Republicans 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 CBS News poll 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.
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.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
70,000 This Weekend- Largest Rally in Wisconsin Yet
Link
Republicans tend to admit they are acting against working people because their unions tend to support Democrats.
Implicit in this argument is the notion that Democrats only support collective bargaining, because of the political benefit they get from union members.
In reality, Democrats' support for collective bargaining comes from a moral value system that Republicans just do not share.
Democrats tend to believe that workers have universal rights, and they should be protected from the potential abuses of those who would employ them.
The support of collective bargaining comes out of this moral foundation - and that's where Republicans and Democrats differ.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And its the same with events across the middle east - let them inspire working America to rediscover our majority!
Republicans tend to admit they are acting against working people because their unions tend to support Democrats.
Implicit in this argument is the notion that Democrats only support collective bargaining, because of the political benefit they get from union members.
In reality, Democrats' support for collective bargaining comes from a moral value system that Republicans just do not share.
Democrats tend to believe that workers have universal rights, and they should be protected from the potential abuses of those who would employ them.
The support of collective bargaining comes out of this moral foundation - and that's where Republicans and Democrats differ.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And its the same with events across the middle east - let them inspire working America to rediscover our majority!
Tim Pawlenty Calls American Workers Greedy, at Tea Party Summit
Link
Tim Pawlenty calls working and middle class Americans "greedy" - while he does his best to make sure Bank of America and other big corporations PAY ZERO in Federal taxes.
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 those who PAY NOTHING IN TAXES.
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.
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!
Tim Pawlenty calls working and middle class Americans "greedy" - while he does his best to make sure Bank of America and other big corporations PAY ZERO in Federal taxes.
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 those who PAY NOTHING IN TAXES.
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.
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!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Protests in Wisconsin Going Nationwide
It 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Tea partiers, and media outlets take note: *this* is what a true majority looks like.
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.
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
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.
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.
Tea partiers, and media outlets take note: *this* is what a true majority looks like.
Al Qaeda Running Scared from Democracy in the Middle East
After their stunned silence during the Egypt uprisings, a frightened Al Qaeda released their first statement on the revolution, warning *against* democracy.
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.
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.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Time for the Right to Learn: the 1st and 2nd Amendments are NOT the Same Thing
We 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.
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.
This misunderstanding of our constitutional rights is pushed by politicians in the Tea Party, and the folks that follow them.
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."
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."
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.
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.
There is no place for the language of gun play, and the use of violent imagery, or the brandishing of weapons in our politics. I urge my fellow democrats to encourage, and to support an effort to ban guns from political events.
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.
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.
This misunderstanding of our constitutional rights is pushed by politicians in the Tea Party, and the folks that follow them.
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."
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."
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.
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.
There is no place for the language of gun play, and the use of violent imagery, or the brandishing of weapons in our politics. I urge my fellow democrats to encourage, and to support an effort to ban guns from political events.
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.
Dems Get Ready
When 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*
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.
Why won't they disavow this behavior? Because they plan to make use of these crazies and their slogans during the election.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why won't they disavow this behavior? Because they plan to make use of these crazies and their slogans during the election.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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