Month: December 2011

House Speaker John Boehner Needs To Show Some “Cajones”!

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Speaker of the House John Boehner is now faced with a revolt against the Senate passed two month extension of the middle class payroll tax cut, the continuation of unemployment compensation for those on it, and the delay in cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

The vote in the Senate was 89-10, but now Tea Party House Republicans are refusing to support the extension, which is far from ideal, as there should have been an agreement to extend these provisions for an entire year.

But at this late date of the calendar year, if no action is taken, then these provisions will expire, and Senate Democrats have made it clear there will be no return to Washington DC by the adjourned Senate. If taxes go up for the middle class; unemployment benefits are ended; and Medicare doctors lose some of their payments, there will be hell to pay!

It is time, after a year of conflict and confrontation that is the worst in Congressional history, that Speaker Boehner show some “cajones”, and make it clear that the Tea Party radicals are not going to hold the nation hostage for the umpteenth time! The 112th Congress MUST get its act together, and not a moment to waste!

Boehner has to show he has the capability of former Speakers such as Sam Rayburn, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, and even Newt Gingrich, to get things done!

Boehner needs to impose discipline and make these radicals know who is the boss, even at the sacrifice of his Speakership in the next Congress!

He will need to work with traditional conservative Republicans and Democrats to get the country’s business accomplished this next year, as we cannot tolerate another year of such confrontational government!

Refusal to do so will convince voters to give up the experiment in divided government, and the Republicans will be the losers!

It is time for everyone of common decency and humanity to declare “war” on the Tea Party, come hell or high water, and put the nation’s needs in the forefront!

The Republican Attack On The Constitution: A Threat To American Democracy!

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The Republican Party loves to assert that the Democrats, and progressives in particular, are attacking the Constitution, and that they are the experts on the Constitution.

So therefore, in this Presidential primary season, and in the party membership in Congress, there are statements constantly attacking the court system, anytime that a federal judge or court issues a decision against the conservative view of the Constitution. There are condemnations and calls to change the court system on a regular basis.

One would think that the Democrats and their progressive friends have dominated the courts in recent decades, which, of course, is the exact opposite of the truth!

One forgets that from 1969-2011, there have been only 15 years of Democratic control of the Presidency, as compared to 28 years of Republican control.

The vast majority of federal judges have been Republican appointments, as a result, and Republican Presidents have made a total of 13 Supreme Court appointments over those years, and Democrats have made only 4, two by Bill Clinton and two by Barack Obama!

But now,. Newt Gingrich calls for judges to be required to testify before partisan Congressional committees, a violation of the separation of powers, and a danger to an independent judiciary!

What it comes down to is that Newt Gingrich and all of the Republican opponents, with maybe the exception of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, wish to create a court system that would move away from the path breaking changes that the Supreme Court brought about during the years of the Warren Court, Burger Court, and Rehnquist Court including:

Brown V. Board Of Education
Miranda V Arizona
Roe V Wade
University Of California V. Bakke
Lawrence V Texas

As it is, there are threats presented by the Republican growth of dominance on the federal courts to all of these issues–racial integration, rights of criminal suspects, abortion rights, affirmative action, and gay rights.

The Republicans will not be contented until there are reversals on all of these issues, and a return to the “good old days”, when minorities “knew their place”; police had unlimited rights over those they questioned or arrested; women had no control over their reproductive rights; minorities and women had disadvantages, as compared to white males, on educational and job opportunities; and gays were forced to remain “in the closet” and face open discrimination and hate without recourse!

So when the Republicans claim to understand what the Founding Fathers meant at the Constitutional Convention, they are forgetting that those esteemed leaders put into the Constitution the “Elastic Clause” to allow for expansion of the Constitution beyond the original document, in order to make the Constitution a “living document” adaptable to changing times.

The real threat is not what the federal courts have done in the past sixty years! It is the attempt of conservatives and the Republican Party to negate the great progress brought about the Supreme Court and lower courts in the past sixty years, and revert back to the years after World War II, when all of these great changes started slowly to evolve through courageous judges and Supreme Court Justices, including Earl Warren, William Brennan, Hugo Black, William O. Douglas, Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun, John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O’Connor, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.

A Split In The Jewish Community Over Barack Obama

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The Jewish community in America is badly split over supporting Barack Obama for re-election.

The vast majority of Jews seem ready to endorse and back Obama for a second term in the White House, encouraged by his domestic reform initiatives in the tradition of the New Deal and Great Society, and his policies backing the traditional friendship with Israel and insuring its security. The public statements of the Israeli Ambassador to the United States and the Israeli Defense Minister praising Obama also help insure the support of much of the Jewish population, which traditionally votes Democratic since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

But two groups break from that sense of positive support of Obama–the Orthodox Jewish community and many wealthy Jewish businessmen and their families who are part of the “one percent”!

These two groups are willing to endorse Newt Gingrich’s statement that the Palestinians are “an invented people”, to wish for an attack on Iran based on its potential threat to Israel and the West (another preemptive act as in Iraq in 2003), and to be opposed to much of the traditional reform programs of the New Deal and Great Society, in their fierce desire to avoid paying more equitable and fair levels of taxation!

The Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in New York City recently was disturbing in seeing that a minority of Jews have a totally different perspective based on their religiosity, and their desire to avoid paying taxes despite their financial success.

Obama received 78 percent of the Jewish vote last time, although John McCain received 80 percent of the Orthodox Jewish vote. This time, Obama will probably get a bit less, which could be decisive in several states in a close election scenario.

“None Of The Above” Best Choice In Iowa Republican Caucuses!

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After a Fox News Channel debate last night, preceded by the ABC News debate earlier this week, and both debates conducted in Iowa, it is clear that the best choice for Republican Caucus voters is to vote “None Of The Above”, as it is obvious that none of the candidates are truly worthy of their support!

The only candidate worth considering is Jon Huntsman, who did not participate in the ABC News debate, although he did in the Fox News debate. But he is not making a major effort in Iowa, anyway, focusing his attention in New Hampshire, where he has experienced a surge to third place, as disillusionment with Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney is mounting.

Mitt Romney did better in last night’s debate than the one earlier this week, while Newt Gingrich showed his weaknesses and shortcomings yesterday, particularly his patronizing attitude toward Michele Bachmann, who actually has had some good points to make in these past two debates, against both Romney and Gingrich, who she has labeled as “Newt Romney”!

Rick Perry has only managed to propose a “part time Congress”, similar to what Texas has, which explains why Texas is so poorly governed! The fact is that Congress needs to spend MORE TIME, not less, in dealing with the problems of the country! Gingrich wanted to change our Constitution also, like Perry, by calling for federal judges to be subjected to congressional challenge face to face, a whacky and dangerous idea for the “separation of powers” doctrine.

Ron Paul may be the one to benefit from all this, as it seems more likely that the vote in Iowa caucuses may be very evenly divided, with a narrow win by Paul being possible!

So it might be that “None Of The Above” is the best answer, ultimately, in the Iowa Caucuses!

The Republican Motivation For Power: Take Away Human Rights Already Granted!

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America has developed over the past two centuries into a republic promoting democratic values and the advancement of human rights.

The Republican Party of 2011-2012, however, is making clear its desire to TAKE AWAY human rights already won over the past two centuries, with blood, sweat and tears!

We have seen the acquisition of voting rights in the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th Amendments, as well as with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and yet now, the Republican Party in many states is working very hard to LIMIT the right to vote by unreasonable limitations that particularly affect African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, college students, the elderly and the poor of all races!

Women have gained the right to control their own privacy, including control of their own bodies, through a Supreme Court decision in Roe V. Wade in 1973 and other Supreme Court decisions and legislative actions, and yet now in many of our states, the attempt to take away women’s rights, including the right of abortion, is being fiercely waged, including encouragement of violence against abortion providers and closing down of locations where a woman can pursue her reproductive rights.

Gay men and lesbians have gained the right to serve in the military openly, be married in several states, adopt children in most states, and have other basic human rights, but now the move is on to take away these rights so hard fought for!

Working people, both immigrants and those born in the US, have fought for labor protection and representation through formation of labor unions, which have now been undermined for decades, and the attempt to impoverish workers by corporations and their Republican allies is in full development!

This has been a land of immigrants, and yet the Republican Party of today believes in polarizing Americans against undocumented immigrants who they would support deporting in the millions, even with the fact that 98 percent of them have committed no crime beyond entering the nation in an illegal manner, and just want the opportunity to work toward eventual citizenship through learning English, paying fees, and waiting patiently in line for the “American Dream”, and yet now work at low wage jobs that no Americans wish to fill, particularly in agriculture, retail, and home and hotel services.

Americans in general have been able to see improved educational opportunities, better health care, and opportunities for better housing and safer environment and consumer protection due to past Democrats and moderate Republicans working to better conditions for the middle class and the poor, but now the goal of the GOP is to take away these advancements and simply promote the interests of the top one percent and the corporations that sit on money, refuse to hire, and instead use government money that saved them to give bonuses to overpaid, under worked executives, and to lobby corrupt politicians who do their bidding!

Will the nation at large continue to accept an opposition party that works to DENY all of the progress on voting rights, women’s rights, gay rights, labor rights, immigrant rights, and the advancements for the middle class and poor gained over two centuries?

Only if the people are appealed to based upon ignorance, emotion, prejudice, and manipulation! For the future of America, this cannot be allowed to happen, as it will undermine the social fabric of America for the long haul!

The Sober Reality: Half Of America Is Poor, Or “Near Poor”!

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The US Census Bureau has revealed that the economic conditions of the American people are far worse than ever recognized before now.

Along with 49 million below the poverty line, there are now 97 million Americans who have low income, defined as a family of four earning under $45,000 , due to loss of a job or a pay cut.

So that means HALF of the country is poor, or “near poor”!

This is serious business, a crisis of massive proportions, and the top one percent sit by and do not give a damn, and the corporations keep on holding onto money, enriching themselves and their stockholders, and claim they cannot hire people after they have been balled out by the government, or have lobbied for preferential treatment!

The country is becoming more plutocratic by the day, and it is dangerous for capitalism that this is going on, as it can turn average Americans against the whole concept of capitalism, as long as only a small percentage can benefit from it!

Under the circumstances, it is quite amazing that there are not more people out in the streets, involved in the “Occupy Wall Street’ movement!

It is also worrisome that as time goes on, and conditions become worse, that we might see mass violence on the part of desperate Americans, who will see no alternative.

The idea of mass demonstrations and demands for change is not being felt only in the Arab world, in Greece and Italy, and in the Russian Federation. It is becoming an issue of fairness and equity being felt in a country that considers itself democratic in nature, and yet allows the uninhibited acquisition of wealth on the back of millions of Americans who just want an equal opportunity for the “American Dream”!

The Supreme Court’s Political Impact On The 2012 Presidential And Congressional Elections

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The Supreme Court has decided to intervene and settle three controversial issues that are key factors in the 2012 Presidential and Congressional Elections.

They have taken on the case of the Obama Health Care law; the Arizona Immigration legislation; and the Texas Congressional Redistricting case, all of which have a much greater impact than just the specific details of the cases on their own.

If the Health Care legislation is declared unconstitutional , it will create chaos in the health care field, as parts of the law are already in effect.

If the decision on the Arizona law regarding illegal immigration favors that state, it will create the danger of further spreading of such actions all over, and create new civil liberties issues for the foreign born in this country, and weaken the power of the federal government over immigration, which has always been a national responsibility.

If the decision is to back Texas redistricting, which is seen as unfair gerrymandering, and an attempt to weaken Hispanic and Latino influence in Texas, as well as unfair advantage for the Republican Party over the Democratic Party in that state, then it will reverberate elsewhere.

These three cases are crucial for the future of our political, social and economic system, and will be among the most significant cases of recent times in Supreme Court history.

The reality that the Court could go too far to the right is a long term troubling matter, and also brings to the forefront the importance of who is President in 2013 and after, as the likelihood of Supreme Court replacements grows in the next term, with one to three replacements possible, and determining the long term future direction of the Supreme Court.

The cases also highlight the importance, again, of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered the “swing” vote on a Court equally divided between Left and Right!

So to say that the Supreme Court does not get involved in politics is, very clearly, a misunderstanding of our system of government!

National Transportation Safety Board Recommends Ban On Cell Phone Use For Drivers

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The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that all states ban cell phone use by drivers as a threat to life and safety.

There is no question of the loss of life associated with such cell phone use by drivers, who are easily distracted by talking on phones and texting, even a bigger transgression.

Somehow, we managed to live without cell phones in the past, and to top it off, now there is growing evidence that extensive use of cell phones is likely to lead to an expansion of the number of people who will have brain tumors in future years.

The problem is though how to ban cell phone use by drivers, as it is highly unlikely that fining drivers will stop it.

And, of course, conservatives will complain that it is big government interference in people’s lives.

So, unfortunately, little can be done in reality to stop the crazy, suicidal behavior by drivers!

The Full Scale Assault On Gay Rights By GOP Presidential Candidates

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As we get closer to the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary, we are witnessing a full scale assault on the rights of Gay Americans.

The effect of the Religious Right on the Republican Party is revealing itself as candidates take pledges from extremist Christian groups to fight tooth and nail against gay marriage, gay adoption, gays in the military, and every other move to equalize rights for those who are a minority of the American people.

So we see Rick Perry speaking out against gays in the military. Rick Santorum condemning families with gay parents. Michele Bachmann continuing to advocate, through her husband, that gays can be transformed into straight; Mitt Romney confronting a gay veteran who is married and tells him it is against the Constitution; and Newt Gingrich speaking out about the historic tradition of a man and a woman in a traditional marriage.

Only Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman avoid speaking out on the subject in a discriminatory manner, and focus on other issues.

Hard to believe that the original party of civil rights in the Abraham Lincoln era has become the party of hate, discrimination, prejudice on the subject of gay rights in the 21st century!

It makes one really wonder how the “Log Cabin” Republicans can remain supportive of their party which kicks them in the rear end constantly. How much disrespect and insult can one take and be loyal to a party that denies them equality and human rights?

The Newt Gingrich-Jon Huntsman “Lincoln-Douglas” Debate In New Hampshire: A Big Yawn!

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Yesterday, Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman had a Lincoln-Douglas style debate at St. Anselm College In New Hampshire.

It was supposed to be a major moment for Jon Huntsman, and instead, it turned out to be a major yawn!

The two men, both admittedly bright and intelligent, were very respectful and generous in compliments toward the other.

Both demonstrated a knowledge of foreign affairs greater than any of the other GOP Presidential candidates in the nomination race.

But no major breakthroughs were accomplished by Huntsman, a major disappointment, as this event was billed by his camp as a major turning point in the campaign, which it most certainly was not!

There is no question of Huntsman’s outstanding attributes, but it seems clear that he should look to 2016, having gained exposure this time, but not making so far any major headway.

The odds of Huntsman winning New Hampshire, and becoming a major challenge to Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich now seems remote!