Massachusetts

A Liberal-Progressive Mount Rushmore And A Conservative Mount Rushmore: Who Would Be On Such Mount Rushmores?

Ronald 9 Comments

Last Friday, Joe Scarborough and MORNING JOE on MSNBC had distinguished historians assess which Presidents might be on a new, second Mount Rushmore, if such a monument were ever built.

This brought to mind the idea of who might be on a Liberal-Progressive Mount Rushmore, and who would be on a Conservative Mount Rushmore, if such were ever constructed anywhere in America.

This is mostly just interesting scholarly speculation, but here goes my suggestions for such honoring on both sides of the political spectrum.

LIBERAL/PROGRESSIVE MOUNT RUSHMORE

Robert La Follette, Sr.–Republican Governor (1900-1906) and Senator (1906-1925) of Wisconsin–Mr. Progressive of the early 20th century and 1924 Progressive Party nominee for President.

George Norris–Republican Congressman (1902-1912) and Senator (1912-1942) of Nebraska–the most creative reform figure and longevity of the first half of the 20th century, a bridge between the Progressive Era of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson and the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Hubert H. Humphrey–Democratic Mayor Of Minneapolis (1945-1949), Senator (1949-1964, 1970-1978) of Minnesota, and Vice President of the United States (1965-1969) and Democratic Presidential nominee in 1968, who had the most creative record of promoting reform in the years after World War II throughout the 1960s.

Ted Kennedy–Democratic Senator (1962-2009) of Massachusetts, the fourth longest serving US Senator in American history, and the most creative reformer in the years from the 1970s until his death in 2009.

A possible alternative would be Democratic Senator George McGovern of
South Dakota (1922-2012), who ran for President in 1972, and was a major critic of the Vietnam War, one of the most decent men ever in American politics, serving in the Senate from 1963-1981.

CONSERVATIVE MOUNT RUSHMORE

Arthur Vandenberg–Republican Senator (1928-1951) of Michigan, who opposed the New Deal and was an isolationist in foreign policy through World War II, but then became an internationalist in support of the United Nations and President Harry Truman’s Cold War policy against the Soviet Union after World War II, and potential Presidential candidate twice.

Robert Taft–Republican Senator (1939-1953) of Ohio, son of President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft, promoted the anti labor union Taft-Hartley Act, promoted an isolationist foreign policy, and considered Mr. Conservative by his party, and a potential Presidential candidate numerous times.

Barry Goldwater–Senator (1952-1964, 1968-1986) of Arizona, succeeding Robert Taft as Mr. Conservative, and 1964 Republican nominee for President, becoming the hero of conservatives long term, and having an effect on President Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan–Republican Governor of California (1966-1974), and President of the United States (1981-1989), after a career as a movie actor, influenced by the principles and ideas of Barry Goldwater, who he publicly backed in a famous speech in 1964.

The author welcomes commentary on these selections!

The Coming “Time Bomb” For Mitt Romney

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Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has avoided explaining his time in office as Governor of Massachusetts, and the poor economic record of that term from 2003-2007.

Mitt Romney has avoided explaining his record of “outsourcing” and “offshoring” during his 25 years at Bain Capital.

But now two more “bombshells” are about to hit him squarely in the eyes, and one wonders if he can avoid commenting on them, as he has on other sensitive matters.

One is his offshore accounts, his investments in the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and Switzerland, therefore avoiding income taxes in America.

The other is the fact that he delayed his income tax returns for six months, but will have to file by October, and it is certain that again he will demonstrate a very low level of taxes, and a high level of income from his investments.

His refusal to comment on these various matters will harm him greatly, but then IF he tries to explain, he will probably contradict himself and hurt himself more as a “Flip Flopper” and a “Lie Master”!

A Century Of Struggle For Health Care: Theodore Roosevelt 1912 to Barack Obama 2012!

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Republican President Theodore Roosevelt, out of office and running on the third party movement, the Progressive Party, in 1912, first proposed some form of national health exactly a century ago as part of his New Nationalism platform!

His distant cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, considered it as part of his New Deal in the 1930s, but it was controversial enough to promote Social Security, which was called “Socialism”, and bitterly opposed by most Republicans, and used as a campaign issue by Republican Governor Alf Landon in the 1936 Presidential campaign.

Harry Truman actually was the first to promote a program as part of his Fair Deal programs in the 1940s, but the Southern Democrats and the American Medical Association bitterly opposed it as “Socialism”, and it died in committees in the US House of Representatives and US Senate.

John F. Kennedy proposed what became Medicare for the elderly as part of his New Frontier, but it was blocked again by the AMA and the Southern Democrats who headed Congressional committees in both houses of Congress in the early 1960s.

Lyndon B. Johnson overcame the AMA and Southern Democrats, and accomplished Medicare in 1965, and the Republicans campaigned against it, but failed to gain enough support to repeal it

Richard Nixon had devised plans for more health care legislation, but Watergate killed any movement in that direction in the 1970s.

Jimmy Carter also had developed a plan for expansion, but faced too much conservative opposition and other issues and crises, which drew attention away from the idea.

Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton proposed a major government program, but it went down to defeat in 1994, with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and the conservative Heritage Foundation proposing a “mandate” instead, which would allow private health insurance companies to profit from health care reform, but nothing was done.

And Senator Ted Kennedy fought the good fight for decades, and was at least able to see progress before his death in 2009.

And when Hillary Clinton, and then Barack Obama, adopted the Heritage Foundation plan in 2008, far less than the original Clinton plan of the 1990s, suddenly the Republican Party and conservative ideologists bitterly opposed it, as they still do, and their hope is to repeal the program declared constitutional by the Supreme Court this past Thursday.

So it has taken a century, and we are the ONLY major nation in the world which allows millions of people to be uncovered for health care, and we have the opposition bitterly trying to destroy it, including Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who actually promoted the SAME idea successfully in Massachusetts in 2006, but now is out to destroy “ObamaCare”!

What a history, and hard to believe that it would take a century, and still be a controversy in 2012!.

Downsizing, Outsourcing, Offshoring: Mitt Romney’s Economic Plan!

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Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney loves to say he KNOWS how to run an economy and create jobs, but his record in Massachusetts as Governor from 2003-2007 shows otherwise, with one of the worst economic records as chief executive of that state.

Better to look at his record as the head of Bain Capital, where he was able to multiply his wealth to a quarter of a billion dollars by downsizing companies, outsourcing jobs, or what Romney calls offshoring jobs to other countries, and not giving a whit about the effect on thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of workers in various industries and companies.

Mitt Romney reminds many of their “boss”, and no one likes their “boss” enough to vote for him to do to America what he did in private enterprise.

The Obama campaign is exploiting this matter for all it is worth, and it is a deadly blow to the Romney campaign, as we do not want another Herbert Hoover, who was so rich and uncaring that he multiplied the disaster of the crash on Wall Street in 1929, bringing us Franklin D. Roosevelt!

Ironic That Senator John Kerry Will Act As Mitt Romney In Preparation Of Barack Obama For Presidential Debates This Fall!

Ronald 1 Comment

It is extremely ironic that Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee, will be the “stand in” for Mitt Romney in Barack Obama’s preparations for the three Presidential debates which will take place this fall.

Kerry must be thinking he is reliving the Presidential battles of 2004, when he was called an elitist because of his own and his wife’s great fortune, his awkwardness and stiffness, coming from the same state as Romney, and the charges of being a “flip flopper” on many issues, just like Romney.

Kerry knows Romney better than many, being that they both represented the same state, and it is rumored that Kerry can help Obama a great deal on the debate tactics, and that the reward might be the offer of becoming Secretary of State in a second Obama Administration, since Hillary Clinton has made it clear that she wishes to retire from the State Department next year, and a Kerry appointment should make it through without much trouble due to Senatorial courtesy.

Kerry has been the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is superbly qualified to become the next Secretary of State, without any doubts.

Of course, comparing Kerry’s record in politics up to 2004, and since, there is no comparison that can be made between him and the comparatively thin record of Mitt Romney, but Kerry understands Romney probably better than any Democrat, so will be a great help to Barack Obama in scoring wins over Romney in the Presidential debates!

Why Should Mitt Romney Be Able To Set Up Limits Of What Is An Issue In Presidential Campaign Of 2012?

Ronald 2 Comments

Why is Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential nominee, able to declare that his years as Massachusetts Governor from 2003-2007, and his Mormon religion, are off limits as topics for discussion and debate in the 2012 Presidential campaign? And why is he not required to explain the truth of the effect of Bain Capital on workers and communities which lost out because of the drive for profits over 25 years?

All that Romney seems to want to be discussed is his “success” at Bain Capital for 25 years, making lots of profit for himself and stockholders, but not willing to admit that hundreds of thousands of workers lost their jobs, and that his equity company undermined many towns and other communities with the shutdown of many companies that were taken over by Romney’s company.

And the fact that he promoted a health care plan similar to that passed under Barack Obama is something else he wishes to avoid. Plus the fact that his state was 47th in job creation during his years as Governor!

And forbid the idea of him discussing his religious beliefs, knowing full well that it might antagonize many evangelical Christians and others, who are suspicious of the religion they and many others consider to be a cult.

But since when does a candidate get to decide what can be discussed about his past?

Did Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton or others, each of which had so called “skeletons in their closet”, have that same freedom?

The answer is NO, and Mitt Romney MUST be forced to discuss the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about EVERYTHING in his background!

He is not, despite what he may think, a “privileged character” who must be treated with “kid gloves”, so as not to hurt his feelings or sensitivities!

Nothing is off limits, as it is not with Barack Obama, so the opposition must not be cautious or careful in their exposure of Mitt Romney, with all the warts included!

A Comparison Of The Presidential Elections Of 2004 And 2012 And A Contrast At The Same Time!

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When one thinks about it, there are comparisons that can be made between the Presidential Elections of 2004 and 2012. But there are also dramatic differences!

In both elections, there is an incumbent President, highly unpopular among members of the opposition party in Congress, as well as voters of that opposition party.

In both elections, the opponent comes from the state of Massachusetts!

In both elections, the opponent is far wealthier than the President in office.

In both elections, the opponent is a stiff person in public, not good at relating to ordinary people.

In both elections, the opponent proved to be a “flip flopper”, a person who was constantly changing views on many issues, and seemed uncomfortable in his beliefs and in his own “skin”!

Of course, there is a world of differences between Senator John Kerry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and this post is not meant to denigrate Senator Kerry.

Senator Kerry has had more than 30 years of service in Congress, including 28 in the US Senate, and is presently Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has dedicated his life to public service, and could very well be Barack Obama’s next Secretary of State when Hillary Clinton leaves the State Department in 2013. He had an issue of being a “flip flopper” on some issues, but was never as much a master of changing his mind as Mitt Romney. Kerry also served his country in VIetnam, while Romney did not serve, and spent his life making money, except for a brief stint as a one term Governor.

So to compare Kerry to Romney is interesting, but Kerry comes out looking a lot better than the Republican nominee for President in 2012!

Mitt Romney And The National Rifle Association Convention: Total Hypocrisy!

Ronald 2 Comments

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, seemingly secure in being the GOP Presidential nominee, gave a speech at the National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis, Missouri today, utilizing his wife Ann to mention how much they both admire all mothers, part of their hypocritical response to Hillary Rosen, a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor, who said that Ann Romney had never worked a day in her life.

Losing the woman’s vote by a vast margin at present, the two are exploiting that comment by Rosen in a despicable manner, but even worse was the pandering of Mitt Romney to the NRA, a group which has been lukewarm to him.

Why should not the NRA be skeptical of Mitt Romney? Because when he ran for Senator against Ted Kennedy in 1994, and as Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007, Mitt Romney emphasized gun control and criticized the NRA.

This is another example of the total hypocrisy and phoniness of Mitt Romney, and does anyone really believe him? If so, such persons are extremely naive!

And of course, after the Trayvon Martin murder in Florida, Romney should have condemned the “Stand Your Ground” laws backed by the NRA, and in effect in 25 states, but Romney has no interest in anything but winning the White House, no matter how much he comes across as disingenuous!

So Mitt Romney is really Pinocchio, as he continues to lie and deceive, and his nose is getting longer and longer!

The Conservative Heritage Foundation, Newt Gingrich, And Mitt Romney: All Supportive Of “Individual Mandate” In The Past!

Ronald 1 Comment

The big argument against the Obama Health Care law is that it is unconstitutional to require an “individual mandate” of all citizens, that they be required to buy health insurance or be assessed a penalty on their income tax returns.

And yet, this is PRECISELY what the conservative Heritage Foundation advocated on the issue of health care as early as 1989!

This is what Newt Gingrich advocated when interviewed on NBC by Tim Russert in 1993!

This is what Mitt Romney advocated in Massachusetts, when they passed the model for the Obama Health Care plan in 2006, and still praised two years ago when the health care law was passed by Congress!

So therefore, the idea of the “individual mandate” is a CONSERVATIVE and REPUBLICAN idea, but now bitterly attacked when the Democrats and Barack Obama achieve it after decades of debate about the need for health care coverage for all Americans!

What does this make the Heritage Foundation, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and many other conservative and Republican leaders?

It makes them total HYPOCRITES, not worthy of our respect and support!

Rick Santorum Bashes New York City And Los Angeles, And By Implication, Boston! What It Says About Him!

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Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, challenging Mitt Romney for the Republican Presidential nomination, has now gone on the attack against New York City and Los Angeles, and by implication, Boston, since Massachusetts is the state in which Mitt Romney was governor,

This reminds us of Barry Goldwater in 1964, suggesting that the Atlantic Coast of North America be cut off and sent out to sea.

It also reminds us of Sarah Palin in 2008, who criticized the coastlines of America, and claimed the “real America” was in the heartland.

The problem is that one can attack those three cities, and the states that they are part of, but there is no way to claim that the heartland of the nation matches the significance and influence of New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, in the present, or historically!

These are the cultural, financial, business, intellectual and educational centers of America.

These cities have among the best universities in the world, and their states easily have had a greater impact on America than all of the heartland states combined, both past and present.

People can have proud regional biases, but the reality is that these three cities and states are the center of American progress and accomplishments, and that will not change.

So to condemn these cities and states is pure stupidity and ignorance, and proves that Rick Santorum, like Sarah Palin and Barry Goldwater, is not qualified for the Presidency, since he does not recognize the reality of the influence and significance of these coastline cities and states! And to pit a portion of the nation against other areas is also demagogic and despicable to the core!