Yesterday, I spoke with Ray Baker, host of Real Talk with Ray Baker about the recent tax deal struck between President Obama and Republicans. We also discussed the legislative accomplishments of President Obama and whether or not the President has let his Democratic base down. Â Click below to listen to my interview, or visit Real Talk with Ray Baker.
US House Of Representatives
John Boehner, The “Strange Duck” Who Is Second In Line To The Presidency! :(
As of January 5, 2011, Congressman John Boehner of Cincinnati, Ohio, will be the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.
We are learning a great deal about John Boehner, and it is a strange portrait!
In newspaper interviews, and now on a “Sixty Minutes” discussion with Lesley Stahl of CBS, Boehner comes across as, to say the least, a “strange duck”!
This is a man who is known to have gone to tanning salons, and has an almost orange tinge to his skin, but now he denies that he has ever gone to a tanning salon.
This is a man who smokes like a fiend, two to three packs a day, and it is rumored, will allow smoking to be restored to the House of Representatives chamber, after it was banned as unseemly by present Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
This is a man who used to tend bar for his father, and is said to go the bars every night around dinner time.
This is a man whose wife chooses to live in Cincinnati, while her husband lives in Washington, DC.
This is a man with a frown often displayed, who can yell with the best, but also is a “weeper” to the point of appearing ridiculous.
Boehner talks about the “American dream”, and how hard he had to struggle, and told Lesley Stahl that he cannot go to any schools anymore and see young children, because it makes him cry to think how difficult it is for them to pursue the “American dream”. His experiences should, if anything, make him wish to do more to promote the “American dream”, but instead he wishes to cut spending for education and other social programs, making success even more difficult for future generations of children, if they are born poor. This just makes absolutely no sense, especially when one considers how Boehner associates with lobbyists who represent wealthy interests, and he has no problem promoting massive tax cuts for the wealthy!
Also, John Boehner rejects the idea of “compromise”, preferring to call it “common ground”, another very weird thing, as politics is the art of compromise. But to believe that Boehner and his party will promote “common ground” is to believe in the tooth fairy, as it is clear that the GOP has no intention of cooperating with President Obama, as after all, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said, the purpose of the Republican Party is to defeat Obama in 2012.
A Weird Scene: Former President Bill Clinton In White House Press Room After President Obama Leaves!
A first occurred on Friday, when President Barack Obama met privately for 90 minutes with former President Bill Clinton, seeking his advice and support in the tough battle to gain Democratic Congressional support for his deal with Republican leaders on future tax cuts, including a two year extension of the so called Bush program covering all taxpayers, even millionaires and billionaires.
Clinton came to Obama’s defense, asserting that a compromise allowing the extension of unemployment compensation, a cut in the payroll tax on Social Security, and a resuming of the estate tax, although at a lesser rate than many Democrats desired, was the best that could be expected with the GOP taking over the House next year and having more seats in the Senate.
But the startling thing was that Obama announced he had to leave, that his wife Michelle was waiting for him, and then the country witnessed the former President back in the White House press room and at the podium, spending the next half hour enjoying himself, answering questions, and making one almost think that this was deja vu, that we were back in the Clinton era!
Never before had a former President ever been involved in a similar situation, and it demonstrated once again the clear cut ability of Bill Clinton to command attention, and continue, to his delight, to have an impact on events a full decade after he left the Presidency!
Senator Bernie Sanders Of Vermont: A Truly Principled Progressive In The Vein Of Ted Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, And Russ Feingold! :)
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is still in process on his personal filibuster of the Obama-GOP tax deal, which has caused a major split in the Democratic Party in Congress.
Sanders is an Independent Socialist who allies with the Democratic Party in the Senate. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1991-2007, and was elected to the Senate in 2006. He has the distinction of being the longest serving Independent member of Congress in American history.
While some would say, “but he is a Socialist!”, the answer is “So what!” There is nothing wrong with Sanders’s brand of Socialism, as it is in the tradition of great progressives of the past, including Robert La Follette, Sr, Robert La Follette, Jr., George Norris, Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, Ted Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, Russ Feingold and many others.
He is the champion of the working man and woman, of the middle class, of the poor, of the sick, of the elderly, of the young, of ethnic minorities, of ALL average Americans who will NEVER achieve the so called “American dream” of becoming wealthy. All they want is a fair shake from their government, instead of a government that favors the wealthy and upper class and corporations that promote monopoly, greed and selfishness.
Sanders is to be applauded for his principled stand, his high moral and ethical beliefs, and his willingness to remind us of how desperate conditions are for millions of Americans, who cannot afford gasoline, food, rent, medical costs, clothing etc on their struggling low income jobs if they are fortunate enough to have one, and the millions of Americans who have no work, are losing their homes, and whose children are facing the scarring nature of economic deprivation. 🙁
Sanders’ filibuster speech, lasting seven hours at this point with no set end in sight, is a speech for the ages, a speech which should be honored historically as much as the speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963, along with the great principled speeches of the people mentioned above, and others not named.
If only we had one hundred Bernie Sanders in the Senate, or a combination of Sanders and the various progressive leaders mentioned above, who are part of our history, we would be a far better nation.
Instead, through the ignorance and fear of many poor and middle class citizens, plus manipulation by special corporate
interests in the recent campaign, and assisted by the Supreme Court Citizens United decision in January, the country is now faced with the reality of a Republican Party which is going to make the plight of the American people MUCH MORE NIGHTMARISH over the next two years! 🙁
They have Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in a tough position for the moment, necessitating, unfortunately, the striking of a deal just to accomplish short range goals.
But starting next year, Barack Obama and his party MUST fight the good fight that Bernie Sanders represents, and work to convince the American people that the Democrats are indeed the party of the people who have their best interests at heart, and deserve control of both houses of Congress and the White House in the 2012 elections!
The Bernie Sanders Filibuster Against The Obama-GOP Tax Deal: An Honest Expression Of Frustration, But Not Ultimately A Winning Strategy! :(
As the author writes, Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders is conducting a filibuster against the tax deal negotiated by the Obama Administration with Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate Minority Leader, and others.
In an unprecedented move, Congressional Democrats are staging a revolt against what their own party’s President has done, and the anger and venom felt by many progressives and liberals seems to have no limit.
They feel that the President has surrendered to the GOP, and that the tax deal is unacceptable, but the Republicans are “holding hostage’ all action on other issues, and already have prevented a final vote on the DREAM Act, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, the START Treaty, and the September 11 First Responders Medical legislation.
As the author has stated before, there are many problems with the proposed tax legislation, but continues to feel that the shortness of time prevents a major rebellion against the proposal, as if it is not done, unemployment compensation extension will be prevented, along with failure on the above list of priorities.
So while the author is sympathetic to what Senator Sanders is doing, and what Chuck Schumer, Anthony Wiener, Gary Ackerman, Jerrold Nadler, Mary Landrieu, and numerous others in both houses of Congress are expressing, it seems an unwise action, and it is certainly unusual to see progressives and liberals utilizing the filibuster tactic!
Hopefully, some tinkering with the legislation can be arranged, but major change will have to wait for the election results of 2012. Meanwhile, President Obama is meeting today with former President Bill Clinton to gain advice as to how to deal with this messy situation, similar to what Clinton faced after the disastrous midterm losses of 1994.
Does The Republican Party Have No Shame? The 9/11 Responders Health Legislation Rejected In The Senate! :(
One always likes to think that the Republican Party of 2010 has SOME conscience and decency, but it is obvious that this party, which is soon to gain control of the House of Representatives, and six more seats in the Senate, has ABSOLUTELY no shame or sense of dignity! 🙁
The “Party Of NO” has just filibustered, and prevented the passage of 9/11 Responders Health legislation in the US Senate, declaring they cannot back it because of its COST! 🙁
The fact that these “first responders” sacrificed their health, and many sacrificed their lives, to help the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center, does not seem to be enough of a reason to support any and all health coverage that these heroes need. 🙁
The fact that the tax agreement reached with President Obama by the GOP will add tremendously to the national debt does not perturb Republicans, as the super wealthy MUST have their outrageous tax cut, but the first responders are simply not that important, even though the GOP is quick to support action in Afghanistan and Iraq, costing more than a trillion dollars added to the national debt over the past nine years.
But, apparently, anything involving health care for ANYONE is not the business of the American government, and veterans in our military should keep that in mind, as they apparently do not do, assuming that the GOP will support veterans AFTER their service, which historically they have NOT done. 🙁
When, oh when, are military people, and the American people at large, finally going to realize that the Republican Party is ONLY concerned about the wealthy among us, and give not a damn about those who sacrifice for our country, whether on September 11, 2001, or on the battlefields far from home? 🙁
Two Senators Threaten Filibuster On Tax Bill: Bernie Sanders And Jim DeMint!
The controversy over the negotiated tax bill between President Barack Obama and the Republican opposition has reached the stage of a possible scenario which is preposterous on its surface!
Imagine this: Socialist independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Tea Party favorite and conservative Republican Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina both plan to filibuster the bill, obviously for different reasons!
Sanders is outraged by the continued tax cuts to the rich, while DeMint is resistant to the reinstituting of the estate tax and the continuation of unemployment compensation, which he believes discourages people from looking for work, so he wishes to end it completely!
DeMint’s reasons are totally outrageous, while Sanders, a good, decent man, and one of the favorites of the author, is understandably upset over the tax bill, but his move to filibuster is counterproductive!
But this scenario shows the turmoil that exists in Washington, DC, and this is BEFORE the Republicans take over the House of Representatives next year! 🙁
Michele Bachmann, Christine O’Donnell, And Unemployment Compensation!
We now have more people out of work than at any time in American history, over 15 million, with many millions out of work for more than six months.
Unemployment compensation was created during the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt to help unemployed people stay afloat during what is the greatest crisis in a person’s life, other than divorce or death in the family!
We all are paying for this entitlement through our taxes, and it is NOT a handout or a welfare giveaway, as many Republicans and conservative talk show hosts claim! 🙁
To say that one wishes to take unemployment compensation and not look for work is an outrage, as everyone knows it is a TEMPORARY assistance, nothing more! 🙁
And yet, we have Republicans in Congress calling for the end of unemployment compensation as a right for those losing their jobs through no fault of their own! 🙁
As examples of this hardhearted attitude, we have Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, and Senate candidate and loser Christine O’Donnell of Delaware! 🙁
Bachmann, already well known as one of the most controversial and divisive members of the House of Representatives, complained that the new tax bill will allow extension of unemployment compensation beyond the 99 week maximum for another 13 months. But the problem is that she is totally wrong, as the legislation does no such thing, but just simply allows the present unemployment compensation system to be funded for 13 more months! Bachmann is totally misinformed, as well as mean spirited, both characteristics nothing new for her! 🙁
But in a way, Christine O’Donnell, who lost the Senate race to Chris Coons in Delaware, is even worse in her reaction to the issue of unemployment compensation!
This woman, who proved her total incompetence to be a United States Senator during the campaign, complained about the tax bill because it allowed an extension of unemployment compensation to those out of work, wanting it to end completely! But this woman has NEVER held a regular work position, and has lived off running multiple campaigns for public office, inappropriately using campaign funds to pay her rent, to eat out at restaurants, go bowling, etc! 🙁
What a nerve that a woman who has no real work experience, has proved to be both extremely lazy and stupid, and has been corruptly living off campaign funds, should express a view that unemployed people should not have a safety net that has existed since the 1930s!  To top it off, she compared the “tragedy” of unemployment compensation to the death of Elizabeth Edwards and to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor! 🙁
Both these women just are further evidence of how out of touch with reality, and how lacking in concern, is the state of the Republican Party in 2010! 🙁
46 States Face Bankruptcy: Do The Republicans Have The Answer? :(
In an unprecedented situation, 46 states now face bankruptcy, and are being forced to cut government workers and services, raise taxes and fees, and cut government pensions that were guaranteed to workers when they began to work for the state and local governments! 🙁
The states were prevented from such dire straits up to now because of the economic stimulus provided by the federal government, as the result of the initiatives of the Obama Administration!
The Republicans in the House now propose to do no more spending, as they emphasize the federal deficit, something that they caused by their reckless budgets under the Bush Administration, when they were in control of Congress for the first six years! But they also propose to cause more deficit by cutting taxes endlessly, and giving a great gift of most of the tax cut to those who do not need it, will not spend it, and are in many respects, very greedy and selfish! 🙁
So with more deficit being created, while unemployment compensation is not being extended, and hundreds of thousands of workers in state and local government are to be laid off, meaning they have no purchasing power and add to the already burgeoning unemployment rolls, the GOP prescription to do nothing will cause the Great Recession to turn into the Great Depression Number Two! 🙁
The American people are going to suffer mightily under this scenario, whether government workers or the general public! There will be increased crime, more fires not being able to be extinguished, more students per classroom making learning harder than ever, more libraries and parks shut down or cut down in hours, more prisoners released for lack of prison guards and adequate prison facilities! 🙁
All of this creates social dynamite, and the Republicans, who show clearly they only support the needs of the corporations and the wealthy elite, will have created a dangerous situation that might make the troubles of 2008-2010 look like a dream that people would wish for! 🙁
The only states that seem not to have a budget crisis are small states with small population–Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming–each with only one Congressman state wide–and Arkansas–the so called “Giant” of the group with a grand total of four Congressmen! So only four states with a total of seven House members represent states not having financial difficulties! 🙁
This situation is, obviously, an unmitigated disaster that is bound to get worse, if that is possible to imagine! 🙁
Sad Culmination Of A Political Career: The Censure Of Congressman Charlie Rangel!
Congressman Charlie Rangel of Harlem has been censured by a 333-79 vote in the House of Representatives today for his financial and fund raising abuses over a period of years, a series of actions which embarrassed his colleagues and damaged his reputation after being Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and a member of the House for 40 years! 🙁
This is indeed a sad moment for both Rangel and the House of Representatives 🙁
Rangel is seen as a nice guy with a winning personality and real concern for his district’s constituents, but he failed to follow basic ethical rules and was sloppy in his reporting and record keeping, possibly by omission and carelessness, although his critics would say because he has, as any long term Congressman or Senator seems to have, a level of arrogance!
Rangel is one of only 23 House members ever to be censured, which requires House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to read out loud the censure text with Rangel in the well of the House as the action takes place!
The problem is when one investigates the other 22 censures, Rangel’s censure seems less outrageous and not illegal, although certainly unethical!
One wonders if Rangel will remain in the House now, even though his constituents voted him in to another two year term, his 21st, by an 80 percent vote!