Month: September 2009

Time For Real Regulatory Reform For Wall Street And Banks

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President Obama went to Wall Street yesterday to declare that, a year after the financial collapse began which has led to the Great Recession, it is time for Wall Street and the big banks to start changing their strategies, as the US Government does not intend and cannot promote constant taxpayer bailout.

Obama is now beginning to call for real regulatory reform as his next goal after health care legislation, and this is essential, as we cannot allow greedy, money hungry Wall Street and the big banks to victimize this nation as they have so willingly done in recent years, without a care as to how it affects the American people.

Barack Obama’s reputation as President will, to a great extent, be measured by how much reform he brings to Wall Street and the banking system, and it is time for action NOW!

Three Former Presidents And Barack Obama

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Three former Presidents are in the news in relation to President Obama.

Former President Bill Clinton had lunch yesterday with Obama in New York City when Obama came to speak to Wall Street about the need for regulatory reform, on the anniversary of the financial collapse. They had been sitting next to each other at the Walter Cronkite Remembrance gathering last week in New York, but had not had time to have a private discussion. It is obvious that Bill Clinton is becoming closer to the new President, with the fact that his wife is playing a significant role as Secretary of State, as part of the equation.

Former President Jimmy Carter declared that Obama is facing such severe opposition and criticism, even on trivial matters, and with marches like the one last weekend in the capital, mostly because of his being African American. Carter said he is well aware of a high level of racism by many whites, South and also North, who simply cannot tolerate that a black man is President, and believe that no black man is qualified to be President. While every President has criticism and opposition, the attacks have become very venal, and it is sad for me to have to say that I agree with President Carter that the race issue is a major factor in the vehement attacks on Obama.

Former President George W. Bush now has been revealed to believe last year that Obama did not have a “clue” of what it is like to be President, an ironic statement for a man who came in ill prepared himself to be President, and who many believe is one of our worst Presidents ever. The only good thing that Bush had to say was that he thought Sarah Palin totally unqualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, and he made it clear that he never felt comfortable with John McCain running for President, preferring former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney as his successor.

This has been a very interesting set of events, to see the interaction and relationships between the incumbent President and former Presidents. It is certain that we will be hearing much more on this whole subject in the future.

Rush Limbaugh And The Tea Party Patriots/FreedomWorks March On Washington

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Rush Limbaugh is again doing what he always does best–LYING!

On today’s radio show, he told his audience that 1.5 MILLION people had marched on Washington, which if true, would have far surpassed the Civil Rights March in 1963, any of the anti Vietnam war marches in the late 1960s and 1970s, and even the “Million Man March” of Louis Farrakhan in the mid 1990s.

Except for one problem–it is a MASSIVE LIE! At most, there were maybe 70,000 marchers, many of them seemingly confused and misdirected, based on their body language as observed on C Span, which covered the entire event on Saturday.

It was hard to understand why many were there, as they seemed to be protesting taxes, denying global warming, complaining about government spending, claiming they were patriotic, and worried about the Fascist-Nazi-Communist-Socialist-Muslim Barack Obama. There were tones of racism and hate demonstrated by the signs many of these misdirected souls showed to the cameras of C Span.

It was actually quite a pitiful scene, because these people seemed to blame Obama for everything under the sun, as if he created the mess we are in. The fact that we spent trillions of dollars without raising taxes for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and initiated a prescription drug plan without figuring out how to finance it, all this under President Bush, was never mentioned. The fact that the Bush Presidency started the financial rescue plan a year ago was conveniently forgotten, and it was as if Barack Obama made this up himself as a plan to revive the economy.

The feeling gained was that IF we were to let these demonstrators have impact on the nation, then we would be in deep trouble, as they have no clue to what the crisis truly is and what must be done. We need INTELLIGENT, REASONABLE people to lead us and get us out of the morass, not the kind of people who think George W. Bush was a great President, and convince themselves that all of the ills of the country have suddenly come about under Barack Obama.

The Census Bureau Report on Income, Poverty, And Health Care Access

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The Census Bureau report on Income, Poverty, and Health Care Access during the Bush Administration completes the historical record on a disastrous Presidency regarding these matters.

Median household income declined from 2001-2009; poverty, and particularly that regarding children increased; and the number of Americans without health insurance surged dramatically.

Under the Clinton Administration, all of these measurements improved dramatically, so the comparison really demonstrates just how disastrous the Bush Presidency was to America economically.

So to blame President Obama for the bad economy now is, of course, just political hype, as no one can expect a turn around from such drastic negatives overnight. It also makes one wonder how we can allow no substantial change in health care, and look in the mirror and say that it is acceptable to prevent change on the most crucial issue of the times we live in!

A Proposal To FreedomWorks And Tea Party Patriots: Let’s Do It Your Way!

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Ok, FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots, we have heard and seen your message on the Capitol Mall and in cities all over the country on this significant day, September 12, 2009!

We understand you want to take back America, want to stop the burden of taxation, want to restore liberty, want to promote a return to the old virtues of family, community, and personal responsibility, with no such thing as being your “brother’s keeper”. In other words, you want to go back to the age of unbridled capitalism, individualism, small town America, a country without major international commitments, and a time when either we did not have racial and ethnic and religious minorities, but if they existed anyway, they knew their status in society.

Ok, so let’s work to bring this back! First thing is cut defense dramatically, as we cannot afford it. Next, cut Social Security and Medicare, as they are socialistic programs. Third, we have to get rid of bureaucracy in government and unnecessary civil servants, so we have to cut out mail delivery, bank deposit insurance, unemployment compensation, aid to disabled and handicapped people, research on health issues and disease, public schools, parks, beaches, libraries, public universities and community colleges, the police force, firefighters, prison guards, road building, the court system, regulation of banks and stock markets, public transportation, and whatever else is not specifically mentioned in this paragraph, but is obviously wasteful spending and not allowed in the Constitution!

Imagine, almost no government, and lots of taxes saved, and a sense of freedom and liberty! Isn’t this GRAND, or is it?

Is it possible you guys and gals in the FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots just might reconsider when you see the implications of what you are demanding?

Is it possible that the American people will come to realize that you DON’T have the solutions, and in fact, when one of you said, we are “not our brother’s keepers”, that that is not following religious teachings which you espouse to, as Jesus Christ said just that, that we ARE “our brother’s keepers”?

In other words, why are you doing what you are doing? Could it be you are arousing discontent for your own financial and power advantages? Oh no, you say, NO WAY, but I say it is very obvious that you who lead this march today are deceiving the American people, and misleading them in a delusional way!

The reality is there is no “free lunch”! If you want government, which despite what you say we all NEED, then you MUST PAY TAXES as part of the responsibility of citizenship! Anything else espoused is a BUNCH OF LIES perpetrated on the American people to their detriment!

A “New” Diplomacy With North Korea And Iran: Brilliant Manuever Or Reckless Strategy?

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President Obama has decided to take a major gamble in diplomacy by agreeing to direct talks with North Korea’s government in the context of the six party talks (US, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia), and also with Iran’s hardline government in the form of seven party talks (US, Iran, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China). The discussions with Iran would be the first substantive talks since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

The decision to deal with these two nations, considered by many observers to be the two most dangerous and intransigent nations on earth, is a bold move that could, if things work out, be a real coup for Obama, but if the talks fail, could be seen as a reckless, unwise failure that makes the world more dangerous.

There is a tendency to be pessimistic about both nations being willing to act reasonably, and therefore, Obama runs a tremendous risk of being portrayed as naive and delusional, and putting South Korea and Israel particularly in a tremendous state of danger and insecurity.

The way that Barack Obama confronts issues insures that he might be seen in the long run as a genius, or as a total disaster. Certainly, he can be said, like Harry Truman, to have guts and courage. The question is whether that will be enough to promote success.

The Republicans Give Barack Obama A Gift!

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The Republican party in Congress just gave President Obama a gift he could not have imagined: independent support!

What Joe Wilson did on Wednesday night–show disrespect and lack of decorum during the President’s health care speech–and the fact that all kinds of right wing nuts came out of the woodwork to support Wilson, including the extremist talk show hosts on radio–only makes those who are registered independents realize that the GOP as a party, with only a few exceptions, is allowing itself to be hijacked by extremist right wing elements, who are unwilling to consider negotiation and or compromise with the Obama Administration, and are determined to destroy and wreck, rather than construct and contribute.

This will contribute to the deterioration of the GOP further than the defeats of 2006 and 2008 in Congress, and only when the party falls even further and hits rock bottom in support and membership,will they maybe, hopefully, finally repudiate the extremist elements and come back to moderation, and to an image of respectability in American politics.

So President Obama has received a gift which will definitely benefit not only him and his party, but the American people at large. This nation will say NO WAY to a party that has nothing constructive to say or do, and is only too willing to let radicals and troublemakers seize the machinery of the party!

The True Message Of The Eighth Anniversary of September 11

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It is hard to believe that it has been eight years since the shocking events of September 11, 2001. It was the most transforming and tragic day in American history since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and it has had many implications, not all good ones.

September 11 made us realize that we had been lax about our security and very cocky that we would always be safe. In that sense, the events of that day woke us up, and we have been fortunate enough, with the assistance of security specialists in our government at all levels, to prevent another attack. That alone is something to applaud and be thankful for.

But September 11 has also led to abuse of presidential power under the Bush-Cheney administration; the violation of the Bill of Rights, often unjustified; the growing danger of nativism, racism, and racial profiling; the demagogery practiced by many Republican politicians and a smaller number of Democrats; the growing irresponsibility of talk show hosts on radio; and just generally the growing social division of this country which only inspires the evil terrorists who set out to destroy this country.

If we are not careful, the terrorists will ultimately win by being successful in pitting Americans against Americans and destroying our democracy.

The nation must be dedicated to promoting a stronger homeland security, but also promoting a sense of togetherness and unity, bringing us to a state of strengthening our freedoms and civil liberties, because without them, we have lost the struggle against evil. We don’t wish to emulate the terrorists and enemies we have, but to stand out as a shining example of a truly democratic nation!

Joe Wilson And The Tea Party Patriots, Talk Show Hosts, Gun Nuts And Secessionists

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The United States is seriously in danger with the growing power and influence of the right wing talk show hosts, the Tea Party Patriots, the gun nuts, and the secessionists, all of whom have found a new “hero” in Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who yelled “You Liar” at President Obama during his speech before a joint session of Congress, and has now been defended by all these zealots and extremists.

Wilson broke a Congressional rule and should be censured by the US House, and many decent Republicans, led by John McCain, rightfully condemned his outrageous behavior. It is not only the bad manners displayed by Wilson that is the issue, but also the fact that it was not Obama who lied, but rather Wilson, in claiming that illegal immigrants were indeed covered in the health care bill, which is a total falsehood.

Wilson has been known for constant lying on many issues, and now the right wing whackos are rallying to him as a way to promote their cause of secession, states rights, promotion of guns, advocacy of violence, and even talk by some of overthrowing the government by force.

We are more in danger of a true FASCIST takeover by these dangerous elements than we have been since the age of Hitler and Mussolini, when during the New Deal and World War II, we had many apologists for these dangerous dictators and their ideology.

Now we have home grown Fascists, who promote hate and racism and anti Semitism and nativism, and claim to be following the Constitution. The Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves at what we have come to, when ANY American can even conceive of supporting such dangerous extremists who wish most Americans nothing but ill intent.

It is hoped, and assumed, that the FBI, the Secret Service, and police agencies all across the nation, are keeping a tab on these extremist elements, and are ready to step in, if necessary, to stop their evil intentions and planned deeds.

It is time for the American people to make it clear: We will not tolerate these threats to our freedom and liberty, and will not accept the dictates of these zealots who are false prophets of American patriotism!

Senator Ted Kennedy’s Letter to President Obama

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Dear Mr. President,

I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.

On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.

You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.

When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.

There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already underway again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat – that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.

And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.

In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America’s behalf inspires the entire world.

So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.

At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.

And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.

With deep respect and abiding affection,

[Ted]