North Dakota

The Senate In Crisis A Century After The 17th Amendment

Ronald 2 Comments

The US Senate was a very undemocratic institution a century ago, controlled by special interests, including the oil, steel, banking and other trusts and monopolies, and its membership selected by the vote of corrupt state legislatures across the nation.

The Senate was exposed for its faults and corruption by David Graham Phillips in his article in 1906 in Cosmopolitan Magazine, which has been reprinted in 2012, an article of 108 pages, a small book, exposing the corruption of Senate Majority Leader Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island. This was followed up by other articles in muckraking periodicals, exposing the corruption of other US Senators.

These articles motivated a reform movement, leading to the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, establishing popular vote elections for the US Senate. It did not mean that every Senator elected was brilliant, or a positive force, but at least the people had the final say on who would represent them, as in the US House of Representatives!

Now, a century later, the US Senate is in paralysis, greatly due to the abuse of the filibuster system, which now requires 60 Senators to end a filibuster, while it used to be even worse, 67 before reforms in 1975. The filibuster was originally utilized to stop civil rights advancements, but now it is used to prevent any action on many nominations and many bills, effectively hamstringing any progress or change on anything controversial.

But also, it is clear that special interest groups, similar to those a century ago, but more such groups and more widespread, have made the US Senate captive again.

And with growing differences in population in coastline states, as compared to states in the interior, we are finding the concept of each state having two US Senators, whether they represent millions of citizens, or just hundreds of thousands of citizens, becoming one where states with few people, are able to stop what the majority of the American people want!

Four Democratic Senators, scared to death of the National Rifle Association, end up refusing to support the end of the filibuster on extended background checks on gun sales, and yet these Senators represent small populated states (North Dakota, Alaska, Montana, Arkansas) which represent only about 5.4 million people, out of a national total of 309 million people, meaning they represent 1.6 percent of the people, in a nation in which up to 90 percent, including gun owners, want extended background checks on gun sales.

We allow the 49th 48th, 45th, and 33rd states in population to hamstring the rest of the nation, absolutely insane when one thinks about it, and this is not just true on one issue, but many!

This problem of small populated states,the abuse of the filibuster, and special interest groups (including major corporations) is a situation which threatens resolution of ANY major issue facing the nation in the 21st century, unless, somehow, some kind of reform of an outdated system of the 18th century is brought about, which is extremely unlikely!

The Kermit Gosnell Case: Abortion Gone Mad, Totally Unacceptable!

Ronald 5 Comments

The Kermit Gosnell case, of a doctor on trial in Philadelphia, for the murder of seven children born alive in the third trimester, along with the death of a pregnant woman, is horrific and does the abortion cause no good!

The thought of a live child screaming in pain and having it slaughtered as if it was not a life that deserved to live is an image that is hard to absorb and to see as justified, no matter what the intention of the mother involved!

Abortion rights are granted under Roe V. Wade forty years ago, but it should not be allowed to include such butchery of a fetus which can survive outside the womb if it is given appropriate medical care!

The move in North Dakota to forbid abortions after six weeks, and in Arkansas after twelve weeks, is one extreme, while the Gosnell case is the other extreme, and neither extreme is acceptable by any means or rationale!

As Bill Clinton has said, abortion should be safe, legal, and rare–with emphasis on all three factors—and even if the life of the mother is at stake, every attempt should be made to save the life of the child once it has reached what is seen as viability!

To deny the dignity of a viable fetus is reprehensible, and we must move away from extremism of the anti abortion advocates, as well as the extremism of the pro abortion advocates toward common sanity!

40 Years Of Roe V Wade: Abortion Controversy Remains Red Hot!

Ronald 6 Comments

Forty years ago today, the Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision, declared the right of women to an abortion, with three Richard Nixon appointments to the Court–author of the decision Harry Blackmun, and Chief Justice Warren Burger and Associate Justice Lewis Powell—joining two Eisenhower appointees—Potter Stewart and William Brennan—one Johnson appointee, Thurgood Marshall—and one Roosevelt appointee, William O. Douglas—in the majority.

Only Associate Justice Byron White, appointed by Kennedy; and William Rehnquist, appointed by Nixon, were in the minority.

Forty years later, the pro life and pro choice movements are still locked in constant combat, but with public opinion polls showing 54 percent want abortion rights retained all of the time or most of the time, with 44 percent against. And 70 percent in a poll do not want to see Roe V Wade overturned.

But meanwhile, Republican state legislatures in the past two years have passed a total of over 130 laws restricting the rights of abortion, and curbing the number of abortion providers.

Four states have made it almost impossible for women to obtain an abortion—Mississippi, Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

So the federal allowance for abortion may exist, but in the South and Great Plains areas of the nation, it is becoming nearly impossible for abortions to be obtained, no matter whether it is because of rape, incest, life of the mother, or just any other reason, whether seemingly justifiable or not.

Abortion is an emotional issue, and one that most people would say needs to remain legal and safe but also RARE, and should not be used as a method of birth control, or because of reckless personal behavior. It is not an issue that will disappear anytime soon, but for now, the odds of reversing Roe V. Wade on the national level are remote, as Barack Obama will not appoint a Supreme Court Justice who gives any hint of wishing to overturn what many call the most controversial decision of the latter half of the 20th century.

Twenty Women In The United States Senate In The 113th Congress: All Time High!

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The 113th Congress will have TWENTY women, the highest number in American history!

The 112th Congress had seventeen women, 12 Democrats and 5 Republicans.

The 113th Congress will have 16 Democrats and 4 Republicans, with Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, both Republicans, retiring!

Five new women will join the Senate—Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts,.Tammy Baldwin of WIsconsin, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Deb Fischer of Nebraska, with Fischer being the lone Republican. Fifteen women Senators will remain, including three Republicans—Susan Collins of Maine, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The twelve returning Democratic women include: Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Diane Feinstein of California, Barbara Boxer of California, Parry Murray of Washington, and Maria Cantwell of Washington.

Also, three states have both Senators being women—New Hampshire, California, and Washington!

And to top it off, New Hampshire not only has two women Senators, but also both House members are women, and the new Governor is a woman, the first state to have an all female representation in Congress and the Governorship!

How far America has come as we enter the year 2013!

Women Democratic Senate Nominees Could Boost Female Senate Total In 2013

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Five Democratic women are running for US Senate seats in 2012, and if they can win, it would boost the number of Democratic women in the Senate dramatically!

These candidates include:

Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, against Senator Scott Brown.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, against former Governor Tommy Thompson.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley in Nevada, against Senator Dean Heller.

Congesswoman Mazie Hirono in Hawaii, against former Governor Linda Lingle.

Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, against Congressman Rick Berg.

All five would add to the progressive bloc in the Senate, and would be strong supporters of women’s rights, labor rights, consumer rights, civil rights, and gay rights.

And Warren and Berkley victories would add two seats to the Democratic side, at a time when the Senate only has a six seat edge, 53-47, and is losing seven incumbent Democrats who are retiring, and facing five competitive races in which Democrats are in danger of losing their seats.

The Crucial Wisconsin Recall Election Next Tuesday June 5: It Could Affect The Fall Elections!

Ronald 2 Comments

Next Tuesday, June 5, “Bully” Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin faces a recall vote after only 17 months in office, only the third time in American history that a governor has faced recall, the other two times in North Dakota in 1921 (Lynn Frazier) and in 2003 in California (Grey Davis), with both of them being recalled.

This recall election is much more crucial, as Scott Walker has run a corrupt government, a government which has taken away labor rights and favored the wealthy over the average Wisconsin citizen, and allowed himself to be influenced by right wing interests led by the Koch Brothers.

If Walker wins, it will be a major setback to the progressive movement, embolden conservatives, including the Tea Party Movement, and the other “Bully Governors”, and could affect the state vote and the national vote for President and Congress in November.

This election is not to be taken lightly, and it endangers the fight against the extremists on the right, so we must push everyone who understands the dangers to get out there and vote, or else the price paid will be heavy!

Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee is worthy of the support of the national party and President Obama much more directly than has occurred so far. Bill Clinton may go out and campaign, and President Obama needs to take a stronger stand, and possibly his presence, in the next few days in Wisconsin.

This is the home of Robert La Follette, Sr.; his sons Robert Jr. and Philip La Follette; William Proxmire; Gaylord Nelson; Russ Feingold; and many others who have contributed to progressive reform in the past century.

Better to fight and lose, than sit back and allow regressive policies to be emboldened and affect the nation as a whole! We must not cave in, but instead, continue to fight for basic principles of fairness and equity!

Finally! Democratic National Committee Provides Support For Tom Barrett In Scott Walker Recall Election In Wisconsin!

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It has been a long haul to get the Democratic National Committee to recognize that they must provide funds and ground support to the massive effort to help Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee unseat Governor Scott Walker in the recall election in Wisconsin on June 5.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC Chair, announced such support yesterday, a crucial element in the upcoming Presidential election, as if this recall election is lost, it will be a major blow to the Obama re-election campaign.

It is not as if that loss, if it occurs, is a guarantor of trouble in November, but it would be a major setback for progressive forces, as Scott Walker represents the worst of the “Bully Governors” and the Tea Party Movement, which has been the major negative force since the midterm Congressional and state elections of 2010.

The labor movement, the role of education, the effect on women, the role of powerful special interests (including the Koch Brothers), and so many other strands of politics are tied together with the Wisconsin recall race, only the third time there has been a recall election in the history of the United States.

The other two times, in North Dakota in 1921, and in California in 2003, the cause for recall was far less serious than the case is in Wisconsin, but both efforts succeeded.

A victory by Walker would show the power of the wealthy special interests to corrupt our system of government and make life more comfortable for the “one percent” against the “99 percent”, and would set Wisconsin back to before the time of Governor Robert La Follette, Sr., who made “progressivism” a cause that would impact the state and the nation numerous times over the next century.

The battle for progressive reform, and to keep it strong, is a never ending battle, but it is good that the DNC has finally entered the fray!

Wisconsin Moves Toward Recall Election Of Governor Scott Walker: La Follette Progressivism’s Return!

Ronald 1 Comment

The state of Wisconsin, the home of the great Progressive Republican leader Robert La Follette, Sr a century ago, is on the way to a recall election against Conservative Republican Governor Scott Walker, who has worked to destroy public sector unions in the Badger State, and has taken other actions in league with the Republican legislature to harm education and other social services, areas Wisconsin has always been a leader among the states of the Union.

Wisconsin introduced the recall method, and it has succeeded in bringing about much more support in voter signatures than anyone would have ever imagined, and the date for the primaries for Governor and other state offices is May 8, followed by the election of either Walker or his Democratic opponent on June 5.

The former Dane County Executive (Madison), Kathleen Falk, is favored to be the Democratic nominee, although she is being challenged in the Democratic primary by the former Democratic opponent of Scott Walker in 2010, Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, as well as other possible challengers.

The important thing is for the Democrats, progressives, and the labor movement in Wisconsin to remain united, and take advantage of the opportunity to recall Governor Walker and other Republicans in the state legislature, due to this rare and unique “second chance” given the people of Wisconsin, something almost never available in most states, and rarely successful in American history.

The only successful times were in North Dakota in 1921 and in California in 2003. Governor Lynn Frazier in North Dakota and Governor Gray Davis in California have been the only Governors successfully recalled, but neither had abused their position nor had been so confrontational and belligerent as Scott Walker has been.

If there was ever a time for a wholesale removal of political leaders in the legislature and the Governorship, it is NOW in Wisconsin. We will be cheering on the effort, hoping for a successful result on June 5!

46 States Face Bankruptcy: Do The Republicans Have The Answer? :(

Ronald 1 Comment

In an unprecedented situation, 46 states now face bankruptcy, and are being forced to cut government workers and services, raise taxes and fees, and cut government pensions that were guaranteed to workers when they began to work for the state and local governments! 🙁

The states were prevented from such dire straits up to now because of the economic stimulus provided by the federal government, as the result of the initiatives of the Obama Administration!

The Republicans in the House now propose to do no more spending, as they emphasize the federal deficit, something that they caused by their reckless budgets under the Bush Administration, when they were in control of Congress for the first six years! But they also propose to cause more deficit by cutting taxes endlessly, and giving a great gift of most of the tax cut to those who do not need it, will not spend it, and are in many respects, very greedy and selfish! 🙁

So with more deficit being created, while unemployment compensation is not being extended, and hundreds of thousands of workers in state and local government are to be laid off, meaning they have no purchasing power and add to the already burgeoning unemployment rolls, the GOP prescription to do nothing will cause the Great Recession to turn into the Great Depression Number Two! 🙁

The American people are going to suffer mightily under this scenario, whether government workers or the general public! There will be increased crime, more fires not being able to be extinguished, more students per classroom making learning harder than ever, more libraries and parks shut down or cut down in hours, more prisoners released for lack of prison guards and adequate prison facilities! 🙁

All of this creates social dynamite, and the Republicans, who show clearly they only support the needs of the corporations and the wealthy elite, will have created a dangerous situation that might make the troubles of 2008-2010 look like a dream that people would wish for! 🙁

The only states that seem not to have a budget crisis are small states with small population–Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming–each with only one Congressman state wide–and Arkansas–the so called “Giant” of the group with a grand total of four Congressmen! So only four states with a total of seven House members represent states not having financial difficulties! 🙁

This situation is, obviously, an unmitigated disaster that is bound to get worse, if that is possible to imagine! 🙁

Talk Show Host Ed Schultz For North Dakota Senator? Doubtful!

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With the announced retirement of North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan at the end of this year, the question that arises is what Democrat will run for that seat, with Earl Pomeroy, the House member, deciding to run again for his seat, with its 18 years of seniority.

So the rumor is spreading that talk show host Ed Schultz, a true fighter for the middle class, might leave his radio show and his nightly hour on MSNBC to run for the Senate.

Schultz tonight said he is far from a decision, and that he is not sure this is the right move for him, after years of building up his career in the media, which he would have to give up if he announced for the Senate.

It seems likely he will not leave his position, but he would be a great asset in a campaign and in the Senate, were he to decide to go for it. In any case, he does a great job on his talk show, so whether he runs or not for the Senate, the country benefits from his talents speaking for the progressive cause! 🙂