Thursday, December 3, 2009

Unacceptable: 40% of Democrats Say They Won't Vote Next Year

My fellow Democrats we should be very alarmed at a new report that says forty percent of Democrats "Probably won't vote" next year
Forty percent of self-identified Democratic voters say they are "not likely" or "definitely" won't vote in next year's Congressional elections, according to a little-noticed poll released over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Sure, the Republican Party is in disarray and imploding on itself, but we cannot allow that to make us lazy. In electing Barack Obama, we made a promise that we would stay involved. It was as much about us, as it was about him. Now we have as much responsibility as he does in fixing the problems America is faced with.

We worked so hard over the last 4 years rebuilding our majority and strengthening our moral position in politics, and we cannot afford to let that go at such a critical moment in our history. Our country needs us, Democrats. So get up off your butts, and start spreading the news to your friends and neighbors: We are all depending on you to stay involved, and to help fix our country.

We have huge challenges before us. Goals that will take years to achieve. Like building a green economy to revitalize our industries, or stopping out-of-control health care costs. These goals can't be achieved if we allow Republicans to take back any seats in Congress next year. Do you realize all it takes is ONE more republican senator getting elected, to kill our majority and hamstring the president? One. Think about that.

In addition, there is doubt these goals can be achieved with the fractional majority Democrats currently have in Congress. What we need to be doing now is gearing up for the 2010 elections, inspiring our fellow voters, and making sure that every Democrat gets out and votes in the 2010 Congressional Elections, so we can INCREASE our majority.

We cannot allow this present state of affairs to stand. 40% not voting is unacceptable. It is up to us to make sure this doesn't happen, so let's get out there start waking people up!!

----

P.S. - a note to Chairman Tim Kaine and the staff at the DNC

It long been known that many Americans only get involved in politics once every 4 years for the presidential elections. But under the leadership of Howard Dean, the Democratic Party was jarred out of this lethargy and inspired to pay more attention. He initiated the 50-State Strategy, the Democracy Bonds project, and his grassroots organization Democracy For America funded and encouraged new candidates for local and national offices in every one of the 50 States. Where is this energy now? Where is Governor Kaine on these important issues? We hear almost nothing from him! What has he done to continue growing and strengthening our party? When we hear that 40% of Democrats probably won't vote next year, we have reason to be VERY concerned. Step up to the plate Mr. Chairman, or get someone else in who will!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Obama Pushes Lobbyists Off Advisory Boards

By now most of you should be aware of the sweeping Lobbyist Reform President Obama has ordered, but not surprisingly it has yet to be covered on mainstream news outlets like CNN.

In case you missed this big piece of news, here are some highlights:
In a little-noticed blog post published on the White House website in September, President Obama's special counsel for ethics and government reform Norm Eisen announced that the administration no longer wanted federally-registered lobbyists appointed to agency advisory boards and commissions.

This is a big victory for taxpayers, and an important reform to one of the biggest conflicts of interest existing in our government. When lobbyists sit on advisory boards, how can their advice be trusted? They are getting PAID to give certain advice, they don't give that advice out of the goodness of their hearts!
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that the move "may turn out to be the most far-reaching lobbying rule change so far from President Obama," resulting in "hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists" being ejected from federal advisory panels.


Not surprisingly, lobby groups, corporations, and other K Street influencers are up in arms."

What amazes me is how long this practice has been going on. Every previous administration has simply allowed paid lobbyists to influence advisory boards on important issues facing taxpayers. And yet these boards get advice not in the taxpayers interests, but in some wealthy corporation' interests instead!

I'm proud of our President for making this change. It is yet one more example of how Barack Obama is living up to his promise to change Washington.

The most ironic thing about all of this? Those lobbyists who are being kicked out of influential positions will now probably turn to the Tea Partiers, in an attempt to support their opposition to Obama on every front.

Its really sad to see these Tea Party members acting like they are standing up for taxpayers by going against the President. This President has done more in his first year to support taxpayers than any president in the last 30 years.

I'll be most of those Tea Party member don't even realize that Obama gave the largest Middle Class Tax Cut in history when he took office. That tax cut is part of the Recovery Act that Tea-baggers just love to whine about.

Will this story eventually make it to major networks like CNN, FOX, or ABC? We'll see. In the meantime its up to us to spread the word!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Senate Opens Debate on Health Reform: A Proud Moment for our Democracy

The Senate made me proud when they overcame a GOP filibuster threat and voted to open debate on The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

This is an important step toward the final part of our Health Reform initiative. Once the Senate ends debate, their bill will be voted on by a simple majority. In the final step, the House bill and the Senate bill will be combined and the President will sign it into law.

Over these last few months, we have been blessed to witness the workings of our government in the way our Founders envisioned. We have heard debate from all sectors, including those opposed to this reform.

We have incorporated as many of these viewpoints as we possible can, through our open and vigorous democratic process. From town halls to the steps of the Capitol, we have studied this reform from every conceivable angle.

This reform will cut the deficit, cover the uninsured, and bring down costs for small businesses. And that's just the start, because once we have a healthy population we will start to see savings in other areas as well.

Its times like this that I admire the principles of our Founders so much more. They constructed a system of Checks and Balances, that at times seems inconvenient, but are wholly necessary in the end.

That is one reason I never could understand the Right's aversion to government and belief that it only hurts the individual and society. That belief could not be further from what our Founders believed. They designed our system with those concerns in mind, because they were escaping previous systems in which the King or the Church had too much power.

Today I am proud to see a functional government once again. Democracy can be messy, but its a beautiful mess - and while it may be imperfect, it still works to produce the best result for the times.

Bless the Founders and bless those representatives who work in government because of civic virtue - From here on out, let's try to put our differences aside as Democrats and stand together in our support, so they can pass Health Reform before the end of the year.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

CBO:Dem Bill with Public Option Reduces Deficit

CNN reported today, "CBO finds Dem bill with public option reduces deficit,"
A preliminary estimate from the Congressional Budget Office projects that the House Democrats' health care plan that includes a public option would cost $871 billion over 10 years, according to two Democratic sources.

CBO also found that the Democrats' bill reduces the deficit in the first 10 years.
Just more evidence confirming what we already know: offering a public option to small businesses and the uninsured saves the most money.

The argument for reforming health insurance with a public option is that its better for the pocketbook. This is not about ideology, its about saving the most money and reducing the deficit. Anyone who cars about fiscal responsibility should be 100% on board with this reform.

Spread the word high and low!

And in case you are worried, don't be. We ARE going to pass health care reform. And then we will pass every other piece of overdue legislation one by one.

The Republican Party is done. Things will never return to the way they were. By the time we are done with our work, we will be firmly in the 21st Century - with our eyes on the future, not the past.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Defining Our Progressive Coalition

Right now my primary concern as a Dem is keeping our party together amidst so many different factions.

Our ability to stay together as a party will determine whether or not we accomplish the goals laid out the Democratic Party Platform last year: Health Reform, Energy Reform, Equal Rights, Environmental Reform etc....

To that end, what I'd really like to see is some discussion of "Defining Our Coalition."

The Conservative movement grew and thrived by building what they called a "Triumvirate" composed of 3 major groups within their party: Fiscal Conservatives, Social Conservatives, and Neo Conservatives.

Binding these 3 groups together was an unspoken principle: I will trade my cause with your for the moment, if you will support mine then next time it comes down the road.

Dems have always floundered when we gain power, primarily because we have no discipline between our various groups. To make things even more complicated, we have an even bigger tent than before, with moderate conservatives coming to the Democratic Party in order to support Obama (and perhaps because they didn't want McCain/Palin).

How will we define our new coalition? How we answer this question will be critical to how we do in the mid-term and next Presidential elections.

Thanks for everything that you do,
D. Tree

Defining the Progressive Coalition

Right now my primary concern as a Dem is keeping our party together amidst so many different factions.

Our ability to stay together as a party will determine whether or not we accomplish the goals laid out the Democratic Party Platform last year: Health Reform, Energy Reform, Equal Rights, Environmental Reform etc....

To that end, what I'd really like to see is some discussion of "Defining Our Coalition."

The Conservative movement grew and thrived by building what they called a "Triumvirate" composed of 3 major groups within their party: Fiscal Conservatives, Social Conservatives, and Neo Conservatives.

Binding these 3 groups together was an unspoken principle: I will trade my cause with your for the moment, if you will support mine then next time it comes down the road.

Dems have always floundered when we gain power, primarily because we have no discipline between our various groups. To make things even more complicated, we have an even bigger tent than before, with moderate conservatives coming to the Democratic Party in order to support Obama (and perhaps because they didn't want McCain/Palin).

How will we define our new coalition? How we answer this question will be critical to how we do in the mid-term and next Presidential elections.

NEW GROUP: if you are interested in this idea, and if you would like to contribute to the discussion please JOIN the new group Building the Progressive Coalition.

Thanks for everything that you do,
D. Tree

Monday, September 28, 2009

Republicans Want "Death Room" Health Care

You know how the Republicans are always talking about "Death Panels" and such?

And they also talk about how no one is denied care in America "Just go to the Emergency Room," they say.

(p.s. don't worry about being bankrupted, or worse - making the taxpayers pickup your bill).

Well, remember that video that make news last year of a woman dying on the waiting room floor and no one even noticed?

Take a look at that and you will see the kind of health care Republicans are promoting. The are promoting Death Rooms.

That's the kind of care they want for America. They don't think we deserve any better than that. They call that "the best in the world."

Republicans actions reveal their own weaknesses: why haven't they come up with a plan of their own? Because the Status Quo *is* their plan. The like Death Room Health Care just fine.

That's just one reason we need a public option. So people don't have to go to the emergency room in the first place.

A public option will save us so much money.

People argue it will hurt the insurance industry too much - but how else do you propose to cut costs?

The Public Option is the best way to save money, and that's the point isn't it? I could care less about insurance execs losing their multi-million dollar bonuses!

And as for those Republicans who prefer Death Rooms and bankruptcy, they are just useless. And passage of a strong health care reform bill will insure their sound DEFEAT in the next elections.

Do Righties Believe in Magic?

So let me get this straight:

The Economy Magically tanked into the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Of course it had nothing to do with the Republican redistribution of trillions of dollars in surplus to the rich elite, and a trillion dollar war we didn't need to wage.

For 8 years, the GOP told us "be patient, the wealth will Magically trickle down to the rest of you." Of course, for those of us alive during the Reagan years, we already knew "Voodoo Economics" failed before and would fail again.

For 15 years, the GOP claimed the "Free Market" would magically reform Health Insurance on its own. Never mind that 15 years later, Health Care costs us 15% of our GDP and will take up more than 1/3 of our total GDP within 10 Years, making it impossible to fix the deficit unless we change.

Now that we see signs of Economic recovery, the GOP claims it was all going to Magically get better on its own. Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that Progressive economic policies have been proven to work, while Conservative economic policies have been proven to fail.

We've seen this all before. In 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected president - and the economy ruined from the previous 12 years of Republican rule - the GOP critics made the same accusations: "You'll never be able to fix the deficit. You'll only make things worse," they said. 8 years later, a lot of Republicans had egg on their face as our Economy thrived.

Of course, to a Republican all this is because of Magic. Apparently just like they think Climate Change can't be caused by humans, so Conservatives also believe human actions don't cause Economic Change.

For all the "Realism" Republicans like to boast about, they sure do believe in a lot of Magic. Do they also believe in the Tooth Fairy?

Fine. In the meantime, let the rest of us - people who believe in taking the necessary steps to fix our Economy - take care of making all that "Magic" happen. As usual, the Adults have to clean up the mess irresponsible Republican children left behind.

A Majority of Americans voted for our Democratic Platform and our promise to reform Health Insurance, Energy, and more. This is the Will of We The People. Stand Proud to fight this fight - those who stand in the way will regret it in 2010 when they are voted out of office!

Best,
D. Tree

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Can Waxman be our Hero? Can Waxman be our Champion?

Rep. Waxman may bypass committee vote and bring Health Care bill to the floor for a direct vote before the August Recess.

"Waxman, a California Democrat, indicated that he would bypass a committee vote if necessary and bring the bill directly to the House floor for a final vote."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/24/health.care.slowdown/index.html

House Democrats, now is your moment to stand strong. It is time to wield the power We The People voted to give you. Reform Health Care now and don't look back.

Please spread the word and tell your friends to let Rep. Henry Waxman know you support him in his efforts to get a vote on Health Care Reform before the August Recess!

Contact Rep. Henry Waxman here:
http://waxman.house.gov/Contact/

Best,

D. Tree

http://twitter.com/partybuilder

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Torture Memos Release: Why Are NeoCons So Mad?

Neo-Cons like Dick Cheney, Michael Hayden and Newt Gingrich are up in arms about the release of legal opinions justifying torture during the Bush administration.

Why are they so enraged? They can't be really that mad about "secrets" when the memos simply detail what reporters have already written countless stories on. There is no national security jeopardy in that.

No, they are worried about something else: Being held accountable for creating those opinions, and being written down in history as the authors. Simply put, they are scared for their own backsides!

President Obama's decision in releasing the memos was as much about protecting and restoring patriotic values to our government as it was about protecting the very CIA officers ordered to carry out torture.

I applaud the President's decision to stand strong for our values, while at the same time granting amnesty to the CIA employees who followed Dick Cheney and his Torture Cabal's heinous orders.

By releasing the memos, and at the same time protecting the CIA officers ordered to carry them out, President Obama is doing something no one in the Bush Administration ever did: he is holding those who give the orders accountable.

Its time to bring accountability back to our government and this is a great step. Its time to hold people like Dick Cheney responsible for the programs he initiated.  And this is only the beginning.

Neo-Cons famously like to send subordinates out to do the dirty work. They send troops to die while sitting comfortably in their royal living rooms. They draft opinions on torture thinking they can sacrifice their employees, and avoid responsibility for themselves.

So keep this in mind when you watch how fuming mad Cheney gets from all of this. Remember, for the first time in a decade he may well be worried about being found responsible in all of this.

Put simply, he's worried about protecting his own backside when he thought employees at the CIA would take the fall for him. Not this time, Dick.

Thanks for your time,
D. Tree

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Threat of Right Wing Extremism Rising

CNN reported today on the growing threat of right-wing extremism and neo-Nazism on the rise in America as a result of the election of our first African American president.

Of course anyone paying attention has seen the signs since Obama was nominated, with the FBI reporting a sharp increase in the number of assassination threats from day one of his candidacy.

But some on the far-right either want to sweep this news under the rug, or they are in denial about some of the less savory elements of our society.
conservative radio talk show host Roger Hedgecock was not persuaded. "If the Bush administration had done this to left-wing extremists, it would be all over the press as an obvious trampling of the First Amendment rights of folks and dissent," he told CNN.
Unfortunately, as is often the case, CNN did not do their full research when printing this story, because Bush DID name left-wing groups as a domestic terrorist threat when he was president!

The extreme right-wing likes to think they are perfect citizens, somehow singled out and always the victims, but its a fake victim mentality. Perhaps they are too self-absorbed in their own angst to recognize and understand what is happening around them. The ironic thing for people like Mr. Hedgecock who either ignore the facts or deny them, Bush conveniently left out right-wing extremists on his domestic terror threat report because they have ties to the Republican Party,
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not include extreme right-wing groups, some of which have ties to the Republican Party, on its list of potential terrorist threats, according to a report last month by the Congressional Quarterly, a publication with high-level sources in Congress and the federal government.
Is it all starting to make sense now? The article continues,
"It is remarkable that there is no mention of the anti-abortion, militia, racist and homophobic groups that do not “publicly ... promote nonviolence,” but rather openly advocate the killing of blacks, gays, abortion providers and government workers. Moreover, these groups have acted on their words.

Fascist, racist and anti-abortion groups are responsible for nearly all the terrorist attacks in the United States—with the exception of September 11, 2001—over the past two decades. These include the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, which killed 168 people, as well as bombings of abortion clinics and assassination of abortion providers, and multiple cases of individual rampages, like that of
Benjamin Smith, who went on a killing spree directed at blacks, Jews and immigrants in 1999."
We must acknowledge that we have elements in our society that are broken and have been for a long time. I accept that believing in free speech means hateful people like this can say whatever they want short of inciting violence. But when they make threats on the President, or on any American citizens or places, they should be taken as seriously as any other terrorist group.

Thanks for your time,
D. Tree

Friday, April 3, 2009

Challenging Alex Castellanos on "Change"

CNN's Republican strategist Alex Castellanos published a commentary this week in which he claimed the President is not living up to his promise of Change, and - in a remarkably childish "I'm rubber you're glue" moment - went so far as to boast that the 2012 GOP message will be "Change."

Funny, Mr. Castellanos, it appears that the GOP has been obstructing every major effort for Change since Obama was elected.  How convenient for you, then, to claim he isn't bringing "Change" about!

That kind of reminds me of a kid stealing a baseball and then claiming he should be captain of the team because no one can hit a home run!  Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, eh Mr. Castellanos?

But of course Castellanos is intelligent enough to realize this.  Castellanos ("Father of the Modern Attack Ad") is only doing what he does best: making disingenuous arguments.

Let's take a look at some of the other boilerplate arguments Castellanos and other Republicans have been using:

Obama is "Increasing the size of the US Government" - I wonder if Castellanos realizes it was a Republican president who oversaw the last big increase.  Take a look at this Wikipedia page on the Federal Budget and you will notice that George Bush oversaw a  38.7 precent (1.2 Trillion Dollars!) increase in spending during his two terms.  And most of this tax money spent on an unnecessary war. 

Now think about this: While increasing the budget, George Bush redistributed wealth to the richest - the same Wall Street Execs and Bankers we now see getting outrageous bonuses.  If these guys are getting all the tax breaks, then who is paying for all the war?  The rest of us.

Obama is increasing George Bush's budget by 13.8 percent.  This increased spending is due largely to the huge rescue packages for those same bankers and insurance companies who benefited so much for George Bush.  You can't blame Obama for getting stuck with George Bush's tab!

Besides deflecting blame from themselves, what republicans are really mad about is not the size of the budget, but what we will be spending it on: Education, Energy Reform, Healthcare Reform, and Jobs.  This is the Change the American People demanded in the last election.

Republicans want to use government as a police force and friend of the rich. Dems believe in the government intended by our founders: to maintain a healthy and productive Country.  Our founders had no problem with the government they created, why do Republicans seem to hate it so much? 

We should expect more of these rubber-stamp Republicans employing the same tactic as Alex Castellanos: stand in the way of Change, then point the finger at President Obama for not living up to his election promises.  Simultaneously, they offer no no new ideas, instead preferring to recycle the same ones that got us into this mess.

It appears that the GOP has fallen back on their old ways: when you don't have anything new to offer, repeat the same lies about the opposition until people start to believe it... and that doesn't bode well for the GOP in 2012, because people have become wise to their ways and the electorate is much smarter now than they were in 2000 and 2004.

Good luck MR Castellanos, your party is going to need it!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ruben Navarrette: Obama is "Flunking" Economics

CNN contributor Ruben Navarette posted a wide-ranging piece today in which he claimed president Obama is "Flunking" economics
But to many of the rest of us, it's clear that President Obama is flunking economics. He is trying to do too much at once, and so he is not doing any of it well.
He also claims that anyone who criticizes Obama is simply attacked, a clever rhetorical ploy to avoid criticism to himself.
They won't tolerate any criticism of the president or his administration, finding it easier to simply attack critics. And whatever goes wrong that they can't defend or deflect, they just blame on George W. Bush.
Y'know, there is a point to everything you are saying Mr. Navarrette - but I wonder whether some of the criticism has less to do with the President's economic credentials than with the other many ways in which you disapprove of his performance.  The article is less about the ways you would improve Obama's economic proposals and more about the way you apparently dislike him.

Its also strange to hear this claim about defenders of the President in such a negative light.  Most people I've heard defending Obama's agenda are pretty smart, and make intelligent arguments.

Is this piece really about Economics?  Or is this about something else?  Perhaps Navarrette simply does not want to go down the road a large majority of Americans chose when they elected President Obama.  To them Obama is neither moving too fast, nor is he trying to do too much!  He's doing what he was elected to do.

A large majority still support the wide-ranging economic and political Change the President is trying to bring about.  Of course its expensive, and of course its big.  We are trying to pull out of one of the worst economic catastrophes in history!

What I don't understand is the growing plethora of people publicly casting doubt, when we are only 2.5 months into the presidency.  Bringing Change with a big "C" to Washington is going to be difficult as it is without so many naysayers so early in the process.  It's going to take time.

Do we face risks?   Yes, but the rewards are high.  And frankly we have tried the way of the GOP and it has failed.  They are offering the same recycled dishwater plans of tax cuts for the rich but health and education cuts for the poor, and no regulation of Wall Street. The same bad ideas that led us to where we are now.

No we need to do more, and most of the country seems to agree.  We need more than the same recycled ideas, we need BIG changes to healthcare, taxes, wall street, and war.

It is time to put progressive ideas to the test. 


Thanks for reading,
D. Tree

What to Do About Do-nothing Republicans

What remains of the Republican Party has been doing a lot of posing before the camera lately.  Merely 2 months into our new president's term and this band of so-called patriots are doing everything they can to prevent our country from recovering from one of the worst disasters of a presidency we've ever seen.  Several of these self-serving servants of the rich have even publicly hoped for the president to fail in leading our country out of this financial crisis.

Clearly, these Republicans are still working for the very same special interests that got us into this mess.  All that tough talk from the GOP about AIG?  Well, how do you think AIG got us into this mess in the first place?  Through the actions of these same self-righteous republican stooges of the rich who are now complaining loudly about spending and "responsibility."

Well, let me tell you something about responsibility Mr. Boehner, Ms. Bachmann, Mr. Jindal, and Mr. Cantor: take it for your own actions over the last few years.  Your cheerleading of Bush & Cheney for trillions of dollars and thousands of lives in the Iraq war; your irresponsible "look the other way" republican philosophy that allowed Wall St. to destroy our economy so you could pad your pockets with Lobbyist money!

I've been away from blogging since the election, and this is my first post since.  Let this serve as an introduction for a new series of posts entitled "Help our Country Move Forward or Get Out of the Way."  Over the next few weeks, when I have time to post I'll be using the opportunity to call out these obstructive and negative republicans who are holding back progress and who are standing in the way of fixing our broken economy.

Thanks for your time,
D. Tree