Month: October 2009

Great Moment Of Triumph For Gay Americans: The Hate Crime Bill Will Become Law!

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This is a moment of great triumph, as finally gay Americans are protected by inclusion under Federal Hate Crime legislation, added to a defense appropriations bill today!

President Bush had been unwilling to sign such a bill, but President Obama will sign the bill as a first step on his mission to promote gay rights in America.

So now a person can be prosecuted by the federal government for assault on anyone because of sexual orientation or gender identity. This is in memory of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager beaten to death in 1998.

Some religious groups are concerned that someone could be prosecuted for language condemning homosexuality, but that is totally silly. The only thought that comes to mind, however, is why would a “religious” person promote hate, rather than tolerance, of others? This is the contradiction in so called “religious” people that they are often willing to promote hate and intolerance rather than open up their hearts to the idea that while they may disagree with a lifestyle, they should not be promoting narrowmindedness and hate because of their personal viewpoints. Religion should not preach hate, but love of thy fellow human being, whether or not one agrees with his or her way of life.

Time To End Anti Trust Exemption for Health Insurance Companies

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With the decision of the health care industry to go on the attack against health care reform, after agreeing last spring to support it, creates a moment to do what should have been done long ago–to remove the anti trust exemption against the health insurance companies.

The industry has had an unfair advantage over the years since the anti trust exemption was established in 1945, and millions of Americans over these years have been victimized in relation to costs and coverage.

The movement is on in both houses to change this exemption, and I say HOORAY to this action, long overdue!

Good Move To Require Pay Cuts At Wall Street Firms That Received Federal Support

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It is an excellent move that the Obama Administration is promoting against Wall Street business firms that received federal assistance during last year’s financial crisis–that its top executives take major pay cuts due to the fact that they have not repaid taxpayers for their bailout.

The idea that these top executives should receive outrageous salaries and bonuses at the public expense is an insult to all Americans.

It is long overdue that these companies understand that this nation will not allow abuses and practices that show no concern for the nation’s future, but rather just selfishness and greed. This should be a popular move with the American public, and is totally justified!

Criticism Of News Network Nothing New

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Republicans are showing hypocrisy when they criticize President Obama and his administration for their attack on Fox News Channel.

Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino under President George W. Bush attacked NBC News for criticism of her boss, and Vice President Spiro Agnew under President Richard Nixon regularly attacked the news media, specifically the three major networks, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, for their reporting on the Nixon Administration.

For Perino to say that what the Obama Administration is doing was signs of a dictatorship only proves what many believed when she was Press Secretary: that she displayed large amounts of ignorance and even stupidity much of the time. Let’s just say that she was probably the biggest embarrassment ever in the position of Press Secretary to a President!

Is Obama Becoming Another Nixon?

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We are reaching the silly season when we have two Republican senators claiming that there are signs that Barack Obama is becoming another Richard Nixon.

Lamar Alexander of Tennessee worries that Obama is forming an “enemies list” because of criticism of Fox News. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, who briefly planned to be Secretary of Commerce under Obama before changing his mind, stated that he was wondering if Alexander was correct in his judgment.

The fact that Obama is coming out swinging against his critics after many months of being overly gentlemanly and bipartisan in tone does not mean that he is pursuing the worse instincts of Richard Nixon. His response was long overdue.

What can be said is that IF Obama can be as successful in diplomacy as most historians perceive Nixon was, and IF Obama can accomplish the passage of major domestic reforms as Nixon presided over, then indeed it would not be a bad thing if Obama is compared to Nixon in these positive ways, rather than the negative ways that led to the Watergate scandal and the resignation of the 37 th President in 1974.

Time To Vote Joe Lieberman Out Of The Democratic Senate Caucus

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Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has really changed since he ran for Vice President with Al Gore in the Presidential election of 2000.

As a major backer of George W. Bush’s intervention in Iraq in 2003, and unwilling to back off in his support as his party turned against the war, Lieberman was challenged for reelection in the Democratic Senate primary in his home state in 2006, lost the nomination, formed an independent candidacy, and ended up winning reelection over his Democratic and Republican opponents.

He then proceeded to be very negative toward his party’s Presidential nominee, Barack Obama, and to cross party lines and support wholeheartedly the candidacy of Republican Senator John McCain, a close personal friend, who flirted with the idea of choosing Lieberman as his Vice Presidential running mate before selecting Sarah Palin.

By backing McCain, Lieberman was in danger of being read out of the Democratic party caucus and of losing chairmanship of a Senate committee. But the party decided to allow him to remain in the Democratic Senate caucus despite his official independent status, and let him be the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

Lieberman went so far as to speak positively of President Obama in the early months of the administration, therefore making many Democrats feel satisfied.

But lately, Lieberman has been his old ornery independent self, critical of Obama on foreign policy and now unwilling to support a public option on health care. So the idea that the Democrats would have 60 votes, enough to prevent a filibuster, has now dissipated.

Therefore, there is some discussion of repudiating Lieberman, and reading him out of the Democratic Senate caucus, as simply a politician unwilling to show loyalty on such an important issue as health care.

It is my view that Lieberman has been treated too well by Democrats, and does not deserve to have their support and respect,including committee leadership. I hope that he will be voted out of the Democratic caucus for lack of loyalty by the end of this year. The way he has been acting makes it seem that he may very well be better as a true independent or even maybe as a Republican.

Another Embarrassment For South Carolina

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South Carolina has had two embarrassing incidents this year already, and now there is a third.

First, the saga of Governor Mark Sanford going off to Argentina to see his lover, his wife moving out of the executive mansion, his refusal to shut up about the affair, and the move now to try to impeach him, since he will not resign–all this does not help the image of the Palmetto state.

Then Congressman Joe Wilson shouting “You Lie” at President Barack Obama in a joint session of Congress adds to the bad image of his state. It certainly also hurt the image of the Republican party.

Now two GOP county chairmen decided to write an article comparing the “penny pinching” of Senator Jim DeMint to the anti Semitic view of wealthy Jews saving pennies. They later apologized, but the damage was done, nevertheless.

Needless to say, this is despicable, not only for the anti Semitic tone, but also because the record of Jews is to be major contributors to charities and to social causes. This is an old attack on Jews that has been around for many centuries, and is not appropriate to be uttered by any office holder or political spokesman in this country.

Fortunately, Senator DeMint denounced this anti Semitic article, but a lot more needs to be done to resuscitate the image of South Carolina!

A New Low Is Reached By The Republican Party

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A new poll shows only 20 percent nationally identify themselves as Republicans, the lowest since 1983. Democrats have 33 percent and independents 42 percent.

To add insult to injury, only 19 percent think the GOP has the right solutions, while 79 percent feel that they have the wrong answers.

Additionally, the Democrats at this point have the same support for control of the next Congress that they had in 2006 and 2008.

So despite the anti government, anti Democratic reaction evident during August, the Democrats seem to have recovered and are in good shape for the 2010 midterm congressional elections.

What it comes down to is that negativism and lack of alternative ideas is seen as detrimental to the Republican party. The question is when they will realize that they are being self destructive, and stop allowing right wing talk show hosts and extremists who talk secession and states rights and the militia mentality to control their destiny. It turns out even Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, agrees that the situation the GOP is in is their own fault!

Conflicting Poll On Obama After Nine Months In The Presidency

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Today marks nine months of the Obama Presidency, and a new CNN poll shows conflicting results.

It shows that 55 percent approve of Obama’s handling of his job, but only 48 percent agree with him on the important issues at hand. Two out of three think Obama has the qualities to make a good President, but only a third think he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize,although more than two thirds are proud that an American won the prize.

Hillary Clinton ranks higher than the President in personal appeal, as does Michelle Obama. The fact that Hillary is considered more popular must be a very happy consolation prize for her, but of course, she is not being forced to make tough decisions that a President has to make.

In many ways, the poll shows conflict and confusion, probably because the President is taking on many tough issues at once, and as always, change tends to cause insecurity and doubts, but still it can be said that Obama is in quite good shape after nine months in office.

Poll Shows Growing Public Support For Public Option

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A Washington Post–ABC News poll shows growing support for a public option, with 57 percent in favor and 40 percent opposed. This is a solid lead which should be taken advantage of to promote this alternative for those who do not have health insurance now.

This means that President Obama MUST come out fully for a public option, instead of the conditional support expressed over the weekend on talk shows by his surrogates, including David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, and Valerie Jarrett.

The attack on the public option during the August recess by the radical right has subsided, and now is the time to push ahead without a compromise, and if necessary, use “reconciliation” to accomplish what would be the greatest reform bill in a generation!