Help Preserve the Internet [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
July 15, 2010The FCC is now receiving comments on Net Neutrality and here is a website that can help you submit your opinion to on this vital issue.
(0) Comments •US Falls Behind… Argentina [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
Argentina will be the first South American country to allow gay marriage in a historic vote taking place late last night. Meanwhile, the President of the United States can’t even manage to lift the odious Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Forget gay marriage - he says he doesn’t believe in it.
(0) Comments •Strategic Failure [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
June 27, 2010Once again, damaging info has come out about Judge Martin Feldman, and once again the Democratic attack machine has been silent. Do these people know anything about controlling the media narrative? Apparently not.
Judge Feldman’s 2009 stock holdings have just been released and, while he no longer held Transocean stock, Yahoo news is reporting that he was “heavily invested” in oil and gas stock. Further, many of the companies may benefit, either “directly or indirectly,” from his ruling.
So again, we have a right-wing Reagan appointee making legal decisions that he should have recused himself from and not a peep from the White House or anyone else in an official capacity. The administration’s only real effort so far has been to rewrite the ban in hopes of appeasing the judge (good luck) and filing an appeal. That’s not strategy but rather stupidity.
Here’s a tip for how Democrats should have been acting - pile onto the TV shows and control the narrative. Demand the Judge recuse himself and having failed at that, call for his impeachment. Of course, basic research ahead of the ruling should have been laid bare in the media before it even went to trial.
Once again a basic strategic failure means that the bad guys win and Dems have oil on their faces. Sad thing is - as much as we get used to such ineptitude - it didn’t have to be that way at all.
(0) Comments •Americans Expect Jesus to Return Any Time Now [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
June 23, 2010You know your country is in trouble when 41% of its citizens believe that Jesus will return to earth in the next 40 years, according to a Pew Research poll out today. You can’t make that up, as much as we’d like to.
(0) Comments •Feldman Owns Stock in Transocean [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
US District Judge Martin Feldman, who overturned the moratorium on new deepwater drilling yesterday, is (or was as of 2008) a stockholder in at least one company affected by the BP mess - Transocean Ltd, owner of the now-destroyed rig. Feldman, a right wing Reagan appointee, should have recused himself from the case but instead overturned the ban on questionable grounds. Now he has some ‘spaining to do. UPDATE: It’s being reported that Feldman may still own some stock - disclosures as recently as May 2010 include the stock ownership.
(0) Comments •Reagan Appointee Blocks Deepwater Drilling Moratorium [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
June 22, 2010In one of the more blatantly political rulings in ages, US District Judge Martin Feldman blocked the Federal Government’s moratorium on new deepwater drilling as “arbitrary and capricious.” In spite of the fact that the Feds themselves grant the permits. That led us to wonder who appointed the judge and, lo and behold, it was none other than Ronald Reagan. Yup, yet another example of activist right-wing judicial decisionmaking.
What does it all come down to? The judge believes that this moratorium is being applied in an unfair fashion without any evidence of danger. Of course, that does not mean there is or is not any danger from new drilling. Only that the evidence has not come to light, according to his reading. Apparently a new rig blowing up in the Gulf of Mexico is not enough to signal possible danger. Then there is the political commentary that sounds right out of the Republican playbook:
“The plaintiffs assert that they have suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable harm as a result of the moratorium. The Court agrees. Some of the plaintiffs’ contracts have been affected; the Court is persuaded that it is only a matter of time before more business and jobs and livelihoods will be lost. The defendants trivialize such losses by characterizing them as merely a small percentage of the drilling rigs affected, but it does not follow that this will somehow reduce the convincing harm suffered.”
Is it us or should legal decisions not be based solely on the merits of the law, rather than some arbitrary political doctrine. After all, the judge fails to take into account the fishermen and others who had their lives destroyed in this catastrophe. He goes on to write:
“The effect on employment, jobs, loss of domestic energy supplies caused by the moratorium as the plaintiffs (and other suppliers, and the rigs themselves) lose business, and the movement of the rigs to other sites around the world will clearly ripple throughout the economy in this region. This Court is persuaded that the public interest weighs in favor of granting a preliminary injunction. While a suspension of activities directed after a rational interpretation of the evidence could outweigh the impact on the plaintiffs and the public, here, the Court has found the plaintiffs would likely succeed in showing that the agency’s decision was arbitrary and capricious.” Public interest not including the people losing jobs because of the spill. After all, when oil companies and regular citizens’ interests collide, oil companies naturally must come first.
The good news is this and the subsequent appeal keeps the issue in the media and watch Republicans support it at their peril - or run away from it a la Joe Barton. By all means America, put Republicans in charge. The corporations will win every time.
(0) Comments •Human Trafficking - A Global Problem [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
June 14, 2010Today, the State Department released its tenth annual report on Human Trafficking (sex workers, child soldiers, forced labor) and the numbers are staggering - over 12 million people worldwide are victims. The worst offenders are North Korea, Myanmar, Cuba and Zimbabwe, who make no effort at all to combat the phenomenon. The U.S. isn’t off the hook either - it’s both a source and destination for human trafficking.
Even more disturbing is a story in today’s New York Times about child soldiers in Somalia - working for the rump government that has the support of our own government. Of course, the tragedy of too many African wars means soldiers are in short supply and often children are armed and sent to fight. Certainly, the Islamic insurgents in Somalia have child soldiers among their forces. But it is disconcerting that the so-called good guys also use children in this manner, especially when we pay a large share of the soldiers’ salaries.
Unfortunately, given the lack of functioning government in Somalia, not to mention lack of feasible alternatives for children, it seems this tragic situation will continue on both sides. Coupled with the report on Human Trafficking, it’s a grim picture indeed.
(0) Comments •Assault Weapon Victims South of the Border [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
May 21, 2010File this under horrific unforseen consequences - Congress’ failure to extend the Assault Weapons Ban is resulting in the deaths of Mexicans as their drug war continues to escalate. Of course, you won’t get Republicans or even many Democrats to go to bat for the revival of this bill.
In a sign of just how much the NRA has America by the balls, the Assault Weapons Ban expired and neither a Democratic President nor Congress are attempting to bring it back. This is shameful and wrong. Yesterday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon went to the floor of Congress and called them out for not doing the right thing. Calderon says 75,000 guns and assault weapons have been seized since 2006 and 80% of them are from the U.S.A. Yup, our weapons are fueling the drug wars that force people to flee to the U.S. and seek employment here illegally, which pisses off the people who are most conservative and likely to own guns. Those people are members of the NRA and vote for the class clowns masquerading as Republicans these days, fueling more guns! Of course, this is on top of the pointless prohibition of recreational drugs that pours millions of dollars into the coffers of Mexican drug cartels. But the blood is on our hands for doing nothing about assault weapons.
Clearly, Congress isn’t willing to do anything about this problem, basically a recurring theme of this and past administrations, so it was refreshing at least to have a world leader admonish Congress. Unfortunately, nothing will come of it and Mexicans will continue to die by the thousands. But at least we can’t hide our heads in the sand and say we have nothing to do with it.
(0) Comments •Supreme Court Rules No on Life Sentences Without Parole for Youths [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
May 17, 2010Today, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on the case of a Florida teen, now 22, who got life in prison without parole for armed robbery. The Justices ruled 5 - 4 that the sentence was unconstitutional, a rare victory for judicial fairness.
These days, the court typically rules 5 - 4 and progressives are used to losing these battles so it was heartening to see today’s ruling. But it was common sense that really prevailed - if a teen does not kill someone, then he or she should not be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Of course the Scalia, Alito and Thomas block voted no - they never saw a prison they didn’t like, a corporation who didn’t need a hand out or a sense of human decency they didn’t feel like violating. Thankfully now, these teens will have to go before the parole board. While the prison system likely makes them even more hardened than when they went in, that is a separate issue - for now on, they get a basic right back that other prisoners have always had.
The big loser is the state of Florida, which again is pulled back from the edge of the right wing cesspool it increasingly wants to become. 70% of all youth offenders sentenced to life without parole in the U.S. are in Florida. Why is that? Good question and one that needs to be addressed.
On a separate note, the likely elevation of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court will not change the balance of these rulings. For that, we need one of the big three to die or retire in the next 5 1/2 years.
(0) Comments •Utah Gives the Feds the Finger [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
May 09, 2010Utah is ground zero for anti-Washington fanaticism and this weekend’s ouster of a Republican Senator is only the most recent example.
This weekend Sen. Bob Bennett became the first sitting Senator to lose re-election - months before the actual election. Bennett, a right wing Republican, was deemed not conservative enough and dumped by tea party fanatics in the state Republican convention this past Saturday. That sets up a primary between two fanatics who will vote 100% Republican party line when they inevitably hammer the Democrat into submission this November. Another strike for incivility and uncompromising partisanship - just what America needs.
But Utah is ground zero for another movement and this one is more sinister - the “take back our land” movement that believes the Federal government should cede control of land to local officials. Why? So they can develop energy resources and create jobs. Unfortunately, that means spoiling land that is considered a national treasure. In March, Utah Governor Herbert (guess the party) signed a bill that allows the state to seize Federal lands. Now if that strikes you as nuts - it is. More importantly, it is unconstitutional and similar movements in the past have been ruled as such. Yet the idea is one gaining favor throughout the West - even the hint of the Federal government designating land is enough to put people up in arms.
But this kind of gonzo behavior is epidemic these days as states move to bar Federal laws such as healthcare reform from applying to their citizens. And Utah, a mostly barren yet gorgeous state, is at the forefront of the latest anti-Fed movement. Add this to the festering belief that DC is taking more and more control of people’s lives and you have the setting for a collision course. As usual, Republicans have decided to add fuel to the fire.
(0) Comments •Ignorant Clown Alert [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
May 05, 2010Joe the plumber who is neither named Joe nor a licensed plumber is now a party official of the local Republicans in Lucas County, Ohio. God bless the USA. where even the most ignorant and ill-informed can get into politics.
(0) Comments •A Few Words on Bailouts [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
April 21, 2010Yesterday, we premiered our new podcast “Trust,” where we talk about how Americans no longer trust Wall Street and government. A big part of this is the misconception of the TARP program and its uses, which were expanded from just rescuing banks to GM and Chrysler. Of course, fact is TARP worked and it was not the financial sinkhole critics make it out to be.
The erroneous conception floating out in the country these days is that the government has got its fingers in too many pies - from owning GM to propping up AIG. This is especially relevant as the Senate this week debates the Financial Regulation bill, which is predictably split along partisan lines.
However, the thing that is not bandied about is the simple fact that TARP worked. The big banks did not fail and indeed we, the taxpayer, made a profit as the banks paid back the Federal government with billions in interest. We do still have a huge % ownership in Citibank that was converted to stock - the Fed is preparing to sell that off based on the current stock market, in which Citi is up over 30%. Again, the program worked. Granted, AIG is a basketcase and we won’t see all the money back from that and GM is still shaky - though today they announced repayment of over $6 billion in loans with $45 billion still owed. But the end result has been an estimated $127 billion loss - not bad for a program that stopped us from going into financial meltdown.
Any politician running on an anti-bailout platform is just an idiot and should be called out as such. Any tea bagger who protests more government bailouts is an ignorant fool who does not understand basic economics. Democrats should seize on the successes and beat back anti-Federal government loudmouths as not knowing what they are talking about. The economy was saved thanks to TARP - no it wasn’t perfect, but we should acknowledge that it did its job.
Of course, the financial regulation bill being debated has also stirred up talk about future government bailouts and on this the Dems are right on point. They want a fee on liabilities assessed so that bailouts come from a fund, not the taxpayer. That plays to the mood of the taxpayer right now and is clearly why Republicans are starting to blink. They have pals on Wall Street, but Americans have a lousy view of stock peddlers these days. Let’s hope we get a strong bill that protects consumers and taxpayers. Better late than never.
(1) Comments •Not Going to Pot [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
April 20, 2010Sorry, potheads, but America is not ready for legalization yet. After recent polls showing a gaining number of Americans believing in legalization, a new poll out today shows dwindling support. What gives?
First, the numbers: last October Gallup found 44% support for legalization, 54% against. Today’s numbers are worse - an AP-CNBC poll found that only 33% support legalization while 55% oppose.
So what gives? Part of it is likely the way the question is posed. Another stat from today’s poll shows that 45% believe costs are too high for enforcing the laws. My guess is if people are pushed by pollsters, most of those additional 12% would fall over the fence into the legalize it camp. On the other hand, it seems like the ceiling right now is about the mid-40s for legalization and that won’t get it done. A bit of good news - more than 50% of young Americans are in favor. Will the slackers of the world hold it together when they get older? That, unfortunately, is somewhat doubtful.
The poll also shed light on the debated medical merits of marijuana and here Americans are on the side of pot - 60% support it and 74% think marijuana has medicinal value. Of course, the science is somewhat mixed on that and you can find evidence supporting either side.
All in all, looks like pot will stay underground for years to come. It will be interesting to see how the California legalization vote goes this year - and the potential effect it might have on turnout, which may be a big help to endangered Dems like Barbara Boxer. Stay tuned…
(0) Comments •15 Years Later, McVeigh and Oklahoma City [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
April 19, 201015 years ago today, Timothy McVeigh blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Strangely, in an age of ever-growing hatred from the far right, I don’t recall much being said about this heinous terrorist today. Nothing except a speech from Pres. Clinton about the dangers of hate. How is it we commemorate 9/11 as if it were the end times but don’t do the same on this date? Is it because this bomber was white and believed, wrongly, that the Feds were evil incarnate? Whatever the reason, it’s shameful and inexcusable.
(1) Comments •An Embarrassment to the Nation [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
April 07, 2010Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia has signed a proclamation saluting Confederate History Month. Conveniently he leaves out any mention of slavery. What a disgrace.
(0) Comments •GM Not a Write-off? [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
Seems maybe GM was worth saving - today they announced a 4th quarter loss but positive cash flow and growing U.S. market share.
Even better, they are planning on repaying a loan from the U.S. gov’t due in 2015 by June. That’s $6.5 billion skeptics thought certain to be flushed down the toilet even a few months ago. And possibly turn a profit this year. Who woulda thunk it?
Of course, the anti-Tarpies will harp on the $45 billion they still owe us. Looks like they may be able to do a stock offering and repay that in a few years.
(0) Comments •CNN Hits Rock Bottom [ by Michael T] [Eye on the Media]
April 03, 2010There was a time when CNN was a respectable news organization. Then it became part of Time Warner and now it has completely lost its way.
Last week’s primetime ratings showed that such mediocre time wasters as Campbell Brown, Larry King and Anderson Cooper collectively lost nearly half their viewers in a year. These variations on a theme, middle-of-the-road lifestyle shows have proven to be unappealing to people accustomed to watching Olberman/Maddow or the trolls on Fox News. Bland and prone to focusing on inane pop culture over hard news, the CNN shows are unwatchable and I long ago gave up watching CNN at night. Some geniuses have suggested they get a personality or take a political side but I disagree. Just grow some balls and do hard news, not lifestyle fluff.
During the day, the situation is just as dire. In the last several months, CNN has gone in the direction of lifestyle news in the afternoon and away from much hard news. This is embarrassing for what was previously the only dependable news outlet in the country. Now, you’re just as likely to see the buffoonish hosts Tony Harris and Ali Velshi pontificate on health care as play with penguins (I can’t make this up, it happened last Thursday). Even worse, is when they play “What’s Hot” or look to see what’s popular on the Internet. Oh, and then the fake outrage - a kid killed herself after being harassed for a day. The phony outrage was nearly unbearable. Is this really the best the United States can do in terms of news reporting? Because it’s piss poor and embarrassing.
And when there is news, it’s constantly interrupted by inane banter and silly remarks. The hosts are more and more prone to chat with each other and when, say, the weather guy is on, forget it. It’s banter all the time, in between plugging some website like SeatGuru. Even worse, this banter is becoming pervasive on CNN International, the real last bastion of news.
If Ted Turner were dead, he’d be rolling over in his grave. As it is, he’s embarrassed by the network and regrets ever selling. What once was a strong news organization on par with the BBC has been reduced to mush. Yup, Ted Turner is the one left with his credibility. Who could have seen that coming?
Albert Snyder v Westboro Baptist Church [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
March 31, 2010The puzzling string of events involving the Westboro Baptist Church protesting military funerals has taken a very wrong turn. The father of a dead Marine has been ordered to pay the church’s legal fees in a lawsuit he brought against the group.
The Westboro Baptist Church is perhaps the most deranged “church” in the U.S. Founded in 1955, it has become infamous for protesting military funerals. What the heck for you ask? Because they believe that American soldiers are dying because God is punishing us for sins such as homosexuality. Yup, these clowns are protesting military sacrifice when they really hate Liberals. That makes sense.
Albert Snyder, whose son Matthew died in Iraq, was so incensed when they protested his son’s funeral - yes, they are a classy act and I’m sure Jesus approved - that he sued the church. Initially he won a big settlement but it was overturned on appeal. To make matters worse, today he was ordered to pay legal costs of $16,000 to the church. People are rushing to donate to him - Bill O’Reilly leading the charge - but the money the church gets will be used for, of course, more protests. Contributions are being accepted through www.matthewsnyder.org
What a twisted world we live in.
(0) Comments •Repubs Eat Their Own [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
March 25, 2010Today’s victim - David Frum, sent to the woodshed for actually criticizing Republican policies and calling the failure to stop health care Waterloo. No sympathy here for Mr. Frum but if Repubs don’t open themselves up to criticism, there is no hope for that party.
(0) Comments •Totally Shot [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
Someone shot at Eric Cantor’s office, at least if he and the media are to be believed. But what really happened? Richmond, VA police have a totally different idea.
Turns out the window was not shot at but most likely hit by a bulled on a downward trajectory. TPM has the Richmond p.d. report and it does not back up Mr. Cantor.
Of course, the media is still leading with “my office was shot at” and it’s not just Dems being threatened. Too bad it seems to be untrue. This obsession with balance leads to things being put on equal footing when they should not be. Democrats are being systematically targeted by unruly members of a political movement. To equate this most-likely unintentional incident with that is wrong.
But don’t expect the media to correct the impression or even do the basic research TPM did.
(0) Comments •Rovian Indeed [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
March 12, 2010Karl Rove, the man who masterminded the disaster that was George W. Bush, keeps popping up on in the media. Do these outlets have any journalistic standards at all?
Rove is hardly the poster boy for success these days and certainly we’re happy to have him as a villain reminding the world of the evils that Republicans do - Liz Cheney is good at this too. But why is it media outlets put this goon on display and allow him to spew all kinds of vile? The latest is a doozy - he’s “proud” of waterboarding terror suspects. Yup, proud. I guess maybe because he does not consider it torture - something about it meeting international requirements, which is clear bunk. History shows that Japanese were prosecuted for using waterboarding and it is most certainly torture. We violated the Geneva Conventions and soiled the Constitution because of this guy’s policies and now the media feels it is instructive to let him rant. Sorry folks, this guy and his pals belong in prison, not on the talk show circuit.
(0) Comments •Dem Disaster? Not So Fast [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
March 01, 2010Okay, today we play postive prognostication at Outrage. Remember all those saying this year could spell doom for the Dem majorities? Well not so fast.
Democrats have a lousy hand this coming November - high unemployment and a slowly improving economy coupled with motivated, quasi-insane tea baggers, equals guaranteed losses. However, it seems the Dems may be slowly turning the ship. Some recent examples -
Evan Bayh is jumping ship but there is a solid candidate in Rep. Brad Ellsworth who is polling about even with the two perspective Republican candidates. Ellsworth already beat one of them to get his House seat and he’s a tough, no nonsense guy who should do well statewide. Not a complete write-off, unlike the Dorgan seat, which is a goner.
Lt. Gov Bill Halter of Arkansas finally got pushed into the race against certain loser Blanche Lincoln. Now the liberal money will flow to him and she’ll be toast. Halter is popular and can stand up to either Republican running for the nomination.
In open Senate races, Ohio and Missouri are still toss-ups and Repubs can’t get more traction than they have now. If things continue to improve this year, Dems can pick up both seats. And New Hampshire is not out of reach either.
Alexi Giannoulias is running ahead of Mark Kirk in Illinois and that open House seat has a very good shot of flipping Democratic. Add the Delaware at large seat and Cao’s seat in New Orleans and you have three great pickups looming. That means Repubs have to beat 43 Dems and that’s not likely to happen. Especially when a conserva-Dem who should theoretically be in trouble is up by 20+% in Alabama.
Meanwhile, tea bag news means bad things for Reps - a generic tea party candidate polls at 18% in NV, essentially meaning Harry Reid can be re-elected. Marco Rubio is about to knock off Charlie Crist in FL who should be hearing the ring of “change party” in his ears. Even guys like John McCain are not immune - he’s being challenged hard by J.D. Hayworth who’s trying his best not to seem insane (apparently backing off birtherism for some reason). Imagine Hayworth against a Democrat and suddenly we have a chance for an odd pickup.
And in super news for Dems in New York, Gov. Paterson has scandaled his way out of office and Andrew Cuomo will be the the next governor. No more drag on the ticket, ensuring that some Congressional Dems will get a boost - think vulnerable reps like Mike McMahon, Tim Bishop, Tim Owens, not to mention Kirsten Gillibrand who is one election victory away from being in the Senate as long as she wants to be. Just as importantly, Govs. Deval Patrick of MA and Ted Strickland of Ohio have both moved into the lead in polls of their respective states.
We’re not out of the woods yet and our majorities will be much slimmer come 2010. But in 2012, we will have Obama on the ballot and that means more Dems in Congress. Not to mention, the end of the Mr. Brown’s curious tenure in D.C.
(0) Comments •Bayh Speaks, or rather, Blathers [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 21, 2010How sick are we of Evan Bayh? Don’t even get me started. The guy blames partisanship for the problems in DC and as a moderate does exactly nothing to fix it. Instead, he’s joined the blame DC crowd. His latest shot at Congress is a doozy.
The New York Times devotes pages to this clown today - a 3 page (online, at least) op-ed written by the coward Senator. And it’s rich with inanity, besides-the-point reminisces of the past and silly solutions. Our favorite - how about a monthly lunch of all Senators? Really? That’s the solution, people who hate each other having lunch. He ends by talking about how he will work for 11 months to make the situation better. Why would anyone listen to him? They can just put him in the corner and let him yammer - he’ll be gone. And replaced, most likely, with an obstructionist, do-nothing Republican. That will really help the situation.
Here are the solutions Senator - not that you care since you are abandoning DC for god knows what - end the filibuster, teach Republicans some respect, and oh yeah, END THE FILIBUSTER. Bayh does actually suggest making it 55, which makes some sense. But when you have a bunch of conserva-Dems like Nelson and Lincoln, even 55 might be too high for some legislation. Let’s not forget, if Specter survives his re-election bid, he’ll probably tack back right to his original positions - there’ll be no need to appease the Dem primary voters after all.
Evan Bayh has created a mess in the Senate and shares responsibility with Republicans and conserva-Dems for obstructing the will of the American people. Perhaps he should look in the mirror before pointing fingers at others.
(0) Comments •Crash-a-lympics [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 18, 2010The next time the IOC has a choice among Winter Olympic venues, we sure hope they choose a place that actually has a winter. The current Olympics has been completely bungled and weather only tells part of the story.
We in the continental U.S. are about fed up with winter yet the location of the Winter Olympics is already experiencing spring - if the cherry blossoms are to be believed. Vancouver itself is a wonderful city but it is completely ill suited to hosting a winter games. The average temp in February is 44 degrees and rainfall is around 4.55 inches. That should have worried the IOC, or maybe not. Granted, many of the events are in the mountains far from the city, but the result has been a messy, dangerous Olympics. Today alone, several top women wiped out on an icy downhill course. That’s just not acceptable.
Of course, just days ago, the games opened on a real down note - the luge course killed an athlete from the country of Georgia. As a result, the course was shortened and no one else died. Thank god. But since then there have been technical glitches on the speed skating course, biathletes were sent early in two races on Tuesday and the opening ceremony - a snooze if there was ever one - featured a tier of the torch that did not rise. Add in the fact that the outdoor torch has been inaccessible behind tall chainlink fences and you have a bungled games. After all, are the Canadians afraid someone will blow up the torch? Why else would it be placed behind a fence?
We hope these games get their shit together and soon. The competition is often fierce and the sports more demanding all the time. The athletes deserve more than a poorly conceived, sometimes dangerous series of courses. And the IOC, a corrupt, illegitimate bearer of the Olympic legacy, should learn from these games that the safety of athletes should come first. They could start by actually choosing a winter venue for the Olympics.
(0) Comments •Bye Bye Bayh [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 15, 2010Indiana Senator Evan Bayh used to be mentioned as a future President or VP. Today, he’s the party’s biggest cry baby and a soon-to-be ex-Senator. In the meantime, he has basically given away a fairly safe seat and made it nearly impossible to hold a party primary. Talk about your class A assholes.
(0) Comments •Memo to Obama - Stop Being Mr. Nice Guy [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 11, 2010I think the left is as fed up with Pres. Obama as the right is. It’s about time the President stopped being so accomodating and time he started acting like a dick. You know, the way George W. Bush did.
Ezra Klein writing in yesterday’s Washington Post agreed - he says it’s time to use recess appointments and reconciliation to get things done. Because Republicans will only obstruct, no matter how many meetings Obama holds or how nice he plays. These guys don’t play nice. They also don’t respect the Presidency - after all Bush took a great big dump on it while he was in town. So let’s stop the charade and get things passed. Now. Then you’ll have the Dem base fired up for November. The alternative is, well, a ton of half-wits like Scotty Brown getting elected. And that is no alternative at all from our perspective.
(0) Comments •Hospitals are Big Losers in the Health Care Debacle [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 10, 2010The criminally mismanaged health care effort is soon going to have a majory casualty - the hospitals. Many are struggling to survive as the uninsured flood ERs and then never pay for their care. The cost to hospitals is in the billions and, in the end, we all pay for it.
The New York Times reported yesterday that about $36 billion worth of care last year was not reimbursed to hospitals. Under the law, hospitals cannot turn away patients with emergencies so they are left footing the bill. The result is higher costs passed on to patients and insurance companies - which get passed on to people like you and me.
This is madness and will result in cutbacks in care and hospital closures. Already hospitals are shedding staff - adding to unemployment figures. The effects of this on communities can be devastating. Of course, where was this mentioned in the health care debate? Nowhere, naturally. Why would Democrats promote things like hospitals and medical services? What a disgrace.
Maybe Republicans can do this math - more and more people are uninsured every day, something the recession has exacerbated. If you have no plan to change that - and Republicans have never drawn up a plan to do so - then more uninsured means more people using emergency rooms. And more people who either go bankrupt or too poor to pay their bills. And premiums and patient care costs go up and up. This is simple stuff and can be boiled down to one easy phrase, “Save our Hospitals.” Or better yet, “Hey Republicans, why do you hate our hospitals?”
The Democratic plan was pretty poorly conceived but it was a plan and it would have been a marked improvement (especially a public option or medicare buy-in). And it was something that Republicans shamefully, no gleefully, buried. At least the next time you see a hospital close, you know who to blame.
(0) Comments •Super Bowl Sunday [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 08, 2010It’s now official, the Super Bowl is the biggest thing in America, bar none. I wonder what an alien race would say if they were to watch a telecast of yesterday’s game? Somehow I don’t think it would be very kind.
Granted, the game itself was compelling and well played. The Saints fought hard and played smart - thanks in large part to a daring coach. But the rest of the telecast was a joke - starting with pregame nonsense, military worship during the anthem and inane color commentary. Don’t even get me started on the idiotic, unwatchable commercials.
But here is where reality and showbiz diverge - instead of solving our problems, say the death of tens of thousands and the flooding of a city in real life, we root for a football team. Why? Because the team is based in the city of New Orleans. And as much as I love New Orleans, the fact that everything is now supposedly made better is a load of horseshit. The place is still in the dumps, dangerous in many places, hopelessly backwards in some cases, and very much in danger of being destroyed. No matter, a bunch of guys won a football game. God forbid Americans should deal with reality - instead it’s the same old delusional patriotism and disconnect from the real world.
Somehow, Super Bowl Sunday is now a national holiday. Yesterday’s game was also the highest rated television event ever - breaking a 27 year old record held by the final episode of MASH. But why is it such lousy TV? Start with the pre-game, which featured Guy Fieri serving crap on a ritz cracker. Literally an inedible sludge topped with shrimp - perfect for obese America. Then we suffered through the endless graphics and multiple camera angles during the plays - so much technology it was mind-numbing. Then, most importantly of all was the commentary. It was mostly inoffensive except for one moment when a commentator told the Saints not to blitz. What did they do? Blitz and cause the game ending interception. So much for informed commentary. Next time, I’ll watch on mute.
And if I see one more set of elderly “rockers” on TV, I am literally going to smash my head through the TV.
Then there is the violence - the game itself is under heat for former players with brain damage. This sport is brutal and destroys players’ bodies. Yet, this is treated as a necessary evil so that we may be entertained. It also extends to the embarrassingly stupid commercials - once a highlight. Now we have Betty White getting slammed to the ground, Bud Light trucks driving over human bridges and violin playing beavers. People are upset at the use of the word retarded? Well it has another meaning - to set back. And these commercials retarded the American population by at least a generation. If they weren’t stupid, they were offensive or just plain pointless.
Lastly, if I see one more “journalist” write “who dat - the Saints!” I will personally pummel them. Let’s not promote thuggish behavior or abuses of the English language folks. Especially if you use that same language to earn a living.
Yup, an embarrassment but not of riches. Stupidity and violence reigned supreme. Considering a country that voted for George Bush AFTER he blundered into two wars, that’s no surprise.
Was a good game though. Go Saints!
(0) Comments •Four Twenty Eight [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
February 02, 2010The number of service members discharged due to the failed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” has been revealed. Last year, it was 428. While almost 200 people lower than 2008’s figure, that is still a lot of people trying to do their jobs only to have their lives ruined.
I’ve always been amazed at the number of gays in the military since they have to live in secret and cannot have open personal lives. Yet, year after year, gay soldiers, seamen and airmen continue to do their jobs, often in harms way. Sometimes, it is a thankless, yet critical job - remember all those Arabic translators who were kicked out to the detriment of our efforts in Iraq? That was plain stupid.
Finally Obama has pushed the Defense Department to act and it’s about time. Fewer people will be dismissed and enforcement of the law will be a lot less strict under new DOD policies. Of course these are Obamian half measures in place of real change - the usual B.S. we get from the administration.
Of course, the world has changed a lot since 1993 when Bill Clinton imposed this horrible policy on the military. It will take time to undo, not least of all because a law to repeal must be passed, no easy feat these days. But the wheels of change have started to turn. Sec Def Bill Gates is on board and that is the kind of support we need. For a former Bush appointee, Gates has shown good leadership under Obama (who it must be said I am very disappointed with in terms of military budgeting) but the Left will need to keep pushing to get the change through.
Here’s to finally killing off this policy in 2010.
(0) Comments •Abstinence-Only Sex Ed a Bust [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 28, 2010As if it wasn’t clear already, abstinence-only education was (and is) a bust. A new study shows that teen pregnancy went up 3% from 2005 - 2006. Guess who was in charge? Yup, abstinence-loving bible toting Republicans. File under “told you so.”
(0) Comments •The Rise of the Moderate Republicans [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 24, 2010After a Fall where sleazebag Joe Lieberman and supposed Dems Blanche Lincoln and Ben Nelson held progress hostage, the winds of change have swept through DC and rendered those folks impotent.
First of all, Lincoln is toast this Fall as is Harry Reid. So there is going to be a huge re-alignment in the Senate in Jan 2011 and we might as well start looking at the reality of a 55 - 45 seat majority if we want to get anything done next year. (Congress is notoriously skittish to doing big things in election years so let’s figure for sake of argument nothing major goes through).
Well, I hate to tell Republicans but their conservative majority is never coming back. There just isn’t a political reality that gets them to 51 conservatives. First of all there is Olympia Snowe, and to a lesser degree Susan Collins. Then you have Delaware, which looks to go to Rep. Mike Castle since Beau Biden doesn’t want to run and even his father can’t get him to take the plunge. But history has proven Castle to be a moderate and he can be worked with. Add in Brown, who despite his appeal to tea partiers, is not a right winger but a Snowe-wannabe, as is Kelly Ayotte in NH. Brown will have 2 1/2 years to convince MA voters to support him come 2012 - when Obama will be on the ticket so that’s a tall order. So he can go tea party or he can try to pull a Snowe. Watch for the latter and Dems will have little choice to court him, if they want to pass anything. If Charlie Crist wins the nomination in FL - a big if - you get to 5 moderate Republicans. I know, I know, certain readers will say they’re right wingers, but since the entire political spectrum has swung to the right.
So while the Repubs may rip themselves apart over a few tea party candidates, the end result is some moderates will be out there. So if Obama wants to play bi-partisan, he’ll have some more cover besides the two ME Senators. Whether he can pass anything of real substance will remain to be seen.
UPDATE - there seems to be some dispute about the Biden report, which may refer to Ted Kaufman who currently holds the seat. Regardless, this is a tough slog for Dems even if Biden does run, which he does not seem inclined to want to do.
MONDAY UPDATE - Biden is officially not running.
(0) Comments •Health Care’s First Victim [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 19, 2010Scott Brown defeats Martha Coakley. The earth didn’t stop rotating but Democrats got their comeuppance. We’re afraid a lot more is in store this year in the face of complete Democratic incompetence. And in this case the fingers have to point all the way at the top - Obama, Emmanuel, Reid and everyone else who mismanaged health care are responsible for the ultimate sullying of Ted Kennedy’s name and legacy. What a tragedy.
(0) Comments •Feds Quash Medical Marijuana Studies [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
The NY Times today reports on the efforts among scientists to study the potential benefits of medical marijuana and the impossibility of getting a study approved. Yup, the Feds may have laid off state medical marijuana clinics but the old bogeyman still exists. What are we afraid of guys? Relieving pain and suffering?
(0) Comments •It All Comes Down to the Candidates [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 17, 2010Martha Coakley has turned assured victory into potential disaster. Add in Jon Corzine and Creigh Deeds and you have the makings of a media narrative that will spin for months until the Dem majority in the House is toast. Too bad it will once again be the wrong narrative.
Candidates win elections - good ones, that is. The Democrats have unfortunately had the crap triumvirate this year - rich, out of touch Corzine, hapless Deeds trying to occupy left, middle and right at the same time and Martha Coakley, the lamest of all. Coakley was the only candidate known statewide even two months ago yet there seems to be no love for her. Liberals are suspicious because of her law & order background while Republicans don’t vote for Democratic women no matter how tough they act. Independents swing back and forth between the parties and this time they have swung angrily to the right. Of course they won’t be happy with Scot Brown aka the latest emperor with no clothes candidate. Angry people act stupid and we are about to see the height of stupidity.
In the meantime, media pundits will say that the Dems are doomed come November. They may be, for various historical reasons not to mention a blundering, ineffective, poorly sold “agenda,” but they are not doomed because Republicans are resurgent or even popular. Angry people may act stupidly but they are not stupid. They know Republicans can’t run the government for more than five minutes without piling on the debt and blowing up fourth world countries. So they will protest and vote for people that are no more likely to turn things around then Democrats. (Actually these people are so retarded in their thinking presently that they feel stopping any action at all will be positive. That is not rational thinking by any stretch.)
So what are we left with? It’s the candidate stupid and this year Dems have tons of bad ones. Some we’ve seen, others are yet to rear their heads. OK, Harry Reid and Blanche Lincoln have. But that’s the true narrative folks - bad candidates lose, especially when the political winds have shifted. And one year into Obama’s destined to be disappointing tenure, the gale is fully in our faces.
All we can say is Chuck Schumer better blow up the filibuster next year. Because Harry Reid ain’t gonna be around and the Dem majority will likely be only a few seats.
(0) Comments •Mark McGwire Admits He Used Steroids [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 11, 2010File under biggest non-surprise of the year. Bigger than the uninformed Sarah Palin finally joining the nitwits on Fox News. Don’t you hate when life is so sadly predictable.
Almost five years ago, McGwire refused to answer questions before Congress about steroid use. Today he changed his tune, calling it “foolish” and a “mistake.”
Sorry Mark, you are a disgrace. You helped destroy a sport you purported to love. What you did was not a mistake nor was it foolish. It was malicious and criminal. It was systematic and devious.
Oh and this devious lying crook’s new job? Hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. One of baseball’s great teams has sullied its image beyond repair in my book. I’ll enjoy rooting against them for the rest of my life.
(0) Comments •Science Wins… Again [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 07, 2010One of the best things about a Democratic administration is that science is taken seriously. Today’s case in point - new stricter smog limits set to be imposed by the EPA.
You may recall that EPA scientists recommended stringent limits on smog back in the Bush Dark Ages and industry rebelled. Bush stepped in and arbitrarily set the limits much higher. (Maybe God told him what they should be?) Regardless, and countless asthma cases later, the EPA finally got it right and will impose the limits those scientists originally recommended.
Cue crying from the right wing, anti-regulation forces and big electric. It’s gonna be a long 8 years for those folks.
(0) Comments •Dems Dodd-g a Bullet [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 06, 2010Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd announces his retirement and Democrats everywhere cheer.
Let’s face it - Dodd was a dead duck this year and now the Democrats have a very good shot at holding the seat. That means our biggest dangers are now Harry Reid, who is one tough SOB to beat, Michael Bennet and Blanche Lincoln. Bill Ritter’s retirement means that it is likely Andrew Romanoff will jump into the Governor’s race and clear the field of serious competition for Bennet. This is all good news too, especially since with Dorgan retiring, North Dakota is all but assuredly going Republican now.
But Dodd is the tipping point - because it means we can still have 60 seats even if we lose a few such as those above or Delaware (what the hell is going on down there, by the way?). That’s because Republicans are still very unpopular and may lose in Missouri, Ohio and/or New Hampshire. Throw in Florida, where we get a 50/50 shot should Rubio beat Crist and North Carolina where Richard Burr’s numbers stink and you have a heck of a cliffhanger come November. But at worst, we have about 56 Senators. Time to kill the filibuster?
Meanwhile, best we’ll do in the House is lose 12 - 15 seats. My guess is still at about 20, not at all mitigated by near-certain pick-ups in Delaware and Louisiana.
(0) Comments •Thousands of Dangerous Chemicals are State Secrets [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
One of the amazing - and frightening - things about our country is the large number of things kept secret to protect the powerful. Today, an expose on secret chemicals.
Over 84,000 chemicals are in use in the U.S. and these substances have to be registered with the federal government. However, for 33 years, companies have been registering new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which allows them to “exempt from public disclosure any information that could harm their bottom line” according to an article in today’s Washington Post. In essence, this means a company can - and nearly always does - cite this clause in requesting secrecy. Up to 95% of recent requests have cited some need for secrecy resulting in basically a bogus rubber stamp for companies to do whatever they wish. The result is chemicals on the market that may be dangerous and secret mixtures that can cause great harm if ingested or touched - but no one knows how to treat since the company does not need to tell what the ingredients are.
Clearly this is unacceptable and the law needs to be changed. The Post indicates that the Obama administration is not happy with the law and the EPA recently removed 580 chemicals from protection because companies published info on them or posted them on websites. However, that is a drop in the bucket. It’s time the government step up and protect its citizens by repealing the portion of the law allowing for secrecy.
(0) Comments •The Obama Fumble [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
January 05, 2010Vacationer in Chief. That’s what they’re throwing at Obama in the wake of last month’s airline security debacle. And you know what, they’re not half wrong. Because American politics is in large part about perception. And the perception out there right now is pretty bad for the President.
Clearly everyone deserves a vacation - but when you’re the President of the USA and a terrorist strikes, you don’t downplay it or ignore it. You certainly don’t stay on vacation. What you do do is face it head on, take the media by storm, form a bi-partisan commission, etc. Because that is what Americans expect and what your political enemies will be looking for. You don’t, I repeat, don’t leave it to subordinates or fail to manage the message. That is a huge problem, especially when your DHS chief suddenly gets “foot in mouth” disease.
Now, of course, the right wing predictably overreacted to the attempted bombing and now the TSA et al is overreacting by blacklisting 14 countries (while ignoring other terrorist homelands such as Egypt). But my biggest problem with Obama’s White House has reared its head again - not managing the message properly. This is a continual headscratcher considering how adept the campaign was at managing information and stories.
But the White House is a different animal, one that Rahm Emmanuel was supposed to be intimately aware of. But Emmanuel and the rest of the President’s team are letting Obama down. They are not telling him how to cut-off political attacks and how to manage the perception. It’s almost like they don’t understand the tenuous position they - and Democrats - are in this year. If we lose the House, it will be because of the ineptitude of the Obama White House. (Okay, a crap health care bill will also be to blame.)
It’s a shame because Dems have made huge strides with the public with security issues. Dems pushed for all cargo coming into the US to be screened, Dems pushed for the TSA and Dems are the ones who insisted that every suitcase be screened for explosives before being loaded on a plane. Unfortunately, and it’s not really fair since this was also Dutch security screw-up, Dems are taking the brunt of the criticism now.
Let’s hope Obama learns that the next time he is on vacation, when the shit hits the fan, you head back to DC to take charge.
(0) Comments •The Madness That is Airport Security [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 27, 2009Let’s face it folks, the terrorists will always be ahead of us. Even if we strip search every passenger, in the end they will find a way around security measures. So what is society to do? For starters, focus on what works, not what doesn’t.
We have railed against the Dept of Homeland Insecurity for years as being rife with incompetence and stupidity - banning liquids on airplanes took the cake in our book since no one ever proved you could mix a liquid explosive on a plane. And no one ever bothered to follow up to see if such restrictions were needed.
Right now people are once again being subjected to mindless security procedures - having their carry-on bags taken apart after they go through scanners, having to remain in their seat for an hour before landing, not being allowed to have anything on their laps, etc. This kind of knee jerk “security” is nothing of the sort - yet no one can say boo when they are instituted. The airlines comply and commentators drone on and on about the dangers of terrorists.
So let’s add some facts to the discussion - first of all, in spite of all the “security” at airports, individuals have shown several times they can get some sort of low-grade explosives on the planes. This is in spite of ramped up security. And it will probably continue unless we subject everyone to the full body scanners now being implemented around the country. (These behemoths are fine by me and I’ve been through one once. Only thing is they are so bulky as to be unfeasible in high volume situations - Amsterdam has only 10 of them. Maybe they should watch the film Running Man to see how to scale them down).
Of course the knee-jerk security measures imposed would have done nothing to stop this particular bomber. After all, his explosives were in his skivvies, not in his carry-on, and he tried to set the bomb off WHILE seated. I can imagine there may have been something in his lap but do we know for sure? Or are we just trying to desperately do something, anything to protect airplanes?
Here is what does work - intelligence. Flagging a guy like this or anyone from certain countries like Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, etc. and put them through the secondary screening, including full body scans. What does not work - half-ass “security” like taking your shoes off or banning anything other than tiny liquids. And don’t get me started on feeling up grandma because she was randomly flagged.
Terrorists will just find another way because they are motivated. So until we get our intelligence agencies in order and listen to guys like this bomber’s father, we will get nowhere. And be subject to more TSA and DHS stupidity when one of these guys breaks our defenses. Which ain’t too hard, if you haven’t noticed.
(0) Comments •Coming Soon - No Underwear Allowed on Planes [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
The suspected attempted bomber of the Northwest flight to Detroit had 80 grams of PETN sewn into his underwear. You know what that means, no more underwear on airplanes. In the meantime, prepare for some very long delays going through airport security.
(0) Comments •Anti-Pregnancy General Backpedals [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 22, 2009Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo is backing off his threat from yesterday to throw pregnant battlefield soldiers - and their husbands - in jail according to ABC News. That’s great but do we need ignoramuses like this in the military? Memo to Sec Def Gates - put this guy out to pasture.
Update 12/25 - the policy is officially dead according to CNN.
(0) Comments •Capital Success [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 21, 2009Not even a week after Washington DC legalized gay marriage, Mexico City follows suit. That’s right folks, a city in Latin America legalized gay marriage. In a Catholic country. How much longer are “Christians” and Republicans going to keep up this charade in the U.S.?
(0) Comments •Yes Airline Passengers, You Do Have Rights [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
The US government has decided three hours is enough. That is, three hours if you are stuck on a tarmac.
After years of horror stories, airline passengers will finally get a break - in 120 days. That is when new DOT regulations go into effect requiring all domestic carriers to return passengers to a terminal if a delay is more than three hours. It has been a shameful practice that heretofore Congress has been unable to deal with. Now the Obama administration and perhaps most significantly DOT Secretary Roy LaHood (yes, a Republican and a damn fine leader for DOT), has acted where Congress could not. More details courtesy AP.
(0) Comments •Your Senate at Work [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 20, 2009So Ben Nelson got tons of cash for Nebraska and Bernie Sanders got more money for community health centers. What else was in the health care bill? How about a 10% tax on tanning salon visits?
The health care bill is so loaded with pork its amazing that Joe Lieberman can still be a Jew after voting for it. Among the goodies, as reported by the AP today, is the Federal government’s pickup of costs for Medicaid expansion for several states, including Louisiana and Nebraska (hello Ben Nelson and thank you for your vote). Even better, beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage plans will have their benefits “grandfathered in” thanks to the other Nelson, Bill Nelson D-FL. Liberals meanwhile were left mainly in the cold by the porkfest, except for Bernie Sanders community health center money. Sanders had threatened to vote no but we can only assume $10 billion changed his mind.
Otherwise, cosmetic surgery dodged a 5% tax. Unfortunately the tanning bed lobby didn’t fare so well - expect a 10% tax on tanning bed visits if the Senate provision survives.
The big losers - liberals like us who believe in universal coverage and dismantling the inefficient, employment based insurance system. FYI - the last plan we could stomach including the Medicare expansion came in about $20 billion under the CBO estimate for the Nelson compromise. Good thing the moderates and conservatives wanted to save money.
(0) Comments •Twitter Hack a Sign of War of the Future [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 18, 2009Twitter was taken down overnight by the Iranian Cyber Army - whoever that is. Welcome to war of the future.
It’s long been known that Russian, Chinese and other hackers have been mucking about in our computer networks. Little has been done to stop them (see 60 Minutes’ report on the vulnerability of our electric grid) and now private companies have to worry about being taken out. Overnight, Twitter.com was taken down for about an hour by an attack from a group that redirected the site to something called “Iranian Cyber Army.” No one knows who that is but it’s hardly a surprise that Twitter would be a target of Iranian subterfuge. After all, they facilitated communications during recent protests - to the point that the US government asked they postpone scheduled maintenance during the protests.
We are going to see more of these as hackers continue to stay miles ahead of US security efforts. And you thought wars of the future would play out on distant battlefields? Not anymore.
(0) Comments •Federal Hate Crime Prosecutions Rise [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 17, 2009Yet another reason to have a Democrat in the White House - a more proactive AG who goes after things like hate crimes.
2009 has seen the most federal hate crime cases since 2001 and that is no coincidence. While the number is comparatively low, TPM reports via AP that the number has gone from 13 in 2006 to 25 so far this year. In 2001, 31 cases were started and its highly unlikely that the number of hate crimes went down this decade, considering our racially polarized nation and the widespread disapproval of illegal immigrants. Since the figures only count about 10 months of Obama’s term, expect them to be higher next year.
(0) Comments •Houston Elects Lesbian Mayor [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 13, 2009Texas may not allow same sex marriage, but the citizens of Houston were broadminded enough to elect the city’s first gay mayor - Annise Parker. Parker won a run-off election yesterday and is now mayor-elect of America’s fourth largest city.
(0) Comments •England to Revisit Libel Laws [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 12, 2009Worldwide libel basket case England may actually revisit those laws that are strangely biased in favor of plaintants in lawsuits. We say it’s about time.
A former guest on OutrageRadio, Rachel Ehrenfeld was one of the most notorious victims of these ass-backwards laws. For some unfathomable reason, you are presumed guilty if someone sues you for libel in England and it is your responsibility to prove you are innocent. Of course, this makes no sense and it has been widely abused since you don’t need to be a resident of the UK to sue. Ehrenfeld was sued by a Saudi billionaire who allegedly funded terrorism. He won a large judgment against her even though she had only sold 23 books in the U.K. Thankfully, a New York law protects Ehrenfeld from any attempt to collect on the judgment.
Today, the NY Times reported that a law has been introduced in the House of Lords that would force those suing to show there was actual harm in England before suing. That is a good first step but the only true answer is to flip the law around to protect those being accused. In the meantime, England will remain a place where unfounded lawsuits clog up the court system.
(0) Comments •NBA Takedown [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 06, 2009If you are under the impression that the NBA is fair, you might want to reconsider. Today on 60 Minutes, former referee Tim Donaghy blew the lid off many things - from his own betting on games to how the league favors certain players. It wasn’t pretty for anyone.
Of course Tim Donaghy is an acknowledged gambler who happened to be a referee in the NBA for decades. He bet on games for years and eventually was busted because the mob had muscled in on his action and they were being wiretapped by the FBI. All very reprehensible. But what happened next was surprising - Donaghy decided to blow the whistle on some bad league behavior on 60 Minutes, as well as in his new book.
Generally when crooks squeal, it’s to save their own hides and their stories have to be taken with a grain of salt. But Donaghy was the oddest kind of cheater - he gambled on tons of games and even on ones he officiated. But he says he never blew a call or caused the outcome to change. The FBI didn’t believe him but they watched tapes of the games and came away with the conclusion he told the truth. They even point to a game when he threw out the coach of the San Antonio spurs, which probably caused the team to lose the game - a team he had bet on. His mob “friends” were not happy but he was never found to have influenced a game.
But the real interesting part was his success rate as a bettor was over 70%. How could that be? Apparently the NBA has some very bad habits. Like playing favorites with players and teams. Refs apparently get pre-game information, the kind of info that helped him in his betting, but also that informed them of who was in and out in the league’s favoritism ranks. Even worse, since Donaghy knew that refs played favorites or penalized players they didn’t like, he had great intell other bettors did not have. For example, Allan Iverson was on the outs with refs - big surprise there - so in some crucial games opposing defenses pummeled him and he never got a foul call. The league apparently went further in the playoffs, encouraging long series and the success of big market clubs whenever possible. The NBA did not respond to 60 Minutes so there is no way to know for sure but it’s long been assumed that this has gone on.
In essence, it seems pro basketball is a stacked game. Favorite players get the benefit of the doubt while other players get poor treatment by refs. Are games fixed? No one is saying that. But they certainly don’t seem to be very fair.
(0) Comments •New York State Senate Blocks Gay Marriage [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 02, 2009The rights of gays to marry suffered a blow today when legalization was stopped in the New York State Senate. Only 24 of 62 Senators voted in favor. So in spite of heavy support in the Assembly and by Governor Paterson, 8 people stopped equal rights for gays. They should be ashamed of themselves.
(0) Comments •3 Years, 30,000 Americans [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
December 01, 2009So the numbers are in - question is do you believe them?
Pres. Obama has decided to own Afghanistan - he really had no choice thanks to Bush’s blundering - and is now set to send in 30,000 troops. Less than what his generals wanted, but not by much, this is sure to inflame the left which is sick of eternal war. You can count us in the “sick of war” group but we agree that pulling out of Afghanistan now would be a big mistake. But Obama is going further, pledging to remove “most” troops in 3 years. Of course our genius media says that will mean the Afghan war will be “over.”
The reality of course is something different. We will be there for generations, the same way we are in Korea. In fact, the only war technically over is the Vietnam War, if you count the presence of American troops. We already know American troops will be in Iraq for years past the so-called end of the war. And now we’re going to get the same thing in Afghanistan, where the situation is much worse.
Since Obama is about to own this war, we wish him luck. But history does not forecast a great outcome for him. And if in three years, we’re still bogged down with 50,000 or 75,000 troops, you can bury the Democratic party with him.
(0) Comments •In Debt and Drowning [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
November 23, 2009We all know debt is the American way - buy something and punt payments down the road. But what happens if the payments consume most of your cash? You go without or go bankrupt, as many people this year have learned.
Today, The New York Times published a stark picture of our nation’s future - our debt payments will balloon in the coming decade even if we cut our deficits. Why? Because our debt service now is paying ridiculously low interest rates thanks to the economic collapse. And when the economy improves, interest rates go up. So debt payments will go from $202 this year to over $700 billion by 2019. That’s $500 billion we won’t be spending on other things that we will need.
Hard choices are ahead and neither political party seems ready for them - this includes vastly reduced government services and higher taxes. Democrats need to level with Americans and raise taxes now. Because every dollar we borrow today turns into two or three down the road. Time to stop the madness.
(0) Comments •How Obama Can Beat the Republican Terror Trial Meme [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
November 16, 2009Considering their campaign that managed its message so well, the Obama administration continues to be a trainwreck when it comes to controlling stories. Since they don’t seem capable of framing the Gitmo terror trial story, that means we have to do it for them.
Following up on our post yesterday, three conservative leaders including Bob Barr have come out in favor of civilian trials for Gitmo terror suspects according to Talking Points Memo. This first sign of sanity from the other side is all well and good but in America, it’s the message stupid. And the administration’s message seems muddled at best.
So how does Obama go on offense over this issue? Simple, the administration uses the bully pulpit to ask why Republicans like Rudy Giuliani think that law enforcement, prosecutors and judges can’t do their jobs. After all, we’re going to be in more danger according to their logic. Aren’t the same hero cops who evacuated people from the Towers now charged with protecting us? Have they suddenly become incompetent or soft on terror? Americans are by and large a law and order bunch. First they were suckered into the war on drugs then the war on terror. Each time, the guys on the ground - the cops or the troops - came away unscathed even as the “war” went off the rails. Now the Republicans have decided to demean the entire legal profession, from the lowly cops to the judges who rule on evidence. Time to call them on this hypocrisy.
Of course, this entire argument, as Josh Marshall points out today at TPM, is complete hogwash. We pointed out much of the same yesterday. But the key to this will be fighting back with law enforcement officials at the side of the President asking the question “why do Republicans hate law enforcement?” Now that’s a meme worth printing.
(0) Comments •Justice Right-Wing Style [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
November 15, 2009So are Republicans and other assorted right-wing nutjobs really afraid that Gitmo “terrorists” will be freed to the streets of New York? If you listen to the ones blowharding their way through TV talk shows, you betcha. Reality is, of course, entirely different.
Now we all know these faux-conservatives just hate America - you know the one they wake up in where the black guy is in charge, brown people are “stealing” their jobs and homos want to get hitched. But it turns out they hate the idea of America too. Huh? Yup, they don’t trust our judicial system and prefer to assume guilt first and to lock up people without trial… forever.
One of Pres. Obama’s biggest problems since taking office has been how to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. Democrats have continually caved to Republican fearmongering that these prisoners are too dangerous to try or house in the U.S. Forget that we have tried terrorists before and actually have several in our prisons right now. And forget that the prison industry is a big fan of the Republican party. We can’t handle it, or so they would have us believe.
Now it turns out Obama is going through with the trial of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, bringing him to the Federal Court just blocks from the World Trade Center site. So predictably all heck broke lose. Some 9/11 families were outraged and Republicans including the odious Rudy Giuliani played the fear card. After all, if we try these guys here and they get off, say on a technicality, then they will be free to roam the streets.
So let’s put aside the fact that these so-called terrorists have only been convicted in the minds of pundits and Bush admin officials, and that our system is based on presumed innocence. Terrorists will get off and run free!!! Of course, this will not be the case. Even as the torturers turned Mohammed’s brain to mush, it seems there is enough evidence to ensure that the guy will eventually fry. However, for many other suspects held at Gitmo, federal judges have already found a bunch to be held on insufficient evidence. Several, including Uighurs that have nothing to do with Al Qaeda, have been released to other countries. These guys, not surprisingly, are not being tried in the U.S. Wonder why?
Because I doubt that Holder or Obama would risk a case in open court where the government might lose. Yup, they are making a stand by trying Mohammed but any case with even a reasonable amount of uncertainty is unlikely to be tried outside of Gitmo. As we’ve already seen, some of the Gitmo prisoners were in the wrong place at the wrong time or held on flimsy evidence. It’s a delicate game the administration is playing and they are likely to stick to a very conservative play sheet to get these cases dealt with.
Of course, in the end, if a terrorist, real or imagined, gets off, don’t expect they will walk the streets. First of all, they don’t have visas to get entry to the U.S. and will most certainly be deported. Americans can sleep comfortably knowing these particular alleged terrorists won’t be the ones coming for them.
(0) Comments •Keeping Fox News Honest [ by Michael T] [Eye on the Media]
November 12, 2009Nothing proves Fox News is right-wing propaganda more than their support of the tea party movement. The other day they covered the bogus protest on Capital Hill, complete with shots of large crowds protesting. Only there weren’t large crowds and something seemed off. Then someone at the Daily Show figured it out.
The footage looked wrong and sure enough it was. On Tuesday night’s show, Stewart had a piece about the Fox report which aired on Sean Hannity’s show. It purportedly showed huge crowds for last Thursday’s rally except the shots were from a rally in the summer - which took place on a Saturday, naturally drawing more crowds. The giveaway? The trees. You see, it’s fall in DC and the footage clearly showed lush green trees - the way you’d see them in the summer.
Last night, Sean Hannity admitted the mistake - though he did not come clean and buried it in the last 30 seconds of the show. We don’t buy the innocent mistake line he was selling. Hannity did thank Stewart’s staff for watching the show and we do so as well. Someone has to keep these guys honest.
(1) Comments •Fort Hood Shooter Liked his Strippers Blonde [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
So where was the alleged murderer Nidal Malik Hasan hanging out? At a strip club, naturally. And ever the gentleman, he preferred blondes.
Nothing seems to highlight the hypocrisy of a so-called religious Muslim more than hanging out in strip clubs and getting drunk. Yet, here we have another deranged murderer (alleged) hanging out in a place called Starz, getting lap dances. News reports yesterday seem to indicate Hasan visited a club called Starz multiple time and got at least one lap dance in the days leading up to his attack on soldiers at Fort Hood.
(1) Comments •Cracks in the Jihadi World [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
November 10, 2009CNN has an exhaustive report on a Libyan jihadi group that has renounced the killing of women, children and other innocents. The network is painting it as the first direct challenge to the ruthless jihadi groups such as Al Qaeda. Maybe Republicans aren’t the only movement coming apart at the seams.
(0) Comments •File Under No Surprise There - US Marijuana Policy a Complete Failure [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
November 08, 2009A new report shows just what a fundamental failure our war on pot has been. And it confirms what proponents of legalization have been saying for years. Time to stop throwing money away on interdiction.
It’s no secret that we at OutrageNation are in favor of legalizing marijuana but our politicians are for the most part failing to get on the bandwagon. Even the general public is coming on board - 44% in a recent Gallup poll support legalization, the highest the poll has ever recorded. And as more facts, like those in this report from the Marijuana Policy Almanac come to light, we can see the tide turning towards legalization.
A few facts to use on your skeptical friends and colleagues:
- increased arrests do not act as a deterrent against smoking pot
- the structure of penalties encourages more purchases of small amounts, effectively driving up the price
- the arrest rate of blacks is three times that of whites even though black use of pot is only 25% higher
The costs of continued criminalization are predictably high but had been hard to quantify until now. Turns out that states and localities spent $10.3 billion on interdiction in 2006. The approximately 850,000 national marijuana arrests that took place also taxed limited police resources. Not to mention court costs and the social cost of arresting and incarcerating pot smokers.
There is no good argument for the continued illegality of marijuana. People still use it heavily even though it is illegal, all the while enriching drug dealers and drug cartels in Mexico. This contributes to violence south of the border and pushes more people over the border to the U.S. The War on Drugs is an acknowledged failure but no more so than when it comes to marijuana. Time for a change.
(3) Comments •Gay Marriage Back on NY’s Agenda [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
November 06, 2009You can say one thing about Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) - he doesn’t give up easily even in the face of certain defeat.
No, we’re not talking about his soon to be aborted run for re-election but rather his quixotic fight to get a vote on gay marriage. Yes folks in the same week as the voters of Maine voted down gay marriage, New York is going to try to push for a vote in the State Senate. It would give the movement much needed momentum after the Maine vote but of course it’s not likely to happen.
We’ll spare you the workings of New York’s often dysfunctional state government beyond saying that the Senate is nearly evenly divided and the votes are currently not there to legalize gay marriage. The measure has passed the State Assembly twice and Paterson has pushed it for some time but the Senate is where the bill seems destined to go to die. It has driven a wedge between more religious Democrats and their more liberal colleagues, contributing to the stalemate that existed earlier this year.
So why now and what is Paterson’s plan? Given his performance in office, we see this as nothing more than trying to pander to a constituency he had promised a vote in hopes of salvaging his re-election chances next year. Maybe he cares about gay marriage but likely his own job is what occupies his thoughts. So in the meantime, in the midst of yet another budget crisis, he will try to legalize gay marriage. Why bring it up to near certain defeat? No Republicans are publicly on board - anyone who votes for it will be tea bagged in a primary from the right - and at least one (and rumored more) Dem is a no vote. In a 32-30 vote that means you start at 31 or worse with little chance of picking up anyone at all.
We support the end result but question the means and the timing. Especially when it comes to Paterson, who may be the worst governor in the country after our old friend Mark “walkabout” Sanford.
(0) Comments •Don’t Fall for the Latest Meme [ by Michael T] [Eye on the Media]
November 04, 2009The media is stupid. That is something the left and right will no doubt agree on. Today, the sky is falling - Democrat edition. Only it’s not.
For the last 16 hours, my yahoo page has led with the same headline “GOP Sweep.” This headline did not change even after Dems took CD 23 in upstate New York (a seat they have not had in over 100 years). Why is this? Because it’s the meme stupid and you should get on board.
News runs in cycles and the latest cycle is how the Democrats are going to lose next year. Maybe a bloodbath akin to 1994. In fact, don’t even plan on voting in 12 months. We’re gonna lose. Oh and Obama’s popularity wasn’t good enough. Of course polls in VA show that Obama’s popularity (57% there) had nothing to do with what happened last night.
So I repeat, this is stupid. To project angry voters that came out yesterday (while young Dems and minorities stayed home) onto next year is foolhardy. Sure unemployment will be high or maybe the recovery will have slowed, but just as likely we will be in better shape than this year.
First of all, the two main races were local ones - governorships. Governors are very prone to being turned out when the economy tanks. They can’t deficit spend and have little to do other than cut services and jobs or raise taxes. In Virginia, the Dem candidate faded quite quickly after winning his primary and never seemed to have a message. Add in the state’s stupid single term-limits law and you have a Repub pickup. In NJ the situation was clear - arrogant unpopular governor loses. No big deal except Christie is a train-wreck waiting to happen. Unfortunately for NJ, that’s their problem.
NY23 was the most interesting race - one we’ve been over on this board. Suffice to say that the tea baggers are emboldened now so they will attack Republicans from the right. This means no Repub will feel safe teaming up with Dems on anything major in Congress as they tack right. But when the challenges come, the danger for Republicans is results just like NY23. They should be very worried.
Lastly, about gay marriage. Yes Maine is a disappointment but the tide is slowly turning and one day many states will allow gays to marry. We just need to keep taking the fight to the bigots and the haters.
(0) Comments •Smart Electric Grid Coming [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 27, 2009Today, Pres. Obama announced $3.4 billion in grants to be used towards the creation of a “smart electric grid.” This is a major step forward in fixing long known inefficiencies in the electricity delivery system.
The money is the largest grant from the stimulus package and is backed up by $4.7 billion that was raised from the private sector as part of the program’s requirements. Expect projects to get going within 12 months as the White House pushes for quick work to begin.
The electricity grid is notoriously inefficient and unable to bounce back quickly in cases of blackout or service disruption. The new plan - which does not involve laying more electricity lines - is to use smart transformers and automated substations that can identify problems before they become catastrophic. In addition, consumers will be getting 18 million smart meters that allow them to gauge their electricity usage, theoretically allowing them to make adjustments in peak times or to save money.
It is estimated that the effort will generate tens of thousands of jobs, which is just what we need to do ahead of next year’s mid-term elections.
(0) Comments •Health Care Waste Exposed [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 26, 2009How much does our health care system waste? Try around $800 billion a year. That’s about 1/3 of all annual U.S. health expenditures. With a CBO report looming on Harry Reid’s Senate bill, will this give added momentum to Democratic efforts to get a bill passed?
(0) Comments •Which Political Party is Really in Trouble? [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 23, 2009Much has been written of Democratic struggles - falling popularity, challenging upcoming election cycles, lack of getting things accomplished. But do all these issues mask something else? Namely that the Republican Party is in big trouble?
As I write this, the Republican Party is experiencing several ruptures and falling poll numbers. Even worse for them, the tea baggers are putting right-ward pressure that jeopardizes large scale comeback. So what happened? Just a few weeks ago commentators were all lathered up about the Democrats’ troubles.
At the moment a fascinating pair of elections are playing out that may hand Democrats seats that they otherwise should not win. Each illustrates the problem the Republicans have on their right. In the Florida Senate primary, Gov. Charlie Crist is facing off against Marc Rubio. Rubio is to the right of Crist and a decided underdog. But mainstream Republicans are starting to worry as Rubio picks up momentum in the face of Crist’s supposed RINO nature - standing by the stimulus plan was not a help - and raising serious money. A few big name Repubs have endorsed Rubio, including headcase Sen. James Inhofe and penny-pincher Jim De Mint, and he’s creeping up in the polls. In the meantime, Dems have a clear field and a possibly credible candidate in the form of Rep. Kendrick Meek. Conventional wisdom is if Crist is the nominee, Meek is toast, while he could take on Rubio and possibly win.
Just as crazy - and more imminent - is the election to fill the vacant House seat in NY’s 23rd district. Here the Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava is actually a moderate - and more liberal on some issues than Dem. Bill Owens - but she is running a terrible race and in danger of coming in third to right-wing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Hoffman has picked up some big name support, most recently from the rogue herself Sarah Palin. Imagine how empowered the tea baggers would be if they actually won the race. That isn’t likely with the outcome probably going to be a Dem pick-up. Good for us but symptomatic of a bigger problem for Republicans.
All of this comes in the face of two horrible polls of Republican popularity among American votes. On the 19th, an ABC News/ Washington Post poll showed only 20% of Americans identify as Republicans and today CNN followed up with news that only 36% approve of the Republican Party (53% have a favorable opinion of Democrats) - the Republicans’ worst showing in a decade.
Will the Democrats capitalize on this, build up momentum on health care and get their agenda through? Who knows but they can take solace in the fact that Republicans have not gained much so far.
(0) Comments •Election Day Cliffhangers [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 20, 2009With just two weeks to go to election day, there are a couple of cliffhangers - in New Jersey and in Maine. Democrats there need your help.
Gov. Jon Corzine hasn’t been a tremendous governor but he doesn’t deserve to be tossed out just because people have decided everyone in political office needs to pay for our failed economy. Blame Bush if you will, but putting a right winger in the Jersey statehouse, Chris Christie, a former Bush prosecutor, is not the answer. Right now polls are deadlocked but we hope New Jersey follows recent patterns and breaks for the Democrat.
More worrying is the ballot initiative to strip Maine of its right to allow gay marriage. As you will recall the measure passed the legislature and was signed by the governor. But it was put on hold due to a statewide referendum. Polls today show it as a toss-up. If you know anyone in Maine or are close enough to help out, please do so. Turnout does not favor our side as the highest turnout group, senior citizens, also polls as being for overturning the law. Making it more confusing, people need to vote NO in order to stop Question 1 from overturning the law.
(0) Comments •Russia’s New Model - China [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 18, 2009The Russian government has a new model and it appears to be the government of China.
For people who think that Russia might one day magically turn into a modern, functioning democracy, we’ve got news for you. They want to turn the country into a one-party state. The model? The Chinese Communist Party.
Of course the oligarchs don’t want communism - they like profiting off their natural resources. They just don’t want anyone questioning the leadership, as always under the direction of Vlad Putrid. So look for a lot closer ties to develop between these once rival countries.
Here’s hoping the Russian people wake up from their decade-long delusion and start seriously resisting the continual erosion of “Russian democracy.”
(0) Comments •What Obama Means for Tourism [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 16, 2009The U.S. was just announced the world’s most liked country. Hooray!
Last year the US wasn’t even in the top 5 most liked countries and now we are number one. There is little reason to doubt this is because of Barack Obama. For example, French approval of America went from 42% to 75%.
These kinds of feelings will translate into big money as tourists put the U.S. back on their list. Adios Mr. Bush, there’s a new guy in town and he’s waaay more popular.
(0) Comments •Numbers Don’t Lie [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 14, 2009The Iraq government has released the number of deaths caused by the violence unleashed by misguided Bush war. It’s as bad as you think it was.
According to the Iraq government, violence between 2004 and 2008 caused the deaths of over 85,000 Iraqis. That is on top of the deaths caused by the invasion, which are still unknown. Yup, totally worth overthrowing Sadaam and his sons.
(0) Comments •So What About Tort Reform [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 09, 2009Republicans love tort reform, liberals hate it and Obama is open to it. Will it save any money? Well, now the CBO has weighed in.
Turns out the reforms thrown around ($250K cap on economic damages, $500K cap on punitive damages) would bring about some modest savings over the next 10 years if implemented - about $5.4 billion a year or $54 billion in total.
While this is something that should be further studied, it’s hardly the silver bullet for health care that Republicans argue it is. It likely would result in little to no reductions in the price of insurance, which is the main point of all of these efforts. And while I - and Obama - support some tort reform, the proposed limits strike me as too low. Lastly, regardless of what the Feds do, states have their own laws so any savings might actually be offset by liberalized state laws to make up for stingy Federal limits.
(0) Comments •Abortion Law Outrage in OK [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 08, 2009Oklahoma lawmakers continue the attack on legal abortion - if they can’t ban it, they’ll just frighten women into not getting abortions.
A law goes into effect on November 1st requiring doctors to fill out a 34 question form for every abortion they perform in Oklahoma. These questionnaires ask for the woman’s age, race, reason for abortion, method of payment and other information that is meant to be private. However they are skirting privacy laws by not asking women’s names and addresses. Once they start gathering the info, it will be posted online for all to see. The cost to the state? Over $250K a year for statistics that are clearly not of any value to anyone.
The true effect of this law, of course, is to frighten women, especially poor and uneducated women who may not understand the entire process or live in small towns and fear they will be exposed. Even further, it will serve as more work for doctors and may further reduce the number that perform abortions. Already most counties in OK - like the rest of the U.S. - have no abortion providers at all. The law also prohibits abortion based on sex selection, forcing doctors to be even more invasive with their questions.
Thankfully the Center for Reproductive Rights is suing and they believe they have a strong case - based on precedent the bill may be struck down because “it covers more than one subject.” If that’s what it takes, then we are all for it.
In the meantime, this is yet another twisted move by the anti-abortion side to force women to have babies against their will. While these creeps continue to live in the 19th century when women were little more than property, the lives of thousands of women will be forever transformed. Make no mistake about it, people opposed to the right to an abortion don’t care about women. They are just nasty people who want to impose their views on others. Here’s hoping this bill is overturned by the courts and soon.
(0) Comments •Is Atrazine Dangerous? [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 07, 2009The EPA is going to study Atrazine’s effects on Americans. How many more people will get sick while the Feds “study” the effects of this chemical?
If you are not familiar with Atrazine, it is an herbicide that is used extensively on golf courses and corn crops, not to mention lawns. After being used, it then washes into our drinking water. It is now considered one of the most common contaminants in our country’s drinking water but until now the EPA has not investigated its dangers.
The New York Times reported today that for years the EPA “did not pose a risk to Americans or the environment.” Problem is, many other studies showed there was a danger - from everything from premature births to cancer. It has also been found to disrupt human hormone activity.
We haven’t been too impressed by EPA administrator Lisa Jackson to date - her recent appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher” was an utter disgrace - but the decision to investigate the effects of Atrazine is a welcome one. We just hope that they do the study quickly and properly regulate the chemical.
(0) Comments •A Simple Thought [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 06, 2009The effect of new credit card rules coming into place on February 1st has been clear for some time now - banks have spent the last six months screwing their customers.
Now some in Congress want to push up the date for implementation of important aspects of the rules to December 1. We say that rates should have been frozen within 60 days of the bill’s passage but instead Congress merely lit a fire under credit card companies to hike everyone’s rate this year, in the middle of the recession. No wonder the recovery is so slow. Yup, banks hate America too.
So here is a simple solution. This month Congress should introduce a bill reverting everyone’s credit card rates to the level they were at on the date the President signed the bill, assuming the rate is less than currently being paid. This bill should be effective February 1st along with all the other reforms.
Banks want to screw America, America should screw them right back.
(0) Comments •2006 All Over Again [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
New President, same protests. Yesterday was anti-war protest day at the White House.
It’s reassuring to know that our Democracy is in good hands - the same anti-war protesters who hated Bush are now protesting outside the White House against the war in Afghanistan. While we don’t agree with them on backing down and removing our troops, we do support their right to exert pressure on the White House to get things in order pronto. It’s what our citizens need to do more of, regardless of who is in charge. We all need to challenge our representatives - in DC, in the State House, in City Hall - to represent us. That’s the entire point of Democracy.
And these protests, where more than 80 were arrested, are emblematic of what makes this country tick. Loyal dissent and non-violent protest. We may not always agree but this is a fundamental right we should never lose sight of.
(0) Comments •How Idiotic Are Tea Baggers? [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 05, 2009Apparently the stupidity of the tea baggers knows no bounds, especially since we now know how who is financing this “movement.”
His name is David Koch and he was a speaker at a conference organized by Americans for Prosperity (yes you awful liberal, you hate prosperity). The president of this group introduced Koch as someone who “launched our organization, this organization, that you’re seeing today, that so many of you are actively part of.”
First a few words about “tycoon” Koch - currently the 19th richest man according to Forbes. His business interests? Oil, chemicals, fertilizers. You know those things that kill the planet. No surprise he is a Libertarian - he certainly doesn’t want those things regulated. And this foe of regulations also hates taxes. Especially the estate tax, which tea baggers are hoping does not come back in 2010. In large part they are basing their movement on this. Too bad these people are very unlikely to ever make enough money to qualify for such a tax.
It should be extremely troubling to both liberals and right wingers that the billionaire is funding this movement in large part because he is against taxes. Yup, idiot tea baggers, you will be left holding the bag if this guy gets his way. Because if taxes are cut to the bone, government services disappear. You don’t get social security, our borders become less severe and the next hurricane? You’re on your own.
Message to Democrats and Liberals - get a friggin’ clue! This movement needs to be cut off at the knees. Not by preventing free speech but by showing them how hypocritical it is to support a billionaire with designs on killing the estate tax. We always knew tea baggers were not smart, but we had no idea how stupid they really were. Since now we know who we are going to fight against, let’s take the fight to them.
(0) Comments •Best Places to Live - World Version [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
Yup, once again the U.S. does not make the list of top 10 places to live on the planet. For the year of 2007, we came in 13th.
Best places to live two years ago - Norway, Australia and Iceland. Now you can bet Iceland has slipped but it is probably still in the top 10. The question is when is the U.S. going to get its act together? Two things hurt us - lack of full health coverage (something we will never see) and a relatively high level of crime.
Americans like to say “we’re number 1” but we have yet to show off what we can truly do. Let’s hope that one day we will be on the top for something other than most wars fought at the same time or highest debt load. In the meantime, those nasty Scandinavian socialists will continue to reap the spoils of their society.
(0) Comments •Democrats May Yet Get Their Way… or Not [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
October 03, 2009We’ve figured out the Democrats’ master strategy on health insurance. Yes, they have one. Ok, we hope they have one.
It goes something like this - the Finance Committee was never going to vote yes to a public option but it needed to vote for some bill that had lots of reforms. Now the bill that comes out will be merged with 4 other, more liberal-friendly bills, including a better Senate bill which passed the Senate Health Committee months ago. The rumor is that Harry Reid will merge them and keep the public option, but we’re not so sure. In this case, they would need to get 60 Dems to hold together twice to stand down a guaranteed filibuster - since once they merge with the final House bill in conference they then have to get it through both houses again.
The alternative, perhaps better option, is to send the Senate bill to conference without a public option. Then in conference, you get a public option since the House will likely wrangle a bill with one past recalcitrant Dems. Then 60 Dems hold together in the Senate to stop the filibuster thanks to major arm twisting by the President. Those against the bill then vote against it but you still get 51 (or even 50 votes plus Biden).
All in all, a pretty smart move, even if it looks messy right now. Of course if this is the plan and it gets pulled off, it will require a level of strategic thinking that has previously been missing in action during this Congress. But if it is not the plan, it probably really should have been the plan all along.
(0) Comments •Pardon Polanski [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 01, 2009President Obama should pardon Roman Polanski and here’s why.
Yes, I know Obama is busy. He is shilling for the Olympics and starring in a reality show called “How Democrats Fail the American People” but this is important. Roman Polanski needs to be pardoned.
Sacre bleu! you say. He’s a sleazebag celebrity who’s been on the lam for 31 years. Okay, we grant you this but the fact is the statute of limitations long ran out on this crime. Polanski basically fled because the judge was going to throw the book at him after reneging on a plea deal. Polanski was clearly wrong to take advantage of a teenager but let’s not forget that she is the victim in all this. And she has forgiven him.
So Polanski should be pardoned why? Because of the victim who does not want to be dragged through this mess. It will affect her and her family as the circus comes to L.A. (why is that city such a circus? ah, I digress). Add in the fact that Polanski has over three decades of exemplary behavior and the extenuating circumstances of his pregnant wife being murdered - something he was accused of being a part of for days afterward, a clear case of racism. You’d be a little nuts too if that happened to you. See the 1976 film “The Tenant” if you don’t believe he was unwell at the time.
Again, this is not to excuse what Polanski did. But he’s been in sort of a prison for 31 years and now sits in a Swiss jail for no good reason. So if charges are not dropped, President Obama needs to do the right thing. Pardon this great artist before jail kills him.
(1) Comments •On Military Coups and Such [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 30, 2009In case you missed it, less-than-esteemed right wing website Newsmax.com posted a piece today saying a military coup might be the only way to deal with the “Obama problem.”
The full article is archived here - it was taken down but not before left wing blogs noticed it and highlighted it. Our question is why this piece - arguably supposition but with definite sinister undertones - was approved at all? Websites need to have take responsibility for the material they post, especially when it is borderline treasonous. Not to mention full of assumptions, conjecture and poorly sourced facts (e.g. the missile defense program is not dead, but actually accelerated).
We don’t recall anyone ever suggesting President Bush be forcibly removed from office by the military. Maybe because we on the left still have faith in democracy. Those on the right seem to feel democracy is only good if they are in charge. For those of us on the left, it’s been quite an eye-opening few months. There is real hatred out there folks - much but not all of it is racist. And it is coming from people with guns.
If you’re not alarmed, you should be.
(0) Comments •The Latest Health Care Meme [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 28, 2009We get a lot of bunk from right wing sources but this one takes the cake - health care was better when we paid doctors directly! Yup, insurance companies and medicare wrecked the system.
This meme has been floating around - back in the good ole days we had family doctors who showed up, took care of us and then got paid a bit of cash (more if you were rich, less if you were poor). Now we don’t know anywhere where this was happening - aside from Little House on the Prairie - but it seems an attractive idea on the surface. After all, the doctor was more like a family friend and was completely trusted. You didn’t need referrals, you didn’t have co-pays on top of insurance and you certainly knew the doctor was on your side. To some health care luddites, this is the world that worked and subsequent invasions by “third parties” (government medicare, health insurance companies) actually ruined doctors and caused prices to skyrocket.
Of course, the reality is something totally different. Having a nice doctor visit you may have worked in a small rural town but in large cities or sprawling suburbs, that is completely infeasible. Economies of scale dictate that the many visit the few. Also technology has advanced to such a point that the idea of a doctor toting around his little bag is ludicrous. How could he test for cholesterol or other things?
If we had never invented technology, these right-wingers might have a point. But the rapid advances of health care in the past century had to be paid for. Who did they expect to do that if they object to health insurance? Doctors would be charging a la carte the way airlines do - every little test would cost more since that would be the only way to pay for the high tech equipment. Of course some tests are additional - if a lab is involved - but then again the luddites want us to pay them directly too!
Even more absurd is this argument that we should pay doctors’ fees directly flies in the face of every other modern country’s experience - health care is less, often better than the U.S. and the right of every citizen. Why are we so different? And fans of housecalls may remember that in Michael Moore’s “Sicko” he actually followed a physician in Paris making… housecalls!
This kind of thinking is hardly thinking at all. Instead it is reaction - painting a rosy picture of a backwards time when medical technology was in its infancy. Sure it would be nice to have the same doctor forever, a lovable old guy who would visit you at home and give you medicine to ease the pain. But are you going to pay $200, $300, $400 for the privilege?
Americans should demand access to universal free healthcare now. Anything short is just a stop-gap measure and, in the long run, unacceptable.
(1) Comments •Obama for Baucus Mandate [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 21, 2009The gifts to the insurance companies keep on coming. The latest is a doozy - Pres. Obama defending the fines that would be levied on people who don’t buy health insurance.
The idea of health insurance reform in this country has turned into such a fiasco it’s almost not worth mentioning. Sunday, Barack Obama appeared on various talk shows promoting health care reform. Generally we would be in favor of this but, unfortunately, it seems he has signed onto the Max Baucus travesty - the one that neither liberal Dems nor Republicans are in favor of. I’d scratch my head if it wasn’t already bereft of the hair I’ve pulled out over this presidency.
The icing on the cake was Obama’s defense of the insurance mandate - something he did not support as a candidate - as not being a backdoor tax increase. You see, under the Baucus plan, Americans without health insurance would be fined for not having coverage. This would help fund tax credits for lower income people to get said insurance. Forget that there is no public option and thus no way for some people to get affordable care. The rest of the “reforms” would be nice icing on the cake, assuming there was a cake instead of the shitshow that is Baucus’ idea of reform.
How is this not a tax increase? Obama has lost us on this issue and his support of the soon-to-fail Baucus plan shows he’s increasingly adrift. Imagine Barack Obama and Max Baucus floating off on an ice floe all their own. Is this what the Democratic Party has come to? What a lost opportunity. 45,000 people will die this year due to lack of insurance and tens of thousands will go bankrupt. And Barack Obama’s answer is to defend the worst proposal in town. That’s not an answer, that’s a travesty.
(0) Comments •Missile Shield Redux [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 20, 2009This column will be a retraction since missile defense is alive and well - it was not canceled but rather it will be expanded and implemented sooner. WTF?
Yup, liberals are really going to wonder if we have replaced Bush with a Republican. After all, Pres. Obama has not been the most liberal around and he’s gone all-in over Afghanistan, aka where empires go to die. Now we have the truth about missile defense and it’s a doozy. It’s actually going to happen according to Sec Def Gates and the result should certainly re-piss off the good ole Russkies.
Gates, writing in today’s New York Times, asserts that the system that the Poles and Czechs so desperately wanted was too inflexible and the technology has moved past where we were just a few years ago. Not to mention it would not have been implemented until 2015. Now there will be a system that gets put in place faster - starting with sea-based SM3 missiles followed by missiles in Central and Southern Europe - and it will be supposedly more flexible. Yup, more money, more missiles and an unhappy Russia. The right-wing trifecta.
So will the right-wing suddenly stop calling Obama the capitulator in chief? They’ve enjoyed scoring political points in the past few days but it is less clear if they will suddenly shut up now that it turns out the plan has been accelerated.
In the meantime, we hereby retract the previous story. Missile defense is full-speed ahead.
(0) Comments •Missile Shield Cancelled [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 17, 2009Well finally a bit of good news from our friends in the Obama administration - the missile shield in Europe has been cancelled.
This has been our #1 defense-related target - a pointless shield scheduled to be placed in Eastern Europe to supposedly protect our troops and allies from rogue states’ missiles. In other words Iran. Forget that Iran does not have the technology to reliably hit Europe. The neocons loved the idea of this plan - an evolution of the Reagan Star Wars plan that has never proven reliable though we’ve sunk hundreds of billions into it.
So now the Russians have nothing to complain about and hopefully money will be saved. The Poles and Czechs are not happy due to a history of Russian aggression. But they are in NATO so they’re not in any danger.
Kudos to Obama. He got it exactly right on this one.
(1) Comments •The Wall of Ignorance [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 14, 2009How nuts are the tea baggers? Threatening violence nuts, that’s how nuts.
Daily Kos has a wall collage of visual evidence today. Telling quote, “We came unarmed (this time).”
Remember when right wingers called liberals “hate groups” for opposing Bush and his pointless war in Iraq? Well at least we had intelligence - and it turns out facts - on our side. These people are delusional, ill-informed and very very dangerous. This is far beyond protest - some of these tea brained morons actually advocate overthrowing the government by force.
We recommend you join up at your local gun club so you can start practicing your shot, not to mention so you can keep up with the fascist tea baggers as they plot their overthrow. Gun nuts believe everyone should be armed and we think it might just be time for liberals to take them up on that notion.
(0) Comments •Joe Wilson’s War [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 12, 2009The other night Joe Wilson bumbled his way into notoriety. And the Democrats have been falling over themselves ever since.
Let’s be clear about something, Rep. Joe Wilson, from whatever backwards part of the world he represents, is not the biggest problem Democrats face right now. That would be themselves. But he does in that inalienable way represent everything that is currently wrong with the Republican Party - the lack of reliance on facts but rather on emotion to oppose Barack Obama’s agenda. I won’t spend time on the facts - that the House bill as written now does prevent money from reaching illegals - because the other side does not either.
Instead, the right is waging a ground war against the Democrat’s signature effort to bring health care to all Americans. Considering it amounts to about 46 million uninsured Americans right now - no, not counting illegals - you’d think this would be an important issue to solve. Instead the Republicans are counting on scoring cheap political points. And they are.
The reality is, Wilson won the battle. He apologized and the President accepted it. Then the lefties raised money for his announced opponent in 2010. That’s fine albeit one that might backfire considering the rabble that now considers him a hero - they have money too. Then House Democrats decided perhaps not to accept the apology and to admonish him, thus giving them something completely meaningless to do and prolonging his involvement in a vitally important bill.
But he disrespected the President! you say. You’re right but it’s still meaningless. Why? Because Obama was apparently lying, at least a little. You see, the next day the news was good for our dear President. People liked him again and he made his point. Then a funny thing happened. Chairman Baucus - not a distant cousin to Chairman Mao despite the way he acts - decided, with Chuck Grassley assisting, that their bill should have a clause requiring people buying into health care exchanges to prove legal residency or citizenship. Soon after, just when I hoped it would appear just more madness from Baucuses’ useless committee, the White House agreed that provisions needed to be added preventing illegals from getting the benefits of health care.
That’s right - Democrats caved. Took less than 48 hours. The President’s staff, never lined up in a row on this issue to begin with, somehow let it come out that in effect Rep. Wilson was right - if he wasn’t why were they re-examining the issue at taht point - and the right-wing got another victory on the battlefield.
How pathetic. All these guys can ever agree on seems to be taking away our rights. Just wait until you have to prove citizenship to fly within the U.S. or open a bank account or maybe drive across state borders. Carry around your papers and show them to the authorities. Just like in the USSR or North Korea. All because a bunch of Mexicans may buy insurance to ward off the plague or what have you. Newsflash to the right - Mexicans will still be here, they will still get sick and they will still clog our emergency rooms. Nothing, nada, zippo solved.
In the end, Democrats will likely lose the war. They don’t understand they are not fighting for health care. They are fighting a Joe Wilson war. One of symbols and demagogues, not facts. Those kinds of wars you don’t win when you have truth on your side. And apparently you don’t win those wars either if you are a Democrat.
(0) Comments •Latest Scheme by Banks Headed for the End? [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 10, 2009For the past few years, banks have stopped declining debit card purchases when bank accounts are empty. Of course they charge a fee every time there is an overdraft. But now that gravy train may be ending.
The New York Times reported today that banks actually make more money from these “overdraft” fees than they do from credit card penalties such as late fees. Of course very often you are enrolled in a program without even knowing it. So instead of getting declined, you complete the transaction and find a fee has been levied. What’s worse is they often manipulate the processing of transactions - for example doing a larger one first even though it came later, in essence making other small ones subject to fees that should not have been charged.
The outcry is growing and now both regulators and Congress plan to get in on the act. We say it’s about time - the bank’s excuse is a lame one. They say they are just helping consumers save face so their debit card isn’t declined, for example when they are on a date! Yes, banks are that lame.
It’s unbelievable that it even has to come to this but banks have gone to the well one too many times. Hopefully the well is about to run dry.
(0) Comments •Memo to the White House - Get Your Messages Straight [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 04, 2009Mr. President, can you make up your mind please? Today we have yet another instance of you backpedaling on something you should never have done in the first place.
One of the most infuriating things about the Obama White House has to be how poorly they manage their message. Robert Gibbs is infamously bad as a press secretary - the chief mouthpiece for the presidency - but this disease has afflicted the entire administration.
Even worse is the constant mixed messages the public hears. The most infamous is probably the public option debacle: we’re gonna push it, oh now we’re dropping it. Congratulations at pissing off both the right and the left over the same issue!
Less critical but no less irksome is the White House visitor list. During the campaign, we heard that Obama’s White House will be open and transparent. Once he was in office, however, it’s more of the old Bush secrecy. What gives Mr. President? The latest silliness is the secrecy of visitor names to the White House. This has been a secret under previous administrations and Obama’s team caught flack for not revealing the names from the get-go based on their pledge of transparency. Now they announce they will release the names! Egg meet face.
Here’s a general rule for looking competent - don’t promise one thing, deliver another, then decide in the end to do what you promised. Just do it the right way Mr. President and stop leaving your ardent supporters scratching their heads at your decision-making.
(0) Comments •Pfizer Pays Record Fine [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 02, 2009Drug company Pfizer has officiallyl made the record books - it will pay the largest fine in history. $2.3 billion.
Pfizer got nabbed for all sort of illegal marketing activities surrounding its practices of wooing doctors. The amount includes a $1.2 billion criminal penalty on top of $1 billion in civil penalties. And Pfizer has the distinction of being labeled a repeat offender - this is the fourth settlement of government charges in the last decade.
Nice to know our health depends on sleazy companies like this. There is hope that the size of the fine will send a message to all drug companies but I wouldn’t bet on it.
(0) Comments •Top Five Lies about Health Care [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
September 01, 2009Are your friends, neighbors or family members getting hoodwinked by the right-wing healthcare smears? Well Newsweek has the answer - The Top 5 Lies About Obama’s Health Care Reform
(0) Comments •Sometimes a Knee-Jerk Reaction Just Means You’re a Jerk [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
August 31, 2009Remember all those naysayers who said “let the banks fail” last fall? The ones bashing the TARP program as throwing good money after bad? Well they’ve shut up ever since it was announced we’re making money on the program.
We weren’t ecstatic over bank bailouts but we did recognize the urgency of the matter and think it was the right thing to do. Many head-in-the-ground types, some but not all Republicans, and oddly Jon Stewart pushing the liberal line, complained mightily over the program. The reasons may have been different for Stewart and Republicans on philosophical grounds but the opposition was pretty vocal even as a bipartisan effort pushed it through. The result stabilized the banking sector at a time when it was days away from collapse, thus possibly sparing us Great Depression II.
Today the New York Times reports that it turns out the government has made over $4 billion in profits in addition to tens of billions more in repayments, plus it is owed interest and still holds additional shares in banks worth untold billions more. Of course we could have made more with a better structured plan - the plan was not meant to maximize profit but to ensure survivability - but an annualized return of 15% plus the original money is pretty good.
Where are the naysayers now we wonder? Should we burn the $4+ billion bucks? Of course the formerly vocal Republican opponents will surely be pissed to learn government can intervene and make things better. And liberals who find big business an anathema should wake up to the reality that without our companies, large and small, the economy simply does not function. Stewart was the biggest headscratcher because he is a genuinely intelligent and thoughtful person who actually covered bailouts in depth on his show. His glib skepticism mirrored that of his audiences to the point that during one interview with Elizabeth Warren, who chairs the Congressional oversight panel of the TARP program, that I was literally shouting at the screen. See part one of the interview here. Considering he is a main news source for young people, let’s see if he talks about the profits when his show returns after Labor Day.
(0) Comments •The Anger Complex [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
August 30, 2009I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently wondering where the anger seen at tea bag Parties and Town Hall meetings has been coming from. I think I have the answer and people are not gonna like it.
Americans have clearly become very angry in the last year as their cherished dreams have gone up in smoke - 401Ks turned nearly worthless, venerable companies vanishing, the value of homes plummeting. But that anger, first seen as merely frustration, was momentarily assuaged by the election of Barack Obama - a seemingly competent, intelligent, hard-working guy who genuinely wanted to fix things. Of course, almost a year later we have a different situation - out and out anger. At the banks, the government and the President himself.
Now some may say this is just venting and anger must come out or it will poison people. But anger is an emotion rooted in that deepest part of our id - if you don’t believe me - how often are you surprised at the vehemence of your anger when you “fly off the handle”? Anger is also irrational since it is rarely the most effective response to a situation.
But what really triggered this anger? After all, Americans have been railing against the system for years and many are so tuned out or fed up they don’t vote at all. I think the collapse of the banking and housing markets coupled with the election last year has triggered something I’d call the end of “the American supremacy myth.”
For centuries Americans have been fed a cock and bull story that has little to do with reality. Americans are a certain type of people, we have a certain set of ideals, and we have a certain place in the world. I can sum this up simply enough - Americans think we’re the best. Every other country just isn’t as great as we are. Now putting aside the fact that there is little evidence for this line of thinking, it is completely verboten to say this. Any politician who would do so would be called negative in the extreme - look at how Jimmy Carter is still bashed today for suggesting Americans put on sweaters - so instead we get mythology. Reagan with his morning in America, Bush with a 1,000 points of light, Obama with his goddamn hope.
So we have the bubble burst - not the housing bubble but the mythology bubble - and Americans realize we have one fucked up country. Piss poor healthcare, government spending out of control, pointless, neverending wars, a porous border and a shit economy. You bet people are angry - they have a right to be. Because they’ve been sold a bill of goods based on ideals and a brilliant set of documents written by far-sighted white men who lived in the late 18th Century. These ideals, unfortunately, have rarely been lived up to - and both parties, not to mention many citizens are the cause of this.
Couple this with the end of white dominance - really a predictable occurrence considering the demographics of this country - where a black African-descended man now sits in the slave-built White House with his black wife and adorable black kids. And you have a racial anger that we have rarely seen in this country. (Some white folk don’t mind blacks if they are on the basketball court or making us laugh in a movie but put them in charge? Never!) It’s no surprise that the tea baggers and many protesters at Town Hall meetings are overwhelmingly white. Nor is it a surprise that they are sometimes extremist, irrational bullies prone to exaggeration and astounding ignorance. Not only have they lost the myth of America, they are deftly afraid of blackie and his big government.
I fear the Anger Complex has now replaced the American myth as modus operandi for Americans. This is an astounding development and very, very dangerous. Extreme behavior only gets worse and you will likely see more killings, more incidents of right-wing terror. Because the building anger shows no sign of letting up and no si gn of becoming more rational - Obama is like Hitler for trying to give us healthcare? Uh okay.
And I’ve got news for both the left wing and the President. This anger is not going away. Americans now know in their heart that their country is not what they were told it was. No amount of economic good news will ever make this feeling go away. I shudder to think of the consequences.
(2) Comments •MLB Druggies to Get Free Ride [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
August 27, 2009Remember all those steroid allegations that leaked out in the past few years? Well they were on a “confidential” list being used by government investigators and now that list is going to be destroyed. We’ll never know who was actually on the list.
A Federal Appeals Court has ruled that Federal Agents overstepped their bounds and subjected players to unreasonable searches when using the list of players who failed anonymous drug testing in 2003. If you don’t recall, this list was compiled as a result of the last MLB labor action when the union tried to downplay steroid allegations by agreeing to testing only if a certain % of players tested positive. As we now know, far more players were using steroids than previously thought and a rigorous testing program was subsequently put in place due to the contract terms.
Over the years, names have leaked out - Clemens, Giambi, Pettite, Rodriguez, Ortiz. With each name, the league was tarnished more. Superstars were revealed as fraudsters and only some copped to actually doing something. Others like Clemens to this day deny they were abusers. In the meantime, players still test positive, though at a greatly reduced rate.
Now with this court ruling, the list will be destroyed. We understand it was always meant to be anonymous but it sends a terrible message - that you can get away with bad stuff on a technicality. Is this really what we should be teaching our kids? We don’t think so. It’d be better for the list to be published by the union and a message sent to all players - you cheat, you’ll get nailed. It’s that simple. Right now, we’ll never know who did what and everyone who played well in the ‘Roid Era will be forever tarnished. What good is that?
(0) Comments •The Disloyal Opposition [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
August 07, 2009Are the seeds of the end of the American Republic being sown right under our noses? I am starting to fear they are.
Recall back to the euphoria of last November - a new President, a post-racial time, both parties finally talking about working together to fix the nation’s problems. For the first time in a generation, a Democrat had over 50% of the vote and we had turned another corner, this time on race. The world looked on in awe as we, the purveyors of perhaps the world’s must lusted-after dreams, actually did something to make our ideals reality. Even in the darkest days of January 2009, we could look on with a cherished word in our hearts - hope.
Today, the world is much different. Our President is battered by reality, a depressing inevitability. The opposition, nearly completely vanquished just 10 months ago, suddenly is revived and we look at everything around us and see fragility. The Congressional majority, the recovery, the President’s dreams for all of us - fragile. There are tea baggers, conspiracy theorists and blowhards everywhere. Fact is up-ended and replaced with distorted reality, intimidation and hate. One of the bases of democracy - the loyal opposition - has become the disloyal opposition and for that we should all worry what comes next.
Clearly something more ominous is afoot and it is something we all, Democrat, Republican and independent need to recognize and fight against - the seeds of our own destruction are being sown by enemies of America. The severity of this statement is not lost on me but the ramifications of some “opposition” figures is now becoming all too clear. Some people mean to do this nation harm - they mean to disrupt, not protest, they meant to sow hate, not criticize and they mean to take down our President. This cannot not happen.
Now, we on the left do share some of the blame. The outrage over the “election” of George W. Bush was palpable and led to extreme behavior - chimp jokes morphed into much worse - attacks on the man far beyond his many odious policies. The result led to the anointing of Obama, first as savior then as President. But the groundwork was laid for something else - a descent into hatred that went far beyond what existed previously. Yes, you could argue that Bill and Hillary Clinton received much derision and hate in their time but it was a fringe movement, not mainstream. There was an ugliness but also the Clintons seemed to find scandal at every turn. Above reproach they were not and their opponents knew this. So they attacked.
What I write about today is something more insidious - the Republic’s foundation has begun to crack. Today large numbers of people suddenly believe the President is illegal and seem unlikely to be convinced otherwise. Worse, methods of intimidation more akin to the rise of the Nazis in Germany are being used in public forums throughout the country. The leaders of this movement have not revealed themselves to be major figures yet, however it is well known they are coordinated and coordinating with elements of the Republican party. And they are incited by nasty white men with names like Beck and Limbaugh who have no problem using racial issues to drive Americans apart. To be clear, I do not believe the Republicans are willing participants in this but too often they have failed to stop extreme racial hate or thuggish practices of their operatives. That Michael Steele would condone any racial hatred at all is simply staggering but his silence on many matters speaks volumes.
This latest effort from the right wing fringe movement to send people to Town Hall meetings to shout and protest any attempts at medical reform is extremely worrying. Sadly, this is having the desired effect on the criminally uninformed American public, if the polls are to be believed. Add in the “tea bag” movement which has reveled in ugliness and hate at every turn and you see a group of people motivated for evil.
If you look back at history, coordinated intimidation and the suppression of free speech are the ways countries die. Tactics like these have no place in our democracy and we need to speak out forcefully against them. After all, attacks on Barack Obama as being illegally in office have only one aim - to rally a group of people to remove him from office. Otherwise, what is the point of this nasty “birther” movement? Is it just to complain and pass a law ensuring future compliance with the Constitution? Don’t be silly - the people who think it is proper politics to shout down others instead of debating and taking part of the process do not have respect for democracy. They want things their way and they will bust heads to get it.
Given our challenges, we need a loyal opposition more than ever today. Unfortunately I see little evidence of its existence. I hope in a few years I will look back on this post and see it as ridiculous. But today I fear that the first steps are being taken towards something really terrible. I hope - no I pray - that I am wrong. Let us be vigilant and continue to fight for what we believe America stands for. Because as strong as this country is, it is also fragile. And as anyone who knows their history knows, nothing lasts forever.
(3) Comments •Jefferson Found Guilty [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
August 06, 2009Remember former Rep William Jefferson of Louisiana - the guy with the cash in the refrigerator? He was found guilty today of 11 counts. Not a surprise and about time.
(0) Comments •Obama Not Packing the Courts? [ by Michael T] [Eye on the Media]
July 29, 2009Does Obama have a strategy for creating a more liberal judiciary?
The New Republic wrote recently that Pres. Obama is not doing what his predecessor did - pack the Federal courts with young appointees and the writers wonder why. Add this to Obama’s first Supreme Court pick, a classic centrist who is more adept at replacing Sandra Day O’Connor than David Souter, and we have to wonder what is going on.
Perhaps we are too swayed by Bush, who did everything politically to ensure conservatism would rule the day for years to come. Or perhaps we are just too used to political strategy taking precedence over qualifications. Sure Bush decimated the Republican “permanent majority” and our economy - without a doubt a result of his recklessness - but one of his most significant lasting contributions to our country will likely be a conservative court system. Bush knew to pack the benches with young judges, as did his Republican predecessors:
“Moreover, roughly a quarter of the circuit-court nominees put forward by the past three Republican presidents--and 15 percent of those chosen by Clinton--were below the age of 45,” writes David Fontana and Micah Schwartzman. Obama has already appointed 5 to Circuit Courts - average age 55. Where is the generational change he brought to the White House, the writers wonder. Indeed.
Obama needs someone to guide his hand - he needs to assume that the next President may be a Republican (fickle electorates swing all too easily between the two parties) and ensure some future balance in the court system. Oh, and next time a Supreme Court seat opens up, he might want to pick a real liberal. Chances are he will be replacing one.
(1) Comments •The War Machine Keeps Chugging Along [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
July 24, 2009No matter who is in charge, the military industrial complex keeps getting funds from Congress. Next year’s Pentagon budget is up to $680 billion and the House wants to add spending for even more programs.
Granted this blockbuster amount puts the Iraq and Afghanistan fiascos on the books for the first time - at a cost of $130 billion. But the continual question we have is how can we afford to pay for neverending wars and military spending that just keeps going up and up. That the Democrats have done nothing to cut the Pentagon with full control over the legislative and executive branches is unfathomable. Add in things like $7.8 billion for missile defense that does not work - why is this even being funded at all - and Boeing fighter jets that Sec Def Gates does not want, and you have to wonder who is running this thing - the government or the industry?
Read all the gory details at Bloomberg.com.
From our point of view, we need drastic, immediate cuts in the military and to accelerate our departure from Iraq. If Afghanistan cannot be stabilized by 2011 then we’d better have a contingency plan to get our troops out of there too.
(0) Comments •So Much for Human Rights in Russia [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
July 23, 2009Yet another Russian human rights activist was found dead yesterday.
Andrei Kulagin’s death came just a week after another activist was found dead in Chechnya - Natalya Estemirova. Kulagin was head of an organization called “Justice” and now we can only hope that his family does get justice for his death.
The fact that this come as VP Biden is downplaying the idea of a “Russian sphere of influence” is not necessarily insignificant. Russia is a free-for-all and such democratic ideals as justice are an anathema to the ruling elite of that country. Our great fear is that the violent underclass, with the implicit support of Vlad Putrid and his KGB cohorts, is slowly destroying the country’s sole upholders of freedom that in the end no one will be left to stand up to the ruling elite.
In essence we are likely to wind up with a Russian state not that unlike what existed in 1916. And that would be quite a tragedy indeed.
(0) Comments •Thune Carrying Water for the NRA [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
July 20, 2009Sen. John Thune (R-SD) is trying to attach an amendment to the Defense bill that circumvents many state and local gun laws. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is having none of it, thank god.
Even with 60 Dems in the Senate, nothing is ever safe and today we have a prime example. This week, possibly this afternoon, John Thune will try to attach an amendment to the Defense bill that would allow people who hold concealed weapons permits in one state to carry guns in another state - regardless of local law. Yup, so much for state’s rights on this one. Thune is trying the run-around but Schumer promises a veto.
At the very least, Politico reports that House Dems would strip it in committee. We sure hope so.
(0) Comments •Women at the Forefront [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
July 11, 2009The last few weeks have shown that women are more and more putting themselves at the forefront of protest and rebellion.
We all saw the stories about Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who stood by her husband’s side during the campaign and after the shocking stolen election results came in. Even as the Islamists were cracking down, she was not cowed either - she filed a complaint against Ahmadinejad and later compared the country to a state operating under martial law.
The illegal coup in Honduras resulted in the President being exiled, but not his wife. So what did Xiomara de Zelaya do when her husband was deposed? She somehow stayed and determined she was going to fight. Now she is leading daily protests against the government - against her husband’s wishes.
Perhaps most foreign to Americans is the situation in remote China, where the Uighurs, Chinese Muslims, are being repressed by the government. While many Americans are not necessarily sympathetic to Muslim dissidents, Uighurs do deserve not to be repressed. Perhaps surprisingly, the face of the Uighurs in America is a woman - Rebiya Kadeer. Rebiya has traveled the world in support of the Uighur cause - something that caused a scandal among the traditionally minded people - and now she is in the United States, unable to return to her homeland. In the meantime, her people are subject to yet more cruelty.
It’s an amazing thing that some of the world’s most traditional societies have turned to women as symbols of hope and freedom. We only hope that the authorities don’t begin to treat them the same way as their male counterparts.
(0) Comments •Your Occasional Kremlin Outlook [ by Michael T] [News You Can Abuse]
July 01, 2009Our friends over in Moscow are continuing to remake Russian society - this time with the nanny state rearing its head. Oh, and they are still killing off journalists. Think Russia is a country to be trusted? Hah!
Russian PM Vladimir Putin (aka Vlad Putrid) has long been a target of our diatribes. He is an anti-Democracy fascist ex KGB thug and continues to run the country in the manner of the old Soviets, with the able assist of his lackey Dmitry Medvedev. This week the Russian twin terrors put the kabosh on an entire legal industry - the gaming industry - by closing all casinos and betting parlors as of today. Yup, in an economic crisis, they are foregoing $1 - 2 billion in tax dollars and putting hundreds of thousands out of work. Sure they plan on allowing four regions to open casinos - except there are no casinos even under construction in these areas, which are thousands of miles from civilization.
Now we all know Russia was organized chaos for years after the Commies left power. Organized crime, corruption, murders, declining life expectancy. Actually all these continue but the leadership is determined to quash whatever behavior they can. Enter the end of gambling, which of course will continue underground and be even more in the grip of organized crime. Brilliant!
In the meantime, Medvedev is now telling Russians to “say no to vodka” according to Reuters. If you’re not familiar with the stuff, imagine how much water you drink. Now apply that to Russia. That’s how much vodka people drink - hence the life expectancy hovering around Guinea-Bissau levels for adult men. It’s a good idea, sure, but also troubling that the Russian government has decided to be the ultimate nanny.
Of course, they’ve tried this before with poor results - take it away Reuters: “A 1986 anti-alcohol campaign by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev led to a boom in illegal production of low-quality alcohol, and Russians learned to drink perfumes and other household liquids made from alcohol.” Fantastic.
Lastly, there is the sad tale of Yaroslav Yaroshenko, the editor-in-chief of the monthly Korruptsiya i Prestupnost (Corruption and Crime), who died as a result of head wounds sustained when an unidentified thug beat him in the stairwell of his apartment building. Of course the assailant remains at large. Of course this was payback for reporting on official corruption, most recently in a regional police department. Chances that the killer will be caught and actually sent to jail - nearly nil.
“Russia is the third deadliest country in the world for journalists and the ninth worst in solving reporters’ killings, according to CPJ research.”
Russia is a pretend democracy with big big problems. We feel for the people but they have invited this upon themselves whereas other former Commie states like Poland, Czech Republic even Romania have steadfastly worked to improve both security and economic futures for their people. It is really unacceptable that the Russians can’t get their act together and instead have allowed themselves to be hoodwinked by the likes of Vlad Putrid & Co.
(0) Comments •Your News Media at Work [ by Michael T] [Eye on the Media]
June 30, 2009What was on the cable networks last week? Apparently just three stories were really deemed important. Care to guess what they were?
If you guessed Iran, Mark Sanford and Michael Jackson, you hit the nail on the head. A set of stats from Pew Research Center sheds light on what our media obsesses over and the results are pretty disappointing. Stories are deemed big not out of public necessity but because they push Americans’ buttons. Ooh a dead celebrity! Ooh evil Iranians! It also shows the tendency of outlets like CNN to go wall to wall in their coverage of things to the detriment of less sexy topics.
In the meantime, the big losers were healthcare and the economic situation - a combined 16% of all news coverage was devoted to these life or death issues. Thanks a lot news media.
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