Month: February 2010

A New Attack On Disabled Children By Religious Bigot In Virginia!:(

Ronald 2 Comments

A member of the Virginia legislature has declared that disabled children have been increasing in greater numbers because of women having abortions.

State Delegate Bob Marshall said that disabled children are born to women who have abortions because God is punishing them for their sin!

How does this explain disabled children who are born to women who DON’T have abortions, Mr. Marshall? And why are you condemning disabled children as a punishment, rather than see them as God’s “special” children who can bring their own joys and happiness to their parents, and whose innocence is very appealing in a world which includes such mean, nasty people as you, a supposedly religious person, who is above all a zealot and bigot, NOT a “good Christian” based on his own hatred and poisonous, uncaring rhetoric? 🙁

The best thing this jerk could do is resign in shame from the Virginia legislature, and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and all Republican leaders in this country need to condemn the narrow mindedness and prejudice that this man represents!

And Sarah Palin, in the name of decency, needs to come out squarely against this kind of outrage, although the fact that he is a Republican, will she, or just dismiss it, as she did, after Rush Limbaugh used the term “retard”? Come on, Sarah, be consistent in the name of your son, Trig! 🙁

A Federal Agency To Regulate Health Insurance Premium Increases A Great Step Forward!

Ronald 3 Comments

The health insurance industry is running amuck with tremendous jumps in premiums, which will force many middle and lower class citizens to have to drop health care, just at a time when there is a great need to expand coverage to millions, who have none at all.

Therefore, the announcement that President Obama is calling for a health insurance commission to have the power to control premium increases in the public interest is an important step to curb the runaway inflation on health care!

Of course, many Republicans will say it is “socialism”, but actually it really is an extension of REGULATION in the public interest, as we cannot allow corporations to forestall the essential passage of health insurance controls on rates, that allow citizens to insure what all of us are entitled to at birth: good health care!

This is one step in preparation for the Health Care Summit at Blair House this Thursday, but already the GOP is indicating it will refuse to back controls on health care costs. It will be interesting to see how this Thursday event plays itself out!

Scott Brown Goes Independent On Jobs Bill: A Surprise For Republicans!

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Newly elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown is making news by going Independent on his first big vote–a procedural move to allow a Jobs bill to be adopted by the Senate.

At first thought, this may be surprising, as Brown bragged, after he beat Margaret Coakley, that he was the 41st vote to stop health care reform.

But I think Brown recognizes that his victory is not really a trend at all, but rather a fluke, and lucky break for him, due to a dull, boring, opponent.

Had a Kennedy run for the seat of Ted Kennedy, Brown would not now be a Senator. The odds are heavy that a Kennedy will run to reclaim Ted Kennedy’s seat in 2012, when a full term comes up for a vote.

The rumor is that Joe Kennedy, former Congressman from 1987-1999, and son of Robert Kennedy, will run, and it is hard to imagine Brown winning over him, or really any Kennedy. If he is going to have a chance to win, however, Scott Brown must break with his party a lot, and show he is more a New Englander than a Republican, or else his tenure in the Senate will be indeed very brief!

Meanwhile, let’s applaud Brown for dolng the right thing for his constituents and the nation’s jobless!

Colin Powell Defends Obama National Security Record

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Former Secretary of State Colin Powell went on Face The Nation today to defend President Obama’s record in the war against terrorism.

He criticized those who have claimed that Obama is undermining our national security. These, of course, include former Vice President Dick Cheney, the Republican leaders and many rank and file members in the House and Senate, and the conservative talk show hosts.

It is a major point in favor of Obama that he has Powell willing to defend his record, which has been outstanding in fighting against terrorism in Afghanistan, and working to overcome the dangers at home.

But realize that no plan on national security can absolutely guarantee total safety, as the bad guys still have the edge. However, the intellligence gathering has worked well so far, and many objective observers feel this charge of weakness on the part of Obama is just a cheap shot by the opposition!

CNN Poll Shows Government Is “Broken”, But Can Be Fixed: What Is The Answer?

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A new CNN poll shows that 86 percent of those polled think the US government is “broken”, but 81 percent think it can be fixed if we can get cooperation of both political parties in Congress.

Of course, that seems unlikely, because the reality is the only way to deal with the horrible growing deficits that threaten our economic stability, is to do two things–raise taxes and cut spending!

Neither one alone can work! We have been avoiding the reality that when we have had constant tax cuts under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, we were just delaying the ultimate reality, which is that we must pay for the government services we want and need! There is no free ride!

But we also need government spending cuts on a bipartisan basis, but not just by itself, as that is an impossibility to deal with this crisis!

The future is likely a national sales tax or value added tax as an alternative, as many nations in the world already have. It is a very unpleasant reality, but it is ultimately unavoidable. It has been totally irresponsible for Congress and the Presidents over the past thirty years to act as if they they can spend on everything the people need or want, and what we need for our defense, and somehow evade paying for it.

But with longevity growing in this country, another reform of social security for future recipients, starting at a substantially later age, is essential. And Medicare and Medicaid, sadly, will also have to be reformed, as it is eating up such a large portion of spending.

Additionally, we are going to have to decide that we cannot be the world’s policeman to the same extent we are now, as we simply are going bankrupt with defense spending. We need to protect our nation, but there has to be a cheaper way to do so, with other nations not expecting that our budget will supply their defense everywhere in the world!

Tough choices have to be made, and the sooner the better for the future of our children and grandchildren!

The Mount Vernon Conservative Statement Of Principles

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Leading conservatives gathered this past Wednesday, the day before the Conservative Political Action Conference meeting in Washington, DC, at the estate of George Washington in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Their purpose was to sign and announce a new set of principles to unite conservatives on economics, social issues, and foreign policy, for the upcoming battle to regain control of the national government in 2010 and 2012.

The statement signed by 18 representatives of various conservative organizations emphasizes the principles of the Founding Fathers, including checks and balances, limited government, the rule of law, individual liberty, free enterprise, advancing freedom, opposing tyranny, and defense of famly, neighborhood, community and faith. Emphasis on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is part of the basic principles of this group statement.

This all sounds great on paper and in theory, but there are some major misconceptions in the document. The Founding Fathers did not all agree on the interpretation of what the national government should have the power to do. Thus, they put into the Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, the “Elastic Clause”, which states that Congress and the national government shall make all laws which are “necessary and proper” and for the “common defense and general welfare”.

Also, the debate about what level of government should have which powers erupted between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and that debate, a legitimate one, remains alive and well today in political party differences, and in the Supreme Court and lower Federal court interpretations of the Constitution.

Additionally, the Founding Fathers did not want international involvement and intervention anywhere near the scale of what the United States is engaged in today, and even conservatives are bitterly divided about overseas engagements, including Ron Paul (who just won the CPAC presidential straw poll) and Pat Buchanan. Is it the job of our nation to spread democracy everywhere by force? Many Republicans historically have been isolationist, and some still are even today!

Also, while the Founding Fathers were believers in freedom of religion, the vast majority wanted to promote separation of church and state, and yet many conservatives and Republicans today want to advocate religion being intimately involved in decision making by government. And when many conservatives want government involved in promoting morality, that is often interfering with individual liberty!

The point is that this Mount Vernon statement contradicts the reality of what the Founding Fathers believed in, and fails to address the reality that it is now 234 years since the independence of the nation, and we are no longer living in the 18th century!

Is it not necessary to promote basic principles, but also recognize that we are in the 21st century, and the nation and the world are vastly different than it was in 1776 and 1787?

Is it not true that conservatives have often violated their own stated series of principles? Is there not hypocrisy and a self serving nature to this document, to perpetuate the advantages of certain privileged classes over the rest of the American population?

In reality, this Mount Vernon Conservative Statement of Principles is simply a clarion call to avoid change and reform, which are essential to promote a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people”!

Glenn Beck Rewrites American History: The Big Lie Technique!

Ronald 10 Comments

Conservative Fox News talk show host Glenn Beck gave the keynote address last evening at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC, and in so doing, he rewrote American history, creating his own distorted, warped view of the past.

Anyone who teaches or is a scholar of American history needs to condemn what he has done, as the use of lies and deception and false statistics to mislead the American people!

What did Glenn Beck have to say? Well, according to him, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin D. Roosevelt were villains, while Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Ronald Reagan were heroes! The recession of 1920 was worse than the Great Depression of 1929 in the sense of economic statistics, but Harding and Coolidge saved the day, while Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt destroyed the economy and made things worse!

US involvement in World War I and World War II was wrong, as international involvement was not necessary, as we could retreat from the world and stop caring what other nations think and do!

The real culprit is Progressivism and Liberalism according to Beck. It all began with Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who decided that “big government” and “international cooperation” were essential. It continued under Herbert Hoover, who was a Progressive according to Hoover, and made worse by the ultimate Progressive and Liberal, Franklin D. Roosevelt!

Under Warren G. Harding and particularly Calvin Coolidge, the middle class became the largest in history it has ever been, according to Beck. Ronald Reagan knew his history, Beck declares, when he said Coolidge was his favorite President in the sense of economic success!

All of the above is totally whacko! The vast number of historians and scholars accept, of course, that ALL presidents have their definite shortcomings, blunders, and weaknesses, and a true historical assessment always balances pro and con. Certainly, this author accepts that one must understand the complexity of Presidential personalities and deeds and statements.

But, it is a fact that Theodore Roosevelt is rated in most polls Number 4 among Presidents; Woodrow Wilson is rated a little lower down in the top ten of Presidents; Franklin D. Roosevelt is rated Number 2 or 3 among all Presidents; and Herbert Hoover is rated as being a Conservative, not a Progressive, and as either a failure, or certainly below average in his time in the Presidency.

Warren G. Harding is rated a failure in the White House, in the bottom five; Calvin Coolidge is rated at best as below average, sometimes below Hoover and sometimes just above Hoover, as he is blamed for the economic policies that caused the Great Depression, while Hoover is primarily blamed for slow reaction to the reality of the Depression.

Wilson and FDR had to take us into World Wars I and II, as Germany in both wars and Japan in the Second World War were real threats to our national security. Certainly, however, neither one rushed to take us to war, but events forced the issue.

To say that the Recession of 1920 was worse in many ways than the early days of the Great Depression is a mind boggling statement that has never been enunciated by any serious economist or historian!

Ronald Reagan is rated as above average by historians, usually the bottom of the top ten or just below that. But one must remember that his economic policies harmed the middle class, made for a new growth of poverty, and his tripling of the national debt was the beginning of the debt crisis we now face. Remember, our national debt was one trillion dollars when he came in, and three trillion when he left, and a good part of our present problem is due to him and another “conservative” President named George W. Bush!

Also, realize that the national debt grew far less under Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, than under Ronald Reagan and both Presidents Bush!

So Glenn Beck is promoting what was once called the Big Lie technique. If you are creative enough in lying, and know how to deliver a speech and impress your listeners, as Glenn Beck has the talent to do, you are indeed dangerous!

Oh, by the way, in conclusion, who is famous for utilizing the Big Lie? A man named ADOLF HITLER! 🙁

The CPAC Straw Poll Results: Totally Preposterous! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

The Conservative Political Action Conference finished its convention yesterday evening with the announcement of the results of its straw poll on who should be the GOP Presidential nominee in the Presidential Election of 2012.

Eleven people were on the ballot, including: Governors Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, and Mitch Daniels; Senators John Thune and Rick Santorum; and House members Newt Gingrich, Mike Pence, and Ron Paul.

I wish to point out that Romney, Huckabee, Palin, Santorum, and Gingrich are all out of office. Also, realize that the odds of a member of the House of Representatives becoming President are next to nil, as only one, James Garfield, was ever elected, and unfortunately he was assassinated, dying within six months of his taking the oath.

Only about 25 percent of the people who attended the conference participated in the straw poll, which was won for the past three years by Mitt Romney. Romney certainly is a legitimate contender and has the qualities needed to be a serious Presidential candidate, but this year he did not win the straw poll.

Instead, Romney ended up in second place, behind, of all people, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas! This is a shocking and preposterous result, and is totally lacking in reality within Republican ranks!

Paul winning is more the reaction of young conservatives, including college students, who find him appealing because he is against overseas involvement and is a major advocate of small government and low taxes.

But Ron Paul’s chances of being the GOP nominee are less than zero in reality. The Republican party is not going to nominate the only possible candidate who wants to withdraw from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a man who was basically ridiculed in GOP debates in the 2008 primary campaign by John McCain, Rudy Guiliani, and basically, all the other GOP candidates.

Also, and not meant to be a statement of age discrimination, but face the facts: Ron Paul will be 77 in 2012, and therefore would be 81 to 85 at the end of a first and second term in the White House! Are we likely to elect someone who would be almost the age of Ronald Reagan at the end of his second term when he first takes the oath? Let’s get real!

Also, while there are those who enthuse about Ron Paul, he does not come across well in debate or on television, so it is safe to say that he may have beaten out his ten rivals in this silly CPAC poll, but any of the others are more likely to be nominated than the Texas Congressman, including the controversial Sarah Palin.

My impression is that while there may be lots of discontent toward President Obama, the Republicans cannot win an election for President based on that alone. They have to have a LEGITIMATE candidate as the alternative to the President, and that is going to be very hard to do.

Facing this reality, if the GOP was smart, they would nominate Mitt Romney as easily the best qualified to run, but with the religious influence of evangelical Christians and the basic distaste of Republicans for the Northeast, will they be willing to nominate a former Massachusetts governor who happens to be a Mormon, a group which most evangelicals think of as a cult? Stay tuned! 🙂

Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Economic Stimulus, And The Tea Party Movement

Ronald 1 Comment

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was on This Week this morning, and he took a very different stand than congressional Republicans on the economic stimulus and the Tea Party Movement.

Saying that the gain or saving of 150,000 jobs in his state, many of them teachers, police officer and firefighters was a major plus, he repudiated the idea that the economic stimulus had failed to have any effect.

He also said that the Tea Party Movement was not going to go anywhere politically, as he perfectly understood the frustration of millions of people regarding the terrible economic downturn, but that it was simply a world wide reality of discontent in difficult times for families and individuals. He endorsed the Obama approach to the economy, which will, of course, only further separate him from his Republican party colleagues who continue to oppose everything the President does or says.

Of course, Schwarzenegger is a moderate Republican, a dying breed, sadly, in the GOP! 🙁

Republicans In Office Versus Republicans Out Of Office

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A very interesting contrast can be made between Republicans in Congress, and former Republican leaders and presidential advisers under past Republican presidents.

While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and other Republican leaders, and really just about all the Republicans in Congress, act totally obstructionist on health care, climate control and every other issue, including foreign policy and national security, those former Republican stalwarts from past times are in many cases disagreeing with their party and being at least somewhat supportive of President Obama.

Among those who are acting statesmanlike are Bob Dole of Kansas, former GOP Presidential nominee and Senate Majority Leader; Howard Baker of Tennessee, former White House Chief of Staff and Senate Majority Leader; Alan Simpson, former Wyoming Senator and Minority Whip, who has agreed to serve on Obama’s Deficit Commission to deal with the national debt; Colin Powell, former Secretary of State; and James Baker, former White House Chief of Staff, Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury.

While certainly responsibility for the gridlock and stalemate in Congress is something both parties have to share, it is clear to open minded observers that it is the Republicans who bear the major share of the blame!