US House Of Representatives

The Most Diverse And Yet The Most Divisive Congress In More Than A Century: The 113th Congress!

Ronald 2 Comments

It is ironic that the 113th Congress is the most diverse in history, but also the most divisive and partisan in more than a century, which does not bode well for any future cooperation or progress on the important issues facing the nation!

96 women, 42 African Americans, and 31 Hispanics serve in Congress, but the vast majority are Democrats!

Partisan polarization is endemic, however, more than in the past century or more, probably back to the Civil War-Reconstruction period!

Of course, we have never had a Congress, except in the 112th Congress and this one, in which there has been a Republican House of Representatives and a Democratic Senate, and only five other Congresses since 1900 in which there has been a Democratic House of Representatives and a Republican Senate, with those occasions (1911-1913, 1931-1933, 1981-1987) being much more cooperative and accomplished by comparison to the past two and a half years since the beginning of 2011!

Party unity in the House is now 72.8 percent, while in 2006, it was 54.5 percent!

Less than 50 percent of the time do we see Republicans supportive of the President’s agenda, an extremely low level historically!

Regional loyalty to a party is extreme, particularly in the Northeast, New England and Pacific Coast for Democrats, and in the South and Great Plains for Republicans.

The likelihood of any major change in this scenario is gloomy, sadly for the nation’s future!

New York City Politics And Sex Scandals: The Redemption Of Anthony Weiner And Eliot Spitzer?

Ronald 4 Comments

Who would imagine that two New York politicians, both tragic figures involved in sex scandals, could suddenly emerge as likely choices to be the next Mayor of New York City, and the next City Comptroller?

That scenario is seen as very likely for former Congressman Anthony Weiner and former Governor Eliot Spitzer, spicing up the races for who will run the largest city, and who will be a watchdog over the city’s finances.

Weiner lost his Congressional career over his inappropriate utterances and photos on Twitter and with women, and Spitzer was involved in a high cost prostitution scandal, and yet both have now asked for forgiveness, and seem likely to have the voters give them another chance for public service.

No one can deny that their careers were dedicated to good deeds in public life, but their weakness in the area of sexual interests brought them down to humiliation and destruction.

The irony is that if both win the offices they seek, their egos and personalities will likely clash a great deal of the time, leading to lots of political “theater”, but also meaning New York City politics will be one of the most interesting political stories in America as we move into the future.

But would New York City and its residents want anything else other than center stage?

Redemption is part of the story of humankind, and Bill Clinton, David Vitter, and Mark Sanford have already proved that there is a life after scandal, in a nation in which ethics has suffered a massive decline! So the most interesting story of this off year election will not be the Governorship of New Jersey nor the Governorship of Virginia, but the New York City municipal races!

The Distortion Of Jesus Christ By Right Wing Republicans And Their Allies

Ronald 17 Comments

Jesus Christ, who was Jewish and never a Christian, preached love, tolerance, understanding, open mindedness, and other good thoughts, and offered himself as a way to unify mankind in the Middle East.

If he were here in the world today, and in America, he would be shocked at what many Republicans, conservatives, and right wing religious leaders have done to distort his loving message of unity.

We could call what has happened as making Jesus a Republican with all of the views that party now has in 2013!

These include the following, in the view of Right Wing Republicans and their allies, but NOT, of course, the truth, but rather propaganda!

Jesus is white and is certainly not color blind.

Jesus is a big supporter of the Confederacy, and can justify the past existence of slavery and racial segregation as factors which had a purpose to “organize” society.

Jesus loves guns, and they are to be owned to protect against evil forces out to undermine the faith.

Jesus loves the rich, the wealthy, and the top two percent, who are “achievers”.

Jesus hates poor people, who deserve what they get, the denial of food stamps, a safety net, and Medicaid.

Jesus hates gay people, and therefore created AIDS and STDs to punish those sinners.

Jesus believes that women are to be controlled by men, and denied control over their own destiny, and treated as subservient to the demands of men.

Jesus hates Muslims, who are all “evil”, and deserve to be killed in mass numbers as “nonbelievers”.

Jesus hates liberals and progressives, who are connected to the devil, and there is to be no compromise with them, and that also includes conservatives who say they are “moderates’.

Jesus hates science, because it challenges the beliefs of religion.

This is the mindset of right wing Republicans, and a danger to the future of America if it ever gained control of all branches of government. NONE of the above is the truth about Jesus!

As it is, the control of the House of Representatives, and many state governments and Governors, has led to the greatest division since the Civil War!

There is a need for devout Christians who understand the loving message of their savior to reclaim him from the hate mongers!

The author wishes to thank the website ADDICTINGINFO.ORG and Sherri Yarbrough for the ideas that led to this blog entry!

As California Turned “Blue”, Texas Will, Very Likely, As Well By 2020!

Ronald 10 Comments

It is hard to recall that California was for a long time strongly Republican in Presidential contests and in Congressional seats as well, but the decision of the Republican Party to work against the interests of Hispanic and Latino Americans under Governor Pete Wilson twenty years ago doomed the GOP in that state, to the point that there are hardly any Republicans in the Congressional delegation and a minority in both houses of the state legislature. Additionally, California is no longer a battle ground for the Presidential elections, and having 55 electoral votes is twenty percent of what is needed for winning the Presidency!

Once Hispanic and Latino Americans in Texas, the second largest state in population, become more active in voting, and as more young Hispanics and Latinos grow up to the age of voting, and realize the importance of fighting against the regressive attitudes of Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Congressional delegation and state legislature, the odds of the state electing a Democratic Governor and winning more Congressional seats, and turning “Blue” for the Presidential elections of the future, in the same manner as California, becomes much more likely. And 38 electoral votes, added to the 55 of California, gives future Democrats one third of all of the electoral votes needed to win the White House!

With rising stars such as State Senator Wendy Davis, who is leading the fight against a strict abortion law in the state legislature; and with the rise of Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio, and his brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro, the rise of the Hispanic and Latino participation, and that of the women who feel wronged by the extremist agenda of Rick Perry and the conservative Republican legislature, will eventually reverberate on elections over the next seven years!

So the GOP may have dominance in the Lone Star State right now, but the odds of it changing dramatically by 2020 and after is very high. The Democrats will be unlikely to win the state in the Presidential Election of 2016, but very likely to have a real opportunity to do so in the Presidential Election of 2020, and once that happens, the GOP will be on its death bed, at least in the sense of being able to count on the backing of the second largest state, and that will make the Republican Party a minority party for the long haul, if it indeed survives!

113th Congress To Set Record As Least Productive Since World War II!

Ronald 3 Comments

THe 113th Congress, the second consecutive Congress to be a split Congress of a Republican majority in the US House of Representatives, and a Democratic majority in the US Senate, the only two times that a split Congress has been of this such division in American history, is on its way to becoming the least productive since World War II, surpassing the dismal record of the previous 112th Congress in 2011-2012!

A reminder that the other “split” Congresses were of a Republican Senate and Democratic House, and a lot more was accomplished under that scenario in 1911-1913, 1931-1933, and 1981-1987!

But this 113th Congress is setting a record for obstructionism never seen in American history!

The GOP is preventing action on the following:

The rebuilding of America’s infrastructure, badly in need of repair.
Accessible and affordable health care for all Americans
Getting off dependence on foreign oil by having a clean energy agenda
Promotion of the protection of women’s health
Responsible gun regulations to prevent future Sandy Hooks
Immigration Reform
Air and water pollution regulations
Strengthening of voting rights and civil rights for all Americans
Wall Street and banking reforms to prevent future “crashes”
A new farm bill, including food stamp protection for the poorest among us
Student loan interest reform

Confidence in Congress is at an all time low of TEN percent! The Republicans have abused the filibuster weapon in the US Senate, and the Tea Party Movement in the House of Representatives has hijacked even the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, who is powerless in the assault on cooperation and crossing of the aisle so essential for anything to get done in Congress!

Only 15 legislative items have become law in the past six months, lower than the 23 which became law in the first six months of the 112th Congress!

Those who believe that divided and split government is good for democracy are learning the hard way that it is the prescription for statemate, gridlock, and total paralysis, and that the answer is to kick out the Republican House majority and elect a Democratic majority in both houses, ideally with a filibuster proof Senate of 60 Democrats!

Sadly, neither of these ideas are realistically tenable, so the halting of effective government is likely to continue, undermining the future of America!

Paul Ryan’s “Takers,Not Makers” Comment

Ronald 7 Comments

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, the GOP Vice Presidential nominee in 2012, keeps on using the term “takers, not makers” to condemn the poor, who are one of every six Americans, blaming them for being poor, and “taking, not making”!

Does Ryan understand that most poor people are single women with children, and white, or disabled people, or elderly people?

No, it is easier to leave the impression that it is minorities, African American and Hispanic, who are “living off” whites!

So Ryan has no problem in cutting food stamps and other so called “benefits”, which in total are far less than any advanced industrial democracy in the world offers to its lower class, to help their lives to be more tolerable.

But Ryan talks about “takers”, as if these poor do not work, which most do, but at a minimum wage which has NOT kept up with the cost of living, which if it had, would now be $22 an hour, not $7.25 nationally!

And of course, Ryan would not describe himself as a “taker”, although he “took” Social Security benefits when his father died, not that he should not, but by his definition would be something, if he had principle, to refuse to accept.

This man, as all in government, has been “taking” a salary for years on the public payroll, higher than 98 percent of the American people, and what has he contributed except to promote his own aggrandizement, helped along by his wife’s great family financial inheritance!

It is easy to pontificate when government is supporting you, and you have the fortune to have a wife who has a financial inheritance!

Imagine if he had not had these advantages? Maybe he would see things differently!

14 Republican Senators And The Future Of The GOP On Immigration Reform

Ronald 1 Comment

A total of 14 courageous, principled Republican Senators voted for the immigration reform bill which creates a path to citizenship over 13 years; doubles the number of troops at the Mexican border; spends twice as much on border security; and builds a 700 mile fence between Mexico and the United States.

32 Republican Senators voted against the bill in the US Senate, with a final vote of 68-32, all Democrats included in the majority.

The roll of honor of GOP Senators includes:

Marco Rubio of Florida
John McCain of Arizona
Jeff Flake of Arizona
Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire
Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
John Hoeven of North Dakota
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Bob Corker of Tennessee
Susan Collins of Maine
Orrin Hatch of Utah
Dean Heller of Nevada
Mark Kirk of Illinois
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Jeff Chiesa of New Jersey

These 14 Senators realize they will have their head handed to them by the Tea Party and right wing talk show hosts, but they did the right and moral thing by supporting reform.

Sadly, the other 32 Republican Senators and the majority of the House Republicans are not going to go along, and it will be up to Speaker of the House John Boehner, whether he will sacrifice his Speakership to do the right thing, promote passage of the Senate immigration reform bill, which is very rational and reasonable, and gives the Republicans a chance to gain some Hispanic and Latino support down the road!

Without this legislation, and maybe even with it, with the attack on women’s rights and gay rights, the Republican Party long term future is doomed!

Georgia Congressman John Lewis: The Connection Between Voting Rights And Gay Rights

Ronald 9 Comments

Georgia Congressman John Lewis has been a major civil rights leader, connected with Martin Luther King, Jr,, and had his head cracked while marching for voting rights in the South.

As a Congressman since 1987, Lewis has been a voice of conscience, and was a rare case of a politician condemning the Defense Of Marriage Act , when it passed Congress in 1996, and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, afraid to take a stand against it, due to his reelection campaign of that year for the Presidency.

At that time, Lewis compared the concept of interracial marriage,. which had been illegal until 1967, and said gay marriage was no different than interracial marriage, that anyone should be able to marry the person he or she loves!

So Lewis was devastated by the decision of the Supreme Court, negating Section 4 of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965, while thrilled by the decisions of the Supreme Court allowing for gay marriage in California, and for federal recognition of gay marriage, relating to its legality, and the right of gay couples to benefits and privileges of married couples!

Lewis has felt all kinds of emotion in the past two days, and he has stated eloquently, that voting rights guarantees that took nearly a century to accomplish, and were in place for almost half a century,. are now gone, and will it take another century to restore the guarantee of voting rights without any discrimination?

So it is hard not to feel the pain and emotional turmoil this great man, an icon of civil rights, is going through at age 73! God bless him and protect him for many more years of devoted service to civil rights and human rights!

We will see him again as the one surviving major civil rights leaders who participated 50 years ago in the March On Washington on August 28, 1963, which will be reenacted on August 24, 2013!

Bill Hemmer, John Roberts, Ed Henry, Evan Bayh, Dennis Kucinich, Howard Kurtz et al: Money Over Principle!

Ronald 1 Comment

Fox News Channel, infamous for creating news and promoting constant lies and deception, has been able to lure journalists and politicians to grace its channel, in an attempt to gain distinction and credibility, except it is not working!

Sure, more people watch Fox News Channel than CNN or MSNBC, no question about it!

But since when is “popularity” in electronic or print media a judgment as to quality and balance and fairness of coverage of news events?

Tabloid newspapers historically did better than major national newspapers in circulation, although now they are not doing better, because Fox News Channel is available for those who wish sensationalism and manipulation of the news!

So the decision of journalists such as Bill Hemmer, John Roberts, Ed Henry, and Howard Kurtz to leave CNN and go to Fox News Channel is clearly one of money over principle.

And the decision of former Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich to join Fox News Channel, being well aware of their distortion of the truth, is also simply one of money over principle.

No one is saying that money is not a factor in decisions people make, and no one is saying that these individuals should not pursue as much financial gain as they can acquire.

But face the facts: principle and quality are not the goals of these journalists and former politicians, but personal financial gain alone!

IRS “Scandal” Not A Scandal: Progressive Groups Targeted As Much As Conservative Groups!

Ronald 3 Comments

The purpose of the Internal Revenue Service is to make sure that Americans pay their proper level of taxes to support the needs of the federal government, and to insure that political groups do not get tax exempt status and avoid taxation through deceit and false claims as to their activities.

California Congressman Darrell Issa and others have tried to dramatize what they see as IRS corruption, due to accusations that only conservative groups have been targeted tor investigation by the IRS.

But now it turns out that progressive groups have also been investigated, and been denied tax exempt status, as required by a fair enforcement of the laws.

So therefore, there is no scandal, and the IRS is doing what it is supposed to do—insure fair collection of taxes! This is the law under 501 c 3 and c 4 of the tax laws—no political activity if organizations want tax exemptions!

So all the attention to “corruption” ordered by the Obama Administration turns out to be just typical conservative and Republican propaganda, but what else is new?