Month: April 2010

Former Vice President Dick Cheney: Crude And Disgraceful! :(

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Former Vice President Dick Cheney has long been controversial by his actions and his words, and he has been seen by his critics as an evil force who represents the worst elements of American politics.

Without a doubt the most powerful Vice President in American history, at least up to the last two years of the Bush Administration, when the President seemed to begin a separation from him and start to ignore his advice, Cheney has become even more controversial as the leading critic in the Republican party on the policies and programs of President Barack Obama.

And when Cheney has remained silent, his daughter, Liz Cheney, has been his mouthpiece, and is rumored to be planning to run for the Senate in either Virginia, where she lives, or in Wyoming, Cheney’s home state.

But now, six years after one of the most controversial public incidents of Cheney’s years in the Vice Presidency, he has revived memory of the moment when he used the f bomb out loud in the Senate chamber against Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy.

At the time, he refused to apologize for inappropriate language, and it certainly added to his poor image among decent thinking Americans.

But now, he has reasserted, in an interview with comedian Dennis Miller, that he looks back on that incident as a moment of pride, that many people approved of it, and that he thinks of it as the greatest thing he ever did in public office!

Can one imagine bragging about such uncouth behavior? How is this something to be proud of? What kind of example does this set for the younger generation, that a Vice President feels proud of using such language and will not cooperate for it even six years later?

Dick Cheney is a crude man, a disgraceful man, and should be ashamed of himself! 🙁

Time For National Action On Illegal Immigration!

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The pending signing of discriminatory legislation in Arizona that allows any person of Hispanic ancestry to be stopped on the street by police and asked for his proof of citizenship is an alarm bell, and an attack on civil rights and civil liberties!

It is guilt by appearance and racial profiling, and that is unacceptable! 🙁 And once Arizona is able to enforce this outrageous law, it could lead to other states adopting the same strategy! This cannot be allowed to occur!

While dealing with illegal immigration has been an issue many would prefer to avoid, it is now urgent that the US government, through the Congress and the President, act to set up a national standard of what is to be done!

The states cannot be allowed to do whatever they want, as civil liberties and civil rights cannot be permitted to go back to the old days in seventeen states, where segregation, lynching, and violation of voting rights to African Americans was able to be practiced!

Arizona cannot be given the opportunity to become the Mississippi or Alabama of the 1960s! And Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain, who both had a more open minded attitude on immigration in the past, cannot be treated other than as senators who should be condemned for their turn toward bias, prejudice, and discrimination, all for the goal of staying in public office!

This despicable action in Arizona, now being investigated by the Obama Administration, must be negated, and the Republican party,which supports it in that state, should be punished by a massive Hispanic turnout, putting the Democrats in power as the party which has a fair minded attitude on the subject!

If the Republican party nationally chooses to make this an issue, it will only add to their growing image of being a narrow based, prejudiced party, which will be on the losing side of history, as the nation become more ethnic minorities every decade. Trying to be an all white Anglo party is a losing proposition in the long run, strategically and ethically!

40th Anniversary Of Earth Day! Environmental Celebration!

Ronald 1 Comment

Today, April 22, represents the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and later that year, the signing into law of the Environmental Protection Agency by President Richard Nixon!

Nixon proved to be quite a surprise! His Secretary of the Interior, Walter Hickel, former Governor of Alaska, proved to be one of the very best Interior Secretaries in American history! Nixon, himself, was easily the best environmental Republican President other than Theodore Roosevelt. Nixon cannot be given enough credit for what he did on this issue, despite many other negatives that can be visited on this controversial President.

We were fortunate that we had President Jimmy Carter further promote the environment during his administration, and President Bill Clinton as well, whose Vice President, Al Gore, pushed him in the direction of great environmental action.

Unfortunately, however, we had President Ronald Reagan compile the worst environmental record of any President; his successor, George H. W. Bush, only slightly better; and George W. Bush compiled the second worst environmental record behind Reagan! 🙁

Thankfully, President Barack Obama is cooperating in many ways on the issue of the environment, and recognizing the reality of climate change and global warming, while sadly, very few Republicans, and none of the conservative talk show hosts are doing anything to deal with this issue, other than to denounce, deny, lie, deceive, and fabricate the concept that we need not be concerned about the environment!

That is the reason why those who believe in the significance of the environmental movement MUST continue to fight the good fight for the future of our planet! But let’s celebrate Earth Day and acknowledge the role of Richard Nixon on this special day!

Auto Industry Revival Proof That Obama Administration Was Correct In Giving Aid!

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It has now been proved that the Obama Administration was correct in deciding to assist the auto industry from complete collapse by giving financial aid.

General Motors is paying back already $8.2 billion in aid to the government, and Chrysler is also on the road to recovery.

This idea of aiding business through loan guarantees to keep a company afloat are nothing new, as Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush all did it before Barack Obama.

The naysayers who said that the government should allow the auto companies to fail were absolutely wrong in that view, as by assisting them toward their recovery, millions of workers in auto and related industries, and many Midwestern and Southern cities, were able to avoid even greater unemployment and what would have been a depression, rather than a severe recession!

This whole concept that it is improper for the government to intervene when the economy is in trouble has again been proved to be totally false! The Tea Party, Republican, and conservative attacks on Obama over this are totally wrong, but of course none of these critics will dare to give Obama any credit. But those cities and workers, who have benefited from his wise decision to follow what other Presidents have done in economic crisis, know that they can give thanks that we had a President who did the absolutely right thing!

And there are many signs that the economy is recovering, and that will further prove that the critics are just that, critics, who do not care about the truth, but rather simply wish to divide and stir up trouble for the sake of partisan gain! Hopefully, the American people will prove in November that the politics of deception and lies will not be rewarded!

DC Voting Rights Bill Shelved: Lack Of Representation Tied To Gun Rights

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The nation’s capital, Washington, DC, has always been denied a voting member of Congress, despite its having the population of a small state, but there was hope in recent years that a compromise would allow a House member, with Utah also gaining an extra congressional seat because of rapid growth.

But the struggle over loosening gun control laws has led to the idea being shelved, denying people in the District the best opportunity in a long time to gain voting rights. Gun rights advocates wanted to loosen the gun laws in a city with a high crime rate, and that ultimately killed the possibility of a voting member in the House of Representatives for Washington, DC.

This is a sad commentary, that the gun advocates could prevent a movement toward democracy, giving DC the same status as a state, but it is nothing new, as a previous DC amendment to make it the state of Columbia failed to pass more than a few state legislatures.

So it will be a continued battle for who knows how many more years before Washington, DC is treated equally with the 50 states! 🙁

Arizona And Hispanic Discrimination

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Arizona has had many problems with the constantly growing drug war conducted by the Mexican drug cartels along its borders, along with the illegal immigration influx, which led to the death of a rancher recently, supposedly by an illegal immigrant who escaped across the border.

It is understandable that the citizens of Arizona are alarmed about these matters, but that does not justify the new law about to be signed by Governor Jan Brewer, which allows racial profiling, the stopping of anyone by the police on pure whim, and the demand for proof of legal citizenship.

This is a denial of basic civil liberties, making everyone who looks at all Hispanic a marked person, who law enforcement has the right to question and intimidate just based upon appearance.

If this is not fought in the courts, it will spread across the country as a means to fight illegal immigration in an extremely discriminatory matter! How can Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl justify this in any shape or form? 🙁

Arizona is quickly, by this action, and the recent signed gun law that allows anyone to carry a hidden weapon without a permit, becoming a state that will carry a negative image that will match the horrible reputation that Mississippi and Alabama carried on the issue of civil rights in the 1960s! Is that what the good, fair minded citizens of Arizona want? 🙁

Civil Rights Pioneer Dorothy Height Passes Away At 98: A Truly Elegant Lady!

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Dorothy Height, often considered the Godmother of the Civil Rights movement, the only woman on the stage when Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech in August, 1963, died peacefully this morning at age 98.

Involved in the fight for civil rights for 80 years, she was always in the forefront ever since the author was a young man, and she always impressed with her elegance, her wisdom, her dignity, and her humanity!

She headed the National Council of Negro Women for a long time, and was intimately committed to every civil rights cause for many decades, and demonstrated tremendous courage and foresight in all of her public appearances and activities!

Dorothy Height will go down as possibly the single most significant woman in the civil rights crusade, and did a great deal to promote the rights of women in general, whether African American, Caucasian, or any other race!

May she rest in peace and be always commemorated for her great contributions! 🙂

Free Speech Gone Amuck: Animal Cruelty Videos Declared Acceptable! :(

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The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, but lately, the concept has been distorted by the Supreme Court.

First, in January, in the Citizens United case, the Supreme Court, 5-4, declared corporations were persons who had the right to spend as much money on political campaigns as anyone, because that was freedom of speech. That decision has come under fire as allowing corporate intervention in campaigns without any limits, therefore manipulating and corrupting the political system. Legislation is being planned to modify this outrageous decision!

Now the Supreme Court today, by the astounding vote of 8-1, all but Samuel Alito, have decided that animal cruelty videos, such as dog fighting, is acceptable freedom of speech and it is not a crime to create or sell such videos!

It is hard to believe that all of the liberal justices went along with permitting abuse of animals as acceptable freedom of speech, and that Alito, a strong conservative, did the proper thing by opposing it, a sign of courage. For Alito to be separate from Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and John Roberts on a decision is rare, indeed, so he should be saluted on this particular case, although generally one is not very impressed by him overall.

Is the next case on freedom of speech to allow no prosecution of people who produce and sell videos showing abuse of women or children, or even the real life killing of unfortunate victims, what is called “snuff” videos?

Don’t we have the right to say that there are some limits on freedom of speech when it promotes disgusting, sick behavior that can cause the desire to reproduce it in real time by children and others who are introduced to such despicable conduct? 🙁

Senator John McCain Abandons Florida Governor Charlie Crist: Despicable! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

Senator John McCain is continuing to demonstrate that he has changed dramatically from the “maverick” he once claimed to be!

Always seen as a man of principle, he has now decided that with Governor Charlie Crist down in the polls in the Florida Republican Senate primary race with former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, he will abandon the man who had more effect on him winning the Florida Presidential primary in 2008 than anyone else, and therefore, promoted him for the GOP Presidential nomination!

Apparently, McCain does not believe in loyalty to those who endorsed and worked their heart out for him for President! He is running scared in his own primary against conservative J. D. Hayworth in Arizona, and realize that Hayworth is supported by the same Tea Party activists who are backing Rubio in Florida. He is out to save his own neck, and therefore is very willing to throw Crist overboard! This is disgraceful behavior! 🙁

The irony will be that McCain may very well lose his primary, and I suppose then he will back Hayworth for his Senate seat, huh? Meanwhile, it is likely that Charlie Crist will run as an independent, and have a decent shot at winning the Senate race in Florida in a three way race with Rubio and Kendrick Meek, the Democratic Congressman from Miami.

This attack on the part of the GOP establishment, including the total abandonment of Crist by the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, is a sign of just how far to the right the Republicans have gone, and it should be alarming to mainstream Republicans who know the tradition of the party as one which had outstanding moderate leaders throughout its history!

Any sympathy one might have for McCain in his tough Senate primary is now lost, as he deserves to be defeated by the very extremist movement which is destroying the mainstream tradition of the Republican Party!

True justice would be that McCain loses, and somehow, Charlie Crist triumphs in his Senate race as an independent! But were that to happen, would the GOP welcome Crist in their Senate caucus? That is hard to imagine, so it may be that he would caucus with the Democrats and give a final kick in the rear end to the party that abandoned him for a right wing extremist! Rubio condemned the Governor for accepting with thanks the economic stimulus that Florida so desperately needed in 2009, and cannot, unfortunately, count upon in 2010, and certainly not beyond, if it is left up to the Florida Republican party and its Tea Party followers, led by Marco Rubio.

It can be hoped that the Republicans in Florida  lose seats in the legislature after trying to destroy education in the state, and for Crist to win and ally with the Democrats and do what is good for the state of Florida in the future! Do not underestimate the potential of Charlie Crist!

Tea Party and Militia Right Wing Extremism On Display! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

Today was the anniversary of Oklahoma City, and right wing gun toting militias and Tea Party activists were demonstrating in Arlington, Virginia, fully armed, and in the District of Columbia without arms because of DC restrictions. There were also demonstrations all over the country by people seeing conspiracy, and concerned about “internment camps”, and spouting racism in many cases, unwilling to accept the Obama Presidency as legitimate.

All kinds of wacky statements were made by so called “preachers” and right wing radicals across the country, including former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo stating that we needed to send Barack Obama back to his “homeland”, Kenya; and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann referring to the Obama Administration as the “gangster” government in a weekend speech. Recently, Sarah Palin spoke about “reloading” to promote and protect basic constitutional rights.

The failure of these politicians to realize that they are helping to create and light the fuse of potential violence, and to create a toxic political atmosphere is extremely disturbing. Talk radio and Fox News Channel also continue to encourage propaganda and lies to further their agenda of making it impossible to unify the nation around anything the Obama Administration proposes, or attempts to accomplish.

And when Rush Limbaugh asserts that the Iceland volcanic ash is God’s way of punishing America and the world for the passage of the Health Care Reform legislation, what can one say except that rhetoric is becoming more ridiculous and loony! There is absolutely no sense of responsibility or culpability in Limbaugh or other talk show hosts realizing the deleterious effect they have on millions of easily manipulated listeners and watchers who could be provoked to disastrous actions that we would all mourn, if god forbid they were to happen! 🙁