Month: November 2010

150 Years Ago: Abraham Lincoln Elected President Of The United States!

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Exactly 150 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States!

Our greatest President would soon face the Civil War, the greatest crisis in American history, with the determination and courage to preserve the Union, and with progress in the war, to promote emancipation of the slaves as a great principle to be accomplished by the victory of the Union over the Confederate States of America!

Lincoln is the most written about President in American history, and despite some naysayers, he looks better all of the time, the least imperfect President we have had!

Lincoln is someone who all Americans can be proud of, even though there are still those who condemn and denounce him, but what is new about that? Every President has his supporters and detractors!

The point is that Abraham Lincoln proved himself to be a statesman, who did what was best, not always what was popular! He was bitterly denounced in his time, more ridiculed and insulted by critics, than any President has ever been! But he prevailed and did what he had to do, and we salute him now, and honor his memory!

This nation would not be what it has become, without the impact and influence of Abraham Lincoln! So, congratulations, Mr. President, on this 150th Anniversary of your election! 🙂

George W. Bush: Two Years Later, Is He Delusional? :(

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George W. Bush has been out of the White House now for two years, and has been avoiding the public spotlight, while preparing his memoirs, which will come out next week!

But excerpts of the memoir have been leaked to the press, and it does not make Bush look very good! In fact, it makes one almost wonder if he has taken to drinking again, something he writes about in his memoir!

Well known as an alcoholic, joining the short list of Presidents who are defined as such (the others being distant relative Franklin Pierce, and Ulysses Grant), Bush reveals a great deal about himself in his memoir!

He tells us that he thought of replacing Vice President Dick Cheney with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, an interesting scenario, because had it happened, Frist might very well have been the Presidential nominee in 2008, rather than Senator John McCain!

He feels that Barack Obama has not been a success, forgetting the mess that he left for the new President, the worst situation since Herbert Hoover handed over the Presidency to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933!

Even more interesting is his assessment of his greatest failure: the inability to privatize Social Security in his second term! This would have led to the total destruction of the whole system had it occurred, with the stock market crash in 2008!

But somehow, Hurricane Katrina, September 11, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War–all of these are not depicted as failures, as compared to Social Security privatization! What planet is George W. Bush on? 🙁

Also, what was his greatest disappointment and upset? Not any of the above events, but when recording artist Kanye West called him a racist for his slow reaction to the horrors of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, particularly the flooding of New Orleans! Not the hurricane, but Kanye West calling him names, is the greatest upset Bush experienced!

By this statement of Bush, President Obama should be constantly upset over the crazy, loony verbal attacks on him by the “wingnuts” and the talk show hosts who don’t give him a pass on ANYTHING! 🙁

George W. Bush seems to the author to be a very troubled man who fails to face reality, and can too easily be “upset” by words of criticism!

Bush needs to learn the following: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” He needs to get off liquor and have some serious psychiatric help!

The question is how will the American people be able, finally, to overcome the damage he has wrought on this nation! 🙁

The Conspiracy Industry And Barack Obama: The Trip To India!

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President Barack Obama has been accused of being a secret Muslim, a Kenyan, a non citizen, a Socialist, a Marxist, planning to put people into government sponsored concentration camps, etc etc etc, ad infinitum! 🙁

Now the right wing nuts, or as John Avlon calls them, “wingnuts”, claim that President Obama’s trip to India is costing the government $200 million a day, and requires 40 planes and includes 3,000 guests, on what is portrayed as a “vacation”, rather than a trip to promote economic interests and diplomacy! 🙁

This conspiracy theory began with Michele Bachmann, and has been promoted by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and other people, rightfully called “wingnuts” by John Avlon! 🙁

Why do people choose to make up such lies, and why do so many millions of Americans choose to believe this propaganda? 🙁

As former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York once said, a person is entitled to his opinions, but not to his own facts! 🙁

It is scary how so many millions of Americans do not seem to realize that they are being bamboozled, being made out to be jerks who have no ability to analyze and evaluate evidence, and instead are manipulated by liars who have no scruples or ethics, and meanwhile are rewarded with public office and obscene wealth based on their despicable propaganda! 🙁

The Jews, Israel, Obama, And The Midterm Elections: Surprise! The Jews Still Are Democrats! :)

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There has been much speculation that American Jews were alienated from President Barack Obama because of his promotion of Middle East peace, including trying to pressure Israel’s leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to freeze Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and seriously negotiate with the Palestinians!

Despite that belief, it turns out that American Jews were the best part of the midterm elections for Democrats, other than young people and African Americans (both of whom in large part stayed home and did not vote)! One thing about Jews: they vote!

The attempt of conservatives and Republicans to convince Jews to abandon the Democratic Party failed miserably! These scare tactics worked very well on the conservative Christian community, which has been working to undermine the Obama Presidency from Day One, but it failed to break the 80 year long alliance of Jews with the Democrats, dating back to the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression!

As it turns out, Jews backed the Democrats in the midterm election by a 66-31 percent margin! And, for instance, in Pennsylvania, Jews backed loser Joe Sestak by a 71-23 percent margin, even though this Democratic nominee for the Senate lost to Republican Pat Toomey!

It turns out that American Jews have a very low opinion of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Movement! At the same time, many of the so called “professional” Jewish organizations tend to be antagonistic to Obama, the Democrats, and the approach of our government to the problems of the Middle East!

What is it about the Jewish population that they fail to share the beliefs and political approach of the “professional” Jewish organizations? Is this not a commentary on the ineffectiveness of these groups to express the will of the Jewish people of America? Is it not time for these groups to stop “flirting” with the Republican Party, which is just trying to exploit the issue, rather than real concern with the future of American Jews and the state of Israel?

Political Leaders Who Lost In The Midterm Elections: A Blessing For The Nation! :)

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While there are those political leaders and candidates that can be mourned because they lost, there are also a list of candidates who were defeated, and this fact can be considered a blessing for the nation! All of them were either Tea Party supported or invested their own fortunes or were just simply incompetent and loony in various ways!

They include the following:

Linda McMahon, Senate nominee in Connecticut
Carl Paladino, Gubernatorial nominee in New York
Christine O’Donnell, Senate nominee in Delaware
Alvin Greene, Senate nominee in South Carolina
Carly Fiorina, Senate nominee in California
Meg Whitman, Gubernatorial nominee in California
Ken Buck, Senate nominee in Colorado
Tom Tancredo, Gubernatorial nominee in Colorado
Sharron Angle, Senate nominee in Nevada
Joe Miller, Senate nominee in Alaska, at this point a likely loser to Senator Lisa Murkowski, substantially ahead as a Write In candidate!

The losses of these ten listed above can be seen as the “silver lining” of an election that was not a wonderful moment for President Obama and his party!

The Major Losses Of The Democratic Party In The Midterm Elections! :(

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It is true that the Democratic Party had major losses in the Midterm Elections of 2010, particularly in the House of Representatives, but it is also true that much of the loss in that chamber was of “Blue Dog” Democrats–moderate to conservative Democrats who were afraid to take a stand for the Obama Administration on many issues, tried to act like Republicans, and were rejected by voters who preferred the “real” Republicans to phony Democrats!

So if one looks at who were the major losses for the Democrats, they are as follows:

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin
Congressman Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, Senate nominee
Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio
Alexi Giannoulias of Illinois, Senate nomineee
Jack Conway of Kentucky, Senate nominee
Bill White of Texas, Gubernatorial nominee
Scott McAdams of Alaska, Senate nominee
Congressman Ron Klein of Florida
Congressman Tom Perriello of Virginia
Congressman John Boccieri of Ohio

At the same time, there were many satisfying victories for Democrats, and the advantage now is that the Democrats who survived or were elected, in most cases, are REAL Democrats with sharply different views of issues than the Republican Party!

What the country does not need are TWO Republican parties, one “real” and one phony! 🙁

Do The Republicans Really Want The Tea Party To Become Their Image?

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There already is evidence that mainstream Republican conservatives are not very happy with the influence of the Tea Party Movement on them in Congress.

Does the Republican Party really think that a party with the public image of Michele Bachmann, Jim DeMint, Rand Paul, and Sarah Palin, among others, is a good omen for their future success?

Why is it so much attention is being paid to these Tea Party favorites, and others like them, and focus is not being placed on more mainstream conservatives, such as newly elected Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri, Dan Coats of Indiana, and Rob Portman of Ohio, and veteran Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Richard Lugar of Indiana, among others?

If the Republican Party really expects to gain control of the Senate and retain the House of Representatives in future elections, would it not make more sense to focus and promote the more mainstream, respectable conservatives and moderates in the party?

Extremism and loony behavior are not the road to long range success and respectability for any political party, and it can be expected that the struggle within the Republican Party over the next two years will have a long range effect on the party’s fortunes in Congress, as well as in the Presidential race of 2012!

Should Nancy Pelosi Remain Democratic Leader In The House Of Representatives? Why Not?

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has decided to run for the post of Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, after the Democratic Party lost more seats than at any time since 1938, as the New Deal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt were coming to an end!

There are many who feel that Pelosi was a lightning rod who alienated many voters, and that she should take the blame and leave as a leader of her party after the loss of more than 60 seats, a walloping rebuke by the voters!

But others point out that the Democrats in the House accomplished landmark legislation in so many ways, and that hundreds of other bills that have passed the House may not become law because of blockage in the Senate!

It is clear that Nancy Pelosi, despite the Democratic defeat, has been one of the best and most effective Speakers of the House in US History!

Her gutsy, aggressive personality has upset many people who don’t like a woman who can compete with ambitious, aggressive men. The personal enmity of many Republicans, conservatives, and ordinary citizens toward Pelosi would not be half the level if Pelosi was male. There is still a “glass ceiling” in many people’s minds, the same one that expresses the view that an African American should not be President of the United States!

So, considering her accomplishments as Speaker, and despite the public repudiation in the midterm elections, Nancy Pelosi should be encouraged to stay and fight for the return of her party to the majority in the 2012 election!

The next congressional election in 2012 should seen as a battle of progressives to overcome adversity, and the fight for political democracy, social justice, and economic regulation should not be abandoned or compromised, by the “quitting” of Nancy Pelosi!

Sarah Palin may have quit, but Nancy Pelosi is no “quitter”! Rather, she is a courageous, hard working woman who is not about to give up the fight, or allow criticism to cause her to avoid the fray!

The Suspension Of Keith Olbermann By MSNBC: Is It Appropriate? NO! :(

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Progressive talk show host Keith Olbermann of MSNBC has been suspended because he gave political donations to Democrats who ran for office in Arizona and Kentucky, working against the candidacies of Governor Jan Brewer and Senate candidate Rand Paul.

MSNBC felt that a talk show host should not be permitted to contribute to candidates, as it compromises them on their show.

Does this make sense? NO, as is there anyone who does not know by watching Keith Olbermann, that he is a progressive voice, and that he favors the Democratic Party?

Does being on a talk show mean that one loses his freedom of speech, which contributing to a political campaign is, according to the Supreme Court in the January 2010 Citizens United case, that has allowed unlimited contributions by corporations?

Is not MSNBC a corporation which can contribute to campaigns, as Fox News Channel has done to the Republican Party? Why is it that employees of a corporation don’t have the same right to contribute that their employer has?

Is there anyone who does not know how Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck and others feel about the Republican party?

The only people in news media who should be discreet about politics are those who simply report the news, but Fox News Channel and MSNBC are stations that promote an agenda, so what is good for one should be the same for the other!

MSNBC has made a mistake in suspending Olbermann, and should reverse its decision, and bring back to the airwaves one of the most insightful and principled progressives who are engaged in the fight against the Right Wing, corporate takeover of this country, which the Supreme Court has, regretfully, encouraged!

Personal Fortunes And Election Success: Only In Wisconsin And Florida! :(

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This election year saw many businessmen and businesswomen who decided that they were going to utilize their personal fortunes to seek office as Governor or Senator, and happily, it can now be reported that they failed to accomplish their goal, except in two tragic cases: Wisconsin and Florida!

All of the personal fortune candidates were Republicans except for Jeff Greene in Florida, who ran for the Senate in the Democratic primary against Congressman Kendrick Meek, and was soundly defeated, by a margin of about 25 points!

Meanwhile, Meg Whitman set an all time record of using a personal fortune to seek the California Governorship, spending approximately $150 million, but losing to Jerry Brown!

Carly Fiorina sought the Senate seat in California, but lost to Senator Barbara Boxer.

Linda McMahon spent a good part of her fortune for the Senate seat in Connecticut, but lost to Richard Blumenthal.

John Raese sought the Senate seat in West Virginia, using a good part of his personal fortune, but lost to Governor Joe Manchin.

Carl Paladino ran for Governor in New York, but despite the use of a good part of his personal fortune, lost to Andrew Cuomo.

However, sadly, Ron Johnson, without any background in running for office, spent a lot of his personal fortune, and defeated Senator Russ Feingold, a major loss to progressive reform, probably the greatest single setback of the 2010 midterm election! 🙁

And even more tragically, Rick Scott, who had been involved in massive Medicare fraud in the 1990s, and forced to pay a major fine but able to avoid prison, had the gall to run for Governor of Florida, defeat state Attorney General Bill McCollum for the nomination, and defeat Chief Financial Office Alex Sink by the small margin statewide of 50,000 votes, and therefore will succeed Governor Charlie Crist, who lost his Independent run for the US Senate to Republican Marco Rubio! 🙁

The idea that a wealthy man, with a background of business fraud, and with not one newspaper in the state of Florida endorsing him, and with police chiefs and many Republican politicos refusing to back him, could end up winning the Governorship of the fourth largest state, is a sad commentary on politics in the state of Florida! The voters of the state should feel ashamed at what they have wrought! 🙁