Ignorance

Political Cartoon is by Bob Englehart in The Hartford Courant.

Time For A "Clean Vote" On The Debt Ceiling

It looks like the orange-colored Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, has once again proven that he really has no control over his fellow House Republicans. Yesterday was supposed to be the day that he passed his own plan to cut the deficit and raise the debt ceiling. Although the plan could not have passed the Senate without substantial alteration, it would have given Boehner a small bit of political capital in the debt ceiling fight and allow him to save face.

But to get it passed he needed to get most of his Republican cohorts to vote for the ridiculous bill, and that proved to be beyond his control. The teabaggers in the House once again revolted and refused to vote for Boehner's bill, and there were enough of them to insure the bill could not pass -- especially since the Democrats weren't going to help pass it. Finally, Boehner just put off a vote on the bill.

The bill could still be voted on, maybe as early as today. But that assumes that Boehner would be able to corral enough teabagger votes to get it passed, and that is going to be very difficult. Now if the Boehner bill would just die, and with it the ridiculous Reid bill in the Senate, maybe Congress could get down to doing what they should have done in the first place -- just raise the debt ceiling without any amendments or cuts attached to it.

The Congressional Black Caucus has proposed just that. All of their members, except Republican Allen West, have said they support having a clean vote on raising the debt ceiling -- a vote that would do nothing but raise the debt ceiling. And they are not alone. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said she also supports the idea. And yesterday the Progressive Caucus in the House threw their support behing the idea of a "clean debt ceiling vote".

The "clean vote" idea seems to be growing. Now if the Senate Democrats would just get on board with it maybe something could be accomplished. This is the position the Democrats should have supported from the very beginning. President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid were wrong to negotiate (give in) to the Republicans on the debt ceiling.

Now that time is running out, I believe Wall Street will pressure enough Republicans to vote for a clean debt ceiling bill to avoid a default because the Republican position is clearly untenable. And if such a bill passes the House, surely Senate Democrats would pass it also.

The time for politics and posturing is over. It's time to raise the debt ceiling.

Kicking The "Can't" Down The Road

Political Cartoon is by Mike Keefe in The Denver Post.

Perry Clarifies Statement - Still Opposes Equality

A few days ago Rick Perry surprised a lot of people by inferring that he is in favor of equality -- as long as that equality was granted on a state-by-state basis. I was one of those surprised, since I had always considered America's worst governor to be a died-in-the-wool homophobe.

Recently New York passed a law granting gays/lesbians the same rights that other Americans have -- the right to get married and reap all the benefits that comes along with a state-sanctioned marriage. And amazingly, Rick Perry made a statement that sounded like he was in favor of same-sex weddings (as long as they didn't happen in Texas).

Perry said, "Our friends in New York, six weeks ago, passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. Well you know what, that's New York and that's their business and that's fine with me." I thought that was an abnormally broad-minded statement, especially for a right-wing fundamentalist nut-job like Perry. Most other right-wing fundies were screaming as though it actually affected them in some way (although they still can't explain how).

Those same fundies made it clear to Perry that they were very unhappy with his statement. How dare he be in favor of equality, even in another state! They made it clear that if he wanted to keep his teabagger credentials he would oppose equality everywhere -- even in New York. And Perry heard them loud and clear.

Yesterday he issued a clarification saying, "I probably needed to add a few words after that 'it's fine with me'. Obviously, gay marriage [equality] is not fine with me."

So I guess hell (if such a thing exists) is not going to freeze over this week. Perry is still a homophobe who despises the thought of all Americans enjoying equal rights.

Off The Cliff

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

Debt - Bush Vs. Obama

I found this at the blog The Immoral Minority. He had titled it A Graph That Every Teabagger Needs To See. I think that shows just how big an optimist he is though. I suspect you could have teabaggers look at this for hours and it really wouldn't matter much. They've made up their minds and they're not going to let facts interfere with what they've chosen to believe.

Bernie Tells The Truth About The D.C. Nonsense

As you know there is a debate and "negotiations" going on in Washington right now about the debt ceiling. The Republican right-wingers have decided to use this as an opportunity to push for huge cuts in government programs they have never liked (even though they have voted dozens of times for debt ceiling increases for GOP presidents).

They are holding the U.S. economy hostage to institute their own failed economic policies -- demanding new tax cuts for the rich and trillions in decreased government spending for everyone else. It doesn't seem to matter to them that they are putting the American and world economies in danger and also endangering the country's bond rating.

And president Obama and the Democrats haven't been much better. Both President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid have introduced plans to try and please the Republicans -- plans that would cut trillions of dollars in government spending (which is exactly the wrong thing to do in the middle of a jobless crises). It has become obvious that neither party is prepared to act to create jobs and help ordinary Americans, but both are willing to play politics with American lives.

In the middle of all this ridiculous nonsense there is one clear voice calling out for reason and economic justice -- Senator Bernie Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont. Here is Bernie's latest letter to progressives about the situation in Washington:

The debate over raising the debt ceiling and deficit reduction is coming down to the wire and I wanted to take a moment to update you on what is going on in Washington.

Despite the fact that Democrats control the White House and the Senate, it is right-wing Republicans who are calling the shots and setting the agenda.  Unless we fight back vigorously, Congress and President Obama will give the American people exactly what they don’t want.

Poll after poll shows that the American people want Congress to focus on job creation and that they want deficit reduction to be done in a way which is fair and which requires shared sacrifice.  They do not want the budget to be balanced on the backs of those people who are already hurting through massive cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, child care, nutrition, affordable housing, fuel assistance and environmental protection.  They want millionaires and billionaires to start paying their fair share in taxes, and they want the removal of massive loopholes which enable many large corporations to avoid taxes.  They also want a significant reduction in military spending.

Republican leaders talk about three or four trillion dollars in spending cuts over the next ten years, with no new taxes on the wealthy and large corporations and unless we turn the tide NOW, they will get pretty much what they want. 

Please understand what they mean.  While no specific proposals have been adopted as of this date, here are some of the ideas which have been discussed.

SOCIAL SECURITY:  Revising the formula which determines cost of living increases (COLAs) so that in ten years, a 75-year-old will receive $560 a year less in benefits and in 20 years an 85-year-old will receive $1,000 a year less.  Further, another provision which would require that Social Security always be solvent for 75 years would likely mean even larger cuts in benefits.  All of this would take place despite the fact that Social Security has not contributed one penny to the deficit and has a $2.6 trillion surplus today.  This new formula would also cut back on the pensions of veterans.

MEDICARE:  Raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67 and/or cutting benefits by $250 billion over ten years.  Now you tell me, how are 66 year old Americans with modest means going to afford health insurance with a private company – especially if they have medical problems?  It’s not going to happen.  They are going to suffer.  Some will unnecessarily die.

MEDICAID:  At a time when 50 million Americans already have no health insurance, Republicans and some Democrats are proposing to cut hundreds of billions from Medicaid which means that many men, women and children will lose the health insurance they have.  According to a Harvard University study, some 45,000 Americans die each year because they don’t get to a doctor when they should.  How many more will die if Medicaid is slashed?  How many children will be thrown off of the Children’s Health Insurance Program?

EDUCATION:  Today, childcare and college education are already unaffordable for millions of working families and Head Start has long waiting lists.  If Republicans and some Democrats get their way, Pell grants and other educational programs will be deeply slashed.  Affordable childcare and a college education will no longer be possible for many families in our country.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE:  Forget about the government having the ability to protect the people from corporations who want to evade regulations within the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.  With massive cuts in the EPA, the resources will not be there.  Forget about this country having the investment capability to transform our energy system to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.  Forget about creating millions of jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and improving our public transportation system.

At a time of growing hunger in America there will be massive cuts to nutrition programs.  We have a crisis in homelessness, and there will be cuts to affordable housing.  While we need more funds for research and development in disease prevention and other areas, fewer funds will be available.  And on and on it goes.  

Yes, the time is late, but we can still make a huge difference.  

As, perhaps, the most progressive member of the Senate, I will continue to stand for a deficit reduction plan which is fair, which requires the wealthy and large corporations to begin paying their fair share of taxes and contribute at least 50 percent toward any plan which is adopted.  I will also demand that Congress take a hard look at excessive military spending.

This nightmare can be avoided, if, as progressives, we continue to stand together for social justice and common decency.  Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely, 


Senator Bernie Sanders

Socialists !!

Political Cartoon is by David Horsey in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The Smell Of Desperation

As you probably know by now, the supporters of Sarah Palin (and probably Palin herself) were hoping that the new movie about Palin that recently hit the theaters would salvage her flagging popularity and propel her to the Republican presidential nomination. But things aren't working out that way.

The movie had a below average performance in its first weekend of release, and then went right into the dumper on the second weekend (with less than a $2000 per screen average). It turns out that even most Republicans have no desire to see this terrible movie.

And the smell of desperation is beginning to emanate from "Team Sarah". Just look at the recent missive they have sent out to anyone that was ever on a Palin mailing list:

Team,

The movie, The Undefeated, faces an onslaught of the same kind of “invalidation” that Sarah Palin faces from the media establishment.

For those who have been out promoting the movie, and trying to get people in the cities where it is showing to BUY TICKETS NOW, this has been quite a journey.

Movies, ALL movies, have their ups and downs, but you can bet that when The Undefeated has its “ups” the media will ignore that and when it has its “downs” the media will over-hype it, as if “it’s all over because of a bad day!”

Everyone knows that "success" is never a straight line!

The fight to make sure people KNOW the truth about how the ESTABLISHMENT treats ordinary Americans who rise to leadership is only just beginning!

Just because you don't live in a city where the movie is currently playing does not mean you CANNOT HELP! Email teamsarahhq@gmail.com to see how you can help as a virtual ambassador!

Whoever thinks this is going to be easy, here's the truth. IT CANNOT BE EASY!

The stakes are too high!

The opposition is DESPERATE to discredit all that we stand up for!

Hard, however, is not IMPOSSIBLE.

What kind of country do you want to leave your children, one where the values of a Tina Fey rule or one where the values of Sarah Palin are strong?

WHAT WE DO NOW will potentially decide how that question is answered!

How much can you do, how far out of your comfort zone can you go, for your children's future?

Here's what is needed: we need to get people to come to these theaters and we need to beat back the liberal narrative. WE CAN DO this because we MUST do it!

Here’s the WHOLE point of all this- We need EVERYONE in EACH CITY to focus on getting 25 people to come to the movie TOMORROW and THURSDAY!

TICKETS are available here,

IF you live in any of the cities where this movie is showing, or within 100 miles, then WE NEED YOU! If you DON'T live near these cities, we STILL need you!

EMAIL teamsarahhq@gmail.com and we will send you our own information pack!

The movie IS coming to DVD, but even if millions of the DVD’s are sold, the media will STILL try to use whatever WE DO at the box office as a measure of success. COUNT ON IT!

We need to ask people we know in those cities to COME!

Don’t ask, tell! What I mean is, call your buddy up and say, “you’re going to this movie, OK? It’s a done deal, I need you to go.’ Don’t be shy. Imagine your children’s future depends on it.

WE NEED-

CITY HOSTS who live near the cities where the movie is being launched. More cities are being added, so just email and we will put you on a list when the movie comes your way....

VIRTUAL AMBASSADORS- people who can help with social media and making phone calls. You don’t have to LIVE in a city to RECRUIT for that city!

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

EMAIL teamsarahhq@gmail.com and we will send you our own information pack!

Thanks to all who are helping now!

If that doesn't smell like desperation then I don't know what does. It looks like some of these people are starting to realize that America is done with their teabagger queen.

Birds Of A Feather. . .

Political Cartoon is by John Cole in The Scranton Times.

Alcoholic Drinks Preferred By Americans

Since 1992 the folks over at the Gallup Poll have been surveying American adults on their preferences among alcoholic drinks. Traditionally, beer is the big winner. In 1992, 47% of respondents listed beer as their favorite alcoholic drink, with wine coming in second at 27% and liquor finishing third at 21%.

But beer has been trending downward since that time, and wine has been trending upward (with liquor pretty much staying the same in the low 20 percent range). And the latest Gallup Poll survey (Taken between July 7th and July 10th of 1,016 randomly chosen adults nationwide) shows that wine and beer are now in a dead heat for first place. About 36% now say beer is their preferred drink while 35% list wine as their favorite. Around 23% favor liquor.

The interesting part is the demographic breakdown. Beer remains a heavy favorite among men, among people making less than $30,000 a year, and among those with a high school diploma or less. Beer is also a prohibitive favorite in the Midwest. In other parts of the country and among other groups wine has made some serious inroads. Here is the demographic breakdown:

MALE
beer..........48%
wine..........20%
liquor..........26%

FEMALE
beer..........22%
wine..........51%
liquor..........21%

18 TO 34
beer..........39%
wine..........25%
liquor..........30%

35 TO 54
beer..........41%
wine..........31%
liquor..........23%

55 AND OVER
beer..........27%
wine..........47%
liquor..........19%

WHITE
beer..........38%
wine..........36%
liquor..........20%

NONWHITE
beer..........27%
wine..........33%
liquor..........33%

$30,000 AND UNDER
beer..........51%
wine..........16%
liquor..........25%

$30,001 TO $74,999
beer..........33%
wine..........38%
liquor..........24%

$75,000 AND OVER
beer..........30%
wine..........43%
liquor..........21%

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR LESS
beer..........44%
wine..........30%
liquor..........21%

SOME COLLEGE
beer..........33%
wine..........32%
liquor..........29%

COLLEGE GRADUATE
beer..........29%
wine..........42%
liquor..........21%

EAST
beer..........37%
wine..........40%
liquor..........17%

MIDWEST
beer..........46%
wine..........31%
liquor..........17%

SOUTH
beer..........29%
wine..........34%
liquor..........28%

WEST
beer..........31%
wine..........35%
liquor..........29%

The Same Old Argument

Political Cartoon is by Clay Bennett in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Creationism

From the blog Politicususa.

Recession Has Hit Minorities Harder Than Whites

The Pew Research Center has done a very interesting survey. They compared government data from 2005 with newly released government data from 2009 (after the recession hit), and they found that when the average income of different groups are compared, the recession has hit minority groups much harder than it has hit whites as a whole.

Even before the recession whites were average a much larger net worth than other groups (except for Asians). Here's how the average wealth stood back in 2005:

Asians...............$168,103
Whites...............$134,992
Hispanics...............$18,359
African-Americans...............$12, 124

But the recession has radically changed those averages. Here is what they now look like:

Whites...............$113,149 (a drop of 16%)
Asians...............$78,066 (a drop of 54%)
Hispanics...............$6,325 (a drop of 66%)
African-Americans...............$5,677 (a drop of 53%)

This does not mean that the recession has not hurt whites at all. Those who have lost jobs have been severely hurt. What it really means is that there are enough whites in the wealthy class (who are doing very well) to keep the average up while poor and working class whites are sliding downhill like the other groups. It also means there weren't enough rich people among the other groups to keep their average up.

If it occurs to you that this means there is not only a huge disparity between the rich and the working class, but there is still a huge disparity between the races -- then you are absolutely right. That racial disparity existed before the recession hit, but the recession has made it far worse.

This is just more evidence that America is not only in a "post-racial" period in our history, but we are not even close to anything like that. If race no longer mattered in America then all of the groups should have suffered the same, including whites. That did not happen. Minorities have suffered more -- even Asians. This is also born out by the fact that whites have a smaller unemployment rate than minorities (although the rate for everyone is too high).

This might make some on the right believe that most of the poor are minorities. That has never been true and still isn't. The majority of the poor are white, just as it has always been. The minority groups are smaller, and as I said, don't have large numbers among the wealthy.

My point in this post is that there are two drivers of wealth inequality in this country. One is class and the other is race (or ethnicity), and both are contributing to the huge gap among the rich and poor in this country -- a gap that not only was the primary cause of the recession, but keeps everyone but the rich in recession.

This recession will not truly be over until there is massive job creation and a more equal wealth distribution -- and it must extend to all races and ethnicities. Government cuts are not the answer. That will only cause the economy to shrink and extend the recession (and the hurt). We need massive spending to create jobs, and we need to make sure that minorities get a good share of those jobs. And we need a significant tax raise for the rich and corporations to help pay for it. That's the only real solution.