Month: January 2010

Connecticut Still A Blue State Despite Christopher Dodd’s Decision To Retire

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Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd has come under fire in the past two years for bad decisions as head of the Banking Committee, and his activism for health care reform, as well as his attempt to run for President in 2008.

Despite that, Dodd overall has an admirable record in his 30 years in the Senate and six years in the House of Representatives.

But the time has come for change, and the death of his good friend Ted Kennedy made him reconsider whether at age 65, he needed to go through a tough reelection race. He also had his own battle with prostate cancer, and lost a sister to cancer this past summer.

Fortunately, his state will remain “blue”, as long time Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has wanted to go for a Senate seat but was stymied by the long service of Dodd and Joe Lieberman, has already announced for the Senate, and has sky high ratings. He is considered one of the very best state Attorney Generals in the nation, so the seat will remain Democratic.

The loss of Byron Dorgan and Christopher Dodd is a loss, as both contributed much to the history of the nation and the Senate. We should wish them both well!

Fascinating Possibility: Former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Considering Senate Run In New York!

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Former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., who lost a bitter Senate race in his home state in 2006, and then moved to NYC and became a commentator for MSNBC, is now considering a challenge of appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the upcoming election of 2010 to fill out the remainder of Hillary Clinton’s term.

This is a very interesting and fascinating possibility, as Gillibrand was never seen as an ideal choice by NY Governor David Paterson, and has only recently changed her conservative voting record as a Congresswoman, including the issues of gun rights and immigration.

Many prominent fundraisers are behind the possible move by Ford, who has stated that he will declare his intentions by mid February.

Ford is a very attractive, well spoken centrist, and the fact that he is African American and has had congressional experience behind him gives him a great opportunity to compete for the Senate seat.

The fact that he is a “carpetbagger” is no issue in New York, as he has lived in the city for three years now, and New York is famous for electing Hillary Clinton and Robert Kennedy, who had far less residence time in the state before running for the Senate.

Ford’s opposition to same sex marriage could be a problem for him in New York, and he would have to deal with the likely opposition of Senator Chuck Schumer, who has fully backed Kirsten Gillibrand from the beginning, even before she was officially picked by Governor Paterson.

On the other hand, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has not had good relations with Gillibrand and is seen as a close friend of Harold Ford, Jr., who is only 39.

Also of interest is that Ford, a few years ago, was thought of as a possible African American candidate for President in the future, before Barack Obama emerged as a leading candidate. The thought is, that had Ford won the Senate seat in 2006, he might have mounted a challenge for President in 2008, and therefore might have been a counterweight against Obama in that race, which would only further have muddied that unbelievable Presidential campaign!

Brit Hume’s Promotion Of Christianity For Tiger Woods Totally Inappropriate!

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Fox News analyst Brit Hume said something totally inappropriate on the Fox News Channel show, “Fox News Sunday”, hosted by Chris Wallace, this past Sunday.

He suggested that Tiger Woods, the golfer involved in a major sex scandal, should switch his religion from his mother’s Buddhism to Christianity, as he would have the opportunity to confess his sins.

According to Mr. Hume, that would be a wonderful way to make his peace with God for his sins, and would be an inspiration to millions of people across the world.

It is none of Brit Hume’s business to be giving religious advice to any of those watching Fox News Sunday, to Tiger Woods, or to anyone else.

Television news shows are NOT the proper venue to promote one’s personal religious views. Nor is it the place to claim that one’s religion is somehow “superior” to any other.

If anything, it is Judaism, the religion that Jesus Christ never gave up in his lifetime, that should be recommended if one is thinking about atonement for sins, as Jews celebrate Yom Kippur, which is much more solemn than the weekly confession concept found in Christianity. But even that would not be appropriate to recommend on a television show, which is not specifically dedicated to religion.

Brit Hume’s religious beliefs are his personal business, and not proper to advertise or promote on a news show. He needs to apologize for inappropriate, insensitive behavior.

Better still, since he has officially retired, the best thing is to stop being a guest analyst, and go off and pray as much as he wishes in his chosen beliefs and leave us, the American people and Tiger Woods too, ALONE! 🙁

Barack Obama And Intellligence Gathering Discipline: Time For Unity And Bipartisan Support!

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President Obama has made it clear that there was no lack of intelligence information regarding the Christmas Day bomber incident, but that the intelligence agencies had failed to “connect the dots”.

He declared that this cannot be allowed to occur again, and that the intelligence agencies MUST coordinate and work together, rather than continue the old game of fighting for their own turf and failing to share information they gain through various means.

Eight years after September 11, and with the creation of the Homeland Security Department in 2003, there is absolutely no excuse for politics around the issue of national security.

Obama has again asserted that the fight against terrorism is fully understood, and it is time for the Republican party to stop politicizing the issue, and therefore undermining the national commitment to cooperation, and making the fight against terrorism all the more difficult!

C-Span’s Brian Lamb And Transparency Of Health Care Conference Committee Meetings

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It is absolutely correct and proper that C Span President Brian Lamb’s request for total transparency of all Senate-House Health Care Conference Committee meetings be met, by making them all available for C Span coverage.

The only way to demonstrate to the American people that there is no “conspiracy” of the Democrats to do anything illegal or unethical on health care is for such openness!

There will be no excuse for the Democratic leadership IF they refuse to follow through on this reasonable request. It will strengthen the case for change, as education and complete explanation of any reform bill is essential for its success!

North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan Leaving: A Sad Moment! :(

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North Dakota Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan may not have been a household name, but he has been an asset in the House and Senate for the past 30 years, and the announcement of his plan to retire is, therefore, a sad moment for those who believe in progressive change.

Never a seeker of fame or notoriety, Dorgan was one of the many political leaders who worked hard every day, dedicated to the causes he believed in, and often overlooked by the mainstream media, but making his contribution to change.

As head of the Indian Affairs Committee in the Senate, Dorgan has been a champion of health care reform for native Americans, and is one of their major supporters on other kinds of issues.

So therefore, his leaving creates a gap that hopefully another Democrat can fill, although there are no obvious candidates for the seat other than Congressman Earl Pomeroy, the state’s lone member of the House, who will likely have to fight the GOP governor John Hoeven, the country’s longest serving governor other than Texas governor Rick Perry. Pomeroy has been in the House since 1992 and is a full ten years younger than the retiring Dorgan.

Suddenly, this race is wide open, which would probably not have been if Dorgan has sought reelection. It will need a lot of watching by political pros trying to figure out the future balance of power in the US Senate.

Dick Cheney And The Truth: Not Someone Who Can Be Trusted!

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Former Vice President Dick Cheney has real problems dealing with the truth.

He claims that President Obama acts as if we are not fighting a war against terrorists, when Obama has constantly spoken about it, and is making more of a military commitment to Afghanistan.

Cheney also says that Obama is wrong to release people held in Guantanamo Naval Base, and yet the Bush Administration released numerous (in the hundreds) so called terrorists, and returned them to countries in the Middle East, including Yemen, and some have gone back into the war on terror.

Cheney and others say that the Christmas Day Bomber should not have a civilian trial, and yet Richard Reid, the Shoe Bomber in 2001, had just such a trial, and is serving life in prison without parole at a maximum security prison in Colorado.

So, Vice President Cheney, what is the problem you have with consistency and the truth? But then again, it is obvious you have been doing a lot of lying since you became Vice President in 2001. In fact, it could be said that you are a pathological liar who cannot be trusted! 🙁

The 2010 Census And Michele Bachmann

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Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota was railing against the 2010 Census last August as possibly a conspiracy to gain personal information about families that might be used against them. She was advising families in her district to avoid answering any questions other than how many people lived in their residences. She seemed to have been unaware that the census every ten years is provided for in the Constitution, and was therefore set up by the Founding Fathers, and that compliance with the census forms is a legal requirement of all Americans, in order to provide for the best services to the American people for the decade ahead.

This crazy, loony conspiracy theory only added to Bachmann’s image of being a loose cannon, attractive to the Freedom Works/Tea Party people, but no one with any common sense or normal psychological behavior.

But interestingly, Bachmann has been very quiet about this issue lately, as it became evident that Minnesota might lose a congressional seat, and based on what happens in the 2010 state elections, it could very well be that her seat might be affected by reapportionment, and she might be the unfortunate one to loser her seat in 2012, if not by her own crazy antics in 2010.

Those who want to see Bachmann eliminated from Congress should support her Democratic opponent, and hope that if that does not work, that the state legislature sets up district lines that will do the job of silencing this embarrassment to the Republican party and the state of Minnesota!

Republicans And The Use Of The Word “Terror” Against Barack Obama

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Republicans have been on the offensive since the Christmas Day Bombing attempt in Detroit, accusing President Obama of refusing to use the word “terror” and to fight a war against it.

This is absolutely amazing, since Obama CONSTANTLY uses the word “terror” and has decided to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism. But you would never know it from what GOP leaders are saying.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, Missouri Senator Kit Bond, and Michigan Congressman Peter Hoekstra have all be lying through their teeth just for political advantage, thinking that the American people will believe what they have to say.

Of course, they are being assisted by talk radio and Fox News Channel, so the battle to tell the truth must continue, as the Republicans will stop at nothing to politicize the problem of terrorism for partisan advantage.

Again, as often in the past, the GOP is best at promoting fear and insecurity to gain and keep power. Telling the truth is not half as important! 🙁

Hooray For Principle! Congressman Parker Griffith’s Staff Resigns Over Switch To GOP

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It is very refreshing to see that some people who work for a politician have strong enough convictions that they are willing to resign their positions rather than support disloyalty to party by their boss.

I am referring to Congressman Parker Griffith, a Blue Dog Democrat, who had refused to back any of President Obama’s agenda in 2009, and decided to switch parties just before Christmas.

Today, the staff announced as a group that they were unwilling to support his switch based on principles, and beliefs in the Democratic agenda.

Griffith faces a tough GOP primary, and hopefully, he will lose the nomination because of his lack of loyalty to the party that elected him to Congress in 2008. His staff is to be commended, in difficult times, for showing that principles do indeed matter!