Tag Archives: Republicans

September 17, 2011 · 11:54 am

Would a Perry v. Obama Contest Be a Confederacy v. Union Rematch?

Interesting article from Alternet…

I’ve always said the Republicans look backwards with fear while the Democrats look forward with hope.

Should Perry be the GOP nominee, it would definitely set up an interesting group of dynamics.  Rich vs the Poor and Middle Class.  Past vs Future.  Corporate Power vs The People.  Ignorance vs Science and Knowledge.  And yes, many, many more….including North vs South.

It would be one nasty, scary battle as Perry fights in the gutter.  I just hope he’s done himself in with his comments about ending Social Security, Secession, and many, many more totally stupid comments….

However, America elected George W Bush, at least once, so I never under-estimate the power of ignorance and venality to triumph in this country….

 

Should Perry win the GOP presidential nomination, an obvious subtext of the presidential contest will be “Confederacy v. Union — The Rematch.” And, at the visual level, the theme will be conveniently reinforced by each man’s respective race.

Earlier this week, Perry delivered a speech from the stage of the 10,000-seat amphitheater at Liberty University, the evangelical institution founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, one of the early leaders of the religious right and an opponent of school desegregation. “When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line,” Falwell told his flock in 1958,  according to a report by Sarah Posner for AlterNet.

In introducing Perry to the Liberty U audience this week, Falwell’s son, Jerry Jr., lauded the Texas governor “for having the guts to say things that weren’t exactly politically correct, like when Gov. Perry said Texas might secede one day from the union.”

Indeed, Perry made such intimations more than once during the rancorous debate over the president’s health-care reform legislation. At the time, Tea Party leaders were vociferously talking up the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which reserves to the states all powers not enumerated within the document, as the means for challenging the health-care bill’s mandate for individual purchase of health insurance. The impetus for all the 10th Amendment love comes from states’ rights advocates, often known as Tenthers, many of whom view the Civil War as the result of unlawful usurpation of power from the states by the federal government.

via Would a Perry v. Obama Contest Be a Confederacy v. Union Rematch? | | AlterNet.

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September 17, 2011 · 10:46 am

The Truth About Social Security

This is the best summation of the truth about Social Security and the Deficit that I’ve seen:

 

 

Hat Tip:  MoveOn.org

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September 16, 2011 · 9:09 pm

Poll: Just 12% happy with Congress

I want to know what’s wrong with the 12% who are “happy” with Congress!  There aren’t that many rich people….

It will be interesting to see how this plays out by the time the elections roll around next year.  Either people are going to throw up their hands and stay home- thinking it doesn’t matter if they vote- which is what the GOP wants or people are going to throw the bums out…

Who knows which way it will break?

From CBS:

In the midst of a bleak economic landscape and after a bruising battle over the federal budget deficit, approval of Congress now matches its all-time low, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.

Just 12 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing – the same as the lowest percentage recorded in this poll, reached in October 2008, right before the November elections.

Dissatisfaction with Congress cuts across party lines. Republicans, Democrats, and independents all overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Congress is doing.

Though most Americans disapprove of both parties in Congress, they disapprove of Republicans more. Seventy-two percent of Americans disapprove of the job Republicans in Congress are doing, compared to 63 percent who disapprove of the Democrats in Congress.

Among Democrats, more approve than disapprove of the job Democrats in Congress are doing. That is reversed for Republicans – more of them disapprove than approve of the job members of their own party are doing in Congress. Independents disapprove of both parties in Congress.

In keeping with Congress’ dismal review, just 6 percent of registered voters think most members deserve re-election – the lowest percentage ever in CBS News Polls during the past 20 years, and a lower percentage than the 9 percent who thought so right before the 2010 midterms.

(Credit: CBS News/NYT Poll) Americans are usually more positive when assessing their own representative in Congress.

That’s true now, too – 33 percent say their representative deserves re election – but nearly six in 10 registered voters don’t think their own representative deserves re-election. That percentage is close to the highest found in CBS News Polls.

via Poll: Just 12% happy with Congress – Political Hotsheet – CBS News.

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September 14, 2011 · 11:15 pm

Libertarian Legacy? Ron Paul’s Campaign Manager, 49, Dies Uninsured Leaving Family $400,000 Debt

You have to wonder if these Ivory Tower Libertarians and Conservatives ever really contemplate the real-world implications of their policies….

Sadly, this poor guy found out the hard way:

The Wall Street journal reports that Kent, more than anyone else, persuaded Ron Paul to run for president. And Kent, according to the WSJ, developed what “ultimately became a $35 million operation with 250 employees that helped deliver more than one million votes for the Texas congressman’s bid in the Republican nominating contest.”-

Ron Paul posted this message about Snyder on his website: “”Like so many in our movement, Kent sacrificed much for the cause of liberty, Kent poured every ounce of his being into our fight for freedom. He will always hold a place in my heart and in the hearts of my family.”

Sadly, the Libertarian heart apparently does not include health care. The poor guy raised tens of millions of dollars and couldn’t afford the $300-$600 a month that COBRA medical insurance would have cost.

Paul has some good ideas– get out of Iraq, get the US out of a lot of other countries. But his opposition to government, to universal health care– these ideas just don’t work– and his campaign manager’s death makes a tragic example of it.

via OpEdNews – Article: Libertarian Legacy? Ron Paul’s Campaign Manager, 49, Dies Uninsured, Of Pneumonia, Leaving family $400,000 Debt.

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September 8, 2011 · 9:27 am

Rick Perry Campaign Refuses To Rule Out Ending Social Security

This proves:

a) Governor GoodHair is just as stupid as has been reported

b) He thinks the Dems are too stupid to play this position up in the General Election

c) He knows this is now the official GOP Platform plank and he’s too stupid to hide it like the rest of them

d) He spends so much time with Rich People and egghead Conservative theorists, he thinks this is a popular, winning position.

e) All of the Above

Make no mistake about it: Rick Perry is running against Social Security. Last night in the debate, Perry stood by his oft-repeated claims that the popular government retirement program is a Ponzi Scheme and a “failure.”

And after the debate, Team Perry refused to rule out ending the program all together under a Perry presidency.

From the Huffington Post’s Jon Ward:

A top Perry aide refused, under repeated questions from The Huffington Post, to rule out the idea that Perry would favor dissolving altogether the 76-year-old program that pays out benefits to seniors.

“I’m not going to parse his words,” Perry aide Ray Sullivan told Ward after the debate when asked “why he would not just say that Perry does not want to end the program.”

via Rick Perry Campaign Refuses To Rule Out Ending Social Security | Election 2012.

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September 8, 2011 · 9:17 am

FALLING OUT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS: A Statistical Look At The People Who Have Lost The Most

It’s becoming an accepted probability, for the first time in our history that, in financial terms, children will probably not do as well as their parents.

Thanks to Republican policy since Reagan-with notable assists from the Dems on many occasions, thanks to the decline of Unions, thanks to the loss of well paying manufacturing jobs, thanks to declining educational standards, thanks to our contaminated food supply, thanks to the redistribution of wealth to the top 1%, thanks to a lot of poor decisions by a lot of people….

 

This puts some numbers around who is most likely, demographically speaking, to have been pushed out of the Middle Class– so far.

From YahooNews.com.  Hat Tip to my friend Kirk for sending me the article:

 

The American Dream of upward social mobility has stalled for some people, according to a big new study from Pew.

The study checked in on a bunch of middle class teenagers from 1979 to see how they were doing 25 years later. Notably this survey was performed before the Great Recession, so most of these numbers would be worse today.

Pew found that 28% of the sample group had fallen out of the middle class. This number was significantly higher for certain demographic groups including divorced women and black men.

Divorced women are 35.8% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class.

Divorced men are 13% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class.

Unmarried women are 17.6% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class.

Unmarried men are 10% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class.

Black men are 17% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class (vs white men).

Black women are 5% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class (vs white women)

Women without a college degree are 16.3% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class.

Men without a college degree are 7.5% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class.

Hispanic men are 8% more likely to have fallen out of the middle class (vs white men).

Hispanic women are actually 2% less likely to have fallen out of the middle class (vs white women).

via FALLING OUT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS: A Statistical Look At The People Who Have Lost The Most | Daily Ticker – Yahoo! Finance.

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September 5, 2011 · 11:11 am

Cheney’s Book Features Foreword by Satan

Great satirical article from Andy Borowitz at  “The Borowitz Report”.

At least I think it’s satire.  It could well be true…

Hat tip to my friend, Vanita, for making me aware of  this….

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) – Publishing circles were abuzz today with the news that the new memoir by former Vice President Dick Cheney features a foreword by an unusual contributor: Satan.

In his introduction, the Prince of Darkness said he rarely reads political memoirs but made an exception in the case of Mr. Cheney “because we had worked so closely together in the past.”

When he began to read the Cheney manuscript, however, the Lord of Misrule said he was “surprised” by what he found.

“Quite honestly, I couldn’t put it down,” Satan wrote.  “It was almost like a book I would have written myself.”

In what could be construed as minor criticism of the book, Satan admitted he was “miffed” that Mr. Cheney took total credit for the idea of invading Iraq, but added, “We were such close collaborators at the time, it may be hard for Dick to remember whose idea was whose – half the time we were finishing each other’s sentences.”

While Satan said he is unlikely to make a habit of writing introductions to books, he said that he could foresee making another exception in the future: “I’ve heard Rupert Murdoch is working on his memoir.”

Elsewhere, after Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) said God created last week’s earthquake and hurricane to punish America, God issued this rebuttal: “Actually, that’s why I created Michele Bachmann.”

via Cheney’s Book Features Foreword by Satan « Borowitz Report.

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September 4, 2011 · 6:46 pm

Beware Rick Perry: The Bushies Are At It Again…

The Bushies really hate Rick Perry, so they are going after Chris “Two Tons of Fun” Christie, the NJ Governor to try to push him into the GOP Presidential Primary to undercut Perry.

And Sarah Palin is still doing her Hamlet routine:  To run or not to run, that is the question….

The fun is just beginning….

 

The speculation simply won’t die. On Sunday, former George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson said that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was “actively” weighing the option of jumping into the Republican presidential race amid voter discontent with the current field.

“I don’t think Republicans regard this as a strong field,” Gerson said, during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” “So there is still talk of people getting in the race. Not just [Sarah] Palin but last week, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey was in Chicago and had two meetings with serious Republican groups from the Midwest.”

via Chris Christie ‘Actively.. Considering Getting In This Race’: Bush Aide.

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September 4, 2011 · 5:36 pm

Happy Labor Day: Brought to You by the Unions

Remember when we actually manufactured things in the USA?

Remember when Union Membership was something people were proud of

Remember when Unions were admired?

Remember when there was a Middle Class?

The GOP and the Republicans really turned those images around-while sending jobs overseas and cutting benefits….

Think back to this ad in 1981.

Think back to “Norma Rae”.

THINK!!!

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September 3, 2011 · 8:43 pm

Cincinnati Man, Dies From Toothache, Couldn’t Afford Meds

This is just incredibly sad.  And wouldn’t have happened in Canada, the UK, France or most other civilized countries.

This type of tragedy will just continue to play out until people get past their fear of “socialized medicine” and develop a healthy fear of how the insurance companies prevent people from being covered or getting the care they need.

Tell me again how everything is better in the U.S.A and I’ll tell you again to stop drinking the Kool Aid.  The insurance companies played the public like a cheap violin during the health care debate to prevent a public option.

Now we still have inequality and tragedy for the growing number of people without health insurance…

Oh, and don’t forget the GOP still wants to get rid of Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly and the very poor who do have some government coverage.

 

 

Kyle Willis, a 24-year-old man from Ohio, died on Wednesday from a tooth infection, Cincinati’s WLWT reported.

According to the station, Willis’ wisdom tooth began hurting two weeks ago, and dentists said it needed to be removed.

Willis, however, was a single father without health insurance, and couldn’t afford the procedure.

After developing severe headaches and facial swelling, he went to the emergency room.

Although doctors recommended antibiotics and pain medication, Willis could only afford one.

Patti Collins, Willis’s aunt, told WLWT what happened next.

“‘The (doctors) gave him antibiotic and pain medication. But he couldn’t afford to pay for the antibiotic, so he chose the pain meds, which was not what he needed,’ Collins said. Doctors told Willis’ family that while the pain had stopped, the infection kept spreading — eventually attacking his brain and causing it to swell.”

Willis leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter, and family members are hoping to create a fund for her future college education.

Dr. Irvin Silverstein, a dentist at the University of California told ABC news that Willis’ story isn’t uncommon.

“People don’t realize that dental disease can cause serious illness.The problems are not just cosmetic. Many people die from dental disease. When people are unemployed or don’t have insurance, where do they go? What do they do? Silverstein said. People end up dying, and these are the most treatable, preventable diseases in the world.”

Four years ago, 12-year-old Demonte Drived died after his mother, Alyce, couldn’t find a dentist who took Medicaid and bacteria from a tooth abscess spread to his brain.

A Kaiser Family Foundation report found that between 2007 and 2008, the number of uninsured adults rose by 1.5 million.

via Kyle Willis, Cincinnati Man, Dies From Toothache, Couldn’t Afford Meds (VIDEO).

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