I’m with Mr. Budowsky on Rick Perry and said so today on Twitter: When do we start the implosion countdown? It might take longer than 30 days, but I believe it’s coming.
As for the Ron Paul video, I always find it interesting when guys like Mr. Paul highlight “restore liberty,” while they believe women shouldn’t have the same freedoms as mean. If you don’t control your own body and family planning calendar you’re simply not free. What’s so hard to understand about that?
Too bad, really. He’s correct on the wars, just add on deployments in Germany, Japan… and you’re talking about some real money.
After waving her hat to get President Obama’s attention, Bev explained her history and posed the question. In response, The President remarked on how non-union workers, public and private reap the benefits established through collective bargaining. But he also called on unions to cut back just like everyone else.
…Bev said she’s satisfied with his answer but not as satisfied with the timing. “I wish he would have said something when the issues were happening in Wisconsin,” said Bev. …
But Bev also said she understands that Obama is a politician. She’s a lot smarter than Obama loyalists.
Mr. Obama talking about unions “burden sharing” is simply insulting. They’ve made concession after concession, which is more than you can say for the super-rich. A group of people Obama jaw-bones to death, but when he could have done something about it simply extended Bush era largess.
But Ed Schultz still doesn’t get Pres. Obama. He actually still believes the President would walk a picket line with union members. I appreciate Mr. Schultz’s loyalty to the Democratic president, given the alternatives facing workers in 2012. However, Obama would never walk a picket line for anyone.
This guy may be good for Texas, but he’d be a disaster for America around the world.
It’s one thing when Tea Party politicians in the House don’t understand economics. But when you have presidential candidates like Rick Perry running around saying Ben Bernanke would be considered “treasonous” for doing his job, while simultaneously touting that his punishment in Texas would be “ugly,” you’ve landed in the Jurassic Park of political knuckle-dragging.
“If this guy prints more money between now and the election,” Perry said, “I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we — we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas. Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous — or treasonous in my opinion.” – ABC News
Gov. Rick Perry said something that mimicked what Herman Cain said last week. Cain was defending himself against charges he doesn’t have foreign policy experience by questioning, “and he has?”, speaking of Pres. Obama. My response via Twitter went like this: Just saw Cain’s “He’s got foreign policy experience?” As commander in chief, Obama gave order SEAL Team 6 executed that killed OBL. You?
This is a direct attack on Pres. Obama as commander in chief utilizing the deadly virus of birtherism and division that Americans are sick to death of hearing from the Right.
Tea Party secessionist Rick Perry, a former military man, thinks this is what America wants to hear today:
“One of the reasons, one of the powerful reasons that I’m running for the presidency of the United States is to make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of this country respects highly the president of the United States.” – Gov. Rick Perry (Waterloo, Iowa)
You can win a wingnut primary battle through this sort of despicable dog whistle, but you’ll never win the general election on it. Mr. Perry’s brand of birtherism won’t hunt in 2012.
Some Republicans know this and are scared to death. And you know what, any Republican who wants to beat Obama should be.
“You don’t want these candidates moving so Right in the Republican primary that it becomes impossible for them to win the general election, because it will become a self-defeating message in the primary. People want to win. They don’t want somebody who goes so far to the extremes of either party that they lack a chance to carry a victory off in November.” – Karl Rove
It’s a hot, lazy, gorgeous August summer day so, okay, I’ll bite.
Secretary Clinton Steps Off the Plane U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton steps off the plane after arriving in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on June 11, 2011.
“I think, and this is just my thinking, that if she leaves after the president’s first term is over and she leaves and she teaches, does something like that, and rests, I think the possibility of being president and being the first woman president in history would probably be too much for her to resist,” Rendell told POLITICO.
“Her life is public service, that’s all she cares about, and I dont think she’s ready to retire,” he added.
OUR leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched.
While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan, and while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, we mega-rich continue to get our extraordinary tax breaks. Some of us are investment managers who earn billions from our daily labors but are allowed to classify our income as “carried interest,” thereby getting a bargain 15 percent tax rate. Others own stock index futures for 10 minutes and have 60 percent of their gain taxed at 15 percent, as if they’d been long-term investors.
These and other blessings are showered upon us by legislators in Washington who feel compelled to protect us, much as if we were spotted owls or some other endangered species. It’s nice to have friends in high places.
Pres. Obama helped set this up. He and his wunderkund former DNC chair, Tim Kaine, now running for Senate in Virginia, didn’t have an economic plan for 2010. Then when they got beat and sent Republicans to legislatures and governors offices across the rust belt and below, not to mention the House, Obama compromised and capitulated on extending the Bush tax cuts in December, because he didn’t know how to make the Democratic economic case.
Oh, but not to worry, it’s the very, very, very, very, very last time our President will do that.
Pres. Obama begins his bus tour and town hall meetings today, just as his approval dips into nightmare reelection numbers, down to 39%. He’s lucky it’s 2011, with these polls simply a red flag to the very bullish Republicans, who sense they’ve now got the White House within sight, something they never believed would be possible.
He wore his jeans so tight, and, umm, adjusted himself so often that my fellow young legislative aides and I used to call him Crotch. Even among state representatives, even among Texas Aggies (graduates of this cute remedial school we have in Texas), Perry stood out for his modest intellectual gifts. Hell, he got a C in animal breeding. I have goats who got an A in that subject. But lack of brains has never been a hindrance in politics.
[...] His entrance into the GOP presidential field can be a game changer. Perry can raise money as well as Mitt. He can rally the base as well as Michele Bachmann, and he will say or do anything—annnnnnnyyyyyyything—to win.
Something tells me this is not what Mitt Romney had planned.
This just might get interesting and it’s about time, too.
On this day in history, August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. And right now, he is turning over in his grave.
~Labor unions are growing increasingly angry at President Obama and with good reason. In what some are saying is a slap in the face to the labor unions, the Democratic convention will be held in a right to work state, North Carolina. Twelve labor unions will sit out the convention and while Obama may assume that at the end of the day he will get their support, he may be underestimating the electoral impact of having some of the Democrats’ most ardent supporters refusing to take to the streets, go door to door and generate enthusiasm for a democratic victory in 2012. In addition, the unions are none too happy with the three free trade bills (South Korea, Panama, Colombia) that Obama will sign, as they are net job-killers and provide more tax havens for wealthy corporations.
~Mitt Romney’s recent “gaffe” about corporations being “people” actually wasn’t a gaffe. Under Supreme Court jurisprudence, corporations are people, with some (not all) constitutional rights. Of course, the decisions that anointed corporations with”personhood” was the result of years of out-of-control conservative judicial activism by the SCOTUS and which culminated in the Citizen’s United case. All that said, it does say a lot about Romney’s view of the role of corporations in public life, the economy and politics.
~A new political era in Israel? The tent protests are truly incredible to behold. I only wish here in the U.S. we would wake up and feel inspired to do the same thing rather than simply feeling resigned.
~The Pentagon is playing with fire. But luckily for them, the MSM isn’t interested.
~President Obama isn’t even pretending to be interested in the grass roots donation drive that helped him achieve victory in 2008. He’s going for the big bucks. We all understand how this works- he had big donors last time around too- but he’s “I’m for the little guy” message has largely been jettisoned due to total lack of credibility.
~I’m sorry, but Rick Perry is a joke. I’m sure he’ll excite a lot of the far right Evangelical base but when you proclaim that Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional and then can’t have an articulate discussion about it other than to throw out bumper sticker sound bites, then you aren’t serious. Also with Rick Perry, he is even more opposed to gay rights than his fellow right wing GOP candidates.
~Speaking of right wing GOP candidates, next up…Rick Santorum. Have you noticed that when it comes to foreign policy (ie. anything other than talk about the economy/taxes and social wedge issues like gay rights and abortion), the Tea Party types get a glazed look and start speaking total nonsense? Rick Santorum has an interesting view of the history of Iran vis-a-vis the U.S.
~Speaking of Iran and Santorum, while he unabashedly is opposed to any type of rights for LGBT folks in the U.S., he supports gay rights for….Iranians!
~Who is and isn’t deemed a “terrorist organization” and who does and doesn’t provide material support for said terrorist groups is largely political. Take the Mujahedeen Khalq (MEK or Warriors of God) for example, now that Iran is in our cross-hairs, a group with American blood on its hands is the darling of Washington DC officials because the group opposes Ahmadinejad. It’s sort of like the pre-Iraq War all over again when the Iraqi diaspora community (think Ahmed Chalabi) won the hearts and minds of neoconservatives (and others) because they were virulently opposed to Saddam Hussein. The problem was, much of the information they passed on to the government was false and they had absolutely no base of support in Iraq. Similarly, the MEK has no support amongst the Iranian Green Movement and it operates in a cult-like, undemocratic manner that should make Washington nervous. The NYT published an excellent opinion piece yesterday that is worth a read if you aren’t familiar with the controversy surrounding MEK.
1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling 2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier 4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell 5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck 6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou 7. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz 8. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman 9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Myracle, Lauren 10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
~The latest blow to the health care reform bill is a reminder of what happens when President Obama (and Congress) settle for sketchy compromises like the individual mandate over a public option, which likely wouldn’t be struck down. The next Appellate court to rule on health reform is the notoriously conservative Fourth Circuit. You can be sure of one thing, this is going to the Supreme Court.
~A stage collapse prior to a concert in Indiana ends in tragedy.
~Are they kidding? Michele Bachmann’s people had insisted in advance of the debate that she be able to leave at each commercial break to “touch up” her makeup?
~Former counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke gave an interview for a local PBS station where he accused the top echelon of the CIA of a cover up with respect to two of the 9/11 hijackers. The response from the mainstream media (other than PBS)? Something between a collective yawn and an attempt to downplay the charges leveled by Clarke.
You made it to the end. I’ll leave you with some Free-running/building-jumping that you definitely shouldn’t try at home:
It doesn’t matter that some testosterone dripping, wind weary macho maned man thinks he’s more important than anyone else. Yeah, lovely message. Can’t wait to have that guy in the White House and on the TV every day. Didn’t we just do that?
So, this is Bachmann’s night.
…and somewhere on a cell phone Sarah Palin continues to plot, not how, but when and where, she can play kingmaker to Perry.
I’m already thinking Romney-Perry 2012. Getting there would be deliciously combustible.
Here’s to Michele. The perfect example of Republican conservatism today. …and she could never in a million years win the general election.
But good for her. There’s got to be a first in here somewhere.
Art offers his perspective as a movement progressive activist.
“When the rich think about the poor, they have poor ideas.” -Evita Perón
Tavis Smiley on CNN called the debt deal a declaration of war on the poor. And calls out Obama for facilitating it. This CNN news anchor and a viewer spew jargon about the poor “having it good,” Smiley and West effectively debunk that jargon:
And the two were on Democracy Now! this week on how African -Americans are growing increasingly angry with Obama yet feel they must protect him from the Tea Party attacks. Also discussed is the need for a progressive in the race:
On the Poverty Tour folks are speaking out. Here is a citizen of Detroit, an African-American activist, speaking out for her community. Speaking out against the Obama/Right agenda and for a better nation:
Here is the link to the Smiley and West Poverty Tour. Just amazing. 18 cities. And the poor have made news because of it on CNN, Nightline, CSpan , MSNBC and more.
In a breaking story over a dozen unions have decided to boycott the Democratic 2012 convention. And others are considering joining citing most their efforts are going into fighting Tea Party governors. Also some labor leaders are furious with the DNC’s choice of North Carolina as the convention site given it is a right to work state:
The unions _ all part of the AFL-CIO’s building and construction trades unit _ told party officials this week they are gravely disappointed that labor was not consulted before Democrats settled on Charlotte, N.C., where there are no unionized hotels.
“We find it troubling that the party so closely associated with basic human rights would choose a state with the lowest unionization rate in the country due to regressive policies aimed at diluting the power of workers,” Mark Ayers, president of the building trades unit, wrote in a letter to Democratic Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The decision by the building trades came after a vote by leaders of the unit’s 13 affiliate unions, including the Laborers, Painters and Electrical Workers. Overall, the unions represent about 2.5 million members.
The Teamsters are unsure of participation. Worse, the International Association of Machinists, which has been part of Democratic conventions for generations, has decided to bail this time:
The International Association of Machinists, which is not part of the building trades, said it has also decided to skip the convention after participating for decades.
“This is the union that came up with the idea for Labor Day and this convention starts on Labor Day in a right to work state,” said IAM spokesman Rick Sloan. “We see that as an affront to working men and women across this country.”
Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Mn) had a rowdy townhall this week full of Democrats furious with Obama and the congress over the debt deal:
On Tuesday night, McCollum’s fellow Democrats packed a music recital hall at St. Catherine University to give the six-term congresswoman an earful about their disappointment with Obama and his economic and military policies.
The crowd of about 150 was largely friendly and civil, but they were passionate about their opposition to the conservative policies flowing from the Republican-controlled Congress and what they consider an all-too-conciliatory White House.
John from St. Paul wanted to know why Obama has moved to the right. “Whose side is he on?” he asked. “What are progressives telling him?”
Cheers erupted when a Iraq War veteran told her to get the troops home. Others questioned her about their Social Security and she tried to assure them the benefits would not be cut. A sharp contrast from 2009′s townhall:
The tone at Tuesday’s town hall meeting contrasted sharply with one she held at Macalester in 2009. At that session, conservatives strongly criticized Obama and his health plan, while liberals called for an expanded government role.
This time, liberals complained about Obama’s policies and the Republican Congress, and with an exception or two, almost no one showed up to argue for the other side.
If you have in deep red Nebraska a townhall with folks shouting the name Bill Clinton you know the Republican pols are in deep you know what over their austerity fest. Nebraska Senator Johanns got an earful:
A .. exchange of shouted voices in the crowd of about 70 constituents demonstrated fundamental disagreements over the elements of debt reduction.
“One problem is we do not want to pay for what we want.”..
“The wealthy just hoard the cash.”
“The old tax rates worked well for the economy under Clinton.”
“Quit listening to the scare tactics, all the crap in the media.”
Jennifer Wendelin, who waited to be recognized by Johanns before voicing her opinion, said additional revenue has to be part of the debt reduction solution along with spending cuts.
“Big corporations and the rich have to pay their fair share,” she said after the meeting had concluded. “If we have to bite the bullet, they do, too.
“We can’t be forced to shoulder the entire burden,” she said.
Better head to your congress member’s town halls this month. This is your chance to shake them of austerity.
Congressman Larson (D-Ct) has proposed something Obama did not even insist upon in the debt deal: a super committee to eliminate unemployment by 2021. Love it:
“I plan to introduce legislation that would establish a Joint Select Committee on Job Creation that would be tasked, under the exact same terms as the Deficit Committee, with developing a plan to return the nation to full employment by 2021. This would allow the Congress to simultaneously consider both our near-term (high unemployment) and our long-term (growing debt) challenges later this year,” Larson wrote in a letter to colleagues this week. “Just like the Deficit Committee, all options would be on the table. We owe the American people nothing less.”
Larson, who serves in House Democratic leadership, highlights a simmering frustration in his party. Many Democrats believe Washington is too focused on deficits and debt, and not high unemployment. He said his plan would be “injecting ‘Job Creation’ into the deficit talks occurring in Washington.”
There are other Dems pushing for real job creation unlike their party leader. Grade A progressive Democrat Congresswoman Schakowsky(D-Il) has a new bill out and is pushing her proposal as a guideline for Democrats in the days ahead:
“If we want to create jobs, then create jobs,” Schakowsky said in a press release. “I’m not talking about “incentivizing” companies in the hopes they’ll hire someone, or cutting taxes for the so-called job creators who have done nothing of the sort. My plan creates actual new jobs.”
Schakowsky’s proposal reads more like a progressive wishlist than legislation likely to be signed into law. But it does provide a template of sorts to help Democrats frame their budget argument as lawmakers enter the high-stakes super committee negotiations.
Under her plan, the following policies would be implemented:
The School Improvement Corps would create 400,000 construction and 250,000 maintenance jobs by funding positions created by public school districts to do needed school rehabilitation improvements.
The Park Improvement Corps would create 100,000 jobs for youth between the ages of 16 and 25 through new funding to the Department of the Interior and the USDA Forest Service’s Public Lands Corps Act. Young people would work on conservation projects on public lands including the restoration and rehabilitation of natural, cultural, and historic resources.
The Student Jobs Corps would create 250,000 more part-time work study jobs for eligible college students through new funding for the Federal Work Study Program.
The Neighborhood Heroes Corps would hire 300,000 new teachers, 40,000 new police officers and 12,000 new firefighters.
The Health Corps would hire at least 40,000 health care providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and health care workers to expand access in underserved rural and urban areas.
The Child Care Corps would create 100,000 jobs in early childhood care and education through additional funding for Early Head Start.
The Community Corps would hire 750,000 individuals to do needed work in communities, including housing rehab, weatherization, recycling, and rural conservation.
In addition, the bill would give priority to the longterm unemployed — the so-called “99ers” who have exhausted both their state and federal unemployment benefits.
This woman is the real deal here. Time and again she has pushed alternative progressive proposals for the nation.
The worst thing about austerity is it breaks bonds between government and it’s people. The riots in London have sparked scandal for PM Cameron’s austerity love fest. Now folks there are seeing what happens when you punish the poor and cut services even for police. We might soon have such a dialogue here.
While PM Cameron spent time focusing on crime control via police action the real world consequences of austerity come to the fore in the borough of Hackney:
Many residents of the diverse borough of Hackney said it was this ever widening and very visible gap between the rich and poor that has exacerbated tension in recent years, especially as government cuts to welfare payments have started to bite.
Britain, one of the world’s major economies, has a bigger gap between rich and poor than more than three-quarters of other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, according to a 2008 report… Britain’s coalition government has made deep spending cuts since coming into power last year to tackle a big budget deficit. The poor say they have been hit hardest, with people in Hackney pointing to the closure of many services.
“The only way we can get out of this is education, and we’re not entitled to it, because of the cuts. Even for bricklaying you need a qualification and a waiting list for a course. I signed up in November, and still haven’t heard back,” the Kurdish man said.
The government has also raised university tuition fees since coming into power, putting a higher education further out of the reach of youths from places like Hackney.
“They’re screwing the system so only white middle-class kids can get an education,” said another man, who declined to be named. He said politicians were the real criminals, and pointed to a 2009 expenses scandal in which several lawmakers were revealed to have cheated the taxpayer out of thousands of pounds.
“The politicians say that we loot and rob. They are the original gangsters. They talk about copycat crimes. They’re the ones that’s looting, they’re the originals,” he said.
Too many American pols are sending our nation into the direction of what hit England this week.
Curtis Roosevelt, FDR’s grandson, speaks out on Obama and war. On Obama continuing the “war on terror” meme:
For President Obama to be open with the nation on these subjects he would have to address public opinion. It would take courage to strongly refute the crude distortion of “patriotism” established by right wing fundamentalists. Courageous acts, however, make a good presidency. The things many of us admire about FDR–not only as commander-in-chief–are often the result of his taking substantial political risks.
By whatever mechanism, bipartisan or not, it was the responsibility of the new president as commander-in-chief to state clearly why America was/is at war, to review with us realistic objectives, and convince us of his leadership to set America on a new course.
But that is not what happened.
Instead Obama kept on the Bush war agenda, listened to the military folks tremendously. Not good. FDR was the master:
The history books record that President Roosevelt relied heavily on his military leaders, particularly on General George Marshall. But, in the end, FDR knew that the war was his responsibility. The role of wartime commander-in-chief seemed to fit him: historian Eric Larrabee writes that “the President generated around himself an atmosphere of calm; his office was well organized and ran smoothly.”
Curtis Roosevelt than has the kicker:
The commander-in-chief must certainly rely on his military advisers, but the political aspects of a war are his to set straight–and get right. Without this leadership, how can the American people know why our fighting men and women fight?
Shouldn’t President Obama have pressed for more achievable objectives for our engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan? For example, how realistic was it for President Bush to expect that a democratic system of government could be so quickly implanted in Iraq, as you would graft a new branch onto a tree and expect it to bear fruit the next year? How realistic is it to expect President Karzai of Afghanistan to implement American objectives for a country whose culture and social norms are very different to ours? …
In essence, the president does not seem to be in charge. And that is a serious charge.
Howie Klein’s org Blue America ’12 so far has endorsed 9 true progressives who are willing and ready to take on Obama and the Right on progressive principles. So far 9 are listed and are truly fantastic candidates in districts across America. We must have independent minded progressives in congress to give some spine in DC. The list and links to candidates are here.
Finally on Right wing nut watch the winner this week is Nebraska Attorney General Job Brunning. He is in the lead to take out Senator Ben Nelson (D-Ne) and was caught making horrid remarks about welfare recipients. This is why we push so hard for economic policy that will work and get jobs. The alternative is dudes like Brunning, who said:
“The raccoons figure out the beetles are in the bucket,” Brunning says. “And it’s like grapes in a jar. The raccoons, they’re not stupid, they’re going to do the easy way if we make it easy for them — just like welfare recipients all across America. If we don’t send them to work, they’re going to take the easy way out.”
And the video, which was done by a new awesome group called American Bridge 21st Century . These guys go to Right wing candidate events to catch moments like this:
So, his big announcement speech included a gafferiffic moment, when Perry called the fallen Afghanistan soldiers “Special Operators.” The second half of his speech took off on optimism, which will be very effective in the primaries. Mike Murphy tweeted that this will soon become a contest between Romney & Perry, which is an easy prediction. But if Republicans nominate Perry, Obama will be the luckiest man on earth. I simply see no way Independents and moderates will take to this Bushesque character, whose slick preacher routine will not wear very well at all.
George W. Bush isn’t that far in the rear view mirror, so morphing Perry and Bush will be a breeze.
Joyce L. Arnold: Liberal, lesbian, Independent, equality activist, writer.
Over the years I’ve come to think perhaps there is a Heterosexual Agenda, mostly if not exclusively held by those who have a great deal to say about what they insist is the “Homosexual Agenda.” The Hetero Agenda folks keep shoving it in our faces. See below for recent examples.
Let’s start with Rick Santorum, who recently came up with several ways to talk about his opposition to marriage between same-gender couples. In the last couple of weeks, Santorum has said that marriage is 1) like a napkin, not a paper towel; 2) like tea, not basketball; and 3) like water, not beer.
The Advocate reports that in a grocery store in Iowa, “Santorum appears to yank a brown piece of paper … from a nearby dispenser.” And then says:
‘This is a napkin. … I can call this napkin a paper towel, … (b)ut it is a napkin. And why? Because it is what it is.’ …
Santorum said his reasoning was ‘sort of the metaphysical. Right?’ …
‘So when people come out and say that marriage is something else — … marriage of five people, five, 10, 20. Marriage can be between fathers and daughters … between any two people, any four people, any 10 people, it can be any kind of relationship and we can call it marriage. But it doesn’t make it marriage.’
Apparently he liked the “metaphysical,” analogy idea, but next time changed it around. Meeting with the Des Moines Register, Santorum said (via Think Progress):
‘It’s like saying this glass of water is a glass of beer. Well, you can call it a glass of beer, but it’s not a glass of beer. It’s a glass of water. And water is what water is. Marriage is what marriage is.’
Also via Think Progress, “during an appearance in Iowa, (Santorum) explained that ‘calling same-sex marriage a marriage would be like calling a cup of tea a basketball.’”
Santorum is far from alone in his Heterosexual Agenda pronouncements. Rep. Allen West (R-FL) recently claimed that homosexuality is like choosing a flavor of ice cream. In an interview with the Sun-Sentinel, as reported by Think Progress:
Q: ‘Do you think gay people should change their behavior?’
WEST: ‘I like chocolate chip ice cream, and I will continue to like chocolate chip ice cream. So there’s no worry about me changing to vanilla. I like to, you know, ride my motorcycle. What do you want me to do? You want me to change my behavior and ride a scooter? I’m not into that.’
Maybe that’s “metaphysical,” too.
And maybe that’s how we should understand Michele Bachmann’s Hetero Agenda proclamations. Her mentor is John Eidsmoe. According to Right Wing Watch, Eidsmoe “encourage(s) Christians to enter politics in order to introduce and impose biblical law.”
Eidsmoe explains that ‘gay liberation’ may be the most pernicious ‘attack upon the family’ because it not only tears families apart but can doom all of society. He … warns that ‘the more widespread homosexuality becomes, the greater the likelihood that homosexuals will recruit our children into homosexuality … .
The Heterosexual Agenda is really big on that “recruitment” thing, I suppose because it’s the only way they can “explain” the presence of LGBTs. Although that view has always made me wonder how its proponents explain the very first “homosexual.” I mean, who did the recruiting?
As much as I’d like to ignore Rick Perry, he’s made that impossible. He’s also made his support of the Heterosexual Agenda quite clear. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that enforcement of the “homosexual conduct” law was unconstitutional. It’s unenforceable, but the law remains on the state’s books, and the Texas Republican Party platform includes this (via Mother Jones):
We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy.
According to Mother Jones, Perry has “offered his support for the ban on homosexual conduct, stating in 2002, ‘I think our law is appropriate that we have on the books.’” At least he doesn’t use napkins or ice cream to make his point.
Linda Harvey of Mission America regularly reveals the Heterosexual Agenda. Early this week, via Right Wing Watch:
Kids should not be put in the confusing position of having a teacher they like and respect in many ways who’s also known to be practicing homosexual behavior.
And talk about confusing, last week GOProud, a Republican gay group, announced that Ann Coulter was joining their Advisory Council as Honorary Chair. And seriously, her title is “Gay Icon.” Then on Sunday, Coulter appeared on C-SPAN2’s “Book TV,” promoting her latest, Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America. GOProud spends as much if not more time bashing other LGBTs as they do the “liberal mob,” but mixing Coulter with GOProud is a very strange agenda in itself. Via On Top Magazine, Coulter said in her “Book TV” interview:
If you’re born gay, why would you be a liberal? … And gays are a demographic group that have one of the highest incomes in America, they are victims of crimes, the Muslims don’t think too highly of them, so, you know, basically the entire Republican platform is fighting the same causes any sane gay person should care about and the entire Democratic platform is sucking up to soccer moms and women who want abortions. What do you care about that for gay person? Abortion isn’t at the top of your list, I’m guessing.
And by the way, as soon as liberals find a gay gene, guess who’s going to get aborted?
So, I think all gays who are born gay are overwhelmingly conservative, maybe apolitical, and all those angry gays causing trouble for everybody I don’t even think they were born gay, I think they’re just angry at their fathers.
Kind of makes napkins and ice cream sound thoughtful.
Final Point of Clarification: I do know that not all who openly identify as practicing heterosexuals agree with the Heterosexual Agenda. Not all heterosexuals are the same. We of Queerdom get that; we’re not all the same, either.
Growing up many of us can recall fresh banana bread from the oven, the ones our mom or grandmother used to make.
My grandma enjoyed cars and architecture, and my mom isn’t much of a baker. So that smell never enveloped any house I grew up in.
Regardless I’ve always enjoyed baked goods with bananas, and this recipe builds upon that notion (and adds a hefty amount of chocolate chips), providing me with those warm scents I was so deprived of as a child.
You’ll find these scones like the previous recipe, different than the classic English version.
If you have time this weekend, bake up a batch of these scones and make memories with those you love.
Recipe:
2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup of mashed bananas
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled & cut into cubes
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
*Butter a 10-inch-diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet
In a large bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. (A fork or two knives work as well.) Do this until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl stir together the banana, vanilla, egg and buttermilk.
Add the banana mixture to the flour, and mix. Stir in chocolate chips. (Don’t worry if the dough is sticky)
Flour your hands and spread the dough into a (roughly) 8 1/2 inch circle on the prepared baking sheet.
With a serrated knife cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 18-20 minutes. The scones will be lightly browned and a toothpick will come out clean when tested in the center of a scone. Re-cut as needed.
These scones are wonderful at the breakfast table or as a late night snack.
What reminds you of childhood? Any family recipes you’d like to share?
Let me know!
Consider this an open thread to vent and to share.
Mitt Romney will breathe a sigh of relief, though Politico thinks he’s got to reach the McCain bar.
Michele Bachmann better come in second.
Tim Pawlenty is toast unless he comes in second, and Newt keeps trying to pay off his debt.
As for Rick Perry, he continues to act like Iowa doesn’t matter, while Mike Huckabee takes pot shots at him.
If Mitt was daring, the second Rick Perry announces he should hit him from the left on being against Social Security and Medicare. No general election candidate could survive such a ridiculous proposition as Perry is suggesting, challenging the social safety net on constitutional grounds.
Speaking to Chuck Todd today, vaunted Iowa reporter David Yepsen said that if Paul wins the Ames straw poll it hurts the credibility of Iowa and diminishes it’s political power.
As far as I’m concerned that’s something that should have happened a long time ago. They’ve already got a reputation of people winning the straw poll who can’t go the distance; see Pat Robertson. But there’s still a lot of talk about Paul’s organization this time around, so don’t be surprised if it happens.
Yepsen also had a warning for Obama: liberals are demoralized, not just in New York, but in Iowa, so he better get busy. Trouble is there really is no way for Obama to energize liberals at this point, unless he pulls a juicy jobs initiative out of Sherrod Brown’s hat.
New York State voters disapprove 49 – 45 percent of the job President Obama is doing, a huge drop from his 57 – 38 percent approval June 29 and the first time the president ever has had a negative score in New York, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Democrats approve 75 – 19 percent, down from 82 – 12 percent in June. Disapproval is 86 – 10 percent among Republicans, compared to a 74 – 23 percent disapproval in June, and 58 – 36 percent among independent voters, compared to a slightly positive 49 – 45 percent in June, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.
Halperin notes: And: It’s the first time a president has ever received a negative score in New York.
The 2-1 ruling marks the first time a judge appointed by a Democrat has voted to strike down the mandate. Judge Frank Hull, who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, joined Chief Judge Joel Dubina, who was appointed by George H.W. Bush, to strike down the mandate. – Politico
An appeals court ruled Friday that President Barack Obama’s healthcare law requiring Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a penalty was unconstitutional, a blow to the White House.
The Appeals Court for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, found that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to buy coverage, but also ruled that the rest of the wide-ranging law could remain in effect.
The legality of the so-called individual mandate, a cornerstone of the 2010 healthcare law, is widely expected to be decided by the Supreme Court. The Obama administration has defended the provision as constitutional.
The case stems from a challenge by 26 U.S. states which had argued the individual mandate, set to go into effect in 2014, was unconstitutional because Congress could not force Americans to buy health insurance or face the prospect of a penalty.
Art offers his perspective as a movement progressive activist.
An anthem of the protestors has been “If I were a rich man” from Fiddler on the Roof:
The social justice protest movement in Israel, one which is growing by the day, is finally getting some American media attention. Some. It is a huge story around the world. Never have Israelis taken to the streets for weeks like this for social justice. Over 1/4 the population of Israel has now hit the streets to demand a better life. The middle class is up in arms over crippling housing costs, high food prices, childcare expenses, and a government system not working for the ordinary person.
Gilad Perry, a progressive leader in Israel, emailed and posted online this summary out of what they are fighting for:
Recently, the cost of living in Israel has become so high that the middle class, who maintains this country, has been almost entirely eroded. The situation is so extreme that it is difficult to supply the most basic necessities, such as – housing, health, education, food, work, and environment. For the sake of comparison – an Israeli earning an average wage must work for 132 months in order to purchase an average apartment, where as an average American would have to work for only 60 months’ pay. A container of cottage cheese in Israel costs 1.6 times the amount that it costs in England, and baby formula costs 2.5 times the amount that it costs in the U.S. This situation is similar with other food products, with gas prices, education, and more. All of this is despite the fact that the average Israeli works more hours than the average citizens of almost all of the other OECD countries. The average Israeli retires at an older age and receives lower wages than most of other OECD countries (3 times less than the average Australian and half of the wage of the average American).
All of this is taking place despite the fact that Israel’s economic growth is amongst the highest in the world. This can be explained by the following statistic: Israel ranks fourth amongst western countries in terms of inequality in wealth distribution (GINI Index) – the economic growth is not trickling down.
Over the last two weeks, I am excited to say that mass amounts of people – young and old – from every point on the political spectrum, unexpectedly decided to go out into the streets to demand that our country be returned to us.
Hundreds of thousands (!) are taking to the streets as a part of a non-violent struggle to voice their distress.
This is not a political struggle. It is not a struggle against this government or any other. In fact, each of the last several governments has taken us in the same direction. This is an Israeli struggle; a Jewish struggle. The struggle is made up of my partners in the Dror Israel Movement, the students, the Histadrut (Labor Federation), the doctors, the teachers, the social workers, and many additional organizations, but it is primarily a spontaneous struggle of middle class working people. At the head of this effort are the young people whom have created and are living in ‘tent cities’ in the streets of Israel. The Israeli people have never seen such a wide consensus towards a just path (87% fully support the struggle and its goals).
The protests were sparked by a young woman unable to find housing because the prices were so high:
The protests began as a Facebook protest group initiated by 25-year-old Daphne Leef.[5] According to media reports, major renovations in her building meant Leef had to vacate the central Tel Aviv apartment where she had lived for the past three years; she found that apartment rental prices in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area had skyrocketed. Leef pitched a tent in Habima Square in Tel Aviv, and opened a Facebook protest page, where she invited others to join her protest. In response, protesters gathered in the streets around Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, as well as in Zion Square in Jerusalem..
One woman had enough, pitched a tend, used Facebook and Twitter and helped ignite a movement. Long simmering socio-economic issues have caused a uprising on the streets.
Mothers have gathered with strollers demanding equitable healthcare access and cheaper costs for childcare. Parents are protesting in a yellow balloon solidarity movement for their children:
“We just can’t take it anymore,” Yael Barda, one of the protest organizers told Ynet. “We all need a home, we all need education, we need to see that raising a child in this country doesn’t require a mortgage. We’ve had enough of the gaps between low wages and the cost of living.”
1,000s of parents protest in Jerusalem
Furious parents have just begun the fight:
Barda stressed the protest was not political: “The government has to understand that we want to change the system. This isn’t about Bibi. Who will you replace him with? As far as we are concerned, elections are not the answer. We see ourselves as a social movement for change.”
MK Ilan Ghilon (Meretz), who arrived at the Tel Aviv rally with his daughter and granddaughter to show his support, told Ynet that, “Citizens here are asking the State to provide them with what they’re entitled to. Not just housing – but everything. A state isn’t a business – if it was, it would have gone under.”
Anat Rosilio, another of the protest’s organizers, added: “Our next step is to devise a strategic plan which will serve our goals and include a free education law and a decrease in the prices of all basic products.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu, under brutal pressure to respond, came out on July 26th with a housing reform plan that was seen by many as a half measure that would not work. The protestors rejected it, especially since it utilized privatization, something which is at root of the housing crisis to begin with. Kadima head Livni slammed it:
Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni slammed Netanyahu’s affordable housing plan, saying that he was “taking down tents, not building homes.
“He doesn’t understand that the problem isn’t technical, but fundamental. The middle class needs to be unburdened, and for that the national policy must be changed. Marginal solutions are not enough.”
The 8/6/11 rally was the largest in Israeli history. Over 400,000 chocked the cities of Israel demanding a better life for the poor and middle class. An op-ed from Sima Kamdon directed at PM Netanyahu shows the mood:
I think it was the greatest no-confidence protest in the history of the state; because the question, Mr. Prime Minister, is no longer how many people hit the streets last night, but rather, how many did not. …You should have been there, Mr. Prime Minister, in order to understand it. Believe me, watching it on television isn’t enough. The sense of energy cannot be sensed through the screen; this excitement and sense of solidarity. … In order to feel it, one must march with this giant human wave and scream along with it “the people, demand, social justice,” in one voice, with all your heart and soul. ..
Had you been there yesterday, Mr. Prime Minister, you too would have been touched upon seeing the hundreds of thousands of people. Yes, sir, hundreds of thousands of people who marched there. ..You would have seen a whole nation that used to be indifferent, dispirited and hopeless – but came back to life. …
I saw the parents of young children carrying their kids on their shoulders or pushing strollers. I also saw the parents of these young people, as well as grandmothers and grandfathers who came with their grandchildren. I saw among the crowds people who can easily make ends meet. They can even help hundreds of others. I saw adults whose eyes were shining and hearts went out to the tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of youngsters who led them in an amazingly orderly fashion through the streets of Tel Aviv. They looked around in amazement, with pride, with jealousy even…
Yes, with jealousy; they would give so much to be part of this young, inspiring generation. …They must have asked themselves last night, where were we all these years? What have we done? Why were we silent? .. Why didn’t we do the job for these kids? And how did we abandon them to indifferent governments, without a political horizon, without financial security, and yes, without social justice.
PM Netanyahu for weeks struggled to come to grips with this movement and still is groping, finally deciding a committee would meet with some of the protestors and try and draw up a plan. Try.
Meanwhile a call for one million Israelis to march in September is the new focus. Palestinians also plan marches in September, a possible nightmare scenario for PM Netanyahu’s government.
May we see the day when Americans go to the streets in such a way the government is forced to respond and try to comply with the demand of the middle class.
Here is one of the protest movement’s Facebook pages with lots of info.
Also here is the position paper of the protestors on housing.
Joyce L. Arnold: Liberal, lesbian, Independent, equality activist, writer.
Pew Research: Democrats Not Eager for an Obama Challenger
Writing in the August 6, NYTimes, Drew Westen’s “What Happened to Obama?” received a lot of attention. I think it’s a good read, but also think he’s asking the wrong question. What “happened” wasn’t something done “to” Obama as much as it was “by” Obama. His choices. His style of governance.
Sarah Whitman, writing at Bilerico, has another question regarding Westen’s piece: “Obama: What Is the Alternative?” My summation: there are no easy options.
Looking for “alternatives,” you often find arguments about how none are feasible; the Two Party Front for the Oligarchy is impregnable. As I’ve written before, the power of the two party systems and structures is a formidable hurdle, and it isn’t going to be seriously challenged without long-term, persistent efforts. But that doesn’t meant it can’t be.
In this series of posts (links at end), I’ve focused on the fact that there are multiple, active efforts which seek to reform the Democratic Party; reform the election / campaign system; step up the efforts of existing “third parties”; and create new parties. I’ll provide a few more examples in this post.
Rank-and-file Democrats are not eager to see Barack Obama challenged by other candidates for their party’s nomination in 2012.
Despite speculation that the Democratic base has become increasingly disillusioned with Obama, far fewer Democrats want to see Obama challenged for the nomination than supported a primary challenge to Bill Clinton in December 1994.
… (The poll) finds little difference between liberal Democrats and the party’s conservatives and moderates in opinions about whether Obama should face a challenge for the nomination. Only about a third in each group want to see Obama challenged (33% of liberal Democrats, 30% of conservative and moderate Democrats). In November, conservative and moderate Democrats had been somewhat more inclined than liberals to say they wanted challengers to Obama (39% vs. 28%).
Independents who lean to the Democratic Party also are less likely to favor a primary challenge to Obama than last November. Currently, 34% express this view, compared with 47% in November 2010.
Perhaps reflecting concerns about the outcome of the general election, Democrats and Democratic leaners who are following news about the 2012 presidential candidates very closely are much less likely to favor a primary challenge to Obama than are those who are following the election less closely (21% vs. 40%).
That last paragraph is speculation, of course, but it makes sense if the “lesser of two evils” framework is guiding the choice. And clearly it many cases, it is. Just as clearly, the Republican problems with Tea Party types and a still vigorous “social conservative” and/or “Christian values” faction, are helping make the “you have nowhere else to go” argument stick. See Rick Perry and The Response for an obvious example.
There is a lot of conversation about what all of this means, especially with the “Grand Bargain” and the “Great Debt Ceiling” fiasco in mind. For example, Karen Ocamb at Bilerico:
California Gov. Jerry Brown told CNN’s Candy Crowley he’s ‘alarmed’ by the state of the economy and congressional ideological gridlock – all of which could lead to a potentially ‘calamitous’ election in 2012. He called on President Obama to be stronger and to stand up to Congress.
… ‘Society’s in the mood where it wants a lot of things, but it’s not willing to pay for them,’ Brown said.
Brown’s conclusion isn’t new, but it’s relevant – if “society” doesn’t hold itself accountable, it’s not going to do a very good job of holding Electeds accountable. Writing at FiredogLake, Happy Rockefeller is all about accountability in “It’s Time to Show Obama the Door”:
There are times when a party member has so damaged the Democratic brand, that the most prudent step is to take our loss, and remove that member from office. …
… we all know how scary it is to even think about Republicans gaining the White House next year. Some people seem to live for nothing but reminding us of this daily. …
… I will concede, there is a risk in not voting for Obama next year. …
… But the moment we said, ‘No matter what the Democrats do, they will have my vote, because the Republicans are worse’ we forfeited our political power in the Democratic party. We gave up our leverage.
… It happened because we made defeating Republicans in the short term more important than keeping our own party true to its purpose for the long term. … Understand, the Oligarchs need two parties. They have to maintain the illusion of choice and conflict. They play each party off the other.
We need to cut the oligarchy at the knees. … I’m not sure going to D.C. with these lists of demands … is going to do it. It is a start, I can’t criticize this effort, the motivation of the people involved or the fact that they’re doing SOMETHING instead of complaining behind a computer screen.
In almost everything I’m reading, people are acknowledging that reform and/or new party efforts are very difficult work. But they’re also making some good arguments about the need to do that difficult work.
… I would turn the tables on neo-liberals and fatalists … by challenging them to acknowledge that doing nothing, … or spinning justifications for the unjustifiable … is worse, because it entails complicity in destruction. …
Obama has failed to find his inner Lincoln. But someone will, and in the meantime it’s up to the rest of us to find our civic-republican selves and start moving with others who are doing so, too.
If the Pew poll cited above is accurate, the majority of “the rest of us” aren’t ready to leave the Democratic Party. I’m not in that majority, but I’m not surprised it exists.
See previous posts (below) for lists of organizations, projects and campaigns. Two more to add to those lists at the end. Let me know if you are aware of others to include.
The problem, said the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Iowa caucus winner, is that Perry’s Saturday kickoff in South Carolina shows disrespect to the Iowa process. “It’s a tactical blunder … The people of Iowa work very hard to make the straw poll the biggest political moment in the summer,” Huckabee said. – Mike Huckabee: Rick Perry timing ‘bad form,’ ‘tactical blunder’
…and they’re off.
Bachmann one, Romney zip. …somebody obviously told him “people” liked the Mitt on the soap box.
Pawlenty enters a challenge that if you can find any plan from Obama, I’ll come cook you dinner or do your lawn, though it’s limited to 1 acre for Mitt Romney.
This is just weird.
…and Bret Baier, well, words escape me.
UPDATE: Okay, so Newt was on his game, plenty of make-up and might have even lost a couple of pounds. Tim Pawlenty is on the mat; that fit of his with Bachmann was brutal. Bachmann gave another strong debate performance, which should make her team fell good. Byron York’s question about being subservient was a doozy, but there were quite a few low blow questions. As for Mitt Romney, I hope Mr. Perry took a long, hard look, because he’s not going to walk away with the nomination if slick Mitt has anything to say about it. This guy wants this and he’s not going to go quietly. Jon Huntsman isn’t a Republican by today’s standards. Biggest loser: Bret Baier, who was way out of his league.
The exchange came on the same day as what’s being billed as a big Republican debate before the ridiculously overrated Ames straw poll. Now that Romney’s being defined as a “fragile” or “tentative” frontrunner, he’s going to have to take his campaign out of coast.
As he did so he ran headlong into a tree of the activist variety. They’re the Citizens for Community Improvement and they made Romney’s day a lot more complicated than he wanted it to be.
Democrats are rightly jumping all over Romney’s “corporations are people, my friend” line, which illustrates why the establishment hasn’t backed him yet. It’s not just tone deaf but an offensive thing to say with 10+ double-digit real unemployment. Anyone thinking sticking up for corporations in the current atmosphere is a winner is hopeless.
For any Democrat or progressive, what Romney said is red meat. It’s also fodder for the Obama campaign if Romney’s the nominee, but he isn’t yet.
However, if you’re a Republican who hasn’t quite warmed to Romney, I’m not so sure this clip is bad for slick Mitt.
It’s the first relaxed, un-weird and unscripted moment that comes with a pretty good punch line for Republican primary voters. He doesn’t come off as afraid to mix it up and commits himself strongly, even if he’s wrong about, well, just about every policy issue, unless you include his move to raise taxes as governor of Massachusetts to lure S&P to raise his state’s credit rating.
However, all of this is a great set up for Gov. Rick Perry’s entrance.
Still, Romney actually showed some life and real humanness today amidst it all, moments that have been very few for him.
I’m starting to think that what was missing from Romney’s campaign was a little healthy competition.
Rick Perry getting in the race may be the best thing that ever happened to Mitt Romney, because he clearly can’t be as nonchalant with Perry poised to enter. But all the hoopla with Perry is reminiscent of what Fred Thompson engendered before he jumped in and landed on his face. Perry’s not Thompson, but he’s also not Chris Christie, who fits the times much better.
Though why anyone would think Perry has a better chance of beating Obama than Romney is beyond me, though the “cowboy” thing in the era of Obama could seduce the neocons.
For Republicans outside the Perryverse, his approach to foreign policy and national security appear to be a natural extension of his personality: aggressive, unapologetic, and instinctive… all of the traits Republicans see as lacking in the Obama’s foreign policy.
“He’s a cowboy,” said Michael Goldfarb, former senior staffer on John McCain’s presidential campaign. “You have to assume he’d shoot first and ask questions later — which would be nice after four years of a leading from behind, too little too late foreign policy.”
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Fan Politics Despite rising public concern about the federal budget deficit, Americans favor keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are [...]
Good morning and welcome to Sunday.
