Month: March 2010

The Levins, Sander And Carl, And Congressional Power And Influence

Ronald Leave a comment

The leave of absence of Congressman Charles Rangel as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee opens the door to Congressman Sander Levin of Michigan to become its new Chairman, after 28 years in the House.

At the same time, his younger brother, Carl Levin, has been Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee since 2007, and has been representing Michigan in the Senate for 32 years.

So the brothers Levin are in charge of committees dealing with all spending bills and military matters respectively, and that makes them brothers of tremendous power and influence on a level never seen in Congress in its history.

Both have excellent reputations and have served Michigan with distinction, with Carl Levin being the longest serving senator in the history of the state.

The country will be well served with both Levins committed to decent, honest leadership!

Ronald Reagan To Replace Ulysses S. Grant On Fifty Dollar Bill? How about FDR?

Ronald 1 Comment

A move is beginning to replace Civil War General and President Ulysses S. Grant on the fifty dollar bill with President Ronald Reagan.

The argument is that Grant is rated near the bottom of the Presidents, while Reagan is usually rated as in the bottom of the top ten or at the top of the next ten.

Grant was certainly a disaster in the Presidency, but Grant also won the surrender of Robert E. Lee to end the Civil War at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9, 1865.

It seems to the author there is a case to remove Grant, but I have what I think is a better solution.

Earlier, there had been discussion of taking Franklin D. Roosevelt off the dime and putting Ronald Reagan in his place. That would have been a terrible decision, and the idea was dropped.

What I propose is take FDR off the dime, place him on the fifty dollar bill to replace Grant, and put Reagan on the dime!

Since a fifty dollar bill has much greater value and gets noticed more, it seems to me that we should finally honor FDR for the New Deal and his leadership during World War II and for his more than twelve years in the Presidency, which changed our lives in so many ways long term. Don’t forget that he is rated number two or number three of all our Presidents in any legitimate scholarly poll.

Reagan, being more recent, should be on the dime, joining Lincoln on the penny, Jefferson on the nickel, and Washington on the quarter. That should be enough of an honor, and this way two Presidents who made a difference get due recognition!

Academic Freedom Under Attack At Towson State University In Baltimore!

Ronald Leave a comment

A case attacking academic freedom has occurred at Towson State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

An adjunct professor of Art, Allen Zaruba, was fired for using the N word in his discussion, a passing comment about his status as an adjunct professor who had no security or ability to improve his status.

Basically, he just blundered, not carefully considering what he was uttering, and while it was wrong to say what he said, for the provost to go ahead and fire him after 12 years of employment part time, and with a record of excellent student evaluations, seems overly harsh.

A reprimand and warning would have been sufficient, as to fire him on the phone without any due process was against our system of justice. The American Association of University Professors declared that Professor Zaruba deserved a full hearing, and a poll of Towson students showed that 77 percent thought the firing was uncalled for on one incident alone.

Towson State University should rescind its action, and if it does not, then the AAUP should censure the institution for its mistreatment of an professor who has been brought under an unreasonable standard. It does not reflect well on that institution, and needs more publicity and attention in the news media to bring pressure to rescind such an unjust action!

Texas Governor Rick Perry: Is He Our Future?

Ronald Leave a comment

Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry won a resounding victory against Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison yesterday in their primary race, winning an absolute majority by campaigning against Washington and the federal government, including showing rhetorical support for secession last April.

Despite the backing of Hutchison by former Vice President Dick Cheney and former President George H. W. Bush, Perry was able to come across as a rebel and an outsider, an amazing feat for a Governor who has been in office for ten years, and is the longest serving Governor in Texas history.

Despite the cynicism and ridicule often visited on Perry, he is obviously a factor in the future of the Republican party nationally, and already, there are rumors that he might seek the White House in 2012.

I am sure that Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was a very legitimate conservative in a more measured way with a very respectable Senate record, would be ready to advise all of the various GOP possibilities for the presidential nomination not to write off the possible threat that Perry represents.

This is an establishment figure who, even with the threat of Debra Medina, the Tea Party candidate, who won about 20 percent of the vote, was able to win 52 percent of the vote, so he can claim to have support from disaffected voters.

Perry may seem to be a candidate who will bomb early in a Presidential race, but again, don’t take him as someone to ignore, because he could very well be a major surprise in the 2012 presidential campaign. One ignores Rick Perry at their own risk!

Time For Governor David Paterson To Resign!

Ronald Leave a comment

New York politics is in such a mess, an embarrassment to all New Yorkers and particularly Democrats! 🙁

First, the very intelligent and capable Eliot Spitzer was forced out on March 17, 2008 after only 14 months in office, due to a call girl scandal. This is a tragedy, as Spitzer, who has tried to redeem himself since through participation in news programs on MSNBC and Bill Maher’s HBO program, could have been one of the future stars of the Democratic party if only he could have behaved in a proper manner!

Lt. Governor David Paterson succeeded him, admitted to extramarital affairs right away, and proceeded to botch up the search for a replacement for Hillary Clinton in the Senate, including alienating the Kennedy family in the way he mistreated Caroline Kennedy, before selecting Kirsten Gillibrand, who is likely to gain reelection, but is not at all inspiring.

Now Paterson has been stupidly involved in a criminal case involving a top aide, taking steps to ask the woman, who was assaulted by his aide, to avoid pursuing the case.

As the NEW YORK TIMES makes clear, this is unacceptable behavior, and it is time for Paterson, almost two years in office, to resign, making for three governors in one term.

The problem is that the appointed Lt. Governor, Richard Ravitch, former head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was appointed by Paterson in a way seen by many as illegal, since there is no provision in the state constitution for an appointed replacement for Lt. Governor , but the appointment was upheld by the state courts.

Ravitch would be a caretaker governor, finishing out this year, until the election of the next Governor, likely to be Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, son of the former Governor Mario Cuomo, in November over Rick Lazio, the former Long Island Congressman who also ran against Hillary Clinton in the Senate race of 2000.

With all the budgetary problems faced by New York, this is a real tragedy, but in order to move ahead, it is time for Richard Ravitch to become the caretaker governor, and for David Paterson to disappear into the woodwork, as a disgraced governor, in many ways worse than Eliot Spitzer!

Senator Jon Kyl And Unemployment Insurance: He Should Be Ashamed! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, the Minority Whip, has been moving steadily toward the far right over the past few years, a real shame for someone who seemed reasonable and decent, but now appears to be flirting with being whacky! 🙁

For Senator Kyl to back Senator Jim Bunning in his assault on unemployment compensation, by stating that unemployment compensation promotes laziness and lack of motivation on the part of its recipients, and that it discourages job growth, is beyond any limit of decency! 🙁

No one can live on unemployment compensation, as recipients of it are in the poverty level of existence, just barely trying to pay the food and rent bills, and stay above water. No one gets rich, or lives off the fruit of the vine, existing on unemployment compensation!

Many recipients have become vicitims of this horrible Great Recession, and have little hope of returning to a middle class life that many shared not long ago!

For a senator who makes nearly $200,000, and has great health insurance, to fault and condemn people who are on their last legs financially is a hard hearted, insensitive, despicable act, which every decent American should condemn!

The Republican party is gaining, more than ever, a reputation of not caring about the plight of the poor who are struggling to survive this terrible time in our history. Hopefully, it will backfire this fall and lead to poor gains, if any, by the GOP, because if this kind of lack of compassion is endorsed by American voters, then indeed we are a nation that has lost its humanity! 🙁

Jerry Brown: A Blast From The Past!

Ronald Leave a comment

This is the year 2010, and guess what? Jerry Brown is running for Governor of California, as he did successfully in 1974 and 1978!

This is the same Jerry Brown, who also ran for President in 1976, 1980 and 1992!

This is the same Jerry Brown, who angered two Democratic Presidents who he challenged–Jimmy Carter twice and Bill Clinton once!

This is the same Jerry Brown who was Governor when he was the young age of 35 and is now 71!

Jerry Brown came across in the past as often kooky and weird, but yet he was elected Mayor of Oakland and state Attorney General by the voters!

When he was first elected, America was in the midst of a recession, and he comes back now in the midst of the Great Recession!

This is a man often ridiculed, but always willing to stick his neck out and challenge establishment thinking!

Brown has never worried about what people think of him, and once might think that he would be an underdog in this Governorship race, but in actual fact, he is the man to beat, and to put betting money on his defeat would be unwise!

Jerry Brown is a blast from the past, who is ready to take on the challenge of running the eighth largest economy in the world, and to deal with the greatest budget crisis any state has ever had!

Following Arnold Schwarzenegger, “The Terminator”, as Governor will be a challenge, but don’t be surprised that he might outshine the incumbent in gaining public backing and legislative cooperation!

While California has always been considered the sign of the future America, it may very well be that going back to the past and picking a man who was governor 28-36 years ago to be its chief executive again might be the best answer for the future!

The Case Of Senator Jim Bunning: Need To Censure His Disgraceful Behavior!

Ronald Leave a comment

Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, is well known in the Senate for his bizarre behavior and ugly temper. He is regarded as one of the absolute worst senators in that chamber today.

Using the power of “senatorial courtesy”, he has blocked passage of an extension of unemployment compensation, public works projects, and Medicare payments to doctors, claiming that he simply has the right to hold up action because he feels like it! Complaining that the extension legislation was not paid for, he did not see the contradiction of his own vote for budget busting legislation during his twelve years in the Senate, including massive tax cuts for the rich, and war spending without limits.

Bunning became belligerent toward reporters today, using foul four letter language, as he has done on the floor of the Senate, and also showing the middle finger to a reporter! He is an excellent example of the total lack of decency and cooperativeness that used to exist in the Senate, even when there were philosophical difference between the parties.

The Senate has become a disgrace and a divisive body that belies its long, distinguished history.

It is time for a motion of censure to be introduced against Senator Bunning to make it clear that such outrageous, arrogant behavior is not supported by the history, and the decent members of the Senate of both political parties! Bunning needs to be called to account. The fact of his Baseball Hall of Fame career is being overshadowed by his erratic, looney, disgraceful behavior!

Republicans And “Reconciliation”: The Truth!

Ronald Leave a comment

Republicans are acting like hypocrites on the issue of using the “reconciliation” method to pass health care legislation. They claim that it is, as Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander states, a “kamikaze mission”.

This is irresponsible rhetoric, and based on lies! Alexander has voted for “reconciliation” five times in his years in the Senate. He has had a reputation of being a moderate, but based on this ridiculous statement, and his comments at the Health Care Summit last week, he has moved over to the far right!

The Republicans have used this 51 vote majority in the Senate sixteen times, compared to six times by Democrats.

One must remember that Republicans controlled Congress for twelve years, and it was certainly alright for them to overcome filibusters for massive tax cuts that bankrupted our national budget!

But now, for health care, they act like Puritans who have never utilized or believed in the tactic, and that is pure bull!

Senator Alexander and the whole Republican caucus in the Senate should be ashamed of themselves for being negative and obstructionist! The party is a shell of the old, traditional Republican party that once stood for some real principle, instead of willingness to exploit an issue for political gain and show no concern for the millions of Americans who have no, or inadequate health care!