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.
Tag Archives | GeneralWell, this certainly seems fitting in the afterglow of Republican stiffing the new, popular President, all the while people are freezing because of a failed power grid. Nope, can’t spend money on that.
But when it’s Tip O’Neill time that means we enjoy our favorite beverage, putting all worries on ice. Free for all as to topic, just leave your troubles behind.
The first one’s on me.
“I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem, to me it’s part of the solution.” – President Barack Obama
I married a blue collar craftsman not all that long ago. Today, after many, many years as a Southwest Gas technician, he took early retirement. One of the things he’s said over the years I’ve known him is that without unions his job likely wouldn’t have been as good, with solid middle class pay, overtime, full ranging benefits, vacation days (something we often joked about as I continued to work 24/7 without vacation or health benefits, except for sharing in his largess) and everything else that went along with his job, including retirement benefits. My husband with his many skills (give him two toothpicks, and he can build you a shopping mall) is the epitome of what we’re now fighting for today. Good middle class jobs where a man or woman can feed his or her family. But today, at our house, it’s his day. A day to honor his incredible work ethic, his tremendous talents and skills, and the fact that his company honored him, with people from the entire company descending to do the same this morning at a breakfast. They asked him why he showed up in his gas uniform. Mark simply said, “Because I’m proud of this job.” Tonight is a big party for him. No one has earned it more. A man who represents the American work ethic to his core. He is quite simply my hero.
Listening to President Obama and Vice President Biden this morning talking about workers and the middles class at the very moment my husband was being honored was an emotional moment for me. It’s just one of those amazing days in our lives.
For the backbone of the USA, it’s insult on top of injury. Over the course of America’s last economic expansion, the middle class participated in very few of the benefits. But now in the midst of this historic economic downturn, the middle class sure is participating in all of the pain. Something is seriously wrong when the economic engine of this nation — the great middle class — is treated this way. President Obama and I are determined to change this. Quite simply, a strong middle class equals a strong America. We can’t have one without the other. – Vice President Joe Biden
With a good job, in this country anything is possible. Labor is always there, ever vigilant, benefiting all workers, whether you’re in a union shop or not.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGKFUatFG8M&eurl
Resisting efforts by Mr. Ignatius to end the session, Mr. Erdogan continued, saying to Mr. Peres, “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.” – New York Times
Even at Davos, moderating a panel on Gaza can be diplomatically dangerous. David Ignatius might just have caused an international incident between Israel and Turkey, the last thing we need on the cusp of new diplomatic push in the Middle East.
During a heated panel at Davos, Peres was given the last word, when Erdogan took exception, began speaking after time was called, then walked out. The walk out wasn’t because of Peres, but a reaction to what he felt was the lack of even handedness by Ignatius in steering the panel. One hour times limits are strict, evidently, which is just silly when you’ve got Gaza, Turkey and Israel colliding in a debate that could have real ramifications.
In a news conference immediately after the panel discussion, Mr. Erdogan said he was particularly upset with Mr. Ignatius, who he said had failed to direct a balanced and impartial panel.
By all accounts, the discussion of the Gaza offensive was lively, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations and Amr Moussa, the Arab League’s secretary general, joining Mr. Peres and Mr. Erdogan. Participants said Mr. Peres was mostly alone in defending Israel’s role in Gaza, and for that reason he was given the final 25 minutes to speak. Earlier, Mr. Erdogan spoke for 12 minutes about the Palestinians’ sufferings.
Not being there it’s hard to judge, but the Times’ report about Peres getting “the final 25 minutes to speak,” which meant getting the last word, obviously lit the fuse.
Israel needs Turkey, who has been very helpful with negotiations, so we’ll have to see how this shakes out, but the comforting aspect is that Erdogan’s ire over the panel is directed at the American, not the Israeli.
In Haaretz, Erdogan makes the point that his fury over Gaza isn’t directed at Jews, but the Israeli government. Jerusalem Post has a quote from Hamas hailing Erdogan.
While back in Turkey Erdogan was greeted as the conquering hero.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c&eurl
Kudos to NBC. The network rejected the stomach-churning ad.
NBC is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for rejecting a television commercial a pro-life group hoped to run during the Super Bowl. The ad shows a beautiful picture of an unborn child during an ultrasound and asks what would happen if President Barack Obama had been a victim of abortion. [...]
I’d say the same thing about an ad for Planned Parenthood or NARAL.
I want my football, especially on Super Bowl Sunday, served straight up. No politics, please, unless it’s someone in the spirit of the day rooting for a great game.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Qdt8uQm68&eurl
Consider it rapid response to die hard Republican partisanship. Americans United for Change, MoveOn.org Political Action, AFSCME and SEIU are hitting the Republicans hard, nationally, but also senators in their home states. More ads here.
Well, Dick Armey sure went out of his way to prove his central point, politics as he represents it is “juvenile.”
“I am sure damn glad that you are not my wife, ’cause I’d have to listen to that prattle from you.” – Dick Armey
While telling Mr. Armey he was delusional to think he’d have a chance with her. It was at this point my colleague, Joan Walsh, who was debating Dick, leaned slightly over and in one graceful swoop, she took her shoe off and wrapped the gas bag of a man sitting before her over the head. Her shoe was back on her foot before Dick knew what hit him.
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….well, it didn’t exactly happen like that, but metaphorically, that’s exactly what happened.
Meanwhile, Chris Matthews did nothing but mumble under his breath about, I don’t know, but “prattle” had something to do with it. It was the weakest performance by a host on a major political broadcast. Joan can handle herself, believe me, but “Hardball” is his show and he should have the spine to expect better discourse from his guests.
But as Dick sputtered and spewed, Joan took out our best hits. You know, policy and social justice combined, with an emphasis on jobs. You know, jobs? That was just for starters.
Now Rush has a bookend. Call it “the newest faces” of the Republican Party. Rush and Dick.
Bob Herbert is wrong.
Joan should apologize to Dick. She gutted him.
Cute that serious women in foreign policy, to include Clinton, Dr. Rice and Janet Napolitano, are being compared to “Charlie’s Angels,” isn’t it? The money and the misogyny all mixed up into one big pile on.
I didn’t cover WJC’s financial disclosures yesterday, because it simply wasn’t news, at least not around here. That former President Bill Clinton is making substantial money on speaking engagements around the world shouldn’t shock anyone. He’s the most popular world leader the U.S. has had in a very long time, until Obama broke through in such a spectacular way. But for the Clintons, success is not just scrutinized, it’s made to seem as something dark. Clinton capitalism is never appreciated, it’s mocked.
As you can see from the picture, via Spencer Ackerman, that goes double for Hillary, with Politico describing her position as “tricky” if WJC keeps making certain types of honorarium. That President Obama and the Clintons have hashed this out completely is lost on the traditional media peanut gallery.
Hey, but feel free to jump in and talk about it. What’s the big deal about Bill Clinton making money on speeches, as long as it’s disclosed fully and completely? Transparency and openness must be vigilantly maintained by all. Anyone think Greg Craig isn’t on this?
In the last nine months of 2008, Bill Clinton made at least $150,000-a-pop speaking to groups in some of the very places where his wife now will now represent American diplomacy, from India to Kuwait to China to Malaysia. In fact, the latter three speaking stops came in the last month-and-a-half of the year, as the Clinton and Obama camps were hammering out the agreement under which President Obama ultimately offered Hillary Clinton the job as top diplomat. – Politico
The WSJ opined that “talk isn’t cheap.” Neither is the price for the Clintons, as Secretary Clinton maneuvers through the playing field your average Clinton hater has already set up, with “we told you so” statements prepared just to be safe. As long as the agreement the Clintons made with President Obama is followed to the letter, they shouldn’t get the time of day.
–updated–
Stimulus. Mimulus. I understand that Obama wants his economic plan to be bi-partisan, but that he’s obviously working himself to the degree he is to get approval from Republicans reminds me of the play of children at recess. Nice exercise, but at some point reality of learning comes into play. The learning being ignored is that giving Republicans the spotlight on the stimulus bill only gives them power they don’t have right now.
Democrats are worried too, but not because the stimulus goes too far.
Republican criticism of the stimulus package that the House will vote on tonight has focused on its soaring price tag, but some Democrats on Capitol Hill and other administration supporters are voicing a separate critique: that the plan may fall short in its broader goal of transforming the American economy over the long term….For some House Democrats, the problem is less a matter of balancing the short and long term than a shortage of focus and will on the part of the administration. Their disappointment centers on the relatively small amount devoted to long-lasting infrastructure investments in favor of spending on a long list of government programs. While each serves a purpose, the critics say, they add up to less than the sum of their parts, and fall far short of the transformative New Deal-like vision many of them had entertained.
The bill to be voted on today includes $30 billion for roads and bridges, $9 billion for public transit and $1 billion for inter-city rail — less than 5 percent of the package’s total spending. Administration officials have said they did not push for more infrastructure spending because of concerns about how many projects are “shovel ready” — a view that House members say is held most strongly by Lawrence H. Summers, Obama’s chief economic adviser. [...]
I’ve got to tell you, I’m not just a little concerned. For one thing, I will never get why Dems are stripping different things out of the bill in order to appease Republicans of anything. Now, whether the optics of the contraceptive money was smart is one issue, but can anyone doubt preventing pregnancies in poor women saves money and effort in the long run? It was stripped because of how it sounded on wingnut radio. Okay. But hearing more from Democrats in the House, put on top of the fact that Republicans were impressed with Obama but haven’t changed their minds that were made up from the start, I’ve got to wonder about all this work to get Republicans on board. Sometimes chasing cover is just that.
Segue to David Sirota, with whom I agree totally.
Let me reiterate a really fundamental point here. I’m going to put it in all caps, in bold and in italics because its so friggin’ fundamental: HOUSE REPUBLICANS, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FILIBUSTER, ARE THE MOST POLITICALLY IRRELEVANT GROUP OF PEOPLE IN ALL OF AMERICAN POLITICS. David Sirota :: Obama’s Conflicting Signals After Meeting With Irrelevant House Republicans.They have not a single shred of legislative power to stop, amend or reform an economic stimulus package, unless Obama gives it to them by giving them attention. Why Obama would spend time meeting with them is inexplicable. Why, if AP is right, he would consider loading down the economic recovery package with their wholly discredited tax cuts is beyond inexplicable – it’s ludicrous. And remember another point I’m going to put in bold face and italics: NOBODY HAS MADE ANY SUBSTANTIVE CASE THAT ANY TAX CUTS THE REPUBLICANS ARE PUSHING ARE BETTER FOR JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH THAN PUTTING THE MONEY INTO MORE PUBLIC SPENDING.
Obama’s not going to get cover through Republicans jumping on his bandwagon. He better make sure Democrats feel it’s worth it and will supply it.
UPDATE: You all may appreciate this, but Obama today gave Washingtonians grief for being wimps about weather, saying people need “some flinty Chicago toughness.” Evidently, Obama’s kids were off school because of weather. “Because of what? Ice,” quipped Obama. Additionally, here are the biz leaders present for the confab before he spoke: Steve Appleton, Chairman, President and CEO, Micron Technology David Barger, CEO, Jet Blue Greg Brown, President and Co-CEO, Motorola, Inc. John Bryson, President and CEO, Edison International David M. Cote, Chairman and CEO, Honeywell Debra Lee, President and CEO, BET Holdings, Inc. Anne Mulcahy, Chairman and CEO, Xerox Sam Palmisano, Chairman, CEO and President, IBM Antonio Perez, Chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak Company Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google Michael Splinter, Applied Materials Wendell Weeks, Chairman and CEO, Corning Ron Williams, CEO, Aetna.
Due to tech. snafu, a duplicate post went up originally, but is now completely changed out with the post above.
