Pissed off voters about to piss on themselves

With the election season already heating up (along with the summer), conventional wisdom says the Republicans will make big gains in Congress, maybe even take over the House. After all, the economy is still in a shambles, and voters tend to vote against the one holding the White House when they’re pissed. And pissed they are.

Hell, I’m pissed. But the “new” Republican plan looks a lot like what got us into this terrible mess in the first place: more tax cuts for the rich, expand offshore gas and oil drilling – and forget fixing and strengthening those pesky regulations – we should “trust the market.” The market will punish BP, and cause oil companies to get better at safety! Yeah, right. That’s worked so well in the past. Hey, I’m an independent, but with that record, I can’t vote GOP.

Oh, and by the way, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – a right-wing political group representing large corporations – has proposed what it’s calling a “recovery plan.” It includes the above, and says we should also get out of the way of logging companies and just go ahead and level the national forests, privatize Social Security (just think how well that would have worked in the last stock market dive), and get this, we need to privatize highways and waterways!

What’s scary is that the combination of so many folks being so frustrated and so poorly informed may result in this lunacy becoming reality.

To react to the recession by privatizing everything and giving corporations carte blanche to do anything they want without regulation is just plain suicide to a democracy. We the people should be in charge, not fake corporate “persons.” They’d like to shrink government down to a size they can “drown in a bathtub,” as Grover Norquist so infamously put it.

The problem has been that the government has been functioning poorly, not that there is government. And it’s been functioning poorly precisely because we had people in power for eight years who wanted to “drown” it.

While they held the presidency and Congress, Republicans put industry people in as heads of the “watchdog” agencies. They just hopped right in bed with the companies they’re supposed to regulate – literally, in the case of the disgraced Mineral Management Agency, which was supposed to be enforcing good safety practices for the oil industry. Instead, they waived the rules and partied with company brass in the now infamous sex and drug parties.

No, the problem isn’t the government, it’s letting corporate power brokers take over the government. And this will only get worse, since the Supreme Court decided to let corporations spend unlimited sums to influence elections (because they’re people too!).
Unless we elect a congress that will pass real election reform.

It’s not easy to turn around such a gargantuan mess, and although I disagree with much of what Obama has – and hasn’t – done, I recognize it’s like turning around a huge, slow moving ship – it takes time. And things would be improving a whole lot faster if the minority party in the Senate wasn’t filibustering everything!

If anything, voters should recognize that we need to elect fewer GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party) members, because of their irresponsible use of the filibuster. Maybe then we could get some desperately needed changes in place. (And/or, Congress needs to do away with the filibuster.)

Just what kind of “democratic” institution is run by the minority, anyway? Oh yeah, our kind. *Sigh.*

My letter from the president

I got a letter from the president -- you know, still-president George W. The letter thanked me for my "kind words." Didn't know what the heck he was talking about, of course. I figured it must've been some auto-response to some letter that got sent via some email thingy I signed. But it was snail-mailed to me. And it was in a big 9x11 envelope, with cardboard inside, and had an embossed presidential seal on it and everything! I figured it must be important.

So, it went on to say, "For nearly 8 years, it has been an honor and a joyous experience to be the President of the greatest county on earth." And I thought, yeah, for YOU maybe. Then, "I will sprint to the finish line in the months ahead with confidence in our purpose and trust in the power of the American spirit." I'm not making this up... The next line read, "As a Nation, we will continue to defend freedom's cause..." Oh really, and how are you going to do that, George? Because all you've done so far is trash our economy and world standing -- all for a lie. But go ahead, you were saying? "...build a more prosperous future..." OMG! I'm DYING here! "and make our society more peaceful..." SERIOUSLY? "and hopeful for every individual." Yeah, uh huh, riiiiiiite.

*Sigh*

Ok, King W's rein is almost over, I must keep reminding myself. But then, I think... another two and a half months? Anything could happen. He could yet trash the rest of this tattered, embattled, saddened, bankrupt and frightened America. That's just too much time! G.W., please, we beg of you -- don't do anything else! Just... STAND there. Ok? Really. I mean it. Right there. Don't move.

Obama is on his way. And he can't take the reins too soon.

The White Man Won

Hey, Obama is half white, after all. We call him black, but the fact is, he's just as white as he is black, genetically speaking. Which is perfect.

Some people think Abraham Lincoln had some African blood in him. Whether or not he did, two skinny tall guys from Illinois, both lawyers and state legislators, both coming from humble beginnings, went on to reach the presidency of the United States of America. The first one freed the black slaves, the second became the first black president.

Though he is half white, we call him black. And yet we elected him, overwhelmingly. And, while that is certainly a victory for the black man in America, it is also a victory for the white man in America. For the simple reason that he has overcome his sordid history of racism. In that sense, it is a victory for us all. Even the racists that are presently seething in their hatred as they witness a history they never saw coming may eventually be changed.

Why? Because, familiarity brings understanding. Although Mr. & Ms. Bigot may not see it today, eventually, they will have to admit that, hey, this guy is doing a pretty good job. (Because we know he'll do a great job.) And they'll see him everyday in the news, conducting their nation's business. The country will not turn communist. Obama will not invite Al Qaeda for dinner. They sky will not fall. They will, eventually, see that they were lied to, by their own party... this man is no terrorist, he is a true, red, white and blue American.

And like the prejudiced person living in a formerly all-white neighborhood, when the black family moves in next door, after some time passes and they get to know them a bit, the prejudice subsides. So will the inbred racism of a whole generation begin to subside, as even people who remain isolated from other races where they live begin to become familiar with this new black president. They will see good things happening, their own lot improving, as we move from an economics geared toward the rich to one geared toward the people. Then they may begin to see.

The blacks and the whites won. In the words of Martin Luther King, "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we're free at last!" Hallelujah.

Vote! Or forfeit any right to complain!

Sure, you're tired of hearing it, but until we get up near the percentile of eligible people voting that other democracies have, we need to keep prodding each other. Please vote, no matter how much you think it won't matter. Because it does matter.

And after election day, let's put the pressure on our government to finally do all the things it's been neglecting: health care for all, rebuilding our infrastructure, alternative energy, etc., and last but NOT least: REFORMING THE ELECTION SYSTEM ITSELF!

It's incredibly embarrassing to hear from people in other countries who can't believe what a mess our election system is! We need a uniform system, completely transparent and verifiable. Fire the incompetent/dishonest electronic election machine companies, put their CEOs in jail where they belong for election tampering, and legislate proper election procedure - right away! Let's not wait until the next election!

Here's hoping that 'change we need' is more than just a slogan...

Beware of Socialism! For the rich, that is...

All this talk of Barack Obama wanting to "redistribute the wealth" is hilarious. That's what taxes do -- redistribute the wealth -- always have. The question is, do we redistribute it to the poor and middle class, or to the rich? Teddy Roosevelt, John McCain's hero, instituted the progressive income tax, where the rich pay a higher percentage than the poor. It only makes sense -- our culture and society created the infrastructure for some people to make it rich, and they should pay back into that society.

We've always had elements of "socialism" in our society, as do all societies. You don't have to pay the fireman to put out the fire in your house before he acts, do you? That's because we've all agreed to put something in the kitty so that the fireman is paid, can buy the equipment he needs, and is ready to put out fires, wherever they occur (on the rich OR poor man's property). Same with police, school, roads and infrastructure. Same with health care -- in every industrialized country but our own, that is.

Meanwhile, since Reagan, those with the biggest incomes have been benefiting from a kind of "socialism" for the rich. The wealth has been getting redistributed UPWARDS! Tax cut after tax cut for the rich over the last eight years have been put in place by Bush and the Republican congress, up until two years ago, when the Dems took over congress. Obama merely wants to rescind those cuts, and make the tax code more fair again. He also wants to stop rewarding corporations for outsourcing jobs, by eliminating their tax loopholes, which makes sense to nearly everyone who isn't stinking rich -- except for a few nearsighted middle class Republicans, who seem to like voting against their own economic self-interests.

90% of gains in recent years went to the top 10%, 40% of the top gains went to the top 1%. Talk about redistribution of wealth! That's our middle class wealth that's been getting redistributed to the top 1% of the wealthiest people!

I say, it's time to stop subsidizing the rich, time to stop the downward slide of the rest of the population. No more welfare for the rich! Vote Obama!

Letter to Republican friends and family

Don’t worry, the country will not collapse, nor become anti-Christian, nor turn socialist if Barack Obama gets elected.

Really now – take a deep breath. That’s right, still your fears for just a minute. Think. Don’t you see the pattern here? This has been the GOP campaign strategy since Karl Rove took it over. My God, they did it to John McCain himself, in 2000.

Don’t you remember? How, in South Carolina, when it became apparent that McCain’s momentum was growing and that he might take the Republican nomination, they started the whisper and email campaigns about him? They said his adopted Bangladeshi daughter was actually a black “love child” of his and that McCain was both gay and cheated on his wife. No, seriously, it’s true. You don’t remember? They spread lies, vicious rumor after vicious rumor, just like they always do. Bush supporters even circulated church fliers that labeled McCain “the fag candidate.” Look it up. Unlike the emails going around about Obama, these are facts, this really happened.


Now John McCain has allowed those same elements in the party to take over his campaign, eight years later. What kind of character does that show, anyway? To knowingly use scummy tactics, after they were used on you and your family, because you’re so desperate to win office.

Any way, the point is, they do this election after election. They did it to John Kerry, they did it even in congressional races, such as the despicable attacks on the character of Max Cleland, a man who sacrificed three limbs – three limbs! – in service to our country. But that didn’t stop these slime-dwellers from questioning his patriotism in the 2002 race, trying to link him with Saddam Hussein, of all things.

Invariably, once these baseless charges, rumors, lies and deceptions are investigated, they are found to be untrue. Quotes are taken completely out of context, records are distorted by playing numbers games, lies are created to “explain” events and associations, racial tensions are fanned, and the smears are repeated ad nauseam. And it’s all aimed at making you afraid.

Yes, it happens every four years, and yet you keep falling for it. Wake up! See the pattern, don’t let yourself get played so easily! They are trying to scare you, and like third graders at a summer camp, you’re letting the scout master scare the bejeezes out of you by the campfire with his monster stories!

And the farther they fall behind in the polls, the more vicious they get – and the more shrill you sound when you try to explain why you just hate the other candidate. It can’t just be that you disagree with his point of view or his policies or his record, even, no – he’s evil!

Wow. Listen to yourself! Don’t you feel silly? Evil? Come on.

Do you really think he could fool this many people if Obama were as wicked as Ms. Palin seems to be saying he is? Could he really fool all those admirals and generals if he was secretly a terrorist? Ya think? Really?


C’mon, let’s stop the pretense. Yeah, I know it must be hard. You were riding high for years, the Republican banner held proudly aloft, as the stock market soared and we went off to spread democracy and freedom. How deflating it must be to realize how badly you had been fooled. The war was based on lies, and the prosperity turned out to be an illusion. Worse, an illusion that got some greedy people stinking rich, while leaving you with deteriorating portfolios, home values and egos.

Life can be a bitch. You know what? I don’t feel sorry for you. You laughed at us when we tried to show you these people were not acting in your best interests. We tried to get your attention, to warn you the country was being sold a bill of goods, and the bill would come due. And it has. Now we’re left with a stinking rubble pile of an economy, and shriveled net worths.

Somebody made off like bandits, but it wasn’t you. So why do you continue to stick up for these clowns? They’re either clowns, or they’re in with the thieves, you decide. The only people they were working for all this time were the rich slobs who ended up profiting from the war and the economic upheaval. So why continue to listen to them? They did you wrong. They continue to do you wrong. And they are lying to you – again – this time about Barack Obama.


Hey, you bet on the wrong horse. The horse has now gone limp. You’re not going to bet on it again, are you? Whaddaya say we try another team – nobody can possibly screw it up any worse than the last team. Maybe we can try using nimble smarts rather than arrogant brawn, just for a while. Who knows, the new guys might even be able to improve things. For you, and for me – rather than for the fat cats this time. Wouldn’t that be nice, for a change?

Railing on the Candidates

Palin for Queen

Palin just finished with the debate tonight, and let me just say, I'm a convert, she really sold me tonight. I think she's ready to be queen.

And queens don't need no stinkin' debate rules. You want to ask her this, she'll answer with that -- what America really needs to know -- about her, about McCain, and about the Republican commitment to families all across this great land, and we just need to reform the economy and get it back on track, and she'll do that, because she reformed Alaska, and Alaska has lots of resources there, you know, and it supplies energy for America, and it's close to Russia, so she knows about foreign policy there too.

She's a maverick's maverick, and when she's queen, she won't be just part of the executive, because there's flexibility there, and her administration would work with Congress and she'll make the most of that flexibility, you know, that was written in the constitution there. And gosh darn it, like the current maverick vice-president Cheney, she would be part of the legislative branch as well, and being the ever-confident reformer, she would likely find a way to be part of the judicial branch too, because America needs that kind of leadership. Heck, maybe she could sit in on the Supreme Court on important issues like abortion and freedom of the press, and what goes into our libraries.

The far left says she didn't even pay attention to the questions. But Palin didn't need to -- she answers to America. Because that's what the Straight Talk Express is all about. What with everything she said about this and about that, and freedom, tolerance, family and freedom and all those things, and that folksy charm, I just can't tell you. Yes, I think America saw our future matriarch tonight, and with the brood we saw on stage afterwards, her progeny could rule us for a long, long time. Long live the Queen!

She absorbed a lot of foreign policy experience from Kissinger, too, like passion. Oh, that Passion! That's what she brings, with a smile, and confidence, and ya know, along with John McCain, she'll bring pride back to America and a commitment to reform government, and get the government out of the way of the middle class, and help them purchase their own health care, not the feds health care, because we've seen what a mess the government makes of things -- mostly the fault of Democrats, dontcha know.

As far as an energy policy, that's her area of expertise. Her state provides 50% of the energy for the USA. We have to do all we can do to make this great land energy independent. Some in Congress don't want to tap into our own energy supplies, to feed these hungry markets. They should just get outa the way. And it's about a heckuva lot more, it's about America and our energy future.

And as the governor of Alaska, she feels global warming more than any state, because snow is melting there. Sure, other states are being hit by hurricanes, floods, droughts and killer tornadoes, but Alaska is close to the Arctic, and Russia too -- did I say that?

You want to talk economy? OK, she knows about that too. As governor, she is an executive and they are all about action, ya know. You see, the rescue plan has to reform Wall Street, and John McCain knows how to reform too, and they will stand up to the greed there. There have been more and more revelations made aware to Main Street, so we need to put politics aside -- even the campaign -- and we have to be more vigilant, so that the credit doesn't freeze up, for the middle class and Main Street, which she's from, cuz her and her mavericky secessionist husband have always been Main Streety and middle class and stuff.

And let's get back to the energy plan. Palin took on the oil companies, because of the greed of their CEOs, and they are not her biggest fans. She broke up those monopolies there, and that's her area of expertise -- energy. But don't worry, oil companies, she loves ya with that tough Alaskan-style love. And she has the energy, and will as Queen, to deal with the energy crisis and things there like that.

So, don't talk to me about specifics. Sure, Joe Biden knew about some things. I mean, you'd have to, hanging around the Senate all those years sucking up the taxpayer's money (after all those years collecting a government salary, maybe he's responsible for the huge debt). But this hockey mom brings energy and inspiration. Just look at how she smiles at the camera. Check out that cute wink and Alaskan accent. And the voice! Oh my, did you hear that voice?

Enough of this slow torture of the last two years of Democrat control! Republicans can veto and filibuster only so much. Stuff needs to get done. Palin is for a strong America, and is against the taxes Democrats would love to weaken the economy with. She is determined to change the tone in Washington, and wants to clean up Wall Street. Her and McCain know how to do it, and they will -- just trust them. It's time for reform, and what says reform more than a Queen Palin coronation? Just don't expect her to follow the rules.

If you were The Boss, which team would you hire?

I received this in an email recently, I thought it was pretty pertinent. What do you think?

If You were The Boss... Which team would you hire?

With America facing historic debt, multiple war fronts, stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, skyrocketing Federal spending, mortgage crisis, bank foreclosures, etc. etc., this is an unusually critical election year.

Let's look at the educational background of the candidates and see what they bring to the job:

Barack Obama:
Punahou School - Grades 5 to 12, Hawaii's most prestigious private school
Occidental College - Two years of undergraduate study.
Columbia University - B.A. political science majoring in international relations.
Harvard University - Juris Doctor (J.D.) (Attorney), (Magna Cum Laude), first African-American editor of the most prestigious law school publication, "Harvard Law Review."

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.) (Attorney)
U.S. Senate, first elected at age 29, continuous service since

VS.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 out of 899 (meaning that, like George Bush, McCain was at the bottom of his class)

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism

Now, which team are you going to hire? THINK FUTURE!

As a side note, Matt Damon's opinion is pretty entertaining (short video).

What the Democrats need to do: Interview with Drew Westen, author of "The Political Brain"

This is a really GREAT interview with Drew Westen, the author of The Political Brain, on what Democrats need to do in their campaign to connect with the emotional side of voters. It also should be taken in by everyone who wants to be able to convince those on the fence, and maybe even open-minded Republicans, that Bush, McCain, Palin & Co don't own a patent on "American values."

It's only 9 minutes long, and you can watch it on your computer.

Obama in Danger?
NOW: "Are tactical mistakes by Obama going to cost him the election? Psychologist and Democratic political consultant Drew Westen talks to NOW's David Brancaccio about how appealing to voters' emotions reaps bigger electoral rewards than hammering home policy proposals."

You asked for it, Sarah Palin, you got it

"Show me where I have ever said that there's absolute proof that nothing that man has ever conducted or engaged in has had any effect or no effect on climate change," Palin told ABC News in an interview broadcast Thursday and Friday. "I have not said that."

Show you? Since you can't remember anything you've said, and are always contradicting yourself (like on the 'bridge to nowhere' thing), I'm here to help:

"When a species' habitat (in this case, sea ice) is declining due to climate change, but there are no discrete human activities that can be regulated or modified to effect change, what do you do?" -- you wrote this (my emphasis) in a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in December 2006 about listing the polar bear as a threatened species.

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location... I'm not one, though, who would attribute it to being man-made." -- Yup, that's you, Guv, on the Internet news site Newsmax just last month!

"I'm not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity." -- Yep, you again, Ms. Palin, in an interview with the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner this year.

There are many more lies you have already been caught on in the short time the press has begun to check you out, and I'm sure there will be many more. But since this was the only one you asked about, I'll stop there for now, out of deference. After all, you're an expert on the Russians, since your state is so close to a remote region of their country, so I'm sure you must be an expert on all foreign policy, and everything else!

Notes from the Angry Left

George W Bush, the presidential no-show at his own party's convention, nevertheless launched a new Rovian "talking point" for his side when, during his televised speech at the convention he said, " "If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry Left never will."

The idea, I'm sure, in true Karl Rove fashion, was to try to nullify a major strength of the left at this point, which is indeed righteous anger. I suppose their hope is that by making fun of how pissed off we are, it will force us to try to play nice.

To hell with that.

I say, let's own our anger! We've got good reason to be more than indignant, we should be furious. Like the fictional TV news anchor in the movie Network, we should be shouting from the rooftops that we're "MAD AS HELL, and we're not going to take it any more!!!"

These idiots have tanked our economy, ruined our standing in the world, put unqualified cronies in positions of power that are destroying the environment while enriching their corporate "constituents," increased the threat of terrorist attacks against us by fomenting hatred against us (talk about angry) with this illegal and immoral war, continuously lied to Congress and the people, given no-bid contracts to their past employers (in Cheney's case), and ran campaigns with no substance but plenty of lies and innuendo against their opponents -- all with the help of a compliant press that 90% of the time refuses to do its job of investigative journalism and seeking out the truth.

And I've only scratched the surface here.

Angry? You bet. Incensed? You got it. Infuriated? Uh huh. Enraged? Oh yeah. Irate? Oh boy, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

You want to dodge the issues, while trying to distract the voters with your B.S. labels and full-of-it attempts at fear tactics, attempting to scare us into voting for four more years of unmitigated disaster? You want to play hardball, you slimy no-good traitorous rats? In the words of your lame duck White House resident, "Bring it on!"

Close race might actually be good for Dems

Conventional wisdom says Obama will need a big lead come election time, because as was shown in the Democratic primary polling months ago, his actual vote tallies tended to be lower than the polls predicted. The reason given for this is that some people say they plan to vote for Obama, ashamed to admit their racial bias, but actually vote the other way. This is extrapolated to the presidential election by some folks, and there may be some truth to that, to be sure.

But on the other hand, I could see it working this way come election time: If Obama has a big lead in the polls, disgruntled Clinton backers may want to register their protest by voting for McCain, figuring the Dems will get the White House anyway. In this case, the polls could be off, and the protest votes could tip the election to McCain.

But if polls show a neck-and-neck race, those same people might be more motivated by the fear of the reality of a McCain presidency. They might still tell pollsters they won't vote for Obama, but when they get in that booth, visions of Roe v Wade overturned, far-right Supreme Court justices on the bench for a generation, extended war and more of the Bush years should be enough to bring them to their senses.

The same could be true for people who normally vote Republican. Many professed Republicans are angry with their party, and rightly see that traditional conservative values are not being well-represented by the GOP of late. Therefore, many have said they will vote for Obama. There may be many more that feel this way, but don't want to be seen as disloyal to their party, and are keeping mum about it. Come election time, if the polls are close, they might secretly vote for Obama, knowing the Dems will be better for working people like themselves. However, if polls show Obama with a comfortable lead, they might feel they should vote GOP out of loyalty.

I've got no hard data to back this theory up, but hey, this is blogger-land, where everyone can spout their little predictions and possible scenarios - we don't need no stinkin' data! But seriously, I could see this effect panning out. What do you think? Leave a comment!