GOP blocks 9/11 first responders bill; ABC, CBS, and NBC ignore the story

It's been a very busy time around here, but I wanted to take a few minutes to alert others, to fellow bloggers, and those of conscience regardless of your political philosophy, of a tragedy that's ongoing  and the lack of response by our government that should be labeled a national disgrace

First responders to the September 11, 2001 tragedy are dying at an alarming rate, and our elected officials are letting it happen.

And, according to MediaMatters contributor Eric Boehlert NONE of the news broadcasts of ABC, NBC, and CBS covered the story of the Friday December 10 vote in the United States Senate of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 . This bill had a price tag of $7.4 billion, and would have been set up to cover the medical expenses of the heroic first responders to the attack on New York's World Trade Center, many of whom have had medical problems linked to the toxic atmosphere in aftermath of the tragedy. These were first responders from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and later from other areas of the United States.

The bill made it to the United States Senate yesterday.....and it was killed by a Republican filibuster in a 57-42 vote to begin debate. Sixty votes were needed to move forward.

Republicans said that the cost of the $7.4 billion, a mere fraction of the total cost of the Iraq War, was too high. The vote went along party lines.

The GOP leadership has made it clear that no new business will be considered until the extension of the Bush era tax cuts to even the wealthiest Americans is finalized.

The Republican Party, which at every opportunity has wrapped itself in the American flag and preached God and country, are now telling heroes of 9/11, those who came to the aid of their country when it was needed out of sense of purpose and duty, that they have to wait until the rest of America gets a tax cut before they will raise a finger to help. And then they'll try to blame Democrats for the stalemate.

Sadly, I think this lack of response and empathy for the first responders is part of a pattern of our society, our media, and our government, to distance themselves from 9/11. The public wants to forget. The news media sees it as an old story. And there are those in the federal government who don'twant to deal with the first responders because it might involve paying for the medical expenses of those who need it....got to get those tax cuts so a zillionare can get his new yacht.

Cancer schmancer....

To the GOP senators who say "we don't have the money" I say- in this cleanup up version- that's bullcrap.

Find it. For once, do the right thing. Country first, heh? It's just one big lie that you sold on the American people in last month's midterms.

The GOP's stance on this bill is nauseating, disgusting....and cowardly.

The following excerpt is from the statement of New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

"The idea that tax cuts for millionaires would derail this legislation is simply outrageous and offensive," she said. "The men and women who rushed to the burning towers and worked for hundreds of hours on the pile did not delay and the Senate should not have delayed either, certainly not to give tax breaks for millionaires. We should not have to wait for tax deals to do what's right."

I want to take a second to point out that locally, some in the New York City area media have done much to keep the story of the plight of the 9/11 first responders alive. In particular, PIX 11 has been updating the story and doing updates on air and online.

Click the link below for Eric Boehlert's story on the vote....and note his update- if you wanted to know how the Senate vote went on this bill yesterday don't bother watching Brian, Katie or Diane....the DAILY SHOW with John Stewart covered it.


GOP blocks 9/11 first responders bill; ABC, CBS, and NBC ignore the story

Joe Scarborough Hits Sarah Palin In Op-Ed

Yes, I'm back after taking a few very needed days off for Thanksgiving to spend with friends and family.....and then some extra time to clean up the mess we created, and take a day or so to recover....and stretch it out as long as possible. My fellow bloggers have been doing their stellar job and covered most of the bases, but I just came across this article, and ready or not, here's my two cents.

In Politico, former GOP congressman and current MSNBC host Joe Scarborough takes Sarah Palin to task for being Sarah Palin; that is, being a reality show personality by choice, and one who has practically no chance at all of ever being elected President of the United States. In a recent interview with Barbara Walters, Palin said that she believed she could defeat Barack Obama in 2012.

Also in in Walters interview Plain seemed to downplay Ronald Reagan, a figure close to sainthood in the Republican pantheon of heroes, as well as her referring to President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush as "blue bloods".

Scarborough says the following about the young Sarah Palin and her contrast to the young George Bush, a naval pilot during World War II.

I suppose Palin's harsh dismissal of this great man is more understandable after one reads her biography and realizes that, like Bush, she accomplished a great deal in her early 20s. Who wouldn't agree that finishing third in the Miss Alaska beauty contest is every bit as treacherous as risking your life in military combat? Maybe the beauty contestant who would one day be a reality star and former governor didn't win the Distinguished Flying Cross, but the half-termer was selected as Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

To anyone who's ever read my blog you know that I'm a lifelong Democrat, but one who did a 180 in my assessment of the first President Bush after reading the book Flyboys by James Bradley several years ago. I may not agree with George HW's politics, but I never questioned his commitment to his country or his patriotism. He left Yale at age 18 and was at the time the youngest aviator in the US Navy. His father, Senator Prescott Bush, told George he could get him a deferment from the draft- George wouldn't hear of it. He believed it was his duty to serve when so many with less advantage then he were being drafted to fight the Nazis and Imperial Japan. He was shot down near Chichi Jima, near the more famous island of Iwo Jima in September 1944. Though his plane was burning, and most of crew was killed, Bush completed his mission before ending up ain the ocean; Bush barely avoided capture by the Japanese, who at that time were executing mots of their allied prisoners.

Some blue blood.

And Sarah Palin?

A reality show star, former beauty queen.....and a governor who quit her job in the middle of the worst recession in 80 years to get rich through book deals and speaking engagements.

Below, more from THE HUFFINGTON POST on Scarborough's verbal evisceration of the famous Half Term (former) Governor of Alaska.....you betcha.





READ MORE.....Joe Scarborough Hits Sarah Palin In Op-Ed

Christie-anity; A Sampler Of Cartoons Starring The Governor of New Jersey

I was going to say a few words about the Governor of  New Jersey- now that his National Tour 2010 has ended and he's staying in state for a few weeks- but then I decided to let it pass. Anyway, our blogger pal TC wrote an excellent piece featuring Chris Christie called Journalism; The Good, the Bad, and The Republican. It shows the vindictiveness of Governor Christie, no holds barred, and how he had no qualms about allowing the personal destruction of a woman who spoke disparagingly of him.....even if it meant choosing to ally himself to a convicted criminal to do so.

There are 45 Chris Christie entries on this blog, and many more related to New Jersey politics. I think I'll just post some of the works of the nation's and New Jersey's best cartoonists, and amuse or outrage you, depending on your political views.

And in closing.....today 130 employees of New Jersey Network received their layoff notices, effective in 45 days. Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

New Jersey Network went on the air in 1971. It's purpose was to provide New Jersey specific news to the only state in the union that did not have its own VHF television station at that time. In a cost cutting move, the governor and members of the legislature want NJN to be privatized or to become a non profit. The lights will go out at NJN at the end of the year if no alternatives can be found.

So far, no plan is in place for the future of NJN.

In Analysis; A Look At The Results of the 2010 Midterm Elections

Above, President Obama talks to probable new Speaker of the House John Boehner on election night 2010


Commentary

It's the economy, stupid!

And it was heard, loud and clear from sea to shining sea. Republicans rode the wave of voter discontent to take control of the House of Representatives last night, but didn't take the Senate. On the House side, Democrats controlled that body, 255-178. It looks as if the the Republican takeover could get the GOP a 242-193 edge (estimated at this hour). the Senate will remain in Democratic hands, with 49 seats (and two independents caucusing with them)in their hands, plus the tie breaking vote of Vice President Joe Biden. You can read about the individual races nationwide, but here are a few thoughts and notes I made overnight.

1. The GOP won the House yesterday, but now they have to deliver. The Republicans told voters that government needs to get smaller and spend less. Not one of the Republican leaders, such as probable new Speaker of the House John Boehner or his #2 Eric Cantor, is specific as to what will be cut. Their job creation plan seems to be hold unto the Bush tax cuts and hope that the private sector reinvests in America and gets the American economy moving again. And how will the House co-operate with President Obama and his administration? They cannot remain the "party of no"- they have to get something done, and they have to do it soon. The 2010 midterm was about change, as were the elections of 2006 and 2008. The Republican House cannot be obstructionist because if they are they'll lose the House as quickly as they won it in 2012.

2. Can the Republican leadership keep it's Tea Party faction on a short leash?. Despite their failures in most Senate races, the Tea Party emerged as a force to be reckoned within the GOP. Tea Party backed Republican candidates won 113 of 129 House races. Many of these new representatives ran on the "strength" of not being professional politicians. Now comes their reality check- politics IS a profession. They have a job to do, and some of the more extreme members can't be concerned with the birth certificate or "secret Muslim faith" of the President, or be involved in whacky schemes to have the President impeached. Sarah Palin and her guy on the inside of Washington, Jim De Mint, let the genie out of the bottle, and now the mainstream of the GOP have to deal with a probable divide from within, conservative vs. ultra-conservative.

3. Barack Obama is a brilliant man, a good leader, but not the world's greatest politician. The Democrats were poised to lose Congressional seats last night; that's what happens in midterms. But losses could have been minimized if the President did a better job of selling his accomplishments to the voters. Much time was devoted to healthcare reform while unemployment hovered at close to 10%. Healthcare reform should have been presented in a way as to show how getting away from employer mandated healthcare could help private enterprise, but the administration's message was weak.

And the President should have been more adamant about job creation. If there was no co-operation given by Republicans and the private sector, he needed to take that to the American people. Instead, he held an olive branch to Republicans instead of a club.

America wanted to see co-operation between the Democrats and Republicans, but it wasn't going to happen. Everything the President wanted to do was opposed by Republicans. Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, said early on his aim was to make Barack Obama a one term president. The President should have taken him at his word, because now the GOP's plan is very close to being on schedule.

4. The Reagan Democrats of the Rust Belt went to the GOP. This might be the most disturbing factor of the night for Democrats. Part of the coalition that swept Barack Obama to the White House in 2008 went to the other side in large numbers. The Great Recession of 2008 is over, so say economists. But many former industrial workers in the vast area stretching from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, the Great Lakes region, have been living in near depression realities for years. In those states unemployment has topped the unacceptable 9.6% national average for years, and the anxiety of the laid off workers who are living off of their life savings were part of the angry backlash.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews is a Philly guy who "gets it". Early this morning he talked about the need to for America to start making things again, in factories, manufacturing, and in public works. The auto industry in the Midwest was saved by a bailout, but it had been on the ropes for years. The American heartland has always been where America made things, and now we are not. President Obama and the Dems will be OK in New England, the Mid Atlantic, and the West Coast. The Mountain West and the South are owned by Republicans. Obama must get the Rust Belt on the way to recovery, and soon, or he may have trouble winning a second term.

5.) The 2012 election cycle begins now, and I think the President's challenger will come from the New Jersey . The power struggle from within the Republican Party to produce a challenger to Barack Obama begins in earnest today. The mainstream GOP has a nominal leader in John Boehner; the Tea Party is for all practical purposes led by Sarah Palin. Get ready for oil mixing with water.

The conventional wisdom is that Sarah Palin would be a weak candidate for the Republicans to run against the President; her negatives are higher than Obama's. The party insiders dislike Mitt Romney, a man who's positions seem to change with the direction of political winds. Haley Barbour and Mike Huckabee would just reinforce the perception of the GOP as a Southern party.

I really think the Republicans will try to catch lightning in a bottle and urge Chris Christie, New Jersey's governor of less than a year, and a former federal prosecutor, to run in 2012. He's become a rock star among Republicans despite his lack of a track record, because of his tough talk and in your face style. He could run strong in the Mid Atlantic region as well.

And I don't think it's a crazy idea; Obama and Palin had little experience on the bigger stage, and found themselves on national tickets in 2008; one is President of the United States, the other is now the leader of an effective populist movement.

As I said on another board late last night, Tip O'Neill had it right; all politics is local. And I think New Jersey and it's governor are about to get a national spotlight put on them starting today.

Gov. Christie shouldn't cozy up to muckraker of 'Teachers Union Gone Wild' | NJ.com

In the Friday October 29th edition of the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), the editorial board chastised Governor Chris Christie for apparently choosing to ally himself with conservative muckraker James O'Keefe and, in the Star-Ledger's words, "(for co-opting) the questionable material for his political purposes".

The "questionable material" is a video called "Teachers Gone Wild" which supposedly shows less than extraordinary behavior by teachers (NJEA members), administrators, and union reps. For all of you newbies, Chris Christie and the NJEA, New Jersey's largest teacher's union, have been engaged in open warfare from Day One of the current administration.

Every taxpayer in New Jersey may have a beef with the NJEA; they might be the biggest lightning rod locally since Darryl Strawberry's days with the Mets or Patrick Ewing's near misses at titles with the Knicks. But for a sitting governor, and former federal prosecutor, to ally himself with O'Keefe's background is questionable in itself.

Conservatives and Tea Partiers love O'Keefe because of his videos that brought down ACORN last year. But then last January O'Keefe posed as a repairman to try to tap the office phone of Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu in a federal building, was caught along with his accomplices, and temporarily jailed with felony charges. The felony charges were dropped and reduced to a misdemeanor; O'Keefe was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service, and fined $1,500.

And then the James O'Keefe saga starts to get really weird.

CNN's investigative reporter Abbie Boudreau was putting together a series on young conservative activists in the United States. One of the persons Boudreau wanted to interview was James O'Keefe. O'Keefe agreed to a meeting with Boudreau aboard a boat in Maryland. Supposedly Boudreau and O'Keefe were to discuss a music video; O'Keefe told Boudreau the meeting on the boat was an attempt to protect his privacy.

But it was a setup, an attempt to "punk" and discredit Abbie Boudreau. O'Keefe had champagne and strawberries, and a plethora of sex toys and aids onboard the small boat. He was going to attempt to seduce Abbie Boudreau, and get it on tape in to discredit her and CNN. An associate of O'Keefe's tipped off Boudreau to the plot. This became one of the most bizarre stories to surface last summer.



It is amazing to me that a former federal prosecutor and current governor would ally himself to a man who'd enter a federal building under false pretenses to secretly tape a sitting member of Congress. Add to that, O'Keefe's lame and hairbrained plan to sandbag Abbie Boudreau and CNN for his own agenda.

But I suppose Chris Christie and James O'Keefe do share one thing in common; it's all about winning. It doesn't matter who gets hurt, it's all about painting the other guy as a villain, even if it means showing a distorted view to their true believers and to those sitting on a fence.

Some say "Chris Christie for President in 2012". Who knows? Maybe James O'Keefe can be his communications director.

Click the link below to read the Star-Ledger editorial about the Christie- O'Keefe relationship.




Gov. Christie shouldn't cozy up to muckraker of 'Teachers Union Gone Wild' | NJ.com

Christie to tunnel commuters: Drop dead | NJ.com

The editorial board of The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest daily newspaper, tells of how the killing of the ARC project by Governor Chris Christie will impact the New Jersey-New York area not only for years, but for generations to come.

Well done, SL.

Click the link below to read more.

Christie to tunnel commuters: Drop dead | NJ.com

Christie To Kill ARC Project- Tunnel Vision For The Future; His Own

Commentary

There was once a time when New Jersey made things. We had auto assembly plants, breweries, factories that made electronic components, and New Jersey built some of America's first super highways, like US 1, the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. We had "cloverleaves" and bridge projects, and Trenton used to make, and the world did take.

We used to have a film industry here as well. Actually, the first films were produced by Thomas Edison, and there were studios in Fort Lee, before sunny California beckoned the fledgling movie moguls. In more recent years TV became an important industry in New Jersey with The Sopranos and most recently Law and Order; SVU.

Terence Winter and Martin Scorsese wanted to film HBO's Boardwalk Empire in Asbury Park. However, the tax credit given for film production was discontinued by the new administration of Governor Chris Christie, the tough talking guy who's the nation's Republicans have fallen in love with- probably because they don't have to deal with him on a daily basis. Anyway, Boardwalk Empire moved it's operation to Brooklyn, and SVU crossed the Hudson into New York after spending it's first 11 seasons being filmed in New Jersey. New York offers a tax credit for film production; NJ doesn't. Say goodbye to New Jersey's film industry.

On May 3, 2009 the largest public works project in the United States was begun in North Bergen, a new railroad tunnel, the first in nearly a century to connect New Jersey and New York. The project was known as Access to the Region's Core, or ARC. The tunnel would burrow 100 feet below the Hudson River and end at a new 34th Street train station in Manhattan. At the station there would be access to 14 subway lines, PATH trains, and the Long Island Railroad. The full story behind the tunnel and the history of previous construction can be found here.

The tunnel project would provide thousands of construction jobs in Northern New Jersey, as many as 40,000 permanent job after the completion of the tunnel project, would cut the commute time for some riders in half, and add increased property value to tens of thousands of New Jersey homes. Candidate Chris Christie supported the tunnel project and reaffirmed his commitment to it after his election.

But today, Governor Chris Christie, citing cost over runs of $1.1 billion to $5.3 billion has decided to cancel the ARC project for good. He initially canceled the project on October 7, but then conferred with US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, and went on to further review the funding over the next two weeks, in between his stops across America campaigning for Republican candidates in this year's mid term elections.

Some will call Chris Christie a man of vision. But I for one see him a man of only one vision- of himself as the Republican challenger for the presidency of the United States in 2012.

Christie appears to be adamant in obtaining federal money to cover any cost overruns; in using this approach he puts the onus on the Feds for the collapse of the ARC project while enhancing his status as a tax cutting, spending slashing, fire breathing star of the GOP. He can flip flop on his commitment to the tunnel project because it died because the Obama administration won't give New Jersey anymore money....so he'll say.

And while federal authorities have offered to find alternate financing or even scale back the project, Chris Christie appears to be entrenched and inflexible in his position, despite the benefits the completion of the ARC project would have. The commuter, already saddled with higher fees and less service since Christie took office, is getting socked yet again.

Here's what I find most disturbing. When the state of New Jersey said it would not fund the $1.5 billion New Meadowlands Stadium, the ownership of the Giants and Jets found ways to get it financed and built. I find it it impossible to believe that New Jersey, with the resources available from both the public and private sector, couldn't find a way to cover any potential overruns. If the overrun was low at $1.1 billion, you mean to say the state, the Feds, and the Port Authority couldn't find a way to get the cash and get it done now? Because the bottomline is new tunnels will be needed, and needed soon. At what point do the existing one hundred year old tunnels become so unsafe that they have to be closed, leaving New Jersey, New York, and AMTRAK in an impossible situation managing the masses that commute or use the train for travel along the Eastern Seaboard.

In this two week window of review since the first closure of the ARC project, it appears that Governor Christie spent little time in seeking alternate financing to get the job done. It's pretty hard to do your job properly when the chief executive of New Jersey is at a GOP dinner in Indiana..... or in in Connecticut campaigning for Linda McMahon.... or in Florida, stumping for Marco Rubio. In the past six weeks or so when this crisis was bubbling to a surface, we could find Christie in Pennsylvania speaking for numerous candidates, or in California campaigning for Meg Whitman (and ripping into a protester in the audience....there's nothing like being confrontational to someone YOU think is confrontational to calm things down).

The Chris Christie Ego Tour 2010 seems to be winding down with the midterms on Tuesday. And much like his fiasco regarding the loss of $400 million in federal RACE TO THE TOP funding because of a clerical error- and Christie's unwillingness to compromise (or even APPEAR to compromise) with the NJEA, his decision to sink the ARC project seems to be driven by political ambition over the real needs of the state of New Jersey. This is a mistake that will impact not only New Jersey, but the whole region as well.

We....all of us....deserve so much better than this.

Meghan McCain on Christine O'Donnell | Political Headlines | Comcast.net

Just after I went to Sue's blog and ranted that "everyone" (meaning "Republicans") seem to have really lost their minds and let this election turn into a complete freakshow....

There comes Meghan McCain. Proof that not everyone in the GOP has moved to the lunatic fringe. On This Week with Christiane Amanpour , Ms. McCain was one Republican who stated something so obvious that anyone with a fully functioning brain should understand....that Christine O'Donnell, the Tea Party/Republican candidate for the Senate in Delaware, is unqualified to be elected to the US Senate.

"My problem is that, no matter what, Christine O'Donnell is making a mockery of running for public office," I said. "She has no real history, no real success in any kind of business... [the message] that sends to my generation is: One day you can just wake and run for Senate, no matter how [much of] a lack of experience you have. And it scares me for a lot of reasons."

The next day she woke up to alot of anger directed at her from the Tea Party and from some in Republican circles. Click here for Meghan McCain's rebuttal to her critics.


But next will Meghan talk about Levi Johnston, the Wannabe Mayor of Wasilla, who's lack of credentials make Christine O'Donnell look like an overachiever? Talk about a campaign about nothing.

No $75 ? Let It Burn; A Preview of "Tea Party America"?

As most readers know by now, Gene Cranick lost all his possessions, including three dogs and a cat, because his mobile home is Western Tennessee was allowed to burn to the ground because he failed to pay a $75 municipal fee that would have given him fire protection. Cranick called to report the fire last week and offered to pay the $75 to the South Fulton fire department, who refused to respond because doing so would only encourage others not to pay the fee.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said the following (from The Huffington Post)....

""Anybody that's not in the city of South Fulton, it's a service we offer, either they accept it or they don't."

This is a story that has resonated through America, and well it should. And it should be a cautionary tale to all of those who may have been seduced by the call of "government should be run like a business", that "government is always the problem, never the solution", and "smaller government now!". What is on display in this case is a possible preview of what life in Tea Party America could look like.....lower taxes, but "user fees" for governmental services.

User fees- remember that term. Because Republicans and their Tea Party buddies always talk about lowering taxes. But one of the ways they get money into the public coffers is increase user fees for government run entities. When Christine Todd Whitman became was elected governor of New Jersey in 1993 she ran on a platform to lower the state income tax by 10% each year for three years. The state income tax was lowered....but tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway rose, and new toll booths were constructed in areas where previously there were none. New and higher user fees.

Call it a GOP shell game.

So let's examine some possible scenarios in "Ala Carte Tea Party America".

Do you want to send your kids to a public school? Pay a fee. But remember, since not everyone is paying property or income taxes to support the school system, the citizen could be shelling out a lot more money in fees than in property taxes.

What about law enforcement, garbage pickup, libraries, snow removal, senior services, unemployment compensation....and fire protection? Do we offer it "ala carte"? And when the next flood hits in Wayne, NJ or Alton, IL or Nashville, TN does the 911 operator have to punch in your ID and check the computer program to see which government services you've paid for?

Boat and watercraft sales should be healthy in this not so brave new world.

Here in New Jersey families are starting to pay fees if their kids want to play interscholastic sports, and other school systems are imposing fees for students to take field trips. We already have teachers who routinely shell hundreds of dollars of their own money for school supplies because state aid has been cut to a trickle thanks to the New Jersey Mouth That Roared, Governor Chris Christie, now with his road show at a GOP event near you.

This tragedy to Gene Cranick is something that never, ever should have happened in the United States of America. Period and end of story. The lack of response to the burning of Cranick's home, where firefighters did show up to protect his neighbor's home, was a scenario similar to America of the 19th century, where fire protection was done by subscription, and often fires went out of control because the occupiers of the burning buildings didn't pay for fire protection.

The Grand Poobah of The Tea Party, Mr. Glenn Beck, the man who invoked God from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August for a new nation under God, said the following about the incident (from Newser)....

The argument about Cranick’s case will go “nowhere if you go onto ‘compassion, compassion, compassion, compassion’ or well, ‘they should’ve put it out, what is the fire department for?’” Beck said. “No, what is the $75 for?”

After all, he points out, “if they did put the fire out and make an exception for your house and you didn’t pay,” then “would anyone pay their $75?” (His producer helped Beck along in his explanation by mimicking Cranick’s accent for nearly the entire segment.) The fee is “to pay for the fire department to have people employed to put the fire out,” Beck continued, and to use fire services without paying the fee “would be sponging off of your neighbor’s $75.”

My question to Glenn Beck regarding this matter is very simple. If told another person's home was on fire and helped was asked for......what would Jesus do?

If you don't think He'd call for a thunderstorm to douse the flames, He's at least find a way to help...for free.

And if it were too late and the home was lost, He'd comfort the person who lost his home instead of ridiculing and trashing him.

Below, Gene Cranick talks to Keith Olbermann on COUNTDOWN.



In closing, I just watched the interview Olbermann had with Gene Cranick a second time, and I'm torn between profound sadness and outright rage. How can this be allowed to occur in our country? Lincoln spoke of "our better angels"....and thank goodness there are those good people of compassion and justice who are willing and able to speak up for those who have been wronged.

And as for those who say Cranick got what he deserved....quite frankly, they make me sick. This should be beyond politics or ideology. These are individuals who say human evolution is only a theory, yet they adhere and practice social and economic Darwinism.....survival of the fittest.

As for Glenn Beck....I can only say that this self appointed God fearing Christian and savior of America might be the the biggest hypocrite walking the earth. A man who lacks the basic compassion of Christ, and is nothing more than a cheap carnival huckster playing the role of American Messiah.

But the truly delusional are those who believe his gibberish. And PT Barnum is sitting up in his grave, winking at the poor suckers....and there are a lot of them.

If The Republicans Take The House- JOE BARTON WILL CHAIR COMMITTEE TO REPEAL HEALTHCARE REFORM

Hey kids!

Do you remember long, long ago, when there was this hole in the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, caused when an oil platform owned by BP....(wasn't it called the "Deepwater Horizon?).....burned down and which resulted in millions of barrels of crude oil spilling into the Gulf from April 22 to July 15, 2010? And do you remember the hundreds of millions of dollars lost by the tourist industry, and by the shrimpers, the fishermen, and hotels and restaurants the five state Gulf region? And how about the severe damage done to the fragile ecosystem of the Gulf, the extent of which is still not known nor will it be for years to come.

There was greed, thee was negligence, there was inaction, there was recklessness....there was BP, primarily responsible for the greatest ecological disaster in American history.

And then there was the sight of Rep. Joe Barton (TX- 6th District, R) apologizing to BP CEO Tony Hayward in a Congressional hearing in June, saying that the President of the United States was trying to shakedown BP.




Shortly after this apology to Tony Hayward, Joe Barton was forced to to apologize for his apology by the Republican leadership. You'd think after this completely mindless display by Barton that he'd become a pariah, and forced to take a "timeout", or get to the end of the line....no way.

Joe Barton remains the ranking minority member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and all indications are that if the Republicans gain control of the House it's Barton who would become chairman of the committee.

That's right, the man who defended BP after the Gulf Oil spill will be chairing a committee that is responsible for overseeing oil regulations and sale, and other commerce in the United States.

And in his role as chairman of this committee, one of the things at the top of his (and the Republican's) agenda would be to repeal the Health Care Bill of 2010., the law that is derisively called "Obamacare" by the Right Wing and their minions. The repeal of the Health Care Bill is a cornerstone of the GOP's new gimmick, it's Pledge To America....and Joe Barton, will be leading the fight to undue reforms that have been needed in this country since the end of the Second World War.



We've already seen that Barton would (and does) carry water for Big Oil, and his uncompromising opposition to healthcare reform further paints a picture of man who claims to be of the people, but really isn't.

More of Joe Barton's Greatest Hits......

On the repeal of energy efficiency standards (passed during the Bush Administration).

Barton among conservative congressmen who threatened to withhold funding to PBS when international versions SESAME STREET introduced an HIV positive character. They didn't want any such characters on the American version.

Barton on his opposition to the "speculative" Climate Change Bill.


You want a rerun of the Bush years?

Stay home on election day, and you could get it.

See What Happens When You STAY HOME ON ELECTION DAY!!!!!

Opinion
Yeah, yeah, yeah....."Those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it". And it appears that the same 59,054,087 Bush voters from 2004 are still alive, still voting.....and have the attention span of a gnat.

I've had the picture above stored on my hardrive....from London's DAILY MIRROR.....and I take a peak at it everytime I start having problems with President Obama and any of his "mis-steps". I have to take a look at the guy who set the stage for the mess the country found ourselves in, and who left it for his successor to lead us out of the abyss.

It appears that many in this nation want to take us back to The Daze of Dubya, and keep swinging it to the right. And it also looks like there are enough disenchanted independents and Democrats who will stay home and not vote in November's midterm elections, thus giving Republicans (read "Tea Baggers") the House and possibly the Senate.

And once again America would be in the hands of Republicans, guys who the man on the street would be happy having a beer with, just like Dubya.

And once again, the little guy will get stuck with the tab.It didn't work out so well the first time, did it?

Honestly, if asked if Barack Obama has been a complete success in his first two years, I'd have to say no he has not. But in saying that I'd say he was a vast improvement over his predecessor. His biggest fault, I'm sorry to say, was his wasted effort trying to establish some sort of bipartisanship with a Republican Party that tried to overtly and covertly render his presidency dead in it's infancy. He did a poor job explaining his healthcare bill to the public, and because of that the bill, which is needed to insure millions of those who have no health insurance or can't be insured because of an existing condition, is being sold as "Obamacare" and used as a weapon against Democrats in the midterms.

And sadly....but predictably....many Democrats are running from this President in droves. Probably something of not being able to pick the people you're in a fox hole with.

The so called "99'ers" are threatening to just stay home this November to punish the Democrats. That would probably insure a Republican takeover of Congress, and undoubtedly more gridlock, probably worse than ever before, at a time when we need it the least.

You can say- if you wish- the 59,054,087 people who voted for Dubya in 2004 did something that was either partisan, or else very dumb.

But there is dumb....and to paraphrase from a Grade B movie...."dumberer".

And in my eyes, the definition of "dumberer" is any reasonable person who, seeing how the far right loons and plutocrats have seized control of the once great Republican Party,  does nothing to try and stop a catastrophic return to the policies that got us where we are.

My fellow progressives...real patriots get off their asses.

And they vote.

Obama Appoints NJ Governor Christie To Presidential Trade Panel

Several weeks ago New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie erroneously tried to blame the Obama Administration for New Jersey's failure to obtain $400 million in "Race To The Top" funds for the state's schools. The Governor said it was a case Washington bureaucracy doing the wring thing. But when a video provided by the Obama administration proved that Christie's team did not follow instructions to provide financial figures requested for the necessary years to the panel, and his own people were at fault, Christie fired his education commissioner, Bret Schundler, and then told all who would listen that Schundler lied to him, an allegation Schundler denies.

But it's a new month, and with Coobaya playing in the background, it's a new relationship for Chris Christie and President Barak Obama.

On Wednesday President Obama appointed Christie to The Advisory Committee For Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). His term will be for two years.

Christie has said he is honored to be appointed to this committee, and he is the only governor appointed to the 45 member panel so far.

VERY interesting............

There is a quote usually attributed to the fictional Don Corleone in The Godfather; actually, it was first said 2,500 years ago by the Chinese general Sun-tzu......

"Keep our friends close, and your enemies closer".

I wonder if Christie will ever pose for a photo with Mr. Obama?

The Tea Party has just begun to hunt RINOS.

Ohio Candidate is America's Angriest Republican......and a YouTube Sensation

Phil Davison, Republican candidate for Stark County (Ohio) treasurer, gave an impassioned speech that has become a viral YouTube sensation. Rather than me try to describe his delivery and style, take a look for yourself (be sure to pause the annoying 1960's music that I still love, than play the vid). I'm sure he just might remind you of someone you've seen on TV before.....perhaps on a Saturday night, many years ago.




How dare he steal the act of the late Chris Farley as "Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker"! Has he no shame! Do you think I'm kidding? Look at the video below.


Matt Foley halloween special
Uploaded by roxannekitty. - Click for more funny videos.

Yeah, we get it....Phil has a master's degree in communications.

Next he'll be saying that he "lives in a van down by the river"....in beautiful Minerva, Ohio.

More from The Washington Post.

Midterms 2010; Gallup Poll (9/810) Dems and GOP Are Even at 46%

"As Homer goes, so goes the nation"


Some pundits were calling it a likely Republican tsunami for the Congressional midterm elections in November. Last week, a generic Gallup Poll had the Republicans leading Democrats by a whopping ten points, the largest gap in decades of polling for midterm elections.

But that was last week.....and as Lee Corso says on ESPN's College Game Day....."Not so fast, my friend". Before John Boehner can order his new Speaker's gavel the Republicans just might have a dogfight on their hands.....the latest Gallup Poll released today shows both parties are tied at 46%. Both of the Democrats and Republican faithful say that they will vote for their party (both at 93%), but as of now the GOP does lead for the Independent vote by 16 points (49 to 33%).

Twice as many Republicans are enthusiastic about voting (50 to 25%). And what should be a concern to Democrats is the lack of interest in voting in the midterms by young people, women, and African Americans, according to Gallup; those were demographics that swept Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008.

Also of note- Republicans seem to prefer a candidate who has not served in Congress, while Dems would rather have a candidate who has Congressional experience. Incidentally, neither Democrats nor Republican nor Independent voters are giving Congress a ring endorsement; only 38% of the Dems, 5% of Republicans, and 14% of Indies say that Congress is doing a good job.

Well...it is after Labor Day. Put away your white clothes, get your chimney swept and cover that above ground pool. It's unofficially fall, and it's time for America's three favorite sports; NFL Football, the World Series, and politics, politics, politics.

For more on the findings of the latest Gallup Poll, click here.

The Christie Administration's $400,000,000 Clerical Error; "It's Obama's Fault!"

As a practicing Roman Catholic, I was taught that the Pope, in matters of faith, is considered to be infallible....that is, the judgment of the Pontiff is always correct regarding matters of theology.

And as a New Jersey resident, I should feel doubly blessed....for we hath One Among Us, also a Catholic, who in his own mind claims infalliblity as well. He can be found in Trenton, the city that "makes and the world takes"....I knew about pork roll, but I didn't know so much baloney came from Trenton as well.

Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that exclaimed The Buck Stops Here! It's something Republican Governor Chris Christie should have remembered before he started finger pointing, shifting blame, or looking for an underling to throw under the boss when a clerical error by his administration cost New Jersey public schools $400,000,000 in grant money. This is happening at a time when state aid to municipalities has been slashed, several thousands of teachers are being laid off, and classroom and sports programs are discontinued. The State of New Jersey and it's schoolchildren needed that money.

And the Christie Administration let them down.

You've probably heard the story already. The Christie Administration applied for funds under the Race To the Top initiative; New Jersey hoped to get $400 million to aid its ailing schools. On Tuesday the announcement was made that nine states and the District of Columbia would be awarded Race To The Top money. New Jersey came in eleventh, and lost out on the cash.

The application for the grant was specific; it required budgetary data from the years 2008 and 2009. The application delivered to Washington had data for 2010 and 2011. The error in the application cost points in the application, dropping New Jersey to the #11 spot. and no money.

And, in the words of the Star-Ledger Editorial Board, the administration of Christopher James Christie, called by some "the future of the Republican Party" did do the following.....

"It (the error) may have been the most expensive clerical error in the history of mankind."

The full editorial of the Star-Ledger can be found here. And I agree with their statement. The mistake belonged to New Jersey; nine states and the District of Columbia got it right.... and we, the state of New Jersey, did not.

(Click for the August 25, 2010 front page of the Star-Ledger ).

Governor Christie then turned political, and needed to finger someone else. Forget about being a statesman and leader...a screwup like this tarnishes his political present and future.

So Christie needed to fix blame, and said the following.........

"When the president comes back to New Jersey, he's going to have to explain to the people of the state of New Jersey why he's depriving them of $400 million that this application earned because one of his bureaucrats in Washington couldn't pick up the phone and ask a question, couldn't go on the Internet and find information, or wouldn't accept the verbal representation" of the state's education commissioner during a follow-up interview,

What?

Christie's team messes up, and it's the President's fault?

Or let's try the rest of federal government. It seems to work for Boehner, Bachmann, Palin, Gingrich, and company. Here's more from Chris Christie.

""Does anybody in Washington, D.C. have a lick of common sense? Pick up the phone and ask us for the number."

Yes, it was a lot of paperwork, a ridiculous amount.... but the winners did it right. New Jersey didn't. And as the Star-Ledger mentioned in their editorial about Jim Furyk's disqualification from the Barclay's Golf Tournament because he arrived five minutes late.....those are the rules. If New Jersey got a mulligan for it's error, then every state that needed to do corrections to get millions of dollars would be doing so, and that would not only result in chaos, but it would be unfair.

So far Christie hasn't thrown anybody under the bus from his administration, but that could change. Here's an item from newjerseynewsroom.com.

"Gov. Chris Christie's Dog Days of August political nightmare continued Thursday as a new report surfaced that the $400 million federal education funding mistake apparently occurred when the governor nixed an agreement on support of aid application between his education commissioner and the NJEA, a statewide teachers' union."

That's right, they initially had the right figures, and had they submitted the original application, New Jersey could have gotten $400 million. Education Commissioner Bret Schundler worked out a deal with the NJEA and the state. But Governor Christie killed the deal. The application was redone, this time with the wrong information.....and it cost New Jersey $400 million.

There's more to come; the Democratic controlled New Jersey Assembly has said that an investigation is in order....and most New Jersey residents seem to agree.

Update!- Friday August 27 9:00am .....Last night news of a video from the US Department of Education broke. The video, in which representative from New Jersey led by NJ Education Commissioner Bret Schundler, presented the state's application for the Race To The Top grant. The video (from newjersey.com) clearly shows that New Jersey's delegation was asked by federal officials about the absence of the requested figures for 2008 and 2009, required on the application. The New Jersey representatives admitted that they did not have those figures available. The speaker from the US Department of Education asked if New Jersey could provide those figures....they were given a second chance.

On that second chance, New Jersey's delegation again was unable to provide the required data.

See the video below.

Excerpt of N.J.'s Race to the Top interview shows officials with no budget answer

More updated information may be found at nj.com.

As I type this at least two New York television stations, FOX 5 and PIX 11, have tried to contact Governor Christie for a comment on the video, which proves his claim that federal bureaucrats prevented New Jersey the chance to make corrections was totally false.

Christie's claim that the reviewers refused to accept corrections after the June 1 deadline was also not correct. New Jersey's delegation was given two chances to fix the problem, and was not able to do so.

Christie did respond to a question from a New Jersey radio station last night about the video and it's implications. He said he hadn't seen the video yet.

Update! Friday August 27 11:41AM NJ..... Education Commissioner Bret Schundler was fired this morning by Governor Chris Christie after Schundler refused to submit his resignation. Full story at nj.com.

The GOP vs The Working Man; NEWT GINGRICH

COUNTDOWN with Keith Olbermann once again gave us a few moments of "must see TV" on Thursday. In a recent interview at humanevents.com, former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote that extension of unemployment benefits gives the incentive to stay on unemployment instead of looking for another job. He went on....

"The Wall Street Journal quotes an engineer who admits he turned down more than a dozen jobs because the salary would have been less then he made on welfare.This story encapsulates the problem of the long-termed unemployed. The depth and length of this recession is at risk of creating a permanent pool of unemployed Americans, who get so used to being unproductive that they are willing to accept welfare indefinitely instead of taking a job."

You would think the former Speaker, who was at one time third in line to the presidency during the Clinton administration, would know the difference between "welfare" and "unemployment insurance".

But he knows the difference. It was just Newt's way of scoring points with his political base.

And by the way....the jobs being offered in the paragraph above would require the hired person to move to Dubai.

In the video below the man referenced by Gingrich, Mike Hatchell of Lumberton, NC- with his wife Sarah- talk about their history, and the truth about why he turned down the job offers. The bottom line is, Mr. Hatchell payed into the unemployment insurance pool for more than 30 years.....it was money he was entitled to, and the depiction of him being on welfare by Gingrich was simply a bold face lie.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama Signs $26 Billion Teacher Jobs Bill; NJ Governor- It's "Ill Advised" , But We'll Take The Cash

Saying that accepting New Jersey's $670 million share of the emergency $26 billion from the Feds for aiding Medicaid and preventing the layoff of several thousand teachers in the Garden State was "ill advised", Governor Chris Christie decided to take the money just the same.

Mike Drewniak, spokesman for the first term Republican governor, said the following....

"(Christie) believes that using this type of non-recurring funding for operating expenses is ill advised because it will disappear after one year."

Christie will apply for the money so that the state can distribute the money and not the federal government. But according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, the funds would reach New Jersey even without Christie's application. The law is written so the Department of Education could “bypass the state government and make awards directly to other entities within the state” if a governor doesn't wish to submit an application.

The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate last week, was was approved in a vote along party lines, 247-161. Democrats say the bill will help to save the jobs of 300,000 teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public employees who would otherwise be laid off due to state and local fiscal woes.

The $26 billion would be paid for by closing a tax loophole used by multinational corporation, and reducing certain foodstamp benefits.

This afternoon, President Obama signed the bill into law.

Republicans railed at the bill.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)- "Where do the bailouts end? Are we going to bail out states next year and the year after that, too? At some point we've got to say, 'Enough is enough.'"

OK, Le Grande Orange....let's say $26 billion doesn't go to the states to help 300,000 public employees keep their jobs. Remember the the Good Old Days of Ronald Reagan, and the "Trickle Down Effect"? Well, it can work both ways.

For example, here in New Jersey 10,000 teachers, cops, firefighters, librarians, sanitation workers, and others would all lose their jobs; with this bill maybe 3,900 could be retained. We would add all 10,000 to the rolls of the 9.5 million unemployed nationally, many of whom would be picking up unemployment checks from the state. Some would have college loans that have federal guarantees that would be in danger of default. Mortgages need to be paid; those laid off could default, leading to more foreclosures. And those who aren't paying a mortgage are renting, and paying off car loans, or supporting aged parents. Those 10,000 might have families; what if they had to go on foodstamps, at taxpayer expense? And those 10,000 won't be spending as much money at the local restaurants, grocery stores, or clothing shops.

And those 10,000 won't be paying local, state, and federal taxes so there would be less money going into those coffers.

Remember....it's all about trickle down.

And while these 10,000 are being laid off, class sizes will get bigger, school bus service will be contracted and less available, full day kindergarten will be half day, sports in middle and elementary schools- and even in some high schools- will be cut back or eliminated, security at schools will be privatized (at taxpayer expense), programs will be eliminated....and say "goodbye" to art and music; if you're shocked at the cultural illiteracy of many young people, it could get worse without access to creative activity.

Rudolf Flesch once wrote a book titled Why Johnny Can't Read- And what You Can Do About It. This bill may not give us any answers. But one thing is crystal clear; laying off 300,000 educators surely isn't going to help educate a nation that is falling behind the rest of the world in math and science skills, where the dropout rate in the inner cities continues to rise, and the functional illiteracy of our youth inches upward.

And Republicans say.....just let it happen.....it costs too much.

But the cost isn't the problem....that would be the price we all would pay by not acting.

BeatBoehner.com; Dem's Justin Coussoule Comes Out Swinging For Ohio 's 8th District

House Minority leader John Boehner's Democratic opponent for the Ohio 8th District, West Point grad and former Army officer Justin Coussoule, may not have paid for it. But he is reaping the benefits of the billboard pictured above of Boehner in his backswing, leaving the impression to some that Boehner played golf 119 times last year.

The billboard, placed on I-75 in Cincinnati, was paid for by Blue America, a progressive PAC. Howie Klein, the PAC's founder, wanted the billboard targeted to voters in Boehner's home district. The PAC is trying to unseat high profile Republicans in selected districts, and Boehner may be the biggest fish of them all....and he may be the toughest one to unseat.

Boehner's camp issued the following statement....

“Congressman Boehner held seven golf events last year, not 119. He did hold 119 events in the District and across the country to benefit conservative candidates, including receptions, meet-and-greets, rallies, speaking engagements, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, but only seven were golf outings. Any assertion to the contrary is false.”

One thing the billboard has done is make people ask just how many times did Boehner really play golf last year?

Also.....how does he keep that natural looking suntan year round?

One thing's for sure....the billboard has gotten some attention from local, state, and national media.

GOP- "Maybe We Should Amend The 14th Amendment"

In 1868 the Republican Party led the fight to grant "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" full citizenship. It was passed during Reconstruction and assured all persons born within the borders of the United States who were formally slaves that they were, indeed, American citizens. The amendment mandated that any and all persons born within the borders of the United States were born American citizens.

In 2010, some of the leadership of that party in the senate are pushing to examine the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship, spurred on by illegal immigrants who have children born in the United States. Among those senators are Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (KY), Lindsey Graham (SC), John Kyl (AZ), and former Republican Presidential candidate John McCain (AZ).

Jeff Sessions(AL) said the following........

"I'm not sure exactly what the drafters of the (14th) amendment had in mind, but I doubt it was that somebody could fly in from Brazil and have a child and fly back home with that child, and that child is forever an American citizen,"

Point taken Senator Sessions. But let me ask you this; if these children born in the United States of illegal immigrant parents have citizenship denied through a repeal of the 14th Amendment, then what nation are they a citizen of?

Or.....if I, an American citizen, were to father a child of an undocumented woman and our child were to be born here in good old New Jersey.....what half of him is a citizen, and what half ain't?

And there are other legal ramifications as well.....check out this video from MSNBC and COUNTDOWN.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So one could extend the question out a bit regarding Republican favorite Mitt Romney's father George, who was born in Mexico of Mormon Anglo parents in 1907 after leaving the United States to join a polygamous Mormon colony since they believed in the principle of plural marriage. So we ask....was George Romney (who later became Chairman of American Motors, Governor of Michigan, and a member of the Nixon cabinet) really an American citizen? His parents initially left America with no intention of returning, but eventually did come back during the Mexican Revolution. And that being the case.....is Mitt Romney the son of one illegal immigrant parent?

If the Republican leadership wants to open this can of worms regarding the 14th Amendment, be my guest. But be careful- the next illegal you might find could be someone in your own family.

(For the record.....family legend has it that my Irish great-grandfather jumped ship in New York in 1888. Whether it's true or not I might never know....but it makes for good storytelling).

READ MORE.....by Ben Evans, AP.

What Would Reagan Really Do? - Newsweek

"Reagan is a difficult icon for Republicans. He was an achiever and, by and large, a successful president. But he wasn’t a successful president in the way that the Republican hero worshipers describe him. Of course ideology was important to Reagan. But he was a success because of, and in spite of, ideology. He cared more about getting stuff done.”.....Ronald Reagan biographer Lou Cannon.


He's been deified by conservatives and has prompted some to try to institute a "Reaganite Purity Test". And he was to be sure......and even his detractors must admit.....the most successful Republican president since Teddy Roosevelt.

But here's the rub; could Ronald Reagan pass the purity test in 2010.

Writer Andrew Romano has some doubts. In this thought provoking Newsweek article he tries to strip away the Reagan mythology and asks the question; "What would Reagan REALLY do?".

READ MORE.....from Newsweek