democrats

This Yahoo article makes clear why Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) is about to retire; he is tired of the partisanship, gridlock, and pointless politicking going on at the expense of the American people.

We are fast approaching the end of President Barack Obama’s first year in office.  The banks, Wall Street, and the military-industrial complex have looted the US Treasury, and our leaders have created a multi-trillion dollar debt that they placed on the shoulders of American taxpayers. There is also news that the Democrats want to create a new Amnesty Bill, so that illegal immigrants can fill the jobs that "Americans don’t want" in an economy where we wonder if those jobs still exist. In short, under President Obama's leadership (with Democrats in control of both the Senate and the House), if things have changed, it's for the worse. 

Yesterday, at the National Press Club, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka pointed out that tough economic times call for “political courage.” In an opening salvo lobbed at lawmakers, Trumka shared that the courage necessary for that economic salvation of the country and its citizens wasn’t clearly evident in American leadership:

“Too many people in Washington seem to think that now that we have bailed out the banks, everything will be okay."

Looks like some career politicians have reconsidered  their futures and decided to jump the sinking ship  end their long careers of ripping us off  public service.

News organizations are announcing that Connecticut’s Chris Dodd plans to announce his retirement today after thirty years in the US Senate. Dodd was a Democratic candidate for POTUS in 2008. (He was later investigated for receiving special treatment in his acquisition of a Countrywide mortgage, but insisted he was innocent. The Senate Ethics Committee cleared him of any wrongdoing.)

Over the past 18 months, Dodd has has been heavily involved in writing legislation including housing mortgage rules; the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street; major portions of the $787B  stimulus package; a bill overseeing the credit card industry; and the health-care legislation that recently passed the Senate.

Pundits are speculating that Dodd saw the writing on the wall, given his tanking poll numbers, and decided to call it a day.  

 Like a lot of Americans, I’ve come to the realization that most of our politicians do not see themselves as public servants, but rather as members of a smarter, wiser, more capable group that must save us from ourselves (after they take care of themselves and their friends). My political awakening was fostered by people like the legendary, late Chicago columnist, Mike Royko. He once suggested that the official Second City motto be changed from “Urbs in Horto” (“City in a Garden”) to the more accurate “Ubi est mea?” or “Where’s mine?” 

Royko, a Chicago native, had a quick wit and a pen as sharp as a rapier blade that cut to the quick. He was of course alluding to the payoffs and envelopes stuffed with money that are part of the city’s history. When placed in the right hands, they produce the “city that works” for those who know how to grease a palm. 

Though it may not seem like it, we're living in a golden age that's about to come to an end. This is the Golden Age of healthcare, the best in the world. Maybe the longest recession since WWII is coming to an end but it'll take years to get back to where we once were in terms of jobs and personal wealth.

This is indeed a great golden age in many respects but only in comparison with the future in store for us, thanks to this president and this Congress. During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidate Obama said, "America is the greatest country in the world and together, we can change it!" Now, we have a clear idea what he meant.

The current House and Senate healthcare reform bills now before Congress amount to massive tax increases and do nothing to reduce costs. The main reason the public ever wanted healthcare reform was lower costs. Why, then, is any effort to reduce costs blocked by the Democrats? These bills are the opposite of what the people want because they actually would cause an increase in costs and deficits, according to the CBO. There would a great shortage of doctors, there would be rationing of care, and a big increase in inconvenience. Healthcare as we know it today would devolve, resulting in higher death rates and misery.

Someone once cautioned the world to let China sleep because there would be hell to pay when it woke up.  Are these signs of women awakening or just unset stomach rumblings from too much flu?

Uppity lays it out with all the campaign signs trimmings.

To NARAL, NOW, Ms Magazine, Emily’s List, all Clairol Girls who ignored The Signs, How ya doin’?
Posted on November 12, 2009 by Uppity Woman

 

There’s a little gift waiting for all of you for endorsing Barack Obama.

 

Congratulations, the misogyny is about to complete itself. Start hauling all the water all over again. My generation did it once for you and you let it all be whittled down.

 

It started with things like calling a reporter “Honey”. Playing “99 Problems But a Bitch Ain’t One Of Them” at a rally. Did you attend and bounce around to the moooooosic? There was the vibrating cell phone in his pants, and him telling the woman next to him he wasn’t being “fresh”. You’re likeable enough, Hillary. Hillary has “Periodic” moments of “depression”.  She threw the “Kichen sink” at him. There were the Mental Children groping cardboard cutouts. You all saw, but it was just too much FUN to swoon over the sexy man!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Leave it to politicians to take something as important to the people of this country as “health care’ and turn it into a 3 ring circus. And in the center ring is a Ringmaster that doesn’t seem to have a clue.

 Keep It Simple Stupid

http://theconversation.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/whats-wrong-with-a-single-payer-system/

Gail Collins poses the question, "What’s Wrong With a Single-Payer System?". 

The New York Times headline writers say it's time to start over and write the Health Care bill from scratch.  And consider single payer because as I say, it is the only option that will work fairly and with quality care for all.

Gail Collins: David, your writing on health care has been incredibly thoughtful, so I’m going to take this opportunity to poke you a little. Then I’ll shut up so you can talk.

The other week I said I agreed with you about the critical importance of cost controls. Then I asked — O.K., I sort of demanded — that you denounce the Republican leaders in the Senate who were flinging around proposals to make it illegal to investigate cost controls at all. You basically said that was a stupid thing to do, but that the Republicans weren’t really the problem since they aren’t in charge.

My version of reality is that:

I had forgotten about this Bob Hope classic because I used to be one and back then I was offended.  Now I do think it is hillarious.  Listen to the entire clip.

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration plans to limit pay to $500,000 a year for executives of government-assisted financial institutions in a new get-tough approach to bankers and Wall Street

"If the taxpayers are helping you, then you've got certain responsibilities to not be living high on the hog," President Barack Obama said

Just a thought or two about what's going on.

Last week, we were told that if the economic rescue (bailout) bill wasn't passed by Monday, the stock market would crash and go down 1000 to 2000 points! It went down 777. Maybe they would have taken it as a "sign" if it had gone down 666? LOL! It went down less than 7%. You know how much it went down in October, 1987? Try 25%! That's right, it went down 5 times more in 1987 than it did on Monday.

Some of the Democratic Representatives responsible for this mess, as seen in the video:

I've noticed that many of the Obamans who interact with me tend to conflate beliefs with action. Perhaps this is why they support Obama, as he suffers from the same confusion:

Kroft: Senator McCain made some of the same noises this week, blaming Wall Street greed, promising reform and oversight, and new regulations to protect investors. What's the difference between the two of you?

Obama: Well, the difference is, I think, that I've got a track record of actually believing in this stuff. (emphasis added)

If you have been paying attention to all the Palin-mania over the past few weeks, you might notice a common thread running through all the negativity: Fear.

Here are just some of the things we are supposed to fear about Governor Palin:

I have maintained for years that Democrats, in general, have been historically good at governing, but terrible at framing. When a Democrat has been good at both, he has been able to achieve the White House and stay there for the full amount of time allotted to him, unless tragedy has cut his life short (as in the case of John F. Kennedy). However, this combination is so rare that only one President since FDR has achieved it: William Jefferson Clinton.

Maybe we've been had.
I mean it. Maybe for the last X years we've been drinking kool-aid. Maybe, just maybe we've been listening to the wrong people.
We all know the world is upside down. We're living a Vonnegut novel that ends before it starts, where left is right and right is left. Up is down and down is up.
A fantasy world where Democrats follow a Rovian Rasputin and Republicans follow a Truthsayer.
Well here's something else to think about.