The Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality - 20 Facts About U.S. Inequality that Everyone Should Know

The Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality - 20 Facts About U.S. Inequality that Everyone Should Know

Not Pro, Bro...Herman Cain

Herman Cain is everywhere this week and despite the controversy managed to stay the top news story and raise 2 million for it! The thing is his campaign and the candidate himself just didn't respond in a professional and decent way. He lied, he fudged the details, he made "Excuse me!" sound like a weapon. He played the blame game to a new degree, blaming his race, liberals, the media, other campaigns. His campaign manager demanded apologies from the newspaper that broke the story and even accused someone of leaking it. The camera is no one's friend. I am offended by the lack of a coherent story, the candidate hiding/obscuring the truth of the matter. We all want to know what he did, and eventually that will come out. This story is weak and shouldn't have hurt his campaign so much, but his own actions and the actions of Mark Block have hurt him even more and keep the story alive. Then the third woman comes out and make it even worse. The Cain campaign needs to tell the truth and get this out of the news! Herman Cain does not display any interest in letting the truth of this matter come to the public. Remember his lies, America! Remember that Herman Cain will lie when caught, remember his refusals to answer straight up questions. This is just not what a professional campaign for the Presidency does!

"There are alot of reasons not to elect me"

The first negative ad of the campaign season hit the internet via Priorities USA, a Democratic Super Political Action Committee. This phrase PAC will be thrown around a lot in the upcoming election. PACs are giant organizations with the power to raise unlimited funds to buy media time supporting their candidate. This ad is dangerous, simply using his own words against him. It may not change a single mind in America, but you know Romney is kicking himself for giving his opponent ammunition against him.

Ron Jeremy Demotivator LOL

Notes on the News: Secretary of State

In an attempt to streamline this blog and post more often I bring you a new style of posting! I write notes about everything, and as a news junkie I often write down my own opinions on popular stories; generally I wait until I have a few pages on a solid topic to write a short essay. I want to publish my own private thoughts on the news stories I think are important, while many of these topics are fleeting moments in history, there is significance in the commonplace.

-Hillary Clinton - Interesting Time piece highlighting Clinton's foreign policy experience. Nice pictures she looks better with her hair longer.
She seems to be power personified
Love the poem at the end of the piece
Promoting President Obama's foreign policy administration, could be important in 2012, foreign policy is one of the President's positive messages.
Made statement about not being interested in returning to politics, shame brilliant strategist, will she continue if Obama is reelected?
Secretary of State is usually a popular figure, Condoleezza Rice went on Jon Stewart promoting new book, very popular with Republicans even now, they want her to run, maybe 2016
Prediction: John Huntsman will be new Secretary of State, no one else has foreign policy experience, usually SoS is a former political opponent.

TIME Article: 
http://swampland.time.com/2011/10/27/hillary-clinton-and-the-limits-of-power/
Condoleezza Rice Book:
http://www.randomhouse.com/book/196659/no-higher-honor-by-condoleezza-rice

Tom Daschle on the Tea Party

"The tea party didn't happen by accident and it wasn't contrived," Daschle said. "It's one of the purest and most organic movements in politics today, and while it may endanger its parent party, this is exactly the way the system was designed."

The Debate That Should Never Have Been

The Debt Ceiling debate should never have been...
Throughout our nation's history the debt ceiling has been routine and also the end of the world. When the party out of power suggests it's time to use the debt ceiling to force a vote for their own agenda. Routine in the fact that every President has done it, every single one. Ronald Reagan passed it 18 times. Very seldom in history is it broadcasted or even publicized to the mainstream media because most mainstream America doesn't care because at the end of the day we all know it NEEDS to be passed.

So now after weeks and even months of debate, nothing became clear or settled or even really compromised. After all the bruhaha USA's credit rating still got downgraded, unemployment continues it's anemic growth, and the "plan" is the barest minimum Congress could agree on. No one should be credited, and not many are. No one did a good job with this debacle, The Tea Party proved it can hold it's breath until they get what they want, Boehner looks like a half-way decent, albeit embarrassed, leader because he pulled it together at the last second but provided no real leadership to the discussions. Obama became the frustrated parent who gives the screaming toddler a lollipop and his poll numbers reflected this. Congress has even more abysmal numbers but politicians are great at separating themselves from the Congress as a whole and many will get re-elected no matter what they voted. The blame will come in many forms from many talking heads, but no one came out clean.

There have been exaggerations, lies, finger-pointing, blaming of eachother and complete ignorance of the REAL problem. Money is always a problem for governments, but stalemates only create more headaches and more crisis. Not only was this crisis made-up and extended, it was created by the Republicans. Boehner said months before this shameful vote that the debt ceiling will not pass without something big attached to it. He wanted the Tea Partiers to hold up the government, they were counting on it! Republicans wanted this fight, they needed to show the world that Obama can't lead the economy to recovery. Making Obama out to be a horrible leader on economic policies is the only thing that will get a Republican elected in 2012. This determination to make Obama a 1-term President is why this 1 sentence bill got turned into a 3 ring circus.

The plan I always liked was the grand bargain or even the gang of 6 deal, these two plans were discussed for a few days and dismissed before anyone had even fully read them. There were men and women who researched and lived and breathed this defecit problem and they came up with a solution and no one in Washington heard them because they were too busy yelling at eachother for their own pet spending projects.

A super powerful super committee to end all committees. I don't know how Congress can say this committee will fix everything...will they even listen to this committee? I suspect this is a power play for a few politicians, and the men and women of the Simpson-Bowles and Gang of 6 won't be included in any of these discussions. The decisions of these two commissions aren't popular due to the lateness of their decisions. Why ask the people who might know where to start cutting?!

In the end there is a poll now that says that 77% of Americans believe Congress acted like a bunch of spoiled children. There are serious issues of spending that need to be addressed but this Congress won't do it. They are covering their asses and hanging their heads but shaking their hands that something got done....not enough. Not nearly enough has been done and Americans are feeling it. All of Congress should lose their jobs - maybe then they will pay attention to the unemployment crisis!

Jon Stewart on Fox News...one of the best debates ever!

10 Years Later, How Bush-Era Tax Cuts Changed America [CHARTS]

How can Republican­s claim this will fix the problem of America's debt when they hold on to huge deficit increase? This is the proof that this policy doesn't work for America.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Political Ick Factor

If you are a news junkie like me, you may have noticed the news was somewhat dire, a little frustrating and even raunchy this week. If you haven't been tuned in lately you haven't missed much but this week's news is an example of the political ick factor. Americans are worried about the economy, their educations, their jobs, their paychecks, the 2012 election is a dim idea for most people. Political pundits have been covering stories which only makes us grimace in disgust at Washington and makes us think our country is being run by spoiled children. It gives us all the icks...a look at the stories that makes us roll our eyes...

Donald Trump: I hate to even mention his name, his giant ego can be seen on almost any network and even his national foot-in-mouth moment has not stopped him from grabbing the spotlight. This week the news covered a meeting between him and fellow media whore Sarah Palin and the fact that he eats pizzas with a fork, despite the comedic value of Jon Stewart's rant we all know this is not newsworthy. Whenever his name is mentioned lately he gives me the political icks.

Anthony Weiner's Weener:
Another sex scandal has come to light regarding a prominent democrat who's twitter account got hacked. First let me just say that prominent politician and twitter shouldn't be in the same sentence. The  picture is now all over the late night news, every channel! It's Monday and the first story on HuffPost is another giant picture of the Congressman and he's confessed to sending these pictures himself. For days the question was si this picture real? It doesn't matter...this is my point. Among the major problems hitting today's working class families, people are pinching pennies and settling for less, and for three days we are supposed to care about this picture.

Sarah Palin: You need to be hiding under a rock to not know about Sarah Palin's bus tour. We don't know why, how or even where she is going but everyone has to cover every single movement. This  is a woman who knows how to take advantage of the spotlight and let's be honest here she's more of a political celeb then a real political contender. Her negatives, on any poll done since her failed VP run, far outweigh any positive message she may offer. Her meeting with Donald Trump in New York was covered for hours. Neither her or Donald are actually in the race but we focus on them like beacons that will save us. We don't care that you are reading the Bill of Rights for the first time or that you are visiting Boston, we just don't care. Now the story is whether or not she got the details of the Paul Revere ride correct, after watching the clip I wanted to slap her and it defiantly left me with the political icks.

Now it's Monday and I have caught up on all the political Sunday shows where the news was about the economy and jobs and Obama's failure to lead us out of a recession. Republicans have been telling us for months that we need to cut spending and this is the way out of our problems, and the democrats will tell you everything takes time and we are headed in the right direction but the truth is they are distracting you and telling you who to blame, no one and I repeat NO ONE is fixing the problem! The 2010 election was all about jobs and the economy we heard it from every side, it caused an upheaval in Congress, but neither side has a solution.

I hate reading these stories, I hate hearing these stories on the nightly news. I hate writing about these stories. Why isn't Afghanistan a bigger story? We killed Osama bin Laden and there is no national conversation about a war we can't win, instead we hear about Donald Trump's pizza eating. The  unemployment number is 9% ! The Republican plan to  increase jobs is all about cutting taxes and cutting spending this is not a jobs plan! The stories of this week belong in the Onion or tabloids, it's not real journalism to report opinions and tweets. I ask the people demand the answers among the fluff. This entire news cycle gives me and I'm sure most of America the political icks!

Walkerville!

"Forget Walker, Recall Him" -Chris Race

It's High Time for Real Alternative Energy!

Alternative fuels is a hot debate in America right now, we spend too much money on foreign oil, we panic at the prices when we fill up, and we blame every law maker we can find until those prices come down. The problem with alternative fuels is there isn't a solution! America buys gobs of oil every year from foreign governments, some of them hostile. The President has recently been running around the country investing in clean energy and technology to reverse a recession, if he were to invest in a hemp-based economy America could grow and maintain it's own fuel source.  Hemp as bio-diesel is a solution!

Government should invest in hemp products and benefits by investing in growing and sustaining Cannabis plants.  President Obama is calling for investment in clean energy, renewable resources and clean burning fuels and yet no one is talking about a step that can revolutionize the industry and create a healthier economy; Decriminalizing Marijuana.

Sugar beets, palm oil, corn are current bio fuels. Hemp does not need to have land cleared to grow it, it can grow very fast and leaves the ground in a better state when it is harvested. Food crops like soybeans, olives, peanuts are also used. Food crops are not a good long term solution and can lead to food shortages all over the world. These current methods of bio fuel production can't sustain America's energy use. 1 acre of hemp can produce five hundred gallons of bio fuel. Hemp fuels have shown a high efficiency of energy conversion and can be used at lower temperatures than any biodiesel currently on the market. Investment in production and long term use of Cannabis products is ignored because it's illegal.

The founding fathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were strong advocates for a hemp-based economy and laws were passed to enable that economy. In Jamestown in 1619 every farmer had to produce at least a quarter-acre of cannabis for the government. Hawaii and Vermont have passed measures promoting industrial hemp research.  This is not just some underground notion, America has the potential to use this investment to promote hemp growing for its many industrial and health benefits. The University of Connecticut has been given a grant of $1.8 million dollars by the Department of Energy to build a refinery that will produce hemp bio-fuel, there are high expectations for production from this refinery. 

Ethanol production  is one of the stickiest political issues, corn growers all over the United States receive gobs of money to grow what they were growing already, and gas companies who use ethanol products receive massive tax breaks, those tax breaks manage to make it into every Presidential hopefuls' bank. This process goes around and around, and the dirty secret politicians rarely admit, is that ethanol production and investment haven't panned out, the impact is very little since it requires fossil fuels to cultivate. Too much money has been sunk into this lame solution. The Canadian Government and The National Bio-diesel Board have determined that Cannabis production would be more effective and less harmful then Ethanol based fuels.

The biggest obstacle to hemp based fuels is limited production, we just can't grow enough to make a dent, even in Canada where it's been legal for 6 years, only an investment from the government can make it high time we explored hemp based fuels. 

Hemp Car Manifesto

Obama's Birth Cert may finally put this inane argument to rest!

The Arab Revolts told by the Three Little Pigs!

Indiana prosecutor resigns after suggesting fake attack on Walker to discredit protesters

Indiana prosecutor resigns after suggesting fake attack on Walker to discredit protesters

Wisconsin: drama, drama, drama

"The more than 8,000 emails we got today, the majority are telling us to stay firm, to stay strong, to stand with the taxpayers," Walker said of the emails. "While the protesters have every right to be heard, I'm going to make sure the taxpayers of the state are heard and their voices are not drowned out by those circling the Capitol."-Gov. Walker

A local newspaper sued the Governor's office after he made this claim, today the AP announced the results of 26,000 emails in seven days. The results: 55% of them were supportive of the Governor and 44% were scathing opposition. There are thousands of emails that weren't analyzed over the past few months since the story broke. The Governor's quotes only make him seem desperate to seem popular and on the right side of the issue.

"Thanks for the 10% pay cut, I can't believe that I voted for you. Get bent." Is one of the emails found written by a Department of Corrections employee.

This is only the latest drama amid a bloggers' fake phone call which resulted in a few more embarrassing quotes about the anti union bill and the protests at the height his unpopularity.

There are stories coming out of the woodwork of corruption, pandering, giving bonuses, and in general this Governor is losing his state, he may be able to hold on with the amount of support and money he may be able to convince people to stop protesting. Tawdry politics always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

And those people are still protesting! Veterans, Police, Firefighters, Students, Elderly, Progressive celebrities like Joe Biden and Al Sharpton. This issue won't go away more drama keeps piling up in the Governors' mansion.
Desperation will not save Governor Walker or any of the Republicans up for recall, the people are infuriated.

I support the recall effort if you want to join or donate go here: http://www.recalltherepublican8.com

Eight Civics Lessons from Governor Walker

I live in Wisconsin and last November amid Tea Party protests going on all over our state we somehow elected a guy who obviously can't understand how the democratic process SHOULD work, he makes it work for him. The buyers remorse I have is that the democrats that were and have been elected have not taken an aggressive point of view here. The Democrats ran away which admitedly is all they could do but there wasn't any national democratic support, now they support the recall elections which is a continuati­on of lukewarm support for the issue. It's okay though because with progressiv­e movements mobilizing in our state, in 2012 we won't allow another GOP government agenda takeover, we get the overthrow the government every 2 and 4 years. Scott Walker hasn't done much about unemployme­nt in this state but I think he'll change his mind about what he did when he losses his job after the voters kick him out.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Gaddafi's Compound hit in Cooalition strike

From the Associated Press: An administration building a few yards Gaddafi's tent in his huge personal compound was hit and badly damaged late Sunday. An Associated Press photographer at the scene said half of the round, three-story building was knocked down, smoke was rising from it and pieces of a cruise missile were scattered around the scene. About 300 Gadhafi supporters were in the compound at the time. It was not known if any were hurt.

Operation Odyssey Dawn: US strikes Gaddafi's defenses

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the strikes and US involvement in Lybia:
“I support the actions taken today by our allies, with the support of several Arab countries, to prevent the tyrant Moammar Qaddafi from perpetrating further atrocities on the people of Libya. And I support the President’s decision to deploy U.S. assets to help those allies to enforce a no-fly zone to protect Libyan civilians as laid out in the United Nations resolution. This U.S. military action was not taken lightly, and it was done in concert with a broad international coalition. Yesterday the President presented Qaddafi with the option of pursuing an immediate cease fire and other actions, and outlined the consequences if he refused. Qaddafi rejected the offer, and continued to launch attacks on the people of Libya. With our allies, it is crucial that we ensure the Libyan people do not suffer any more at Qaddafi’s hands.”

Michele Bachmann, Anthony Weiner Face Off On Spending (VIDEO)

Michelle Bachman never fails to entertain me, favorite part is when the democrat fires back her saying her lecturing him on fiction is the ultimate in irony, and her laugh sounds like an evil cackle...
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

East Lybians were against us in Iraq

'On a per capita basis, though, twice as many foreign fighters came to Iraq from Libya -- and specifically eastern Libya -- than from any other country in the Arabic-speaking world. Libyans were apparently more fired up to travel to Iraq to kill Americans than anyone else in the Middle East. And 84.1% of the 88 Libyan fighters in the Sinjar documents who listed their hometowns came from either Benghazi or Darnah in Libya's east.' According to this Report

The Insanity of Gaddafi: A commentary (pt2)

Crazy Quotes:
- Gaddafi describes AIDS as "a peaceful virus, not an aggressive virus"
It's obvious how out of touch with reality someone is when they describe one of the most devastating diseases to affect humans as peaceful. Gaddafi is the ruler of an oil producing country and has been relatively isolated from his other African Countries where millions have died to this epidemic. Gaddafi needs to sit down and watch "Philadelphia" and then be slapped upside his head.


"I am the leader of the Arab leaders, the king of kings of Africa and the Imam of the Muslims."
In an effort to annoy the Saudi Arabian rulers Gaddafi said this stating he is the end all, be all of Arab leaders. While this kind of thing is expected from tyrannical megalomaniacs, saying it when you are violently losing your grip on power is just delusional.

“There is no state with a democracy except Libya on the whole planet." And "Democracy means permanent rule!"
Gaddafi doesn't quite understand how democracy is supposed to work here, and believing Lybia is a true Democracy can only be delusional.

About Soccer “psychological and nervous sicknesses leading to angina pectorals, strokes, diabetics, blood pressure and early senility.”
During Soccer matches in Lybia people are not allowed to shout out the name of their favorite player unless it's Gaddafi's son, his name is okay. Gaddafi doesn't believe in his son's choice of lifestyle or career but he still wants someone to root for him. However it's a long jump from disapproving your son's hobby to thinking it leads to senility and diabetes.

"It is the Libyan people's responsibility to liquidate such scums who are distorting Libya's image abroad." —Gaddafi talking about exiles in 1982
This is Gaddafi's obvious attempt to get the people to kill his political allies. This statement is a sickening reminder that this man will not tolerate a threat to his power.

"I am not such a dictator that I would shut down Facebook, I'll merely imprison anyone who logs into it!"
That's right Facebook is against the law! Facebook has become synonymous with start up revolutions these days, tweets and status updates are news and followed by the world. Gaddafi recognizes this threat to his power and just declares Facebook illegal instead.

Insults: Many things have been said about this man throughout his 40 year reign, he has shocked everyone with wardrobe and rantings, here's my favorite Gaddafi insults.
President Gaafar Nimeiry - "a split personality--both evil".
President Ronald Reagan - "the mad dog of the Middle East".
1981 Newsweek cover - “the most dangerous man in the world”

Disturbing video of the violence in Lybia

The Insanity of Gaddafi: A commentary (pt1)

While watching along with the rest of the country the events in the middle east, no one can help but talk about all the different countries which are rising up. The Arab voices crying out for democracy beckon to our imperialist nature. We crave a stable democratic free Arab nation, we need one. The man at the center of Libya is Gaddafi, a crazy dictator ruling for the last 40 years, the people want him gone. The more death and destruction this leader causes the more his people love and fear him. His tirades always include blame. In a series of articles I'd like the point out some simple facts about the Gaddafi regime along with my own opinions of the events. The violence of this regime has been turned against it's own people now.

Violence and Bombings:
“The violence must stop; Muammar Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave.” Pres. Obama


- Lockerbie, Scotland plane Bombing:
On 22 February 2011 during the Libyan protests, the former Minister of Justice stated in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Gaddafi had personally ordered the bombing. The bombing killed 270 victims, despite warnings, previous knowledge by the CIA and an extensive investigation. It took the FBI three years to indict the men who carried out his orders. He ordered this bombing personally, a crazy guy with crazy martyrs has been ruling for 40 years!

- He went to war against Chad because their leader was black and Christian and after he lost the war, he retaliated against French involvement by arranging for a bomb to be carried on a French passenger plane, which killed all 170 people on board:
Another classic example of his disregard for life, christians, blacks, french...how many more nationalities are you going to piss off Gaddafi?

- He has executed dissidents numerous times:
Even though he claims his country is democratic from 1969 to today, there is no such thing as political freedom in his country. In a day of too many opinions on TV and radio from right and left about every small issue, can you imagine knowing only one dictatorial government all your life?

- He has chemical weapons:
Earlier today I read that the protesters had been gassed by pro-Gaddafi mobs. Gaddafi obviously has no morality to freely and routinely use violence against his own people including devastating chemical weapons.

- Gaddafi voluntarily gave up his weapons of mass destruction programs
After the US invaded Iraq and WMD became a buzzword in American homes, Gaddafi supposedly gave up his program out of fear of retaliation, however with the absence of these weapons, I wonder if Gaddafi had them or wanted to say he had them.

- More than 1,000 prisoners were shot dead by security forces on June 28 and 29, 1996 in Abu Salim prison, Tripoli.
Most of the prisoners were political rivals, the prison was home to many dissenters of the regime.

- In the 1980s he had a policy of killing his political opponents overseas his term for them was "stray dogs".
Gaddifi's assassins were trained in Libya to commit murders on foreign soil, the CIA began investigating Gaddafi for terrorism connections shortly after some of the killings.

- Gaddafi's personal bodyguards called The Amazonian Guard are young virgin women, trained to protect and die for him. Some have died in assassination attempts against him.
Gaddafi's views on women are not the typical Arab worldview. He has taught these women how to fight, they will die to protect him. He believes women should be in the army to learn how to protect themselves and build stronger warriors to teach Arab sons. Some speculate this belief was linked to the death of his daughter in a US airstrike on his home. This to be discussed fully in the next chapter of The Insanity of Gaddafi

The Daily Show
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Nurses Offer to Buy President's Shoes to March With Workers

He has been called out now, he has to say something. Wisconsin will be a battlegrou­nd state and this democratic issue can win it or lose it. The stakes are high here, but now that the press has found this video he needs to say something or watch this movement pass by him. He should be leading these national issues. Taking responsibi­lity for the actions that got us into this mess is important to making sure we aren't making the problem worse. Obama needs to stop waiting around, he needs to take a stand, he needs to be on the offensive. The President is MIA, and progressiv­e politics will get set back decades.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Shepard Smith agrees Walker is union busting!

Why This Cop Asked the President About Legalizing Drugs

Bravo for standing up on this issue. Politician­s seems to laugh this one off too often, this should be a national discussion­.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Mike Huckabee Expresses Deep Doubts About Afghan End Game, Karzai's Corruption

He wants to be President and all he says is *shrug* " I dunno". I wish he at least had and idea to campaign on...
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Egypt supports Wisconsin!

Thousands flock to Madison

The drama in Wisconsin unfolded in a jam-packed Capitol. Madison police and the State Department of Public Instruction estimated the crowd at 25,000 protesters, the largest number yet.
Demonstrators stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the building's hallways, sat cross-legged across the floor and made it difficult to move from room to room.

It's all about the money - Madison Protests

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has gotten himself into a political quicksand with his current budget proposal which is aimed at cutting spending to federal employees. This "emergency budget" is being debated on the state floor tonight as it was last night at 3am. Pressure from 30,000 protesters have now brought national attention to the state budget crisis that is not as much a crisis as an attack against it's public employees. The current bill would slash wages and benefits of 40% of public employees, and it would eliminate the collective bargaining rights for every state union. I would like to ask Governor Walker how much money this will save? I wonder if it's worth the ire of nearly every union in the state. It seems this "short-sighted" (Pres. Obama) Governor is out of touch with what Wisconsin wants.

Now to talk about the protests, there were many signs and a huge demonstration outside the Capitol building where some of the protesters set up camp overnight. Teachers had a sick out which closed Madison schools and when the children were allowed to leave school they marched with their teachers. The argument they make is that the system should remain the status quo. Signs like "Kill the bill", "Hosni Walker" and "If Egypt can do it so can Wisconsin". While they aren't the most clever signs it's obvious the revolution in Egypt has made a difference in American politics. Earlier today the firefighters union showed their support and marched with the demonstrators. The Firefighters union supported  Gov. Walker in his gubernatorial campaign and donated millions, and even though the firefighters and police unions are exempt from this bill, they still protest against the Governor they helped put in office. It really says something to have your supporters openly dissenting. Governor Walker obviously does not have the side of the people in mind with this law.

It's all about the money, really. With millions of state employees and the unions they support, now these unions and the people have banded together in protest, it's not the people being attacked here but the unions they are part of. These unions collect dues from every member and most unions force employees to be members and as a result they are a prime breeding ground for corruption, it's no wonder the mob thought unions would be a good business. I had to ask myself where all this money is really going. And the answer is that union money goes to political campaigns. Most politicians cannot get elected without the unions, they have a huge donor base, huge membership numbers, and are easily swayed based on who can protect them the most. The biggest union in Wisconsin is getting thousands to protest for their money, and it's no surprise that Governor Walker wants a piece of that pie, except that Republicans have shown a history of being anti-union for decades. That's right this union money will be going mostly to Democratic candidates, I believe this is why he chose to attack the state unions. However, the corruption of these unions is so prevalent and their purpose so out of date I wonder if they really need laws that protect the greed of it's officials.

I support protesters standing up against laws they don't believe in, we all saw how peaceful protest can change the mind of a nation with Egypt, however the unions don't need this protest. President Obama called the law an "assault on unions", he did not stand against the governor which makes me think that we could be using our collective voices and our rights for peaceful protest for a better cause other then money. There were students, Packers and firefighters demonstrating with teachers, postal employees and don't forget it's COLD here in Wisconsin. Former Senator Feingold called the protests and "inspiring reaction" and fully supported the cause against the Governor.  The Democrats have been silent on the issue, not getting into the fray, which is dissapointing. There should be more of a reaction from our elected officals and from the Democratic Party. Glen Beck has already made Wisconsin proof of his wild conspiracy theories and we know how much they love to take down Glen Beck. Democrats should support the union only for the fact that the Republicans aren't, there are free votes down there, people are screaming for political action and no one who is listening.

Jon Stewart Rips Mubarak For Anderson Cooper Attack: 'Now You've Gone Too Far' (VIDEO)

Jon Stewart's comedy points to something here; I can see the hypothetic­al situation if Anderson Cooper were attacked and mobbed and (god-forbi­d) killed in one of those protests America would get angry enough to be forced to get involved in this conflict. President Obama would be forced into a situation of invading an ally to ensure democracy. It's a nightmare situation that would completely re frame the role America is taking here. We love Anderson Cooper for being the great American journalist­.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Reagan's Solicitor General: "I am quite sure that the health care mandate is constitutional"

Reagan's Solicitor General: "I am quite sure that the health care mandate is constitutional"

Michelle Bachman: Liberal = Anti American

Michelle Bachman's recent political stunts made me remember the first time I saw her on TV. I have to seriously wonder who votes for this woman? The American media needs to take a look at the views of people in congress to find out if they are anti-American. This sounds like trying to find communism in the 60's, they really think Obama is linked to terrorism and are blandly calling the President and other "liberals" terrorists. Take a look at the spanking my favorite commentator gives her from 2008. After watch the commentator say that if Michelle Bachman represents American views she will move to Canada.. Even if there weren't by now thousands of clips and quotes from her out there we'd still all know she is a fringe lunatic congresswoman trying to get some media time. It's working. I don't have a problem with the Tea Party being right leaning, I have a problem with them embracing the crazies of the Republican Party.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Most Reasonable Man in Washington

This is a great review of last night, I, however, was a little angry at the lack of progressiv­e legislatio­n or agenda. He has given Progressiv­es little reason to keep supporting him and I feel that if he doesn't move left and take a stand on a big issue the progressiv­es are going to end up staying home in the next election. I'm disappoint­ed in Obama for moving center for safety instead of left to his base.



"Especiall­y if I am at least partly right about my first worry, and those middle-cla­ss swing voters are still under a ton of economic stress in November of next year, the who-is-on-­their-side issue will weigh heavier than ever." This statement is telling about what the current economic status will do to the next election. I fear he didn't reach out enough to the every man voter and I fear that he didn't allay the fears of the middle class voter. He has something he needs to prove to America to get re-elected­, if he doesn't the Tea Party is ready to take his place.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

State of the Union: A lot more things we wish he had said....

Tonight's State of the Union address was a highly anticipated one. The political culture of America has changed in favor of the President, with a bump in the polls he was off to a running start. The President knows how to grab and hold an audience, he delivers great speeches. However, the State of the Union is also seen as unimportant by most Americans. Most people don't remember a single phrase or idea from the State of the Union a month afterward. For many, the words of the President aren't enough and hold little comfort for those facing the problems of America. So how does the President think he can fix America? Will his strategies for fixing unemployment, the economy, the deficit, and the war in Afghanistan work for the every man in this country? Will the middle class eventually feel a weight being lifted?

Now onto what he did with this speech. Obama has made Washington feel good tonight. There were many who turned in to see if this tone would change they wanted to see the hint of Partisan backstabbing hiding under the calm demeanor of civility. He praised Republicans who have come together in a rare spirit of bipartisanship after the shooting in Tuscon. There were arguments about the seating arragnement which let's face it no one cares about, but it said something. One of the things I remember back to is that when the President was running for election we heard him say he would change the way Democrats and Republicans speak to eachother, it is know a national issue of how long the two parties will continue this easy discourse and positive tone. Most in politics don't think this will last long with the looming debates ahead. I don't think this will be permanent but for a little while Congressman need to think about coming out as negative or over the top. We still see over the top in the celebrity politics but the President has led a good campaign for everyone getting along and this speech continues that good will. In the coming months they will slug it out over the debt and social policies but for the moment everyone feels good in Washington. I also feel he should have picked a fight over something. I wish he had given Progressives and Liberals something to hear.

Maintaing the tone of civility is all he really did with this speech, I wish he had done a few things here, I wish he had used this moment to really launch a progressive legislative agenda that would launch his re-election; I wish he had talked about a real plan to restart jobs from the ground up; and he could have run with this and made a Bill Clinton combeback with a big guns bill. After the Tuscon shootings many called for the President to lead the charge against guns but this has been received with deaf ears it seems. Many were dismayed by the President's lack of broad-sweeping gun control legislation. I wish we had heard that.

While reading articles before the State of the Union many discussed his need to reach out to the middle class and those affected by the recession. President Obama gave sweeping imagery describing closed storefronts and factories but there was no mention of those laid of by those stores and factories. The decline of the middle class is one of the biggest and toughest facing this country. The Mortgage crisis which has been decimating Americans didn't get a mention this year, people are still struggling to keep their homes without help from the Obama administration.
The President's verbiage seemed different and aimed at the working joe of America, he seemed less like the sociology professor and more like a guy who has to support 2 kids in a difficult economic time. I love that Obama realized that he needed to speak to these people, but unfortunately I don't think he said what he should have to them. These key issues of mortgages, the decline in the middle class and gun control, and lack of strong legislation, not being mentioned tonight will impact the Presidency.
The President did well, he fulfilled his Constitutional duty to deliver the State of the Union to the American people, however it seems there are parts he forgot to mention, the state of the union on these big issues is not clear, the state of Obama's Presdiency in the face of Republican opposition in Congress is not clear. In the Republican response we heard about cutting spending and everyone seems to agree that we need to save social security, both parties jumped on that bandwagon. He did his job and he did it well, he delivered a great speech which uplifted us, inspired us, invoked images of the great American Past and the "Future we can win". He gave us hope and brought us a little bit of change, we hope he can make a difference but I don't feel the confidence I wish I held in him. He disappointed me here, he should have said more to his base, to the middle class and he should have led this country. I don't think hope and inspiration and a civil tone are enough to solve the problems of this country,

Obama's latest numbers

This is just disgusting...

"You Lie"

Last year "You Lie" was shouted from Rep Joe Wilson at President Obama during the health care debate on the floor of Congress. Now you can see this phrase on your all over your automatic rifle bullets! This phrase will now be etched onto bullets so that your friendly murderer can express how much he hates President Obama every time he fires his weapon. Rep Wilson received millions in donations after he yelled at the President on national TV, he never made an apology, it was disrespectful and distasteful the first time we heard it. Do we really need to be reminded of what a liar the President is when a bullet is pulled out of someone's chest? This moment should be forgotten from our national memory. Joe Wilson's 15 mins of fame are up.

A ploy for power or a return to Democratic ideals?

Does Mr. Smith deserve a chance?

One of the first bills to be debated in the Senate is the Mr. Smith bill, which changes the way Senators are allowed to filibuster. This bill has been brought up with nearly every Congress, does it have a shot this time? Is it a return to the way it used to be or is it a desperate ploy for power from the Democrats after being walloped in the midterms?

Filibusters of today are used to block the opposing party's agenda, they are used as viciously and easily by both parties. This bill would bring back the spirit of the filibuster and make it less a political smart bomb. Currently you can place "secret holds" on any bill where it is completely anonymous and the senator does not have to go on record to support or defend his decision to block any bill. You don't have to show up on the floor to hold a bill, and it requires a cloture motion to break this filibuster, which means nearly every bill to pass through the senate needs a majority of 60 votes to pass. Often filibusters are used to thwart the President's agenda. This slows down the Congress and doesn't allow for movement on a bill without 60 votes for it in the first place. This noble parliamentary tradition is being abused by both parties to gain the upper hand.

The new bill would require that senators show up on the floor to filibuster a bill, during the times of Mr. Smith, a filibuster required a Senator to hold the floor as long as he holds the floor. You had to stand and keep speaking, you could not sit down, or lean against anything. You have to keep talking and your not allowed to leave the chamber for any reason. The rules about filibusters were strict because the framers did not want it to be used except for extreme circumstances. This bill also mandates that a vote is to being the second the Senator speaking gives up control of the floor. To appease the opposition more room will be allowed to place amendments on these bills, this allows more pork projects and millions of dollars to be added to any bill. To change the status quo requires a super majority which is 61 votes. These votes will be coveted with the slim margin of 51 Democrats to 49 Republicans.

This tactic has been used by every Senate throughout history but in the last 30 years it has been used more then in the 200 years, it has become corrupt and a burden to American lawmaking. Mr. Smith goes to Washington is an inspirational story, one of the early movies which made me fall in love with politics, his noble pursuit to block a bill ended being the greater good. The filibuster is a tradition from early colonial times, it deserves to be honored for it's principle. It should not be used to get back at the school bully who stole your lunch money during the last 4 years.

I like this bill, it's about time this practice was examined. A filibuster is democracy in action and it has become a policy of inaction. America should see who is for and against legislation, they should hear the debate and argue the reasons. The filibuster allows any guy who feels like he doesn't have a voice to be heard and recognized by our federal government, we should stay true to Mr. Smith. However, the ideal of the filibuster is probably not why the Democrats are pushing this bill. Democrats suffered a blow as more Republicans gained control of the House. This bill would ensure passage of many bills which otherwise might not even come to a vote. In the next few weeks you will hear Democrats saying these things, but the truth is this; Republicans now have too much control and this is a political ploy to regain power and to get more money for pet projects. Republicans also know that if this measure is passed then when they have the power over the White House and Congress they will have an easier time getting their policies passed. This is really a win-win for both parties but how much you want to bet this bill gets filibustered by Republicans? 61 votes will be hard to get especially when some Democrats don't want the bill because they know they will lose their upper hand when the balance of power shifts. This is a power ploy but maybe it's a return to the way it should be.

Progressive vs Liberal

Why is it such a dirty word?

In the 2008 primary election between President Obama and Hillary Clinton she ran as "progressive candidate". In politics, we hear over and over again democrats calling themselves progressives and many people can't tell the difference between die hard democrats and progressives. Both President Obama and Hillary Clinton were members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus within the Senate. However this group of politicians are seen and leaning very heavily left however they always still use the term progressive to describe this ideal of the outreach of government to solve the problems of the over worked, over taxed, over stressed working guy. However many in the media and on Capitol Hill refer to these men and women as Liberals which always sounds like a dirty word when they say it.
I'm not sure when the idea that the term liberal meant links to communism, extreme government oversight, and radical Federalist belief in government as the solution to all problems of America. The movement began in the early 1920's and has been raving every since. In right wing media you never really hear the term progressive to describe Progressives and Democrats it is shouted at them and used in every election to demean the Democratic and Progressive parties of America. Which one is more left wing? Do the ideals seem that different?
Why is it a dirty word well here are my thoughts on that one: The term Progressive has respect, it has idealism and it appeals to nearly every American. The reason it is seen this way is because of Theodore Roosevelt. According to the yearly study determined by a non-partisan institution Teddy Roosevelt is the 2nd best President in our history. (You can view this to the left under the link "Who's the worst President?".) He was the reason Progressivism flourished in this country, during the times the government had to declare a state of emergency due the economy crashing in 1929, people wanted and needed their government to step in and help them. People saw government as hope. Teddy Roosevelt also passed "The New Deal" which even to this day is seen as the most amazing step in the government helping out the "little man". In this time even this legislation is seen as government overreaching and hand-outs, since this progressive movement started flourishing among the populace of America the Republicans needed something to combat this image of a Superman government.
Since Teddy Roosevelt Republicans have opposed this movement. Republicans are all about smaller government and state's rights, they trampled all over this movement and even to this day loudly argue over many of these policies. The reason they can do this and get away with it is that Democrats themselves see it as a dirty word, they allow this name-calling to become real. Hillary Clinton also gave a speech during her campaign where she declares she is a liberal and proud to call herself that, for this move I give her credit, but she also has the reputation for being hated across the isle and she had to own this title. It gave her competition less ammo and it gave respect to the concept.
We will always see Conservative shouting down Liberals, but the ideals they are really against are the popular and life saving policies of Teddy Roosevelt and who wants to call him crazy. This viewpoint will probably never die, and Republicans will always use it to fire up the base of the party. I'll probably always wonder why this phenomenon exists in politics. I don't consider myself Progressive, but I admire the ideal and the strength of will and pure political genius which passed Teddy Roosevelt's "New Deal". However, I believe, this was in a time of dire need of the people of this country, they needed to be taken care of by our government and many people in our country still need this help. This is proven by the current recession and unemployment numbers, we still need it. I can't say that the government taking care of its people is a bad thing. This issue is respect, Progressives and Liberals need to own their titles. They need to change the way both terms are seen in this country and then maybe the opposition will turn into understanding.
Why is it a dirty word?

JIb Jab's " So Long to ya, 2010"!

What happened to the Tea Partiers?

Two years ago we elected a President who everyone knew would project change, however President Obama has made a lot of political enemies, one of which is the Tea Party movement. We heard a lot about them in the previous two years. Many have risen to be stars in the Conservative party, some had to have their 15 mins of fame. But only a few people are asking why weren't they more influential in this past November election? Have they risen and fallen or are they biding their time until they can get the White House?

Populist ideaology is how many people described this small grassroots movement. Populism is a term as defined as "sociopolitical thought that compares "the people" against "the elite". This age old conflict is at the heart of our Conservative and Democratic ideals. Democrats are often thought of as "the elite", they have worked hard to get the vote of the average man. Conservatism has been a party of "the people", many Republicans admire President Bush for being a down-to-earth kind of President, he was the average joe. The Tea Party name is symboloic of this ideaology, the name itself conjures images of our Revolution, the Stamp Act, the high tea taxes and our status as a colony. Even if you don't subscribe to the movement itself, personally I admire the term "sociopoliticial thought" in that description. Tea Partiers started popping up all over the country only a few months after the first few rallies and protests. The ideas spread rapidly and soon this small group of protesters became thousands all over the United States.

Tea Party movement: a brief history. A central platform idea among them is that taxes are too high and they feel no one is listening to what they have to say. This idea was mainly formed by the bailouts of banks and industries, there was a lot of opposition to that bill and the movement showed up at the right time. One of the earliest rallies formed by blogger Keli Carender. She used the conservative media to increase awareness of the protest against taxes. Fox News helped to generate participation from the Republican base. 1,200 people gathered for this event. Supporters started talking to the base when websites started popping up and viral videos began showing up in the media, a facebook page was created. Popularity grew and soon there was the first national movement event staged in 12 cities and they gained powerful supporters. You can't talk about the Tea Party without mentioning Sarah Palin who became a political figure and then a political celebrity. Her visibility in the campaign extended her fame, and she became the darling of the conservative right. They started to become very influential in Congress for the large donations and continued political rallies. From these protests, rallies and media coverage, rose a few members who embarassed the movement. During the 2010 midterm election they had raised enough money to be influential in many campaigns, every candidate supported by the contributions of the movement has been Republican. What was the Democratic reaction all of this: I like the quote from Presidential advisor David Axelrod "I think any time that you have severe economic conditions, there is always an element of disaffection that can mutate into something that’s unhealthy."

The Tea Party movement was effective in getting their candidates elected. 48 members of the 112th Congress were elected from Tea Party donations, while this seemed to have a strong hand in creating this congress, many were incumbents in the House. One of the men elected through this PAC was the current speaker of the House, and the second he took the oath of office, he was threatened by the movement. "As you get down to work, there are a few things to remember. You did not become Speaker because America suddenly fell in love with you or the Republican Party. You became Speaker because America, led by the Tea Party, repudiated Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the party of socialism," Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation. This week the congress will probably pass a bill which increases the national debt by billions of dollars. This is exactly what the Tea Party movement doesn't want, the party was founded on getting rid of high taxes and government spending, and the Republicans are going to do just the opposite. Can they have strong influence when even Republicans don't hold up their ideology?

Lastly if you care to know my thoughts on the subject: In regards to describing the Tea Party to my boyfriend I told him that they are bascially "The people who are supporters of Sarah Palin for President". I'm not sure how her decision to leave her office of Governor of Alaska hurt or helped a possible presidential campaign in 2012. An interesting point to make is that the entire purpose of grassroots politics is to whip up your base in that respect they exceeded expectations. It seems now their view has shifted once they became a political action committee (P.A.C.). They recieved large donations which kept pouring in, this money went to many Republican candites. I was surprised that after the negative press from some members of the group, the die hards only got more crazy in their opinions. It is no question the media played an important role in advertising for this group, this I think speaks loudly to the bias of news networks. They made a sensation out of a few protests. They embraced the crazies on the far right. There were those who took the ideas too far and attempted to smear and ruin people's lives. I feel there should of have been stronger condemnation of these people, instead there was only 3 hours of coverage on Fox News. I think the Tea Party movement had great ideas to start but they were corrupted and sensationalized, I'm not sure what the future of the group is, I don't think we have heard the last of them but we will have to wait until 2012.

What people don't know about politics: Everyone Lies

Everyone lies:

Al Franken's book "Lies (And the Liars Who Tell Them)" takes on the Bush administration basically saying every Republican on television, including the President, was lying to everyone about everything. He's right, except everyone in politics lies. Politicians have to lie, the American public is constantly feeding it's addiction via news outlets which report on everything that seems important,

and it's only America's indulgence for voyeurism and conflict that allows these lies and projections to exist and to spread amongst the public.

Websites like FactCheck.org need to exist to allow Americans to see past these lies. Unfortunately, most people in politics are going to lie in order to get votes, in order to win, in order to beat the other guys. People in politics lie mostly because they believe it themselves. The more insidious reason (what most people believe) is that they lie to get votes. I repeat: everyone lies, and the most common reason for lying in politics is to get elected. Smear campaigns exist because they work; negative campaigns work. Why do these lies spread and seem like the truth, or, even worse, become the majority opinion among the general public? This question is what every politician asks himself when caught in the middle of a scandal. Politicians spin the truth to make their opponent seem worse, and make themselves the obvious choice in an election. “Spinning” allows both political parties access to think tanks who will show you evidence that what they say is true. Another misunderstood thing in politics is that you can find evidence to support any position you hold and want to attempt to make other people believe. The trick is to know what to believe, and in politics people will believe what they will no matter what evidence there is to prove otherwise; that's why they call it a belief.

Is an omission the same as a lie in politics and should be considered a lie by the public? This is one of the most frustrating things about politics. Most Americans believe omission is a way to hide and bury the truth. I think it's a necessary tool to get things done, however the need for power will often skew the motives of those in politics. "People don't elect a man in a wheel chair" is what is said about Franklin Roosevelt, who ran a world war from his wheelchair. If Roosevelt had to be President on TV he would be blasted and possibly even impeached for hiding and omitting the truth about his health. People don't doubt that this man was a great President, he served more years in the Presidency then any other man in that office; however, in today's society he would be ridiculed, investigated, embarrassed and smeared for lying to the American public in order to win an election.

“Checks and Balances;” everyone knows this concept, which is a foundation for our government. We believe if the Congress investigates the President then he cannot lie or omit and if he does, the truth will be discovered by this prestigious body seeking the answers for the American public. These hearings are full of partisan agendas and therefore can not be seen as a body of truth but more a body of corruption and greed for power. Investigations are run to discover the lies of the White House, and a committee of Congress serves this purpose. Those lucky enough to sit in this committee are generally chosen by the opposing party, and the majority of members are the most bloodthirsty, hardcore, diehard haters of whoever is in office at the time. Our government is not based on trust, the founders did not want the branches of government to trust each other and, to an extent, they didn't want the American people to trust the government either. We are supposed to ask questions; when these questions become the tools of enemies to attack each other for the sake of winning, the institutional memory of checks and balances becomes an excuse for the lies.

There are many people who will never run for office because they fear becoming a target for this kind attack. Politicians hide things, obfuscate, deceive and attempt to make you afraid of the truth. This opinion will never die because people don't trust the truth; even if the truth came screaming down from some higher power, there would be those who doubt it. The ideals of America were founded

on participation in our government. I think it's sad when people maliciously attack and smear men and women who raise their hands and say "I want to make a difference, I want to lead, I want to help govern America." I think anyone who defies the opposition and is on the side of truth is a hero.

How do people get to the truth? How do people see all sides of an issue without being misinformed? How do we see the difference between the honest politician and the lying one? People need to answer this question for themselves. If a lie changes one mind, if it spreads and becomes truth, then it was worth it to those who told that lie. In a small way people don't want to and sometimes can't handle the truth about politics which is why they'd rather get their news from a “talking head” then go to a town hall or a debate. They trust news outlets and political celebrities about the serious issues facing our country. Everyone in politics wants power, everyone in politics want to hold their office for as long as they can, everyone in politics has a skeleton in their closet or a lie on the record somewhere. Everyone lies and the strongest foe is information. Everyone tells you what they think you want to hear and they want to influence the most minds with their version of the truth. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a great President who lied.

Everyone lies.