Month: May 2011

The Flaws In The Newt Gingrich Candidacy For President

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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is about to announce his candidacy for the Presidency, but he presents many flaws and shortcomings that make the success of his candidacy highly unlikely. They include the following:

1. Gingrich is seen after all these years as a Washington insider, not exactly appealing to many rank and file in the Republican Party.

2. His years in Congress, including his four years as Speaker, were highly controversial and added to the gridlock and turmoil that has become endemic now in America, making him far from the ideal person to try to unite the country.

3. His approach to issues and people is to “slash and burn”, to have the attitude of “take no prisoners”!

4. His private life with three marriages and two controversial divorces does not fit the image of “family values”.

5. Gingrich is highly intelligent and a dynamic speaker, but therefore has trouble relating to “average” Americans and their daily lives, after being a college professor and a person on the public payroll for so many years, who is best at stirring public debate without having any reasonable, mainstream solutions.

6. Gingrich has made reckless statements about President Obama and has seemed to accept the “Birther’ myth, making him lose credibility with independents.

7. We have only seen one Congressman go to the White House directly, James Garfield in 1880, and he was soon removed from office by assassination.

8. Gingrich has been out of public office, out of the public spotlight as a decision maker, for 14 years by 2012, an extremely long time to be on the sidelines, just making money as a media personality, but having no responsibility for public policy for so long a time.

Anyone taking odds on a President Gingrich should be aware that his chances of being the GOP nominee, and winning the Presidency, are extremely close to zero!

President Obama: Issue Executive Order To Stop Deportation Of Young Illegal Immigrants Until DREAM Act Becomes Law!

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President Obama spoke in El Paso, Texas, today on the subject of immigration reform and the need for cooperation of both political parties to pass legislation, and he called again for the passage of the DREAM Act, giving young illegal immigrants of college age the chance to become citizens by attending college or serving in the military, making them eligible for citizenship,and meanwhile preventing deportation to countries they hardly remember.

This is a just cause, and Obama needs to take action by executive order to allow these young people to remain and continue their path toward citizenship until and when the DREAM Act passes Congress.

This is an issue of human rights, as these children are victims in that they never had control over where they came from or migrated to, have broken no laws, and should be given the opportunity for citizenship, rather than being pushed back to countries that they left at a tender age, and where they know no one.

These young people can contribute to the nation’s intellectual and economic growth, and it is time for the President to move beyond words to action!

NBC Poll And Obama Numbers: Potential Trouble For The Future

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The latest NBC poll shows widely varying public opinion views of President Barack Obama.

57 percent like his foreign policy, a tremendous boost after the successful elimination of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.

52 percent overall like the job performance of Obama, which is higher than it has been since early in his term.

But only 37 percent are happy with his economic policies, and that is a danger sign for the President. And certainly, the GOP is not going to do anything to help change the economic picture, as that is the best issue to use against the President.

With 18 months to the election, one has to think back to the first President Bush, who had 91 percent in the polls after the Gulf War, but collapsed to 37 percent in the actual voting percentage a year and a half later in 1992.

So Obama cannot bask in the glory about Osama Bin Laden’s death, as the truth still is what Bill Clinton used as his campaign slogan in 1992 against Bush–“It’s the economy, stupid!”

Bin Laden Award Money: Who Deserves It Now That Bin Laden Is Gone?

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The US government offered $25 million after September 11 for the capture or death of Osama Bin Laden, and now that Bin Laden has been assassinated, the question is what should happen to the money.

Since no individual directly brought about the end of the Bin Laden hegemony, and since people in the military cannot be awarded the money ethically, since they were doing their duty as Navy SEALS, it seems appropriate that the money go to the September 11 responders, those firefighters and police officers and others who helped rescue survivors at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and who, in so many cases, suffered grievous injuries or illnesses.

It does not seem appropriate for the relatives of those who died to receive payments, as they have already been awarded financial damages.

It is proper that those who gambled their lives and health to help retrieve live victims and clean up the struck sites in New York City and Arlington, Virginia, over a period of months be thanked by financial payments that honor what they did, in the name of patriotism and nationalism!

The Effects Of The Latino-Hispanic Vote On The 2012 Presidential Election

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With the rapid growth of the Latino-Hispanic population, from one eighth in 2000 to one sixth of the population in 2010 according to the Census Bureau, the 2012 Presidential Election will be giving President Obama a tremendous edge in states that otherwise would be major battlegrounds.

Assuming a decent turnout for Obama among Latinos-Hispanics, as well as African Americans, Obama is now seen as likely, statistically, to win Nevada and Florida again and have a real shot at winning Georgia, which he failed to win in 2008.

Obama only needs to win 25 percent of the white vote in Georgia, 35 percent in Nevada, and just under 40 percent in Florida to win those states in the electoral college.

Obama’s call today for comprehensive immigration reform, calling on the Republican opposition to work together on this important issue, may be a political ploy, but realistically, if the GOP continues its hard line view on illegal immigrants, as in Arizona, the result is likely to be a smashing defeat in 2012, and this is not considering the issue that the Republicans seem unable to come up with a winner, someone that turns party members on and is likely to draw the votes of other than whites in the population.

It seems to the author that only Jon Huntsman, and possibly Mitt Romney, even have the potential to appeal to non white voters in 2012, but the odds of either being the nominee seems remote at this point of time.

Florida Republicans Declare War On Democracy In Florida: Making It More Difficult To Vote!

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The Florida legislature, more than two thirds Republican, in league with Governor Rick Scott, has decided to take democracy away from the people of the Sunshine State, and in so doing, return Florida to the first half of the 20th century, and in many ways, to the late 19th century.

The goal in America has been to expand the right to vote, not inhibit it, but remember Florida, as a southern state, did everything it could after the Civil War and up to 1965, a full century, to deny African Americans the right to vote.

Now the legislature has decided to do the following:

1. Cut early voting before election day from 14 days to eight days, making it more difficult for many voters to participate, since many may not want to wait in long lines, particularly senior citizens. One third of Florida voters went to the polls before election day, and this will make it more difficult for them to do what they prefer, and assuredly will cut down the vote numbers.

2. College students and newlyweds with a name or address change will have to cast privisional ballots, which might not be counted, as there will be no allowance to change information as one votes. Half of all provisional ballots were not counted in 2008.

3. Groups that help register voters, such as the League of Women Voters, would only have two days to return the registration cards to the supervisor of elections, or would face the possibility of fines up to $1000, plus volunteers who made mistakes in voter applications could also be fined.

Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson made a public appeal to prevent these changes, but the GOP went ahead and did it anyway, so it is a bad sign for the future of Florida democracy!

A Momentous Early May Fifty Years Ago!

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In early May of 1961, two momentous events worthy of notice occurred, and it is now 50 years since those path breaking events!

On May 5, Alan Shepard was launched into space as the first American, astronaut, going up and down in a rocket in less than an hour, not as dramatic as Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union being launched into orbit 23 days earlier on April 12. Despite the Shepard launch being far less significant, it marked the beginning of the American manned space program, and later that month, on May 25, President John F. Kennedy would announce what seemed impossible at the time, the landing of Americans on the moon before 1970!

On May 9, the first Freedom Ride of black and white civil rights pioneers took place, the attempt to integrate interstate transportation on buses throughout Dixie, a daring and dangerous set of circumstances, which led to bloodshed and violence in Southern bus terminals and on the interstate highways, as Ku Klux Klan activists assaulted civil rights demonstrators and set buses on fire, along with other types of violence. But this reality led the US government to order federal marshals to enforce integration on interstate transportion, and also resulted later in 1961 in the issuance by the Interstate Commerce Commission of an integration order on all transportation within the United States!

The kind of pioneering spirit of Alan Shepard and other astronauts, and of civil rights activists who put their lives at risk to enforce equality, is worthy of notice and recognition and praise 50 years later!

May 8: V-E Day And Harry Truman Remembered!

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Sixty six years ago today, in 1945, America celebrated V-E Day, victory in Europe, as Nazi Germany surrendered, one week after announcement of the suicide of Adolf Hitler. Time Magazine commemorated the death of Hitler with a cover portrait of him with a large X through his face!

Today, one week after the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, regarded by most observers as the worst tyrant since Adolf Hitler, we should celebrate the removal of the world wide leader of terrorism, while being aware that the danger of further terrorist threats still exists. And note that Time Magazine has just published an issue with Bin Laden’s portrait on the cover, and an X through his face!

And also note that today is the anniversary of the birth of President Harry Truman, born in 1884, 127 years ago, and celebrating his 61st birthday on V-E Day, less than a month after inheriting the Presidency upon the sudden death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Great uncertainty about Truman existed at the time, and yet he went ahead and made tough decisions including the use of the atomic bomb on Japan three months later. Truman proved he could fill the shoes of Franklin D. Roosevelt, despite those who were skeptical as to his credentials.

In much the same way, Barack Obama has now proved, despite many skeptics, that he can fill the shoes of the office of the Presidency, can make tough decisions, and has courage and guts much like Harry Truman is always portrayed as having possessed.

So today, let us remember the twin fights against Nazism and terrorism, and the courage, guts and decisiveness of Harry Truman and Barack Obama. Were Truman alive today, he would be very proud of Barack Obama!

Imagining If Medicare Had Never Become Law Under Lyndon Johnson

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At a time when the Republican Party has advocated by a formal vote in the House of Representatives that they wish to privatize Medicare over the next decade, therefore ending a program that the vast majority of them voted against when it first passed in 1965 as a part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, let us just imagine that Medicare had never occurred. How would America be different?

The effects of NOT having Medicare pass and be part of the American safety net would be the following:

1. Millions of senior citizens, who were taken out of poverty by the security of their medical bills being paid, would have instead remained in poverty and become a burden on theiir children, if they had any, and if they were willing to put themselves in dire economic straits to help their parents.

2. The longevity rate for senior citizens would have been much lower, as many, being unable to pay for medical services at an advanced age, would have died instead. Therefore, the life span increase in America, which has advanced so much since 1965, would not have occurred for anyone but the elite wealthy.

3. The quality of life for older people, their state of mind and sense of security in older age, would have deteriorated through constant concern about money and health.

4. The family unit of parents and chldren, grandparents and grandchildren, so important as part of what makes America a sucess, would have been cut short by money standing in the way of good health and long life span.

5. The contributions of senior citizens to our economy, our workforce, and the real life accomplishments of many to our advancements as a society, in so many intangible ways, would not have happened. People do not stop being positive forces for change and for good when they reach the “golden years” of 65 plus.

Medicare helps make America a more humane society, giving dignity and a sense of mental relief to those who have done so much for this country, through producing their offspring and contributing in their work life to the advancement of the nation that they helped create.

Of course, there is no doubt that Medicare was created nearly fifty years ago with the expectaton that people would not live as long and healthy lives as has occurred. And of course, costs of the Medicare program have skyrocketed, and there are concerns over the long term health of the program. And, yes, there is corruption and fraud in the sytem which needs to be rooted out.

But the answer is to reform the system, not destroy it!

The answer is to recognize that the tax base for Medicare will have to go up, and that there must be methods developed to root out waste and fraud, and that some tinkering with the system of costs must be enacted, not an easy thing to do, but essentiial as future generations will want to have the same security and sense of dignity that their parents and grandparents have had for nearly a half century.

America will not be the same if our nation rejects the needs of senior citizens, and throws them to the wolves. A society which does not take care of its elderly in a decent way is a society which has lost its principles, its bearings, and its purpose!

World War I Goes Into History: The Link To Today And Terrorism

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In February, America’s last surviving veteran of the First World War, Frank Buckles, died.

Now we have news that the last combat veteran of the war, a British national, who later settled in Australia, named Claude Choules, has died, also at the same age of 110.

After the death of Frank Buckles, the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri held a service and commemoration of the passing of the last American soldier of that war.

It was noted that Americans had changed their view of the world totally when they abandoned isolationism and joined the war effort in Europe, and how so many sacrificed their lives and their heatlh to serve in a just cause.

Now that the last “doughboy” and last European combat veteran have both died, it is fitting that we recognize 97 years after that Great War commenced, and with the death of Osama Bin Laden by courageous Navy SEALS doing their duty to protect America, that the war against terrrorism has had a victory, but that the battle for freedom and security must go on in a world fraught with dangers not that different than a century ago!