Month: December 2009

Frustration With Senate And GOP Parliamentary Maneuvers

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The anger among progressives over the apparent failure to promote a public option or Medicare for those 55-64, due to Joe Lieberman’s opposition, is now compounded by GOP conservatives using every parliamentary maneuver one can imagine to prevent progress on what is left of the proposed legislation.

Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, himself a physician, utilized the parliamentary maneuver of calling for an out loud reading of the proposed amendment to the bill calling for a single payer system that had been set forth by Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

If Sanders had not intervened and dropped his amendment being voted on, something assuredly to be rejected, it would have taken more than eight hours to read the amendment. That in itself is unbelievable, that the amendment was apparently some 767 pages in length! Why, oh why, does any legislation have to be so lengthy, and particularly just an amendment?

This reality, plus the ever present filibuster, where a minority of 41 senators can stop vote on a bill or a nomination, just adds to the total feeling of frustration with the US Senate, a body I much admire, but of course in theory a very anti-democratic institution where every state is equal, despite the vast differences in population of the fifty states.

But then again, the purpose of the Senate was to slow up legislation and give careful consideration to any move toward new laws. Over the long haul of history, the Senate has been very significant and has had many great members, but there is no doubt that it is a VERY frustrating body in so many ways! 🙁

Howard Dean Wrong To Call For Abandonment Of Health Care Reform

Ronald 1 Comment

Former Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean has denounced the health care legislation being considered by the Senate because of the likelihood that there will be no public option or Medicare alternative for 55-64 years old, in order to keep the support of Joe Lieberman and get a bill passed.

While I am very unhappy at the dominant role that Lieberman has, to abandon the whole idea of health care reform now would mean the likelihood of no reform at all during this presidential term, and possibly for a long time.

As I see it, it is better to get incremental reform than no reform at all, and to cover millions more of those who are not insured.

It is tough to say that compromise is necessary, but realistically it is the only alternative, and President Obama senses that, and in this, he is, I think, a realist and a practical man.

Once this legislation is passed, an effort can be made over time to strengthen the law, with the most important issue now being to accomplish the passage of legislation that, finally after nearly a century since Theodore Roosevelt first suggested it, will move toward the goal of universal health insurance coverage.

Senator Joe Lieberman: A Nightmare For The Democratic Caucus!

Ronald 3 Comments

Senator Joe Lieberman, Independent from Connecticut, has become a nightmare for the Democratic caucus that welcomed him back after his public support of John McCain in 2008, even making him Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Lieberman has been a constant thorn in the side of President Obama, and now has stated he will not support any public option or Medicare extension in the Health Care legislation being considered, and that he might join the filibuster of the Republicans, making it effective by his own vote.

The story of the year could be Joe Lieberman, the 2000 Vice Presidential nominee, preventing his party from enacting the major initiative of the Obama Administration. And this comes on top of news that his wife, Hadassah, works in the health care industry, and that Connecticut is the major center of health care insurance companies.

Apparently, Lieberman does not care about his public image, and is in bed with the insurance companies that rip off many Americans, and with the Republican party, which has no interest in health care reform.

Shame on Joe Lieberman! But also remember that when he ran for the Senate against liberal Republican Senator Lowell Weicker in 1988, that William F. Buckley, Jr, publisher of the conservative National Review, voted for him and said Lieberman was his “favorite Democrat!”

So maybe Lieberman was always not to be trusted as a true Democrat. Now the Democrats are paying the price! 🙁

Senate Democratic Caucus Meeting At White House: Is This The Last Opportunity To Gain Health Care Reform?

Ronald 2 Comments

For the first time since the health care debate began months ago, President Obama has invited the entire Senate Democratic caucus to visit the White House on Tuesday.

Obama needs to push for what he wants at this meeting, as he is often criticized for being too willing to let the Senate do its own thing without major intervention by the White House. He has to be much more assertive than he apparently has been up to this point.

He must act like Lyndon Johnson in overcoming the Senate filibuster over the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Remember that to overcome the opposition forty five years ago, Johnson needed two thirds of the Senate, sixty seven votes, while now only sixty votes, or three fifths of the Senate is needed.

This may be the last opportunity to accomplish the signature program that Obama wishes as his legacy for his Presidency, at least in the first term. The time for active assertiveness is NOW!

The Inscrutable John McCain

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Senator John McCain has often had the image of being a maverick, but now, a year after his loss in the Presidential election, he has become more hard line, even on issues that he once seemed to be flexible.

For instance, his close relationship with Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham seems to have cooled a bit, at least on the subject of global warming, where both senators along with John Kerry, are working on legislation.

But also, he is now closer to Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, with whom he usually has had disputes. And he is extremely harsh on Obama on just about everything, despite his independent image. Only on Afghanistan is he fully supportive of the President.

McCain faces a primary battle, which might explain his hardline conservatism. But he also is fully supportive in public of his former running mate, Sarah Palin, even when she condemned his campaign staff, always managing to say something pleasant about her and her future role in the Republican party.

As always, John McCain is mercurial, unpredictable, and ultimately, inscrutable!

Obama Faces Strong Attacks From The Left, Because He Is Ultimately A Centrist!

Ronald 1 Comment

President Obama has become accustomed to strong attacks from conservatives in the media and in government, but now he is facing virulent attacks from his base, the Left.

Matt Taibbi in the latest issue of Rolling Stone claims that Obama has sold out to Wall Street. By making Timothy Geithner Secretary of the Treasury and Larry Summers head of the National Economic Council, Obama has turned to Wall Street insiders who put us into the mess, declares Taibbi.

NY Times columnist Paul Krugman and Columbia University economist Joseph Stiglitz, both Nobel Prize winners in Economics, also are harshly critical of Obama for not having created massive jobs programs, worrying too much about Wall Street, and not enough about Main Street.

But beyond economics, there is strong criticism from the Left about the continuation of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the lack of progress on gay rights, the endless battle over health care reform which is moving very slowly, and the continuation of Guantanamo Naval Base as a detention center for suspected terrorists.

At the same time, centrist Democrats feel that Obama has accomplished more than any President in his first year since the era of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

My feeling is just that–that Obama has accomplished a lot with a full plate of issues, and that impatience is the problem, expecting too much too soon. Ultimately, the fact that Obama is being attacked from the Right and the Left indicates he is in the center, and doing a pretty good job, much like FDR experiences bitter attacks from both ends of the political spectrum.

Barack Obama And The Banking Industry Meeting At The White House

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On Monday, President Obama will meet with the leaders of the top banks in the nation to encourage them to start offering loans and credit to small businesses, and to deal with the home foreclosure crisis in a more forthcoming way than they have displayed this past year.

Considering that the banks were saved by federal intervention in the last months of the Bush Administration and throughout this year by the Obama Administration, I think it is certainly reasonable to expect them to change their behavior, and for the President to bring real pressure on them to do so.

If they prove resistant to such entreaties, then the President needs to suggest strong action by Congress to assess a windfall profits tax on the banking industry, a suggestion made by Suze Orman, the personal finance expert.

The American people will not tolerate much longer an arrogant attitude by the nation’s banks, who are seen as major villains in the economic crisis that led to the present Great Recession.

A Victory For Gay Rights: Election Of Annise Parker As Mayor Of Houston

Ronald 1 Comment

In the midst of defeats in Maine and New York for gay marriage rights, there occurred yesterday a victory that stands out as significant: the election of an openly gay mayor, Annise Parker, in Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city.

While there have been gay mayors elected in Providence, Rhode Island and and Portland, Oregon, much smaller cities, the fact that the largest Texas city elected a lesbian is notable, particularly in a state where there are strong feelings against gay marriage and gay rights, and a Southern state to boot.

Of course, Ms. Parker had a long career of serving in city government, including most recently as the controller of the city’s finances, but still this is a definite sign of progress. Her victory was by nearly eight points over her rival–54-46 percent.

And the fact that she has had a domestic partner for 19 years and has adopted two children with her partner is also significant. Despite all this, the largest Southern city, right behind the Northern giants of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, all considered to be in “liberal states” as compared to Texas, seen as a “conservative” state, has taken this major step forward in human rights!

Are Republican Governors The Future Of The Party For 2012?

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As one starts to look ahead to the 2012 Presidential election, it seems likely that it will be a governor or former governor who will be the GOP nominee for President.

The Republicans in the Senate are a pitiful lot, totally opposed to anything Barack Obama promotes, or too out of date to appeal to the future, or actually retiring in 2010, or being too moderate (such as Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins) to have any chance of consideration. The one exception at this point is Senator John Thune of South Dakota, who has some chance of being touted for President after he wins back his seat in 2010 for another six year term.

But it is former Governors Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney who most stand out now, as well as sitting governors Mitch Daniels of Indiana and Haley Barbour of Mississippi, as well as Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

Additionally, possible future governors such as John Kasich in Ohio (with a long career in the House of Representatives previously) and former EBay CEO Meg Whitman in California could be added to the list, as well as new Governor Bob McDonnell in Virginia. Some even see Rick Perry, ten years Governor of Texas and facing a very difficult primary against Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, as a possible alternative despite his secession talk this past summer, which should likely destroy any chance of considering him seriously, were he to keep his governorship for another four years.

There is talent here, but so many have strong weaknesses and the last few might not even win or retain their seats as governors, so speculation may be rampant, but it is certainly too early to say who will rise from the pack to leadership of the GOP.

Barack Obama And The African American Community Disillusionment

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An interesting development is the growing criticism of President Obama by the African American community, particularly the Congressional Black Caucus.

There has been growing criticism by many African American spokesmen in and out of Congress that the President has not yet addressed the skyrocketing unemployment and foreclosure problems faced by many in their communities as a result of the Great Recession.

Many feel that Obama has gone out of his way NOT to favor or promote the interests of their community, almost as if he wants to avoid seeming to lean in the direction of people of his own heritage to avoid being considered a racist or as a “black” President.

It shows the problem Obama has, that if he were to show obvious attention to his specific heritage group, it would anger many working class whites who already are suspicious of his motives. But by avoiding such a connection, his own community is rapidly becoming disillusioned with him regarding these crucial economic issues.