Day: February 20, 2010

Public Opinion Poll Opposes Supreme Court Campaign Financing Decision

A very interesting poll came out this week, demonstrating that the Supreme Court really struck out, when it voted 5-4 in January to allow unlimited political campaign spending by corporations and labor unions.

An astounding 80 percent of those in the Washington Post poll opposed the decision, with 65 percent vehemently opposed, and 72 percent want legislation to restore the controls on spending. 85 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of Independents, and 76 percent of Republicans feel the decision was a bad one.

There is bipartisan support for legislation on this subject, and yet the Republicans in Congress hailed the decision as a victory for “free speech”. So the GOP is again in the minority, even with its own supporters, on this extremely unpopular decision of the Supreme Court.

Republicans and business groups say it levels the playing field in the struggle against labor unions and liberal interest groups. But even three fourths of self identified conservative Republicans agree action must be taken to limit the effects of the Court decision.

So again, the Republican party in Congress is working against the will of the people, and yet, they seem to think that they are going to win control of both houses of Congress or come close to it, and also the White House in 2012. Are they living in illusion and a state of unreality? Very likely!

Meanwhile, legislation is being readied by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Let’s hope some kind of legislation is passed, although, of course, it will have to overcome a likely GOP filibuster in the Senate! 🙁

The Passing Of Alexander Haig: An Important Part Of American History!

Former Army General, White House Chief of Staff, and Secretary of State Alexander Haig passed away this morning, and his death at age 85 brings back many memories.

After a great Army career, he became Richard Nixon’s last White House Chief of Staff, and played a very important role in the waning days of Nixon, as the Watergate scandal evolved. He informed the Pentagon to ignore the President if he called for them to impose martial law and suspend the Constitution! Apparently, Haig felt that Nixon was so mentally unbalanced under pressure that he could be a threat to constitutional order, so quietly and secretly so instructed the Pentagon in this unusual way.

Later, Haig was Secretary of State for one year under President Reagan, but eventually lost his position because of the controversial way he handled the attempted assassination of Reagan by John Hinckley in March 1981. At the time of the shooting, Vice President George HW Bush was in flight, so Haig took over the White House Press Secretary’s podium and said he was “in charge”, and acted very nervously and exuded sweat, leaving the image almost of a coup d’etat being initiated. Of course, Haig was absolutely wrong, because if the Vice President is not available, the presidential succession laws call for the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to be next in line before the Secretary of State. Haig never recovered from this disastrous episode, and did not get along well with others in the Reagan Administration, so in 1982 he was replaced by George Shultz.

Haig had also served under President Ford, and made a feeble attempt at a Presidential candidacy in 1988, and then he disappeared from the public scene.

If for nothing else, Haig must be commended for his intervention with the Pentagon at the time of the crisis over Watergate. For that alone, he will be a part of our history textbooks!

CPAC And The Two Dicks (Cheney And Armey)

CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) is meeting in Washington, DC this weekend, and is demonstrating the ability to issue personal insults against President Obama, and to show the American people that they do not wish to work with the President to find solutions, but rather continue the obstructionism that they have been engaged in for the past 14 months.

They are very good at talking about smaller government, lower taxes, and a stronger defense, failing to realize that much of the national debt problem we face is due to our extended involvement overseas and the fighting of two wars, and the overexpanded and wasteful defense budget.

Apparently, we can do what we are doing overseas without raising taxes, and should in fact lower taxes. So if that means cutting off all domestic programs or privatizing social security and medicare, so be it!

It is hard to imagine the intelligent, sensible part of our population in this country accepting this jargon and propaganda. But certainly, the two Dicks, Cheney and Armey, are spreading the word with preposterous assertions.

Former Vice President Cheney said he foresees conservatives taking over the Congress in 2010, and predicts that Barack Obama is a one term President. Former House Majority Leader Armey (Texas), who has formed Freedom Works and flirted with the Tea Party Movement, said that Barack Obama has demonstrated that he is the most incompetent President in his lifetime!

Now let’s see: Cheney is the person who said the Iraqi people would greet us with flowers when we invaded in 2003. Did that work out? 🙂 He also said that deficits do not matter, and yet now he and his party and conservative activists are making the national debt the number one issue. Is Dick Cheney good at his predictions and assessments? I don’t think the evidence shows that! 🙂

Armey thinks that Obama is worse than his past favorite for being the worst President in his lifetime (that is, Jimmy Carter).  I am sure that former President Carter must be thrilled to hear that!  :)   But somehow, isn’t Armey forgetting Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, or is he trying to rewrite history, therefore promoting more lies and deception, as he did as a leader of Congress under the leadership of Newt Gingrich?

Is CPAC or these and other Republicans and conservative leaders interested in solving problems, or just pointing the finger and sowing division? I think the answer is VERY clear! 🙁