Month: July 2011

Absolutely Reckless And Irresponsible Republican Leadership In Congress: Reason For Economic Crisis About To Get Worse!

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As we near the last week before the Debt Ceiling Crisis leads to a potential total collapse of the American economy and puts Americans into a second Great Depression, it is important to understand that this crisis has been caused to a great extent by refusal of Republican leaders in Congress to be responsible for disciplining their party membership to do something that was automatic over the past century, but has become a political football because of the decision of the party to refuse to cooperate on anything with the President they see as illegitimate!

Instead of seeing the good fortunes of the American people as the most urgent responsibility they have as leaders, they have chosen to refuse to even cooperate with each other, as egos and ambitions have become more important than doing what is right–to prevent default on the national debt and work to resolve the budget issues and create the proper environment for job creation!

John Boehner has performed horribly as Speaker of the House, and his name in history will be besmirched as a result! He has been unwilling to cooperate with President Obama, and has failed to assert his leadership over his “Troops” in the manner needed in the present crisis!

But Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader, is an even bigger villain, egotistical and totally ambitious to accomplish his own ends, and refusing behind the scenes to cooperate with Boehner, and instead tying his future to an extremist, anarchist, militant movement of reckless “flame throwers” (The Tea Party Movement), who refuse to understand that successful politics MUST be based on the art of compromise!

At the same time, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, overly ambitious to become Senate Majority Leader, openly has made the defeat of President Obama his major goal, and therefore has lost all credibility to claim a desire to resolve the issue of the debt ceiling in any form. Instead, he would prefer to let the President and his party take all responsibility and blame for the raising of the debt ceiling!

These three men, along with Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, have shown disrespect, and lack of cooperation with the President in a way that no one can ever quite remember occurring to this extreme state, with any other President, no matter what the personal differences or ideological disputes that might have existed!

So the Republican Party will pay heavily for this lack of leadership by their party spokesmen, and the country is going to suffer further from the economic collapse caused by the outrageous policies of the Republican Congresses that led to the Great Recession, and now in danger of becoming a second Great Depression!

The Absolutely Urgent Need For Compromise In The Tradition Of The Founding Fathers!

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With the nation on the brink of financial chaos, due to the failure to have both sides come to an agreement on the Debt Ceiling and budget cuts, America is entering uncharted territory that is arguably the most dangerous since the Great Depression, and possibly the Civil War!

When one looks at our history, one realizes that our brightest and greatest moment was the time of the Founding Fathers, when compromise ruled and we came up with a Constitution that involved sacrifice of the differing sides of the political battle toward the greater good, compromise to save the nation at a dangerous moment!

When we look at the Civil War, it was exactly the opposite of compromise, and the nation suffered through four long years of war, and two thirds of a million soldiers killed, because compromise was no longer possible.

The Great Depression saw tremendous division, but yet a unity among the American people that they had to support the effort that had been started by Franklin D. Roosevelt, rather than create a divided government of the two houses of Congress in the hands of opposing parties, causing paralysis!

It is time that this nation moved toward a short term solution in the image of the Founding Fathers, followed by a long term solution whereby the American people make a choice as to their future, by giving full authority either to the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to take action without a paralyzed Congress in which no compromise is possible!

It is not acceptable to have a continuation of what the American people, by their lack of knowledge or participation have wrought at the present–divided and paralyzed government! The only way government can work is full control by one party for a four year term of a President, followed by an opportunity for a reversal in view by the American people, but in a manner that allows action, instead of stalemate!

The battle for the future can only be decided by full accountability, not by creating a government which can do nothing except hurl accusations back and forth, and therefore prevent any action! This dangerous situation cannot be allowed to continue!

So therefore, what must be done right now, through compromise?

1. Raise the debt ceiling through the next Presidential election in one action.
2. Agree to long term changes in Medicare that allow gradual raising of the age limit to 67 for people under the age of 50 now, but allowing, as with Social Security, a lowered coverage at age 65 for those who do not wish to wait to 67 to gain full benefits.
3. Raise the Social Security full benefits for future retirees, so that those born in 1980 and after must wait for full benefits to age 68, and those born in 1990 and after must wait for benefits to age 69, but in each case having the ability to gain lower benefits, as now, at age 62 or somewhat later if they wish.
4. Have the Social Security tax apply to all income, not just to $106,800, as with Medicare, which has no limits.
5. Agree that some increase in taxes on the top two percent MUST occur, but less than what has been proposed in the past.

It is essential that the lobbying groups, including those for corporations and the wealthy, and for the AARP and other progressive groups, have to be told that compromise is unavoidable, and that sacrifice is necessary, but in a way that affects people, regarding taxation and the social safety net, in a way that is less harsh, but part of being a patriotic American, accepting responsibility of paying more taxes and recognizing that social programs, to be saved, require some changes in age limits and taxation levels!

Once compromise is reached, both parties go to the country, and hopefully, instead of creating a paralyzed government that can accomplish nothing, we go more in the way of parliamentary government, the creation of total responsibility that can be reversed by the electorate in future elections, if the public is more educated and involved and decides major changes are needed!

So we need a combination of the late 1780s and the 1930s, rather than the 1860s, if we are to have progress as a nation to resolve our differences, and have a government that works!

The Republican Party Again Doing What They Are Best At: Self Destruction!

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The Republican Party has suicidal tendencies since the years of the Great Depression.

When the Great Depression began in 1929, the party in Congress refused to abandon laissez faire economics, and some even fought President Herbert Hoover’s attempt to provide some public works projects and federal aid through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

During the New Deal years of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the party stood in the way of reform and change and continued to decline.

As World War II came on, most Republicans were isolationists who failed to see the threat of Fascism and Nazism.

As World War II ended, Republicans set out to to weaken labor unions and set back the New Deal, and after two brief years in control of Congress in 1947-1948, they lost control and saw Harry Truman stage an upset victory in the Presidential campaign.

The party pursued the Joseph McCarthy anti communist agenda in the late 1940s and early 1950s, undermining America’s effort in the Korean War, but with a popular World War II general, Dwight D. Eisenhower, they were given another chance in 1952, and won back control of Congress, but with their conservative agenda, lost control again after two years.

From that point on, the party failed to gain control of Congress for 40 years in the House, and 26 in the Senate, and after six years of a divided Congress under Ronald Reagan, lost the Senate again in 1986 and for the next eight years.

Despite Eisenhower’s personal popularity, it did not transform into party control after two years, and while Richard Nixon won over a divided Democratic Party in 1968, he could not translate his victory into a Republican majority, and Watergate damaged any hope again of a soon to occur change in party loyalties and success.

Ronald Reagan managed a divided Congress with Republican control of the Senate for six years, but again it did not change party loyalties and success in the long run, and the party was bitterly divided during the administration of George H. W. Bush, with Pat Buchanan helping to divide the party and lead to the defeat of Bush in 1992.

Then in 1994, the Republicans gained control of Congress for the next twelve years, but Bill Clinton, despite personal problems leading to impeachment, was able to control much of the political agenda.

After the Republicans won the battle over Florida’s electoral votes with George W. Bush in 2000, it seemed as if finally they had become the majority party, but September 11, two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the economic collapse of 2008, took away any gains it seemed that the party had made.

While they won the House of Representatives in 2010, the emergence of the Tea Party Movement has now destroyed any chance of Republican success, as again they are seen as obstructionist in so many ways, and public opinion polls still see the party as to blame much more for the economic recession we are suffering through, rather than to hold Barack Obama accountable.

With an image of negativism, concern only for the rich and powerful special interests, isolationism, corruption, and obstructionism, the Republican Party is again in the process of committing political suicide, and relegating itself to minority status in American politics!

The Tragedy Of The Closing Of Borders Bookstores Long Term!

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The news this week of the immediate closing of Borders Bookstores is a great tragedy in so many ways that most people do not realize!

How is this a terrible development that will have an effect on the American people and the economy?

1. It cuts alternative choices for books, music and movies in a major way, and less competition means higher prices at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other alternative locations for these products!

2. It means we are closer to the time when the bookstore as a place to browse, socialize, meet people, and have vigorous discussions among friends, is going to disappear, as the signs are clear that eventually there will be no such bookstores in a few years, except maybe in major metropolitan areas!

3. It means the era of the printed hard cover and paperback books is coming to an end soon, as electronic reading will soon be the only way available, much as it is becoming true in the newspaper and periodical industry, and that is a major tragedy of tremendous proportions!

4. Almost 400 stores are closing, affecting the local economy of many shopping malls and retail locations, and causing the loss of approximately 10,700 workers jobs, adding to the unemployment rate in many states in the Union!

5. The reverberating effect of these closures will cause the loss over time of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the book industry, the printing industry, the music and movie production industry, and many other retail establishments, as shopping declines in many areas will cause loss of other jobs and closing of other business establishments!

6. The ability in the past to get “lost” in bookstores in the excitement of discovery through wandering through book shelves and picking up titles and being able to glory in the life of the mind is rapidly disappearing and will never be recovered, and that experience will not be shared by young people in the future! One might say local libraries can do this, but local libraries will not buy hard copies of books as much anymore, and many libraries nationally are being cut back or eliminated because of lack of funding!

So the future literacy and experience of the life of the mind in the form of physical books is going to be lost overtime, no matter how one looks at it! Barnes and Noble will survive, hopefully, but may very well give up physical bookstores except in major cities, and be only available online and in electronic form, much like Amazon.

And that is, again, a terrible tragedy in itself!

A Path Breaking Week For Gay Rights In America!

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This week in July 2011 will be remembered as the week of path breaking events for gay rights in America!

After a long period of patience, major progress is being made in the following ways:

1. On Sunday, the first gay marriages will be performed in New York City and around the state of New York, a month after the state legislature enacted this basic human rights issue.

2. The Department of Justice under President Obama is now advocating the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, and hearings have been held to move toward repeal, although it is likely that will lead to resistance by Republicans in the House of Representatives.

3. The Defense Department is today certifying that they back the formal end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military, and that they see no problem of gays being openly accepted in the military, and that it will not interfere with the internal cohesion and unity of the armed forces.

4. Additionally, in a very touching manner, comedian Stephen Colbert of the Comedy Channel issued a video in which he talked about children being bullied and called “Queer” in middle school, and how when he was so bullied, although not being gay, a friend reacted in a way that disarmed bullies harrassing his friend. Colbert said, in serious terms, words cannot hurt you if you decide to think of yourself as a person who has value and significance and purpose, and that things will get better if one understands that words should not be allowed to interfere with one’s self esteem, so hang in there, and one’s life will become better with patience. This is a beautiful message that needs to be spread all over America, to prevent bullying from leading to young men and women committing suicide, and was the best possible action Stephen Colbert could possibly have taken to deal with the epidemic of bullying and resultant suicide occurring in America!

So the long road to human rights advancement in a new area of concern has been successful, and the New York legislature, Governor Andrew Cuomo, President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, and comedian Stephen Colbert must be acknowledged and applauded for their courageous efforts in this regard!

Republican Party Seemingly On Suicide Mission, Based On Latest Poll On Presidential Frontrunners!

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The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll shows strong evidence that the Republican Party is on a suicide mission regarding the 2012 Presidential Election.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a wide lead over all others, and is praised for his experience, leadership, and good chance to compete with and defeat President Obama.

And yet, the Tea Party Movement within the party is very unhappy with Romney, and were he to be the nominee, they would be a major headache and impediment in his Presidential campaign!

Amazingly, a “non candidate”, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, runs second, and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann runs third in the poll. If Palin is not counted in the poll, Bachmann moves up to second, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul ends up third, with no one else in double digits!

However, Texas Governor Rick Perry, a possible candidate who is flirting with the idea of running, and claims God is behind him, has the next most support with 8 percent.

At this point, Tim Pawlenty, former Governor of Minnesota, and Jon Huntsman, former Governor of Utah, have been total flops, with Pawlenty having only 2 percent support, and Huntsman only 3 percent. It was felt just a couple of months ago that only these two men had a real shot at the nomination, other than Romney, but it has not turned out that way at all!

Instead, it is Tea Party radicals such as Palin, Bachmann and Perry that are competing with Romney, and that is becoming a point of fear and some hysteria among establishment Republicans, who can sense that their party is being destroyed by what is best described as the “cancer” of the Tea Party Movement in their midst!

Obama, The Middle Class, And Small Business: Poll Indicate Widespread Support For The President!

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A new Washington Post-ABC News Poll indicates that the middle class and small businessmen see President Obama as supportive of their interests.

At the same time, the polls indicate that Congressional Republicans are perceived as in league with Wall Street financial institutions and large business corporations.

The middle class issue is won by Obama by 53 -35, while the small business question sees a 48-39 lead for the President.

Meanwhile, majorities across party lines see the Republicans as more concerned about big business and Wall Street.

One would think this would reverberate in Obama’s favor as the country tries to deal with the Debt Ceiling crisis, and will backfire on the Republicans, because the vast majority of the country is not in agreement with the Tea Party Movement that is controlling the House of Representatives majority, to the chagrin of Speaker John Boehner, although he has carefully avoided any comments on the subject!

Congressman Allen West Should Be Censured For His Vitriolic Attack On Debbie Wasserman Schultz!

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South Florida has a very large number of senior citizens, who will be affected by the Republican attempt to gut Medicare and Social Security.

Congressman Allen West, one of the most right wing conservatives in Congress, has come out for such cuts, and his colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is also chair of the Democratic National Committee, criticized his action that will hurt his own constituents. She did not issue a personal attack on West, but when he heard what she had said on the floor of the House of Representatives, he went ballistic!

Already seen as a “loose cannon”, who was forced to leave the military in 2004 because of mistreatment of an Iraqi prisoner of war, West lashed into a bitter personal attack, saying Wasserman Schultz did not act like a lady, and he would not give her, therefore, appropriate respect ordinarily due a fellow member of the House!

West called his colleague “vile, unprofessional, and despicable”, and accused her of “heinous, characterless behavior” unbecoming a member of Congress!

What West needs to do, but will certainly not do, is look in the mirror, realize his temper tantrum was way overboard, and apologize to Wasserman Schultz and all women in America for his lunatic temper and lack of respect for women!

Why has West not learned to be civil, cordial, and congenial with those he does not agree with? Does he really think that hitting someone over the head symbolically with a hatchet is the way to solve disagreements?

West should be censured for his vitriolic attack, as unacceptable behavior! Wasserman Schultz criticized his policy views, while West did a character assassination, totally uncalled for!

However, no such censure will occur, and the best result will be the defeat of West in his congressional district by former West Palm Beach mayor Lois Frankel! This is certainly one of the most significant House races for 2012, even before yesterday’s events!

Time For Action On Debt Ceiling By Barack Obama: Invoke 14th Amendment, Section 4 Immediately!

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The Debt Ceiling Crisis, which has been building for weeks, is reaching a dangerous stage, with only 12 days left until the US government defaults, but Moody’s and other credit rating agencies are threatening action to lower the rating on government bonds before that date!

It is clear that the Tea Party conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives have no concern about the default threat and the downgrading of government bonds by rating agencies!

The Republican Party is being criticized in polls for their intransigence, but seem unwilling to negotiate or compromise, even though the debt ceiling has been raised more than 100 times since 1917, and nearly ten times under George W. Bush!

They seem unable to understand that raising the debt ceiling is simply recognizing the need to pay OLD DEBT, just as much as all citizens must do the same to keep a credit rating, and have any ability to borrow money in the future!

The recklessness and irresponsibility being demonstrated is reaching a stage where Barack Obama MUST take action under his emergency powers, even if it endangers his Presidency and his reputation!

Obama needs to invoke the 14th Amendment, Section 4, and unilaterally raise the debt ceiling, no matter what conservatives and Republicans advocate, as they have lost all rights to respect and being treated as a fair partner in negotiations!

The danger, of course, is that right wing whackos in the House will use such action as an excuse to impeach Barack Obama!

That would be tragic, but not fatal, as there is no way that two thirds of the Senate would convict and remove Obama from office, any more than that would happen with the unjustified impeachment trial of Bill Clinton in 1999!

Such a move toward impeachment would only give further evidence of how extremist and irresponsible the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Reagan has become, and the American people would repudiate it in the Presidential Election of 2012 and the Congressional elections that would decide control of both houses of Congress for 2013-2014!

So Obama, by next Monday, with just a little over a week to go, and before Moody’s and other credit agencies take action, MUST assert his executive authority and let what happens to him occur, knowing the American people will be behind him all the way, and reward him with a second term, no matter what the Republicans do to counteract him!

A Day To Celebrate: 43rd Anniversary Of Special Olympics!

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Today, in the year 1968, with the full backing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her husband, Sargent Shriver, the sister and brother in law of President John F. Kennedy, the Special Olympics was created as a way for intellectually disabled people of all ages to compete in all kinds of athletic events and competitions!

Tim Shriver, the son of Eunice and Sargent Shriver, today heads the Special Olympics, which represents more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries.

Of course, the Special Olympics could not be as successful as they are, without the contribution of volunteers and sponsors in the United States and all over the world!

There are over 30 Olympic type individual and team sports that provide meaningful training and opportunities for competition.

With both Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver having now passed away, the great work of the Special Olympics continues to move forward in honor of their founders in the late 1960s!