Saturday, February 28, 2009
Damn Portuguese!
Ready for a fight
Barack Obama is proposing many changes and he's prepared to fight for them:
"...I know these steps won't sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they're gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: So am I. The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don't. I work for the American people. I didn't come here to do the same thing we've been doing or to take small steps forward, I came to provide the sweeping change that this country demanded when it went to the polls in November."Special interests and lobbyists... he should have added the party of Limbaugh to that list. Or would that be redundant?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Truth be told
I have never been as happy with the Republican party as I am now. Steele, Jindal, Palin, Romney, Huckabee, McConnell, McCain, etc. etc. not a single competent, thoughtful, sensible one in the whole lot. Keep it up, boys and girls.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
What Democrats stand for
From the Obama budget document:
Bottom-up growth that empowers hardworking families to climb the ladder of success and raise their children with security, opportunity, and hope for the future lies at the heart of the American dream.It's really this simple. So, who got a problem with this?
Favorable healt care reform winds
Business Roundtable president John Castellani, who represents CEOs across the country and is a major player in the health care debate:
There’s a long way to go, of course. But for now Castellani says he likes Obama’s overall approach. “They are looking at this through the lens of fiscal responsibility,” he says, a suggestion that that Obama’s approach is on its way towards creating common ground for big business and labor, a key step towards getting reform done.
Republican rejection
Bill Clinton:
Most Americans … rejected the way [Republicans] think. They basically said, look we’ve been around this track twice now, and both times ended in economic calamity. The first time produced my election, the second time was worse, and produced President Obama’s. And now, unlike the first time, they have now lost their natural cultural advantage, and the country thinks more like we do…
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The future of conservatism going up in smoke
Conservatism sounded stupid when the messenger was the incompetent George Bush, but it didn't sound any better last night coming from a Rhodes Scholar.
Americans are starting to get it: it's not just the messengers that suck, it's the message.
Americans are starting to get it: it's not just the messengers that suck, it's the message.
Obama on a roll
As Steve Bennen points out: "[p]olling immediately after a speech, with modest sample sizes, is tricky." For me, these polls are far more reliable than the words of pundits, who seem more and more mired in pettiness. And even if the margins of error are a bit high, these results still render a very favorable verdict on president Obama and his views:
A new national poll indicates that two-thirds of those who watched President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress reacted favorably to his speech.
Sixty-eight percent of speech-watchers questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey Tuesday night had a very positive reaction to the president's address, with 24 percent suggesting they had a somewhat positive response and 8 percent indicating they had a negative reaction.
Eighty percent of speech watchers approve of President Obama's plans for dealing with the economic crisis. Before the speech, 63 percent approved.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
No Republican policies for the American people
What are the polls saying about the American people's views on bipartisanship? Glenn Greenwald summarizes it this way:
a huge majority of Americans want Congressional Republicans to be "bipartisan," but don't want Obama to be. Overwhelmingly, then, Americans favor "bipartisanship" only to the extent that it means that Republicans support Democratic policies and abandon their own.The polls are quite consistent in this regard. I think (hope) Barack Obama has gotten the message (perhaps he knew it all along and is playing the politics just right). The question is: when will the pundits and mainstream media types get it?
Obama Code
George Lakoff deciphers Barack Obama's views and strategy. The article is peppered with excellent observations, like:
The moral mission of government is simple: no one can earn a living in America or live an American life without protection and empowerment by the government. The stimulus package is basically an empowerment package. Taxes are what you pay for living in America, rather than in Congo or Bangladesh. And the more money you make from government protection and empowerment, the more you owe in return. Progressive taxation is a matter of moral accounting. Tax cuts for the middle class mean that the middle class hasn’t been getting as much as it has been contributing to the nation’s productivity for many years.Do yourself a favor and read the article.
Monday, February 23, 2009
A sign of Obama's success
Nothing says that Obama is succeeding like a drop in support for him among Republicans in general, conservative ones in particular:
Gallup reports that Barack Obama's approval rating has increased over the past month among Democrats and Independents, but dropped among Republicans. The drop is especially big among conservative Republicans — which is hardly a surprise. If I spent all day listening to Rush Limbaugh and watching Fox News, I'd probably think Obama was a herald of the end times too.
Not the time for politics
Obama, making sense, as usual, commenting on discussions about the stimulus:
"If we agree on 90 percent of this stuff and are spending all our time on television arguing about one, two, three percent of the spending ... that starts sounding more like politics," the president said. "There will be ample time for campaigns down the road."
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Building better cities
Mass transit rocks:
Los Angeles and countless other cities - Phoenix, Houston and Atlanta come to mind - are far more friendly to cars than people, having been built according to land use policies that all but put people behind the wheel. It's an unsustainable model, and it must change...
Instead of the "manufactured value" of personal car ownership, we should adopt "demand management" by creating disincentives for driving that will, in turn, encourage people to walk, ride mass transit, carpool and use other means of getting around.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The president prefers to tell the truth
What a novel concept, considering the misdeeds of the last eight years:
For his first annual budget next week, President Obama has banned four accounting gimmicks... The new accounting involves spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Medicare reimbursements to physicians and the cost of disaster responses. But the biggest adjustment will deal with revenues from the alternative minimum tax, a parallel tax system enacted in 1969 to prevent the wealthy from using tax shelters to avoid paying any income tax.
....“The president prefers to tell the truth,” said [Peter R. Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget], “rather than make the numbers look better by pretending.”
Ignore the fool
Nancy Pelosi visited the Vatican and was pretty much scolded for her pro-choice stance, although not singled out by name:
Pope Benedict has expressed support for excommunicating elected officials who support abortion rights, though his spokesman later said he has no plans to formally punish anyone in specific.Ms. Pelosi's rebuttal, to her credit, simply ignored the fool:
Pelosi, soon after, issued her own statement, praising the Vatican's "leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming."Well done, Madam Speaker.
Friday, February 20, 2009
And the changes keep on coming
They don't always make headlines, but Barack Obama is delivering much needed changes at an amazing speed. Click here to read about the "five significant under-the-radar things to be grateful for in the post-Bush era."
One such example is the creation of a commission to review Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives:
One such example is the creation of a commission to review Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives:
The most-anticipated aspect of the review is the panel's decision on whether religious groups that discriminate on the basis of religious background or sexuality can receive federal funding. If, as expected, Obama ends up revising the Bush rules, evangelical groups that discriminate, like World Vision, will no longer be eligible for funding.A change I can pray for.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Center-left country
Fox News polls tend to have language that tilts the results of their polls towards Republican-leaning ideas. Even so, look at these results:
If we give democracy a chance, the USA is a left of center country.* 88% said the federal government has a responsibility to help rebuild communities affected by natural disasters.
* 68% said the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have food.
* 66% said the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care.
* 52% said the federal government has a responsibility to provide housing to those who cannot afford it.
* 51% said the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans who want a job have a job.
Lessons
Obama: learning something everyday:
The Obama administration seems to have learned three big lessons in salesmanship from the bumps it endured in passing the stimulus bill and presenting its Wall Street rescue plan. One, sometimes the best way to sell Washington on an idea is to leave Washington and talk to the public. Two, let the president himself market the idea. Three, keep the idea simple, or as simple as a complex economic proposal can be.I would add a forth: use the fear factor. Use language like "disaster," "catastrophe," "abyss." For example: if we don't close down Guantanamo, the terrorists will come for your children and slaughter them while they sleep; if we don't pass health care reform, we'll develop hemorrhoids the size of bowling balls.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Washington Media Bubble
When will the Washington media join the American people in what really matters? I know... never.
Today, though, with the nation facing the deepest economic crisis in decades, there is something particularly perverse about the Washington way.We are watching industries crumble, Wall Street firms disappear, unemployment spike, and unprecedented government intervention. And our designated opinion leaders want to know: Is Obama up this week? Is he down? And is his leadership style more like Bill Clinton’s, or Abraham Lincoln’s?
As I write this, the Dow Jones is up... yeah! Wall St. loves Obama!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The best and the brightest
If Tim Geithner is one of the best and brightest, I'm officially worried. Frankly, I've lost confidence in all so-called economy experts, particularly those who have been on the inside and part of the system for many years.
Proof? Not needed
The Republican playbook is the simplest and shortest book in history. Put simply: attack your opponent for being the exact opposite of what they claim to be. Proof? Not needed.
Here are some examples:
If your opponent says he's for bipartisanship, you accuse him of being partisan. Proof? Not needed.
If your opponent says he's against earmarks on a bill, you accuse the bill of being loaded with earmarks. Proof? Not needed.
If your opponent seems to be emulating successful actions from the past, you claim those past actions failed. Proof? Not needed.
If your opponent says he's for creating jobs, you say he's not, he's only for creating work (I'm not making this up, I swear). Proof? Not needed.
Here are some examples:
If your opponent says he's for bipartisanship, you accuse him of being partisan. Proof? Not needed.
If your opponent says he's against earmarks on a bill, you accuse the bill of being loaded with earmarks. Proof? Not needed.
If your opponent seems to be emulating successful actions from the past, you claim those past actions failed. Proof? Not needed.
If your opponent says he's for creating jobs, you say he's not, he's only for creating work (I'm not making this up, I swear). Proof? Not needed.
Monday, February 16, 2009
No wealth creation
Last week the Federal Reserve released the results of the latest Survey of Consumer Finances, a triennial report on the assets and liabilities of American households. The bottom line is that there has been basically no wealth creation at all since the turn of the millennium: the net worth of the average American household, adjusted for inflation, is lower now than it was in 2001.Paul Krugman is not optimistic about our economic turnaround. If you read his article, he seems to suggest that for us to enjoy a recovery we're going to either have to wait a long time or start World War 3.
What fine mess Republicans got us into.
Caterpillar
Maybe I'm just naive but I don't see how you can blame the company for this:
Caterpillar's equipment has been used to level homes, build Israel's illegal separation wall and, in some cases, kill innocent civilians.This article describes a boycott against the company, but unless I'm overlooking something, I don't see how we can blame the company for wanting to sell its products, or how they can be responsible for how their clients use that equipment.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thank you, Republicans
For, less than one month into an Obama presidency, making the choice for the 2010 elections very clear. If the stimulus bill succeeds in reversing the current trend of the economy, America wins and you lose. If it fails, America loses and you win.
Basically, your lot in life is similar to Al Qaeda's -- your gain is America's loss.
Basically, your lot in life is similar to Al Qaeda's -- your gain is America's loss.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The futility of bipartisanship
Rahm Emanuel gets it:
Mr. Emanuel owned up to one mistake: message. What he called the outside game slipped away from the White House last week, when the president and others stressed bipartisanship rather than job creation as they moved toward passing the measure.Obama should continue the use the bipartisan talk on TV but use a dagger on the back of Republicans behind closed doors. Seeking bipartisanship is futile as long as we're dealing with a Republican party clinging to the Ronald Reagan mentality that government is the problem -- they have every incentive to prove themselves right.
Thinking ahead
In the last 20 years there has been a major revolution in the understanding of animals... Animals not only use tools, there is evidence that some of them save tools for future use..."Planning ahead was once thought to be unique to humans... We now know that's not true."
I wish more bankers had that skill.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Probe the bastards
Maybe Obama is focused on looking forward, but the American people want to find out what happened in the last 8 years:
Possible attempts to use Justice Dept. for political purposes:The 25% to 34% who want nothing done are the die hard followers who'd turn a blind eye even if Bush raped little children himself. Excluding those fanatics, just about everyone wants some kind of investigation.
Criminal investigation, 41%; Investigation by independent panel, 30%; Neither, 25%
Possible use of telephone wiretaps without a warrant:
Criminal investigation, 38%; Investigation by independent panel, 25%; Neither, 34%
Possible use of torture in terror interrogations:
Criminal investigation, 38%; Investigation by independent panel, 24%; Neither, 34%
2-0
Argentina beat France, 2-0.
Brazil beat Italy, 2-0.
Spain beat England, 2-0.
The three best teams in the world proved their superiority on the field.
And oh... USA beat Mexico, 2-0 (so what's new?)
The best team in North America proved it on the field.
Poor Mexico. What's gonna happen to them when we get really good at soccer?
Brazil beat Italy, 2-0.
Spain beat England, 2-0.
The three best teams in the world proved their superiority on the field.
And oh... USA beat Mexico, 2-0 (so what's new?)
The best team in North America proved it on the field.
Poor Mexico. What's gonna happen to them when we get really good at soccer?
Small Government Rocks
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
hahahaha
Nutty right winger:
"This stimulus bill is huge, so disastrous, and so harmful to our country that even though Obama has been in office for less than a month, I think it's already fair to label him as one of the worst Presidents in American history,"
Myth: Private sector does it better
There are many things that are not the business of government, but the Republican-pushed mantra that the private sector is great and should be left alone takes another tumble:
After receiving test results identifying salmonella, Peanut Corp. of America owner Stewart Parnell told employees to "turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money" and ship them anyways.The quest for profits at any cost could be the demise of capitalism as we know it unless government regulation is greatly increased.
Wear your computer
Monday, February 09, 2009
On the right (left) side of the issue
Obama seems to have regained command of public opinion when it comes to the stimulus, according to this Gallup poll:
The numbers: Obama has a 67% approval and only 25% disapproval on how he's handled the stimulus bill, compared to Congressional Republicans 31% approval and very high 58% disapproval...
In addition, a 51% majority of independents say it is critically important to pass a stimulus bill, 27% say it is moderately important, and only 17% say it's not important. The numbers among the Republican base, as we might expect, are wildly different: Only 29% say it is critically important, 37% say it's important but not critically so, and 31% say it's not important.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Republicans winning; USA losing
With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans:
The Senate plan is dramatically more weighted than the House bill toward tax cuts (which account for more than 40 percent of the overall cost of the package). This is despite the fact that there is a growing consensus -- among even conservative economists and policy makers -- that tax cuts will do little or nothing to stimulate job creation in a country that lost almost 600,000 positions in January alone. As French President Nicolas Sarkozy, no liberal, said Friday of countries that opt for tax cuts rather than stimulus: The approach "will bring them nothing" in the way of economic regeneration.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
UnAmerican bastards, really!
The Republican objection to the stimulus package can really be explained this simply:
Fearful of a Democratic majority for years to come, Republicans are afraid not that Barack Obama's economic recovery package will fail, but that it might succeed.
Friday, February 06, 2009
The people's money down the toilet
For people who claim they are fiscally conservative and worry about the "people's money," they sure have a funny way of showing it:
The Bush administration received assets that were worth $78 billion less than the amount it invested as part of the massive infusion of capital into the country's banks, congressional investigators have found.
You can't reason with these people
The type of people who have risen to prominence in the Republican party can't be reasoned with. They're like the characters in the horror movies that when told they can't go back in the house, they want to go back in the house.
Their current arguments against the stimulus bill are simply a reflection of how they ran the country to the ground during the last eight years. We are seeing now, that stubbornness and ignorance was not just George Bush staples -- they are hallmarks of the current Republican party.
When Ronald Reagan came into office, we could have give and take discussions with Republicans. By the time he left office, that was no longer possible. The only way to reverse that is to, politically speaking, beat them to a pulp, not by trying to compromise with them.
Their current arguments against the stimulus bill are simply a reflection of how they ran the country to the ground during the last eight years. We are seeing now, that stubbornness and ignorance was not just George Bush staples -- they are hallmarks of the current Republican party.
When Ronald Reagan came into office, we could have give and take discussions with Republicans. By the time he left office, that was no longer possible. The only way to reverse that is to, politically speaking, beat them to a pulp, not by trying to compromise with them.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Barack Leading the Way
Barack Obama's Washington Post Stimulus Plan editorial makes the case against the sake failed ideas being offered by Republicans, and the need for quick and bold action. He ends with this:
So we have a choice to make. We can once again let Washington's bad habits stand in the way of progress. Or we can pull together and say that in America, our destiny isn't written for us but by us. We can place good ideas ahead of old ideological battles, and a sense of purpose above the same narrow partisanship. We can act boldly to turn crisis into opportunity and, together, write the next great chapter in our history and meet the test of our time.Now, it's time for Democrats to flood every media outlet they can and repeat the key talking points that: 1) Republicans are offering the same solutions that brought us to the crisis; 2) Tax cuts are for the the greedy and the slackers, not for conscientious Americans who want to participate in the solution; and 3) We can't wait for perfection -- we need a bill that creates jobs and pass it very soon.
Our media is simply failing us
These really are simply questions:
Seriously, mister president, it's time to drop the kumbaya bullshit -- it's never going to work with people who truly believe the government is the problem.
Our media is simply failing us. Why have they not asked the Republicans how tax cuts are going to provide jobs? Why are they not laughing openly when the Republicans bring up capital gains tax cuts as part of a stimulus package. Why are they not asking the Republicans to explain how infrastructure spending is not stimulus?But, if the media doesn't ask them, Barack Obama should. Coming from Obama, the media couldn't simply ignore the questions.
Seriously, mister president, it's time to drop the kumbaya bullshit -- it's never going to work with people who truly believe the government is the problem.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Republican Rot
David Kurtz hits a grand slam:
It occurred to me while reading Politico's interview with Dick Cheney, that the GOP's plan to regain political viability in the short term rests on two disaster scenarios: the failure of the financial rescue efforts (stimulus, TARP, and other bailouts) to stave off complete economic collapse and a new mass casualty terrorist attack -- both of which they are positioning themselves to blame Obama for.
Without one of those two, they have to figure it's going to be a long time wandering in the political wilderness. Now think about the curdling effect, the blight on the soul that comes with rooting for such disasters to befall your country. The rot is now eating at the party's very core.
I have no doubt, from listening to leading Republicans, that they are positioning themselves for the blame game, hoping that either of the two scenarios happens. No, not in case it happens. They are hoping it happens.
The blight on the soul... the rot. Indeed. And this is why Obama's attempt at bipartizenship is a waste.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Damn you, John McCain
This is the group that Barack Obama wants to go out of his way yo accommodate and seek compromises with:
When GOP congressional aides gather Tuesday morning for a meeting of the Conservative Working Group, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher – more commonly known as Joe the Plumber — will be their featured guest. This group is an organization of conservative Capitol Hill staffers who meet regularly to chart GOP strategy for the week...First there was Sarah Palin and then Joe the Plumber... gotta admit: John McCain does have a pulse on what Republicans like. While pandering to them, he gave us the two biggest boils on the collective ass of America.
“In case you weren’t planning to attend CWG tomorrow morning, you might want to reconsider because Joe the Plumber will be joining us!” Kimberly Wallner, an aide to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, wrote in a message to her e-mail list this afternoon.
Money fixes everything
Super Bowl glitch (or prank):
Just after Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald scored a dramatic touchdown in the fourth quarter, some Comcast cable TV customers saw a video clip with full-frontal male nudity. It originated from Shorteez, an adult pay-per-view channel...
So, does an apology to its viewers suffice? Of course not. Nothing erases the sight of a penis from an 11-year-old girl's mind like money. $10, to be exact:
Comcast is offering $10 credits to any customer in Tucson "who was impacted... While this credit won't change what happened, we hope that it will demonstrate to our customers, and to the Tucson community, how seriously we are taking this situation.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Veering more to the right and to stupidity
According to a Rasmussen poll:
Anyone who still believes that compromise with these people is possible must not know many of them.
So basically, the majority of Republicans, who were for the most part die hard supporters of George Bush have turned their backs on him and now favor Sarah Palin.Coming off a shellacking at the polls in November, the plurality of GOP voters (43%) say their party has been too moderate over the past eight years, and 55% think it should become more like Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in the future... Only 17% of Republican voters say their party has been too conservative, and 30% say its actions and positions have been about right, with nine percent (9%) not sure.
Just 11% of Republicans... say the party should become more like former President Bush.
Just after losing the election, 69% Republican voters said Palin helped McCain’s bid for the presidency, and nearly two-thirds said she should be the party’s 2012 presidential nominee. Sixty-five percent (65%) of GOP voters had a Very Favorable view of her at that time.
Anyone who still believes that compromise with these people is possible must not know many of them.
Struggle against terrorism
Small but important point:
The AP notes that only once since taking office on Jan. 20 has President Obama used the phrase “war on terror,” which was always on the lips of President Bush. Obama has instead more broadly referenced the “enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism.”... a Pentagon-funded study last year recommended that the U.S. do away with the terminology as the strategy behind it was “not successful in undermining al Qai’da’s capabilities.”
Loathsome
AlterNet picked it's 15 most loathsome people of 2008. Of course, lists like this are highly subjective, but it's always fun to read the reasons for making the picks.
The list includes the typical cast of characters you'd expect from a liberal publication: George Bush, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. But I was a bit surprised by their number one choice -- Sarah Palin. Here's part of why they choose her to head the list:
The list includes the typical cast of characters you'd expect from a liberal publication: George Bush, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. But I was a bit surprised by their number one choice -- Sarah Palin. Here's part of why they choose her to head the list:
If you want to know why the rest of the world is scared of Americans, consider the fact that after two terms of disastrous rule by a small-minded ignoramus, 46% of us apparently thought the problem was that he wasn't quite stupid enough. Palin's unending emissions of baffling, evasive incoherence should have disqualified her for any position that involved a desk, let alone placing her one erratic heartbeat from the presidency.Click here for the full list.
