Where The Blame Lays

Political Cartoon is by Pat Bagley in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Legislature Tosses A Few Crumbs To The Poor

Since the Republicans took over the legislature and state government in Austin, the government has existed mainly to make sure the rich don't have to pay taxes, and the corporations aren't interfered with in their quest to suck every last penny out of the pockets of Texans. But an amazing thing happened this last legislative session -- they actually found a little money to help poor citizens.

There are a few legal aid organizations in Texas that exist solely to help the poor get legal services they could not otherwise afford. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Legal aid services depend on interest generated in lawyers’ trust accounts, a program known as IOLTA administered by the Access to Justice Foundation. Because interest rates have plummeted, proceeds are expected to drop to $1.5 million this year compared with $20 million in 2007."

The $18.5 million loss would have been devastating to Texas legal aid services. Even with that money, they would still come up short of what they actually need to operate effectively. The Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Wallace Jefferson, asked the legislature to provide $37 million for legal aid services. They didn't provide that much, but they did kick in a few million. With private donations and federal donations, it should be enough to keep the legal aid going for a while.

The legal aid group that serves this area of Texas is Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. It is based in Fort Worth and helps about 4,000 people annually in Tarrant County. It helps another 15,000 in an area stretching from McKinney to Amarillo to Midland. That's a huge area to be served by one organization.

The office was expecting to lose about $2.4 million in funding for the biennium, and were afraid they were going to have to lay off several employees. Even after the state came up with some money, the office was $400,000 short. Luckily, the federal Legal Services Corporation donated another $733,000.

This, combined with some private donations means the office is now in pretty good shape. In fact, they are going to be able to hire an information technology person, four paralegals and four new attorneys (starting September 1st).

I wish the state had come up with all the money the Chief Justice had asked for. They certainly don't seem to have any trouble coming up with the money for corporate handouts. But I guess I should be grateful they gave any money to legal aid at all. They could have treated legal aid like they did the poor children of Texas, when they decided that these kids didn't need or deserve any health insurance.

I look forward to a day when our legislature is more than just an embarrassment to the citizens of Texas.

Pathetic

Political Cartoon is by R.J. Matson in The New York Observer.

White And Right

Tx Senate - Incompetent Or Sneaky ?

The Texas Legislature meets only once every two years for a 140-day session. That session ended this last weekend, and once again, it more closely resembled a convention of second-rate clowns than anything else. It reminds us why the people of Texas don't have the stomach or nerve to ask for yearly legislative sessions.

This year the Texas House and Senate adjourned before approving and funding the operations of at least three state agencies -- the Texas Racing Commission, the Texas Department of Insurance and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Texas has a system that includes "sunset laws". That means that each state agency must be reviewed every few years and reapproved, or it automatically ceases to exist.

Some may disagree, but I think the state could get by for a couple of years without the Racing Commission and the Department of Insurance. All you have to do is look at insurance rates in Texas to know that the latter department did very little for Texas consumers anyway. But do away with TxDOT? That seems a little extreme, especially considering the condition of Texas' overcrowded and crumbling highway infrastructure.

Although they didn't pass the regulation bill re-approving TxDOT, the Texas House did pass a last-minute resolution that would have allowed the agency to operate for another two years. But that wasn't good enough for the Senate. A majority of the senators then worked themselves up into a lather and decided to teach the House a lesson. They adjourned without approving the resolution.

Even Governor "Good Hair" Perry didn't see the logic in that. He said, "If I could tell you I understood what happened last night, I would be an absolute genius. I thought I was watching an episode of 'Lost' for a moment. I have no idea what they were thinking or why they didn't want to pass the resolutions that would have given a safety net for those agencies."

There are two options as to what happened. The Texas Senate is either incredibly incompetent or very sneaky. The first option cannot be ruled out since the huge majority of the senators are Republicans, but I have a suspicion that the truth lies with the second option.

You see, the Republicans spent a large part of the session trying to pass a voter suppression bill (which they called the Voter ID bill). The Republicans know the political winds are currently blowing against them. They have only two choices -- moderate their views and appeal to a broader range of voters or suppress as many votes as possible. These right-wing nuts chose voter suppression.

The voter suppression bill easily passed the Republican-dominated Senate, but was killed in the House (where there are 76 Repubs and 74 Dems). The only hope to revive the bill is to force the governor to call a "special session" of the legislature. That is why the Senate refused to pass the resolution to keep TxDOT alive for another two years. If they had passed it, there would be no reason for a special session to be called.

So don't be surprised when the governor calls for a special session to save TxDOT. And don't be surprised when a voter suppression bill is added to the special session agenda. That's what this whole mess is about.

Come to think of it, maybe they're sneaky AND incompetent.

Government Didn't Do It

Political Cartoon is by David Fitzsimmons in the Arizona Daily Star.

Clean-Up On Aisle 5

Why Did Obama Flip-Flop On Releasing Photos ?

A couple of weeks ago, President Obama was all set to release some previously unseen photos of prisoner abuse by the United States in Iraq. Not only had the president promised he would release the photos, but there was a court order requiring the release. Then at the last minute, he changed his mind and said he would not release the photoes -- but would fight the release in court.

Of course, most of us bloggers on the left went bonkers. What happened? Had Obama been suddenly infected by some kind of virus left behind by George Bush? The president acted like the torture and abuse was some kind of secret that the world didn't already know about, and if the "secret" was suddenly revealed, it might put our soldiers in danger.

That sounds like a Bush excuse doesn't it? Like our soldiers weren't already being attacked and killed on a daily basis in Iraq. We thought that excuse sounded weak at the time, and now the real reason has been revealed. According to McClatchy News, the president flip-flopped because Iraqi President Maliki threw a hissy fit when he learned the photos were to be released.

U.S. officials said Maliki (pictured above) "went pale in the face" and said, "Baghdad will burn". They said Maliki then threatened that:

"The public outrage and increase in violence could lead Iraqis to demand a referendum on the security agreement and refuse to permit U.S. forces to stay until the end of 2011...Iraq is scheduled to hold a referendum by July 30 on the accord, which calls for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of 2011. If the accord were rejected, the U.S. would have to withdraw from Iraq within a year of the vote or by the summer of 2010."

Now, I'm really confused! First, Baghdad has already burned. Is there anything left to burn? Second, shouldn't leaving Iraq as soon as humanly possible be our policy? How can being forced to bring our soldiers home to their families eighteen months early be a bad thing?

Why must we occupy Iraq for another two and a half years anyway? Staying until the end of 2011 is not going to save the Maliki government. We could stay another 10 years, and that puppet government would still fall the minute we leave!

Personally, I think we should already be in the process of withdrawing all of our troops right now -- every single one of them. If releasing the abuse photos will speed that process up, then copies should be made for every newspaper and magazine! An endless loop should be made of them and given to every TV station! Put them on YouTube!

During the presidential campaign, didn't candidate Obama tell us the troops would be out in 18 months after he took office (summer of 2010)? How did that get stretched to three years anyway (end of 2011)? Did the military talk Obama into believing we could actually solve Iraq's political problems for them? Has Obama become that naive since assuming office?

Only the Iraqis can solve Iraq's problems. End the occupation! Bring our troops home now!

Long Live Castro !

Found at the wonderful web site of Walter Lippmann.

The GOP

Found on the excellent web site Constructive Anarchy.

Right-Wing Terrorist Kills Doctor In Church

Churches are normally thought to be sanctuaries of peace, but a Wichita (Kansas) church was the scene Sunday of a right-wing terrorist attack, resulting in the murder of a doctor. Dr. George Tiller had been the victim of threats and attacks in the past -- his clinic (where he performed legal abortions) was bombed in 1985 and he was shot in both arms in 1993.

But on Sunday, the 67 year-old doctor was killed. He leaves behind a wife, four children and 10 grandchildren. After hearing of the murder, President Obama said, "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence". The president said he was "shocked and outraged".

Police in Kansas City have arrested a suspect in the murder, but don't know yet if he planned the crime with others or whether it was a solitary crime. The suspect, Scott Roeder, was a member of the roght-wing group known as the Freemen, and there is evidence that he frequented anti-abortion web sites. He had been convicted in the past for having bomb components in his car.

The current president of Operation Rescue, Troy Newman, was quick to try and distance his organization from the crime. He said, "We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down. Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning".

But Operation Rescue's founder, Randall Terry, was singing a different tune, and a far more disturbing one. He called the doctor a "mass murderer" and said, "He was an evil man - his hands were covered with blood". That sounds like he's praising the murderous actions of a follower.

That is just the kind of statement that can easily encourage someone prone to violence to commit a heinous crime like this murder. And most anti-abortion web sites are rife with those kind of statements.

This was a vicious and senseless crime. As Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, says, "Dr. Tiller's murder will send a chill down the spines of the brave and courageous providers and other professionals who are part of reproductive-health centers that serve women across this country. We want them to know that they have our support as they move forward in providing these essential services in the aftermath of the shocking news from Wichita".

This crime simply cannot be justified, regardless of one's beliefs about abortion.

The Real Racists

Political Cartoon is by Nate Beeler in The Washington Examiner.

U.S.-Cuba Take The First Step

It looks like the United States and Cuba are about to take the first small feeble steps toward normalizing the relationship between the two countries. This is a good thing, and should have happened years ago.

Recently, the United States had asked Cuba to resume negotiations regarding the immigration of Cubans to the United States. Last weekend, Cuba sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. government accepting the invitation to restart the talks. I hope these talks are successful, so other negotiations can be conducted and relations finally normalized.

One reason these talks are going to happen, is because neither country put any pre-conditions on holding the talks. This should be a lesson to both countries, especially the United States. The U.S. is still requiring pre-conditions before having more substantial talks and before re-admitting Cuba to the Organization of American States.

The whole idea of pre-conditions for talks is ridiculous. First, no country has the right to demand another country alter their government. We would be aghast if Cuba demanded we alter our way of governing ourselves before they would talk to us, and yet we seem to think it's fine for us to do the same thing to them. How can we possibly believe we have the right to do something we would not allow Cuba to do to us?

Also, having pre-conditions before negotiating is like demanding the other country give up before negotiations have even begun. We would not give in before negotiations have begun, so how can we demand it of others?

But not only are the pre-conditions wrong, they will probably soon put the U.S. in an unsustainable and untenable position. The Organization of American States is scheduled to meet very soon, and the feeling is that the huge majority of the members are in favor of re-admitting Cuba. They may well do so inspite of what the United States wants, or whatever pre-conditions the United States has imposed.

True diplomacy requires both countries to negotiate in good faith. The differences between the two countries are the matters to be negotiated. To demand for one country to submit to the wishes of another before negotiating is not diplomacy -- it is hubris, or worse.

The fact is that Cuba does not pose any danger to the United States. A continuation of the embargo and failure to normalize relations, does nothing to protect the United States. All it does is hurt both countries economically, and make the U.S. look foolish -- especially since most other countries, including our allies, have resumed normal relations with Cuba.

It is time for President Obama to drop all pre-conditions to negotiating the normalizing of relations with Cuba. There is no reason the United States and Cuba cannot be friends, who work together for the common good of both countries.

Graffiti

Political Cartoon is by Daryl Cagle at msnbc.com.