to doctors as part of the broader aspect of the health care legislation. Despite the opposition’s insinuations against the government run successful Medicare program, it’s imperative for the lawmakers to sustain the viability of the Medicare and the Medicaid by honoring the providers’ legitimate request for payments increase that would substantially reduce the health care costs currently incurred by the taxpayers through payments to private insurers.

As stated earlier, the conservative and the moderate Democrats’ unwillingness to support the public option is contributing to the stalemate in the health care legislation. Even though, the recent Washington Post/ABC Poll confirmed that an impressive 57 percent of the American population is overwhelmingly in favor of the ‘public option’ plan, some Democratic legislators’ reluctance to join the majority on this issue is disappointing and deserve a valid explanation for their position that is detrimental to the national interest.

Remaining content available@www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

2010 Elections - Response to President Bill Clinton

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:13:03 EDT

From: PADMINI ARHANT
WWW.PADMINIARHANT.COM

Hon. President Bill Clinton.
New York

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for your letter. It’s truly an honor to receive your request.

I share your thoughts and concerns about the 2010 elections outcome. Needless to say, that you have experience with the opposition majority during your presidency and the challenges you faced in the legislative process with the “Government Shut Down” led by the former speaker Newt Gingrich and the republican allies.

Although, I agree that the Senators competing for their first term or re-election require the grassroots/base support, the general public perception from the health care debate is - the conservative and the moderate democrats forget their promise to the electorate that initially support them to get where they are now.

Rest of the content available @http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Health Care Bill – Senate Finance Committee and the Republican Vote

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:03:17 EDT

By Padmini Arhant

The decision by the Maine Senator, Olympia Snowe to get on board in the health care reform is a welcome change and provides hope for the bipartisanship even with a singular vote now.

It would have been a cause for celebration if the bill did not marginalize the purpose of this health care reform i.e. the public option that is no longer an option but a necessity for millions of people and small businesses worst hit in the national crisis.

The misplaced objective of this bill from the start has been to impress the ‘so-called’ fiscal conservatives squandering the national wealth on warfare resulting in massive casualties while being miserly on matter related to saving life.

Remaining content @ http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

The Republican Party's Proposal for Health Care Reform

Patrick from Fort Walton Beach, FL — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:21:17 EDT

1. Don't get sick.

2. If you do get sick, die quickly.

I suggest that every American citizen follow President Obama's plan for revision in health care.

I Remain...

Patrick O'Neill, Ph.D.

(PatrickONeillPhD)

The short version of Buck McKeon Townhall Healthcare Meeting

"NERVIE" — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:28:06 EDT

The Buck McKeon Townhall Healthcare Meeting Saturday made footage on Fox News. You can snippets at: http://www.scvyoungdems.org click on “Events", then open the Buck McKeon picture!

There were easy 1,500 attendees at this event! People stood against the walls, in the hall way and moving back and forth through the gym. Republicans claimed 2,000. It was possible, the gym sat 1,000 in the bleachers on each side and 1000 chairs. A serious fire Marshall and sheriffs were present to assure public safety. McKeon said 800 people RSVP'd. We believe 30% of the crowd was us and we had 11 days to mobilize. The event brought out Dems I hadn't seen since he Obama election! Democrats and moderate Republicans leaders still say they'd rather wait and see . . . not believing as they once did, that President Obama can really pull healthcare reform off. Everyone’s watching Abu Grab and Guantanamo militarial terrorism, Iraq and Afghanistan wars and getting the receivers of the first financial bailout. That damn Bush!

The Republican rhetoric is confusing the hell out of folks. Even Wendell Potter (former VP of Communications for Cigna) told me personally, “Minerva, if they don't have the "public option", then the insurance industry will have won this battle, you might as well pack it in lady!” I’m however still fired up and ready to go . . . my friend from Seoul says, “Clutching on invisible hope!”

Bottomline, the Democrats are going to have to agree to agree and explain what the hell is in the damn bill! We can't defend what isn’t understood. I read the first 500 pages and wanted to pull my hair out! Healthcare is a human people problem. Maybe next time they’ll plan better for strollers, the handicapped, seniors and other physically challenged individuals and not expect them to walk huge flight of stairs at the next townhall meeting.

Will someone tell me more about the "illegal alien, abortion and tort amendment" that Buck mentioned? McKeon like the Democrats are crediting the Blue Dogs for holding up the 2013 Bill. Yesterday I hear they voted against “public option”. I know I have my advocacy job cut out for the rest of the fall . . . I still pray that the healthcare bill isn't watered down to nothing. Based on the outbursts, exchanges, heated comments and disgust portrayed . . . Healthcare reform is Damn Important. What’s more important than your health? A roof over your head, food in your tummy, a job and someone to love?

Health Care Bill from the Senate Finance Committee

"Voice for Humanity" — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:19:37 EDT

By Padmini Arhant

According to the latest report from the Associated Press:

Health care bill advances without bipartisan deal -

“After months of bipartisan negotiations, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Finance Committee, told associates during the day he intends to unveil a detailed outline of legislation on Wednesday and convene the panel next week to vote on it.

Baucus’ proposal is certain to shun the liberals’ call for the government to sell insurance, and rely instead on co-ops to offer coverage in competition with private industry. His approach includes a requirement for individuals to buy insurance, with financial penalties for those who don’t. Rather than a mandate for larger businesses to provide coverage for employees, they would be required to defray the cost of any government subsidies their employees would qualify for.”

For Analysis and the remaining report, please refer to:

http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Presidential Address to Congress on Health Care Reform

"Voice for Humanity" — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:50:17 EDT

By Padmini Arhant

The President’s address, September 9, 2009 on the Health Care Reform laid out the components to clarify the doubts and confusions surrounding the bill. Despite the vehement opposition from some quarters in their loyalty to the sponsors, the ‘Special Interests’ representing the Health Insurance and the Health Care industry, the President reached out to them to be his ally rather than the adversary.

Please proceed to http://www.padminiarhant.com for the remaining article.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

RAMMING SPEED

GUN DEALER — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:05:50 EDT

The title says all you need to know about this "prez'dint's" commitment to "bipartisanship".But bipartisanship doesn't matter anyway…the Democrats have the votes to ram this crap through without a single Republican committing political suici, "joining them"…The only reason obama or the Democrats want Republican participation in the upcoming disaster is so that they'll have someone to blame when the American people turn on them!!!

BY Chisco on 09/09/2009 at 12:03

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/57859-boehner-gop-leaders-havent-met-obama-for-health-talks-since-april

Healthcare Reform Now!

Med Pro grl CO 2009 — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:20:20 EDT

Give me bankruptcy or give me death?

The Status Quo- Insurance Scam.

I work in the medical field and healthcare reform is a great idea. It's about time.

I've sat by powerless, while many people have died in my care waiting for insurance companies to authorize non-formulary medications or treatments. Most people are healthy and don't realize how small the list of authorized formulary items is, until it's too late. Bankruptcy or Death is not what Americans should have to choose between. Health Security should be a right.

Even greedy self-loathing hypocrites whom don't like being GUARANTEED protection will someday need more than they can afford, so then, its illness or bankruptcy or DEATH for themselves or a loved one. Anyone who has tried calling an insurance company knows the truth. There is almost no regulation and mostly people just dance in circles with the insurance companies until it is too late. Time is on the insurance companies’ side. For them, time is money and for us or our families it may be a matter of health or death.

Proud of Protesters! We need more new songs of protest!

Emeraldlorraine — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:18:35 EDT

It is so important to protest and I am so proud of the protestors for the current longtime hot topic of healthcare. The coverage in the media is so crucial. I saw protestors for both sides on Saturday in Huntington Beach by the pier at the corner of Main Street and PCH. Both sides with handmades posters. I wanted to honk in support yet there was so many cars and pedestrians that I didn't want to cause any confusion.

Today at Sunday mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, the priest spoke about Mother Theresa and how she spoke up for those who could not protest. He spoke of the importance of speaking up. Our protests are power tools which promote change. Continue to speak up for a better world as it will not happen by silence.

I would love to see more singing at these protests. We need more new songs of protest to etch in the minds and souls of more people.

Central Washington State fair...

Randall — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:56:52 EDT

This year's Central Washington State fair is September 25 to October 4, 2009. Check out all the entertainment at www.fairfun.com

TIME TO BE PARTISAN!

Jim — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:28:27 EDT

It's time to put the notion of bipartisanship on the back burner and move ahead with a real "partisan" plan for healthcare reform with a public option. We would not have Social Security if FDR had waited around for a bipartisan consensus. The Republicans are the minority by quite a margin!

It is abundantly clear that the Republican Party has a plan to demean, disrupt and destroy anything this Democratic, Obama Administration does. There is no point trying to coop someone or something that has no other mission but destroying you. The Republicans are terrorists, they are equivalent to the Taliban in every way. The Republican members of the Senate and Congress are disloyal and traitorous "dogs-in-the-manger" snapping and growling at everything in sight since they lost the election.

The strategy for Democrats must be that we're going to do this without you. Every Democratic Senator and Congressman needs to be on board or not count on any support from the party in the next election. It is time for Democratic Senators and Congressman to vote the party line for the sake of the country and the future of the party in all elections.

It doesn't matter what the Republicans do if Democrats stick together and do what needs to be done. The moderates and independents who have any skepticism about Health Care Reform will come around when they see what the actual reality is; as opposed to all the hype being generated by the Republican Party and their Insurance Company bosses. Let the Republicans filibuster, no force them to filibuster so that America can see what they really are about.

It's also time to call the Republicans out on all their lies and abuses. Democratic Senators and Congressman need to speak up and be heard. I'm tired of listening to the constant BS put out by the Republicans and their has been friends like Tom Delay. The media will love hearing from the Democratic Party, and the public will start to respect Democrats only when we stand up and fight these right wing liars.

The right wing doesn't care how many lies they tell. They believe there are enough Americans out there who want to believe all these lies. Republicans want to create a negative vibe about everything so as to damage the Democratic Administration and create fear. The tactics have not changed since Ronald Reagan.

During the election Obama did not let anything go unchallenged. He fought back. Now is no different except we need to go on the offense as well.

Americans don't respect anyone who doesn't come out swinging when it's necessary.

Health Care Reform - Former Rear Admiral Rep. Joe Sestak Vet benefits and VA would be increased (video)

Unknown user — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:48:56 EDT

Health Care Reform - Former Rear Admiral Rep. Joe Sestak Vet benefits and VA would be increased
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C7MnTdbf84 (video)

Bush administration kicked out about 265,000 vets in 2003 and now it’s about 500,000 vets.

Bush administration cut funding to VA
2 billion in 2003
2 billion in 2004
2 billion in 2005
2 billion in 2006

The Obama health care reform brings them back in.

VA gets an 11% increase over 5 years and it’s the largest increase in it’s history.

VA is exempt from the 2.5% tax.

Blue Dogs and Health Care

Nina — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:07:44 EDT

I am furious about the lack of party cohesion behind the agenda which WE ELECTED Democrats to fulfill. I am appalled by the defection of the Blue Dogs. I will be more than willing, come November, to contribute grassroots support and money to unseat any Blue Dogs and support their liberal opponents regardless. There will be no more supporting "pseudo" Democrats for the good of the party. It does the party no good.

To address the Blue Dogs directly: What do think you are going to accomplish by acting like Republicans? Do you really think that if the Democrats fail to pass real health reform, people are going to vote for a Democrat who is sort of like a Republican, vs. putting an actual Republican back in office to replace you? The whole point of your existence is to prove to people that there IS a difference between the parties and that Democrats do have more to offer, so stop betraying your own party and slowing down an agenda that is crucial to everyday Americans. All of the Blue Dogs who are “proudly” manipulating health care legislation should be utterly and totally ashamed of themselves.

Americans will Respond...JUST WAITING

Citizens for Change in America! — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:59:25 EDT

America is waiting...
only a few have the COURAGE to stand for the AMERICAN citizen!
Citizens will respond...
many will be replaced as Americans see what politicians they elected
DID NOT do to help the citizen they were supposed to represent...

Revolt against Health Care Reform Politics

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:23:16 EDT

By Padmini Arhant

Here we go again! To quote the former Republican President Ronald Reagan revered by the political faction on the right, the obstructionists rise against health care reform under the guise of ‘fiscal governance’ with the stagecraft artists as citizens screaming and ranting over the health care policy for all.

Should anyone be surprised about the sources responsible for the spectacle at the town hall meetings?

When the propagandists can’t think for themselves, they often lavishly steal ideas from others and misuse the Gandhian principle of non-violence and peaceful protest discussed earlier for their own diabolical means, despite the action being detrimental to national progress.

Surely, Gandhi will be turning in his grave on the abuse of his noble wisdom…at the narcissistic profiteers in the health care industry using the selective media muscle power drive insanity to no point of return.

Out of sight, out of mind and the opposition goes ballistic to stampede the health care legislation.

The noise and raucous in the public arena instigated by the agents of warfare against welfare of the people in a democracy are leaving no stones unturned for their vile personal agenda i.e. dominate and deploy the destructive forces in health care matter directly related to economic and employment recovery.

Don't miss the remaining content @http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

P.S. Time to replace the conservative propaganda machine with collective progressive action.

Verdict on the Health Care Legislation

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:43:12 EDT

By Padmini Arhant

The health care legislation vigorously contested by the opponents of the economic recovery and the unemployment deterrence. Sometimes, it’s easier to deal with the ‘devil’ you know than the ‘devil’ you don’t. The existing health care crisis contributed by the health care and insurance conglomerate’s profit raking strategy fits in with the metaphor.

When the people strive to make it to the top of the slippery slope titled the sensible health care legislation their harnesses are either tampered with or forcibly pulled off by the groups posing as the ‘rescue guards,’ i.e. the representatives in the House and the Senate obligatory to their financiers – the special interests.

In the interim, the ‘so-called’ bipartisanship in the Senate with some prominent legislators and selective House members from both sides of the aisles holding substantial investments in the health care stocks are focused on safeguarding their investments with assurances to the health industry – ‘your wish shall be my command.’

The House and the Senate version presented thus far is directly contradictory to the populist requirement and the President’s initial plan. The shameful tactic in the twentieth century - apart from paralyzing the health care reform, it’s also instrumental for the status quo and they are indicated in the article below.

Deal with 'Blue Dogs' sets up health care vote - Associated Press – 07/29/09

“The House changes, which drew immediate opposition from liberals in the chamber, would reduce the federal subsidies designed to help lower-income families afford insurance, exempt additional businesses from a requirement to offer insurance to their workers and change the terms of a government insurance option.

More problematic from the Democrats' point of view is a tentative agreement to omit a provision in which the government would sell insurance in competition with private industry. In its place, the group is expected to recommend non-profit cooperatives that could operate at the state, regional or even national level.

Nor is any bipartisan recommendation likely to include a requirement for large businesses to offer insurance to their workers. Instead, they would have a choice between offering coverage or paying a portion of any government subsidy that non-insured employees would receive."

What is wrong with the classic ‘pro-industry’ proposal to appease the health care enterprise at every insured and uninsured American taxpayer’s peril?

Firstly, the House bill to reduce the federal subsidies designed to help lower-income families afford insurance, instead of demanding the health care system comprising the AMA, health care providers accepting Medicare and Medicaid, Pharmaceuticals, the hospital industry…and the insurance industry mark-down the preposterous profit margins hidden in the superficially inflated costs driving the economy and every citizen to bankruptcy.

If there is any resistance from the groups in this regard, then taxing the expensive insurance coverage ensuring the tax liability on the industry rather than the end-consumer is absolutely necessary. If it was already agreed to by all negotiators then the measure combined with higher taxes on capital expenditures by the industry should adequately cover the increase in federal subsidies to the economically disadvantaged.

The health industry in their defense might argue that the supply and demand market forces drive the costs in a free market system. In this context, the commonly unknown fact being, the health industry unlike other industries are uniquely advantaged to thrive throughout with excessive demand arising from the myriad of sources causing illnesses to a vast population of which an alarming proportion fall in the ‘unhealthy’ category.

In the absence of robust competition from a government provided affordable health care, the industry giants have the expansive field wide open to themselves with a huge demand as the catalyst for the exorbitant profits in products and services. In addition, the major market-share by the big players lay overcast of monopoly for others to compete effectively with the price factor, notwithstanding the industry protocol on limited choice and coverage of care at disproportionate costs.

The non-profit cooperatives have been recently involved in financial mismanagement as reported in California and severely lack in efficiency, ultimately benefiting the current private care system by default. Therefore, it’s not surprising for the industry groups to lobby for the non-profit cooperatives against the government run program.

The bill doesn’t end there. Ice cream is more delicious when served with toppings.

With respect to the businesses and large corporations exempt from the insurance coverage requirement to their workers and employees, it’s yet another ‘dessert’ moment for the legislators playing gracious hosts to the corporate musketeers.

Obviously, the lawmakers more appropriately the lawbreakers are falling head over heels in their romance with the corporate sponsors by relieving them from the fundamental responsibility to care for their workers and employees with health insurance while leaving the underemployed American workforce to fend for themselves in the profit manifested exclusive private health club.

As for the Blue Dogs, a misnomer to the species iconic for their unflinching loyalty, unequivocally clarify that ‘conservatism’ motto regardless of political factions is to delay, defeat and derail national progress. Clearly, the democratic electorate will be able to overcome the obstacle by replacing the obstructionists with the supportive ones in the 2010 elections.

To summarize, the health care casserole prepared by the House and the Senate in the Congress is palatable to the industry as the primary patrons and the caterer of the special menu. The remaining large starving population having peeked at the menu items forced to fake satisfaction from the aroma of the dish, although meant for the populist but served to win over the mighty health care industrialists.

Seriously, if this health care legislation meant to be a ‘reform’, then the bill must include the public option plan, increased federal subsidies, free health care for the most impoverished and a nondiscretionary business/Corporate health insurance for all workers and employees.

Failing that, it would be a band-aid treatment for a widespread chronic ailment in the industry gorging profits at every opportunity and the ‘so-called’ solution will be a cyclical nightmare for the nation attempting its way out of the quick sand economy.

The proposal funded through compromise from the industry with costs reduction equalizing profit contraction proportionate to market sustainability and tax increases suggested in the earlier House Bill itemized per extraordinary income category is the ideal gateway to true 'reform.'

Otherwise, under the present deal the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ not found in Iraq would appropriately apply to the millions dependent on the democratic majority controlling all three branches of the government to do the right by the people.

Because the welfare of the people is paramount for the success of corporations in a capitalist or any other economic systems as people are the consumers and workers alias human capital in the economy. Politically, irrespective of the massive corporate investment earned from the sweat and blood of the workforce, there will be no power without the people’s vote in a democracy.

Again, the health care reform will be truly meaningful and purposeful when the recommended changes addressing the plight of the people are reflected in the lifetime legislative matter.

It’s time for every American to stand up for their rights and claim the authentic universal health coverage favoring them and not the profit oriented health care industry.

Please call your local representatives and the Senators to oblige to your needs and not the special interests. Only you can make it happen this time.

Power is powerless against the will of the people in politics and economics.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Judge Sotomayor’s Confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee

"Voice for Humanity" — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:33:33 EDT

By Padmini Arhant
Supreme Court Justice Confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee

Heartfelt congratulations! to judge Sonia Sotomayor on her confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee to the highest court in the land.

Surviving a grueling confirmation hearing qualifies for a ceremonial victory. Judge Sotomayor exhibited perfection in the process that requires patience, knowledge, and skills to address issues and concerns set forth by the committee...

Continued @ http://www.padminiarhant.com

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Democrats: A Party Divided

Larry Gordon — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:56:21 EDT

The Associated Press said today Democrat says health overhaul needs GOP to pass. What a headline.What a disgrace! Those Democrats who are stalling health care reform run a great risk of being run out of office, preferably before their terms end.

The American people already have to deal with flat out lies and gross misinformation the Republican party is putting on the airways. Now there are Democrats who are looking out for their own, rather the interests of the American people. Be forewarned: those Democrats who stall or hamper health care reform will be derided, ridiculed, and scorned. The American people have not one iota of tolerance for political shenanigans from either political party.

Faltering Democrats: clean up your act and get on board, or you will surely be left behind.

We can act tough too: Phone Bank and Call the Blue Dogs from home/work etc: 10 days, 5 calls a day...

Varun from Berkeley, CA — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:47:28 EDT

UPDATE:
PLEASE PASS THIS AROUND. Do it on your lunch break, when you get home, just 5 calls a day minimum……Once you follow the instructions and call at least 5, you can target districts closer to you…Please begin calss during the Obama press Conf for max impact.

Here’s how to help Obama win Health Care and save our Economy-Call the Bluedogs…Out

Headline on Bloomberg states that the Dem’s are trying to spoil the great leadership they have been given from the 2008 Election:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20090722/pl_bloomberg/atdln6mxpbkk

Here’s a list of Blue Dog Democrats (see bottom)………Senator Graham, a McCain supporter said in the Sotomayor hearing, “Elections matter.” That’s a Republican admitting that.

Thus, lets call---out ---the so called blue dogs.

Ph and Email Instructions: If your first name is between

A-G: start from the bottom of the list up

H-N: start from top down.

O-S: Pick line OS and up.

T-Z: Pick TZ down

If you can’t reach them via phone, please google their email and send them an email.

Commit to emailing and phoning 5 people per day. Once you have called or emailed all….do it again and pass it along…

Possible Email—We took a cue from Rahm….Yes, these emails and calls are harsh…but that’s what these people understand….

(cut paste, add name—no need to give your location):

Hello,

My name is --------,

I vow today, that I and the Obama band of volunteers, workers, old, new, young, rich, working class, Independents, Supportive Republicans, Democrats and more, will organize to reward those that stand with Americans who need care. We will stand with those that stand for us, in fighting for what we believe is a Constitutional right…the right of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Make no mistake…this is quid pro quo. We, as voters, are sick and tired of Politicians and have been mobilizing to reward leaders. We worked in all 50 states, raised money from nowhere, used technology and showed up on low cost flights to organize. We have the ability to bring new voters out of the woodwork. So, if you’re looking at your poll numbers in your district/state….don’t be fooled. The polls don’t capture young people, new voters, for a variety of reasons….That’s how we won the primary and the general.

You are on our list. We will watch how you move Health Care forward, Stall it or abandon it. Should you stall or abandon, you will be abandoned, too.

Possible Phone Script:

My name is --------,

I am a registered voter and I plan on donating and fundraising for President Obama, forward thinking Democrats and plan on travelling to Districts outside of my own, to remove Democrats that stand in the way of our ideals. One of our ideals is presenting people with the option (since options and choices are American as Apple Pie) of having Health Insurance, should they wish to keep it…. You are on our list. We will watch how you move Health Care forward, Stall it or abandon it. Should you stall or abandon, you will be abandoned, too. …..Elections have had consequences and they will have consequences…. So, if you’re looking at your poll numbers in your district/state….don’t be fooled. The polls don’t capture young people, new voters, for a variety of reasons….That’s how we won the primary and the general.

YOUR Last Name H-N start here and work DOWN

Rep. Mike Arcuri, New York, 24th District, (202) 347-3042
Rep. Joe Baca, California, 43rd District, (202) 488-1528
Rep. John Barrow, Georgia, 12th District, (202) 285-0966
Rep. Melissa Bean, Illinois, 8th District, (202) 204-9050
Rep. Marion Berry, Arkansas, 1st District, (202) 543-5777
Rep. Sanford Bishop, Georgia, 2nd District

Rep. Dan Boren, Oklahoma, 2nd District, (202) 454-5262
Rep. Leonard Boswell, Iowa, 3rd District, (202) 547-1334
Rep. Allen Boyd, Florida, 2nd District, (202) 543-5777
Rep. Dennis Cardoza, California, 18th District, (703) 536-6881
Rep. Chris Carney, Pennsylvania, 10th District, 202) 737-5877

YOUR Last Name T-Z: Start here and DOWN

Rep. Ben Chandler, Kentucky, 6th District, (202) 454-5262
Rep. Jim Cooper, Tennessee, 5th District, 202) 543-5777
Rep. Jim Costa, California, 20th District, (202) 347-3042
Rep. Bud Cramer, Alabama, 5th District, (256) 539-0902
Rep. Lincoln Davis, Tennessee, 4th District, (202) 543-5777
Rep. Joe Donnelly, Indiana, 2nd District, (202) 488-1445
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Indiana, 8th District, (703) 354-7444
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona, 8th District, (202) 454-5262
Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York, 20th District, (718) 344-8025
Rep. Bart Gordon, Tennessee, 6th District, 1-800-444-BART
Rep. Jane Harman, California, 36th District, (202) 204-9050
Rep. Baron Hill, Indiana, 9th District, (202) 285-0966
Rep. Tim Holden, Pennsylvania, 17th District, (202) 737-5877
Rep. Nick Lampson, Texas, 22nd District, (202) 544-3151
Rep. Tim Mahoney, Florida, 16th District, (202) 741-7325
Rep. Jim Marshall, Georgia, 8th District, (478) 742-1100
Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah, 2nd District, (703) 354-7444

YOUR Last Name: O-S: start here and UP

Rep. Charlie Melancon, Louisiana, 3rd District, (202) 479-2527
Rep. Mike McIntyre, North Carolina, 7th District, (910) 738-8683
Rep. Mike Michaud, Maine, 2nd District, (202) 488-1445
Rep. Dennis Moore, Kansas, 3rd District, (202) 347-3042
Rep. Patrick Murphy, Pennsylvania, 8th District, (202) 488-1445
Rep. Collin Peterson, Minnesota, 7th District, (202) 543-5777
Rep. Earl Pomeroy, North Dakota, At-Large, (202) 347-3042
Rep. Mike Ross, Arkansas, 4th District, (202) 454-5262
Rep. John Salazar, Colorado, 3rd District, (202) 479-2527
Rep. Loretta Sanchez, California, 47th District, (714) 839-4431
Rep. Stephanie Sandlin, South Dakota, At-Large, (202) 347-3042
Rep. Adam Schiff, California, 29th District, (202) 544-3536
Rep. Heath Shuler, North Carolina, 11th District, (202) 544-3536
Rep. David Scott, Georgia, 13th District, (202) 488-1445
Rep. Zack Space, Ohio, 18th District, (202) 347-3042
Rep. John Tanner, Tennessee, 8th District, (202) 543-5777
Rep. Gene Taylor, Mississippi, 4th District, (228) 466-3933
Rep. Mike Thompson, California, 1st District, (202) 543-5777
Rep. Charlie Wilson, Ohio, 6th District, (202) 544-3536

YOUR Last Name A-G start here and work UP

Obama's Current Health Care Proposal Doomed for Failure

Stephen — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:37:14 EDT

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but President Obama's health care reform as he and Democrats in the House have put forth will do little to reform health care in the U.S. Adding the costs of caring for an additional 50M Americans in a failing economy, with a historic budget deficit, and a market system that is flawed at its core would be a mistake of historic propostion. As a health care consultant and scientist with over 30 years experience in health care, I will explain why.

The primary authority by which the federal government should act to assure the availability of health care lies in public health and safety, and to this end, if our system is to be a free market system, then government must act to assure that consumers are able to freely participate and obtain quality and economically responsive care and options. Allowing politicians and scientists to oversee the government health institutions such as NIH, FDA, and Medicare, and leave them to go and work for the very companies they regulate, diminishes our free markets, competition, care options, and compromises safety and efficacy of the products they serve to approve for use in the U.S.

The predicament that Obama and Congress faces here is that government, by way of its many overseeing agencies has become the "enabler" of so many of the flawed practices and runaway costs we face today. Nearly every health care product and service sold in the U.S. today has a 300% to 2000% markup, and government led controls determine in large part the care and such we are permitted to receive. These compromises further extend to prestigious (non-profit) U.S. universities, non-profit organizations, and philanthropists who enjoy tax free benefits and unbridled opportunities in medical research, new product launches, and wealth at the expense of American tax dollars. If a university or entity is to be given tax exempt status, it should act first in the interests of the public good, not in quest of royalities on intellectual property.

I speak to the above having undertaked extensive scientific effort, advocacy, public policy, criminaql investigations, and law following a 1992 brain injury, where I was termed a pioneer and visionary, yet was "prohibited from receiving NIH and other tax dollars to pay the research and development cost of "solutions" and new treatments I put forward - for which industry and universities were unwilling to undertake. In acting in this manner - they failed to meet the greater public health need. There interests were purely motivated by capitalism and profit. I am working on a book covering my extraordinary efforts and experiences of undergoing 7 brain shunt surgeries over a 17 year period, incorrectly treated most all of those years.

The current manner in which care and options are often restricted in the U.S. also raises Constitutional issues of freedom and liberties to chose the course of care we are most comfortable with. The federal goverment and its contracting partners must do a better job in making more alternative care and treatment available and reimbursable thru insurance. Currently, wellness prevention, Eastern medicine, and care alternatives are not well reimbursed in the U.S.

In my expert view, the areas below is where Obama and the Democrats in Congress must start with reform. Once underway, and when the economy picks up, they can introduce coverage for the 50M uninsured Americans. In the interim, they could draft funding for low cost medi-gap policies for people out of work. My proposal will go a long way towards reducing costs, improving health and treatment outcomes, and spurring new consumer health opportunities. As you can see from my proposal, it's all about "free market control" and who has it: the marketplace or industry? Below, are a number of recommendations to reduce costs, improve care:

* Reverse the Medicare prescription drug clause on negotiating drug prices

** Pass legislation restricting and requiring full disclosure of payments made to physicians from medical manufacturers.

*** Pass legislation restricting re-employment of NIH, FDA, and similar agency scientist by medical companies.

**** Reform the qualifications and health activities by which non-profit entities act and do business, including, a new source of funding so organizations can undertake patient education and advocacy without the funding and control of industry as seen today

Then, form a sub-agency of NIH to enact the following:

1. Introduce new and immediate standards for electronic medical records (EMR), including, wireless consumer care and technology tools - these will strengthen the patient/physician relationship

2. Set standards and deadlines for the availability of new consumer patient monitoring tools

3. Set standards and a timetable requiring every American to become proficient in health education

4. Set weight and obesity limits on premium and low cost health policies, with financial incentives and options for those who maintain A-level practices and wellness prevention

5. Introduce standards for improved reimbursement of "alternatives care" treatments in illness and disease

6. Establish fiscal caps on end of life care, and offer incentives on alternative care

The above should be a centerpiece to any health care reform. I have not touched on family planning and funding of abortion, nor whether employer-based health benefits should be taxed. I will save these for later.

I regret to say that Obama and the Democrats are trying to tackle the most challenging policy and social issue in America, much more than illegal immigration or defense. Yet, understanding this, I believe will help in shaping policy on the other. If they move carefully and wisely, they may just succeed at health care reform.

Stephen

An Open Letter to Democrats…

Andr�a- (You've called him everything else- now call him Mr. President!) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:06:15 EDT

Dear Democrats (House and Senate)

As a taxpaying citizen of these United States I humbly ask you to stop being afraid. That’s right- you heard me. Stop being afraid. Right now, some members of your party act as if they are still in the minority. This is not 1994 or even 2001. There is no more “Contract with America”- that pitiful false promise was broken a long time ago. There is no Newt Gingrich or Tom Delay. You have a voice now. You hold the majority- stand up and act like it. Your party touts itself as the party of the people. The people have spoken. They elected Barack Hussein Obama as President of the United States (with a large majority I might add).

Our country is in a terrible state right now. The policies of the past 8 years have decimated our economic, ecologic, educational, and healthcare systems. The problems are vast. They are deep, and they will be with us for quite some time.

It is your job to work WITH President Obama. Of course nobody expects you to roll over and do everything he asks. That would be a dictatorship. However what I expect is that the party leaders stop governing as if they are afraid to make mistakes. Here’s a newsflash: You will make mistakes!

Democrats, right now there is a bloody battle going on concerning serious health care reform. The insurance lobby is trying their damndest to bully you into ditching the idea of real reform. They hate the idea of a public option because its very presence would force actual competition. They are trying to twist your arms. They threaten to withhold campaign contributions. Let them threaten. You do not work for them. You work for me and all the folks who voted for (or against) you. We are the voices that you should have ringing in your ears. Our healthcare horror stories should keep you up at night. Think about us. We are depending on you.

Stand Up and Stop Being Afraid!

Sincerely

Andrea,

Fearless Citizen of these United States of America

No Co-Ops, No Watering Down of Health Care Reform

Larry Gordon — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:48:35 EDT

Much of the news media has mentioned that Republicans and some Democrats are trying to water down Health Care Reform with co-ops and other inferior changes to Health Care Reform. The American people and President Obama must not allow this to happen.

If Congress were obligated to use this Health Care Reform plus Social Security that most Americans use, these systems would be some of the best in the country. It is time Congress got in touch with the American people, what their needs are, and how they can service the American people and not special interest groups, lobbyists, and, unfortunatele, in some cases, self-serving members.

Healthcare: Why Can't We Get the Congressional Option?

Eric from Covina, CA — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:07:37 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Healthcare: Why Can't We Get the Congressional Option?

There's at least one thing that Republicans do much better than Democrats, and that's marketing their initiatives. It doesn't matter how regressive the idea, Republicans manage to frame it in a way that if you oppose it you look like you're either degenerate, or at the very least, un-American. For example, instead of accurately calling themselves "The Order of Religious Bigots Dedicated to Shoving Our Version of God Down America's Throat," they market their insanity as "The Moral Majority," and instead of being honest and calling themselves "The Public Vagina Brigade," they call themselves "The Right to Life" proponents (even though they're willing to let that very same life starve to death after it's born). Conservatives get a lot of milage out of their creativity in this area, and progressives would do well to follow suit.

Torture Prosecution Must Not Be Feared

Leo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:12:06 EDT

Regarding the friendly disagreement between the Bard and myself, Bush and Cheney already enjoy undeserved folk hero status, and within the far right realms, they will always enjoy such status regardless of outcome.

I appreciate the debate.

Message from the President: "This is why"

Samuel from Heath, MA — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:36:43 EDT

This morning, President Obama sent the following email to supporters:
Last year, millions of Americans came together for a great purpose.

Folks like you assembled a grassroots movement that shocked the political establishment and changed the course of our nation. When Washington insiders counted us out, we put it all on the line and changed our democracy from the bottom up. But that's not why we did it.

The pundits told us it was impossible -- that the donations working people could afford and the hours volunteers could give would never loosen the vise grip of big money and powerful special interests. We proved them wrong. But as important as that was, that's not why we did it.

Today, spiraling health care costs are pushing our families and businesses to the brink of ruin, while millions of Americans go without the care they desperately need. Fixing this broken system will be enormously difficult. But we can succeed. The chance to make fundamental change like this in people's daily lives -- that is why we did it.

The campaign to pass real health care reform in 2009 is the biggest test of our movement since the election. Once again, victory is far from certain. Our opposition will be fierce, and they have been down this road before. To prevail, we must once more build a coast-to-coast operation ready to knock on doors, deploy volunteers, get out the facts, and show the world how real change happens in America.

And just like before, I cannot do it without your support.

So I'm asking you to remember all that you gave over the last two years to get us here -- all the time, resources, and faith you invested as a down payment to earn us our place at this crossroads in history. All that you've done has led up to this -- and whether or not our country takes the next crucial step depends on what you do right now.

Will you donate whatever you can afford to support the campaign for real health care reform in 2009?

It doesn't matter how much you can give, as long as you give what you can. Millions of families on the brink are counting on us to do just that. I know we can deliver.

Thank you, so much, for getting us this far. And thank you for standing up once again to take us the rest of the way.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obam

Orwell's Conservative Republican Party

Polit from Overland Park, KS — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:18:12 EDT

This is the year 2009 right? And next year is 2010!
I just needed to know. I needed to know because if you listen to FOXNEWS or Rush Limbaugh or Shawn Hannity or any of the conservative / republican talk shows (and most republican politicians) you’d think it was 1984!

Not “the real” 1984, when the Celtics beat the Lakers for the NBA championship but George Orwell’s make believe “1984.”

In this “1984”, FOXNEWS is the FicDep or Fiction Department. Rush Limbaugh is Parsons:
“a fattish but active man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasms—one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom…the stability of the Party depended…."

Republican Party elected officials make up the Ministry of Truth. While the voting members of the Republican Party play the role of the Proles.

Oh yeah, Ronald Regan is Big Brother—a fictional leader.

This is the only way one can explain the mindlessness of the Conservative / Republicans.

They speak in Orwellian BlackWhite: “ The ability to accept whatever "truth" the party puts out, no matter how absurd it may be."

Orwell described it as:
"...loyal willingness to say black is white when party discipline demands this. It also means the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know black is white, and forget that one has ever believed the contrary."

This so perfectly describes the current state of the Conservative / Republican party that if you didn’t know better it would be hard to believe that everything I just attributed to them came from a book written in the 1940’s.

How else do you account for the fact that they twist the truth and blame President Obama for EVERYTHING that THEY do. And by the way, just like in the book, the…” titular head (of the Conservative / Republican Party) is a person whose whereabouts nobody knows."

The latest rendition of “blackwhite” is this notion that somehow President Obama is responsible for a racist neo-nazi, white supremacist, shooting up the Holocaust Museum.

They say it’s because Obama is dividing the country.

Some are even suggesting that it was all a hoax created by—OBAMA?

A black Security Guard is killed in a Jewish Holocaust Museum and—OBAMA DID IT!

People… the Conservative / Republican Party has moved into a fictional and very dangerous world.

GOD please protect President Obama.

OFA is not just for Democrats

LindaLu Nordling — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:48:47 EDT

Dear ALL:

I would agree with the authors of this letter. As this is a letter seek to clearify what has become quite a fiasco of camps of self interests.

Nothing about this congress is representative of the INTEREST of the People of United States of America other than on issues which have been grossly under-represented.

As far as all "reforms" including the Green Movement, HealthCare, Sustainability, Climate Change... has each been nothing more than self interest for the MONEY people behind the poppets of Politicians. It is obvious NOTHING in each of those TOPICS has anything to do with the reality of people losing and lost their job, room, apartment, house,..
.

It is very disappointing but nothing surprising given Barack H. Obama does not have ALL the GOP kind of influence, power, money behind him when WE started the road to White House.

There's saying: Keep your friends close
Keep your ENEMIES CLOSURE (closer)

so, here's a TOAST to y'll who are continueing to be of SELF interests and NOT for America or Americans.

You know who you are...and so do the rest of the "peeps" which COMPLETELY OUT # YOU...of course, there was/is/has been "UNCLE TOMS" pardon for borrowing a phrase not from my race but i'm sure y'll know exactly AGAIN who you think you might be...get it MIGHT just BE. ... and so do THIS Transparent information TIME. Good luck to all your self-interest committment and to your health.

Sincerely,

Linda Lu-Nordling

-----Original Message-----

To: San Francisco for Obama <SanFranciscoforObama@groups.barackobama.com>
Sent: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:38 pm
Subject: [SanFranciscoforObama] FW: [GroupAdministratorsforObama-Collaboratio] OFA/DNC

From: alanhny@aol.com
[mailto:alanhny@aol.com]

Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 7:31
PM

To: Group Administrators for Obama
- Collaboration Group

Subject: [GroupAdministratorsforObama-Collaboratio]
OFA/DNC



Dear Kurt, Ben, Brent,
Greg, Jennifer,

I started out replying to
each of your very thoughtful comments but got sort of overwhelmed, so I'm
taking this collective route.

There is no question in
my mind that on all the most important issues we are on the same page. This
dialogue itself, respectful, logical, passionate, is just one more confirmation
for me of the power and beauty of the movement we created over the course of a
long election campaign.

=0 A

Believe me, there is
absolutely no despair here. We are working harder than ever for the President's
agenda, with complete confidence in his leadership, and I believe we continue
to make a modest but valuable contribution to the overall effort.

All of you make a
persuasive case for the grass roots party organizing you are doing. We have a
lot of campaign volunteers here in NYC doing the same. Hopefully there are many
more around the country making similar progress.

But the question under
discussion is the relationship between OFA and the DNC and how it impacts our
work.

If OFA were to say
clearly tomorrow that it wants all of its volunteers and the people we sign up
for various activities under the OF
A banner to throw ourselves into
transforming the Democratic Party into an instrument of people's needs rather
than corporate profits, I would salute and try to figure out how to do that in
our own little piece of the world here.

But there's a good reason
OFA hasn't said that. There is that 30% of the electorate who define themselves
as Independents, there is the unknown but large percentage of the electorate
who vote Democrat while holding their noses, and there is even that 30% of
Republicans who today say they disagree with the policies of their party. In
addition to loyal active Democrats, we will have volunteers from each of these
other three categories participating in our June 27 Health Care Day of Service
event. They will eagerly work with OFA, because th ey see it as something
really new and different from the existing party political system, but they
would tell us to take a hike if we asked them to show up at the next meeting of
our local Democratic club. I guess it's different where you are.


I happen to agree with
them that what came out of the campaign, which took the organizational form of
OFA, is truly something new and different, one of those social/political
movements that come along once every generation or two with tremendous
potential to change the country and the world f
or the better. We see it at work
every day, with the battle for a decent health care system and in so many other
ways in which this President continues to make us proud. That is why OFA
correctly continues to project itself as a movement built on the agenda of a charismatic
political leader, whose politics, fortunately, are fundamentally progressive.

When the decision was made after the
election to fold the campaign base into the DNC, there were advantages and
disadvantages to it. I might have disagreed with the decision at the time, but
I understand why it was made and it has not deterred my participation in OFA,
whose leadership and staff are absolutely doing the best they can with the hand
they've been dealt. But the disadvantages are clearly making themselves
felt.

While very specific and
powerful members of Congress are killing, undermining or going wobbly on key
provisions of the President's agenda, OFA does not target any of them,
presumably because of its DNC relationship, and so organizers and activists are
drawn to groups that are doing that kind of targeting. The same happens with
specific features of the agenda. I don't recall seeing anything, for example,
about the public plan option in the material for the June 4 kick off event. I
understand why this happens, but I think it's a
significant disadvantage.

The OFA/DNC relationship
had this movement/party contradiction built into it at birth, and it needs
to be resolved. It blurs the strategic focus with its generalities and
therefore appears lacking in transparency. Even going by what I think is
Jennifer's accurate characterization of the thinking behind the decision, of it
being a way to hold together the base and keep the buzz going for 2012, I don't
see the numbers telling us that is happening. The numbers I see on the site, the numbers released by OFA, I do not find encouraging--and I doubt that the
hard-headed realists who run OFA do either, despite the obvious need to remain
publicly positive. And what about the 347 other people on this list, who apparently
lack the time or interest to weigh in on a subject we seem to agree is pretty
important? My hunch is their attention a nd energies are otherwise engaged.

Which reminds me, we all have day jobs and I've gone on much too long.

In conclusion, he said, to deafening applause: I think we face great and unprecedented challenges but they can be met; I think we have an obligation to communicate our concerns to each
other and to OFA leadership because I know they want to hear them and because
this is=2 0our organization and we need to make it thrive.



Best,

Alan Howard

NY 8th CD







Dell
Deals: Don't miss huge summer savings on popular laptops starting at $449.

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arriva!

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Obama's Soaring RED STATE Credibility

2morrowKnight — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:34:49 EDT

Naysayers and detractors continue to scratch their heads in amazement at President Obama's ability to pull significant Republican support. But if they looked at the president's 13 plus years as a politician, they would see that he's always worked closely and substantively with them. Remember his friendship with Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard? Though a conservative, he so admired Obama's pragmatic, bi-partisan approach to politics, and his standing as an action-oriented visionary. That admiration landed him an appearance in an Obama TV ad in early 2007.

That is but one example of Obama's clear outreach to Republicans. We can look at his selection of Republicans like Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation or Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense for his administration. We can also look at his incredible 50 State Strategy, which had him campaigning in and/or setting up offices in states like Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Nebraska. A more recent and dramatic example, however, is his naming of Gov. Jon Huntsman as the new Ambassador to China.

This one is awesome. Why? Well, Huntsman has a very impressive record on international affairs, and, he speaks mandarin Chinese from his days as a missionary, so he's perfect. Also, by most accounts, Huntsman has been a very good Governor of Utah, which is literally America's Reddest State. Utah resident and progressive blogger Bryan Young wrote a piece in the Huffington Post that all but confirms this. He described him as "level-headed, even-handed, well read, and well respected". He continued:

"...[Gov. Huntsman's] not afraid to veto the idiotic bills brought to him by a legislature that by and large has only a tenuous grip on reality. He's even worked hard to liberalize the liquor laws that have strangled tourism (as well as my social life) in the state, against the will of his party and a majority of his supporters, simply because it's the right thing to do. He's vetoed a lot of legislation that's come across his desk and has one of the most progressive records on the environment in the west... He's even come out in support of civil unions for same sex couples... Add to that, the fact that he's actually kept Utah's head largely above water through the economic crisis and you'll agree that he's actually a pretty good Governor... It's no wonder he was tapped by the Obama team for any job and he deserves our support and encouragement... He really is a stand-up act."

Being associated with yet another moderate, centrist Republican allows President Obama to continue occupying 65%-70% of the country in poll after poll. These types of approval ratings give President Obama a powerful consensus for most of his policies. Huntsman only helps to solidify his numbers.

Huntsman's appointment may not play well with self-styled "true progressives", but for most Americans, he is fulfilling his role as "President of the United States", not "President of particular Democratic constituencies". President Obama is the man: BLUE STATE credentials, for sure, but also...RED STATE credibility!

2morrowknight is an internet strategist and community organizer who blogs at 2morrowknight.blogspot.com, and is author of a forthcoming children's book. You can follow him at Twitter.com/2morrowknight and friend him at Myspace.com/2morrowknight.

The Specter of Hope, as the GOP Implodes

Douglas from South Gate, CA — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:20:50 EDT

If I had any doubts, I don't anymore: The (political) ground just shifted under our feet.

The best comment I heard this morning was on MSNBC: David Shuster said that Arlen Specter didn't leave the Republican Party; the Republican Party left Arlen Specter ... and a whole lot of other moderates, in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

Now we've GOT to make some real, positive change (as by getting Franken sworn-in in MN) so that the people at large get some benefit from all this, in those key areas Obama keeps pounding away at: healthcare, education, and energy. Those things have been left undone for far too long. The only way we can survive and thrive as a nation is by working on all three (and then some) together, in an integrated, "holistic" approach: It takes a nation to build a nation!

Yes, we can!

Hello from the Left Coast.

TO — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:25:56 EDT

Hello from California, or as I say at the top, 'the Left Coast.' I've been a Democrat since even before I could vote. I cut my teeth with Robert Kennedy, worked campaigns before they were paid positions, knocked on a lot of doors and did miles of ground pounding.

When I watched the convention this past summer, I was more excited about a Demo cratic candidate than I had been since George McGovern in 1972. Well he lost and then we got Watergate. We know how that turned out.

Barrack Obama represents newness. Though the Republicans try at every turn to make him a bad guy, the public believes him. I don't believe that when one poll indicates the American public is thinking one way, but when more than a few are saying pretty much the same thing, at pretty much the same time, there is merit to it. Blowhard and his Dittohead followers just can't stand it that a black man is President. Hey our people came out and voted more than yours did.

The President is very grounded. The REpublican hate machine and their spurious claims-look that up in your Funk and Wagnals-are the same tired old things over and over. Every Democrat I can remember has been called a Socialist, so Obama's being called that is not new.

Random thoughts s they come over the next few weeks. TO

Like Father – Like Daughter

Tom Awtry — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:22:05 EDT

I to would like to see Donald Rumsfelt, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and George Tenet face charges, but first I want to see how our current administration handles this black mark on our country’s history, without outside interference. Basically, whose going to align themselves on whose side.

Think about it for a moment – Here’s Dick Cheney with every opportunity he can get a hold of, to voice his displeasure with any and all of Obama’s policies with the media; what other former Vice Presidents has done that? Not a one!

Now his daughter is getting into the act:

Liz Cheney Defends Father ‘Dick Cheney’ Torture Legacy/Policies

So Why, easy, to confuse along with attempting to defuse the issue at hand, his own personal involvement with authorizing torture.

Rice, Cheney Approved Waterboarding
Associated Press

The Director of Central Intelligence in the spring of 2003 sought a reaffirmation of the legality of the interrogation methods. Cheney, Rice, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales were among those at a meeting where it was decided that the policies would continue. Rumsfeld and Powell weren’t.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

Europe Back Off and Stay Out

Tom Awtry — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:07:43 EDT

Nuremberg Trials

America, as all countries today, is undergoing a vast amount of change; however there exists a hopefully small number of individuals within our country who in essence mistakenly subscribe to the notion “the Bush doctrine on terror” was correct and righteous, which includes the use of torture to obtain supposed Intel information.

I believe our President is taking the right steps, as he promised during his campaign to “right the wrongs” of our country’s past eight years of injustice regarding our treatment of combative detainees. First by releasing the Bush Administration’s memos condoning torture (listed here and here also here), which he followed up by insuring his release would not produce a witch hunt (as some want) by traveling to CIA’s Headquarters and assuring employees individual prosecution would not be presumed and finally, most importantly turned the entire matter over to our Justice Department and directly to Eric Holder, the Attorney General.

On this past Wednesday (22 Apr 09) an article in the Washington Post, authored by Craig Whitlock, of Washington Post’s Foreign Service Department and entitled: “European Nations May Investigate Bush Officials Over Prisoner Treatment” confirms my beliefs by the following excerpt:

On Tuesday, Obama for the first time raised the possibility of creating a bipartisan commission to examine the Bush administration’s handling of terrorism suspects. He also said he would leave it up to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to determine whether to prosecute senior officials who approved waterboarding and other tactics.

This was further confirmed in a statement published by the American Civil Liberties Union, entitled: “Attorney General Holder Says He Will “Follow The Law” And Investigate Torture” where the following excerpt stated:

Attorney General Eric Holder said today that the Justice Department will “follow the law wherever it takes us” in investigating the U.S. officials behind the CIA torture policies under the Bush administration.

Europe, you have every obligation and right to legally pursue whatever action you feel is appropriate, but please let our present administration do what they can to correct these past “wrongs”; in our way of first and let America reestablish itself under the “Rule of Law”.

A.G. Holder: Investigate Torture

The people who authorized Bush’s torture program shouldn’t get off scot-free. It’s time for Attorney General Holder to appoint an independent special prosecutor.

Update 23 Apr 09:

Clinton Questions Cheney’s Credibility: “I Don’t Consider Him A Particularly Reliable Source Of Information”
Huffington Post | Nicholas Graham

The sensitive topic of the release of the torture memos came to the forefront when Republican Rep. Dana Rohrbacker asked Clinton if she agreed with Dick Cheney’s request that documents ostensibly showing the efficacy of the torture programs should be declassified. Clinton ultimately replied that she believes “we ought to get to the bottom of this entire matter” and that it “is in the best interest of our country” to do so, but not before she took a shot at Cheney’s credibility, saying “I don’t consider him to be a particularly reliable source of information.”

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

Ignoring Diversity in Corporate Restructuring will Reduce future Political Fundraising in Black Community

Randi Payton — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:19:16 EDT

Ignoring Diversity in Corporate Restructuring Will Reduce Future Political Fundraising Support from the Black Community

Randi Payton

rpayton@onwheelsinc.com

President Barack Obama may be doing a good job of repairing the nation’s economy but behind the scenes his strongest political base is eroding due to major setbacks in corporate diversity. African Americans reached into their pocketbooks to make unprecedented contributions to Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign last year. However, if the current trend of cutting diversity efforts continues, African Americans will not have the resources to financially support the president’s bid for a second term. When there’s the no work, there’s no money.

Thousands of African American small businesses, automotive dealers and suppliers, minority –owned media outlets and their employees are feeling the brunt of the recession. Businesses cannot get loans, corporations are laying off employees at an alarming rate and domestic automakers, the second largest employer of African Americans outside of the federal government, don’t see diversity as a priority during this economic crisis.

Minority car dealers and minority automotive suppliers who had the funds to support President Obama’s first run for the presidency will almost disappear because of the current economic crisis. Automakers have been corporate leaders in diversity for at least a generation. But diversity is not being considered in the restructuring plans of the domestic automotive industry.

Automakers that championed diversity and encouraged their ad agencies to support it, but did not require those same agencies to practice it, are now dropping diversity advertising and marketing altogether or making significant cuts. Corporations are too concerned with their survival to focus on diversity advertising and marketing which should be an essential part of restructuring. However, it has been looked at as affirmative action instead of a need to reach more than 30 percent of American consumers.

Minority dealers and suppliers who represented a huge financial support base for President Obama during his presidential campaign cannot get financing to operate their businesses and they have lost the support of larger companies that cannot get credit themselves. Not only has progress on this front ceased but all these businesses are closing at an alarming rate.

Small minority businesses experienced huge growth; their owners who often used equity in their homes to finance their start-ups can no longer do so and SBA and VA backed financing is frozen. The banks simply will not loan, although the Obama Administration has pumped money into them to free up the secondary finance markets. Banks either don’t have the cash or they are using the federal money to generate interest payments and to repay the government to escape federal oversight. But small minority-owned businesses have been left out of this equation.

African American employees, who were making inroads into upper management positions when diversity was a corporate priority, are now the first to be cut during tough times. Their input was never really valued; even those who have proven track records of success.

One 30-year senior executive at General Motors told me that this is the worse time that she has ever seen for diversity. Progress in that area is quietly being set-back. President Obama needs to appoint a diversity czar to protect the interests of minority consumers.

Other black politicians as well as President Obama should also be worried because they all need financially healthy voters to support their political campaigns. The ultra conservatives have yet another trick up their sleeve to destroy the economic base of minority consumers. They have one goal in mind – force the domestic automakers into bankruptcy and destroy the unions and the middle class. The current trend is having a devastating impact on African American middle class workers and it would make it difficult for all African American office seekers and incumbents, not just the president, to get future financial support from the black community.

Randi Payton is the CEO & President of On Wheels Media, which publishes African Americans On Wheels, Latinos On Wheels and the www.onwheelsinc.com web site. On Wheels will launch DECISIVE magazines and web hub summer of 2009, a consumer media to help consumer in multicultural market make decision on products and services. Get free digital copies of On Wheels magazines at www.onwheelsinc.com

PRESIDENT OBAMA 'S POLL RATINGS

Dimples02 — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:50:00 EDT

CLICK ON /SAVE IN FAVS - KEEP TRACK OF POLLS.

http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/polls/obama.html

The Democratic Party is Finally Back

Tom Awtry — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:41:08 EDT

In a Huffington Post article by Thomas B. Edsall, entitled “Permanent Democratic Majority: New Study Says Yes”, Mr. Edsall points out two areas of growth in the Democratic Party:

The increasing numbers of black and Hispanic voters
A decisive shift away from the Republican Party by the suburban and well-educated constituencies that once formed the backbone of the GOP

As quoted from the article:

In a March, 2009 51-page paper [PDF] “New Progressive America: Twenty Years of Demographic, Geographic, and Attitudinal Changes Across the Country Herald a New Progressive Majority,” Ruy Teixeira makes a strong case that “progressive arguments are in the ascendancy,” that demographic and geographic “trends should take America down a very different road than has been traveled in the last eight years. A new progressive America is on the rise.”
To further buttress his case, Teixeira has put together “a very cool interactive map that includes 7 levels of exit poll demographics and county-level vote shifts going back to 1988.”

The only slightly negative point in the report was stated: “The only circumstances that could bring back the Republicans is Obama’s failure to stem the recession.”

“Obama does have to succeed, and so far, he’s pretty much on the right track, and the Republicans are definitely not. That suggests to me that he and the Democrats will be able to solidify their majority in 2010 and 2012,” Judis said. “But again, I don’t fully understand what is going on in the world, and events could defy demography.”

Again a quote from the report:

Perhaps the strongest evidence in support of the Teixeira-Judis-Abramowitz thesis is, however, the current inability of the Republican Party to respond to market pressures. Defeat has, ironically, diminished the GOP’s capacity to respond to loss. As the elected leadership gets smaller, the strength of the most dogmatically rigid and least elastic faction has grown. On issues running the gamut from immigration to the economy, this dominant faction has yet to demonstrate “a wonderful corrective” in reaction to losing. Instead, they have retreated further inside an ideological shell that began to show cracks — Bush I in ‘92, Dole in ‘96, and Bush v. Gore — well over a decade ago.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

Democrats' Next Target: the Internet

Jason M. Christos — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:10:36 EDT

Democrats' Next Target: the Internet Larrey Anderson
Democrat Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia has introduced two senate bills that may severely regulate traffic on the Internet.

The Canadian Free Press explains it this way:

The White House will have new powers to access private online data, regulate the cyber security industry and even shut down Internet traffic under the provisions of Senate bills No. 773 and 778, introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V. It’s called the Cybersecurity Act of 2009...READ MORE HERE http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/04/democrats_next_target_the_inte.html

Terrorizing the Terrorists

Don — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:34:58 EDT

How do you deter an enemy who is willing to kill himself in order to kill you? You strike at something more important to him than his own life. Defining that will be easy for me. The next question is can America be as ruthless as our enemies?

The time has come to end the fruitless and unsustainable effort to search and destroy every cave in Afghanistan and bomb every campground in bordering Pakistan. It’s counterproductive anyway.

What will put the fear of America into terrorist masterminds and those who would follow their orders is simple and radical revenge. Masterminds have families: Cousins, brothers and fathers. Eliminate them. All at once, or one at a time, it works just as well. The ones who survive an initial “hunt” will go into hiding. Having some adult male relatives killed and the rest hiding out in caves will demoralize masterminds and their loved ones. You cannot work and support your women like that. You can’t make more baby masterminds that way. You cannot continue the blood line. The women and children will pressure them to stop their plotting and bombing.

People want to leave a familial legacy, and they can’t do that under those circumstances over the long term.

Should America do that? Yes. Do we have the “intestinal fortitude” and sustainable motivation? I don’t think so. But we should, and it shouldn’t take another terrorist attack to get us there.

For the last seven years the CIA has been kidnapping people from other nations and torturing them. Why not just go in there and quietly shoot them to death?

Frankly, by not killing women or children the way those terrorists routinely do, we can even claim the moral high ground.

Should we consider it???

Nathan from Horn Lake, MS — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:36:48 EDT

In the heat of this economic concern, many topics have been thrown around. One I am hearing more and more about is the legalization of drugs. Is it really time to consider this? Illegal drugs are certainly very harmful to a society, we all are very aware of the consequences of drug abuse both on individual levels, neighborhood levels, and even national levels. However, in the wake of all the drug violence to our south as well as economic tribulation in our own nation, one does have to wonder if there is a way we could handle a legalized drug system? As interest grew in the topic, I have researched a good bit into the numbers, positives, negatives, and reasons why we shouldn't. I truly believe we could find a way to legalize the drugs themselves, but regulate by an even more elaborate scale of scheduling in a way that would still keep the most harmful drugs out of reach from communities, (like the way we were able to control the Oxycontin outbreak that was seemingly widespread in the early 2000s). When one looks at the amount of drug consumption within the United States, the numbers are quite staggering in comparision to the amount of people that live within the US. I believe the war on drugs has been a bit of a failure, whether it was the unconviencing propaganda, or the inability to control the drugs entering our country simply because of the size of our borders. Over the years of such constant drug use, I believe America is very well aware the harmful risks involved in drug use. Yet people have continued to use whether they will end up in jail or not. Maybe the war on drugs can be fought much more effectively from a legal standpoint as it is with the addictive prescription medicine we fight very well today. I don't know if it is the answer, but I do believe it is worth consideration!

Spring Into Action!

Justin J. Major — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:05:30 EDT

Spring into Action/OFA Pledge Project Canvass

Time: Saturday, March 21 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Host: Democratic Party of DuPage County
Contact Phone: 630-629-1125
Location:
Democratic Party of DuPage
1000-7 Rohlwing Rd
Lombard, IL 60148

http://www.dupagedemocrats.com

Put a little spring in your step as you enjoy refreshments and walk for your township and COD. Join us at 10 and we will provide breakfast snacks, coffee and juice, plus lunch treats after you've walked your area.

WIN GREAT PRIZES!

RSVP to 630.629.1125 so that we can prepare your walk materials.

The Real Abominations Against God and Jesus

Don — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:04:47 EDT

The fact that Americans vote in favoring of paying our farmers to produce LESS milk in order to keep the gallon price of milk HIGHER than a gallon of gasoline while millions of American babies' parents can't afford milk is an abomination against God.People who, in the name of Jesus, vote to DENY medicine and treatment for babies in nations where it is otherwise not available suffering from AIDS because adults delivering help condone use of condoms to staunch the spread of AIDS are committing an abomination against God.People who vote against public sponsored healthcare for babies and children who cannot otherwise obtain it are committing an abomination against God.People who allow others to go hungry, homeless and sick, thus disobeying Jesus AND God himself, find the energy to rail against adults who behind closed doors have sex with other consenting adults are committing an abomination against God. They spend money, cast votes and change constitutions to deny those people rights to get divorced like 50% of the self-righteous people do every day.People who blatantly ignore the commands of Jesus and stated in all the gospels to care for the sick, the hungry and the homeless, and “judge not lest you be judged” while trumpeting an obscure sentence fragment from the Old Testament taken out of context while calling themselves Christians are an abomination against God and Jesus. Theirs is the greatest of blasphemy imaginable.When the mere idea that a person would not CHOOSE to be reviled, persecuted, fired from the military, and in some cases savagely beaten to death -- in other words, be gay -- is met by 'conservative Republicans' with such rabid, savage hostility, then one could reasonably believe that their position and their associated rage is intended merely as a distraction from their own actions which are immoral, inhumane and even criminal (refer to first five paragraphs).

Rush to Failure

Henry M — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:26:30 EDT

That's our answer to Rush. And we'll put it on a billboard right in his home town, so he can't miss it.

Americans know that when President Obama succeeds, we all do. It's time to leave behind partisan attack politics and stand behind the policies that will strengthen and renew America's economy.

Make your online: https://www.democrats.org/page/contribute/billboardwinner

God Bless You & Thank You President Obama!

CD57 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:37:48 EDT

My small business was in the brink of bankruptcy failing miserably during Bush era, but since President Obama took over it became an overnight success, my sales jumped from an average $20 a day to over $200 a day, last 5 weekends my daily sales were $600; what a great improvement my outlook for future is brighter now with full of confidence I waited patiently and now my boutique will not bankrupt, what a relief that is!

I look forward to hearing from all concerned readers of my blog please feel free to share your stories & comments, have a bright & wonderful day!

Keeping Democracy Alive

"Voice for Humanity" — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:46:49 EDT

The new administration is still in the process of filling positions and since the beginning, there has been problems with some major cabinet appointments as the nominees had withdrawn from considerations to avoid political challenges during the hearing process.

Lately, it appears to be the nominee CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

It is evidenced in the following article;

Gupta won’t be next surgeon general

Neurosurgeon and TV Correspondent withdraws from Consideration

By Richard Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press - Thank you.

CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta won’t be the next surgeon general, the Obama administration confirmed Thursday.

Gupta 39, a neurosurgeon with star appeal, was seen as President Barack Obama’s first pick for the job. He would have brought instant recognition to the office of surgeon general, a post that has lacked visibility since the days of C. Everett Koop during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

An administration official said that Gupta had been under “serious consideration” but took himself out of the running because he wants to focus on his medical career and spend more time with his family.

“We know he will continue to serve and educate the public through his work with media and in the medical arena,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of nominations.

The official said there were no problems that would have disqualified Gupta, and it was his decision to withdraw.

The surgeon general is the nation’s doctor, and while the job doesn’t involve much policymaking responsibility, it’s a bully pulpit for promoting public health. Gupta could have helped Obama pitch his health care reform plan.

Initial reports in early January that Obama had approached Gupta about the job created a stir. The new president had not yet taken office. The chairman of the American Medical Association’s board said at the time it would be a boon to the government if Gupta accepted.

But Gupta would have had to give up a lucrative career. He hosts “House Call” on CNN, contributes reports to CBS News and writes a column for Time magazine. He also practices surgery at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, which sees more than its share of trauma cases.

Political opposition had started to form.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., called Gupta inexperienced and circulated a letter urging Obama not to appoint him. Conyers is a leading supporter of health care reform that would create a government system similar to Canada’s and is particularly influential among liberals.

Gupta does have some Washington experience. During the Clinton administration, he served as a White House fellow and a special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Clinton.”

———————————————————————————————————————

Washington Hypocrisy:

Strangely enough, with recent appointees for high profile cabinet positions involving decision-making on International crisis affecting billions of lives around the globe “experience” didn’t seem to matter to the members of the hearing committee.

Some were sworn in with a mere formality hearing and they were aptly called by the media a shoe-in appointment.

Also, there was swift approval of nominees considered “controversial” with tax issues, conflict of interest notwithstanding the nation’s critical cabinet post supposedly being “unconstitutional.”

However, an administrative post with none or minimal policymaking responsibility as cited in the above article, aroused skepticism in the minds of certain members prompting them to an all out campaign against the adequately qualified and nationally as well as internationally prominent candidate with White House experience, reveals the true colors of Washington Politics.

Last fall, history was made for a reason. People of the human race overwhelmingly came together to convey a loud and clear message…

It is no longer the “red states” or the “blue states”, but it is the United States of America.

Apparently, like everything else it is being regarded a catchy campaign slogan rather than embracing and most importantly practicing to keep democracy alive.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

The George W Bush Recession and Depression

Don — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:13:08 EST

We need to give credit where credit is deserved: NAME this economic crisis after the man most responsible for it's creation.

$10 trillion deficit is what we had at the end of the Bush administration. In eight years, Bush more than DOUBLED all the indebtedness America had accrued in more than 200 years.

This is more than a talking point, this is a necessary reminder that should be made every day, so that the notoriously SHORT memories of Americans shall be stimulated on a regular basis.

WHO IS THAT GUY BARACK OBAMA? HE IS US.

Alex Karoub — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:27:43 EST

..... Contact: http://Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

(orig. posted 11/7/08)

We have made historic headway by together pointing our nation in the right directions. After decades, we have America focused on the issues of fundamental importance. Now, each of us acting in concert can together move our country to lead the world to the fruitfulness of moral goodness. I have no doubts about my abilities and the abilities of fellow Americans to work smart and hard to achieve these goals.

Barack Obama has the visions, leadership, and integrity for us to correct and redirect our country to once again lead the world for the fruitions of good. Let's closely listen, learn, and move forward based on that which we know deep inside is good and which we can validate with our hearts.

I hope that those who had but a few reasons to support Obama, look further into the other issues more deeply. I found the more I explored, studied, and listened to Obama the more I found us in agreement. The couple of issues that I did not have depth of knowledge of, quickly became obvious in need. This was unusual for me since I have always refused to be any kind of a follower, and still am not. I find Obama to be a deep thinker who is articulate and inspirational; and, of most fundamental importance, Obama makes excellent moral sense.

Hopefully, our country has learned lessons from the past of mistakenly following leadership blindly, as was done with Nixon and Bush. There are leaders who are simply in it for themselves and will cater to individuals or groups in order to grab for their own benefit. Corrupt and bad leaders hide at all levels. This is especially true in city government as well as county and state government. The corrupt deals of politicians need to be exposed, and those responsible need to be weeded out in the coming local elections. Others need to be investigated by law enforcement and be prosecuted for illegal dealings; for deals they often make for their hidden personal agendas. Let’s look at the bad experiences of the past as bitter medicines, let’s eliminate the need for such bad medicine in the future. Let us use what we know is good to go forward.

I believe we have chosen wisely, not by greed and not by misguided retaliatory anger. I believe this time our country has chosen with open eyes, with each of us listening and examining our choice of leadership closely, driven and validated by our hearts.

I hope we can continue to make our efforts even more inclusive (in many more ways than I touch on here). Far right republicans will be stubborn to change, but we will need to include them to change if we are to succeed. Sure a few more will leave our country, but that is not the American way. No, we really don't need their false fronts of power, money, insider knowledge, or other trappings that they have taught many to 'respect?'. Let's recruit as many as we can, that's the American way, evolving and changing together as one nation. Try to be understanding as we move forward; by better understanding each as individuals and people with various desires and needs we will find ways to reach out with friendship and have them join our causes of good.

Be on the lookout, and root out bad leadership in government and business. Do not be intimidated by those who use the false fronts of power and give a false sense of security in order to lead. Be extra leery of those who say or imply ‘Trust me’; those who give a sense that they somehow omnipotently know better. No longer will Americans be dazzled by phony displays of brilliance or baffled by baloney. There are government aristocrats and business leaders who still believe in the old adage of: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle em with bullshit”. We can embrace complexity by demanding true, fundamental, and understandable explanations. We can root out falsehoods by not accepting double speak. We as Americans know how to grow ourselves by first believing in ourselves. Don’t be a follower. Don’t be a follower of followers.

However, when we find leaders who are good; a leader that thinks, speaks, and acts from their heart; one that is honest, has integrity, and leads by sincere examples; then we need to in a big way, join them, support them, and promote their causes of good. From much research, investigation, and scrutiny, I believe Barack Obama is such a person. I hope we search for and find many more who are similar, who we can add to service at all levels of government. We need to add/replace leaders in business with ones that have honesty, integrity, and show quality in leadership. We need more people in leadership roles who are moral, like Barack Obama.

Remember, we are not fighting a battle, we are the artisans and sculptors of the future for ourselves and generations to come. Rarely do societies have opportunities to make such dramatic moves forward as we now have in this opportunity of today. Take pride and practice in being inclusive as we stride forward. In moving forward, create opportunity not only for yourself, but also for all. Hope is a wonderful thing to behold; but without opportunity, hope can become but a dream never achievable. We can, will, and must, create opportunity.

In the coming year I hope that we do not lose our spiritedness, but instead continue to build and make headway. I hope we all continue our campaign for change in government and business. We will succeed in moving forward once again, it will take much effort and good oversight on the part of each of us. We will make great strides in the months and years ahead in order to achieve the fruitions of good. Let's keep our enthusiasm progressing through these coming toughest of times. Let us use the light of goodness and love to motivate us with historic momentum.

I have chosen Barack Obama because he best represents my deepest beliefs in America. Please take time to read the issues that Barack Obama has published on this website. Also, give your attention to see how he leads us to move our nation forward in the time ahead. Most importantly, be part of America's great future, participate in the greatness that together we will make. Participate!

We will each and all flourish, if we think, speak, and act, by using the love in our hearts.

Your reply is welcome. Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

AMERICA...the Pain Begins...TELL ME YOUR REALITY...tell me your story, I'll listen and reply...someone that really hears you and cares enough to respond to your thoughts, ideas, feelings and concerns...YOUR REALITY that YOU are LIVING WITH TODAY

Citizens for Change in America! — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:57:36 EST

JUST the Beginning... this is just beginning...it will not be going away...more people are hurting than anyone knows...now it is starting to openly show...rich, poor, middleclass, republican, democrat, independent, black, white, tan, red, pink or purple with pink pock-a-dots...it just doesn't really matter...the pain is broad and getting deeper daily...AMERICA must wake up and come out of this stopper... REALITY...America is in REAL PAIN... ALL AMERICANS...tell me your story and I will hear you! If you have a story...tell about the effect on you, your family, friends, neighbors, relatives... tell me about your story and the effect it is having...tell it to me today!

THE TRUTH HURTS...reply

Citizens for Change in America! — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:37:56 EST

The Truth HURTS…
This economic problem has always been about choice…what you decided to do with your money in the past and in the future is your choice that you have everyday of your life…AMERICA faces these choices and ALL of the AMERICAN PEOPLE will have to decide…
FACT: you paid off your house
FACT: you paid off your car
FACT: you paid off you credit cards
FACT: you paid off your investments
FACT: you paid off your bills
FACT: you paid off your expenses
FACT: you paid off your children’s educational expenses
FACT: you paid off you children’s college bills
FACT: you paid off your taxes
FACT: you paid off everything
FACT: DID YOU REALLY PAY and then some…so everyone can do WHAT EVER they desire…even for WRONG THINGS…for other peoples houses, cars, sunroofs, tinted glass windows, gas, tires, trucks, options, investments, summer homes, time shares, tips, trips, vacations, heat, electricity, clothing, food, college, medical, insurance, stocks, interest, bank loans, credit card bills, EVEN WRONG business CHOICES…did you…make these choices…take these risks…live this lie of fake prosperity.
The banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies and government offices…
all are having fun making choices with other peoples money…
yes everyone…especially those that might be considered too big to fail?
REMEMBER the BASICS (part of the costs of doing business is loss in theft, shrink and bad accounts…this is in all business models as experts are taught by experts…PROFESSORS teaching MBA’s and CPA’s for CEO’s and Presidents)
All the experts…
take their pay for whatever good or bad decisions and answers they tell you…
TALK IS CHEAP…but YOU PAY for all the CHOICES
YOURS…THEIRS…and everyone else in between…
every person not living by the Facts…
but by the MYTH…
Is sold on the idea to fill up every living Mystical Fantasy and Desire…
that is the Prophecy of EXPERTS…
fed to the people on both ends of AMERICA
Economic and Political
FACE the MUSIC…
BROKE is BROKE…
Do not hand me your meal ticket…I did not eat your lunch!
I did not own your business, bank, brokerage company, bakery, battery company, best shop or basket case…
do not give me your bills…
I didn’t get any of your pleasures, profits or perks…
I didn’t benefit from any of your lavish life style…
I didn’t get any thing before…
I don’t want anything now…especially, not any of your bills!
YOU went broke…not me…
You didn’t pay any of my bills…
You didn’t worry about feeding my children or sending them to school…
YOU KEEP YOUR OWN choices to yourself this time too…
IT'S YOUR CHOICE to keep the TRUTH...
PAIN FREE!

AMERICA...tell me WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Citizens for Change in America! — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:07:56 EST

TELL ME...what are you doing?

I pay my bills...paid off my house and can not sell it...moved because my x-spouse took our child to another state...was not made to bring him back after two years of lawyers, judges and court systems (even though the state had laws against and prohibiting children being moved out of their state)...I had to move to be closer, involved and remain to be an active parent for my child and our society benefiting from this action...faced with having to use some of my retirement/401k funds and pay taxes and penalties because I am not yet 59 and 1/2 years of age...will be penalized for paying off my car…will be penalized for paying off my house...will be penalized now for the actions of needing money to pay bills and do what citizens are supposed to do, but can't sell my house in this tough economy (loose money) and having to sell stocks/investments (loose money) because there is no plan for me, no bailout for me, no help for me...

you have PAID the RICH...PAID the RICHER...PAID the RICHEST

WHAT ARE YOU REALLY DOING...

what did you do...

what will you do...

what do you do?

CALL ME if you really care...I will give you the full story, painful details, hardships and sacrifices I have had to make...

the question is real...the question is important...the question must be answered...

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

California Budget Deficiency

"Voice for Humanity" — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:07:05 EST

At last, after a prolonged melodramatic stunt by lawmakers the California state budget concluded as a major achievement!

The review of the proposed budget appears to be nothing but analogous to a dish prepared for starved patrons by reluctant chefs deliberately ignoring the recipe provided to them while using the ingredients to serve themselves their own favorite dish.

Does this come as a surprise?

Not in this era of special interests and politicians cozying with one another on the maxim “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

The worst victims of this fundamental fiscal policy are the children and students, the future taxpayers of this economy.

Does this bother any of those advocates involved in merciless slashing of funds to K-12 and college education?

If it did, they would not have propagated such ideology and as for those to allow this to happen simply suggests their complicity to this charade.

Perhaps, the concerned policymakers could not arrive at a decision to balance the budget up until twenty-four hours ago because they were too busy devising a plan to keep them in power and protecting their own families with children attending private schools or schools not hit by severe funding cuts.

What about them targeting social welfare programs affecting the elderly, sick, disabled, unemployed, veterans and other dependents?

Should we assume the lawmakers could not relate to this segment of the population because fortunately for them they do not have or know anyone in vulnerable position, hence the end justifies the means.

The defenders of the disproportionate funding to the criminal justice system in the budget safeguard their interests at the expense of kids kicked off the welfare and students struggling to meet college expense with some winding up in the overcrowded prison system thus making the so-called reformers’ jobs secure.

That’s why these beneficiaries of dysfunctional democracies display their titles and flex muscles to quell dissent by alienating citizens of diverse background during any crisis.

They conveniently forget the fact that people of ethnic origin are also part of the society making significant contributions in every aspect particularly as taxpayers and their role is not limited to being the benefactors and lately campaign donors as well as volunteers during elections and beyond.

Ironically, legislators have successfully defended corporations by granting them generous leeway as they realize that corporations’ profit will serve the lawmakers during election campaign through donations and ordinary citizens whose votes ultimately grant them power are left to fend for themselves in the tough economic times.

As stated earlier on several occasions, the democratic system essentially run by corporations and the power brokers at the state and federal level prioritizing self- interest over national interest and the electorate forced to be accustomed to this general trend.

Who are the real beneficiaries in this budget?

It is certainly not the disadvantaged and bereft population in requirement of present government assistance to enable them to be future providers of the economy. The other interesting factor in both state and federal dramatic unfolding of legislative approvals is spot the lame duck in this game.

During the captivating rule of the previous administration, the former President George W. Bush mischaracterized as the lame duck, though the majority Democrats would have appropriately fit the profile due to unprecedented use of vetoes exercised by the then Chief Executive at the White House on most issues regarded detrimental to the subjects of the kingdom.

One would assume that gaining majority rule in both houses and the executive branch at both state and federal government is a guaranteed victory in legislative matters. It remains a wishful thinking for one while the other regardless of status quo prevails in failed ideology against pragmatism.

Therefore, the lame duck in the game is none other than the electorate at the bottom of the socio-economic scale and the weak representatives lacking courage to fight for the cause and the purpose of their election to power in a democracy.

In essence, ballots cast by ordinary citizens elevate individuals to power and these elected officials preoccupy in strengthening their own position in office with political bargains even if similar measures overrides the promises on the campaign trail.

Either way, the victims are invariably the electorate granting authority to ambitious political minds often negotiating constituent’s future for personal gains.

Is there a hope to break the chain link for ordinary citizens in a democracy?

“Impossible is written in fool’s dictionary." In any active democracy, the people possess power to ensure fulfillment of electoral commitments by political leaders favoring the electorate and not any special interests or themselves.

Unfortunately, in this budget decision the stalemate was unnecessary as it was with the passing of the federal economic stimulus package. Whenever a minority poses a threat to majority on genuine solutions to problems created by failed policies, it is red alert for electorate to eliminate blockades through elections confirming the power and strength of democracy.

How does the budget impact the ordinary electorate living paycheck to paycheck and families dependent on social programs and public school education?

With deep cuts in education including hikes in college tuition fees and social programs, the average Californians penalized with tax increase via sales tax, vehicle license fee and reduction of dependent benefits from $300 to $100.

The thoughtful policymakers in return decided to redirect the hard fought funding to Corporations via undue credits and maintenance of horse race grounds over education and other essential social services.

Diversion of spending cuts from future taxpayers to benefit self serving interest groups definitely speaks volume on priorities by fiscal conservatives.

Not all those vehemently opposed to socialism are entirely objectionable to redistribution of wealth as long as the recipients are their own kind focused on wealth amassment at the expense of struggling majority.

In fact, voter rejection of two-thirds majority approval in state and federal legislative matters will permanently remove gridlocks in a democratic process besides successfully replacing any need for Open Primaries in the state elections.

It is time for the worst affected groups in the current budget proposal to coalesce and act decisively against willful negligence of issues ranging from education, social programs, environment, and energy… by elected representatives especially with options available to balance the budget.

We sure have a budget to justify the role of government despite the huge deficiency and failure to address the needs of the distressed population.

Democracy best served when the governments of the people run by the people and for the people.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

THANKS...AMERICA...reply

Citizens for Change in America! — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:55:16 EST

Where are the thanks for AMERICANS...

we pay our taxes

we pay our bills

we pay our house off

we pay our car off

we pay our childrens educational expenses

we pay our childrens college expenses

we pay into our 401k

we pay into our retirement

we pay for our business expenses

we pay for our food

we pay for our clothes

we pay for our gas

we pay for our heat and electricity

we pay for our cost to be an American...explain it to me...

WHAT DID I DO WRONG...what went wrong in AMERICA?

tell me your thoughts...

Bankers CAN be heroes -- No 'vetting' required

Don — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:01:53 EST

Senator Dodd went rogue and inserted some crazy stuff into the new law, so the President will need to be creative. Perhaps we are looking for HEROES to run our troubled banks. A lot of wealthy patriots have made great financial sacrifices to serve in the Obama Administration. Like-minded people who don’t want to go through the vetting process and insane pubic humiliation of being outed on every little tax related or other embarrassment can now serve their country without becoming federal employees but while still consenting to be paid wages not all that far above that.

Gregg: Is This Petty Partisan Politics

Don — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:47:23 EST

I see nothing different Obama has said or done since 2004 and today -- perhaps Gregg's understanding of it morphed overnight between the time he was begging for the job and yesterday, when it came time to vote on the stimulus plan. Gregg seems to claim otherwise.

Obama should have known Gregg either hasn't the courage of his convictions or , far more likely, hasn't got any deeply held beliefs other than politics. We demand omniscience! How DARE the President not realize a man like Gregg would say anything to further his own personal ambitions?

There's something wrong with a vetting process that cannot discern that a politically savvy adult who somehow got himself repeatedly elected to the US Senate would claim to have turned his back on Petty Partisan Politics but actually lack the moral fortitude to stand by his decision.

Balancing California Budget

"Voice for Humanity" — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:17:08 EST

The golden state is in deep economic crisis, sharing the status quo of the nation.

As per Wikipedia.org - California would have the 7th highest GDP in the world if thought of as a country (not including the US as a whole, if so, it would be 8th).

A great state like California being the epicenter for - besides earthquakes,

Technology

Biotech and stem cell research

Entertainment symbolized by Hollywood

Diverse talent and skill pool making outstanding contributions in various fields.

Yet, the fundamental responsibility of the state government to balance the budget postponed indefinitely due to partisan politics with Republican minority misusing the two-third majority approval against the incumbent Democrats in the legislature.

As a result, the taxpayers of the economy are abandoned and the entire population is at the mercy of the minority rule upholding the conventional ideology against contemporary wisdom.

It is Déjà Vu for those following the federal government struggle to get the economic stimulus bill approved by both Houses of Congress.

The dilemma of balancing the budget with the political parties’ resistance to compromise is a daunting task for any administration. It is beyond comprehension that failed policies and inconvenient principles continue to dominate the center stage at both state and federal level in legislative matters.

California budget deficit currently at $42 billion with unemployment skyrocketing to 9.3% and expected to worsen by the year-end;

Clearly, the economic recession is widespread and taken severe toll on the present and future taxpayers of the economy.
———————————————————————————————————————
Challenges:

How does the state reduce the budget deficit of $42 billion?

Generally, the options would be exploring ways to generate revenues and cutting costs proven liabilities with no income or other benefits to the taxpayers of the economy.

Revenues:

How does the state generate revenues?

Usually, the government revenue sources are taxes paid by individuals and Corporations.

They are in the form of income tax, estate tax, corporate tax, payroll tax, sales tax, customs and excise duty on export and import items as well as fees and charges for any government provided services. If the state has other assets in the form of government bonds and treasury bills, they comprise negotiable instruments to borrow money.

In addition, the government could potentially expect income from investments in industries via quasi contracts, state run institutions, sale and/or leasing of government land to private sectors and trade goods and services with neighboring states or foreign governments. Some states find ways and means to share natural resources with their neighbors within and outside the nation for income.

Then, a federal aid to boost social services, health and educational programs is other channel for financial assistance.

Obviously tax increases is the common strategy for meeting budget shortfall. If income and aid are available from stated sources, then funding expenses is affordable.
——————————————————————————————————————-
Spending or Costs Elimination:

In this category, the lawmakers vehemently opposed to tax increases propose massive cutbacks and reduction in spending by a sweeping shutdown of essential services and programs with dire consequences in the long term.

Ironically, investment in education, health, housing, energy and environment are easy targets as “wasteful spending” for legislators in opposition to tax hikes during budget crisis. Those policy makers fail to understand the importance of protecting and nurturing the beneficiaries of these programs as they contribute to the economy today and tomorrow as taxpayers.

Lately, legislators have taken a swipe at education or investment in public school systems at both state and federal levels. It is tragic that such measures are even contemplated leave alone legislated in the industrialized and advanced nation that should be leading the world in K-12 educational program.

The public school system in the State of California and across the nation is in shambles. The infrastructure and the general classroom environment are in desperate need of face-lift to improve academic performance by students of all socio economic backgrounds.

Every dollar spent in a child is an investment in future.

Complete overhauling is required in areas like classroom size, materials including new Textbooks, enriched curriculum with emphasis in Math and Science, Music and Arts, Sports facilities, recruitment of qualified teaching staff, Teachers’ salary, training and professional development, new energy efficient buildings regardless of districts and zones in every state.

Undoubtedly, education must be a priority with K-12 system being the foundation for young minds entering the academic world. The reason United States is lagging behind in international standards is due to neglect of our school system particularly the early learning stage (K-12) when the opportunity to help every student thrive is available to educators.

Therefore, the state and the federal government are obligated to enhance achievements in educational programs through investments in the state-of-the-art educational system.

Similarly, health, housing, energy and environment are equally important as the taxpayers benefit from adequate health care, proper housing, affordable energy, clean and safe environment.
——————————————————————————————————————
Pragmatic Solutions:

The best option to reconcile California budget is to consider both tax increases and costs reduction as suggested by many analysts and experts on this issue.

According to the analysis by San Jose Mercury News, February 8, 2009

Budget spending outpaced inflation and state’s growth.

Interestingly, the social services and K-12 education received proportionately less funding as compared to the extra spending identified in Criminal Justice, health care and filling the gap for the reduced vehicle license fee in the analysis of actual spending in 2007-2008.

First, action is required to identify the revenue sources via tax increases.

1. Marginal increase in Sales Tax of goods and services including the sales on the cyberspace would provide an even tax distribution for the society.

2. Increasing Vehicle License fee for all is necessary to address the massive deficit. In this context, it is important to raise another explosive issue of undocumented workers in California without drivers’ license or vehicle registrations.

Issuing drivers license and allowing all undocumented workers to register their vehicles would not only generate income for the state, it would also strengthen state and national security with the documentation of all residents in the state.

Subsequently, acquiring vehicle insurance by the undocumented workers would minimize the burden on registered owners in addition to stimulating the economy through insurance industry.

At present any vehicle registration or insurance by undocumented workers carried out in a back alley manner depriving the state due proceeds.

3. Target items for tax increase to reduce health care costs such as tobacco, hard liquor products and items subject to possible health abuse.

4. In the establishment of social standards, tax increases on winnings through gambling and advertisement sales of pornography (assumed to be a multibillion dollar industry) is justified to make way for important social services and programs.

5. Review and revise taxation policy for California Corporations hoarding income in tax havens along with their offshore subsidiaries.

6. Airport tax, Port fees, dutiable goods, customs and excise duty are other sources of revenue.

7. Increase tax on entertainment industry to pay for education, kids welfare, community hospitals, colleges and institutions.

8. Specific environmental protection act by levying heavy penalties on environmental pollution (air, land and sea) through negligence such as oil spilling, carbon emissions and violation of aviation standards.

9. Marginal increase in gasoline tax would enable energy efficient programs such as solar, wind and hydro thermal power.

10. Last but not the least, leasing government land to corporations and scientific institutions, university laboratories or airline industry with enforcement of strict environmental regulations, not excluding sale of government assets no longer useful in the short or long run.
——————————————————————————————————————-------------------------
Costs Reduction:

Criminal Justice System:

A thorough examination of the Criminal Justice system is necessary from the analysis and news reports.

The State must devise a mechanism to reduce prison population through major social reforms at all levels beginning with the juvenile detention center.

Further, the parole system, three strikes law and other misdemeanor charges reassessed and offenders deployed in monitored community services rather than crowding prisons is the ideal strategy to cutback spending.

Health Care:

Healthy Approach to reducing health care costs –

Medicaid for senior citizens and economically disadvantaged population.

Promoting preventive care with immunizations.

Early diagnosis of diseases through annual or bi-annual medical checkups and

Subsidized prescription drugs through tax incentives to pharmaceutical and bio-tech industry are few possibilities to deal with health care crisis.

Counseling services and Therapy for psychological and other mental health problems as a preliminary screening process to ease the substantial costs in this regard.

General well being encouraged through active life combined with healthy diet in schools and other areas of the community.

Vehicle License Fee backfill - To be reinstated as outlined above.

General Government - Electronic record keeping and updating technology would considerably improve efficiency and prohibit excessive spending in administrative services.

Higher Education – Engagement in community development activities in return for student loans is a progressive cost recovery scheme.

Transportation – Cost savings methods and effective transportation means aimed at conservation of time and energy recommended for this expense.

Resources and environment – Best to follow guidelines suggested above for environment.

All other costs and spending not discussed or highlighted must be carefully reviewed and those proven redundant with no benefit to taxpayers or the State eliminated to reconcile the budget.
———————————————————————————————————————

Time for Action by California Legislators

Investment in better education and all of the essential services means building future with healthy, responsible and productive citizens as opposed to increasing prison population demanding major diversion of funding to criminal justice system.

There is an urgency to underscore the fact that not all taxpayers necessarily benefit and appreciate the frugal tax savings by preventing tax increases because such action favors the wealthy minority while leaving the majority marginalized in a society.

If the legislators really care for their constituents and the state/nation they pledge to serve, they need to pause and reflect on the realities of depriving majority of the population to decent lifestyle and economic prosperity, the predominant cause of the current sluggish consumer spending.

Often, provision of unemployment and social security benefits, Medicaid, health insurance, food stamps…dismissed as socialized enigma in a Capitalist economy. Unfortunately, a reminder is required that subscribers of these benefits and services ultimately contribute to the success of the capitalist system as consumers of various products and services.

As stated earlier in the blogpost titled Redistribution of Wealth, Oct 31, 2008, www.padminiarhant.com

Promoting economic status as highlighted above…

Eventually, create a fair system of sharing the economic burden by all rather than only by the affluent ones.

Such farsighted and permanent solutions are in direct contradiction to the myth and misnomer of the doctrine against short term tax increases essential to combat severe economic recession.

Socialism, Marxism may well be the nemesis to Capitalism,

Capitalism cannot thrive without consumerism - - That is the fact

California budget crisis must be resolved with no further delay.

It is time for legislators to set the priorities right to fit in with the new millennium goals.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Reconciliation and Approval of Economic Recovery Plan

"Voice for Humanity" — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:05:39 EST

President Barack Obama’s candid appeal to Congress and Senate via press conference confirms the White House commitment to relieve severely hurting citizens from the agonizing pain of the ailing economy.

The legislators resisting compromise to the stimulus package obviously do not share the pain of their constituents. If they did, they would have no objection to essential and guaranteed investments specifically identified for job creation in President Obama’s plan.

It is frustrating that partisan politics remains a force to reckon with for the electorate in a democracy.

Tragically, ideology leads the way to oppose a bill designed to assist every taxpayer who is also the consumer and most importantly a voter from becoming a recipient of food stamps.

The excerpt from a recent article titled –

“Billions in aid to states cut amid struggle over stimulus”

By Associated Press, February 8, 2009.

“President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans bickered Saturday over his historically huge economic recovery plan after states and schools lost tens of billions of dollar in a late-night bargain to save it.

Forging compromise –

The compromise reached between a handful of GOP moderates led Susan Collins of Maine, the White House and its Senate allies stripped $108 billion in spending from Obama’s plan, including cutbacks in projects that likely would give the economy a quick lift, like $40 billion in aid to state governments for education and other programs.

Yet, it retained items that also probably won’t help the economy much, such as $650 million to help people without cable receive digital signals through their old-fashioned televisions or $1 billion to fix problems with the 2010 Census.

Among the most difficult cuts for the White House and its liberal allies to accept was the elimination of $40 billion in aid to states, money that economists say is a relatively efficient way to pump up the economy by preventing layoffs, cuts in services or tax increases.”
————————————————————————————————————————————–

Reality Check:

Now, any rational citizen regardless of party affiliation should ask the following questions to the GOP moderates seemingly endorsing the bill.

Where are the priorities?

Is helping people receive digital signals through their old-fashioned televisions and a staggering $1 billion to fix problems with the 2010 Census more important than investment in education, easing the burden on states to lift economy by preventing layoffs, cuts in services and tax increases?

Do GOP members realize the reason behind colossal defeat in the 2006 and 2008 election?

The American electorate is tired and bogged down with Washington’s immature revengeful tactics in the approval of legislative matters concerning the lives of every citizen.

Ironically, all those legislators against the approval of this bill targeting the future of our nation with respect to education, job creation and needful services forget that their jobs are also on the line in the process.

If they presume Capitol Hill to be a comfort zone for a specified period and expect immunity from the economic crises, they are being delusional as the electorate has choices to reject such representation in a democracy.

Where was the hype and concern when the previous administration committed the nation to a reckless war that has virtually bankrupted our economy?

Whatever happened to the various failed stimulus packages without any accountability to taxpayers or the oversight committee passed by the Bush administration and approved by the same legislators in opposition to the current one committed towards education and aid to states to revive the economy by preventing layoffs, cuts in services or tax increases?

The irresponsible conduct to block the bill simply suggests that come 2010 the democratic system would be better off with an alternative political party pledging support to the people and engage in constructive rather than destructive role in nation building.

Similar dilemma experienced in the State of California where the budget crisis has reached a point of no return due to political dogma upheld against pragmatic solutions.

The electorates are viewing the entire situation at both state and federal level and will deliver their decision in the ballot in less than eighteen months.

Despite presentation of this bill in the most cohesive manner, all those legislators on both sides prolonging the approval are not only jeopardizing the opportunity to help every constituent from economic failure but also their own career as an elected official to serve the people and the nation in crisis.

It is the duty of every public servant to recognize the plight of their population and heed to the call to oblige urgent needs by approving the stimulus bill particularly the aid to states that are broke along with education, jobs, services and tax modification.

There is no time for procrastination and all that is required is action. Unfortunately, the Presidency of Barack Obama with unprecedented transparency is subject to undue scrutiny for political strategies.

The campaign trail promises prior to election to office whether it is the House or Senate always remains a distant memory with "business as usual " demonstration upon becoming Senators or the House of Representatives.
——————————————————————————————————————–———————-
Decisive Action:

The economic recovery plan aimed at job creation, assistance to states sharing status quo of the nation, improvement of infrastructure and commitment to revival of education, energy, health care is the step in the right direction.

It is imperative for both Democrats and Republicans to get on board in a bipartisan effort and approve the bill without elimination of prudent investments mistaken for wasteful spending. The job losses in Indiana, near double-digit unemployment in California are real problems felt by hard working people across the nation.

The proposed bill with taxpayers’ dollars invested for taxpayers’ benefits is undergoing intensive criticism by lawmakers primarily responsible for allowing the previous administration to squander economic surplus along with exhaustion of national reserves and treasury in wild adventures as the signature mission of the Republican era.

President Barack Obama’s administration did not create this economic catastrophe. They have inherited it upon election to the office on January 20, 2009. Nevertheless, the rhetoric in the Senate and the House mocking hope and change in a theatrical manner is reflective of the opposition role to make noise, create roadblocks and exacerbate the crisis with an adversarial action or inaction.

Only if such fervor and excitement displayed during the approval of mass financial bailout worth a whopping $700 billion and the unlimited commitment of resources in an unnecessary war in Iraq by the Bush administration there would be no debate or discussion for any economic stimulus package today.

It is apparent from those legislators’ reluctance to acknowledge the realities that they prioritize their own needs to remain in power over their constituents’ hardships and suffering in a debilitating economy.

The electorates have a clear choice in the next election to remember those who care and reject those who abandon them during harsh crises.

Political parties might survive on rhetoric and empty promises but people cannot wait until political factions make up their mind for decisive action required to avert Armageddon upon failure to approve the authentic economic recovery plan by President Barack Obama.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

The Stimulus - Dead On Arrival?

Pianoman — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:17:44 EST

Dear President Obama:

I am concerned. I am concerned that the "compromise" that is going to emerge from the congress will come up way short largely because the funds are just not there to give our economy the jolt that it needs. I know that you hold bipartisanship way up on your list as one of the noble principles to adhere to. But lets look at the facts. The people who are cutting this legislation short are the very same people who have screwed up this country time after time - the Repubs and the Blue Dog Dems who are Repubs Lite.

Now what do you think they are going to say when our economy continues to fail because the soon to be current stimulus fails and possible fails dismally?

As citizens continue to loose their lives they will start turning for new answers and guess who is going to step up and promise them "solutions." The very same "jackals" who are hamstringing the bill.

You must call this for what it is immediately and explain to the Citizens of this country who have put their faith in you (including myself) how and why this bill is just a first step and that there will be numerous and necessary follow-up bills that will be necessary in the immediate future that will address our severe economic problems.

If not, the "Jackals" will most certainly attack you and claim that your failures are due to your policies, not their policies. Your approach is the right approach if it is executed as intended. I think that bipartisanship is secondary to making sure that things get done right. The Repubs are all about making sure that it get done wrong. We can not afford that.

Your Loyal Supporter and Concerned Citizen

Eben Goresko

February 2009 and John McCain on the fundamentals of the economy

DanH — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:20:48 EST

September 15, 2008: the date John McCain, while on the campaign trail in Jacksonville, Florida, declared “the fundamentals of our economy are strong”, providing the American public with direct evidence that he is disturbingly out of touch with the tenets of basic economics. Yet all forty Republican senators unflinchingly fell in line to support his anemic, ill-conceived alternative plan based on the failed strategies of the past. Apparently his 26 years in Washington left him without the perspective to understand that the policies he supports created the economic crisis of epic proportions we are experiencing. He still appears to be in the mindset of Phil Gramm, McCain’s former economic advisor who six months ago dismissed the economic distress signals that portended our current economic deflationary spiral as the baseless cries of “a nation of whiners”.

At $421 Billion, McCain’s plan was roughly half that of the Democrats' in scale. Rehashing the Republican mantra of tax cuts and military spending, the McCain plan was comprised mainly of cutting the bottom two income tax brackets and on lowering corporate income taxes. Its feeble spending provisions would have provided money to repair and replace military equipment worn out in Iraq and Afghanistan, and extended unemployment benefits. Thankfully, and due to the Democratic majority in the Senate, the alternative bill was defeated, 57 to 40, strictly upon party lines.

What can the Republicans be thinking? Doesn’t the fact that we have entered into this nightmarish catch-22 of a devastated economy as the result of eight years of laize faire, tax cutting, and military spending government policies? Doesn’t anybody remember the fiasco of McCain’s pick of Phil Gramm for economic advice, his self-admission of economic ineptitude, and his claims that the economy was sound even as we were tumbling into an economic crisis of breathtaking scale? Don’t any of these Senators and Congresspeople want to look beyond their wounded feelings of loss from the November election, or their perception of powerlessness, or whatever is driving their… robotic behavior, and actually open their minds to help the nation and the world?

From my perspective, we have done everything we can not to paint Republicans into a corner. We have allowed them to be part of the conversation with dignity and respect. I am determined that we not allow their intractable response (with the exceptions of Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania) to derail our hope of reforming the divisiveness and partisan bickering in Washington we have suffered for the last eight years. However, we obviously have a long way to go.

I am so proud of how President Obama has handled this difficult beginning to his administration.

Stimulating Tectonic Shifts?

signsSansSignifieds — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:31:37 EST

For the past week or so, the whole country has been treated to a rather peculiar spectacle. A unified bloc of senators from a widely discredited political party has been trying to nibble to death a pretty well thought out economic stimulus plan, arguing that (a) it’s too big; (b) it isn’t sufficiently stimulative; (c) it’s loaded with frivolous and/or irrelevant pork-barrel spending; and (d) it’s not a stimulus plan—it’s a spending plan. As an alternative, they offer what? You must’ve peeked. Yes, indeed, friends, the GOP is once again arguing for tax cuts. (Those will really come in handy to the poor and the 1.8 million people who’ve lost their jobs in the last 3 months alone—not to mention the millions more who aren’t even counted as unemployed anymore because they’ve given up looking for a job.) For more on the economic sophistication of the GOP in Congress, see today’s article by Steven Pearlstein in the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, a band of self-described moderates forced an additional delay in the deliberation process as they wrangled with Democrats about spending cuts (on "trivialities" like money for more police officers on the street and education) and, of course, more tax cuts. Elana Shor has more details on the moderates’ so-called solution at TPM.

Stimulus Package

Adriana from Marietta, GA — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:16:55 EST

Mr. President,

The Republicans have a point that the Democrats can not do it alone. It’s the voice of many people that make a project the best it can be. However I do agree that cutting taxes is not the best course of action. Business these days are hoarding every penny trying to make it through the recession (14 months and still going) banks are also in the same boat they will not lend money, when the risks are to high. Also a floor must be put in place to stop the drop in home values, I believe you can not trust the current crop of banks to aid in this matter. I think that any one of the banks that have been taken over the FDIC should acquire these loans and have the people that work there come up with best strategy to stem the tide of foreclosure. Well that’s what I think.

Pay the Bill and Keep the CHANGE

Mark Wiznitzer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:17:11 EST

Let’s be honest. We didn’t really expect Congress to come up with a "bold" stimulus plan, did we? But do we agree that NO action will only aggravate our current crisis?

The GOP surprised us when it failed to respond more constructively to the bipartisan overture from Barack Obama. I personally witnessed the precedent-setting bipartisan dinner for his defeated opponent (my photo of the President-elect at the dinner honoring McCain, January 19) and noted the subsequent meetings with Congressional Republicans. And what did we get in the way of proposals from the loyal opposition? More of the dogma-driven, supply-side ideology that contributed to our current mess: tax cuts!

On the other hand, GOP critics have a point: the bill that passed the House and was embraced by Obama essentially is an accumulation of favorite Democratic spending proposals.

What is missing is CHANGE. The CHANGE Obama advocated in his campaign for the Presidency. The CHANGE that won him a resounding mandate to govern for four years. The CHANGE from policies that have worked to benefit few and imperil many. Where are the first steps toward affordable health care, a sustainable green economy and alternative energy? And why are we not moving boldly to address the systemic failures that underlie the current crisis in credit markets?

Obama asked for ideas. And Paul Krugman and Robert Reich, among others, obliged. But what these brilliant men offer is predictable: rationales for orthodox Keynesian solutions and concern about labor market distortions, respectively. More is needed, not just in additional spending, but in fresh ideas that advance the President's policy agenda. So, if suggestions are still welcomed, here is my two-cents worth. And please do keep the CHANGE.

Health Care

Obama has promised the nation affordable health care similar to his own Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), to be available to all by the end of his first term. There is no need to back off this goal. Health care is one of the largest drags on our economy and the stimulus bill provides a real opportunity to begin managing its cost. In addition to the bill’s provisions to help state governments fund Medicare and work projects, I suggest that the federal government reimburse all state and local governments for their employer's share of health care for the rest of this year. In exchange, recipients may not fire government workers and must commit to integrating their health care plans with the existing FEHBP starting in 2010. That provides additional and immediate financial assistance to state and local governments, while paving the way for the establishment of a Public Employees Health Benefits Program. By January 2010, the federal government’s negotiated health care program would expand its base and economies of scale. The next step will be to apply the system to businesses, and subsequently to capture the un- and under-insured.

Energy Independence

Most honest leaders recognize that in due course government will have to produce the substantial additional revenue to pay for the stimulus. But good luck finding a politician willing to propose increasing taxes of any kind. So let me suggest instead a hefty tariff on imported oil to fund the “green economy.” A tariff of 50 percent or more on the landed cost of all imported energy (probably with some form of accommodation for our NAFTA partners) can be justified because of national security as well as the external costs to our environment inherent in the use of fossil fuels. And such a levy would promote conservation, subsidize domestic production, and help to fund and protect our investments in alternative energy. This is a measure that should be welcomed by Republicans who advocate "drill, baby, drill” as well as environmentalists interested in promoting clean energy. The windfall earned by American producers could be invested domestically or taxed as profits. And while there may be a marginal increase of fuel cost at the pump, it will pale in comparison with the amounts we forked over to foreign potentates rather than our own Treasury these past few years, when oil was effectively 200% greater than its current price.

Reestablish a ‘Risk-Free’ Investment Benchmark

Explanations for our current credit crisis and financial market meltdown abound, including the Washington Post's excellent series. But absent from all the expert analyses is any mention of the Treasury Department's October 2001 decision to discontinue issuing 30-year Bonds. That decision, on the heels of 9/11 and the cusp of Bush's costly war on terror, both lowered mortgage yields and prompted increased sales of bundled mortgages marketed as alternative 'risk-free' instruments, which in turn fueled the housing bubble and distorted both government and corporate credit point spreads. Treasury Bond auctions have resumed, but a clear provision to finance America’s recovery through borrowing would repair yield spreads – both between short and long term sovereign debt and in relation to all other debt instruments. Transparent budget financing will help re-establish more realistic risk pricing and global confidence in the US economy. But the 30-year Bond will not regain its position as a benchmark for 'risk-free' long-term investment if Fed meddling in the market, as it proposes to do with its planned purchase of Treasuries from troubled banks. In fact, this central-bankers-gone-wild approach will only create a greater Treasury bubble that will seriously aggravate our problems. Once markets are allowed to properly price the cost and risk of our recovery without Fed manipulation, global confidence in the US economy has a chance to be recover.

So Pay the Bill, and Keep the CHANGE

Barack Obama attended his last inaugural event, the Staff Ball, at the DC Armory on January 21. But he arrived after a performance by the opening act, Arcade Fire. So here are some insightful lysircs from their “Intervention”:

You say it's money that we need
As if we're only mouths to feed
I know no matter what you say
There are some debts you'll never pay

The message is relevant to the stimulus bill now before Congress.

We can act responsibly and cautiously if we:

Pay the Bill and Keep the CHANGE.

BEST OBAMA SONG EVER-Change Is On The Way

Jason from Pittsburgh, PA — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:17:22 EST

This is my way of congratulating our new President, his staff, First Family, and our nation. Please watch, enjoy, and leave comments if you wish. click or paste this link to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWsXbXTQHj4&fmt=18

Virginia Democrats

Candace N. - V.O.B — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:53:51 EST

I encourage my fellow Democrats living in Virginia to join the organization " Virginia Democrats" at www.vademocrats.org I joined last year and during the primary through inaugural periods I received very valuable information and links from them. By joining you help raise funds for our Virginia candidates. The website list events in Virginia along with other information important to Virginia residents. On February 7th the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner will be held in Richmond, Virginia featuring special guest speaker President Bill Clinton. Please go to the before mentioned site to get details on how you can attend. While attending the dinner, please show your support for Governor Hopeful Terry Mcauliffe, he along with the other gubernatorial candidates will be speaking. Once again I highly recommend joining this organization if you want to keep up to speed with what's going on in Virginia.

Multnomah Democratic Executive Committee meeting 1/25/2009 notes

Christopher from Portland, OR — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:15:32 EST

Attention all Oregon PCP's (Precinct Committee People). The Mult Dems are looking to fill positions and restructure their committees, and we need your help filling these roles. The current committees include:

1. Budget and finance

2. Campaign and government liason

3. Platform, resolutions and legislation

4. Community action

5. Rules

6. Credentials

PCP's engage with legislators to help direct policy decisions. They follow legislation, report on it, create committees, brain storm and create real change.

If you want to become a Democratic PCP then let me know, I can get you started in the right direction.

Christopher Pierce, DC

Barack Obama's Amazing Letter to his Daughters Malia and Sasha

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:25:47 EST

I fought hard not to choke while reading this letter. This is why we elected this man: to be a shining example. What an inspiring First Family...

THE AUTO INDUSTRY, A FEW OF MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES (INDUSTRIAL GREED):

Alex Karoub — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:14:47 EST

Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

This post is a brief overview of the Automotive Industry which describes some of the fundamental problems that are rarely spoken of. In addition, you will learn of a few of my personal experiences growing up, an environment where I was surrounded by the industry; you will learn of a few perspectives that are shocking and that even only a few within the industry know of. At the end of the post, you will better understand what happened to American Manufacturing and where it stands.

The Auto Industry is at the heart of all of American Manufacturing. It is an industry that laid the groundwork for many other types of industries to follow, deemed at one point in history to be the highest of successes. But now, it sheds light on what can become warning signs for other businesses that mistakenly try to imitate it.

This months hot topic is whether to bailout/rescue the regressing American Auto Industry. The original owners and their successors abandoned that industry long ago. The auto industry was ravaged and plundered by the wealthiest Americans a half century ago and has been in decline ever since. Shortsighted greed from one generation to the next has been the culprit. Since autos were first mass-produced and America monopolized the world, it was only natural that the American percentage/share of the market would eventually be reduced. However, total growth was enormous and total size of the market continues to grow even through today. Therefore, American growth of exports should have continued to grow, but does not significantly due to pillage and poorly planted roots. In simpler terms, we originally owned the entire pie. The pie was split up. Since the entire pie has grown dramatically, our piece should have grown too. However, the Big 4, 3, 2, … have been loosing market dominance and lead since the end of World War Two. Here we are years later in crisis, and the real question remains whether or not to rescue the real victims of the auto industry, the workers. People were not retrained or re-educated; most were never afforded real education's to start. People are now in despair and hopelessness. From my vantage point now living in Colorado for the last two decades, I have seen the high tech industry follow the auto industry, but at a learned and accelerated rate. Other industries are also copying the auto industry and are laying similar foundations also headed for disaster. Going back to a brief history, the misguided roots show how the decay started and why it spread.

Although I did not grow-up during the inception of the Auto Industry, its roots surrounded me. I spoke with a few who were there in the earliest days, and spoke with many who were of the following generation. I absorbed its history by studying it while attending school in Motown (Motor Town), by natural osmosis, and in my earliest career dealing with the car makers.

Growing up as a kid I lived less than a mile from Henry Ford's first moving assembly line factory, with GM’s World Headquarters’ just three miles away, and with Chryslers World Headquarters at the end of our street. The first Ford plant (in Highland Park, a city now surrounded by Detroit) and the first of GM's plants were built on the importation of the next generation of former black slaves and white share crop workers from the south (whites similar to former slaves whose white necks were red from working in the sunny fields, hence the mean spirited term 'Redneck'). The joke that Henry Ford must have laughed at and that went around town was "each worker would get paid enough to buy a Ford" (Of course using infamous 'Ford Credit' which was a primary direct withdrawal from their pay checks.) Henry manipulated a built-in guaranteed customer base and tapped double profits, being profits on the cars and the profitable bonded interest. Those were scams that he copied from sharecropping. The remains of their wages were so low that they had to live in shacks; but after all Henry felt, they came from shacks near the fields in the south. So much bigotry and repeated methods from sharecrop economic slavery. Instead of updating and rebuilding the original plants and without regard for the people who were the workers, the emerging auto giants left to go further to the suburbs.

So, as they moved and grew they imported shipload after shipload of immigrant economic slaves from Poland (to Hamtramck, MI) and more economic slaves from the Middle East (to Dearborn, MI). There were other minorities imported as well, also imported for economic servitude to supporting industries such as mining, iron works, steel fabrication, glass works, textile, …. Astonishing how easily the game of 'divide and conquer' worked upon the variety of minorities; a game of keeping the workers pitted against each other using race and ethnicity; all to hold back the power of the people from truly uniting. WW2 caused the Automakers not only to retool but also to reevaluate their future directions.

Soon, after the victory of WW2, came the Auto Giants grand visions for economically conquering the world via expansion outside the U.S. They quietly boasted that that would leave mainly world headquarters executives, designers, and engineers in the U.S. with the prestigious white-collar jobs. It was felt then (and these are not my bigoted opinions, not from me, yikes) that after all even 'the weaker sex' could do factory labor jobs as seen during WW2 (i.e. Rosie the Riveter). So why not have the 'stupid foreign workers' do the labor outside the U.S. What also gave way to the idea that manufacturing could succeed outside the U.S. was Mexico; since Mexican workers were also imported, but only temporarily during WW2. (By the way, the temporary Mexican workers were never fully paid back as promised during WW2.) A tremendous wave of pride about white-collar jobs became very popular in Detroit and in other automotive communities during the 50's. That vision sat poised on the back burner, but a pre-planted seed was already in place, which was Canada (Windsor) just across the Detroit River.

Canada was a much-desired orchestrated precedence for the automakers; it set the stage for grace given by the government as an easily set up protocol for off-shoring jobs. Soon after, the automakers made a migration south to other states, then further south to Mexico, and finally overseas and on to economic slavery in China.

Today we see the results of the destructive path the industry has taken. Layoffs, instead of being temporary situations reserved for pauses during new model changeovers, eventually became the mark of permanent labor plant closures. Obvious abandonment of people soon became the name of the automakers game. Along the swathed trail are - Highland Park, Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, Marquette, Gary Indiana, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Cleveland, …, which became known in the early 80’s as 'The Rust Bowl’. Sort of a rape, pillage, and burn mentality, which continues to today.

Amazing how well the reasoning of "that's the way it's always been" persists and grows from one generation to the next. Excuse after excuse gave temporary reasoning to incremental geographic movements for global conquer. Temporary excuses ranged from the need to originally amass large workforces, to the hindrance of union pressures, to American workers are lazy, to 'over' government regulation, to …, all straw obstacles as to why the auto industry needed to move as it did.

No! Greed is not good. We see how those at the top of the industry have each come in, grabbed with their greed, and left. Now today, we see how greed has caused "what once was, no longer is". So in short, now we see the results of greed, poorly planted roots, and disregard, taking its toll on America. Equally, is the toll on the myriad of unrelated businesses, old and new, that have adopted the auto industries infectious habits of having little to no regard for individual people that make up the American workforce. People.

While being raised in the center of Detroit, I experienced many situations involving the Auto Industry; the following although early was not my earliest, and is an actual example.

Around 1963, when I was 11 years old, I remember George Romney visiting our house to exchange political favors. Our 23-room house was a rundown relic of a past era, but it cleaned up well as a phony front for wealth and pretentious power. I remember we kids had to pretend that we were Christian Protestants for the visiting Governor (former Chairman of AMC) who was doing his Christian Mormon tradition of visiting the homes of his new legislators. How ostentatious they both were with fraudulent humility of how they rose from their humble beginnings. But more to the point, I remember Romney sitting at our dinning room table and saying "The Big Four Automakers don't have to worry about giving the Unions what they want, as long as the benefits will not be due for decades. By that time the labor plants will be outside the U.S." That shocked my brother Jimmy and I, as we listened playing in the sunroom just off the dinning room. Later we were once again physically punished (beaten-up), this time for listening to adult talk. Jimmy a year older than I, and intellectually gifted, soon became a Page at the State Capital. The accounts he returned with were shocking as well. Growing up as we did would make your head spin and open your eyes to disgust. We continued living in those surroundings until we grew out of our teens. Then we moved on to make our own adult lives, creating better environments much different from what we were born and raised in.

Recalling back to my teens, I realized back then the Detroit riots were not only about race, but was also about economic oppression. It was the minorities who were oppressed the worst, most especially African-Americans. Bad however you measure it is bad. (For a better understanding of the decline of Detroit and to better understand the riots, take a look at my other post: “DETROIT RIOTS OF 1967, A RECOLLECTION OF THE TRUTH.” You will also better understand how very close we came to seeing a nationwide repeat of the riots in the coming Spring of 2009.)

Unions, workers, man-hours, laborers, …, are not people, they are burdens to be minimized and eliminated. While watching Lee Iacocca being interviewed on Charley Rose last year, I noticed Iacocca admit that he new all the way back during negotiations with the unions, in the early 80’s, that Chrysler would never have to pay off in full on long term commitments to the unions. As Iacocca danced around the issue he said "now the unions will have to face reality". And, as Rose went on to discuss it more, Iacocca was getting more uncomfortable, and eventually managed to change the subject away from discussing past union negotiations. Iacocca was a bit slicker than George Romney was, since Iacocca was on national TV. It made me ashamed that Chrysler World Headquarters was at the end of our street when I was a kid. And, that as a young adult I had so proudly in my early career returned while working for a couple of electronics companies to Chrysler's World Headquarters R&D operations. I thought it an honor to have paid Iacocca's in-house barbershop to cut my hair, even his same barber. Some honor.

Following Chrysler, I moved up to deal with GM, and was puzzled. I listened to upper executives at GM complain that they constantly had to bribe Mexican government officials and border guards for GM plants. I guess they also assumed I already new and accepted that the plants in the late 70's had already begun their exodus to Mexico and other countries. I have always looked at bribery as disgusting and wrong, it was not for me or those who I dealt with, that's among the many good things that a mentor named Jack Bazzy taught me as a young kid. By becoming acquainted with other mentors as an adult, I learned to seek out highly reputable employers and quality knowledgeable friends. I learned how to educate myself, and moved up very high in the scientific and technical industries, all of which I enjoyed.

Although I grew up in Highland Park / Detroit, that was not anywhere near my top focus in choosing Obama. But, it is a simple history for me to recall, amazing how many more details I can give, but the main points have been brought forward. In addition, from being a mutt of sorts myself, to being a self made man, be that what it may, I have no illusions of being great. What I do mean here is that I quickly recognize many of Obama's unique insights, although mine are different but a bit similar in nature. Like many Obama supporters, I have personal experiences on most issues Obama has raised. So, above is just one of many examples that I can personally give.

To better understand manufacturing in America, you can read my other blog:
WHAT SCREWED UP MANUFACTURING FOR AMERICA

Blog members can reply here, anyone is welcome to email me at: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

Democrats Lose Senate Majority (circa 2010)

Don — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:38:40 EST

(Can I say 'circa' if it's in the future?)

Democrats won't be controlling the Senate after 2010.

They rushed like lemmings to declare they'd never accept Blago's appointee.

A little time and forethought should have enabled them to reason that in order to create the illusion of innocence Blagojevich would be likely to find someone eminently qualified, of stellar reputation and far removed from the (alleged) illegal activities.

That would only be in his own best interests. And if there is one thing we have learned about Blago, it is that his own best interests are his first and last consideration in decision-making.

Senate Democrats have now pitted themselves against the Chicago Democratic Machine. Despite that Dick Durbin has lost touch with reality and thrown in with them, this is a battle Senate Democrats cannot and will not win. In this, there is no winning, only degrees of losing.

Should he be denied, Burris can run against any Illinois Democrat, including Durbin, and win.

As for that silly mausoleum? All politicians are narcissists. He's just 'concrete' about it.

Remember Republican Senator Ted Stevens who actually looked jurors in the eyes and told them he didn't notice people stuffing hundreds of thousands of dollars into his pockets. I dare say Bill Gates would notice if you stuffed a few hundred thousand dollars into his pockets. Ted Stevens,... now THAT'S a big ego!

It is also necessary to remember that this is the same US Senate that gave a seven-time convicted federal felon -- Ted Stevens -- a two-minute standing ovation, and two hours of praise-filled testimonials. And they are claiming to be observing their PRINCIPLES???

Republican and Democratic Senators must think we are stupid, stupid, stupid.

GOP needs America to fail (Democrats helping them)

Don — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:51:49 EST

Imagine what would happen if the immediate and long-term success, and even viability, of the Republican Party depended on Barack Obama failing to pull America back into PROSPERITY. Oh, wait, we don't have to IMAGINE that because it happens to be the current condition.

While refusing to offer any better ideas, Republicans stand in adamant opposition to everything the President-Elect suggests, even without knowing any details. I have to admit, he's been somewhat vague.

History suggests that America's realization of a sense of success by spring of 2012 will mean the GOP will be broadly out of power for one to two generations.

Every month that another 600,000 Americans lose their jobs is the direct result of Republicans acting on what they see is their own best political interests. While one of their many changing SLOGANS last year was "America First", in truth it is plain that they hold the Republican Party's interests above those of America and our people.

Every day that our children continue to suffer from a declining educational system in which mediocrity is celebrated; every day that more taxpayers lose high wage jobs only to go on welfare food stamps and unemployment; every day that more and more Americans are forced to sign up to work at the country's largest employer WalMart whose own accidentally leaked internally study said 43% of their full-time employees are on welfare and food stamps; every day that we lose what little remains of our manufacturing base so that when we next need to really go to war like in WW2 we won't have car factories to swiftly convert to making fighter jets and tanks so we'll have to order them from CHINA which the most likely enemy in a real war; remember that Republicans see that as MERELY another day closer to the time when they regain power over the White House, Senate and House -- which if not for the horrendous disaster they have created over the last eight years might not be so terrifying.

America stopped keeping up with the demands for maintenance of our infrastructure with the Reagan administration. We were told that things like that "the free market" would take care of things like that, but tell that now to New Orleans and their crumbling levees, or Minnesota with their collapsed interstate bridge, or Kentucky with their billion gallons of toxic sludge that spilled out of a mine containment area.

America's best defense against precisely the current financial system collapse, the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, enacted not coincidentally in the wake of the financial collapse of 1929, was REPEALED on the demands of deregulating Republicans -- with help from Bill Clinton in 1999. That law alone prevented financial institutions from becoming "too big to fail". That is, it kept each of the insurance, banking and real estate conglomerates within their own area. They could still become behemoths, but it's when they get into all three of those industries and start making up new ones that are totally unregulated like 'derivatives' that the failure of one company can bring down the American economy, even the world economic system.

The only thing the President-Elect can do to get us out of this disaster is to go back the way we came in, by resurrecting modern-day Glass-Steagall style regulations and stimulating the middle class segment of the system while taking back the giveaway tax cuts from the wealthiest 1% that over the last eight years gave money to people who already had more money than they knew how to spend. They squirreled it away someplace, or bought yachts built in Greece. Republicans love to claim that tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy leads to the creation of small businesses. In reality, it's Steve Jobs and Bill Gates when they had nothing who created small businesses that became leading world companies. Billionaires DON'T start small businesses, they BUY huge corporations then fire 50,000 or 100,000 employees to increase productivity and thus profits for themselves and large bonuses for the three to five top executives of each company. Oh, and they CUT wages of the few employees they do have to keep on.

That doesn't grow anything but unemployment and declining wages. Less taxpayers and more people surviving on public assistance.

If we don't stand up to these self-serving Republicans very few of us will have jobs in 2012, and they will be at WalMart. There won't be any real taxpayers to support the public assistance people need to get back into good paying jobs.

I'll get to the CRAZY DEMOCRATS on another post. I'll give you a hint that after 2012 Democrats will no longer be in control of the Senate.

3 Moves In 3 Weeks -- Way to Relocate

Don — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:26:33 EST

“A President must be able to do more than one thing at a time,” said then-candidate and now President-Elect Barack Obama, a few months ago when McCain was trying to weasel out of the big debate.

Evidently, President-Elect Obama CAN do far more than one thing at a time. He and his family are MOVING three times in three weeks! This, the weekend of 4 January 2009, he moves from his Chicago home to DC’s Hay-Adams Hotel. On the 15th, they move to Blair House, then on the 20th, they move into the White House. Yes he can! For most of us, the dreaded process of a single relocation is more stressful than death and taxes. But Superman is tripling-down on it.

At the same time, the President-Elect Obama is interviewing and hiring a government, from cabinet members, agency administrators, secretaries and ambassadors. He’s working feverishly on the economic crisis, the transition and inauguration, as well as homeland security and two wars. Throw in taxes, healthcare, unemployment, social security, Medicare and the crisis of the Big 3 automakers, plus Iran, Cuba, Russia, China, the Palestinians and Israel, plus all those special interest groups here at home, such as the disabled, veterans, senior citizens and gays, and you’ve got an enormous inbox.

After those daily national security briefings in which the President-Elect Obama is beginning to learn just how badly Bush has screwed things up for us around the world, it’s a wonder the President-Elect Obama can sleep at night. He needs all the rest he can get.

Enjoy your vacation, sir, you need all the recharging your batteries can get.

What Page of The Bible?

Don — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:07:57 EST

There are only two reasonable choices.

To evoke the vision of the world economy rising from the ashes of the torched-earth strategy of the Bush-Cheney-Rove administration, BHO should open the Bible to the gospel account of Jesus’ rising from death. Not only will it give us hope, but it will reinforce our knowledge of BHO’s Christianity, helping put aside the invocation guy.

Times are so serious that BHO should keep the Bible closed and put his hand on the whole thing – we’re gonna need ALL of it right now, and it underscores BHO’s whole ‘inclusiveness’ thing.

The University of The Universe

nazzcaveman — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:23:56 EST

The Mighty Creator Bless His creations.

Everyday, we learnt of something new. So the experience been the teacher to everybody who experienced it. As a human, we keep explore and invent through space and time. The universe is too great to be explored. But, if we know who actually we are, we might conquer the universe. For me, I'm actually a miniature of the great universe. Therefore, to learn more about universe, I must study through my own self. The Universe is a great library. It keeps uncountable numbers of books. The books keep a lot of knowledges. And the knowledges are secret until we finish read the books. The Torah, The Zabur, The Bible and The Quran, are only manual books to guide us to live in this world. They tell us where we came from, where we are now and where is the destination. So we must firm in making our own decision. We are what we believe in.

By looking at my intention, I might have an ability to others intention to me. A big thing will be small if we look at it from a far distance. Also a small thing will become a big thing if we look at it from near distance. Finally, there is no different between big and small. If I did something something bad to others, I shall be paid for that with the similar badness. This is one of the Newton's Law.

The life is actually a great university for us to study about ourselves. This is what I call University of Universe. Life is fully covered by a miracle. The victory of Mr. Barrack Hussein Obama is one of the great miracles. Any way, Mr. Obama has his own limit. He will not be able to change night becomes day but keep waiting until the sun rise. But, with his extra power as the President of USA, he has the ability to change a war zone becomes children's play ground.

I believe in CHANGE. I do believe in CHANGE...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!

Regards...NazzCaveMan

Welcoming the Ministry of Hatred and Scapegoating

Don — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:08:01 EST

There are always those who make their fortunes playing to the fears and insecurities of people frustrated with their own lives who need someone to blame, someone to hate, and it's easy for them to agree on certain groups to focus on.

Obama is moving America toward the point where those people will realize that if they don't have a good job, they have too little money, too much debt, their kids are in and out of jail and/or on drugs, or failing in school, it's not the fault of some group of "OTHERS". Not the gays, the jews, the blacks, or even those pesky illegal aliens, to name just a few.

It's time for a new era of Personal Responsibility in which we all take charge of our own lives while working together for all of us to achieve the American dream while making government do what it can to enable us.

Rick Warren is just an updated version of the same old Ministry Of Hatred represented by Falwell and Robertson (and so many others).

The coming of that new era is a direct threat to Rick Warren, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and all the other leaders of the Ministry of Hate. Just like the Republicans did during the long two year campaign, they will go down kicking and screaming all the way.

Obama for America- community house meetings

LucentShadows — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:30:49 EST

It's really cool to see that this website is on going and continuing to be a place for connecting the people to activities and events... continuing support for the vision of change as proposed by President-elect Barack Obama.

Sunday, December 14th- I attended a community house meeting whereby we discussed issues that concern us, and planning of things we can do within our community to make a difference for the better. We came up with some things that we can take action on immediately, such as helping out at a shelter/safe house for battered women and children. We'll be participating in expanding the facility so that a few more families can get off the waiting list and into a safe environment.

Some of the members of the group are acquaintances of senators and other congressional reps. These group members have now written to these acquaintances regarding such issues as

Crisis Briefings: Lies Like Iraq War Pretenses: Bushiness

Don — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:18:41 EST

The President who told at least a dozen lies to get us to go to war in Iraq has conjured up more than a dozen lies to set up President Obama for failure? The most miserable failure of an excuse for a President is leaving directions for the next President?

If it weren’t so serious, it would be funny! If your memory is longer than that of 99% of Americans you know that’s not a line I made up, and you may even know who did. Details.

I’m just saying, George Bush should be planning out where he’s going to hide to keep from being arrested and delivered to the Hague for trial in the World Court for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.

We didn’t let Hitler’s assistants off the hook, and neither can we afford to let Bush’s (the New Hitler’s) people go Scot-free.

We all know that all these recent attempts by Bush to rewrite history are mere hopes that America doesn’t do what’s right. If we intend to restore any sense of moral authority or regain any worldwide respect, we must follow our own laws and those international laws we largely wrote and have been demanding everyone else follow for decades until “W” took office.

If we don’t want our soldiers tortured when they in the future are captured, we must deliver to justice George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, their generals and other high officers who ordered torture and passed on those illegal and immoral orders.

America is a chief signatory to the Geneva Conventions. In fact, before 2001, we liked to claim we largely WROTE it. What good is international law if those who claim to have written it are the worst violators?

America has long had laws against torture of prisoners of war. We cannot allow one power-mad egomaniac (or moron, depending on who is providing the facts, and there are plenty on both sides) to cause us to abandon our Constitution, or it won’t be worth anything, ever.

To put it simply, we cannot defeat terrorism by becoming the worst terrorists on earth. Long before we got to that point, any real President would have caught himself and found a better way. Why? Because Bush’s route could be seen even by people as unworldly as me to be a fool’s plot.

It started with Bush’s WAR-PRAYER-MEETING, right after 9/11. That was disturbing to me THEN, because, as a Christian and an American I wondered if Jesus would say that we should “turn the other cheek”.

What? “Turn the other cheek”. I know. I certainly wasn’t in the mood for that. But that’s what Jesus would have us do – according to the Bible. Those so-called religious Republicans have still never mentioned that, and they would castrate me for mentioning it if they could. (They don’t have the balls for it, so they’ll try to get you to do it, just like the Romans, according to the Bible, were forced to murder Jesus. Just reading it objectively and making no assumptions. NO benefit to me which side you take).

Strange, but when you think about the things that really were surprises, you can’t find any that Bush created that much cohesion to in that short a time. Can you? I can’t.

Almost makes you wonder WHEN Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush KNEW 9/11 was going to happen, doesn’t it? Naaaaaaah. Certainly not. I don’t really know. Do I???

It WAS amazing that five seconds after the first jet crashed into the World Trade Center, Bush’s officials declared they knew it was Osama Bin Laden! Before the first tower collapsed, the Bush administration told us who to blame. I wondered why they didn’t PREVENT it since they obviously knew so much about it in advance.

Worse yet is the fact that for all of 2000, Bush campaigned claiming “America’s military is not ready!” Yet, during all of 2001, he did NOTHING to get our military ready. Why would you TELL our enemies that our military isn’t ready? Then, once in power, why would you fail to GET it ready/ Bush should spend the rest of his days in Guantanamo for that alone.

I always think you can know who caused something to happen by figuring out who BENEFITTED from whatever happened.

But I’ve already gone LONG, so I’ll have to finish the facts later. In the meantime, don’t read into what I’ve typed, anything you imagine I said. You may end up looking foolish by the time I tie it all together.

What To Do About It

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:07:18 EST

Previously, I argued the likely consequences of the collapse of the Detroit automakers. And already my predictions are beginning to bear out in facts. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported, “Toyota will delay production at its new $300 million plant in Mississippi, citing a steep decline in the auto market.” What could we do about preventing it?Rather than pumping cash into them over the long term, what we COULD do is just take over something like 60% of the healthcare burden of only the pre-2007 retirees of the Detroit automakers.What? That would fundamentally lower the per-car cost while requiring them to bear their own burden of current and future labor costs. They will still have to make reasonable pay agreements going forward, but they won’t have to fire tens of thousands of workers who actually are cranking out cars that are of competitive quality. We CAN and should require that they immediately begin moving at an accelerated pace to make their entire fleet of cars meet California’s progressive fuel-economy standards.Why? Because that’s a smaller hit to the national economy than letting those people go on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and disability insurance. It helps keep those people paying taxes based on good wages. If those companies collapse, Medicare and Medicaid WILL be forced to take on 100% of all of those retirees from every decade. The few of us who still have jobs or own businesses will pay for that.Remember, according to THEIR OWN study, 43% of full-time WalMart workers are on food stamps and welfare. 43%. They are the largest employer in America. We cannot afford to doom another class of workers to that, because it’s costing us dearly.I don’t know if “60%” is exactly the right percentage, or if “pre-2007” is exactly the right year, but that can be worked out soon and by more knowledgeable people. What I do believe is that we can find a way to take on a much smaller share of the burden than the 100% we will inherit if those companies go down. What I know is that the rest of us will be better off with those people working and paying taxes alongside the rest of us than not.Rather than stirring up jealousy among people about UAW wages and demanding they take pay cuts, Republican conservatives ought to be working to get the pay other OTHER Americans increased so that more of us will be paying taxes at that higher rate, thus decreasing the burden on each taxpayer.Walmart workers, who continue to work full-time while having to also collect food stamps and welfare, are a major burden to all American Taxpayers. We need more high-wage jobs, not less. All that money spent at Walmart goes on a long trip, making a brief stopover in Bentonville Arkansas before flying directly to China to create more factory jobs – in China. If they have their way, conservative Republicans will have all Americans working seven days a week in 12 hour shifts making 90 cents a month like the Chinese.

How We Save America By Saving American Autoworker Jobs

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:53:57 EST

Previously, I argued why all Americans, of all political persuasions, will suffer from the collapse the Detroit automakers. What can we do about the problem?I am far from being an apologist for the UAW or Detroit. There have to be consequences for this mess. But right now, we face bigger problems than that.American Taxpayers should consider carefully the consequences of letting another huge block of Taxpayers be forced to become dependent on welfare, food stamps and unemployment. It’s a double-whammy heaped upon the rest of us. Not only will they no longer be bearing their fair share by paying taxes and Social Security alongside those of us who still have jobs, but they also will be draining vast amounts of Taxpayer-funded money and other resources. What other resources? It takes more government employees, thus money, to hand out and track all those handouts. Can you guess who gets to pay for that?I am scared to death at the prospect of both taking on the burden of another half-million or so workers who will lose their jobs every month – like last month – but also paying much less in taxes myself due to the fact that I won’t be making nearly as much money once most of my customers are out of work. Come hell or high water, those people need to keep paying federal taxes just like me, and they can only do that if we keep them working.If you look at recently published studies on Appalachia – basically W. Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and northeastern Mississippi – the only place those unemployed people who will be living primarily on government assistance will be spending money is at WalMart* . All that money goes straight to China to create more jobs – in China. (Although it does pass through Bentonville Arkansas on the way.)As a direct consequence, many more jobs will be lost, though probably in northern states among people who tend to vote for Democrats. At least, that must be what Senator Shelby and the other conservative Republicans and southerners who subsidize those Japanese auto-plants down there must be thinking. But there are a lot of Republicans up here too. I voted straight GOP all my life, until November when I had to take an Independent stand. My non-auto-related small business will be killed, as will many others, and lots of individuals. Plus, many of those “plumbers” and others who work for small and large businesses that are not directly linked to Detroit will be financially killed. During the campaign Republicans swore they cared about them more than anything.People like that don’t go out and replace our Lexus or Toyota or other Japanese car or truck with next year’s model no matter where it’s built – even in the south. Moreover, people like that don’t switch parties and start voting with the GOP. People like that, including myself, don’t return to the Republican Party. People like that might not even REMAIN in the GOP. Republicans always campaign about being for plumbers and other workers and small businesses. Once the votes are all counted, the GOP kicks us right in our ‘bleepin’ behinds.From what I have seen, once out of work, those high-dollar hourly workers don’t take lower-paying jobs flipping burgers. Unemployed autoworkers sit at home and live off the Taxpayers, even by resorting to disability payments by making claims, not all of which are legitimate**. Those payments cost money, as do the investigators required to catch some unknown percentage of those making bogus claims. It costs more money to house them in jail, plus they never seem to get caught holding enough money to reimburse the Taxpayers for what they fleeced us out of.The bottom line is that we have to work hard to keep people working – especially those making good wages, thus paying more in taxes than those working at WalMart and McDonalds. We have to CREATE more high-paying jobs like that rather than focus on cutting their pay until they make the 9 cents a month they pay in China. To underline a point I’ve been arguing for quite a while, the Wall Street Journal reported today that “Toyota will delay production at its new $300 million plant in Mississippi, citing a steep decline in the auto market.” *To be fair, the studies show, the Appalachians also spend a great of money on liquor and guns. Those are available at WalMart too, but mostly not made in China. They also tend to spend a lot of time and money in church. These observations are in no way offered as commentary on lifestyles. This is all about where our money goes.**This is a concern based on studies which were not based on large sample groups, so they in no way can be asserted to reflect a majority of the group. Yet, any substantial percentage of this group engaged in this behavior would have a significant effect on an already severely depressed economy. Moreover, autoworkers were only a subset of the skilled workers discussed in the studies in general. No lifestyle judgments are implied.

Keep UAW workers paying taxes, not on welfare

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:17:53 EST

Wall Street Journal: Toyota will delay production at its new $300 million plant in Mississippi, citing a steep decline in the auto market. The company says jobs in the state are "secure."

This is the beginning of proof of what I've been saying all along.

The most important detail not understood by southern voters and conservative Republicans is that they, too, will suffer by causing the collapse of the Detroit auto industry.

It's not only northerners whose non-auto industry jobs will be lost in the fallout. Those millions of former taxpayers on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and those around the country, including even the south, who will be dragged down with them, WILL NOT be buying those Japanese cars and trucks being manufactured in those taxpayer-subsidized southern plants.

People won't have the money, won't be able to obtain credit, and won't have the consumer confidence that enable such major purchases.

So all those high-paid UAW people Republican conservatives want to destroy will be merely the BEGINNING of the calamity.

We cannot afford at this time to have high-wage people lose taxpaying jobs while America’s largest employer, Walmart, according to their own internal report, pays wages so low that 43% of their full-time workers are on welfare and food stamps.

Blagojevich? Emanuel? Is that anything?

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:42:47 EST

Blagojevich? Emanuel? Is that anything?

The FBI tapes may end up proving that Emanuel’s talks with Blagojevich only related that the President-Elect would offer the governor nothing more than “appreciation” for nominating one of then-Senator Obama’s “acceptable” candidates. Unless Emanuel “went rogue”. All stay together, and all hang together -- that's how they play it in the big leagues. Over the weekend, Mr. Emanuel apparently sent out his personal operatives – his ‘emissaries' – to put out his own SPIN on his alleged contacts with governor Rod. That would seem to point out that he’s the “weak link” – the person who screws up, then tries to protect himself at the expense of the team. His refusal to go to work last week was suspicious enough.

Innocent people don’t have to BREAK RANKS with their fellow patriots, shun the office so they don’t have to look into the eyes of their colleagues, or hide from the press, rather than just smile at the cameras and say “the Team will have something to say at the appropriate time”.

In addition to that, I do not understand why – if news reports and his statements are true – Mr. Emanuel would be getting threatened, or by whom. Regardless whether he is honest or dishonest, I don’t understand that at all – it seems illogical. Was he lying when he said that? Was the reporter lying about him having said that? I’d like some information on that.

You may not appreciate my questions, especially regarding the alleged claim of alleged threats, but I am someone who has been paying attention. Also, I have a very long memory, especially of politics.

I was just a kid more or less during the 80’s, but right then I was asking why we were crazy enough to be capitulating to the Japanese automakers. I seemed to be the only one in the 80’s who articulated that it was absurd for American automakers to keep making rounds of layoffs of tens of thousands of American autoworkers and then wonder WHY their sales continued to fall. “Who do they think are buying their cars?”, I asked. “The workers who build the cars are their best customers” I argued, “With their wages, they are the ones best able to afford them.”

More than twenty years ago, I could see that you can’t keep putting tens of thousands of your best customers out of work and then wondering why your sales keep declining. If a mere kid could see that over twenty years ago, why can’t beyond-middle-aged voters understand that now? American voters in general have very short memories.

There’s a reason they used to say “what’s good for GM is good for America!” Those workers made good wages. They paid equally large TAXES. They bought only American cars. They spent money only at American businesses that sold only American-made goods and services. One dollar spent on an American-made car meant eight-teen dollars (give or take a dollar) spent in America, to other Americans who paid TAXES in America. It pumped up the economy and created jobs for many AMERICANS.

Right now, we are at best buying cars made at plants in the south owned by Japanese companies that pay LOW wages, sending ALL the money we spend to Japan. Those low-wage workers spend all their meager income at WalMart. That money goes straight to China, where it creates more jobs – in China. Those workers reportedly make 9 cents a month. Do we want to “catch up” with them?

WORSE, when all those high-paid Detroit autoworkers lose their jobs, they will go right onto welfare, unemployment and food stamps. The rest of us will be paying ALL the taxes to support them.

I am terrified at the prospects of MY income decreasing due to the lack of customers directly and indrirectly linked to the Detroit autoworker economy. I am horrified that I will make LESS money but have to PAY MORE to support the government assistance to those people who should have been able to keep their jobs and PAY TAXES alongside the rest of us.

Rather than CUT the wages of union workers, Republican politicians should be RAISING the wages of the rest of American taxpayers, and NOT putting Americans out of work.

Southerners Don't See They Will Go Down With Us, Eventually

Don — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:59:26 EST

What's the most important detail not understood by southern voters and conservative Republicans?
That they, too, will suffer by causing the collapse of the Detroit auto industry.
It's not only northerners whose non-auto industry jobs will be lost in the fallout. Those millions of former taxpayers on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and those around the country, including even the south, who will be dragged down with them, WILL NOT be buying those Japanese cars and trucks being manufactured in those taxpayer-subsidized southern plants.
People won't have the money, won't be able to obtain credit, and won't have the consumer confidence that enable such major purchases.
So all those high-paid UAW people Republican conservatives want to destroy will be merely the BEGINNING of the calamity.
Moreover, those newly unemployed UAW members will have to head south, where, with their experience and new-found openness to accept lower wages, they will be the first to get hired at those soon to open Japanese plants if and when they do open. Even those openings in the works will be substantially delayed by the ongoing economic crisis.
But when those UAW people get down there and get the chance to vote, they won't forget which party is to blame for what they will be continuing to go through.
They will continue to vote for Democrats. That will increase the trend toward Red states turning into Blue states that start in 2008.
That, along with Republican tactics, will further ensure that the GOP becomes, for two generations, the party of Appalachia, Utah and Texas -- completely insignificant within the current Electoral College system.
Having just left the GOP last month to become an Obamican, or Independent in 8 years, that's a chance I'm willing to take.
Rather than trying to cut the pay of people who tend to vote for Democrats, those Republican politicians ought to be working to increase the pay of the rest of us. That's the only way we will BE ABLE to buy those Japanese cars over the next five years -- including two federal election cycles.

Blackberry Problem Solved -- Seriously

Don — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:03:05 EST

The President-Elect's communications are recorded and published, so he can't chat candidly on his own, but he can still keep in touch.

He has a close friend who is his new personal assistant. He can chat privately with his assistant, who can chat on his own personal Blackberry, which is private. What Obama's friends tell his assistant -- who is their mutual friend -- also is private. Use of such a go-between renders all that back and forth as mere gossiping, which, if not done on the President's phone or computer are entirely private.

The President's personal, in-person talks with friends can no more be public than the particulars of the bedtime stories he reads to his children. If some word of that got around "through the grape vine" through private channels, that's not the Peoples' business. Likewise, if information somehow gets back to him through a friend when that person just happens to be in the presence of the President, that, too, is his personal business.

President Obama can even sign a rule making it illegal for White House staff and also administration officials to profit from revealing what they learned during their work.

Federal Agent Insults All Illinois Citizens

Don — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:33:06 EST

99.9% of Illinoisans are law-abiding citizens. People who work hard and pay taxes should not be labeled corrupt by federal law enforcment officials, as was done in the announcement of the charges against the governor. Since that official has such a low opinion of Illinois and such a disdain for the citizens he should RELOCATE. At the very least, he should apologize and be fired.

Republcan Senator Ted Stevens is a seven-time convicted federal felon. Republican Senator Norm Coleman is a common criminal who merely hasn't been charged yet but has committed the crimes Rod has been charged with conspiring to committ. Are Alaska and Minnesota "corrupt" states? Should all their citizens be tarred because they've sent a few bad apples into elected office?

Admittedly, Alaska nearly re-elected Stevens, so virtually half of them actually ARE corrupt, one could argue.

Madigan's Blagojevich Blunder

Don — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:23:31 EST

Too bad Madigan didn't take a little time to think through her "evil plan" before acting.
She and other legislators could have drafted some legislation to be passed upon the Governor's temporary removal, and reach an agreement with the deputy governor on who would be appointed to the Senate once Rod's out of the way. Those could be acted on by the deputy governor immediately upon taking over, since it's likely that an appeal by Blagojevich would quickly see him back in his office holding things up once again.
If this wasn't just about furthering Madigan's chances of being elected governor, she would have done that and more. But like Rod's actions, Madigan isn't putting Illinois first because she's too busy looking out for herself.
Beyond that, even a layman can see that the Illinois Supreme Court would be as crazy as Blagojevich to jump into this mess this early in the game. It might set a precedent so that in the future any unpopular governor could have his tenure ended by his politic opponents filing a lawsuit, which is all Madigan has done.
He's not physically disabled, and though it appears so there is no scientific evidence that he is psychologically unfit. There is an unprecedented but good argument that under the circumstances he can't function because his most important business is appointing a Senator and the Senate is unlikely to seat his appointee, but she should have gotten affidavits from 51 Senators attesting to that -- 41 if you want to consider a filibuster. Because of the other claims in the complaint, his other actions, especially finance related, might be considered to be furthering a "crime spree". The weakness in the "inability to function" argument is that the fool keeps going to the office, apparently completing at least minor functions of his office.
Bottom line: I want him out of office, but even I can see Madigan didn't take time to plan this out. The court is likely to decline to take up the case. If they do hear it, there is a chance they could find in favor of the governor, which would further add to the perception that Illinois is lax on crooks in office.

How to roll back Bush's last minute law changes

Don — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:49:59 EST

While President Obama won’t be able to simply undo every one of the midnight hour presidential signings President Bush is using to change American laws, there is a way to render them meaningless. I would suggest that Obama can simply “amend” Bush’s rules by signing new rulings that create laws or rules contradictory to those made by the previous administration.

Example: Bush says agencies can decide for themselves when to consider endangered species in their decisions on construction and other matters. Obama then states that after an agency makes it’s determination it must then submit that finding to the same body it used to have to go through for the same review process as before.

As for the sale of lands and oil drilling rights, it may be true that the federal government would have to buy back those contracts. However, what Obama could do is sign an order rescinding the sales. That way, the process is quicker and the owners don’t get to negotiate a higher price than what they paid.

Congress would have to legislate to overrule Bush’s changes, and right now Republicans can filibuster in the Senate. Yet, the same is true for Obama’s rule changes. The incoming Congress of Democrats won’t overrule changes that render meaningless the rules made by Bush, and even future Republican Senates can be filibustered by Democrats – in fact, there are some Republicans who don’t want oil companies to rape the land.

Senator Vitter the whoremonger claims moral high ground?

Don — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:14:19 EST

David Vitter the Republican Senator who confessed to being a regular patron of a whorehouse, is trying to claim he's on the moral highground by taking a stand against the workers. The Republicans have once again campaigned saying they are for working people, only to turn against workers right after the election. Those autoworkers are American taxpayers and it's far better for the country for them to keep working and paying taxes than to be unemployed and on welfare, food stamps and unemployment. Because they tend to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats (I wonder why) the Republicans are trying to financially kill them -- but this will take the rest of America down along with them. More petty politics. Republicans didn't learn anything from their losses in 2006 and 2008 elections.

NC Conference Call

September from Statesville, NC — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:56:27 EST

Got this from our RFD today,thought I'd pass it on to all of you wonderful folks who want to move forward with us!

Republicans Play Politics While America Burns!

Don — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:52:51 EST

Or was that "Nero fiddles while Rome burns"? Well, whatever.

So much for "Joe, the Guy Who Works for a Living".

As has been the case all my life, as soon as the election is over the Republican party screws the people it promised to work for during the campaign. That's been no surprise to me for a long time now.

What still confounds me is that there are still tens of millions of people possessing the right to vote in American presidential elections who don't have enough working brain cells to understand that. They fall for it every time.

Fortunately, this time there are enough of us -- people who think for ourselves, rather than rely on Fox Noise to tell us what to believe -- that we overruled the zombies.

Even now, the party in power when the government spent $13 trillion more than it took in now claims that the Detroit automakers don't know how to manage money.

Highest unemployment rate since 1982 -- when Ron Reagan was president!

Even as America is showing them out the door, Republican politicians are nutty enough to be 'warning' the President-Elect about what he should and should not do with respect to the economy.

As they lick their wounds after spending $13 trillion dollars more than they took in, they now are stammering on about being for fiscal responsibility.
It would be funny, if it weren't so serious.

McCain says Bush, Rumsfeld committed war crimes

Don — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:10:46 EST

Senators John McCain and Carl Levin -- after the election -- published a finding cited in a Washington Post article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/11/AR2008121101969.html?hpid=topnews

They stated unequivocably that the orders to tortune prisoners of war were issued from the top of the Bush administration, beginning with an order Bush signed in February 2002.

Next year, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their chief assistants should be arrested and turned over to the World Court at The Hague, where they should stand trial for crimes against humanity and violations of the Geneva Convention.

Their actions have made it a certainty that American soldiers captured in future conflicts by enemies WILL be tortured. Unless decisive action is taken by the appropriate authorities, the world will ignore our cries of outrage.

Americans cannot afford failing to repudiate the lawlessness of the Bush administration, which according to Republican Senator John McCain, has "strengthened the hand of our enemies".

As I have always said, we cannot succeed in our fight against terrorism by BECOMING terrorists. George Bush's conduct goes directly against everything Americans stand for -- at least "Real Americans".

By issuing those illegal orders to our soldiers, while writing decrees declaring those orders to be legal, Bush has made himself a criminal of unprecedented notoriety around the world. Only by delivering him to justice in an unprecedented manner can America restore claims of being a land where justice prevails.

The minds of American children have been damaged by the impact of Bush's immorality. How can we teach them that America is ruled by the Constitution and that we abide by the international treaties we sign, while tolerating Bush's blatant violations of the Constitution and the Geneva Convention, of which we are a signatory?

Lastly, every officer who obeyed and passed on those illegal and immoral orders must be court-martialed, as required by the United States Code of Military Justice. We didn't excuse the conduct of Nazi officers who claimed they were "just following orders", and neither can we afford to do so with our own.

Mr. Bush's two terms have been sad days for America. He has destroyed our economy. Let us not allow him to destroy our Constitution, our Justice System, and our military as well.

Even Richard Milhouse Nixon didn't believe he was THIS far above the law.

Blagojevich's state of mind

Don — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:02:25 EST

The President--Elect could open his remarks today by saying, "Look,... how was I supposed to know Blagojevich was crazy? And by "crazy" I don't mean mentally ill. I mean CRAZY. Only a crazy man would do what he is alleged to have done."

Then promise to have more to say about the matter tomorrow and leave the room.

Barack Obama has nothing to explain. The governor called him a "motherf@#$er" who "won't give (the govenor) anything but (his) f@#$ing appreciation", then said "f@#$ (him)".

Before Obama enters the room his aides should pass out a copy of that part of the criminal complaint to put his remarks in perspective.

He has absolutely nothing to explain. The guy who apparently did something said on FBI tape that Obama didn't do anything. Until something different happens, he doesn't need to do anything but remind everyone of that fact.

Just like in the last months of the campaign whe Obama kept saying, "McCain said that 'if we keep talking about the economy, we'll lose',... that's why I keep talking about the economy."

3 things he COULD have said about Blagojevich

Don — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:02:49 EST

Why didn't Barack Obama just say something less 'conventional' when asked about the arrested governor?
I wish he had said: "I want to thank the governor for his kind words... not the ones where he called me an unspeakable name, but the ones where he said I didn't participate in his schemes"
Or: "No one has ever been so happy to have been insulted than I am after hearing the governor's words."
Or: "I've never been so glad to NOT know about something."
When they play the soundbites that's funnier and more dismissive of the entire matter. After reading the quotes in the actual complaint -- yes, I read the entire complaint -- that's really all the President-elect needed to do. There was nothing left for him to confirm or deny.

The Fox Noise political operatives who tell the fascists who have hijacked the Republican party what to believe would not be able to so easily twist any of those quotes the way they have what he actually said. For people who don't think for themselves -- the Faux News watching zombies -- it's not what Obama says, but what the political operatives CLAIM he said that counts. He has to think about their likely talking points before making sound bites.

On the other hand, if he'd followed all my advice, he never would have gotten elected. For example, after those remarks by Rev. Wrong (Wright) I thought it was over. After the election, for the first time I viewed Obama's speech on race, on youtube, because I had to see what on earth he possibly could have said to get himself out of a jam like that. Turns out the truth was all it took.

THE CRISIS IN DETROIT

Don — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:50:00 EST

No car czar named by the same man who appointed those who drove our economy into the New Great Depression. When the first Great Depression occurred, America was not in two wars and was not buried beneath $13 trillion dollars in debt (counting the trillion Bush gave to Wall Street). A "Bush-named car czar is a non-starter".

Those who have run the big car companies into the ground deserve to face consequences -- so, too, do those who ran Wall Street into the ground, including the Bush administration and the Republican party deregulators. Bush and those who helped him rape the American economy are not the ones who should decide what those consequences are -- they are only trying to take the spotlight off their own failures and Mr. Obama needs to do what he did during the campaign -- point out their smokescreen.

The big banks we gave all that money to should be strongly asked by President-Elect Barack Obama to go in and try hard to work out a deal to loan the automakers the money they need, at least for three months until Obama is inaugurated and has time to find a long term solution. Obama should suggest that those bankers "will be sorry" if they don't try very hard to work out reasonable terms. Maybe the free market can ease the transition, especially after we gave Goldman Sachs $10 billion and they turned around and passed out $6.5 billion in "bonuses". Bonuses for what? Going bankrupt. After we gave Citigroup $50 billion then they turned around and fired 75,000 workers right before Christmas.

Mr. Obama should publicly excoriate the Republican senators for playing politics with America's future by refusing to bail out the autoworkers for purely political reasons. Republicans campaigned on the false claim that they were all about helping "Joe the Plumber", but now they are working hard to financially ruin "Joe the autoworker because: 1. they are union workers who tend to vote for Democrats (and now we see why), and 2. southern Republicans believe that if Detroit goes out of business Japanese automakers will build more plants down south.

Republicans are again betraying ALL Americans who work for a living, right after rushing to pump nearly $1 trillion directly into the pockets of the wealthiest 1%. They forced us into giving $12 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% before that. Now they are killing "Joe the guy who MANUFACTURES things, which America does far too little of already.

Further, it would take the better part of a decade before any cars come out of any new southern auto plants. The Japanese will take two years to THINK before deciding to build more plants here or anywhere in this economy (or any economy, that's how they operate). They will take another two years milking tax abatements and other subsidies from American taxpayers by letting southern states "compete" for the plants, one plant at a time. It takes two to three years to BUILD a plant once that's all agreed to. As much as a year to dry run things, making sure the process works by building test cars before pumping out any cars for sale to the public. That's seven to eight years of absolute misery for all Americans while the southern Republicans get their non-union workers.

Mr. Obama should lobby hard for legislation prohibiting ANY tax abatements or other subsidies by any state or local governments for businesses. Why? Those subsidies directly hurt taxpayers and the overall economy by: 1. Paying corporations to move from one town to another, which is of no benefit to the overall economy. If they want to relocate, they should do it with their own money, then they will only do it if it makes sense to their operations. Taxpayers should not be forking out money to shift existing jobs from one American town to another American town. 2. Foreign comanies who decide to build plants in America should not be subsidized. They want to manufacture their products here because it is of financial benefit to them -- they avoid currency exchange costs. Why PAY them for doing something they already NEED to do? Giving them taxpayer money to entice them to build plants in one American town rather than another is of no benefit to the overall American economy, and it directly takes money out of the pockets of American taxpayers who must make up for the losses in government tax revenue. Don't pay foreign companies to do what's already in their best interests -- let them pay their own way.

Tax abatements to corporations are un-American and they harm local, state and national economies. Rather than subsidize individual companies, LOWER taxes for ALL taxpayers, or keep rates where they are -- isn't lowering taxes what those Republicans claim to be for?

KEEP ALL THOSE CAMPAIGN PROMISES

Don — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:48:36 EST

Now is the time for bold and decisive action -- not a rethinking of Obama's priorities. America thought over Obama's priorities for two very long years and now is the time to ACT.

The economy was crashing before and during the election and America elected Mr. Obama, so the bad economy is NO EXCUSE for failing to fulfill Obama's promises. The worst thing Obama can do for the economy is be reluctant to do everything he said he'd do -- he must do it all, and be quick about it.

Work to do everything Mr. Obama pledged to do right away -- in the first 60 days of his term. Why? America somehow elected Barack Obama AFTER two years of Republicans and rival Democrats arguing that we shouldn't let him do what he said he'd do. Obama won, by a landslide of electoral votes -- he has both a mandate and an obligation to carry through on his promises. He didn't get elected on some Nixonian "secret plan". American took two long years coming to terms with Obama's proposals, and we bought into it. I didn't really like some of Mr. Obama's promises, but after a lifetime of voting Republican I voted for Obama -- and all his policies.

One good example is cutting taxes for 95% percent of working Americans AND repealing the Republican tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1% -- those who don't work at all. Republicans will argue that "raising taxes during a recession is the worst thing we can do." Then, when Obama turns things around and gets the economy going again, Republicans will argue that "raising taxes during a soaring economy is the worst thing we can do." It's the same tired old Republican disingenuous argument that America finally rejected in November 2008. Should Mr. Obama fail to immediately strike while the iron is HOT -- while he has this resounding mandate that's fresh in the minds of all Americans -- Obama will lose this opportunity forever.

This is the only moment ever where Barack Obama can do the things he promised to do, and he probably won't be reelected if he doesn't manage to get the job done. Right now, we will have two or three years for things to shake out and level off before the next election cycle. This is the time to take those very bold steps, before Congression Democrats lose what little resolve they have.

Obama will probably have to publicly tell Democrats that they will either vote like Democrats or else when they need money for reelection campaigns they need not line up at the Obama money trough. If they want to show the voters how "independent" they are, they way congresspeople like Marcy Kaptur did right after Clinton took office, they should expect that some NEW candidate will be receiving money from me and others who donated money to the Obama phenomena when it comes time for them to run for reelection.

We need to pick out five or six week Republican senators and fund a recall drive against them. If they have to essentially run for reelection in the middle of their term they and others won't be so quick to do what they always do -- vote against America as represented by a Democratic President merely for the sake of petty politics.

Economy and the opposition

Don — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:47:03 EST

President Obama should not accept ANY advice on the economy from Mr. Bush and the Republicans whom America has convicted in November of destroying the economy by creating the current crisis.

That Republicans are "warning" Obama on their way out the door as to what he can or cannot do is LAUGHABLE, and Obama should publicly castigate them on that issue. They are seeking to rerun the election they lost, and if they want to continue to play politics Obama must call them on that every day in press conferences. Obama WON the election and if Republicans want to continue arguing that they have any authority on economic matters then that is precisely the fight Obama should take them up on. He won that fight and it's the perfect battle to keep in the forefront of American politics during the transition and pretty much his whole first term -- especially while he's using his mandate to keep all those promises he made.

Republicans spent two years losing that war and if they want to spend eight more years losing then they only rational thing for Obama to do is to let them. Help them.

You Think Democrats Are Pro Civil Rights? Think Again........

Josh and Kade — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:03:10 EST

[The FBI was investigating Martin Luther king Jr under orders by a Democrat. It was the Kennedys who initially didn't trust MLK, Jr.]

Martin Luther king Jr was a republican until his death. You can't rewrite history.

It should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. In that era, almost all black Americans were Republicans. Why? From its founding in 1854 as the anti-slavery party until today, the Republican Party has championed freedom and civil rights for blacks. And as one pundit so succinctly stated, the Democrat Party is as it always has been, the party of the four S's: Slavery, Secession, Segregation and now Socialism.

It was the Democrats who fought to keep blacks in slavery and passed the discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan to lynch and terrorize blacks. The Democrats fought to prevent the passage of every civil rights law beginning with the civil rights laws of the 1860's, and continuing with the civil rights laws of the 1950's and 1960's.

During the civil rights era of the 1960's, Dr. King was fighting the Democrats who stood in the school house doors, turned skin-burning fire hoses on blacks and let loose vicious dogs. It was Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who pushed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent troops to Arkansas to desegregate schools. President Eisenhower also appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the U.S. Supreme Court which resulted in the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision ending school segregation. Much is made of Democrat President Harry Truman's issuing an Executive Order in 1948 to desegregate the military. Not mentioned is the fact that it was President Eisenhower who actually took action to effectively end segregation in the military.

Democrat President John F. Kennedy is lauded as a proponent of civil rights. However, Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil rights Act while he was a senator, as did Democrat Senator Al Gore, Sr. And after he became president, John F. Kennedy was opposed to the 1963 March on Washington by Dr. King that was organized by A. Phillip Randolph who was a black Republican. President Kennedy, through his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy, had Dr. King wiretapped and investigated by the FBI on suspicion of being a Communist in order to undermine Dr. King.

In March of 1968, while referring to Dr. King's leaving Memphis, Tennessee after riots broke out where a teenager was killed, Democrat Senator Robert Byrd, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, called Dr. King a "trouble-maker" who starts trouble, but runs like a coward after trouble is ignited. A few weeks later, Dr. King returned to Memphis and was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Given the circumstances of that era, it is understandable why Dr. King was a Republican. It was the Republicans who fought to free blacks from slavery and amended the Constitution to grant blacks freedom (13th Amendment), citizenship (14th Amendment) and the right to vote (15th Amendment). Republicans passed the civil rights laws of the 1860's, including the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction Act of 1867 that was designed to establish a new government system in the Democrat-controlled South, one that was fair to blacks. Republicans also started the NAACP and affirmative action with Republican President Richard Nixon‘s 1969 Philadelphia Plan (crafted by black Republican Art Fletcher) that set the nation‘s first goals and timetables. Although affirmative action now has been turned by the Democrats into an unfair quota system, affirmative action was begun by Nixon to counter the harm caused to blacks when Democrat President Woodrow Wilson in 1912 kicked all of the blacks out of federal government jobs.

Few black Americans know that it was Republicans who founded the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Unknown also is the fact that Republican Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois was key to the passage of civil rights legislation in 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1965. Not mentioned in recent media stories about extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is the fact that Dirksen wrote the language for the bill. Dirksen also crafted the language for the Civil Rights Act of 1968 which prohibited discrimination in housing. President Lyndon Johnson could not have achieved passage of civil rights legislation without the support of Republicans.

Critics of Republican Senator Barry Goldwater who ran for president against Democrat President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, ignore the fact that Goldwater wanted to force the Democrats in the South to stop passing discriminatory laws and thus end the need to continuously enact federal civil rights legislation.

Those who wrongly criticize Goldwater, also ignore the fact that President Johnson, in his 4,500 State of the Union Address delivered on January 4, 1965, mentioned scores of topics for federal action, but only thirty five words were devoted to civil rights. He did not mention one word about voting rights. Then in 1967, showing his anger with Dr. King's protest against the Viet Nam War, President Johnson referred to Dr. King as "that Nigger preacher."

Contrary to the false assertions by Democrats, the racist "Dixiecrats" did not all migrate to the Republican Party. "Dixiecrats" declared that they would rather vote for a "yellow dog" than vote for a Republican because the Republican Party was known as the party for blacks. Today, some of those "Dixiecrats" continue their political careers as Democrats, including Democrat Senator Robert Byrd who is well known for having been a "Keagle" in the Ku Klux Klan.

Another former "Dixiecrat" is Democrat Senator Ernest Hollings who put up the Confederate flag over the state capitol when he was the governor of South Carolina. There was no public outcry when Democrat Senator Christopher Dodd praised Senator Byrd as someone who would have been "a great senator for any moment," including the Civil War. Democrats denounced Senator Trent Lott for his remarks about Senator Strom Thurmond. Senator Thurmond was never in the Ku Klux Klan and defended blacks against lynching and the discriminatory poll taxes imposed on blacks by Democrats. If Senator Byrd and Senator Thurmond were alive during the Civil War, and Byrd had his way, Thurmond would have been lynched.

The thirty-year odyssey of the South switching to the Republican Party began in the 1970's with President Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy" which was an effort on the Part of Nixon to get Christians in the South to stop voting for Democrats who did not share their values and were still discriminating against their fellow Christians who happened to be black. Georgia did not switch until 2002, and some Southern states, including Louisiana, are still controlled by Democrats.

Today, Democrats, in pursuit of their socialist agenda, are fighting to keep blacks poor, angry and voting for Democrats. Examples of how egregiously Democrats act to keep blacks in poverty are numerous.

After wrongly convincing black Americans that a minimum wage increase was a good thing, the Democrats on August 3rd kept their promise and killed the minimum wage bill passed by House Republicans on July 29th. The blockage of the minimum wage bill was the second time in as many years that Democrats stuck a legislative finger in the eye of black Americans. Senate Democrats on April 1, 2004 blocked passage of a bill to renew the 1996 welfare reform law that was pushed by Republicans and vetoed twice by President Bill Clinton before he finally signed it. Since the welfare reform law expired in September 2002, Congress had passed six extensions, and the latest expired on June 30, 2004. Opposed by the Democrats are school choice opportunity scholarships that would help black children get out of failing schools and Social Security reform, even though blacks on average lose $10,000 in the current system because of a shorter life expectancy than whites (72.2 years for blacks vs. 77.5 years for whites).

Democrats have been running our inner-cities for the past 30-40 years, and blacks are still complaining about the same problems. Over $7 trillion dollars have been spent on poverty programs since President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty with little, if any, impact on poverty. Diabolically, every election cycle, Democrats blame Republicans for the deplorable conditions in the inner-cities, then incite blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans.

In order to break the Democrats' stranglehold on the black vote and free black Americans from the Democrat Party's economic plantation, we must shed the light of truth on the Democrats. We must demonstrate that the Democrat Party policies of socialism and dependency on government handouts offer the pathway to poverty, while Republican Party principles of hard work, personal responsibility, getting a good education and ownership of homes and small businesses offer the pathway to prosperity.

By Frances Rice

http://www.nationalblackrepublicans.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.DYK-Why%20MLK%20was%20a%20Republican