Month: November 2009

Time For NY Governor David Paterson To Bow Out Of 2010 Gubernatorial Race!

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NY Governor David Paterson has been a disaster area for most of the time since he succeeded disgraced Governor Eliot Spitzer in 2008.

His poll ratings have been horrid, and a new advertising campaign has not helped one bit. He is 60 points behind Attorney General Andrew Coumo in a Democratic poll, and 20 points behind former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani in a matchup for the fall election less than a year from now.

Under the circumstances, it is time for Governor Paterson to announce his withdrawal from the race, to allow Attorney General Coumo to begin the campaign to keep the Democrats in control in Albany, as every polls shows him winning over Guiliani or even former Congressman Rick Lazio.

For the good of the Democratic party and New York, Governor Paterson needs to face reality and show some statesmanship and back Andrew Cuomo now, and insure the party’s future in a crucial race, in which both Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer will be on the ballot. Do the right thing now, Governor Paterson!

Sarah Palin Strikes Out In Presidential Level Poll

Ronald 2 Comments

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin may be about to earn up to $5 million on her memoirs, due out tomorrow.

But she strikes out when it comes to presidential stature, in a new CNN poll, in which only 28 percent see her as Presidential material.

This compares to Mitt Romney with 47 percent and Mike Huckabee with 43 percent.

So Sarah has her fans, but it does not translate to support for a Presidential candidacy, because compared to these two rivals and others not mentioned, she lacks experience and legitimacy to be President.

She may be nice to have as a neighbor, but that does not make her qualified to run the nation. Many believe in both parties that were she to be nominated, it would be a disaster for the Republican party on the level of the Barry Goldwater candidacy in 1964.

Robert Byrd Longest Serving Member Of Congress On November 18

Ronald 1 Comment

Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia will set an impressive record this coming Wednesday: longest serving member of Congress ever, with 57 years, 51 in the Senate (already longest service), plus six years in the House of Representatives.

Congratulations to Senator Byrd on his longevity! Having said that, will Senator Byrd be seen historically as one of the “great” Senators of all time? Not a chance!

Byrd had an early history of being involved in the Ku Klux Klan and opposed civil rights for a long time. He often has said embarrassing or outrageous statements during his years in Congress, and he obviously is in poor health now at almost age 92, and should really retire from his seat, but will do no such thing until he has taken his last breath, or the people of West Virginia retire him, which is highly unlikely since he is famous for “bringing home the pork” to his state.

He can be admired as a poor young man who went to law school while in Congress, and set a record for consecutive roll call votes that will never be broken. He mellowed as the years went by, and is now considered a reliably consistent Democrat in backing his party and his President.

Like anyone in public life, he has his definite foibles and shortcomings, but still, on this anniversary, we can wish that he is able to stabilize his poor health (a result of Parkinsons), and continue to serve his constituents, which he certainly has done very well.

Senator Lindsey Graham And The Republican Right Wing

Ronald 1 Comment

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is facing a strong reaction from his party’s right wing, another sign of the sad state of the party of Lincoln. 🙁

Graham has always had an image of being somewhat independent. He was a strong supporter, and has always been a loyal friend of Senator John McCain, who many right wing Republicans have never been thrilled about. He has shown some willingness to back the Obama Administration on environmental issues, and avoids constant criticism of some other aspects of the Obama Presidency, although he has not actually voted to support the Democrats on any specific topic up to this point.

People tend to forget that he was one of the congressmen pushing for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton ten years ago. But right wing Republicans see him as a turncoat, because he has expressed the need for the GOP to be a “big tent” party, and he certainly comes across as comparatively moderate when put along side his South Carolina colleague, Jim DeMint, arguably one of the most right wing Republican senators.

Considering that South Carolina is still in many ways a “rebel” state living in the Civil War era, it will be a challenge for Lindsey Graham to survive in office as long as his state and his party continue their march to the far right.

The attack on Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and now Lindsey Graham, is an alarm bell for the long term viability of the Republican party. When will common sense and rationality return to the party of Lincoln, TR, and Eisenhower? 🙁

Sarah Palin’s Memoir: The Victim

Ronald 1 Comment

Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and Republican Vice Presidential candidate with John McCain in 2008, is about to have her much heralded memoir published this week, and early reports about her interview with Oprah Winfrey and reviews of her book indicate that she sees herself as a victim.

Instead of addressing her real shortcomings and faults in an honest memoir, she chooses to blame McCain campaign advisers, Katy Couric of CBS, and Charley Gibson of ABC for her disastrous performance during the Presidential campaign.

She fails to mention the father of her grandson, Levi Johnston, who himself is quite a character, but has been part of a family rift since the breakup of his relationship with her daughter. He has said that IF he was mentioned in the book in a derogatory manner, that he would reveal all kinds of secrets about the “true” Sarah Palin, and interestingly, he is not mentioned at all, which leads to great suspicion about why he is ignored in the work.

Palin’s memoir also has no index, which is odd, making it more difficult to track down specific points of information without scanning or reading the entire memoir.

Of course, the memoir also had a ghost writer, and was produced in record time, so no one should think this is really Sarah’s doing primarily. As an author of a scholarly work myself, I know how tedious and time consuming writing a book can be, but Sarah seems none the worse for wear LOL 🙂

And get this: Rush Limbaugh has read the book and feels it is one of the best books he has read recently, which tells us he does not do much reading of serious works. But then again, did anyone with any sense really believe that Rush is a learned man who reads serious books that challenge his mind? In fact, the question is does he have a mind to begin with? LOL

Trial of 9/11 Criminals In New York City: The Right Thing To Do!

Ronald 1 Comment

The 9/11 conspirators will finally leave Guantanamo Bay naval base prison, where they have been in limbo through all of the years of the Bush Administration, and will be held accountable in federal court in New York City for their crimes.

This trial will be done under the Constitution and will legitimize our reputation as a country that follows law, rather than hysteria, in pursuing terrorists.

We have already had terrorists, both domestic and foreign, who have been prosecuted in federal courts and have all been given life sentences in maximum security prisons. There is no possibility of any of these war criminals being given their freedom, and the odds are good that they may all receive the death penalty, as Timothy McVeigh was given after the horrific Oklahoma City terror attack of 1995.

The irrational fear that holding the trial in New York will provoke more terrorist attacks, while detaining people for years in Guantanamo Bay will not have the same effect, is being promoted by the Republican party opposition and talk radio and Fox News Channel. They fail to see that inaction on holding people accountable is the legacy of the Bush Presidency and is counterproductive to the fight against terrorism.

Now, the Obama Presidency WILL hold the war criminals accountable for their despicable actions, and justice will finally, belatedly, be served! I salute Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama for their courage and their decisiveness!

Joe Biden And The Homeless

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Vice President Joe Biden went unceremoniously today to a DC homeless shelter, because he felt a need to remember what less fortunate people go through, particularly at a time of ten percent unemployment. He served a meal to a group of homeless men.

Not looking for publicity, Biden declared the line that I have often used in class and elsewhere, when people tend to make a harsh judgment about poor people and the homeless.

“There but for the grace of God, there goes I!”

It is important for everyone always to keep this in mind as one moves on through life’s journey!

Fox News Channel: More Evidence Of Lies And Racism!

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Fox News Channel continues to conduct itself in an outrageous manner.

All of its talk show hosts–Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck–continue to use the “racism” charge against Barack Obama.

Now it is revealed that Rupert Murdoch, the journalism mogul who owns Fox News and many newspapers, believes himself that Obama is a racist and backs up his employees in their assertions.

Not only that, but Sean Hannity has been revealed as a liar–no surprise–in his so called “inadvertent” use of a two month old tape to show a rally in DC of Tea Party people–with a larger crowd then compared to a more recent event–and both events tinged with racism and anti semitism references. This was revealed by Jon Stewart on his Comedy Channel show, and forced Hannity into an admission of a so called “error”!

So the continued evidence of lies and racism on the part of Fox News Channel and its owner and employees and star talk show hosts makes one wonder: Why does any thinking person continue to watch this disgrace of a news channel, which is rightfully, as some have said , to be considered an “opinion” channel, out to distort the truth and reality and to poison the atmosphere of political discourse!

The Republican National Committee, Michael Steele And Abortion

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Isn’t it interesting that the Republican National Committee has, as part of its health care plan with Cigna, allowed its employees to have abortions since 1991, and now, suddenly, are aware of this anomaly and are announcing, through Chairman Michael Steele, that abortion will no longer be covered?

So a legal right to abortion, which has existed since 1973, and was covered for RNC employeees despite GOP platform language at national conventions ever since, now will come to a halt, although back in 1991, it was put in without controversy and debate.

What does this tell women in this country? It makes clear that you had better not get pregnant and have a health problem, as you are not entitled to an abortion no matter what the reason or the age of the female. It is catering to the religious right, so concerned that every fetus be born, but of course unwilling to believe in assistance to poor women and poor children in any form by government, because then it is “socialistic”!

There are women who are against abortion, and that is their prerogative. But it is clear a majority of women want the privilege to control their own reproductive rights, and see what the Republicans are now making very public, as really a declaration of war on their constitutional rights!

So the Republican party continues to show its lack of concern about Latinos, African Americans, women, young people, veterans who need government support and concern, state governments in turmoil, poor people, moderates, environmentalists, civil libertarians, and immigrants.

This party is alienating itself further every day from the majority of the American people, and seems only concerned about religious extremists who wish to impose their values on the whole nation. Is there any hope that the GOP someday will regain its senses and become a party separated from the control and dominance of the talk show hosts, FOX News, and religious right wingers?

The New “Glamour Boy” Of The Republican Party: Senator John Thune

Ronald 1 Comment

When one looks at the leading figures in the Republican Party that are seen as possible presidential candidates, it is noticeable that all except Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota have been already candidates for national office or, in the case of Newt Gingrich, have been out of office for more than a decade.

Also, all except Gingrich, have been governors. The feeling is that someone in the Senate who is a “fresh face” should be part of the equation, so therefore, there has been a buildup lately for Senator John Thune of South Dakota.

Young (in his 40s), handsome, charismatic, and charming, Thune is seen as a Giant Killer, since he defeated Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in 2004.

Thune expresses no interest in running for President, but after all, he is seeking reelection in 2010, so it makes sense that he would show no interest before that race is decided.

However, he is seen by many as the best Senate candidate for the White House that the Republicans have, so don’t be surprised that you might see him in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2011!