tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26966793900577141872024-03-07T22:57:16.092-08:00D. Tree's Progressive Politics"In every free and deliberating society, there must, from the nature of man, be opposite parties, and violent dissensions and discords; and one of these,
for the most part, must prevail over the other for a
longer or shorter time."
- Thomas JeffersonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-50993306533227772772011-07-25T12:51:00.001-07:002011-07-25T12:53:43.819-07:00Cut, Cap, Balance, Shows Republican DesperationRepublicans plan to roll out a "new" proposal... the only problem, it's not new. It's basically Cut, Cap, & Balance the do-over. The same principles that were already rejected by the Senate, and the President has said he'll veto.<br /><br />The fact that Republicans are coming back to the table with this same phony solution actually shows how desperate they are: They are obviously so worried that Obama will be reelected, they have decided to gamble with our credit rating as their only means of achieving political leverage over the President.<br /><br />Mitch McConnell said it himself: he's not putting country first, but party. He also said their number one objective was to prevent Barack Obama from being reelected.<br /><br />So here we have our fragile economy teetering on the brink of another recession, and the GOP seems only concerned with how they can manipulatethe situation to further their chances of unseating the president in 2012.<br /><br />The reason this shows desperation, is that in doing this the GOP is pandering to a very small base that doesn't reflect the values of most Americans. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002529-503544.html">A CBS News poll </a>found that while 84 percent of Tea Partiers believe they represent the views of most Americans, overall Americans disagree: only 24 percent say the Tea Party represents their views, while 36 percent say it does not.<br /><br />So we have a Congress pandering to a minority of voters, all while holding our economy hostage for no other reason than to please this narrow group of people and to hurt the president. It's risky and desperate because the rest of the country is watching - and may very well lay the blame for worsening economic conditions that result - on the GOP.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-84529136120440472812011-02-27T13:15:00.000-08:002011-02-27T13:16:16.659-08:0070,000 This Weekend- Largest Rally in Wisconsin Yet<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/27/wisconsin-protests-unions-largest-rally_n_828754.html">Link</a><br /><br />Republicans tend to admit they are acting against working people because their unions tend to support Democrats.<br /><br />Implicit in this argument is the notion that Democrats only support collective bargaining, because of the political benefit they get from union members.<br /><br />In reality, Democrats' support for collective bargaining comes from a moral value system that Republicans just do not share.<br /><br />Democrats tend to believe that workers have universal rights, and they should be protected from the potential abuses of those who would employ them.<br /><br />The support of collective bargaining comes out of this moral foundation - and that's where Republicans and Democrats differ.<br /><br />Now, the same can be said for Republicans: their opposition to worker's rights comes from a moral value system as well, its just a *different* one.<br /><br />And that's good because we *should* have competing value systems in a free society; however, the outcome of this particular moral conflict will have a significant effect on the 2012 elections.<br /><br />The outcome of this conflict will determine whether the American public believes that working and middle class families caused our deficits, or if the rich people at the top did.<br /><br />If I was a betting person, I'd throw my lot in with the working and middle class - by sheer number, our representative will at the ballot box is formidable.<br /><br />And its the same with events across the middle east - let them inspire working America to rediscover our majority!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-61257835567401358802011-02-27T13:14:00.000-08:002011-02-27T13:15:17.493-08:00Tim Pawlenty Calls American Workers Greedy, at Tea Party Summit<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/26/tea-party-summit-arizona_n_828672.html">Link</a><br /><br />Tim Pawlenty calls working and middle class Americans "greedy" - while he does his best to make sure <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/26/main-street-tax-cheats/">Bank of America and other big corporations PAY ZERO in Federal taxes.</a><br /><br />Hey Tim, us hard working Americans who don't live off of campaign donations know a thing or two about *greed* and let me tell you what it looks like: Anti-working class politicians like you, who allow working Americans to lose their wages and homes, while you pander to and protect <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/26/main-street-tax-cheats/">those who PAY NOTHING IN TAXES.</a><br /><br />We pay 1/3 of our income, but the biggest corporations pay ZERO. How is that greed, Mr. Pawlenty? I dare you to explain it, but I know you won't.<br /><br />You have unleashed the lion with this union-busting trickery; a movement has been unleashed to make the rich PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. The working class has sacrificed enough already!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-11800583796322776802011-02-20T16:30:00.001-08:002011-02-20T16:30:49.308-08:00Protests in Wisconsin Going NationwideIt will be interesting to see how far this spreads - and you can't help but notice the similar question being asked in the middle east (though on a much larger and dramatic scale); but it makes you wonder if our own "silent majority" is being awakened and inspired by events across the middle east. <br /><br />On the other hand, sometimes it takes a threat Gov. Walker's, to unite the working and middle class. Statistically speaking, liberals outnumber conservatives. Yet it seems ever since the election of '08, liberals have been fragmented and lackadaisical... and in the meantime, the Tea Party captured the attention of the media, for its rambunctious theatrics.<br /><br />Yet a CBS News poll found that 84% of self-identified tea partiers say their movement reflects the beliefs of most Americans - but overall Americans disagree:only 25% say their beliefs are reflected in the Tea Party, while 36% say they are not. cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002529-503544.html<br /><br />Somehow, liberals and progressives took off their shoes after the election of Barack Obama - maybe some being misguided and thinking we could just sit back and let the president do all the work. <br /><br />I have often wondered if Obama and Democrats on some level *need* a strong Republican opposition, for them to become the fighting Dems I love. So far, what I see is working and middle class families outnumbering Tea Partiers 1000 to 1. <br /><br />Tea partiers, and media outlets take note: *this* is what a true majority looks like.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-30125481520630275332011-02-20T16:29:00.000-08:002011-02-20T16:30:06.488-08:00Al Qaeda Running Scared from Democracy in the Middle EastAfter their stunned silence during the Egypt uprisings, a frightened Al Qaeda released their <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/19/ayman-al-zawahri-egypt-video_n_825511.html">first statement on the revolution</a>, warning *against* democracy.<br /><br />I love how the Egypt and other uprisings are such a smack-down of Al Qaeda. These protesters are showing that they don't need terrorists to bring change; On the contrary, they are proving that the tried and true method of nonviolent protest is the most powerful weapon a people can have. AQ was silent as these uprisings spread, and now they come out with a weak statement on the wrong side of history in their own supposed backyard. If indeed, the uprisings continue to spread across the Middle East and Africa, they will go further to defeat AQ than any of our wars so far.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-35298623390537207722011-02-10T08:44:00.000-08:002011-02-10T08:45:16.666-08:00Time for the Right to Learn: the 1st and 2nd Amendments are NOT the Same ThingWe hear a lot from the Tea Party, about how their identity as gun owners is so important, and how they fear Democrats will take away their rights to guns; as a result, we see a lot of gun imagery and gun-themed campaigns in our politics today. People have even shown up at the president's speeches carrying loaded weapons.<br /><br />While some say there is not much we can do to quell this violent trend in our politics, I disagree. I believe the violence we are experiencing today is a result of a dangerous equating of 2nd Amendment rights to 1st Amendment rights.<br /><br />This misunderstanding of our constitutional rights is pushed by politicians in the Tea Party, and the folks that follow them. <br /><br />So to all you people who believe you right to bear arms is somehow the same as political freedom, I'm hear to tell you its not: the people who were massacred in Arizona were exercising their *1st* Amendment rights of "peaceful assembly."<br /><br /><b>The Constitution treats your right to express yourself and air your grievances *very* differently than your right to bear arms. The Constitution specifically states that political expression and airing of grievances must be "peaceful."</b><br /><br />Even when referring to the people's right to replace the government, the Constitution refers to your right to "petition" a.k.a. your right to VOTE, not your right to armed insurrection.<br /><br />So all this talk about your freedom to express your gun-loving self needs to be put in context of the Constitution: you have a right to own firearms, but you have no right to bring those arms to political events - such actions are chilling to free speech, and act as an intimidation toward those who would disagree with you.<br /><br />There is no place for the language of gun play, and the use of violent imagery, or the brandishing of weapons in our politics. <b>I urge my fellow democrats to encourage, and to support an effort to ban guns from political events.</b><br /><br />I am willing to bet the Supreme Court will eventually rule on such a separation. Owning a gun has nothing to do with free speech, and our Constitution says so.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-36402963313436625292011-02-10T08:43:00.000-08:002011-02-10T08:44:31.126-08:00Dems Get ReadyWhen the President talked about winning the future, he began the campaign for 2012. And its a good thing. Better to start the campaign now and get as far ahead as we can, because its going to get *ugly*<br /><br />Notice how none of the mainstream republicans wants to disavow the crazies on the fringe right? They refuse to call Birthers crazy; they allow their spokespeople to pervert American history. <br /><br /><b>Why won't they disavow this behavior? Because they plan to make use of these crazies and their slogans during the election.</b><br /><br />All those hateful signs you see at TP rallies? That's a preview of some of the ads swiftboaters will be airing, and with unlimited corporate money now allowed *anonymously* in the campaign, we are going to see A LOT of those ads...<br /><br />Sorry to say it, but get ready for a wild ride... its going to be nasty, and they will put *everything* they can into defeating this president.<br /><br />Its time to start forming our coalition, and time to get the word out: the Recovery Act stopped the recession, and brought down taxes to the lowest point in 50 years.<br /><br />Democrats have turned the country in a new direction, and have opened the door to a brighter future. All we need to do now is step through that open door into the 21st Century, like the competitive, innovative country we know how to be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-79368113279519358022010-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:002011-01-07T22:24:57.527-08:00The Failure of Republican Ideology, and its Shattered Remnants in the Tea Party<b>There's an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/21/enemies-big-government-health-care-medicare_n_771603.html">article in the huffingtonpost</a> today that talks about the how Republicans try to have it both ways when attacking government health insurance, while simultaneously defending Medicare.</b><br /><br />It's a good piece I suggest reading, because it points to a deep contradiction in Republican ideology. In the article, Sharron Angle is quoted criticizing the health insurance reforms enacted by Democrats.<br /><br />Republicans like Angle cynically state the solution to health reform is "simple." Just let "the market" reform itself. I am so sick of hearing that ridiculous talking point. How naive you must be to think that health insurance reform will magically happen if we just have faith in the oh-so-great "free market."<br /><br />Y'mean that great free market that inflated real estate values, traded toxic derivatives, and made rich creeps richer while bankrupting our nation? That free market that allowed insurers to jack your rates and discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, while making billions of dollars profit? The one that inflated gas prices and collected billions in profit while Americans lost jobs?<br /><br /><b>If we are to believe the conservative dogma about the oh-so-great and magical free market, we are to understand that health insurance companies would reinvest their profits in new jobs and better services. That Wall St. would put those profits from selling grandma's house back into our economy. That Meg Whitman would hire American workers at a decent wage.</b><br /><br />But that doesn't happen does it? No, Ms. Angle the problem is not too much government intervention in the free market, it is a free market gone wild.<br /><br />We have seen direct evidence of the complete failure of deregulation and unrestrained greed, in the 8 years of Republican rule our country endured.<br /><br /><b>Democrats have turned us in a new direction. We can either go forward, or we can return to the same failed policies that bankrupted us in the first place.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-12737420051387675932010-10-10T10:00:00.000-07:002010-11-23T10:01:16.970-08:00Democrats: Acting Responsibly to Restore the American Dream<b>If you haven't seen it yet, there's a video on Huffingtonpost today, in which <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com//huff-tv/arianna-huckabee-fox-news-video_b_757419.html">Arianna and Mike Huckabee find some common ground about capitalism and the middle class</a>. Its a great discussion, and I think it illustrates some interesting ways that progressives can engage Republicans on common ground. </b><br /><br />I would love to see more conversations like this between people from different political backgrounds, because ultimately our system of government predetermines some kind of compromise in the end, regardless of who is in power.<br /><br /><b>What's interesting it that despite party differences, Mike Huckabee and Arianna Huffington agree on quite a few things.</b><br /><br />For example, they both agree that an erosion of the moral basis of capitalism is destroying the American middle class. But Mike seems to reflexively think this erosion is because of too much government intervention, and Arianna makes a great point that government itself is, in fact bought and paid for by capitalist interests.<br /><br />These special interests purchase influence on legislation to benefit their greed - even if it hurts the country in the long run. In fact, that's how we got where we are now.<br /><br />What we need here, is a way to persuade conservatives like Huckabee that government is the problem inasmuch as it is influenced by lobbyists and special interests.<br /><br /><b>From this perspective, passing health insurance reform and Wall St. reform was about government acting morally, to restore a sense of fairness to industries that had become too powerful and abusive of the American people. </b><br /><br />We progressives wanted stronger reforms, but our conservative brethren thought if we tampered any more with the system we must be "socialists," so we went for a moderate approach. In the end, we implemented reforms that in fact changed a lot of things: we ended discrimination for preexisting conditions, and covered millions of uninsured Americans. We ended the insider dealings of Wall St. by requiring derivatives to be traded openly. And we stopped the recession, while at the same time investing in green industries that will lead our country into a new era of prosperity and freedom from foreign oil.<br /><br /><b>Socialists? Tyrants? Hardly. <i>Democrats have acted morally and responsibly, and history will vindicate them for how much they achieved in two short years.</i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-21277338761527946132010-10-02T09:59:00.000-07:002010-11-23T10:03:33.298-08:00Dobbs, Whitman, and The Lie of Tax Cuts for the Rich<b><i>I hope you have all been following the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/08/lou-dobbs-nations-isabel-_n_755416.html">story about how Lou Dobbs had illegal immigrants working for him</a>, because this issue - along with the recent Meg Whitman scandal - says something very important about the difference between Democrats and Republicans.</i></b><br /><br />Dobbs crusaded on his show against companies who hire illegal immigrants. Dobbs made it clear that he thinks there is NO excuse, even if a subcontractor hires them.<br /><br />Now, we find out that Dobbs is hiding behind the same excuse. The problem with Lou, is that he is a hypocrite with his "Do as I say, not as I do" attitude. He isn't even denying that contractors hired illegal workers.<br /><br /><i><b>The larger point that needs to be made, though, is this: Dobbs, Whitman, Romney, and all the other *wealthy* right-wingers who have been caught benefiting from illegal workers, are addicted to cheap labor.</b></i><br /><br />And that's what really gets me. These people are RICH, for gosh-sakes, they have PLENTY of money to hire American workers at a decent wage if they practiced half the things they preach!<br /><br />Don't blame the immigrants, who work harder for less than our own citizens. Blame the rich folks like Dobbs, Whitman, and the rest, who have every opportunity to hire American workers, but who are so cheap they just won't do it.<br /><br />These rich right-wingers benefit from illegal workers, while at the same time they use the immigration issue to divide American workers and illegal workers. What we really need is for American workers and immigrant workers to band together to end the addiction to cheap labor for rich hypocrites like Dobbs.<br /><br /><b>One final point:</b> Republicans have been selling us on this idea that if we cut taxes for the rich again, they will create jobs. The failure of this idea can be illustrated so well in cases like Dobbs, Whitman, and Romney. <b>Those rich people who have every means of creating jobs for Americans, have been caught in a lie. Their actions have proven they have no intention whatsoever of creating good jobs for Americans. Cheap labor only. That's the Republican way!</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-80189475317069679092010-10-01T17:52:00.000-07:002010-10-01T17:53:16.137-07:00"How Democrats Can Pull Off the Mother of All UpsetsI hope you all get a chance to read Michael Moore's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/five-ways-the-democrats-c_b_746761.html">great piece on Huffingtonpost</a> today, in which he shares prescription for victory, and argues for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/five-ways-the-democrats-c_b_746761.html">five things Democrats can do to win in November</a><br /><br /><b>He then asks his fellow democrats to contribute their own ideas, so I thought I'd share mine here. Feel free to add your own, or go over to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/five-ways-the-democrats-c_b_746761.html#">Huffingtonpost and share them with Michael Moore</a>, too.</b> <br /><br />Voters like candidates who stand for their values, as opposed to those who waffle on them. Therefore, Democrats should stand proud for the historic achievements they made in 2 short years, despite the GOP obstructing a record number of bills.<br /><br />Democrats have passed smart, moral, and financially sound reforms.<br /><br />Stand proud for the Affordable Care Act, which ended discrimination for preexisting conditions, and covered millions of uninsured Americans, all while remaining budget neutral.<br /><br />They should be proud of Financial Reform, which prevents another collapse like the one we had in 2008, by creating a new market for derivatives trading, updating regulations, and creating a consumer watchdog agency to protect us against unfair business practices.<br /><br />Democrats should be proud of the Recovery Act, which stopped the recession, while at the same time cutting taxes for working Americans to the lowest point in over 50 years.<br /><br />They should speak out about the 100 billion investment in private green tech sector growth, which will lead to a renewal of our American manufacturing infrastructure and will put America on the leading edge of the coming green economic boom.<br /><br /><b>The Democrats have shown vision</b>, as opposed to the other party which just stands there and says no.<br /><br /><b>Democrats should be proud of making that vision a possibility.</b><br /><br /><b>They turned this country in a new direction, and opened the door to a brighter future.<br /><br />In November, we need to get out the vote and walk through that open door.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-3714602093831691312010-09-08T13:07:00.001-07:002010-09-08T13:32:05.446-07:00Getting the Job Done: How Democrats Can Win in November<b>In the historic American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Democrats enacted the largest investment ever in Green Energy.</b> This investment is pumping billions of dollars into one of the strongest areas of our economy. Shortly after President Obama passed the Recovery Act, China - recognizing the economic potential of a Green Tech Boom - invested a similar amount of money in their own Green Tech sectors.<br /><br /><b><i>The Green Tech sector was the last to be hit by the Recession, and the first to recover. Today, new Wind Turbine jobs outnumber new Coal Mining jobs. These are private sector jobs, people. American manufacturing jobs, turning shuttered factories into wind energy, and high-tech battery manufacturers.</i></b><br /><br />These investments will not only revitalize our economy, but will also renew our American manufacturing infrastructure. Its time we started exporting American ingenuity once again, and its Democrats who have led the charge on this issue!<br /><br />This is the future of our Economy, and Democrats have seen it, and led the way. They have seized this moment and turned our country in the right direction, after years of misguided and out-dated policies.<br /><br />We have acted boldly in turning the page toward a clean energy future, and a freedom from foreign oil. It might not happen overnight, but a vast majority of the American people believe it *should* happen soon. We cannot turn back now.<br /><br />But let's be clear: renewing our infrastructure through advancements in Green Tech, means big change for the powerful forces who stand to lose in the new energy economy. Change for the greater good, does not mean everybody always wins. There are entrenched interests who benefit from the way things are, even if our country suffers as a result.<br /><br /><b>The powerful forces standing in the way of Change have not stood idly by - they see the November campaigns as a business investment, and with the supreme court's recent decision to allow corporations - some of them foreign - to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections, they are doing everything they can to prevent America from turning the page, and changing for the better.</b><br /><br />These powerful interests are trying as hard as they can to make people fear the important changes our country needs to make. These are big changes that are having a profound effect on our people from every state, every region. The recent economic collapse has shaken people, shaken their confidence in our economy. The GOP - at the behest of powerful special interests - has taken advantage of people's fears. They seek to divide us, rather than unify us. While Democrats are focused on positive solutions, and have worked hard to turn the page toward a more hopeful future, our opponents have spread fear, anger, and their only solution is to repeal the progress we have already made.<br /><br /><b>We can't let fear prevent us from getting the job done. We all know it needs to be done, and someone has got to do it. We cannot turn back now. Finish the job, Democrats. Stand proud for the new path we have turned America on. The path that leads to economic prosperity, freedom from foreign oil, and a revitalized American manufacturing infrastructure.</b><br /><br /><b>Martin Luther King wrote:</b><br /><i>Fear knocked on the door<br />Faith answered<br />There was no one there.</i><br /><br /><b><i>Over the last year and a half, Democrats have opened that door. The Republican Party stands in our way, trying to scare the American People from stepping through that door, into a brighter future. Our job as Democrats - from now until November - is to remind America that we opened the door, and to give them faith in the brighter future that awaits. In November, let's unify our country, and take a step through that door into a new century of responsibility and prosperity!</i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-10668598599463310472010-08-31T13:16:00.000-07:002010-09-08T13:16:50.251-07:00"The Waterworld of White Self-Pity"<div class="body"><p><strong>Christopher Hitchens just wrote <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2265515/">a brilliant article</a> about Glenn Beck and the Tea Party on Slate.com, that I highly recommend you read.</strong> </p><p>Hitchen's basic premise is that tea partiers perceive themselves as an oppressed minority, and seek to reverse the advances of other oppressed Americans, because they fear losing their white privilege. He writes,</p><blockquote>In a rather curious and confused way, some white people are starting almost to think like a minority, even like a persecuted one. What does it take to believe that Christianity is an endangered religion in America or that the name of Jesus is insufficiently spoken or appreciated? Who wakes up believing that there is no appreciation for our veterans and our armed forces and that without a noisy speech from Sarah Palin, their sacrifice would be scorned? It's not unfair to say that such grievances are purely and simply imaginary, which in turn leads one to ask what the real ones can be. The clue, surely, is furnished by the remainder of the speeches, which deny racial feeling so monotonously and vehemently as to draw attention.</blockquote><p>I love that last part about how much the speeches focus on a denial of racial feeling as to make you question why. <em>Methinks thou doth protest too much.</em> </p><p><strong>Are Tea Partiers really going to win in November, as they constantly boast?</strong> </p><p>Tea Partiers pretend they are an oppressed minority, while at the same time they brag about how they are going to win in November. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002529-503544.html">According to a CBS News poll</a>, 84 percent of Tea Partiers believe they represent the views of most Americans, but overall Americans disagree: 25 percent say the Tea Party represents their views, while 36 percent say it does not. </p><p>The Tea Party wants to have it both ways: they claim are both an oppressed minority <em>(89 percent white according to the poll)</em>, AND at the same time they are the majority of voting Americans. </p><p>Something's got to give. My bet is that all this braggadocio about winning in November is nothing more than boastful bullying. Let the Tea Party be the minority they claim to be - they are the last gasp of a dying population: bigoted, fearful, and exclusionary. </p><p>Win in November? Hardly. Not if we GOTV.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-53778162055564587122010-08-30T13:15:00.000-07:002010-09-08T13:16:10.984-07:00Beck's Rally, and the Spiritual Foundation of the Christian TalibanRecent news articles - including those on left leaning publications - have been marveling at the fact that Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally delivered a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/28/post_497_n_698048.html">"Religious, not political message."</a><br /><br /> Really? Anyone who writes about politics and claims this event was more about religion than politics needs to have their head examined!<br /><br /> They are forgetting one of the most important things about politics: All politics is moral. This rally attempts to build a religious underpinning to Beck's radical political ideas. <br /><br />It attempts to blanket his followers politics under the cloak of religion, much like the way the Taliban cloaks their radical politics under religion.<br /><br /> We know what these folks believe, by now there should be no question about it. They have radical ideas that subvert our constitution. They believe they are the only true Americans, and anyone who disagrees is to be treated like an enemy. They believe they are at war with anyone who disagrees with them. They believe only their ideas have validity, and they are willing to engage in extreme measures - such as armed revolt - to enforce their far right ideology.<br /><br />So when Imam Beck and the former Republican vice presidential candidate stand before this crowd and talk about Christianity, it must be noted they are talking about a very specific kind of Christianity: it does not include you or me, or anyone else who takes a different view. It is no less than the beginning of a spiritual foundation from which to grow an American Christian Taliban.<br /><br />"Not political?" Give me a break!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-55736542976992653652010-07-28T13:14:00.001-07:002010-09-08T13:15:17.905-07:00On Being Angry at the President for Not Being BolderA lot of progressive people who voted for Obama in 2008 have been expressing anger about him not being more bold in his presidency. Its understandably frustrating that we worked so hard to elect this candidate, and we believed so strongly in ideas like the Public Option, that we feel let down when it doesn't happen 100% the way we think it should.<br /><br />Its frustrating because we know deep down that if we could just implement strong progressive policies, we could solve *so* many problems. We could prosper as a nation. We could even save money.<br /><br /> But we are pitted in an ideological battle that has been going on in America since its founding. It predates Barack Obama. And I think we must keep this in mind as we roll up to the November 2010 Mid-term elections.<br /><br />Remember, when the candidate Obama told us that the work couldn't end in the election - that even after the election he would need our help - and our party would need our help - during what would be a long hard fight to bring change?<br /><br />Personally, I was under no illusions about Obama when I voted for him: I knew I was voting for someone who I believed would act from the goodness of his heart and the strength of his intellect when given the enormous and *conflicted* job of President. That whatever faced in inside that Oval Office, he would do the best he could given the circumstances.<br /><br />And so he went - into that bubble we call the American Presidency. And he is counting on us out here to both support him and keep him on the straight and narrow. <br /><br />The question then becomes for me: when you feel that anger, when you feel that the president is not acting as bold as he should, what do you do with it?<br /><br />I strongly believe we should channel that energy into finding ways we can positively support the President and our party, while *persuading* them at the same time.<br /><br /> Finding hope in the candidate who we sent to the White House was not that tough; but bringing *change* well that consists of much a harder and imperfect kind of work.<br /><br />Democracy is messy. And if we squander this opportunity - if we allow our party to fracture in anger - then we will lose what little toehold we have gained, and the republicans will take us back to the miserable days of Goerge Bush and Dick Cheney.<br /><br />We cannot allow that to happen. We've already passed some of the most historic reforms in a generation - and we have made the largest ever investment producing a Green Economy with the stimulus. These are changes we should cherish. Can you imagine the chances of these things passing under Republican leadership? Other presidents have tried for decades and failed.<br /><br />So. How do we channel that energy into ways to support our party and increase voter turnout in November? Because if we don't do that, any hope we did once have, will surely never come to be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-22719799558387395532010-07-28T13:14:00.000-07:002010-09-08T13:14:45.290-07:00On Recess Appointments, and the Vote in NovemberThere's a report on the Huffingtonpost today about President Obama and the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/gibbs-whether-obama-makes_n_661058.html">possibility of recess appointments</a> for important nominees, should the GOP continue to block votes on them.<br /><br /> According to press secretary Robert Gibbs, the President said it would depend on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell whether or not recess appointments were made.<br /><br />These important appointments have been held up for political reasons. I'm sorry to say it, but you can't help getting the feeling that some in the GOP *want* our country to hurt, so they can benefit from it in the November elections.<br /><br />In addition holding up important nominations, the GOP has been filibustering a record number of bills from coming to a vote - including a much needed Jobs bill.<br /><br />These actions have a damaging effect on our country, because they are blocking responsible plans to recover our economy. And the longer we wait, the worse it gets.<br /><br />So, while Democrats are doing the hard work trying to get something *done*, the very-powerful minority has actively worked against them.<br /><br />Meanwhile the powerful minority offers no plans of their own, and when pressed the only thing they offer is the same plans George Bush had.<br /><br />Yeah, we saw where that got us. And these guys think they should get *more* power?<br /><br /> I think that in November - when presented with a clear choice of the party who is actually working on solutions vs. the party who jeers from the sidelines - the voters might give the GOP a big surprise.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-1227501167200033542010-04-05T12:53:00.001-07:002010-04-05T12:53:39.595-07:00Republicans of Yesterday Considered "Liberals" by GOP of TodayThere is a lesson in here for us progressives and liberals. We should take note.<br /><br />Justice John Paul Stevens announced he is going to retire during Obama's term - most likely within then next couple of months - and already Republican leaders are vowing to fight against anyone the President nominates who is not deemed conservative enough. The GOP may even hypocritically filibuster Obama's nominee, despite their long-held position that nominees deserve an "up or down vote."<br /><br />The problem for Obama lies in the fact that today's Republicans are far more conservative and ideological than those of the past. <b> Justice John Paul Stevens considers himself a Republican, and he was appointed by a Republican president. So how is is that he is widely considered "the leader of the liberal wing" of the Supreme Court?</b><br /><br />The answer is simple: he is <i>apolitical</i> (as all Justices should be), and since his appointment the court has become highly politicized. In today's Republican party, and its lurch to the hard-right, objectivity is not enough. For the rabid members of today's Republican party, if you are not outwardly ideological; if you are not overtly politicizing everything to the benefit of the fringe right, <b>you might as well be a liberal.</b> Therefore, in his objectivity and his attempt to stay out of politics, Justice Stevens is deemed a "liberal" in the eyes of his Republican brethren.<br /><br />This toxicity is bad for America. The GOP is moving so far to the right, that people once considered centrist republicans are called liberals. In fact, for today's Republican Party the rule is simple: <i>if you are not for them in every way, you must be against them.</i> A party cannot govern with this kind of ideological purity - this litmus test - And thus, we have the Tea Party fielding candidates against their own party if they are not deemed "pure" enough. They will fragment the GOP in their desire for extreme purity.<br /><br />I doubt the Republicans - or the Tea Party for that matter - can win enough voters to turn the tide in their favor. They have painted themselves into an ideological corner. But if they do gain seats in Congress despite their extreme views, it will be bad for America. We are a nation of diverse views and beliefs. We cannot be governed with an ideological iron fist. <br /><br /><b>So get out an make sure your neighbors and friends are voting in 2010! We have so much work left to do, and the election of our new President was only the beginning. We need to support him and support our party, because we are the party of inclusion, not exclusivity; we are a big ideas, big tent party and we will not let the toxicity of ideological purity paint us into a corner.</b> <br /><br />This is what our President believes in. He is a moderate Democrat. I know my colleagues feel he is not liberal enough, but remember he never promised to be. We all knew from the beginning he was much more of a centrist - and if you didn't realize that I'm sorry but you must not have been paying attention. <br /><br />I am as liberal as they get, but I will not hold progress hostage to my own sense of ideological purity. Look at the Republican party of today as an example of where that kind of certainty and purity leads.<br /><br />Thank you for reading,<br />D. TreeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-74722241800738511382010-01-21T08:09:00.001-08:002010-01-21T08:09:35.694-08:00On Opposing the Senate Healthcare Bill... Don't Do It!Dear Fellow Democrats,<br /><br />We worked so hard to elect a Democrat majority in 2006, and Barack Obama in 2008. We accomplished this by coalescing our different internal groups: progressives, liberals, independents, and - yes - even Conservadems. <br /><br />Now that we have some amount of power, I am so saddened to see our party do what it has done in the past: our diverse groups are fragmenting because we expect some "perfect" version of policies to be enacted immediately. We seem unable to act like a TEAM. <br /><br />How will we ever be able to govern, if we cannot compromise with each other? It will be impossible, and we will lose the power we worked so hard to attain... before we ever have a chance to show the American People that our ideas will make this country better.<br /><br />Let me give you an example: Like you, I am receiving emails from various liberal and progressive causes - causes I supported during the elections, and during the fight for a public option. These action groups are now calling on me to petition the President to fire his top adviser. They are calling on me to demand my senators and congresspersons vote against the Healthcare Reform bill because it doesn't have a public option. <b>In essence, at the same time conservatives and independents flee our party, my liberal fellows are actively fighting AGAINST the president we worked to hard to elect!</b><br /><br /><b>My fellow Democrats, don't you see how wrong this is? Have you ever heard the phrase "Cutting off one's nose to spite their face?"</b><br /><br />Please don't misunderstand me. I am as liberal as they get! But I am also a PRAGMATIST. We need to learn a bit of pragmatism in our party. We have a Healthcare Reform bill that will cover over 30 millions uninsured Americans, will end discrimination against pre-existing conditions, and that will reduce the deficit. <b>What, pray tell is wrong with that???</b><br /><br />In politics there is a concept called a "Strategic Initiative." It is an idea that Republicans have long used to powerful effect: When you can't get a "perfect" bill, you pass something as close as you can get. A bill that opens the door to more progressive change, and that makes it harder to turn back time. That is what the Senate Health Reform bill is. Its not perfect, and it doesn't include a public option - something I fought very hard for, and something I know in my heart is necessary for effective reform. Heck, I support a Single Payer system, but I understand its too early for us to get that right now.<br /><br /><b>The House has passed its bill. The Senate has passed theirs. The time for insisting on a Public Option in THIS bill is passed. But, ask yourselves this: Are we more likely to get a public option in the future if we let this bill die? Or, having passed this bill that gets us one step away from a Public Option, will we be in a better position to pass it in the near future?</b><br /><br />Fellow Democrats, we MUST seize this moment and pass reform now. We have delayed long enough. Debated long enough. <b>If we work against this bill now, we are only playing into the hands of Republicans who want to kill the bill and start over. This is wrong politically, and will be the death of progress before it even has a chance.</b><br /><br />Look, Democracy is messy business. Its not perfect, and it will never be! We cannot afford to hold progress hostage to our own perfect versions of reality! If we do not learn how to compromise with each other to form a Governing Coalition, we shall never achieve our progressive aims and our beloved country will only suffer further under the leadership of a party that CAN work lockstep together - and you know who that is.<br /><br />Thank you for your time,<br />D. TreeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-62597281594914250952009-12-03T02:55:00.000-08:002009-12-03T02:56:44.803-08:00Unacceptable: 40% of Democrats Say They Won't Vote Next YearMy fellow Democrats we should be very alarmed at a<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/30/forty-percent-of-democrat_n_373721.html"><b> new report that says forty percent of Democrats "Probably won't vote" next year</b></a><br /><blockquote>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.<br /><br /></blockquote> Sure, the Republican Party is in disarray and imploding on itself, but we cannot allow that to make us lazy. <b>In electing Barack Obama, we made a promise that we would stay involved. It was as much about us, as it was about him.</b> Now we have as much responsibility as he does in fixing the problems America is faced with.<br /><br />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. <b>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.</b><br /><br />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 <b><i>any</i></b> seats in Congress next year. <b>Do you realize all it takes is ONE more republican senator getting elected, to kill our majority and hamstring the president? <i>One</i>. Think about that.</b><br /><br />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 <b>every Democrat gets out and votes in the 2010 Congressional Elections, so we can INCREASE our majority.<br /><br />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!!<br /><br />----<br /></b><br />P.S. - a note to Chairman Tim Kaine and the staff at the DNC<br /><br /><i>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!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-67014042481312320662009-11-28T06:10:00.001-08:002009-11-28T06:10:35.577-08:00Obama Pushes Lobbyists Off Advisory BoardsBy now most of you should be aware of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/27/obama-pushes-lobbyists-of_n_372070.html">sweeping Lobbyist Reform President Obama has ordered</a>, but not surprisingly it has yet to be covered on mainstream news outlets like CNN.<br /><br />In case you missed this big piece of news, here are some highlights:<blockquote>In a little-noticed <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Lobbyists-on-Agency-Boards-and-Commissions">blog post</a> published on the White House website in September, <b>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.</b></blockquote><br />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!<br /><blockquote>On Friday, the Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/26/AR2009112602362.html">reported</a> that the move <b>"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.</b><br /><br /><br />Not surprisingly, lobby groups, corporations, and other K Street influencers are up in arms."</blockquote><br />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! <br /><br />I'm proud of our President for making this change. <b>It is yet one more example of how Barack Obama is living up to his promise to change Washington.</b><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-1915495187251453832009-11-22T04:18:00.000-08:002009-11-22T04:19:04.840-08:00Senate Opens Debate on Health Reform: A Proud Moment for our Democracy<b>The Senate made me proud when they overcame a GOP filibuster threat and voted to open debate on <a href="http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/">The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.</a></b><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b>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.</b><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b>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.</b><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b>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.</b><br /><br /><b><i>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.</i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-68685005068767647282009-10-22T00:38:00.000-07:002009-10-22T00:39:18.343-07:00CBO:Dem Bill with Public Option Reduces Deficit<b><a href="http://us.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/21/health.care.cbo/index.html">CNN reported today, "CBO finds Dem bill with public option reduces deficit,"</a></b><br /> <blockquote>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.<br /><br /> CBO also found that the Democrats' bill reduces the deficit in the first 10 years. </blockquote> <b>Just more evidence confirming what we already know: offering a public option to small businesses and the uninsured saves the most money.</b><br /><br />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. <br /><br /><b>Spread the word high and low!</b><br /><br />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 <b>one by one.</b> <br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-22440729112278775852009-10-16T13:13:00.000-07:002010-09-08T13:14:10.721-07:00Defining Our Progressive Coalition<div class="body"><p>Right now my primary concern as a Dem is keeping our party together amidst so many different factions.<br /><br />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....<br /><br /><strong>To that end, what I'd really like to see is some discussion of "Defining Our Coalition."</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).</p><p><strong>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.</strong><br /><br />Thanks for everything that you do,<br />D. Tree</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-64974084311989947002009-10-16T01:48:00.001-07:002009-10-16T01:48:40.192-07:00Defining the Progressive CoalitionRight now my primary concern as a Dem is keeping our party together amidst so many different factions. <br /> <br />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....<br /><br /><b>To that end, what I'd really like to see is some discussion of "Defining Our Coalition."</b><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br /><b>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.</b><br /><br /><b>NEW GROUP: if you are interested in this idea, and if you would like to contribute to the discussion please <a href="http://www.democrats.org/page/group/BuildingtheProgressiveCoalition">JOIN the new group Building the Progressive Coalition</a>.</b><br /><br />Thanks for everything that you do,<br />D. TreeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2696679390057714187.post-15285292713309026942009-09-28T15:25:00.000-07:002009-09-28T15:26:03.378-07:00Republicans Want "Death Room" Health CareYou know how the Republicans are always talking about "Death Panels" and such?<br /><br />And they also talk about how no one is denied care in America <i>"Just go to the Emergency Room,"</i> they say.<br /><br />(p.s. don't worry about being bankrupted, or worse - making the taxpayers pickup your bill).<br /><br />Well, remember that video that make news last year of <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/07/01/waiting.room.death/index.html">a woman dying on the waiting room floor</a> and no one even noticed? <br /><br />Take a look at that and you will see the kind of health care Republicans are promoting. <b>The are promoting Death Rooms.</b><br /><br />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."<br /><br />Republicans actions reveal their own weaknesses: why haven't they come up with a plan of their own? <b>Because the Status Quo *is* their plan. <i>The like Death Room Health Care just fine.</i></b><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b>A public option will save us so much money.</b><br /><br />People argue it will hurt the insurance industry too much - but how else do you propose to cut costs?<br /><br />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!<br /><br />And as for those Republicans who prefer Death Rooms and bankruptcy, they are just useless. <b>And passage of a strong health care reform bill will insure their sound DEFEAT in the next elections.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0