Month: October 2011

Herman Cain and Erick Erickson And The Republicans: Reverse Robin Hood!

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Herman Cain promotes his 9-9-9 plan, which economists tell us will tax the poor, the sick, the disabled, and the elderly more, while lowering the tax liability of the wealthy much more than it is today!

Erick Erickson, the conservative blogger, mouths what most conservatives and Republicans say, that the 47 percent of the population who do not pay federal income tax need to start paying, and stop expecting the other 53 percent to carry the burden.

The fact that the 47 percent who do not pay federal income taxes DO pay federal payroll taxes in the form of Social Security and Medicare, and also pay state and local income taxes and sales taxes is not considered.

The fact that most of this 47 percent are poor and getting poorer, or are sick, disabled, or elderly is not considered!

There is no consideration of the fact that the wealthy top one percent have 40 percent of the national income!

There is no consideration that the average person of African American or Hispanic ancestry has just FIVE percent of the assets of the average white person!

The fact that millions of Americans are losing their homes, their jobs, and their pensions is not considered, as long as the wealthy are allowed to keep their assets and continue them on the growth pattern.

The conservatives and Republicans are like Scrooge in the Christmas Carol of Charles Dickens.

And they will call themselves “good Christians” while condemning the poor, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly.

In summary, Herman Cain, Erick Erickson and their ilk are modern day Robin Hoods in reverse–taking from those down and out, and giving MORE to the rich and powerful!

Do these people have any soul, any ethics, any morality? How can they often quote the Old and New Testaments in the name of their selfishness and greed?

The whole situation is mind boggling!

The “Occupy” Movement Nationally: In The Best American Political Tradition!

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As the “Occupy Wall Street” and other “Occupy” movements throughout the United States take hold, we see and hear bitter denunciations by the Tea Party Movement in the most wretched and venal manner!

This Tea Party Movement, which brought guns to gatherings, spit on members of Congress, and used racist language against President Barack Obama, and has no concern about the future of millions of middle class and poor families, has the gall and nerve to set out to destroy the reputation of ordinary citizens, who are having their homes taken away from them, their jobs lost, their children’s college education debts soar beyond ability to pay, their health care being denied, and their pensions being decimated, and seem to think this should be reacted to in silence, while the top one percent control 40 percent of the income, and continue through Wall Street to victimize America daily with their greed and selfishness!

The “Occupy” movement is in the best tradition of other reform movements, including the abolitionist crusade against slavery; the populist movement against the rich and powerful a century ago; the labor union movement; the civil rights movement after World War II; the woman’s rights movement in the 1960s and after; the anti Vietnam war movement in the 1960s and 1970s; and the gay rights movement since 1969.

Without public participation in the form of protest movements, nothing can be done to overcome injustice and unfairness! All those involved in protest movements will be bitterly attacked, but the answer is to deflect the criticism, and focus on the job at hand, and it does not look as if the “Occupy” movement is going away anytime soon!

A Generation Of Justice Clarence Thomas: Its Negative Impact!

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Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas has now been on the Court for a generation, and his impact is clear.

This is a man who was enmeshed in controversy when he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to replace Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall as the second African American in the history of the Supreme Court. He was clearly the “anti Marshall”, and has remained in controversy ever since 1991.

Thomas was accused by African American law professor Anita Hill of sexual harassment, and accused liberals of a “lynching”, and only was approved by a vote of 52-48 in the Senate, the closest of the 20th century. He has, in a memoir in 2007 and before and since, continued to have bitterness and resentment toward liberals and his other critics, and said when he was confirmed that he would confound the “damn liberals” by staying on the Court for 43 years, the age he was when appointed, which would surpass Justice William O. Douglas’s 36 years on the Court, the longest in Supreme Court history. His wife strangely contacted Anita Hill last year to ask for an “apology”, which was not forthcoming, but continues to simmer in his wife’s mind after a generation.

Thomas’s wife has been involved in ethical problems as the head of a conservative organization working against the Obama Health Care law, and in other ways, working with the Tea Party Movement, while her husband is involved in decisions where his wife’s activities create ethical problems for him, although he is unwilling to react to any criticism by recusing himself from cases, as creating a conflict of interest. He does not care what his critics say!

On the Court, he is seen in many ways as the MOST conservative member, even more than Antonin Scalia in some ways. He is well liked by his colleagues, but almost never asks any questions in oral arguments before the Court. He gives lectures around the country, but avoids the news media. He comes across as bitter and odd in many ways, but also arrogant and hard to fathom.

Thomas has shown willingness to strike down case law going back decades, and sometimes even a century. He is the only one to argue for consistent return to the “original” meaning of the Constitution when it was adopted in 1789, even more than Antonin Scalia. He sees the Court as having gone the wrong way in many areas of the law, and wanting reversal of past rulings.

Thomas alone believes that states should be able to establish an official religion; believes teenagers have no free speech rights at all; believes business should not be regulated and their commercial speech and campaign activities should not be regulated; wants to strike down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act; and backs the President’s ability to hold an American citizen in prison indefinitely without charges or review by the courts.

Thomas refuses to see prisoner rights as legitimate and is against affirmative action to the extreme, even though he benefited from it himself! He spends his time only with people who agree with his hard line views, which many think is a shame, as it indicates he has a closed mind.

So Clarence Thomas continues to have a long range, in many ways deleterious effect on the Supreme Court, and probably will for close to another generation, as he predicted!

How The Republican Party Has Gone Wrong: Lincoln Chafee’s View

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Rhode Island Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee is a former moderate Republican Senator, whose father, John Chafee, was Governor as a Republican from 1963-1969; Secretary of the Navy under President Richard Nixon from 1969-1972; and Senator from 1976 to 1999 when he passed away.

Both Chafees were mainstream Republicans, and the younger Chafee became an independent after losing his Senate seat in 2006.

Chafee is dismayed that even Northeastern and New England Republicans have moved to the right, and he mentions Mitt Romney, who has been trying to change his image from what it was before 2006; former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani; former New York Governor George Pataki; and even, outside the Atlantic coast, Senator John McCain of Arizona–all of whom he says have lost their principles due to ambitions and desires for higher office.

National ambitions have caused these men to become chameleons, who cannot be believed, as they change their beliefs and principles, and therefore are “completely different” from what they once were.

Realize how troubling this statement by Chafee is, that it indicates no one can trust that any politician believes what he advocates, if he can advance by compromising his principles and appealing to those who are really the enemies of everything he once believed in!

When, oh when, will we have candidates for public office and the Presidency who stick to their convictions, “come hell or high water”?

When will candidates stop appealing to the extremes and go toward where most voters are, in the center, as Lincoln Chafee has done, and should be commended for?

Herman Cain, Ross Perot And Wendell Willkie: Businessmen As Presidential Candidates

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Herman Cain has become the newest “flavor of the month”, or some would say the “flavor of the week”, in the Republican Party battle to find a candidate who can defeat President Barack Obama.

Right now, he is running high in the polls, similar to Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry in the past few months, but he has many shortcomings.

1. He has NO experience in government and politics, and that makes him unable to understand that government is NOT a business, and cannot successfully be run as a business.

2. He is very ignorant on most issues other than his 9-9-9 tax plan, which economists say would not be a solution to the economic crisis, and would never pass Congress.

3. Cain has no concern about poverty and the struggles of the middle class, and his plans would include the destruction of Social Security and Medicare as we know it, and that does not go across well with a wide swath of voters in polls.

4. He may be popular among those who want a blunt personality, but that is not the way to make progress in diplomacy, and he lacks tact and basic knowledge in international affairs.

5. He would represent a backward trend in the African American community, a person who succeeded and does not care about those he left behind, in many ways an executive branch Clarence Thomas (Associate Justice of the Supreme Court).

Some would say that Herman Cain is this generation’s Ross Perot, the billionaire who ran for President twice in 1992 and 1996 as a third party candidate, and by so running, helped to put Bill Clinton in office and keep him there. But Perot actually, with all of his idiosyncratic nature, actually really addressed one issue that still affects us–the deficit and the national debt. Cain has no such vision or intelligence on the level of Ross Perot.

Others would wish to compare Cain to Republican Presidential nominee Wendell Willkie in the 1940 Presidential Election against Franklin D. Roosevelt, who ran a good race against the New Deal, but still lost by a substantial margin, but in the process, gained respect for his backing of FDR on foreign policy. Willkie’s background as a utilities executive harmed him, but his oratory wowed delegates at the Republican National Convention in 1940, who went berserk and nominated him.

The point is that Cain is no Ross Perot and is no Wendell Willkie!

Interestingly, C Span has a series on Friday nights this fall, mentioned in an earlier post, regarding losing Presidential candidates, and both Perot and Willkie will be portrayed in coming weeks. Willkie will be covered on Friday, October 21; and Perot on Friday, December 9.

This nation has never elected a businessman to the White House, and except for Willkie and Perot (third party), has never nominated one, either. We are NOT going to see Cain match those two in being a choice of the voters in the national election!

The Panic In Republican Ranks: A Poll Shows Herman Cain Now In The Lead, As Mitt Romney Shows Inability To Inspire And Unite Extremists!

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So now the new “flavor of the month” is Herman Cain, a man with no political experience, and most known for being CEO of Godfather Pizza!

Cain has ZERO knowledge on almost everything, and spends his time selling his autobiography and promoting his “9-9-9” plan, which economists make clear would not work, and would certainly hurt the poor and lower middle classes, and benefit the rich.

This is a man who insults people of his own race as being “brainwashed” to support Democrats, even though the Republicans have NEVER appealed to African Americans since the New Deal!

This is a man who says that if you are not wealthy or do not have a job, it is your own fault!

This is a man who lacks any depth, joining Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry in coming across as IGNORANCE personified!

The idea that the Republican Party would nominate any of this group for the White House is mind boggling, but it is much more likely that Cain will fade as Bachmann and Perry have, and maybe Santorum will suddenly surge for a week or two as well!

Only the two Mormons in the race, Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman, are legitimate candidates to be President, but their religion and the lack of moderation in the party, due to the Tea Party Movement, endangers the party’s future, as they seem likely to nominate a disastrous candidate in the vein of Barry Goldwater in 1964, and Goldwater himself would be preferable today to these losers!

Despite discontent with Barack Obama, it is very hard to conceive that the nation will abandon him and his party, when they realize the disaster the GOP has become, and how they have taken absolutely no action to deal with the economy!

Florida Governor Rick Scott And Education Goals: War On The Social Sciences And Humanities!

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Florida Governor Rick Scott and other Republicans in the state legislature have declared “war” on the Social Sciences and Humanities areas of the college curriculum, claiming that they wish to emphasize areas of knowledge, including science and technology majors, which are easier fields to promote job growth in the state.

Since when is it the role of politicians to dictate fields of study for students, as if that is the only purpose of education and learning? Scott’s suggestion to work against anthropology as a major, and other legislators’ attempts to undermine psychology and political science fields, is only the beginning of the promotion of mind control by people who do not give a damn about the purposes of higher education!

One should pursue his or her dreams and interests in colleges and universities, as the purpose of education is to open up one’s mind to new ideas, and the ultimate reality is that, as Steve Jobs said in his Stanford University commencement speech in 2005, that pursuit of one’s interests has a role in making one happy, that one must love what he or she does to be productive!

Times may be difficult now, but to work to destroy or de-emphasize whole fields of learning is anti intellectual and anti education to the extreme! Not everyone is motivated to go into the areas of science or technology, and society needs a mix of people with all kinds of interests and passions!

Education is not just based on job needs, and politicians should not have the power or authority to dictate budget cuts, which should be left to faculty and administrators at the institutions!

Universities that would gut whole programs because of the issue of money or immediate employment would be a travesty of the whole concept of education, which is to prepare for LIFE, not just employment!

The Washington Post-Bloomberg GOP Presidential Debate: Romney Still Ahead!

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The Washington Post-Bloomberg GOP Presidential debate tonight in New Hampshire was more of the same: Mitt Romney winning the debate!

Romney continued to look competent, confident, relaxed, smiling, and unruffled. He certainly had a good day, with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie endorsing him, and then sitting in the audience at the Dartmouth College debate in New Hampshire.

Herman Cain was given the seat next to Romney, due to his being second in recent polls, but he was constantly under attack for his 9-9-9 plan, which economists have said will not work, and would particularly harm poor people. It seems as if he probably did not win support based on his responses to the attacks, which seemed lame.

Rick Perry did not improve his standing, which has been in decline, and actually looked confused and uncomfortable when the camera happened to focus on him when he was listening to others speak.

Jon Huntsman, sadly, did not seem to improve his image, despite his great credentials, and it now seems unlikely that he will improve in the polls, unless miraculously he can build up in New Hampshire, the state he is counting on to boost his campaign.

MIchele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich did nothing spectacular to improve their chances, although Gingrich did gain applause for some of his rhetorical lines!

All of the candidates avoided specifics on the economy, and made many claims that were exaggerated, already being pointed out just a half hour after the debate, which simply focused on that subject. It was easier for them to condemn others and call for firings and blame, and to attack the Federal Reserve Board and Chairman Ben Bernanke.

The candidates made it clear they did not want to raise taxes one cent, and yet did not want to cut defense, something which is impossible in reality if taxes are not raised.

Did any of the candidates give hope that the economy would indeed be better under them than under President Obama? If anyone seriously thinks so, they are delusional!

It will be interesting to see the polls in the next few days, as to who ends up second behind Romney. Will Cain keep his second position, or who will replace him as the “anti Romney”? That is the question that most comes out of this debate, with another one scheduled next week, sponsored by CNN in Nevada, one of the states with the highest rate of unemployment!

The Chris Christie Endorsement Of Mitt Romney: An Attempt To Outflank The Tea Party Movement In The Republican Party!

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The decision of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, fresh off a choice NOT to run for the GOP Presidential nomination, to endorse former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for President is a major victory for Romney in his battle with Rick Perry and other conservatives in the party.

Christie adds legitimacy to Romney as someone who can appeal across the political spectrum within the party, and certainly puts Christie on a short list of potential Vice Presidential choices for Romney, if he ends up the nominee, even though it seems likely that Christie would not wish to be a “second fiddle”, when he is the powerful Governor of a state which makes that office very consequential in the state constitution.

However, it can also be seen as the “Establishment” Northeastern Republicans trying to co-opt the Tea Party Movement, which is the extreme right wing within the party, and secretly terrifies many in the party.

Since so many Wall Street types and Establishment people were pushing Christie to run, it is assumed that they are now switching to Romney, even if with some reluctance and doubt, in order to stop Perry and other conservatives from taking over the party apparatus.

The question still is there: Will the Tea Party Movement be willing to back Romney, with his changing views on social issues, on health care, and with his Mormon faith? If not, it means a threat of a third party movement which could defeat Romney. So will Romney move to the right further, or ignore the Tea Party Movement and attempt to run as a centrist candidate to win independents, moderates, and conservative Democrats?

It will be interesting to watch tonight’s debate in New Hampshire, sponsored by Bloomberg Television and the Washington Post, as to how Romney answers questions, and deals with attacks by Perry, Herman Cain, and others, including Jon Huntsman, who wants very much to start to be a real moderate alternative to Romney!

Fundamental Tax Justice: 5.6 Percent Tax On Incomes Over $1 Million!

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The top one percent of the taxpayers of this country have gained 80 percent of the gains in income over the past few decades!

Therefore, the move by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to conduct a vote on raising taxes on all income of those who have over $1 million net income is fundamental tax justice!

This is a tax on income and capital gains OVER $1 million, so using the example of someone earning $2 million, he or she would pay $56,000 more for the second million dollars. Would anyone in reality decide not to earn or acquire another million dollars by investment because they have to pay $56,000 extra to the government? The answer is obviously NO! That person has gained an extra $944,000, certainly enough to be a motivation to earn or invest it!

But if this tax were to go through, which it will not, unfortunately, the ENTIRE cost of the American Jobs Act of President Barack Obama, $447 million, would be covered! And this would assist economic recovery and lower the unemployment rate!

This is an example of not only fundamental tax justice, but also of the famous line, “shared sacrifice”! If one is successful economically, he or she owes a debt of gratitude to the nation that allowed him or her the opportunity, and should not complain about contributing more to the welfare of the nation, particularly after having gained such a tremendous advantage in income acquisition in the past ten to thirty years!

This vote will show the difference between the FUNDAMENTAL TAX JUSTICE party, the Democrats, and the PARTY OF THE WEALTHY, the Republicans!