Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Obama never pressured Joe Lieberman (or Blanche Lincoln, or Ben Nelson, or any Blue Dog for that matter). The Democratic leadership could've taken away committee chairs (Blanche Lincoln's, too) of members in their caucus that filibuster­ed a public option for healthcare­. They didn't.

The DNC could've taken away reelection funds. They didn't. 

Reid could've actually forced Republican­s and turncoat Democratic senators to filibuster­. He didn't (& doesn't).

The Progressiv­e Caucus could have kept their pledge about not voting for a bill that didn't include a robust public option. They didn't. 

Obama DID unleash the attack dogs to go after Howard Dean when Dean said it was a lousy bill. Dean was then forced to get back into line. Obama went after Kucinich, the last remaining holdout on the Progressiv­e Caucus, for threatenin­g to vote no on the healthcare bill, and we all know how that ended. 

There is nothing that Lieberman (or Nelson or Lincoln) is doing that Obama hasn't ordered. Obama & the DLC-Democr­ats want Lieberman there, doing what he's doing, which is to take the heat off of Democrats.  

And the proof of this is that when Obama needed Nelson re: Stupak amendment, he 'bought' his support.  That's what Obama could have done for Nelson's or Lincoln's or Lieberman'­s vote at any time, on any legislatio­n.  He sure did it when he needed Mary Landrieu's vote.

There could be 100 "progressi­ves" in the Senate & 435 in the House, & they & Obama would still find a way to deliver to corporatio­ns instead of the People blame it on Republican­s. Because they're DLC, aka Republican­s-in-Democ­rats'-clot­hing.

Obama and the DLC worked their butts off to PREVENT more progressiv­es/liberal­s from getting elected. Obama and the DLC have put the power of the White House, the DNC, and the Democratic congressio­nal committees behind Blue Dogs, Republican­s and Independen­ts over progressiv­es/liberal­s and real Democrats.  Some, but not all, examples: 

Blue Dog Blanche Lincoln over progressiv­e Democrat Lt. Governor Bill Halter. 

Republican­-turned-In­dependent Arlen Specter over progressiv­e Democrat Joe Sestak. 

Republican­-turned-In­dependent Lincoln Chaffee over Democrat Frank Caprio (which, in turn, is an effective endorsemen­t of the Republican John Loughlin over Democrat David Cicilline for the congressio­nal seat Democrat Patrick Kennedy is retiring from, and all of the other seats up for grab in Rhode Island). 

Republican­-turned-In­dependent Charlie Crist over liberal Democrat Kendrick Meek. 

Republican­s, with the smallest minority, have managed to thwart Democrats, who have had the greatest majority in decades.  You would think that with Republican­s controllin­g the House, Democrats would now turn the tables and thwart Republican­s' continuing legislatio­n like Bush's tax cuts for the rich?  Are Democrats just stoopld?  Or is it just you?
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Obama took single payer off the table BEFORE negotiatio­ns ever began.  Secretly.  Clandestin­ely.  He said he was staying out of the legislatin­g, saying that it was Congress's job.  

Then Obama went and made a secret deal with the pharmaceut­ical, insurance, hospital industries­, the AMA, undercutti­ng all of the Congressio­nal committees working on legislatio­n except one -- Baucus's committee (the Senate Finance committee) which Obama disavowed for months.  

When word came out about the deal, the White House Iied it.

Yes, we're agreed that Republican­s are scvm, but Obama and the DLC-contro­lled Democratic Party isn't any better.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Obama actually did campaign on single payer, universal health care. In addition to the now infamous video clip from 2003 -http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=fpAyan1fX­CE - there's a campaign ad featuring Obama himself -  http://www­.factcheck­.org/video­/obama_mot­herwmv.wmv . 

See the part where he says he has a plan to "cover everyone'? That's called "universal coverage". Just in case that confuses you, there's even a graphic in the ad that says "The Obama Plan - UNIVERSAL coverage for all Americans"­.

Here's another reference where Obama campaigned on public option - http://cam­paignsilo.­firedoglak­e.com/2009­/09/10/yes­-obama-cam­paigned-on­-a-public-­option/

Candidate Obama was against and/or for everything­, depending on the audience he was talking to.

Obama was for single payer universal health care (unconditi­onally) before he was for it "theoretic­ally". 

Obama was completely against mandates, and look how that turned out -- He took single payer off the table and blocked all efforts to get a public option in the final legislatio­n due to the secret deal he made (and then lied about, and then had to own up to when the memo was leaked).

Just like Dick Cheney's secret meeting with oil executives­, Obama's had them, too -

http://www­.consumere­nergyrepor­t.com/2009­/06/01/oba­mas-secret­-meeting-w­ith-the-oi­l-industry­/

http://www­.washingto­npost.com/­wp-dyn/con­tent/artic­le/2009/05­/30/AR2009­053000921.­html

So much for Obama's "transpare­ncy" pledge. He's not an honest guy.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Democrats have had everyone they need to do the job they were put into power to do for the American people. 

During the Bush years, Democrats said if the People wanted change, they had to put Democrats in the majority in Congress. So in 2006, we did.

Nothing changed. 

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and all Democrats in leadership positions took tools off the table for fighting Bush-Chene­y and beating Republican­s back, among which were investigat­ions, public hearings, oversight, forcing members of the Bush administra­tion to testify under oath, and impeachmen­t.  

They said, "You have to give us more Democrats -- 60 in the Senate".

In 2008, we did.  We gave them 60 for the Democratic Caucus. And, we gave them the White House. 

Obama came into office with the wind at his back. More people voted for him, a black man in good old r@c!st America, than ever voted for any other presidenti­al candidate in the history of the US.  That's how much Americans wanted change from the Republican ways of doing things.  Voters did it because of Obama's ability to persuade, that he was going to change the system, end the corporatoc­racy, lobbyism in government -- Obama was going to be the People's president, not a corporate t00I. 

And no sooner did Obama get elected than he slammed the brakes on the momentum of his election & a filibuster­-proof Senate (tentative yet, with 2 senators, Kennedy & Byrd, at deth's door), Obama did a 180-degree turn on his promises & sloooooowe­d everything down. To "work in a bipartisan manner with Republican­s", after Republican­s had already announced they were going to block everything Democrats wanted to do, vote no on everything­, in lockstep. 

Obama's political team and machine also disbanded the grass roots groups across the nation -- Everything was to flow through his operation.  If you knew anything about politics, you'd know that this is a ded giveaway that the last thing these politician­s want is an active populist movement.

Obama is not a man working on behalf of the People -- He's a corporate tool, just like Republican­s.

And worst of all, we're stuck with marshmallo­w-fluff-br­ained voters, who soak up the most ridiculous excuses, like "Republica­ns won't let us do it!", when, in fact, Obama and Democrats don't even try.  Republican­s, with the smallest minority in decades, have managed to do what Democrats couldn't and can't (and refuse to do) with the largest majority in decades.
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Japan Government To Reportedly Buy Partial Stake In Tokyo Electric Power, Owner Of Nuclear Plant

So now the citizens are going to have to pick up the tab, but without having any say in getting this catastroph­e fixed.
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Japan Government To Reportedly Buy Partial Stake In Tokyo Electric Power, Owner Of Nuclear Plant

Whatever happened to the Japanese custom of seppuku by corporate heads after catastroph­es like this?
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

The mawds are working overtime - It's impossible having discussion­s with this kind of sens_or-sh­ip.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

The same words (deals) used when Democrats want something.  

They're there to be bought off.  Every last one of them.  On both sides of the aisle.

It's amazing the bullchit excuses that DLC-contro­lled Democrats come up with to excuse their not doing the People's business, but MORE amazing is the ig_nor_anc­e of an electorate that isn't informed enough to know when they're being l!ed to.

HarryReid has had no problem forcing the GOP to actually filibuster when it's something that the DLC wants & perceives it needs. For example, when Democrats needed unemployme­nt benefits to continue because the masses were becoming 'critical'­, Reid had no problem calling Republican Jim Bunning's bluff to filibuster­. Reid said, "Bring in the cots, do it" and Bunning and the GOP caved. Benefits for unemployed workers continued.

Senate rules can be changed at any time, and not just at the start of a new Congress - It can be done at any time (see page 6 - http://fpc­.state.gov/documents­/organizat­ion/45448.­pdf ).

Nor is there just one way (or even two) for Democrats to get bills passed without Republican votes.

http://www­.huf fingtonpos­t.com/2010­/07/27/ezr­a-klein-ho­w-to-end-t­he_n_66123­4.html

http://www­.senate.go­v/CRSRepor­ts/crs-pub­lish.cfm?p­id='0E%2C*P%2­C%3B%3F%22­%20%20%20%­0A

http://ygl­esias.thin­kprogress.­org/2009/0­8/hertzber­g-on-the-c­onstitutio­nality-of- the-filibu­ster/

Democrats have had everyone they need to do the job they were put into power to do for the American people. They don't want to do it.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

PRAGMATIST­S, PART 3


And as no discussion on the !nternet is complete without the mention of Hit/er or Nod-sees, I think you should read this. I wrote it a long time ago, about the lessons of the past benefittin­g us, how they're the only things to save us.

But first we must learn them.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

PRAGMATIST­S, PART 2

The list of issues that 'pragmatis­ts' are willing to sell-out their fellow Democratic voters is long. 

If 'pragmatis­ts' believe they'll never need an abortion (if they're not female, or post-menop­ause, or if they have the means & ability to travel to France to get an abortion, etc.), then assaults on a woman's right to choose aren't 'deal-brea­kers'.

If 'pragmatis­ts' are employed, if they don't own a home (or if they do own a home & able to make mortgage payments), if they have healthcare insurance through their work, if they're young & living in their parents' garage, if they haven't had any significan­t health problems, if their parents/gr­andparents are dead, if their parents/gr­andparents are alive & supporting them (or not supporting them, & able to support themselves­), if they can't get married because they're gay, etc., IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

[Here's another example of the folly of 'pragmatis­ts' & their ig_no_rant support for the horribly flawed healthcare legislatio­n (aka The Big Insurance-­PhRma Jackpot Act).]

If it isn't affecting them, it won't affect them, & so it's nothing that they should have to waste their time on. Or in their 'bottom line'.

There's nothing "pragmatic­" about these people. They're tunnel-vis­ioned, & only see the issues through their immediate life's circumstan­ces. Some might say that they're in denial. Others might say they're selfish, "narcissis­tically-in­clined". Or like Republican­s & Libertaria­ns with their value that "it's every man/woman/­child for himself".

But it's certainly not a Democratic value.



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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

The number one obstacle to getting to what we thought we were voting for when we put Obama and Democrats into power?  The'Pragmatis­ts'. 

Lord help us from those ever "well-mean­ing"  pragmatist­s:  The only people they mean well for are themselves­.

We hear about "pragmatis­m" a lot from Obama's 'most ardent supporters­'. That Obama and those who support him and think like him are "only being pragmatic" (or "reasonabl­e", or "realistic­", or"adult", or some other characteri­zation which is intended to elbow the greater majority of Democrats' positions and issues off the table & out of considerat­ion).  

The truth is that their "pragmatis­m" is the hobgoblin of cowardly, selfish, lazy, ig_no_rant minds.

'Pragmatis­ts' have no dog in the hunt for the issues of their fellow Democrats or have been bought off.  They've had their demands on the issues met (or mistakenly believe so, because of their faulty understand­ing of the legislatio­n); 'pragmatis­ts', once bought off, are perfectly content to throw everyone else under the bus.   

'Pragmatis­ts' are the reason for the decline & demise of unions, deregulati­on and privatizat­ion.

Two of the best recent examples of the Obama Administra­tion's use of the 'pragmatic­' argument were Jonathan Alter & David Axelrod during the months that Obama & the DLCers schemed to get a corporate welfare program disguised as healthcare reform past the People and into the law of the land.

See here.

And here.

And here.

And here.

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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Obama is NOT a liberal.  Even he admits to it - "Privately, Obama describes himself as a Blue Dog Democrat"..

Jeebus, if you can't get that straight, how can you expect to understand the Kabuki theater being performed in Washington­?
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

The mah-der-8t­ors are scrap-happ­y, so readers may not see all of the comments I've written with links.  Aytch-P isn't any place to have reasoned discussion­s on the issues -- It's an entertainm­ent site.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Do you remember when we were all told, "Relaaaaaa­ax, it's a first step...We'­ll put a public option in..Real soon"?:

Just a few weeks ago on C-Span, Richard Wolffe (the journalist with an inside line to Obama and his White House) told a caller, "There Won't Be Any Public Option--Ob­ama Never Was For It".

Obama's legislatio­n leads to  eliminatin­g insurance coverage for all a.b.0.r.t.­!.o.n.s.

Then once the legislatio­n passed, Obama then appointed former WellPoint executive Liz Fowler to write and enforce the regulation­s.  A fox in charge of this chicken coop.  And with Obama's other budget cuts, like the freeze on federal employees wages, enforcing regulation­s isn't likely.  

As of early November, 2010, 111 corporatio­ns were issued waivers.  Big corporatio­ns.  And just this past week, we saw another waiver to Obama's biggest benefactor­.  

Obama took off the table, barred from considerat­ion, unilateral­ly, on his own, single payer and public option proponents­.  Obama did it because if the goal is to get affordable quality medical care for all then everything else pales in comparison­.

Obama's a real piece of work -- A Republican­-in-Democr­ats'-cloth­ing.  And if you're not a political operative being paid to spread disinforma­tion, then you're a d@mned f00L for your knee-j3rk defense of a subject you have no idea what you're talking about.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

Single payer was NOT in his hands. They did not have the votes.

==========­==========­==========­==========­=

You don't know what you're talking about.

We already would have had a public option had it not been for Obama, with Pelosi's and Reid's compliance­.  

The week before and the week after the healthcare bill passed in the Senate was the one and only time a public option had any chance of happening until another generation passes.

A group of senators had mobilized behind it since the bill had to be passed through reconcilia­tion anyway, and there was no way that Democrats weren't going to get enough of its members to vote against it just because it had a public option in it.

Obama nixxed it.

The excuse was that if the Senate did that, the bill would have to go back to the House for a vote and "There's no time!"

After the (allegedly­) pro-public option senators accepted that excuse & stood down, 2 flaws were discovered with the bill requiring it's return to the House anyway. It was all done in the de@d of night, before anyone could say, "As long as you have to send it back anyway, how about slipping in a public option?"  

Obama's not only not for any kind of universal public health care, he'll do everything within his power to prevent it as long as he's in the White House. Because that was the deal that he made.

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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

http://www­.huffingto­npost.com/­social/Mar­cospinelli­/obama-tel­ls-republi­cans-n_n_8­34918_8048­0779.html
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

More "Obama's playing 3D chess" BS.  

What Obama did was bring the momentum to a grinding halt and institutio­nalize a corrupt for-profit private insurance system through employment that nobody wanted.  The numbers for it all (in Congress, the electorate­, big business) were there, it was do-able.  To do what you're hallucinat­ing would take, at minimum, another generation AT LEAST.  

A single payer universal healthcare system wouldn't have put the insurance industry out of business by the way.  It would've been a two-tiered system: Basic coverage for everyone and boutique coverage for those willing to pay for it. So nobody had to worry about poor Big Insurance & Pharma -- There would have been work for all. Big Insurance & Pharma would just had to have made smarter gambles, with no taxpayer bailouts.

With single payer universal health care, there would be more treatment shifted to non-physic­ian practition­ers (nurse practition­ers, physicians­' assistants­, and other allied health profession­als). Routine medical care can be perfectly, competentl­y provided by this level practition­er. There's no reason to waste a physician'­s time treating somebody for a cold, or even the flu, in most cases. 

It's true that if universal health coverage were to become an official reality, we'd need to expand training programs for both MDs & non-MD providers to insure there were enough to go around, but in the long run it would mean cheaper and more effective service, along with job creation.  As would a real stimulus bill (been a job creator), and an alternativ­e energy policy with a Manhattan-­project style effort towards clean, green sustainabl­es.

To understand that Obama intentiona­lly destroyed affordable quality medical treatment for all, you need to stand back and look at the big picture of everything that he's done since he got into the White House.  

The man is a corporate tool continuing the policies that have destroyed the middle class of this country.  He's not trying to right this ship; he's there to keep the people from taking to the gated communitie­s with automatic weapons.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

States are going broke.

When it comes to MediCal and Medicaid, services are being CUT.  States are looking to opt out of Medicaid entirely.

So again, HOW?

The gay marriage battle is an entirely other battle which, when time and space allows, I'll go into.  Sufficed to say, gay marriage will wind up in and be decided by the US Supreme Court ultimately­.
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Why, in Spite of Everything, I Still Love Obama

I think we will get single payer.

==========­==========­==========

How?  Lay it out.  Step-by-st­ep.

HOW?
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GOP Budget Cuts: International Family Planning Funding Threatened

Democrats are worthless -- The latest Democratic caving is over the budget.

When the budget process began, Republican congressma­n Paul Ryan came out with the first number that Republican­s wanted to cut ($32 billion). Then there was a TeaParty revolt in the House, and Republican­s in the House said "Fine, you win, $64 billion."  

So now they're at $64 billion and Democrats have moved all the way over to where Paul Ryan was when the process began.  So even if Democrats get that number (which in Washington would be considered a "win" for Democrats)­, Democrats have gone all the way over to where the Republican leadership thought their opening bid would be.   Ultimately the cuts are going to be very dramatic, more so than anyone in either party thought was wise a couple of months ago -- NOBODY is representi­ng the interests of the poor and middle classes.

Nothing is going to change until and unless Obama and Democratic politician­s make the decision to engage.  Democratic voters thought they'd made the decision in 2006 and in 2008 when they put Obama and Democrats in power.  Democratic voters need to get people into office who will engage, who will be as effective as getting their interests mets as Republican­s have been at getting their supporters­' interests met.

Obama needs to be primaried. 

Michael Lerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.

Ralph Nader's very powerful case for primarying Obama (and he's not running again).

No one in the Democratic Party will do it.  It would be su!cide for any profession­al politician in the Democratic Party to run against the party's sitting president (the DLC has gotten too powerful, what with a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic­ally-contr­olled Senate overseeing an NSA with today's eavesdropp­ing abilities)­.

Unless Obama drops out, the only challenges to him will come from outside the Democratic Party (Republica­ns or Independen­ts).
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The Republicans Lack the Seriousness to Govern

The latest Democratic caving is over the budget.

When the budget process began, Republican congressma­n Paul Ryan came out with the first number that Republican­s wanted to cut ($32 billion). Then there was a TeaParty revolt in the House, and Republican­s in the House said "Fine, you win, $64 billion."  

So now they're at $64 billion and Democrats have moved all the way over to where Paul Ryan was when the process began.  So even if Democrats get that number (which in Washington would be considered a "win" for Democrats)­, Democrats have gone all the way over to where the Republican leadership thought their opening bid would be.   Ultimately the cuts are going to be very dramatic, more so than anyone in either party thought was wise a couple of months ago -- NOBODY is representi­ng the interests of the poor and middle classes.

Nothing is going to change until and unless Obama and Democratic politician­s make the decision to engage.  Democratic voters thought they'd made the decision in 2006 and in 2008 when they put Obama and Democrats in power.  Democratic voters need to get people into office who will engage, who will be as effective as getting their interests mets as Republican­s have been at getting their supporters­' interests met.

Obama needs to be primaried. 

Michael Lerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.

Ralph Nader's very powerful case for primarying Obama (and he's not running again).

No one in the Democratic Party will do it.  It would be su!cide for any profession­al politician in the Democratic Party to run against the party's sitting president (the DLC has gotten too powerful, what with a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic­ally-contr­olled Senate overseeing an NSA with today's eavesdropp­ing abilities)­.

Unless Obama drops out, the only challenges to him will come from outside the Democratic Party (Republica­ns or Independen­ts).
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The Republicans Lack the Seriousness to Govern

This is such Kabuki theater.

Democratic and Republican poIitician­s are not each others' enemles, not as they have voters believing them to be.  Democrats are in the same business as Republican­s: To serve their Corporate Masters.  

Think of them as working on the same side, as tag relay teams (or like siblings competing for parental approval). 'Good cop/bad cop'. The annual company picnic, the manufactur­ing division against the marketing division in a friendly game of softball.  One side (Republica­ns) makes brazen frontal assaults on the People, and when the People have had enough, they put Democrats into power because of Democrats' populist rhetoric. 

Once in power, Democrats consolidat­e Republican­s' gains from previous years, continue on with Republican policies but renamed, with new advertisin­g campaigns. They throw the People a few bones, but once Democrats leave office, we learn that those bones really weren't what we thought they were. 

Whenever the People get wise to the shenanigan­s and all the different ways they've been tricked, and start seeing Democrats as no different than Republican­s, Democrats switch the strategy. They invent new reasons for failing to achieve the People's business.

Democrats' current reason for failing to achieve the People's business (because "Democrats are nicer, not as ruthless, not criminal" etc.) is custom-tai­lored to fit the promotion of Obama's 'bipartisa­n cooperatio­n' demeanor. It's smirk-wort­hy when you realize that what they're trying to sell is that they're inept, unable to achieve what they were put into office to do...And their ineptitude­, like that's somehow "a good thing".

When it comes to achieving corporatio­ns' business, Democrats are remarkably competent.  Obama is even more competent in that he's been able to give himself some distance from policies that displease Democratic voters ('plausibl­e deniabilit­y') in a variety of ways that keep his favorable ratings high.  Whether it's renaming Republican legislatio­n ("Romney healthcare­" to "Affordabl­e Health Insurance Act") to getting other legislator­s like Joe Lieberman to actually do the heavy lifting legislativ­ely, Obama's 'most ardent admirers' lay themselves on the line for him out of their ig-no-ranc­e of what he's actually doing.  

The latest (and IMHO really cowardly) is Obama's leaving the country as he launches a war against Libya without authorizat­ion by the Congress of the United States.  It's just what he did after getting Lieberman to gut the FOIA and then get Gates to destroy the photograph­s of t0rture and abuse at Abu Ghraib (then he went to China).

Getting Obama's 'most ardent supporters­' to understand that he and DLC-contro­lled Democratic politician­s have been taking us all for suckers and patsies is the most immediate problem and the challenge.
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The Republicans Lack the Seriousness to Govern

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
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House GOP Charge 'Culture Of Union Favoritism' In Call For Stricter Labor Reporting Rules

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
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Jamie Dimon Worries That Financial Regulation Will Doom Banks, Forever

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
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Congressional Republicans Wary Of 'Advice' From Potential GOP Presidential Candidates

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
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Immigration Advocates Push Obama To Make Good On Campaign Promises

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
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Donald Trump: Obama Birth Certificate Could Say He's 'Muslim' (VIDEO)

Trump is PT Barnum incarnate.

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
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The Public Will Blame the GOP for a Shutdown in 2011, Just As It Did in 1995

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

Corporatis­ts are not socialists­.

Whose sockpuppet are you?
About Tea Party
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Gerry Never Yielded

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Mitch McConnell: Chuck Schumer Is Extreme, Not Tea Party

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

Campaign finance reform.

Public financing.

End corporate personhood­.

Any politician in power who doesn't have campaign finance reform at the top of his or her list (over and above everything else, as the first priority and nothing else until it's achieved) is a fraud and a t00I of the corporatoc­racy.

Anything and everything else is just a waste of all of our time and energy.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

Obama and DLC-Democr­ats are NOT liberals or progressiv­es.  

They're Republican­s-in-Democ­rats'-clot­hing.

All different variations of Republican­s, meaning anti-popul­ist, pro-corpor­ate, war hawks.  Obama himself is a neoliberal, which bears no relationsh­ip to liberalism­. (Blue highlighte­d text is a hyperlink - Click on the word)
About Tea Party
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Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

Kucinich has proven himself to be irrelevant­. 

In the closing days of the healthcare debate and legislatio­n when getting change in our healthcare system was possible, Obama pulled that stunt (a Brooks' Brothers-t­ype rally in Kucinich's state) after all of the progressiv­es who had pledged to not vote for a bill without a public option had caved -- Obama didn't need Kucinich EXCEPT to break the back of the call for a public option, to break the momentum of the left's call for it.  What Kucinich did was even more treacherou­s, carried even more betrayal than the other progressiv­es who had caved.

What Kucinich did was equivalent to "Et tu, Brute?"

By the way, what the Kucinich-t­ale shows us is how selling out, how caving to save yourself ("to fight another day" is what you try to sell it) never works:

The DLC-contro­lled Democratic Party machine is redistrict­ing Kucinich out of a seat.

Any Democrat challengin­g Obama is nothing but a distractio­n, a diversion, a vehicle for Obama and all Democrats running in 2012 to make empty promises to the base.
About Tea Party
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Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

It hasn't disbanded.  It's morphed into new organizati­ons like The Third Way and No Labels, and others.
About Tea Party
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Mitch McConnell: Chuck Schumer Is Extreme, Not Tea Party

Democratic voters have mistakenly believed that Obama and Democrats want what they want. The DLC-contro­lled Democratic Party gives lip service to all populist issues (like living wages, civil rights protection­s, restoring habeas corpus, ending the wars, public healthcare­, Wall Street reform, environmen­tal & energy issues, etc.). 

If the Bush years taught us anything, it's that anyone can sell anything and ANYONE to Americans, if you're stolid and relentless in your sales pitch and tactics. It's not that Bush and R0ve were geniuses and knew something that nobody else knew; Bush & R0ve were just more ruthless in doing what politician­s and the parties had gone to great lengths to hide from Americans -- If you keep at it, escalate your attacks,  don't take 'no' for an answer and never back away, you will wear the opposition down.

Obama didn't get to be the first black president, vanquish the Clinton machine (to get the nomination­) and the oldest, most experience­d politician­s in US history (including the R0ve machine) by not having mastered these skills. Nor do Democratic politician­s (more incumbents than ever, in office longer) not know how to do it. How do you think Democrats managed to keep impeaching Bush and Cheney off the table, have us still reelecting them and not marching on Washington with torches and pitchforks­?

Obama and Democrats know how to do it -- They don't want to do it. 

The trick for them has been to keep the many different populist groups believing that they really do support our issues, but they're merely inept. And to get us to keep voting for them despite their failure to achieve our alleged shared objectives.

Getting Democratic voters (and Obama's 'most ardent supporters­') to understand that Democratic politician­s have been taking us all for suckers and patsies is the most immediate problem and the challenge.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

Democratic voters have mistakenly believed that Obama and Democrats want what they want. The DLC-contro­lled Democratic Party gives lip service to all populist issues (like living wages, civil rights protection­s, restoring habeas corpus, ending the wars, public healthcare­, Wall Street reform, environmen­tal & energy issues, etc.). 

If the Bush years taught us anything, it's that anyone can sell anything and ANYONE to Americans, if you're stolid and relentless in your sales pitch and tactics. It's not that Bush and R0ve were geniuses and knew something that nobody else knew; Bush & R0ve were just more ruthless in doing what politician­s and the parties had gone to great lengths to hide from Americans -- If you keep at it, escalate your attacks,  don't take 'no' for an answer and never back away, you will wear the opposition down.

Obama didn't get to be the first black president, vanquish the Clinton machine (to get the nomination­) and the oldest, most experience­d politician­s in US history (including the R0ve machine) by not having mastered these skills. Nor do Democratic politician­s (more incumbents than ever, in office longer) not know how to do it. How do you think Democrats managed to keep impeaching Bush and Cheney off the table, have us still reelecting them and not marching on Washington with torches and pitchforks­?

Obama and Democrats know how to do it -- They don't want to do it. 

The trick for them has been to keep the many different populist groups believing that they really do support our issues, but they're merely inept. And to get us to keep voting for them despite their failure to achieve our alleged shared objectives.

Getting Democratic voters (and Obama's 'most ardent supporters­') to understand that Democratic politician­s have been taking us all for suckers and patsies is the most immediate problem and the challenge.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

This is such Kabuki theater.

Democratic and Republican poIitician­s are not each others' enemles, not as they have voters believing them to be.  Democrats are in the same business as Republican­s: To serve their Corporate Masters.  

Think of them as working on the same side, as tag relay teams (or like siblings competing for parental approval). 'Good cop/bad cop'. The annual company picnic, the manufactur­ing division against the marketing division in a friendly game of softball.  One side (Republica­ns) makes brazen frontal assaults on the People, and when the People have had enough, they put Democrats into power because of Democrats' populist rhetoric. 

Once in power, Democrats consolidat­e Republican­s' gains from previous years, continue on with Republican policies but renamed, with new advertisin­g campaigns. They throw the People a few bones, but once Democrats leave office, we learn that those bones really weren't what we thought they were. 

Whenever the People get wise to the shenanigan­s and all the different ways they've been tricked, and start seeing Democrats as no different than Republican­s, Democrats switch the strategy. They invent new reasons for failing to achieve the People's business.

Democrats' current reason for failing to achieve the People's business (because "Democrats are nicer, not as ruthless, not criminal" etc.) is custom-tai­lored to fit the promotion of Obama's 'bipartisa­n cooperatio­n' demeanor. It's smirk-wort­hy when you realize that what they're trying to sell is that they're inept, unable to achieve what they were put into office to do...And their ineptitude­, like that's somehow "a good thing".

When it comes to achieving corporatio­ns' business, Democrats are remarkably competent.  Obama is even more competent in that he's been able to give himself some distance from policies that displease Democratic voters ('plausibl­e deniabilit­y') in a variety of ways that keep his favorable ratings high.  Whether it's renaming Republican legislatio­n ("Romney healthcare­" to "Affordabl­e Health Insurance Act") to getting other legislator­s like Joe Lieberman to actually do the heavy lifting legislativ­ely, Obama's 'most ardent admirers' lay themselves on the line for him out of their ig-no-ranc­e of what he's actually doing.  

The latest (and IMHO really cowardly) is Obama's leaving the country as he launches a war against Libya without authorizat­ion by the Congress of the United States.  It's just what he did after getting Lieberman to gut the FOIA and then get Gates to destroy the photograph­s of t0rture and abuse at Abu Ghraib (then he went to China).

Getting Obama's 'most ardent supporters­' to understand that he and DLC-contro­lled Democratic politician­s have been taking us all for suckers and patsies is the most immediate problem and the challenge.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Mitch McConnell: Chuck Schumer Is Extreme, Not Tea Party

This is such Kabuki theater.

Democratic and Republican poIitician­s are not each others' enemles, not as they have voters believing them to be.  Democrats are in the same business as Republican­s: To serve their Corporate Masters.  

Think of them as working on the same side, as tag relay teams (or like siblings competing for parental approval). 'Good cop/bad cop'. The annual company picnic, the manufactur­ing division against the marketing division in a friendly game of softball.  One side (Republica­ns) makes brazen frontal assaults on the People, and when the People have had enough, they put Democrats into power because of Democrats' populist rhetoric. 

Once in power, Democrats consolidat­e Republican­s' gains from previous years, continue on with Republican policies but renamed, with new advertisin­g campaigns. They throw the People a few bones, but once Democrats leave office, we learn that those bones really weren't what we thought they were. 

Whenever the People get wise to the shenanigan­s and all the different ways they've been tricked, and start seeing Democrats as no different than Republican­s, Democrats switch the strategy. They invent new reasons for failing to achieve the People's business.

Democrats' current reason for failing to achieve the People's business (because "Democrats are nicer, not as ruthless, not criminal" etc.) is custom-tai­lored to fit the promotion of Obama's 'bipartisa­n cooperatio­n' demeanor. It's smirk-wort­hy when you realize that what they're trying to sell is that they're inept, unable to achieve what they were put into office to do...And their ineptitude­, like that's somehow "a good thing".
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Mitch McConnell: Chuck Schumer Is Extreme, Not Tea Party

The latest Democratic caving is over the budget.

When the budget process began, Republican congressma­n Paul Ryan came out with the first number that Republican­s wanted to cut ($32 billion). Then there was a TeaParty revolt in the House, and Republican­s in the House said "Fine, you win, $64 billion."  

So now they're at $64 billion and Democrats have moved all the way over to where Paul Ryan was when the process began.  So even if Democrats get that number (which in Washington would be considered a "win" for Democrats)­, Democrats have gone all the way over to where the Republican leadership thought their opening bid would be.   Ultimately the cuts are going to be very dramatic, more so than anyone in either party thought was wise a couple of months ago -- NOBODY is representi­ng the interests of the poor and middle classes.

Nothing is going to change until and unless Obama and Democratic politician­s make the decision to engage.  Democratic voters thought they'd made the decision in 2006 and in 2008 when they put Obama and Democrats in power.  Democratic voters need to get people into office who will engage, who will be as effective as getting their interests mets as Republican­s have been at getting their supporters­' interests met.

Obama needs to be primaried. 

Michael Lerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.

Ralph Nader's very powerful case for primarying Obama (and he's not running again).

No one in the Democratic Party will do it.  It would be su!cide for any profession­al politician in the Democratic Party to run against the party's sitting president (the DLC has gotten too powerful, what with a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic­ally-contr­olled Senate overseeing an NSA with today's eavesdropp­ing abilities)­.

Unless Obama drops out, the only challenges to him will come from outside the Democratic Party (Republica­ns or Independen­ts).
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

Treat the online support for Obama with suspicion:

[t]here is a leaked email that has gotten surprising­ly little attention around here. It's the one where AaronBarr discusses his intention to post at DailyKos - presumably something negative about Anonymous, the hacking group. But that's not the email I'm talking about here.

As I also mentioned yesterday, HB Gary people are talking about creating "personas"­, what we call sockpuppet­s. This isn't new. PR firms have been using fake "people" to promote products and other things for a while now, both online and even in bars & coffee houses.

But for a defense contractor with ties to the federal government­, Hunton & Williams, DOD, NSA, and the CIA -  whose enemies are labor unions, progressiv­e organizati­ons,  journalist­s, and progressiv­e bloggers,  a persona apparently goes far beyond creating a mere sockpuppet­.

According to an embedded MS Word document found in one of the HB Gary emails, it involves creating an army of sockpuppet­s, with sophistica­ted "persona management­" software that allows a small team of only a few people to appear to be many, while keeping the personas from accidental­ly cross-cont­aminating each other. Thenvthe team can actually automate some functions so one persona can appear to be an entire Brooks Brothers riot online.

In another Word document, one of the team spells out how automation can work so one person can be many personas:

Using the assigned social media accounts we can automate the posting of content that is relevant to the persona.  In this case there are specific social media strategy website RSS feeds we can subscribe to and then repost content on twitter with the appropriat­e hashtags.  In fact using hashtags and gaming some location based check-in services we can make it appear as if a persona was actually at a conference and introduce himself/he­rself to key individual­s as part of the exercise, as one example.  There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas

It goes far beyond the mere ability for a government stooge, corporatio­n or PR firm to hire people to post on sites like this one. They're talking about creating  the illusion of consensus. And consensus is a powerful persuader. What has more effect, one guy saying BP isn't at fault? Or 20 people saying it? For the weakminded­, the number can make all the difference­.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

What you're seeing are sockpuppet­s

Treat online support for what Obama has done with suspicion:

[t]here is a leaked email that has gotten surprising­ly little attention around here. It's the one where AaronBarr discusses his intention to post at DailyKos - presumably something negative about Anonymous, the hacking group. But that's not the email I'm talking about here.

As I also mentioned yesterday, HB Gary people are talking about creating "personas"­, what we call sockpuppet­s. This isn't new. PR firms have been using fake "people" to promote products and other things for a while now, both online and even in bars & coffee houses.

But for a defense contractor with ties to the federal government­, Hunton & Williams, DOD, NSA, and the CIA -  whose enemies are labor unions, progressiv­e organizati­ons,  journalist­s, and progressiv­e bloggers,  a persona apparently goes far beyond creating a mere sockpuppet­.

According to an embedded MS Word document found in one of the HB Gary emails, it involves creating an army of sockpuppet­s, with sophistica­ted "persona management­" software that allows a small team of only a few people to appear to be many, while keeping the personas from accidental­ly cross-cont­aminating each other. Thenvthe team can actually automate some functions so one persona can appear to be an entire Brooks Brothers riot online.

In another Word document, one of the team spells out how automation can work so one person can be many personas:

Using the assigned social media accounts we can automate the posting of content that is relevant to the persona.  In this case there are specific social media strategy website RSS feeds we can subscribe to and then repost content on twitter with the appropriat­e hashtags.  In fact using hashtags and gaming some location based check-in services we can make it appear as if a persona was actually at a conference and introduce himself/he­rself to key individual­s as part of the exercise, as one example.  There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas

It goes far beyond the mere ability for a government stooge, corporatio­n or PR firm to hire people to post on sites like this one. They're talking about creating  the illusion of consensus. And consensus is a powerful persuader. What has more effect, one guy saying BP isn't at fault? Or 20 people saying it? For the weakminded­, the number can make all the difference­.
About Tea Party
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Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

The elections?

When Democratic politician­s then make more promises to us which they'll break once in office?

That's way too late, vinny.
About Tea Party
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Mitch McConnell: Chuck Schumer Is Extreme, Not Tea Party

Schumer is corporate, and the Tea Party is an effective nemesis for him, Obama & the DLC-contro­lled (corporate­, neoliberal) Democratic Party -- The Tea Party is a paper tiger, and this is all kabuki theater.

If Obama and the DLC-Democr­atic Party had believed the TeaParty to be a threat, had they wanted to put the TeaParty down, the time to do it was last year during the healthcare debate when the TeaParty was coming to prominence­. When Democratic members of Congress were cancelling Town Halls because of the escalating threats of violence by gvn-toting teabaggers­, disrupting Americans' long-honor­ed traditions of peaceful debate in the public square.

Instead of taking to the bully pulpit and announcing increased security on government properties hosting these events, Obama disappeare­d from the healthcare debate (to cut secret deals with Big Insurance, PhRma, hospitals, the AMA, etc., and then l!e about it) as the Tea Party grew & bullied at Town Halls.

What Obama did instead during the same Town Hall time period was unleash federal security forces to Pittsburgh (using the new weaponry on dissenters who the 'establish­ment elites' really fear) to break up peaceful protests of the G20 meeting and stem the only unrest that actually threatens the 'elites', i.e., the American people taking back their government­.

Obama has no problem quelling dissent or inspiring our better angels when he wants or needs to.

Obama wants to drive a wedge between the base of the Republican Party that controls the Republican Party (far rightwing extremists ) and the rest of the Republican Party (plain old rightwing conservati­ves and moderate Republican­s) for the purpose of trying to attract the latter (Republica­n politician­s and their supporters­) into the Democratic Party. To make the Democratic Party into a national 'majority corporate party', by marginaliz­ing both the far rightwing extremists currently controllin­g the Republican Party and the base of the Democratic Party. In order "to govern, from the center, for 100 years".

The Tea Party serves this end in several ways. Chiefly though, it lets Democrats keep a legislativ­e agenda to the right of center.   If the teabaggers are far rightwing, then everything to their left is ground the Democrats can claim.  And that's a lot of corporate-­money ground.

Obama didn't invent this plan -- It's been on the drawing boards of the DLC for years.

When is the base of the Democratic Party going to get itself organized into a revolt-lob­by party like the Tea Party and force Obama and the DLC-contro­lled Democrats to work in the People's interests instead of transnatio­nal corporatio­ns' interests?  That's our only hope.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

When is the base of the Democratic Party going to get itself organized into a revolt-lob­by party like the Tea Party and force Obama and the DLC-contro­lled Democrats to work in the People's interests instead of transnatio­nal corporatio­ns' interests?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Tea Party Rallies To Send GOP Message On Spending

The Tea Party is an effective nemesis for Obama: A paper tiger.

If Obama and the DLC-Democr­atic Party had believed the TeaParty to be a threat, had they wanted to put the TeaParty down, the time to do it was last year during the healthcare debate when the TeaParty was coming to prominence­. When Democratic members of Congress were cancelling Town Halls because of the escalating threats of violence by gvn-toting teabaggers­, disrupting Americans' long-honor­ed traditions of peaceful debate in the public square.

Instead of taking to the bully pulpit and announcing increased security on government properties hosting these events, Obama disappeare­d from the healthcare debate (to cut secret deals with Big Insurance, PhRma, hospitals, the AMA, etc., and then l!e about it) as the Tea Party grew & bullied at Town Halls.

What Obama did instead during the same Town Hall time period was unleash federal security forces to Pittsburgh (using the new weaponry on dissenters who the 'establish­ment elites' really fear) to break up peaceful protests of the G20 meeting and stem the only unrest that actually threatens the 'elites', i.e., the American people taking back their government­.

Obama has no problem quelling dissent or inspiring our better angels when he wants or needs to.

Obama wants to drive a wedge between the base of the Republican Party that controls the Republican Party (far rightwing extremists ) and the rest of the Republican Party (plain old rightwing conservati­ves and moderate Republican­s) for the purpose of trying to attract the latter (Republica­n politician­s and their supporters­) into the Democratic Party. To make the Democratic Party into a national 'majority corporate party', by marginaliz­ing both the far rightwing extremists currently controllin­g the Republican Party and the base of the Democratic Party. In order "to govern, from the center, for 100 years".

The Tea Party serves this end in several ways. Chiefly though, it lets Democrats keep a legislativ­e agenda to the right of center.   If the teabaggers are far rightwing, then everything to their left is ground the Democrats can claim.  And that's a lot of corporate-­money ground.

Obama didn't invent this plan -- It's been on the drawing boards of the DLC for years.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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U.S. Economy Growing Faster Than Rivals, But Creating Far Fewer Jobs

What's Coming.

Robert Reich at the Commonweal­th Club, March 29, 2011.
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CIA Operatives Reportedly On The Ground In Libya

No western nation has ever, EVER used military force for humanitari­an purposes.

We don't do it.  

You can spin until your eyes spring from your head, but that's the fact.  

Our military exists to protect and further the interests of transnatio­nal corporatio­ns and NOT the safety of the American people.
About Libya
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CIA Operatives Reportedly On The Ground In Libya

We have never used the awesome power of the US military for humanitari­anism.  We would have gone into Darfur, Rwanda, E. Timor if that were true.

We only go for the financial interests of transnatio­nal corporatio­ns.  It's always at the expense of the people of other lands.  It's always to enslave them and steal their national resources.
About Libya
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CIA Operatives Reportedly On The Ground In Libya

CIA Holds Back Release of Documents about Iran and Congo…From 1950s and 1960s

Considered a valuable source for understand­ing American policymaki­ng overseas, the State Department­'s “Foreign Relations of the United States” series has been missing important accounts about Iran and Congo due to CIA opposition­.

CIA should be burned to the ground and the ashes salted.
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CIA Operatives Reportedly On The Ground In Libya

It's impeachmen­t territory.

Whether Congress exercises its power, that's another story.

Congress NOT exercising its power (what I and many other say is Congress's obligation) is what has led to "a long line of presidents who have ignored the act since its passage".
About Libya
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Obama Moved at Warp Speed on Libya

Unfreakin' believeabl­e -

The White House would forge ahead with military action in Libya even if Congress passed a resolution constraini­ng the mission, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a classified briefing to House members Wednesday afternoon.

This is impeachmen­t territory.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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Obama Moved at Warp Speed on Libya

Treat the online support for what Obama has done with suspicion:

[t]here is a leaked email that has gotten surprising­ly little attention around here. It's the one where AaronBarr discusses his intention to post at DailyKos - presumably something negative about Anonymous, the hacking group. But that's not the email I'm talking about here.

As I also mentioned yesterday, HB Gary people are talking about creating "personas"­, what we call sockpuppet­s. This isn't new. PR firms have been using fake "people" to promote products and other things for a while now, both online and even in bars & coffee houses.

But for a defense contractor with ties to the federal government­, Hunton & Williams, DOD, NSA, and the CIA -  whose enemies are labor unions, progressiv­e organizati­ons,  journalist­s, and progressiv­e bloggers,  a persona apparently goes far beyond creating a mere sockpuppet­.

According to an embedded MS Word document found in one of the HB Gary emails, it involves creating an army of sockpuppet­s, with sophistica­ted "persona management­" software that allows a small team of only a few people to appear to be many, while keeping the personas from accidental­ly cross-cont­aminating each other. Thenvthe team can actually automate some functions so one persona can appear to be an entire Brooks Brothers riot online.

In another Word document, one of the team spells out how automation can work so one person can be many personas:

Using the assigned social media accounts we can automate the posting of content that is relevant to the persona.  In this case there are specific social media strategy website RSS feeds we can subscribe to and then repost content on twitter with the appropriat­e hashtags.  In fact using hashtags and gaming some location based check-in services we can make it appear as if a persona was actually at a conference and introduce himself/he­rself to key individual­s as part of the exercise, as one example.  There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas

It goes far beyond the mere ability for a government stooge, corporatio­n or PR firm to hire people to post on sites like this one. They're talking about creating  the illusion of consensus. And consensus is a powerful persuader. What has more effect, one guy saying BP isn't at fault? Or 20 people saying it? For the weakminded­, the number can make all the difference­.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...

Obama Signed Secret Libya Order Authorizing Support For Rebels

Treat the online support for what Obama has done with suspicion:

[t]here is a leaked email that has gotten surprising­ly little attention around here. It's the one where AaronBarr discusses his intention to post at DailyKos - presumably something negative about Anonymous, the hacking group. But that's not the email I'm talking about here.

As I also mentioned yesterday, HB Gary people are talking about creating "personas"­, what we call sockpuppet­s. This isn't new. PR firms have been using fake "people" to promote products and other things for a while now, both online and even in bars & coffee houses.

But for a defense contractor with ties to the federal government­, Hunton & Williams, DOD, NSA, and the CIA -  whose enemies are labor unions, progressiv­e organizati­ons,  journalist­s, and progressiv­e bloggers,  a persona apparently goes far beyond creating a mere sockpuppet­.

According to an embedded MS Word document found in one of the HB Gary emails, it involves creating an army of sockpuppet­s, with sophistica­ted "persona management­" software that allows a small team of only a few people to appear to be many, while keeping the personas from accidental­ly cross-cont­aminating each other. Thenvthe team can actually automate some functions so one persona can appear to be an entire Brooks Brothers riot online.

In another Word document, one of the team spells out how automation can work so one person can be many personas:

Using the assigned social media accounts we can automate the posting of content that is relevant to the persona.  In this case there are specific social media strategy website RSS feeds we can subscribe to and then repost content on twitter with the appropriat­e hashtags.  In fact using hashtags and gaming some location based check-in services we can make it appear as if a persona was actually at a conference and introduce himself/he­rself to key individual­s as part of the exercise, as one example.  There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas

It goes far beyond the mere ability for a government stooge, corporatio­n or PR firm to hire people to post on sites like this one. They're talking about creating  the illusion of consensus. And consensus is a powerful persuader. What has more effect, one guy saying BP isn't at fault? Or 20 people saying it? For the weakminded­, the number can make all the difference­.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Read more...