Written By Jueseppi B.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded by gun shot this morning while engaged in a public appearance in her Congressional district in Arizona.
Latest update via Faux Spews, ( Yes, I said Faux Spews of all places) Congresswoman Giffords is out of surgery, in critical condition, in an anesthetized condition. Her wounds were a gunshot to the head at close range, BUT the wound is a "thru & thru" wound, meaning the bullet entered and exited the skull. There was minimal swelling and she was responsive to commands. She is out of surgery and her doctors are "Optimistic" about her and her recovery.
I am a bit concern that Democrats I know, are using this tragedy to further their political agenda. I am all over facebook, and a member of many groups, and the rhetoric following this tragedy today is stupid. Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, Coulter, all have been publicly against all things Democratic and American...but to place blame on anyone but the gunman who pulled the trigger is idiotic.
Lets stop using this terrific tragedy as a political way to gain the upper hand. It does not matter that Palin has a hit list, or that Beck or Limbaugh or Coulter advocate violence....as Democrats...we are better than that. UNLESS there is clear proof leading from this gunman back to Palin/Limbaugh/Beck/Coulter....lets NOT create a path in our minds!!
There are folks in all discussion groups saying this is Palin's fault...Bull Shit. It is America'a fault for embracing hatred of any kind. But what makes me pissed are the number of so called Democrats drunk with power, and how they are all over blaming Palin and the rest of the talking heads of the right, for this cowardly attack by a single man. Seems lately, the Democrats have become that which they dislike.....anger filled hate speech spewing RepubliCANTS/teabaggers.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use The Facts & Truth."
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Re-Elect POTUS Barack Hussein Obama
Written By Jueseppi B.
Our goal must continue to be unity, it must continue to be standing as one voice to promote a Democratic government, it must be to keep POTUS Barack Hussein Obama in office, "by any means necessary." Don't get side tracked by all the little battles, because winning the war is what counts, not who is this or what is that....the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers are not going to stop now that they have control of the House Of Representatives. They are poised to repeal EVERYTHING this POTUS has accomplished. We The People, MUST not allow that to happen.
The lame duck session of the 111th Legislative Body of our government was historical in it's accomplishments. But so what? That in now history, over with, finished. We have much work to do. We can not afford to get bogged down in stupid infighting, name calling, and losing sight of what is most important...a second term for POTUS Barack Hussein Obama.
Our President needs our support now more than ever....we must stand with him, shoulder to shoulder, to get out the vote. We failed to do this for the mid term elections. Leadership of The National Democratic Party, neglected to market and promote this President or his accomplishments, which lead to complacency among Democratic voters whom were charged up in 2008. We can NOT lose the high octane feeling we all experienced in 2008.
You feel disappointment in this POTUS? You feel anger that he didn't do like you would have done on some issues? You upset he didn't put on his street thug persona and get all ghetto?
Well guess what? I, nor the other 9 million voters, didn't vote for YOU. We voted for an intelligent, critical thinking, common sense, logical, diplomatic, smart & savvy man who would get the BEST POSSIBLE results for ALL Americans. That is exactly what we have.
Let's get busy working for the re-election of POTUS Barack Hussein Obama.
Let's start NOW. And to all you lazy asses who didn't go vote during the mid terms...get off
your lazy asses and VOTE DEMOCRATIC.
To The Democratic Party leadership.....get off your lazy asses and work to re-elect POTUS Obama.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use The Facts & Truth."
Our goal must continue to be unity, it must continue to be standing as one voice to promote a Democratic government, it must be to keep POTUS Barack Hussein Obama in office, "by any means necessary." Don't get side tracked by all the little battles, because winning the war is what counts, not who is this or what is that....the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers are not going to stop now that they have control of the House Of Representatives. They are poised to repeal EVERYTHING this POTUS has accomplished. We The People, MUST not allow that to happen.
The lame duck session of the 111th Legislative Body of our government was historical in it's accomplishments. But so what? That in now history, over with, finished. We have much work to do. We can not afford to get bogged down in stupid infighting, name calling, and losing sight of what is most important...a second term for POTUS Barack Hussein Obama.
Our President needs our support now more than ever....we must stand with him, shoulder to shoulder, to get out the vote. We failed to do this for the mid term elections. Leadership of The National Democratic Party, neglected to market and promote this President or his accomplishments, which lead to complacency among Democratic voters whom were charged up in 2008. We can NOT lose the high octane feeling we all experienced in 2008.
You feel disappointment in this POTUS? You feel anger that he didn't do like you would have done on some issues? You upset he didn't put on his street thug persona and get all ghetto?
Well guess what? I, nor the other 9 million voters, didn't vote for YOU. We voted for an intelligent, critical thinking, common sense, logical, diplomatic, smart & savvy man who would get the BEST POSSIBLE results for ALL Americans. That is exactly what we have.
Let's get busy working for the re-election of POTUS Barack Hussein Obama.
Let's start NOW. And to all you lazy asses who didn't go vote during the mid terms...get off
your lazy asses and VOTE DEMOCRATIC.
To The Democratic Party leadership.....get off your lazy asses and work to re-elect POTUS Obama.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use The Facts & Truth."
Friday, December 31, 2010
Farewell Facebook World,...It Was An Experience.
Written By Jueseppi B.
It has been one hell of a ride, I was able to meet some very sweet, loving, honest, real, warm, fantastic people for the few months I was a member of Facebook. I also had the great pleasure of meeting some real assholes, some real lowlife, angry, lonely, misguide people who are hate-filled and so very full of evil intentions. And not all those people I just described are RepubliCANTS/teabaggers, Reich Wingnuts, white supremacists, conselfishservatives either. Some, many, are good old fashioned Democrats.
There are a lot of power hungry folks in Facebook, people drunk on the pseudo power that comes from running a group, even a group that was given them. These fake dictators have no clue about real power, the power to control their actions and make them do your bidding. Mind control is a very useful tool to control people in real life, and in Facebook land as well.
I find Facebook to be a place where people go to let off steam, and to be something they are not in real life. Important. Now understand, not everybody is a member of facebook because their marriage lacks the interest to keep them occupied. Not everybody who spends a great deal of time in Facebook is doing so to fill the void of a failed life. Many are there to spread the facts and truth about politics, or be with friends and family they can not see in person.
To some facebook is the 22nd century answer to book reading or video games. It fills a void, it passes some spare time, or it is used as a networking tool to further a private business.
But for many, Facebook is life itself. For those people I feel sympathy and sorrow. I met a woman, well many women for that matter, who was in a bad marriage, and in a bad career situation, she used Facebook to flex her non existent muscle, she is in Facebook to compensate for having no useful way to escape either her bad marriage or her bad career choices. I wish her the best of luck.
I met an entire group of racists losers who hate any and all things different from themselves. And they believe themselves to be great Americans. I met women who were upset to have their romantic efforts rejected, and to compensate for that rejection, they spread lies and rumors about being rejected. Always the same story from them to any who would listen. I met men, who were flaming racists but who hated to be called out on their racism. I met "house niggers{, misinformed Black Americans, and caucasians who didn't know racism still existed. I wish them the best of luck as well.
BUT....I also met some very warm and loving people, Men whom I'd give my life defending, and ladies whom I adopted as my family...as my sisters and mom's and close personal friends. You all know whom you are. I will miss each and every one of you, YES...all those folks described here I will miss. The good, the bad and the very ugly. Why? Because it all was an experience to me, to learn what goes on in the minds of Americans.
This upcoming year will be a good experience for all Americans. The POTUS, Barack Hussein Obama, will experience more victories, he will become the greatest POTUS we have experienced in out life time. He will prove to all his critics, RepubliCANT/teabagger AND Democratic .....that he is far more intelligent, savvy, smart and diplomatic than all of his detractors combined. If only he could say "fuck you' to all of his haters while maintaining his decorum and his dignity.
If only he could pack up his beautiful family, and walk out of the WhiteMans House, look back over his shoulder and tell an ungrateful America....."I'm out....you asshole fix this shit yourselves".
Enjoy the New Year Americans.....and remember......
"Disagree Intelligently, Use Facts & Truth".
It has been one hell of a ride, I was able to meet some very sweet, loving, honest, real, warm, fantastic people for the few months I was a member of Facebook. I also had the great pleasure of meeting some real assholes, some real lowlife, angry, lonely, misguide people who are hate-filled and so very full of evil intentions. And not all those people I just described are RepubliCANTS/teabaggers, Reich Wingnuts, white supremacists, conselfishservatives either. Some, many, are good old fashioned Democrats.
There are a lot of power hungry folks in Facebook, people drunk on the pseudo power that comes from running a group, even a group that was given them. These fake dictators have no clue about real power, the power to control their actions and make them do your bidding. Mind control is a very useful tool to control people in real life, and in Facebook land as well.
I find Facebook to be a place where people go to let off steam, and to be something they are not in real life. Important. Now understand, not everybody is a member of facebook because their marriage lacks the interest to keep them occupied. Not everybody who spends a great deal of time in Facebook is doing so to fill the void of a failed life. Many are there to spread the facts and truth about politics, or be with friends and family they can not see in person.
To some facebook is the 22nd century answer to book reading or video games. It fills a void, it passes some spare time, or it is used as a networking tool to further a private business.
But for many, Facebook is life itself. For those people I feel sympathy and sorrow. I met a woman, well many women for that matter, who was in a bad marriage, and in a bad career situation, she used Facebook to flex her non existent muscle, she is in Facebook to compensate for having no useful way to escape either her bad marriage or her bad career choices. I wish her the best of luck.
I met an entire group of racists losers who hate any and all things different from themselves. And they believe themselves to be great Americans. I met women who were upset to have their romantic efforts rejected, and to compensate for that rejection, they spread lies and rumors about being rejected. Always the same story from them to any who would listen. I met men, who were flaming racists but who hated to be called out on their racism. I met "house niggers{, misinformed Black Americans, and caucasians who didn't know racism still existed. I wish them the best of luck as well.
BUT....I also met some very warm and loving people, Men whom I'd give my life defending, and ladies whom I adopted as my family...as my sisters and mom's and close personal friends. You all know whom you are. I will miss each and every one of you, YES...all those folks described here I will miss. The good, the bad and the very ugly. Why? Because it all was an experience to me, to learn what goes on in the minds of Americans.
This upcoming year will be a good experience for all Americans. The POTUS, Barack Hussein Obama, will experience more victories, he will become the greatest POTUS we have experienced in out life time. He will prove to all his critics, RepubliCANT/teabagger AND Democratic .....that he is far more intelligent, savvy, smart and diplomatic than all of his detractors combined. If only he could say "fuck you' to all of his haters while maintaining his decorum and his dignity.
If only he could pack up his beautiful family, and walk out of the WhiteMans House, look back over his shoulder and tell an ungrateful America....."I'm out....you asshole fix this shit yourselves".
Enjoy the New Year Americans.....and remember......
"Disagree Intelligently, Use Facts & Truth".
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Now What?
Written By Jueseppi B.
This lame duck session in the House/Senate, has been suggested by "experts" as being historic. There have been 5 bills pushed through both bodies of legislature since last week. All significant in their importance to middle and lower class Americans.
Following is an excerpt from The Washington Post.... "The six-week session that was expected to reflect a weakened president has turned into a surprising success. On Wednesday, Obama signed into law the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members, and the Senate approved a new nuclear treaty with Russia that the president had declared a top priority.
My question to the
"RepubliCANTS/Teabaggers/Conselfishservatives/Reich wingnuts/racists caucasians/white supremacists groups" AND Democrats and fence sitting Progressives & Independents is this....NOW WHAT? Now what are you going to complain about? Now what are you going to bitch & moan over? Now what can you think up, to jump off the Obama Train???
POTUS Obama didn't do anything for the 99ers yet? POTUS Obama didn't cure the world's hunger problem yet? POTUS Obama didn't cure Cancer yet? He didn't lower the national deficit yet? POTUS Obama didn't solve the problem facing time travel yet? Global warming, POTUS Obama didn't get around to that problem yet. Oh wait....he has only been in office half a term!!! Ok, Now I understand....if we impatient Americans were to give him a FULL term, four years instead of two....maybe, just maybe he will continue to astonish his critics, RepubliCANTS/teabaggers alike.
Now What?? I ask this question with the answer all ready in my head.
You
"RepubliCANTS/Teabaggers/Conselfishservatives/Reich wingnuts/racists caucasians/white supremacists groups" AND Democrats and fence sitting Progressives & Independents will start up with the question of his place of birth, or you might resurrect his religious affiliation, or you just might bring back up his vacation plans over the Christmas holidays.....right?
Anything to get "that nigger out of the WhiteMans House.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use The Facts & Truth."
This lame duck session in the House/Senate, has been suggested by "experts" as being historic. There have been 5 bills pushed through both bodies of legislature since last week. All significant in their importance to middle and lower class Americans.
Following is an excerpt from The Washington Post.... "The six-week session that was expected to reflect a weakened president has turned into a surprising success. On Wednesday, Obama signed into law the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members, and the Senate approved a new nuclear treaty with Russia that the president had declared a top priority.
Those accomplishments come after Obama successfully negotiated a free-trade agreement with South Korea, reached a deal with Republicans that extended unemployment benefits and prevented a tax hike for millions of Americans and signed a bill that will make school lunches healthier.
This blitz of bill signings completes a dramatic first two years for the nation's first black president that included the enactment of arguably the most major liberal policies since the Johnson administration but also the Democrats' biggest loss of House seats in 72 years".
"RepubliCANTS/Teabaggers/Conselfishservatives/Reich wingnuts/racists caucasians/white supremacists groups" AND Democrats and fence sitting Progressives & Independents is this....NOW WHAT? Now what are you going to complain about? Now what are you going to bitch & moan over? Now what can you think up, to jump off the Obama Train???
POTUS Obama didn't do anything for the 99ers yet? POTUS Obama didn't cure the world's hunger problem yet? POTUS Obama didn't cure Cancer yet? He didn't lower the national deficit yet? POTUS Obama didn't solve the problem facing time travel yet? Global warming, POTUS Obama didn't get around to that problem yet. Oh wait....he has only been in office half a term!!! Ok, Now I understand....if we impatient Americans were to give him a FULL term, four years instead of two....maybe, just maybe he will continue to astonish his critics, RepubliCANTS/teabaggers alike.
Now What?? I ask this question with the answer all ready in my head.
You
"RepubliCANTS/Teabaggers/Conselfishservatives/Reich wingnuts/racists caucasians/white supremacists groups" AND Democrats and fence sitting Progressives & Independents will start up with the question of his place of birth, or you might resurrect his religious affiliation, or you just might bring back up his vacation plans over the Christmas holidays.....right?
Anything to get "that nigger out of the WhiteMans House.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use The Facts & Truth."
Friday, December 10, 2010
Filibustering.
Written By Jueseppi B.
Filibuster.....as defined by Wikipedia: A filibuster (also known as talking out a bill is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body whereby a lone member can elect to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a proposal.
Filibuster.....as defined by Wikipedia: A filibuster (also known as talking out a bill is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body whereby a lone member can elect to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a proposal.
The term "filibuster" was first used in 1851. It was derived from the Spanish filibustero, which translates as "pirate" or "freebooter." This term had evolved from theFrench word flibustier, which itself evolved from the Dutch vrijbuiter (free outsider). This term was applied at the time to American adventurers, mostly from Southern states, who sought to overthrow the governments of the Northern and Central states. This is not a reference to the American Civil War, but rather, to adventurers from the southern United States in Central and South America. Later the term was applied to the users of the filibuster, which was viewed as a tactic for pirating or hijacking debate.
My question is simply this, what does the filibuster accomplish, besides being a parliamentary procedural tool? Sen. Bernie Sanders has been filibustering since 10:25 am EST and he ended it at approximately 7 pm. That's eight and a half hours. I admire Sen. Sanders, and every thing he said was important and correct. My question is this....He addressed POTUS Obama as often as he could leading me to believe he was directing this filibuster to the President Of The United States.
Does Sen. Sanders think POTUS Obama is stupid? Does he think that POTUS Obama, as POTUS, does not have this very same information available to him? Does Sen. Sanders think that spending eight and a half hours on the Senate floor repeating what POTUS Obama has been repeating since before he was elected, AND every time he appealed to the legislators for an extension to unemployment insurance, was indeed necessary?
And of course you have a ton of fools applauding Sen. Sanders for his filibuster. Problem is, in the end, filibusters serve no purpose. Well maybe in a movie, such as was used in two famous movie scenes from the past. But in real life filibusters are for entertainment, because ask yourself this...what good came out of this filibuster? Did we as Americans need a U.S. Senator to spend over eight hours telling us what we already know? Did we Americans even spend eight hours plus, listening to what Senator Sanders had to say?? Have NOT we Americans not been told the importance of NOT extending these Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, BY POTUS Obama, since his campaign back in 2007?
Truth is, voting Democrats, and the Democratic Party leadership, failed to do their job during the Mid Term elections. Had the voting Democrats got out and voted instead of sitting on their asses, and had the Democratic Party marketed itself and promoted the 244 plus accomplishments of POTUS Obama, this entire Bush Tax Cut/Unemployment Insurance Extension fiasco would be a moot point. POTUS Obama has been telling us Americans, since his 2008 election campaign, all about these dreaded Bush Tax Cuts. Why they needed to be allowed to expire AND why they are bad for America. NOW, had us Americans listened waaaaay back then, and voted for the Party that wanted to allow them to expire, BUT keep the tax cuts in place for the lower/middle class,....well you get my drift.
NOW we choose to hail Sen. Sanders as a Messiah, because he decided to spend eight and a half hours on the floor of the Senate, telling us, oh so concerned Americans, why the deal MY POTUS Obama worked out with a RepubliCANT/teabagger gun to his head, is such a bad deal for America's future. I got news for you fair weather rats jumping off what you consider to be a sinking ship, POTUS Obama told you ignorant fools why this was a bad deal over TWO years ago......The Real Messiah Here Is One POTUS Barack Hussein Obama. Doubt that fact?? Ask The Millions Of Unemployed Out Of Work Broke Ass American Families .......ask them who the real Messiah Is. Stupid Americans Disgust Me.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use Facts & Truth."
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
View From Overseas
Written Originally By Ms. Marion Watts
To say I'm pretty angry at the moment would be an understatement, but then, having lived in the UK for almost 30 years, I suppose I've mastered that art. It certainly wouldn't go amiss in the US, and maybe that's what's pissing off so many people of either political stripe: the fact that they spend the majority of the working day shouting down the odds at one another whilst the President rises above all the clamour with a quiet demeanor.
The Right see this behaviour, shout that he "doesn't get it," and brand him an elitist. The Left see this behaviour, shout that he "doesn't get it," and say that he's weak and spineless. The Right march in the streets, carrying placards with the President dressed like a jungle tribesman or a monkey. The Left blog angrily about "the Affirmative Action President" or "the house nigger."
Each night, I watch the BBC News at Ten. The presenter reads the items, all actual news items about events which occurred during the day in Britain and even around the world, in measured tones, with no opinion about anything reported. If an in-depth analysis is sought, a journalist who specialises in the subject being explored is brought in for about five minutes. In Britain, the political media is populated by people who've actually followed political procedure and know how the process and the politicians operate. They report the why and wherefore of the facts and leave it to the viewers to form their own opinion. Amongst their commentators, you won't find any ex-sportscasters, film producers, comedians or socialite ex-wives of politicians. You won't find a single trust fund kid whose father bought her a newspaper. And although the questioning in the few opinion shows is undeniably tough, there's no shouting or name-calling.
Although I have lots of issues with the BBC, at this moment in time, I'm eternally grateful for its measure.
At the moment in the UK, the gap between the wealthy and the poor has never been greater. It's bound to get even bigger, considering that David Cameron's just cut all child benefits to families earning more than £40,000 ($55,000) and is substantially increasing university tuition fees. This gap didn't turn into a breach overnight once Cameron got the keys to Downing Street. Maggie Thatcher moved the goal posts, and Tony Blair stole them. So, that's been a continuously worsening situation for the past thirty years. Sound familiar?
There's always been rich people, ever since there's been some sort of civilisation. There's even a song which says that the rich get rich and the poor get poorer. In Britain, the working class envied the rich, whilst the middle class emulated them.
The America I left in 1981 hadn't yet succumbed to Reaganomics. Coming of age in the Seventies, I was taught that knowledge was power and that a college degree enabled social mobility; and there has always been an element of keeping up with the Joneses. I guess maybe, thanks to The Gipper, keeping up with the Joneses literally became a way of life. Instead of education empowering people, the sense of wealth provided by plastic money and a loan-friendly financial services system enabled most working class people to dub themselves middle class, fooled them into thinking that the latest electronic equipment in the home, the biggest SUV on the block or the timeshare in Redondo Beach, the annual Carribbean cruise, meant one had finally attained The American Dream. Whenever I would visit home in the 80s or 90s, I always remember marvelling at how well-off and how "rich" people were.
Now I know it was all an illusion, and I wonder if this anger directed at the wealthiest Americans these days, whilst simmering precitiously under cover before, is misdirected anger at the fact that, since 2007, people have realised that, for one reason or another, we won't get the same opportunity to "play rich" again.
Margaret Thatcher once made an odiously cruel statement, and one that will be synonymous with her tenure as Prime Minister for eternity. She said, "There is no such thing as 'society.' There's just people trying to get by."
After yesterday's shenanigans, I'm wondering if what she said isn't true in America.
Oh, I know it's always been true of the Republicans - at least the Republican Party as it existed from Reagan onwards - although I can remember the liberal Republicans who fought for social justice, like Nelson Rockefeller and, as unbelieveable as it might seem, George Romney. But now I'm absolutely certain that this anti-societal attitude has pervaded the Democrats as well, from the Blue Dogs to the Progressives.
From Mary Landrieu to Bernie Sanders (yes, pedants, I know he's not a Democrat) they were united in condemning the President's recent compromise with the Republicans on extending the tax cuts. You know, I've never in my life heard so much venom in the blogosphere against the extension of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. I guess anger comes easier now once people realise that the lifestyle they lived in approximation of the good life they wanted to attain was pretty facile and transient. They want the good times back, and they want it now. George Bush took it from them, and now Obama's keeping it, or so it seems.
Yesterday, Barack Obama showed me one thing - that, above all the hype, he's a man of immense compassion. He put his neck on the line and put his people, the people of America - white, black and brown and anything inbetween - first. I've no doubt he didn't try to get the Republicans to budge on ending the tax cuts for the wealthy; he's certainly talked about this consistently enough in the past, that I certainly didn't doubt his sincerity. But they wouldn't budge. Sometimes you can't budge a brick wall with your head.
He could easily have said, "Stuff you, we'll let the whole thing collapse," and be done with it. Come January 1, everybody's taxes go up. In a recession. Done and dusted.
In truth, the President tried to get Congress - a Democratic Congress, remember - to vote on this measure immediately before they recessed to campaign. He knew then, as he knew on Saturday, that, although there were votes enough to pass this measure in the House, the votes were lacking in the Senate. It would have failed, but that failure would have sent a strong message to voters about just whose side the Republicans favoured. But the Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill - that's Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid - balked and refused. And then, immediately before yet another week-long recess, a vote on the extension of UI benefits failed to pass.
Obama seized the moment. If the Republicans wanted to retain the tax cuts for the wealthy, he was willing to extend the cuts for 2 years, but only if they would allow an extension of UI for the next 13 months. Throw in a reduction of payroll tax for a year, and the Republicans get their inheritance tax wet dream.
All in all, this increases the deficit - which never has, in my memory, become a major worry for Americans until out irresponsible and whore-panicked media made it so; but it's also shown us that the only thing which worries the Republicans is serving their wealthy corporate masters, whilst the President went for helping the unemployed, keeping the tax burden down for the middle and working classes, and maybe, just maybe, stimulating the economy a bit more with this payroll tax reduction.
But this wasn't enough for the fools on the Hill. Talk of filibuster and voting the compromise down, coupled with vicious and snarling attacks from the hate-filled Progressive blogosphere and bully-boy rantings from Ed Schultz prompted the President to reach out and smack some ass on both sides of the aisle. I feel he was right. And I would say to the likes of Rachel Maddow, whom I usually admire, and Keith Olbermann, whose narcissism is so bad that he made his remembrance comment about Elizabeth Edwards all about himself, simply to STFU and take your medicine.
This isn't about denying Freedom of Speech, it's about acknowledging something: That Liberals or liberals or even Progressives or whatever you want to call yourselves, people who believe in social justice, think about putting the disadvantaged first, instead of trying to score political points, which end up leaving those same people in a worse condition than before.
I was taught that the Democratic party stood for tolerance and compassion, caring for the less fortunate and championing the rights of the oppressed. Today, one end of the Democratic party answers to the corporations and the other end is a festering pool of intolerant, belligerant, mean-spirited purists. My bad for thinking that purism was the stuff of Sarah Palin and the Tea Partiers, something that smacked of Nazi Germany at its finest hour!
I used to know, via the Internet, a couple of those purists. One was a former local politician, who liked to crow that she was from the "Left Coast." The other is a writer, teaching in a small Florida university, unhappy for various reasons, with his lot in life and blaming that on America. They were fine and friendly as long as you agreed with their point of view, but they were unable to sustain any divergence of opinion. Discussions escalated into arguments and ended in ad hominem when one made a point to which they were unable to respond, when they listened at all. There's a special karma in the world for such people. The failed politician was forced, for economic reasons, to abandon her beloved Left Coast for the bowels of Alabama, and Mr Florida had a heart attack. Lucky for him, he was privately insured. The President for whom he's reserved a special and vitriolic hatred just provided a source of healthcare for the millions of people for whom Mr Florida expresses concern but for whom he actually does nothing.
For all those whining, including the talking heads on MSNBC, about Obama caving, maybe they should take a look at the Dark Side and see what they're saying. Fox and The Daily Caller were absolutely stymied yesterday. They were confused and confounded by what had happened, and didn't know how to spin the thing. People were equally confused and dismayed on Michele Bachmann's Facebook page. There was a sense that somehow they hadn't exactly got what they wanted, that they were pwned.
On the other hand, the Democrats would do well to think about this: If they filibuster this, or if they vote it down, the tax cuts will lapse and the UI extensions would have been non-existant, with millions of long-term unemployed kicked to the curb. In one fell swoop, the GOP could point the finger and accuse the Democrats, not only of being the party which hiked taxes during a recession, but also the same party who pulled the plug on UI extensions. That's as much of a surefire win for the GOP in 2012 as is primarying the President.
And the papers are replete with full-throated bayings for that as well; in fact, Michael Lerner, writing in the Washington Post, smugly asserts that, rather than offering a primary challenger, the Democratic party will eschew the primary system all together and force the President not to run for re-election in order to replace him with a big-name ueber liberal - in short, to effect what is tantamount to a de facto coup, by means of eliminating a primary process. This is rich, coming from the party who wholeheartedly embraced the lengthy electoral process as evidence of making the Democratic candidate the choice of the people. Even richer is the fact that the party who bullied through a much-needed and long-overdue Civil Rights' Act, now becomes the party to ditch the nation's first African American President.
Who's the racist now? Perception, after all, is reality.
The Democrats are angry because the President didn't score points with the Republicans, but many of them ran from his policies whilst on the campaign trail. The ultimate blame for this compromise situation, as a longtime friend pointed out to me yesterday, lies with the voters, themselves - or rather, the non-voters. If the Democrats had bothered to get over their almighty and childish sulk because the President couldn't undo in two years what it took thirty to achieve, or that he didn't wave a magic wand and eliminate DADT and end the wars, amongst other things, if they'd manage to "man up" and vote, or if the 30% of the LGBT community hadn't voted Republican in some sort of perverse protest, the President wouldn't have been forced to compromise.
As for the celebrity pundits, obviously, Rachel and Keith, ensconced in their million-dollar ivory towers, have never experienced long-term unemployment nor have they known anyone who has experienced this. They've never spent a week, a day or even an hour in the deprevation of an urban ghetto or amongst the poor working class in a Southern or Midwestern town, the latter being the demographic which always votes against its interest, the demographic which Keith's and Rachel's followers ignorantly refer to as "flyovers" or "unreconstructed Confederates", who would be better off actually seceding from the Union so the ueber-tolerant and all-inclusive Progressives wouldn't have to be bothered by their existance or even share a country with them.
Seems like the President cares about them, though, even though the people they elect, from either party, do. This lot care more about their posturing and their egos than the masses who populate the hoi polloi. They're only good for votes and only then when they vote the right way.
In all my life, and I remember Presidents from Kennedy to the present one, I've never seen a President so hated and reviled on both sides. A pundit/comedian, who likes to think of himself as well-informed, pondered after the elections, how the American people could hand the keys of government back to the clowns who derailed the process the first time. It seems to me that the hubristic Democats, clamouring to abandon the President for some as yet unnamed Great White Hope, are doing the same.
The Right see this behaviour, shout that he "doesn't get it," and brand him an elitist. The Left see this behaviour, shout that he "doesn't get it," and say that he's weak and spineless. The Right march in the streets, carrying placards with the President dressed like a jungle tribesman or a monkey. The Left blog angrily about "the Affirmative Action President" or "the house nigger."
Each night, I watch the BBC News at Ten. The presenter reads the items, all actual news items about events which occurred during the day in Britain and even around the world, in measured tones, with no opinion about anything reported. If an in-depth analysis is sought, a journalist who specialises in the subject being explored is brought in for about five minutes. In Britain, the political media is populated by people who've actually followed political procedure and know how the process and the politicians operate. They report the why and wherefore of the facts and leave it to the viewers to form their own opinion. Amongst their commentators, you won't find any ex-sportscasters, film producers, comedians or socialite ex-wives of politicians. You won't find a single trust fund kid whose father bought her a newspaper. And although the questioning in the few opinion shows is undeniably tough, there's no shouting or name-calling.
Although I have lots of issues with the BBC, at this moment in time, I'm eternally grateful for its measure.
At the moment in the UK, the gap between the wealthy and the poor has never been greater. It's bound to get even bigger, considering that David Cameron's just cut all child benefits to families earning more than £40,000 ($55,000) and is substantially increasing university tuition fees. This gap didn't turn into a breach overnight once Cameron got the keys to Downing Street. Maggie Thatcher moved the goal posts, and Tony Blair stole them. So, that's been a continuously worsening situation for the past thirty years. Sound familiar?
There's always been rich people, ever since there's been some sort of civilisation. There's even a song which says that the rich get rich and the poor get poorer. In Britain, the working class envied the rich, whilst the middle class emulated them.
The America I left in 1981 hadn't yet succumbed to Reaganomics. Coming of age in the Seventies, I was taught that knowledge was power and that a college degree enabled social mobility; and there has always been an element of keeping up with the Joneses. I guess maybe, thanks to The Gipper, keeping up with the Joneses literally became a way of life. Instead of education empowering people, the sense of wealth provided by plastic money and a loan-friendly financial services system enabled most working class people to dub themselves middle class, fooled them into thinking that the latest electronic equipment in the home, the biggest SUV on the block or the timeshare in Redondo Beach, the annual Carribbean cruise, meant one had finally attained The American Dream. Whenever I would visit home in the 80s or 90s, I always remember marvelling at how well-off and how "rich" people were.
Now I know it was all an illusion, and I wonder if this anger directed at the wealthiest Americans these days, whilst simmering precitiously under cover before, is misdirected anger at the fact that, since 2007, people have realised that, for one reason or another, we won't get the same opportunity to "play rich" again.
Margaret Thatcher once made an odiously cruel statement, and one that will be synonymous with her tenure as Prime Minister for eternity. She said, "There is no such thing as 'society.' There's just people trying to get by."
After yesterday's shenanigans, I'm wondering if what she said isn't true in America.
Oh, I know it's always been true of the Republicans - at least the Republican Party as it existed from Reagan onwards - although I can remember the liberal Republicans who fought for social justice, like Nelson Rockefeller and, as unbelieveable as it might seem, George Romney. But now I'm absolutely certain that this anti-societal attitude has pervaded the Democrats as well, from the Blue Dogs to the Progressives.
From Mary Landrieu to Bernie Sanders (yes, pedants, I know he's not a Democrat) they were united in condemning the President's recent compromise with the Republicans on extending the tax cuts. You know, I've never in my life heard so much venom in the blogosphere against the extension of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. I guess anger comes easier now once people realise that the lifestyle they lived in approximation of the good life they wanted to attain was pretty facile and transient. They want the good times back, and they want it now. George Bush took it from them, and now Obama's keeping it, or so it seems.
Yesterday, Barack Obama showed me one thing - that, above all the hype, he's a man of immense compassion. He put his neck on the line and put his people, the people of America - white, black and brown and anything inbetween - first. I've no doubt he didn't try to get the Republicans to budge on ending the tax cuts for the wealthy; he's certainly talked about this consistently enough in the past, that I certainly didn't doubt his sincerity. But they wouldn't budge. Sometimes you can't budge a brick wall with your head.
He could easily have said, "Stuff you, we'll let the whole thing collapse," and be done with it. Come January 1, everybody's taxes go up. In a recession. Done and dusted.
In truth, the President tried to get Congress - a Democratic Congress, remember - to vote on this measure immediately before they recessed to campaign. He knew then, as he knew on Saturday, that, although there were votes enough to pass this measure in the House, the votes were lacking in the Senate. It would have failed, but that failure would have sent a strong message to voters about just whose side the Republicans favoured. But the Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill - that's Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid - balked and refused. And then, immediately before yet another week-long recess, a vote on the extension of UI benefits failed to pass.
Obama seized the moment. If the Republicans wanted to retain the tax cuts for the wealthy, he was willing to extend the cuts for 2 years, but only if they would allow an extension of UI for the next 13 months. Throw in a reduction of payroll tax for a year, and the Republicans get their inheritance tax wet dream.
All in all, this increases the deficit - which never has, in my memory, become a major worry for Americans until out irresponsible and whore-panicked media made it so; but it's also shown us that the only thing which worries the Republicans is serving their wealthy corporate masters, whilst the President went for helping the unemployed, keeping the tax burden down for the middle and working classes, and maybe, just maybe, stimulating the economy a bit more with this payroll tax reduction.
But this wasn't enough for the fools on the Hill. Talk of filibuster and voting the compromise down, coupled with vicious and snarling attacks from the hate-filled Progressive blogosphere and bully-boy rantings from Ed Schultz prompted the President to reach out and smack some ass on both sides of the aisle. I feel he was right. And I would say to the likes of Rachel Maddow, whom I usually admire, and Keith Olbermann, whose narcissism is so bad that he made his remembrance comment about Elizabeth Edwards all about himself, simply to STFU and take your medicine.
This isn't about denying Freedom of Speech, it's about acknowledging something: That Liberals or liberals or even Progressives or whatever you want to call yourselves, people who believe in social justice, think about putting the disadvantaged first, instead of trying to score political points, which end up leaving those same people in a worse condition than before.
I was taught that the Democratic party stood for tolerance and compassion, caring for the less fortunate and championing the rights of the oppressed. Today, one end of the Democratic party answers to the corporations and the other end is a festering pool of intolerant, belligerant, mean-spirited purists. My bad for thinking that purism was the stuff of Sarah Palin and the Tea Partiers, something that smacked of Nazi Germany at its finest hour!
I used to know, via the Internet, a couple of those purists. One was a former local politician, who liked to crow that she was from the "Left Coast." The other is a writer, teaching in a small Florida university, unhappy for various reasons, with his lot in life and blaming that on America. They were fine and friendly as long as you agreed with their point of view, but they were unable to sustain any divergence of opinion. Discussions escalated into arguments and ended in ad hominem when one made a point to which they were unable to respond, when they listened at all. There's a special karma in the world for such people. The failed politician was forced, for economic reasons, to abandon her beloved Left Coast for the bowels of Alabama, and Mr Florida had a heart attack. Lucky for him, he was privately insured. The President for whom he's reserved a special and vitriolic hatred just provided a source of healthcare for the millions of people for whom Mr Florida expresses concern but for whom he actually does nothing.
For all those whining, including the talking heads on MSNBC, about Obama caving, maybe they should take a look at the Dark Side and see what they're saying. Fox and The Daily Caller were absolutely stymied yesterday. They were confused and confounded by what had happened, and didn't know how to spin the thing. People were equally confused and dismayed on Michele Bachmann's Facebook page. There was a sense that somehow they hadn't exactly got what they wanted, that they were pwned.
On the other hand, the Democrats would do well to think about this: If they filibuster this, or if they vote it down, the tax cuts will lapse and the UI extensions would have been non-existant, with millions of long-term unemployed kicked to the curb. In one fell swoop, the GOP could point the finger and accuse the Democrats, not only of being the party which hiked taxes during a recession, but also the same party who pulled the plug on UI extensions. That's as much of a surefire win for the GOP in 2012 as is primarying the President.
And the papers are replete with full-throated bayings for that as well; in fact, Michael Lerner, writing in the Washington Post, smugly asserts that, rather than offering a primary challenger, the Democratic party will eschew the primary system all together and force the President not to run for re-election in order to replace him with a big-name ueber liberal - in short, to effect what is tantamount to a de facto coup, by means of eliminating a primary process. This is rich, coming from the party who wholeheartedly embraced the lengthy electoral process as evidence of making the Democratic candidate the choice of the people. Even richer is the fact that the party who bullied through a much-needed and long-overdue Civil Rights' Act, now becomes the party to ditch the nation's first African American President.
Who's the racist now? Perception, after all, is reality.
The Democrats are angry because the President didn't score points with the Republicans, but many of them ran from his policies whilst on the campaign trail. The ultimate blame for this compromise situation, as a longtime friend pointed out to me yesterday, lies with the voters, themselves - or rather, the non-voters. If the Democrats had bothered to get over their almighty and childish sulk because the President couldn't undo in two years what it took thirty to achieve, or that he didn't wave a magic wand and eliminate DADT and end the wars, amongst other things, if they'd manage to "man up" and vote, or if the 30% of the LGBT community hadn't voted Republican in some sort of perverse protest, the President wouldn't have been forced to compromise.
As for the celebrity pundits, obviously, Rachel and Keith, ensconced in their million-dollar ivory towers, have never experienced long-term unemployment nor have they known anyone who has experienced this. They've never spent a week, a day or even an hour in the deprevation of an urban ghetto or amongst the poor working class in a Southern or Midwestern town, the latter being the demographic which always votes against its interest, the demographic which Keith's and Rachel's followers ignorantly refer to as "flyovers" or "unreconstructed Confederates", who would be better off actually seceding from the Union so the ueber-tolerant and all-inclusive Progressives wouldn't have to be bothered by their existance or even share a country with them.
Seems like the President cares about them, though, even though the people they elect, from either party, do. This lot care more about their posturing and their egos than the masses who populate the hoi polloi. They're only good for votes and only then when they vote the right way.
In all my life, and I remember Presidents from Kennedy to the present one, I've never seen a President so hated and reviled on both sides. A pundit/comedian, who likes to think of himself as well-informed, pondered after the elections, how the American people could hand the keys of government back to the clowns who derailed the process the first time. It seems to me that the hubristic Democats, clamouring to abandon the President for some as yet unnamed Great White Hope, are doing the same.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use Facts & Truth."
One Term POTUS.
Written By Jueseppi B.
Americans Are Stupid. I watched POTUS Obama's speech yesterday, concerning the Bush Tax Cuts.
Where every one else saw defeat and weakness, I saw disgust and him feeling a sense of hopelessness. I feel the same exact thing. Once you get past the name calling and the stupid Beck like opinions....lets get to the real issue.
Millions of unemployed Americans were without coverage of unemployed benefits as of the December 31st deadline. The RepubliCANTS/teabaggers told POTUS Obama AND the world, that unless the Bush Tax Cuts were extended to the wealthy, (who do not need or deserve them) along with the Bush Tax Cuts being extended for the lower and middle class, They (the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers) would not approve the unemployment insurance benefits package. The 7 Democrats who defected their party affiliation and voted with the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers are a disgrace.
What happened was this Humanitarian President knew, going in. that the millions of unemployed Americans would lose everything if he played politics with their survival. SO....what POTUS Obama did was work a compromise, giving the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers and their wealthy buddies, a two year extension on the tax cut they do not deserve, in order to secure 13 months of benefits for the unemployed Americans.
His quote as told to ABC News.... "I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president,"
Quotes from his press conference on December 7th concerning his compromise......
"A long political fight that carried over into next year might have been good politics, but it would be a bad deal for the economy and it would be a bad deal for the American people. And my responsibility as President is to do what’s right for the American people. That’s a responsibility I intend to uphold as long as I am in this office."
" My number one priority is to do what’s right for the American people, for jobs, and for economic growth. I’m focused on making sure that tens of millions of hardworking Americans are not seeing their paychecks shrink on January 1st just because the folks here in Washington are busy trying to score
political points."
This is exactly why I voted for POTUS Obama, and exactly why I will vote for him again in Twentytwelve if he seeks the Presidency again. He cares about Americans, and about the out come of American struggles. I have personally heard and read of countless numbers of people talking about the good that Obama has done by getting 13 months of financial freedom for the unemployed.
I have also read and heard countless number of selfish, macho, egotistical maniacs from both genders, who wanted a long drawn out fight.
If I were POTUS Obama, I'd be a one term POTUS.
America is NOT ready for his compassion, diplomacy, common sense, decency, principals, great character, love for America & family, his critical thinking and his logic. America would rather have George Dubbya Bush lying to you and Dick Cheney stealing from you.
If I were POTUS Obama, I'd pack up my shit, my family, and all my accomplishments and walk, looking back over my shoulder saying....ya'll fix this shit.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use Facts & Truth,"
Americans Are Stupid. I watched POTUS Obama's speech yesterday, concerning the Bush Tax Cuts.
Where every one else saw defeat and weakness, I saw disgust and him feeling a sense of hopelessness. I feel the same exact thing. Once you get past the name calling and the stupid Beck like opinions....lets get to the real issue.
Millions of unemployed Americans were without coverage of unemployed benefits as of the December 31st deadline. The RepubliCANTS/teabaggers told POTUS Obama AND the world, that unless the Bush Tax Cuts were extended to the wealthy, (who do not need or deserve them) along with the Bush Tax Cuts being extended for the lower and middle class, They (the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers) would not approve the unemployment insurance benefits package. The 7 Democrats who defected their party affiliation and voted with the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers are a disgrace.
What happened was this Humanitarian President knew, going in. that the millions of unemployed Americans would lose everything if he played politics with their survival. SO....what POTUS Obama did was work a compromise, giving the RepubliCANTS/teabaggers and their wealthy buddies, a two year extension on the tax cut they do not deserve, in order to secure 13 months of benefits for the unemployed Americans.
His quote as told to ABC News.... "I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president,"
Quotes from his press conference on December 7th concerning his compromise......
"A long political fight that carried over into next year might have been good politics, but it would be a bad deal for the economy and it would be a bad deal for the American people. And my responsibility as President is to do what’s right for the American people. That’s a responsibility I intend to uphold as long as I am in this office."
" My number one priority is to do what’s right for the American people, for jobs, and for economic growth. I’m focused on making sure that tens of millions of hardworking Americans are not seeing their paychecks shrink on January 1st just because the folks here in Washington are busy trying to score
political points."
This is exactly why I voted for POTUS Obama, and exactly why I will vote for him again in Twentytwelve if he seeks the Presidency again. He cares about Americans, and about the out come of American struggles. I have personally heard and read of countless numbers of people talking about the good that Obama has done by getting 13 months of financial freedom for the unemployed.
I have also read and heard countless number of selfish, macho, egotistical maniacs from both genders, who wanted a long drawn out fight.
If I were POTUS Obama, I'd be a one term POTUS.
America is NOT ready for his compassion, diplomacy, common sense, decency, principals, great character, love for America & family, his critical thinking and his logic. America would rather have George Dubbya Bush lying to you and Dick Cheney stealing from you.
If I were POTUS Obama, I'd pack up my shit, my family, and all my accomplishments and walk, looking back over my shoulder saying....ya'll fix this shit.
"Disagree Intelligently, Use Facts & Truth,"
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