Taylor Marsh - News, Political Analysis, Foreign Policy, and Independent Political Opinion on Progressive Politics
Taylor Marsh has been writing on line since 1996, with the archives provided here a representation of that work.
Archive | November, 2011
The broads and bunga-bunga parties couldn’t take him down, but the financial markets finally did.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Tuesday he would resign after suffering a humiliating setback in parliament that showed a party revolt had stripped him of a majority. – Reuters
A Milan-based financial reporter with Reuters, Michel Rose, tweeted that Mr. Berlusconi’s “resignation interview” is “posted on his Facebook page.” Stay tuned for that.
Hot mic? Who knows?
It’s just one of those classic moments between presidents.
NÉTANYAHOU "MENTEUR" : LA CONVERSATION SECRÈTE OBAMA-SARKOZY
Sarkozy and Obama’s Netanyahu gaffe broadcast via microphones
The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, described the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, as a “liar” in a private exchange with Barack Obama at last week’s G20 summit in Cannes that was inadvertently broadcast to journalists.
“I cannot stand him. He’s a liar,” Sarkozy told Obama. The US president responded by saying: “You’re fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day.”
And the hits just keep on comin’ for Mr. Cain.
Your liberal media at work. From the Examiner, a right wing outlet:
“And after the seminar was over,” Donella told The Washington Examiner, “Cain came over to me and a colleague and said, ‘Could you put me in touch with that lovely young lady who asked the question, so I can give her a more thorough answer over dinner?’”
Donella, who no longer works for USAID, said they were suspicious of Cain’s motives and declined to set up the date. Cain responded, “Then you and I can have dinner.” That’s when two female colleagues intervened and suggested they all go to dinner together, Donella said.
Cain exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior during the dinner, though he did order two $400 bottles of wine and stuck the women with the bill, she said.
Yesterday’s bombshell Allred – Bialek presser has forced Herman Cain to answer questions. The time is 5 p.m. this evening.
Today’s not going to be the day we publish, but I promise we’ll have a big send off for the publication next week! It will be worth the wait.
Some book PR to give you a little more on what it’s all about.
Spanning nearly two decades of American politics, The Hillary Effect is the provocative and insightful story of the first viable female presidential candidate in history to win a primary and do so in spite of her campaign team’s mistakes. And the galvanizing impact that her loss represented for both women and men, in and out of Washington. It revolves around media coverage that treated her differently as first lady, senator and then presidential candidate – not only because she was a woman, but because she was Hillary Clinton.Candidly written by veteran political analyst, Taylor Marsh, it is the view from a recovering partisan, someone who the Washington Post called a “die hard Clintonite” in their profile of her in 2008.
The Hillary Effect began when Hillary, as first lady, dared to challenge China’s treatment of women. A countless number of women have and will benefit from her presidential loss, the most famous being Sarah Palin (the Tea Party queen of 2010 and first female on a national Republican presidential ticket), who weaves throughout this story as the anti-Hillary. The Hillary Effect also sees Michele Bachman as a player, as the first Republican female to win a straw poll, primary or caucus.
The male leads in this stunning tale are Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama (someone who turned out to be very different from candidate Obama), with David Plouffe and Mark Penn making appearances. The story includes a host of media personalities and their outlets, but also new media and progressive voices, and famous names like Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Sally Quinn, the late Tim Russert, Richard Wolffe, Laura Ingraham, Liz Cheney, Peggy Noonan, Maureen Dowd, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and even Bill O’Reilly, who offered Hillary the best interview she would do during the 2008 season.
All of this is seen through the economic and political crises of today, health care, women’s individual freedoms being challenged by the right, Afghanistan, women’s rise around the world, the debt ceiling debate, tax cuts for the wealthy, Occupy Wall Street and an American public disenchanted with Republicans and Democrats, just as the race for 2012 revs up.
Ed Schultz has been all over the SB5 or Issue 2 being voted on today in Ohio. He was at his best last night, revving up Ohioans for what hopefully will be a very important day, not just for Ohio, but for workers in states across this country.
**UPDATED**
Bialek described an incident in July 1997 where she and Cain were in a car and her offered to show her the trade group’s headquarters. “Instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over and … put his hand on my leg, under my skirt toward my genitals,” Bialek said. “He also pushed my head toward his crotch,” she said. – Woman: Herman Cain put hand up my skirt
I got nothing to add.
Oh, except that the right wing is eating up Ms. Allred’s arrival.
UPDATE 2: From the New York Times:
In an interview after Ms. Bialek’s news conference, Joel P. Bennett, a lawyer for one of Mr. Cain’s anonymous accusers, said that Ms. Bialek’s claims were “very similar” in nature to the incident that occurred between his client and Mr. Cain.
His client has not said whether Mr. Cain touched her physically. In a statement Friday on her behalf, Mr. Bennett alleged that Mr. Cain had engaged in a “series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances” toward his client.
“It corroborates the claim,” Mr. Bennett said of Ms. Bialek’s allegation. Asked whether that meant that Mr. Cain had physically touched his client inappropriately, Mr. Bennett said “I can’t get more specific” but added that “I can say it is corroborating.”
UPDATE: Ms. Bialek has reportedly booked two morning shows.
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer.
As over-used as the old “round hole, square peg” thing is, it does provide one way of characterizing what many pundits and politicians say – and the media, who “report” and explain what the pundits and politicians say – about OWS. They just keep pounding away, trying to force the square to fit in the round. As the Occupation continues, some are agreeing to a bit of trimming and shaping to squares and circles, but they won’t acknowledge that the problem is with their framing.
Most are less obviously arrogant about showing their “we’re above you” certainty than the Wharton Business School students and Wall Street champagne sippers (see earlier post here), but the “we look down on you” positioning is still obvious. Others provide us with another example. From Mediaite, two stories from last week. First, “Chicago Board Of Trade Taunts Occupy Chicago: ‘We Are The 1%’”:
Traders at Chicago’s Board of Trade Building scrawled a missive directed at the Occupy Chicago protestors with signs taped on their eighth floor windows declaring ‘We Are The 1%’.
I’m betting the participants are more like 1% aspirants, like these “Traders From Chicago Board Of Trade Dump McDonald’s Applications On Occupy Chicago Protesters”:
In the middle of an Occupy Chicago teach-in (last) … week, traders at the Chicago Board of Trade dumped several sheets of paper on top of the heads of protesters below. Demonstrators were angered to find out they were showered with employment applications for McDonald’s. …
For some of the 1%, and aspirants, looking down on others might be a way of not looking at themselves.
For the rest of today’s post, selected tidbits of Occupy news that provide some ideas about what some Occupiers are thinking and doing.
Via OWS:
In the wake of the NYPD’s escalating harassment of street cart vendors, Occupy Wall Street … and the Street Vendor Project have teamed up to create an online donation platform for street vendors who call Liberty Square (aka Zuccotti Park) their home. Through the website, supporters across the country and around the world can view vendor profiles and purchase food to be donated to the People’s Kitchen at OWS.
That’s thinking outside the round hole / square peg circle and box framing.
Here’s a story which seems to address the “Occupy is a front for Obama” accusations, at OWS NEWS: “Occupy Wall Street to Obama: Don’t Be Big Banks’ Puppet; No Immunity Deal for Crooks.”
From the General Assembly of Occupy Dallas:
Dallas Calls for General Strike: Nov. 30th …
The Occupy movement represents those that feel disenfranchised from the current socioeconomic system because of policy passed by our political institutions and the actions of those in control of the unprecedented consolidation of wealth …
The “call” includes arguments for three general points: “the social system … the Political system … the Economic system” have all “become tilted against us.” I think the details under each will make sense to many.
Building on the November 5 Bank Transfer Day, though as far as I can tell, this is not an Occupied plan, Party Transfer Day, directed at next November’s elections:
On election day, switch your enrollment and vote out of corporate parties
On 11/8 voters should move their votes and enrollment out of corporate parties, the Democratic and Republican Parties, and into parties that are not corporately controlled.
At least to this point, I guess that idea is a “little thing,” compared to other actions, though I think / hope it will grow. Another “little thing,” with which I’ll conclude today, one I love for many reasons, among them the fact that I live in a similar rural area, and this resonates. Via OWS:
Too Small to Fail: Occupy Mosier
There are no stoplights, the only gas station closed years ago and there is not a single multinational corporation within five miles. With a population of just 430, Mosier, Oregon will become the smallest U.S. town to have an active Occupy camp. Participants from Mosier and other small communities of the Columbia Gorge are working to highlight their vision for a family-friendly camp that includes music, movies and round-table discussions with the community. …
‘Rural communities have been hit harder than anyone by the policies the Occupy movement has formed to fight,’ said Corie Lahr, Mosier resident. ‘If we do this right, we can attract a lot of rural people to the movement.’ …
‘People have asked us if we are getting a permit,’ said Lahr. ‘We had to laugh because we don’t have sidewalks, let alone a city park where people could gather on city property for a protest. We are doing everything we can to communicate with the City of Mosier, public safety officials and the public about what we are planning and our goals.’
The group expects 15 or more tents to be set up with hundreds of people visiting the camp over the next week. The group has also invited local area Tea Party activists to the camp to share tea and round-table discussion about areas where the Tea Party and Occupy movements can agree.
‘We think planning a 7-day camp and allowing for the possibility of another camp in a nearby town is a good way to spread awareness about the issues Wasco County cares about, such as Wall Street’s control of our economy and corporate power in our government, says ten-year Mosier resident Brent Foster.
Cara Shufelt, director of the Rural Organizing Project, is working with over 30 rural communities across Oregon who are involved organizing around the Occupy movement. ‘Rural and small town Oregonians are indentifying with the message of the occupy movement. As far as we can tell, Oregon has more rural communities involved in Occupy actions than any other state … ,’ said Shufelt. …
As with other Occupy protests, the Occupy Mosier and Occupy the Gorge participants have a diversity of primary interests. Most participants share goals such as reducing corporations’ power over politics and communities, prioritizing spending on health care and education over runaway military spending, increasing environmental protections, and reforming national trade, monetary and financial policies to better support all people in our communities, regardless of race, class or gender.
While Mosier will serve as a base camp, activities are being planned throughout the Gorge from November 4 -11.
The Occupy Movement really doesn’t fit existing hole-and-peg configurations. This liberally independent person is quite comfortable with that lack of fit.
(Occupy Mosier photo via OWS.)
The president, however, has not shunned Wall Street. He has courted financial executives for campaign donations, including inviting them to a campaign gathering at the White House. He has attracted more money for his campaign and for the Democratic National Committee from financial firm employees than all of the GOP candidates combined — a total of $15.6 million. – Wall Street’s resurgent prosperity frustrates its claims, and Obama’s
The largest banks are larger than they were when Obama took office and are nearing the level of profits they were making before the depths of the financial crisis in 2008, according to government data.
Wall Street firms — independent companies and the securities-trading arms of banks — are doing even better. They earned more in the first 2 1/2 years of the Obama administration than they did during the eight years of the George W. Bush administration, industry data show.
Like George W. Bush, Pres. Obama has failed to inspire financial institutions to increase lending to “prime borrowers.” More:
A recent study by two professors at the University of Michigan found that banks did not significantly increase lending after being bailed out. Rather, they used taxpayer money, in part, to invest in risky securities that profited from short-term price movements. The study found that bailed-out banks increased their investment returns by nearly 10 percent as a result.
“If the goal was to support lending, it would have been sensible to require a portion of the money to support credit origination,” said Ran Duchin, one of the finance professors who completed the study. “Lending to prime consumers was not the most profitable use of their capital.”
The bigger the bank, the more money they make for themselves.
Profits have also rebounded. The largest banks, including Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo, earned $34 billion in profit in the first half of the year, nearly matching what they earned in the same period in 2007 and more than in the same period of any other year. – Wall Street’s resurgent prosperity frustrates its claims, and Obama’s
This concludes yet another chapter in the Barack Obama marketing and myth story versus reality, brought to you by your hostess, the recovering partisan.
The party’s over, baby.
A new woman alleging sexual harassment by presidential hopeful Herman Cain will break her silence at a news conference with her powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred Monday afternoon in New York City, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting. – RadarOnline (via Burns and Haberman)
A new week, another debate and another frontrunner who can’t win the general election. It’s the Republican Party’s never ending humiliation extravaganza, with Mitt Romney continuing his iron man, last man standing struggle to gain the right’s respect.
Nobody and I mean nobody believes Herman Cain will be the Republican nominee. From Politico today:
“He’s not going to be the nominee, if I can just be honest here. He was never going to be the nominee,” Weekly Standard editor William Kristol said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Ed Rollins, the longtime Republican operative and former Michele Bachmann campaign manager, told POLITICO that Cain’s moment in the sun was already over: “This guy knows nothing about foreign policy, ‘9-9-9’ has been ripped apart, the girl problem is not going away and his beating up the media shows a thin skin that will get him in trouble. You combine that with no real campaign and his days are limited.”
But since nobody on the GOP side is taking out after Mitt Romney, Democratic supporters, as well as the White House, are doing the job they aren’t.
Via Ben Smith, Think Progress now has any easy tweeting Romney channel. It will come in handy if Republicans ever get serious about beating Pres. Obama.
Is Gov. John Kasich blowing it for Republicans in Ohio? Too soon to tell if Kasich has also opened up an opportunity for Pres. Obama for 2012. However, one thing is clear, according to a new poll, Kasich’s poised to lose big this coming Tuesday. His anti-labor law, SB5, looks like it’s going down.
From PPP, a new poll that you’re going to love.
Labor is poised for a big victory in Ohio Tuesday. PPP’s final poll on Issue 2 finds 59% of voters plan to reject Senate Bill 5, with only 36% voting for approval.
What might be most remarkable about the 23 point margin in this poll is that it’s exactly identical to what we found the first time we polled on this issue all the way back in March. Voters were furious then and that anger has continued all the way to November.
The article goes on to reveal that 30% of Republicans are planning to vote SB5 down, joining Democrats.
If this margin holds on Tuesday night it will be a humiliating defeat for John Kasich. Kasich continues to be one of the most unpopular Governors in the country with only 33% of voters approving of him to 57% who disapprove.
When Kasich won the governorship last year he beat Ted Strickland by 2 points. Today, Ohio voters would elect Strickland in a walk.
I guess Gov. Kasich forgot that firefighters and policemen, Democrats and Republican alike, depend on collective bargaining and the union that backs them up.
As Bill Maher might say, I kid the rich. It’s not that, really. It’s the inequity.
This post has been edited.
The Washington Post on former Pres. Bill Clinton’s new book:
Bill Clinton has advice, and some criticism, for President Obama in new book
“The Democrats did not counter the national Republican message with one of their own,” Clinton writes of the Democratic losses in 2010. “There was no national advertising campaign to explain and defend what they had done and to compare their agenda for the next two years with the GOP proposals.” He compares it with his own congressional defeats in 1994.
The very existence of such a book by the former president — which Clinton says was inspired by the 2010 midterm losses — has produced some eye-rolling among senior Obama advisers and is certain to spur a new round of unwelcome comparisons between the 1990s and today. …
[...] His more cutting criticism of Obama is implied. Clinton praises Wall Street executives, saying that many would be willing to contribute to improving the economy and cutting the deficit. “Many of them supported me when I raised their taxes in 1993, because I didn’t attack them for their success,” Clinton writes. Unspoken is that Obama has at times eviscerated Wall Street for its excesses, infuriating its leaders.
Amen on 2010, much of which should be laid at the feet of Tim Kaine, now running for senator in Virginia. What a colossal mistake, but it’s been one of Pres. Obama’s biggest mistakes during his first term: taking up economic Republicanism, while shunning progressive economics until he realized it was causing him reelection problems.
However, what Mr. Clinton misses by a mile regarding Wall Street is that he didn’t preside over a fatal collapse of the economy, which hinted at real malevolence of Wall Street fat cats that were responsible. Going on the assessments of what Clinton has written, because I have not read his book yet — I’m still working with my publisher on my own book that will be out soon — I’d say it’s impossible for Bill Clinton to judge accurately how he’d have reacted in the same situation.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s preposterous for Mr. Clinton to imply Pres. Obama shouldn’t have taken out after Wall Streeters after the debacle they caused. The Obama administration and A.G. Holder haven’t been nearly tough enough on Wall Street for my money.
The New York Times article on WJC’s book is titled “With a Book, the Last Democrat in the White House Tries to Help the Current One.”
But leave it to the New York Post to go with “Clinton Book Slams Bam.” It’s likely to be the view of the “eye-rollers” in the Administration, too.
The 1991 federal law on sexual harassment is pretty simple: the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination (EEOC).
Herman Cain in his job at NRA had other worries and it wasn’t about the women.
Under Herman Cain, NRA launched sex harassment fight
“This bill opens the door for opportunists who will use the legislation to make some money,” Cain, then CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, told Nation’s Restaurant News. “I’m certainly for civil rights, but I don’t know if this bill is fair because of what we’ll have to spend to defend ourselves in unwarranted cases.”
That does put why Republicans are also against the Lily Ledbetter Act into perspective, now doesn’t it? They represent the 1%.
Art offers his perspective as a movement progressive activist.
Occupy Oakland at the Port
Want a easy, non-violent way to Occupy Wall St. from home? You can. Join the movement. I’m going to start doing this:
Howie Klein’s Blue America deserves great respect from progressives. This initiative helps recruit and fund progressives not so willing to tow the party line and will do us proud. This year some very exciting Democrats are running for the U.S. House who are progressive and willing to criticize the party and president over matters.
I agree with Klein’s advice to help those progressives who are taking on the DC elites on the Super Committee and other issues. Here are a few running, including Darcy Burner who is once again running in Washington state:
…She’s been working in DC since then but I’m glad to see she hasn’t lost any of her fire or her indignation towards those who would go to the capital and sell out their voters back home. “We should not be asking seniors to sacrifice the healthcare and Social Security benefits they spent their lives paying for just because bankers don’t want to pay for the damage they’ve caused to our country’s economy. We must end the wars and ask millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.” Same Darcy Burner we’ve always loved!
Lee Rogers is a world-renowned California physician running against anti-family reactionary and corporate shill Buck McKeon. A very moderate guy, he doesn’t seem very pleased with the Democrats on the Super Committee. “It’s deplorable,” he told me, “that the Democratic Super Committee deficit reduction plan proposes such drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Basically, they put social programs for our seniors and the poor on the table when the Republicans are unwilling to compromise on defense spending and revenue increases. These are not the right priorities.” State Senator Eric Griego (D-NM) is running for the open seat in Albuquerque. He’s been on fire lately and this morning he told me this:
“It would be unconscionable for any members of the Super Committee to put Medicare and Social Security cuts on the table. Millions of seniors rely on these bedrock Democratic programs for their wellbeing. What the Super Committee should be cutting instead are the billions spent in tax loopholes for Wall Street and big corporations, and the Republican Congress’ continued focus on using taxpayer money to coddle millionaires and Big Oil instead of standing up for middle class families– the 99%.”
Burner, Griego, Lee Rogers are brining on the real fight and I will be happy to the join them.
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mi) does it again by authoring Resolution 72 in the House, which states:
(1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America’s hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net;
(2) Medicare’s ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees;
(3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security’s long-term outlook should ensure that Social Security remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and
(4) Federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
Klein lists the Democrats backing this resolution so far. Remember their names:
Joe Baca (D-CA)
Karen Bass (D-CA)
Robert Brady (D-PA)
Corrine Brown (D-FL)
G.K. Butterfield (D-NC)
Mike Capuano (D-MA)
André Carson (D-IN)
Judy Chu (D-CA)
David Cicilline (D-RI)
Hansen Clarke (D-MI)
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Joe Courtney (D-CT)
Mark Critz (D-PA)
Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Danny Davis (D-IL)
Pete Defazio (D-OR)
Rosa Delauro (D-CT)
Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
Chalie Gonzalez (D-TX)
Al Green (D-TX)
Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Janice Hahn (D-CA)
Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI)
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Rush Holt (D-NJ)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Dale Kildee (D-MI)
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
John Lewis (D-GA)
Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Doris Matsui (D-CA)
Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Brad Miller (D-NC)
Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
John Olver (D-MA)
Ed Pastor (D-AZ)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY)
Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Bobby Rush (D-IL)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Bobby Scott (D-VA)
José Serrano (D-NY)
Louise Slaughter (D-NY)
Pete Stark (D-CA)
Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
John Tierney (D-MA)
Paul Tonko (D-NY)
Edolphus Towns (D-NY)
Niki Tsongas (D-MA)
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Check on THOMAS for latest updates on this resolution, 81 Dems have now signed on .
Another great sign!
On the Super Committee to destroy the safety net , we have a disturbing new detail. The only Latino, African American, and woman on the committee have been excluded from the talks. That would be Rep. Becerra (D-Ca), Rep. Clyburn (D-Sc), and Sen. Murray (D-Wa). Only the good ole boys are hashing details on how much skin to take off our backs. Clyburn and Becerra have been outspoken against major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
Thank you Rep. Baldwin (D-Wi) for drawing up a resolution opposing the current Obama deal on the banks and forclosures. Baldwin demands better and no shield for indictments:
Baldwin’s resolution states that any settlement should follow three guidelines: 1) Banks that engaged in fraudulent behavior “should not be granted criminal or civil immunity for potential wrongdoing related to illegal mortgage and foreclosure practices,” 2) the federal government and state AGs should “proceed with full investigations into claims of fraudulent behavior by mortgage servicers” and 3) any monetary sum paid by the banks should “appropriately compensate for, and accurately reflect, the extent of harm to all victims.”
“We have to do the best we can to make innocent victims whole. But secondly, especially in light of the taxpayer bailout of the biggest banks, we owe taxpayers a solemn effort to do everything we can do to uncover what went wrong and whether laws were broken,” Baldwin said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “Part of that is to make certain this won’t happen again. That, to me, is one of the most basic responsibilities we have.”
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Mn) has put forward two bills to abolish the type of laws the GOP has enacted all over America. These laws requiring voter i.d. are a poll tax pure and simple. Now Ellison moves to try and stop it. As he said :
…Groups promoting these laws, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), argue there’s rampant voter fraud. Oddly enough this “fraud” seems to be occurring only within historically Democratic voting blocs like minorities and students. Yet ALEC and others have no problem squashing these groups’ voting rights–or the rights of elderly voters. Routinely issued student IDs won’t be accepted in some states–including my home state of Minnesota. The elderly, non-drivers, and millions of others will have to get identification. This sounds like a simple process, but imagine an 80 year old grandmother who has never driven and uses a wheelchair going through the process of getting non-drivers ID. If her social security card is accepted identification for her benefits, why isn’t it good enough to identify her for voting?
For these reasons, I am introducing two bills today to curb voter suppression. The Same Day Registration Act would require states to provide for same day voter registration for a federal election. The Voter Access Protection Act would make sure election officials cannot require photo identification in order to cast a vote or register to vote.
Eligible voters deserve access to the polls. By passing these bills, we can ensure our nation lives up to its ideals and protect the most fundamental right in our democracy.
Pray for the day voter i.d. laws are abolished.
American icon John Glenn is in a TV ad in Ohio urging voters to reverse Governor Kasich’s union busting law. We will see Tuesday if the people win one:
TM NOTE: Welcome to Kimberly, who will be writing exclusively on economic issues for TM.com, every Saturday afternoon. She’s fluent in business and technical writing, which is a tremendous voice to add. Please say hello to Kimberly.
Citigroup thought they were in the clear after agreeing to a settlement in which they arranged to pay out $285 million in exchange for not having to admit wrongdoing over fleecing investors in a mortgage securities deal they had to know was a fraud.
That is, before they found out the deal, brokered and approved of by the S.E.C., would have to get past Judge Jed Rakoff, who is demanding an answer from both sides as to how this deal is beneficial to those harmed in the scam and has set a hearing on November 9th over the matter. As per Bloomberg:
Rakoff questioned the SEC’s plan for preventing future violations and asked why Citigroup shareholders — not the individual executives responsible for the alleged fraud — are required to pay.’How can a securities fraud of this nature and magnitude be the result simply of negligence?’ Rakoff wrote.
I can’t wait to see the responses.
According to the New York Times:
Judge Rakoff is known for a scathing ruling in September 2009, when he rejected a proposed $33 million settlement between the agency and Bank of America over its acquisition of Merrill Lynch. The judge called it a sweetheart deal for the bank that had been done ‘at the expense, not only of the shareholders, but also of the truth.
He also has issues with the way the S.E.C. administers its regulatory practices:
Judge Rakoff said the use of the ‘without admitting or denying wrongdoing’ language created ‘a stew of confusion and hypocrisy unworthy of such a proud agency as the S.E.C.’
Rakoff seems to be one of the very few decision makers today who isn’t afraid to oppose the lax rules created as a result of backroom deals and deregulation that plagues many government agencies.
What they did to their investors is just a drop of water in the sea of Citigroup’s wrongdoing, as news about them keeps getting worse. According to Reuters:
Citigroup Inc. is not liable to thousands of workers who said it should not have offered bank stock in its retirement plans because it knew its subprime mortgage exposure made that stock a bad investment, a federal appeals court said.
I wish I could say I was surprised that they would stoop so low as to scam their own. But maybe, with some help from those like Judge Rakoff who refuse to be bullied or bought, those that were duped out of their homes, pensions and savings can get some justice. Today is Bank Transfer Day, time to show the Big Five what we think of their practices.
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer.
I know, it’s simplistic to devise neat little categories like good, bad and unctuous. And at one point, I had to expand my story selections, because so many of them were ending up in the unctuous and oily section. There’s something about “the homosexuals” and the responses by some of the “religious right” that just seems to lean toward the groveling, “See, I’m as anti-homosexual as a good Christian should be” direction.
I’ll start with the Good, because it really does show the direction the nation is going. There are still many steps to take; many that are being taken are of the two steps forward, one step back variety. But the direction is clear, and it isn’t going in the Right direction.
From Think Progress:
Jill Biden Speaks Out Against Anti-Gay Bullying: ‘No Child Should Be Subjected To That’
Second Lady Jill Biden spoke out against anti-gay bullying at the Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays’ (PFLAG) national convention this afternoon (Nov. 4), and congratulated the organization for ‘shining a light” on LGBT equality in ‘places where yours is the only voice of support and acceptance.
Also at Think Progress, Zach Ford writes, New Study Confirms Overwhelming Support For LGBT Workplace Protections:
Results from the 2010 Out & Equal Workplace Survey show this week that 78 percent of heterosexual adults agree that employees should be evaluated for their job performance, not their sexual orientation. In addition, 62 percent support providing equal benefits for all employees’ partners or spouses.
And regarding employment, Chris Johnson at Washington Blade writes:
A new group has formed to push for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and its leaders hope to disband after achieving their primary legislative goal in just two years.
The organization, called Freedom to Work … .
Turning to the Bad, this from Dallas Voice:
3 arrested in assault on gay man in Reno
The victim of a brutal assault last weekend in East Texas said he’s relieved three suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack, which he believes was an anti-gay hate crime.
But it remained unclear this week whether the case is being investigated as an anti-gay hate crime by police and whether it will be prosecuted as one by the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office.
Burke Burnett, 26, said he was jumped by several men at a Halloween party early Sunday in Reno — a tiny town just east of Paris and about 100 miles northeast of Dallas. Burnett’s attackers yelled anti-gay slurs as they stabbed him repeatedly with a broken beer bottle and threw him onto a fire.
He needed more than 30 stitches and suffered second-degree burns.
Not to pick on Dallas, but another story getting national attention comes through Change.org, posted by Jessica Gerson:
‘When I heard my name called, ‘Esther,’ I got up and walked toward the voice of the woman, who barely looked at me, and called me ‘Sir.’ I followed her into her office and before I sat down, politely said, ‘Actually, it’s Ma’am…. My name is Esther.’ She sat down and looked at me, and her first question was, ‘Are you a Lesbian?’ Her second question to me was, ‘Have you asked God into your heart? Have you been saved by Jesus Christ?’ This is when I realized that I was no longer a United States veteran in her eyes, I was just a homosexual.’
Written above are the exact words that my friend Esther Garatie used to describe her recent visit to the Dallas VA Medical Center. Esther is a Marine veteran, wounded in service to her country and Honorably Discharged from the Marines as a result. She walked into a mental health clinic at the Dallas VA Medical Center on October 12, 2011 and was seen by a nurse practitioner named Lincy T. Pandithurai. Nurse Pandithurai subjected Esther to a vitriolic, hateful rant that lasted THREE hours … on the topic of Esther’s sexual orientation. Ms. Pandithurai told Esther that the only reason she’s depressed is because she’s gay.
When Esther broke into tears, Ms. Pandithurai announced that her tears were clearly a manifestation of guilt over her sexual orientation … . She further stated that ‘homosexuality used to be a diagnosis until recently, but they changed it because of Obama.’ (In point of fact, homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973. President Obama was 11 at the time.)
Actually, Esther’s experience at the VA, like the story that follows, are in the Unctuous category. Via Chicago Go Pride:
Columbus, Ohio — Former hospital executive Linda Harvey is warning parents that having a gay or lesbian doctor take care of a child might be hazardous to the child’s health.
Harvey is a former executive at Ohio State University Hospitals. She founded a group called Mission: America, which considers itself a ‘Christian’ and ‘pro-family organization.’
And for the sleazy and oily, no one does it better than the National Organization for Marriage, NOM. From Equality Matters:
Classy: NOM Pokes Fun At Transgender 7-Year-Old For Joining Girl Scouts
… In an October 27 blog post, NOM’s Ruth Institute mocked a transgender 7-year-old girl who was initially denied but eventually granted access into the Girl Scouts.
Okay, this isn’t fair, that I’m using only “Christian” related stories; there are Christians who are progressive and liberal, who actively support queer rights. But, there are these others who are Unctuous and proud of it. Or that’s how it looks to me. And to some important extent, their proud condemnations of all things “homosexual” are related to the Bad, but unable to stop the Good.
(Esther Garatie photo via Change.org)
Carrot cake is one of my favorites, in this recipe you’ll find carrots mixed with coconut, raisins and walnuts.
The muffins are then dipped in a glaze, studded with cinnamon and flavored with freshly brewed strong coffee.
Breakfast or snack, the multipurpose muffin!
Recipe:
* Preheat oven to 375 degrees
* Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with paper liners, or butter 36 mini trays
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut 2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup pecans; chopped 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. baking powder 1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
Prepare the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons freshly brewed; strong coffee
November is officially upon us! I hope everyone had a great Halloween. This is as usual an open thread!
Let me know what’s on your mind or something from the news that has caught your eye. Or a recipe. 
Sometimes Paul Szep’s editorial cartoons say it all.
But oh, the ineptitude.
Senate Republicans on Thursday did offer their version of an infrastructure bill. That measure would extend existing highway and transit spending for two more years by cutting $40 billion from other domestic programs the GOP says is unspent.
Democrats managed to block that bill, 47 to 53. Two senators crossed party lines — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia voted for the Republican bill, and Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine voted against it.
Arguing in favor the GOP bill, McConnell said extending the existing programs would add more certainty to the economy. He also said the GOP bill was more responsible, since Democrats “want to pay for a temporary spending bill with a permanent tax hike on job creators.”
“Democrats have deliberately designed this bill to fail,” he said. “So the truth is, Democrats are more interested in building a campaign message than in rebuilding roads and bridges.”
Reid responded that the American people support taxing the ultra-wealthy in order to stimulate the economy, rejecting McConnell’s charge that the tax would have the opposite effect. ”
“We’re asking the top two-tenths of 1 percent of people” to contribute more, he said. “Job creators? I don’t think so.”
Memo to these idiots, especially Republicans: the middle class creates jobs, contrary to Ron Paul’s thinking, because if we don’t have cash to buy things, demand pretty much takes down the U.S. economy.
We couldn’t do any worse if we fired the current Congress and started over with newbies.
Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer.
This is stating the obvious, but I, at least, need “obvious” reminders periodically. The Occupy movement is made up of people. And any time you have even a few people, much less hundreds or thousands gathered, especially in public spaces, there will frequently be some who will cause trouble.
Add to that the fact that we still live in a society where there are significant numbers of people who think inequality based on race, gender, orientation, ability, income and more are acceptable, and it isn’t surprising that various Occupations are having to deal with the consequences of such thinking and acting. There have been reported incidents of racism, of homophobia, of transphobia, of verbal and physical assaults on women, of some white guys assuming they should be in charge. There are also ongoing efforts to address these concerns.
Sexism existed in the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-VietnamWar movement. It exists today, to a lesser but still significant degree in organizations that work for human / civil rights. Same for racism, for classism, etc. So it isn’t unusual that Occupy, as a whole and in specific situations, has to deal with such things. It’s still disappointing, and for the targets, much more than that – it can be terrifying, and it’s always demeaning.
Another “obvious”: every incident of harassment, much less assault, should be taken seriously. Reports range from expressed concerns that some men are attempting to dominate General Assemblies, to verbal harassment of women, to the physical – from unwanted hugs to rape. There are also reports of prostitution, including by at least one young woman who is a minor. Some women, as well as others who feel threatened, have organized to create “safe spaces.”
As it’s essential to address these incidents, it’s vital not to brand the entire Occupy movement as “sexist” or “racist” or any other label. I realize all of this sounds quite “obvious,” but then, a part of ongoing societal problems is how easy it is not to see what’s in front of us. Occupy, the movement, is successfully putting the naked emperors on stages around the world … and that spotlight is also revealing the systemic realities of race, class, gender and more that help keep the oligarchy on top.
I’m working on compiling a list of Occupy sites related to addressing racism, immigration, etc. For now, the Black Agenda Report is always a good place to start. Any suggestions you may have will be very much appreciated.
For some very interesting reading about the focus on gender, check out these sites. As always, this list is far from inclusive, but it’s a start.
One article that’s received a lot of attention since it was posted on October 29 is Sarah Seltzer’s Where Are the Women at Occupy Wall Street?, to which she responds, “Everywhere – and they’re not going away.” Also see:
WOW (Women Occupying Wall Street).
Now, a short Occupy round-up, and my yet again mentioning the relatively new The Occupation Report:
REQUEST FOR UPDATES FROM READERS: … We are currently putting together a list of cities that have been supportive of local Occupy groups and those that have been less than supportive (i.e.: police crackdowns and evictions). Please send your stories and updates to monique@rebuildthedream.com or lizbutlerdc@gmail.com.
This report includes updates from Occupy sites and related efforts across the country and the globe. It includes big wins, local organizing efforts, protests/events, police activity reports and calls to action where additional support from allies/general public may be needed.
A “be prepared” posting at OWS:
Eviction Defense!
Today rumors are rampant that the city is again considering action to end the occupation. Labor leaders, local elected officials, and news outlets are hearing the rumblings of eviction. We know that when the next eviction attempt comes, we will not get advanced warning. NYPD could move in as early as tonight, or it could be next week.
Via Occupy Together:
Bank Transfer Day, November 5, 2011
Tens of thousands of people around the nation and world have vowed to move their money from corporate banks such as Wells Fargo & Bank of America into credit unions or local banks. Many have been using the Move Your Money Project website as a resource for learning about credit unions and how to transfer your account. This isn’t an action that has been formed by any specific GA, it is a mass day of global action that people have individually decided to participate in.
Finally, efforts from the Left to use if not co-opt the Occupy movement continue. Here’s one (be sure and check out Taylor’s post on this earlier today), related to the Keystone / Tar Sands project – the “jobsforthe99.com” website. The way they identify the “1%” is interesting, as much for whose left out as the one “elite” group they identify.
Hollywood’s elite 1% should stop flying to DC and speaking out against jobs that help the other 99% of America!
But you CAN make your voice heard.
Tell the White House to support Keystone XL …
Paid for by: ‘America’s Building Trades Unions’ and ‘Oil and Natural Gas Industry, Labor Management Committee.’
For another take on Keystone / Tar Sands, check out Tar Sands Action:
November 6th: Tar Sands Action Returns to DC
One year from the next election, we will return to DC to try to encircle the White House to ask President Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The action begins at 2 pm in Lafayette Park.
About unions, not everyone agrees with “jobsforthe99.com.” Or, perhaps some are playing both sides of the fence? There is an understandable caution by Occupiers about outside support, but there are also several instances now of unions marching with the Occupiers, and I don’t doubt there are those who are sincere in their Occupy support. Whatever, check out Occupy Wall St. Unions:
OccupyWallSt-Unions.org is a movement clearinghouse for unions and union members supportive of the uprising against Wall Street and corporate greed. …
Unions listed as “Supporting Occupy Wall Street” include: AFL-CIO, American Assn. of University Professors, Assn. of Flight Attendants / CWA, Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), National Nurses United, SEIU, Teamsters, United Auto Workers.
“Allied Organizations” include: AFL-CIO Baltimore / California / Missouri / New York / Texas / West Central Illinois and Building Trades and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
I notice in the “Allied” listing, there is one “Building Trades” union that apparently doesn’t agree with the “Hollywood elite” framing.
(Photo via Occupy Coeur D’Alene)
