Month: September 2009

President Obama And Staying In School

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President Obama is going to spend an hour next Tuesday speaking to the nation’s students via cable and television as the Fall term begins, or has already begun for the education community.

His goal is to emphasize and support the idea that all students should stay in school and graduate high school, and that college students should complete the degree that they start.

Is there anything wrong with the President advocating this to American students as a goal for the nation’s growth and prosperity? I would say certainly not, but apparently already there is a backlash of so called parents who seem to think it is none of the President’s business to be pushing education on their youngsters.

This growing criticism is just mind blowing to me. Have America’s parents been doing a good job of emphasizing education when millions of parents have no time for their kids; do not provide books, magazines and newspapers to their children in their homes; do not work to prevent their sons and daughters from dropping out and going to work at a dead end job; never emphasize learning and education as an important part of the parenting role; and in many cases fail to improve their own educational levels so as to create the chance of changing their own occupational future?

While there are many parents who do what should be done, is there any harm in the President raising the standards of the nation by encouraging “stay in school”? I think not, and all we can do is ignore these stupid complaints and the President move ahead and do what he plans to do–promote education as the best way to mobility in American society!

Hank Paulson Interview In Vanity Fair Magazine

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Hank Paulson, the last Treasury Secretary under President Bush, was interviewed by Todd Purdom of Vanity Fair Magazine over a couple of years, a total of eight times, and the material gathered was finally published today.

In the eight interviews, Paulson made it clear of his high regard for Timothy Geithner, his successor as Treasury Secretary, and Ben Bernanke, head of the Federal Reserve Board, who both worked with him during the financial crisis that broke out a year ago.

He also spoke of his admiration of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Banking Committee Chair Barney Frank of Massachusetts, presenting a very different view of both legislators than is generally reported in the news media.

While certainly there has been criticism of Paulson and his two partners under Bush who now work for Obama, it is refreshing to see a Republican who worked with Bush understanding that the situation required massive intervention, something often rejected by conservatives and Republican operatives and misunderstood by many average Americans, who seem to think that doing nothing would have been a better answer. To believe that is totally ridiculous and a sign that many American are distressingly ignorant of the economic realities we face.

It will take time and patience to get out of this Great Recession, but we are on the road to recovery, and panic, hysteria, and anger is not going to solve this crisis.

The Texas Secession Movement

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Texas Governor Rick Perry must be regretting last April 15 when he decided to show up at a meeting in the state capital of Austin organized by secessionists who advocate Texas breaking away from the United States, and going back to being a separate nation as they were from 1836-1845.

Perry, who is seeking reelection as governor after the longest stint of any governor presently in office (ten years), made it seem that states rights and secession was acceptable language. In other words, the terms which remind one of South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun, the Civil War, Ross Barnett and Mississippi, George Wallace and Alabama, and the Ku Klux Klan, is acceptable doctrine in 2009.

A Civil War which killed 620,000 men supposedly settled the issue of states rights and secession–that it was illegal and would be met with force. Now just this past weekend, Perry was absent when these crazy secessionists met again in Austin and declared that bloodshed, violence, and war were likely to be necessary in order for Texas to break away for separate nationhood. They quoted Thomas Jefferson about the need to spill blood to cleanse a nation, taking the great Founding Father and President totally out of context, but does that really matter to dangerous crackpots who advocate the use of violence?

Even then Governor George W. Bush had the sense to use the state police force to crack down on a dangerous secessionist sect that advocated violence in the mid 1990s, but apparently Rick Perry, though absent this time, seems not to feel that he can or should oppose such a radical sect of nuts.

It will be interesting to see if Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who crazily has decided to take on the burdens of the poorly run state of Texas by running for Governor in the primary against Governor Perry, will be able to use this issue against Perry and win the nomination and probable victory in November 2010, and hopefully restore sanity to Texas state government. We can wish her good luck, as it would be a break for Texas!

Dick Cheney For President In 2012?

Ronald 5 Comments

Hard to believe, but a Wall Street Journal editorial today suggests that former Vice President Dick Cheney might run for President in 2012, to vindicate the Bush Administration and defeat the Obama Administration, which in the mind of those who have this view, has weakened American security and moved the country toward “socialism”.

It is not that Cheney himself has actually said this or hinted at it, but rather that many conservatives and Republicans see him as their “savior” from the “extremist” Barack Obama!

Of course, a joke comes to mind: Can Cheney run for President after having served two terms already? LOL

But more seriously, this man has had four heart attacks and five heart surgeries and will be 71 in 2012. Is he healthy enough physically AND mentally to serve our country in the White House?

There are many who would clearly say NO WAY, and that includes the author.

If we thought George W. Bush was in many ways a nightmare, what are we to say about a Dick Cheney Presidency, which would engage us in more foreign wars, promote more loss of privacy rights, and would domestically take us back to the times of the Gilded Age, not even just back to Calvin Coolidge.

The whole concept is terrifying, and we can hope it is just a suggestion, not a serious possibility.

Hollywood And The Republican Party

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When one thinks of Hollywood personalities, one thinks of primarily Democrats, and much criticism is visited on these stars when they speak up for liberal causes.

It is rare to find Hollywood personalities who openly are Republican, and extremely unusual to find such stars who use extremist rhetoric in such a personal way against a particular President, but now it is happening.

Of course, one is not out to deny these people their rights of freedom of speech, but it does not add to their stature when they utilize extremist rhetoric.

Such is now the case with actor Jon Voight, the father of actress Angelina Jolie, and the pop singer Pat Boone.

It is fine for both to be religious, but they are portraying Barack Obama as a threat to the country. Jon Voight so stated this view when interviewed by former Governor Mike Huckabee on his Fox News Channel show last week. Pat Boone came very close to racist rhetoric in his recent attacks on the President.

I was once a great fan of Pat Boone, and thought Jon Voight was a good actor, but now I am disillusioned by the expressions of hatred and racism they are engaged in.

Both should apologize for their disgraceful behavior, but I know they will not, so I can just say I no longer care to watch Jon Voight in movies or listen to Pat Boone music!

Shame on both of them!

Michele Bachmann: Religious Zealot Gone Nuts!

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Michele Bachmann, the Republican Congresswoman from Minnesota, has no limits in his religious zealotry, but now has gone totally nuts!

Forgetting that Jesus Chris says in the Bible that one should tend to the sick, feed the hungry, and show empathy to the poor, she is now declaring a holy war against any reform of health care.

She has declared that those behind her campaign must be willing to slit their wrists and share their blood and do ANYTHING needed to defeat health care.

This kind of rhetoric borders on insanity and the advocacy of violence, and this is supposed to be in the name of Jesus Christ! He would be ashamed and embarrassed by this moronic, crazy woman who is encouraging extremism and bloodshed in the name of her crazy, hysterical religious views.

This is a woman who must be watched by the Secret Service and others in the government, as she is a threat to the nation with her poisonous rhetoric. At some point, she may go over the edge and require government intervention.

The Republican party SHOULD repudiate her rhetoric and hate, but don’t count on it, unfortunately! 🙁

Republicans, Conservatives, And Conspiracy Theories And Scare Tactics

Ronald 1 Comment

Are there any limits to what Republican operatives and conservative groups will do to defeat a reform of health care?

Among the accusations in recent weeks is that Obama plans to prevent health care to the elderly, to veterans, to anyone who is NOT a registered Democrat, and now to women who have breast cancer!

Why is it that we cannot have a reasonable debate, including alternatives offered by the opposition, to the health care crisis we have in this country?

Why is it that conspiracy theories and scare tactics are the only methods that can be used to oppose what the administration is seeking?

It is obvious why this is so–that conservatives and the Republican party don’t give a damn about the elderly, veterans, or women with breast cancer! And if they had their way, only Republicans would have health care! LOL They will stop at nothing to prevent millions of people from having health care, and from millions of others having a policy that actually covers the medical conditions that develop after they pay premiums.

Unfortunately, as often has been the case in recent years, the GOP would rather be negative than positive, and to instill fear in voters, in order to win their support!

We cannot allow the Republican party to prevent what is urgently needed in this country–health care reform!

George Will’s Advice To President Obama On Afghanistan

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The conservative columnist George Will, who is also seen on This Week with George Stephanopoulous on ABC every Sunday morning, has today come out in the Washington Post with a piece of advice for President Obama: Get out of the war in Afghanistan, as it is unwinnable.

This is an excellent piece of advice on the part of Will, who although I don’t often agree with him, is obviously an intelligent, perceptive conservative who occasionally speaks wisdom.

The war has become very unpopular with the American people, with a majority now saying to get out as soon as possible. The loss of more Americans in August and July than previous months is a warning sign that we are being dragged into a long term war that undermines our ability to deal with domestic problems and to cut the growth in government spending.

It is time to recognize that the only way to deal with the Taliban is to use air power and intelligence gathering, not ground troops in that country which has been the graveyard in the past for the British and the Soviets.

President Obama, you have enough to deal with, so do not allow any military pressure or Republican hawkishness to sucker you into a war that is rapidly becoming another Vietnam. It is time to face reality and LEAVE Afghanistan!