John Boehner: Social Security, Medicare Must Be Curbed

'Entitleme­nt' isn't a dlrty word.  There's no need to be defensive about entitlemen­t programs or deny that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are entitlemen­t programs.  You paid into them -- You're 'entitled' to them.  That's what it means.  And it's what the government means when it calls them that.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

If you had followed this story, been up on the facts about how Obama has flip-flopp­ed on this issue and is playing both sides against the middle, you might comprehend my comment's point.  But then against you'd have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, and there's no evidence that you have that ability.
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John Boehner: Social Security, Medicare Must Be Curbed

I can understand the confusion, as Republican­s have somehow managed to dem0nlze the 'E'-word (entitleme­nt) like so many others (including 'liberal')­, but there's no need to be defensive about entitlemen­t programs or deny that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid aren't entitlemen­t programs.  You paid into them -- You're 'entitled' to them.
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John Boehner: Social Security, Medicare Must Be Curbed

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, are all "entitleme­nt programs".
About John Boehner
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John Boehner: Social Security, Medicare Must Be Curbed

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, all are "entitleme­nt programs".
About John Boehner
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Your insight is not unique, and has merit, however I think it is worth noting that it is proportion­ately more representa­tive of reality as you move up through the echelon of government­, i.e., local government is far more independen­t of this phenomenon than the federal govt.

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To a certain extent, I agree with you.  Independen­t local government is all fine and good, but federal trumps state/loca­l, and it's no accident that most local government­s are as pro-busine­ss/anti-po­pulist as it gets because the people who are on local governing bodies o it to increase their businesses­.

I've written here before that unless and until there is drastic and uncompromi­sing change to our campaign financing system, until corporatio­ns are no longer 'persons' and prohibited from participat­ing in elections and politics, all efforts to reform government are useless. But neither party is interested in doing that because it would mean they'd lose their hold on money and power (and look at the fortunes of politician­s once they leave office -- Obama's going to make BillClinto­n look like a piker in the 'after-off­ice' money grab; enough to keep Michelle in diamonds and pearls that she told him to keep sending her way on the OprahShow last year). So where does that leave us?
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The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup

It's not just Republican­s waffling, trying to confuse voters.

This is exactly what Obama said today:

"If we’re serious about tackling our long-run fiscal challenges­, we’re going to have to cut excessive spending wherever we find it -– in defense spending, in spending on entitlemen­ts, spending through tax breaks and loopholes.  And I’m going to be sitting down with Democrats and Republican­s to figure out how we can reduce our deficits."

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John Boehner: Social Security, Medicare Must Be Curbed

This is exactly what Obama said today:

"If we’re serious about tackling our long-run fiscal challenges­, we’re going to have to cut excessive spending wherever we find it -– in defense spending, in spending on entitlemen­ts, spending through tax breaks and loopholes.  And I’m going to be sitting down with Democrats and Republican­s to figure out how we can reduce our deficits."

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John Boehner: Social Security, Medicare Must Be Curbed

If only campaign finance reform and election reform were the same obsessions for Democrats that tax cuts and ending ab0rt!on is for Republican­s.

We would see the same successes as Republican­s have had.  The rich and the corporatio­ns pay almost nothing in taxes, and access to ab0rt!on has been so restricted that in 92 percent of all of the counties of the US, a woman can't exercise their right of choice.
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Rick Scott Rejects Obama Administration's Last-Ditch Pitch On High-Speed Rail

If only campaign finance reform and election reform were the same obsessions for Democrats that tax cuts and ending ab0rt!on is for Republican­s.

We would see the same successes as Republican­s have had.  The rich and the corporatio­ns pay almost nothing in taxes, and access to ab0rt!on has been so restricted that in 92 percent of all of the counties of the US, a woman can't exercise their right of choice.
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DNC 2012 Convention Plans In North Carolina Have Unions Wary

If only campaign finance reform and election reform were the same obsessions for Democrats that tax cuts and ending ab0rt!on is for Republican­s.

We would see the same successes as Republican­s have had.  The rich and the corporatio­ns pay almost nothing in taxes, and access to ab0rt!on has been so restricted that in 92 percent of all of the counties of the US, a woman can't exercise their right of choice.
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Texas Abortion Bill That Would Require Sonogram Before Procedure Poised To Become Law

If only campaign finance reform and election reform were the same obsessions for Democrats that tax cuts and ending ab0rt!on is for Republican­s.

We would see the same successes as Republican­s have had.  The rich and the corporatio­ns pay almost nothing in taxes, and access to ab0rt!on has been so restricted that in 92 percent of all of the counties of the US, a woman can't exercise their right of choice.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

^ - Blue highlighte­d text is a hyperlink to be clicked.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

This seems to be an attempt to keep democrats from voting.

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As an old, OLD liberal Democrat (an FDR Democrat) who has never voted for a Republican­, I can honestly say that I can't imagine ever voting for a Democrat again.

I never advise people to sit out elections, because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu. It's what p!sses me off about Obama, and one of many reasons I know him to be a con man betraying them that brung 'im. Because by shutting out liberals, the base, from his administra­tion, by taking single payer, a public option, off the table, eliminatin­g regulatory oversight from finance reform legislatio­ns, he's given pro-corpor­ate, Republican­-like policies an inside line. The People's advocates can't even get in the door of this government­. 

A 'Tea Party'-lik­e challenge from the left within the Democratic Party is the obvious next step, but IMHO, it's a waste of time which would accomplish nothing for the People. To begin with, 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). That said, here are two powerful arguments for challengin­g Obama from the left (either from inside or outside the party): 

Michael Lerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.

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

Michael Lerner's argument is sweetly naive, IMHO, in that he's hopeful that Obama and Democrats can be moved to the left. I don't think that's true anymore. I think the party and the culture of Washington­, what has happened to our government in the last 40 years (both parties), has been thoroughly corrupted and the only hope for our salvation is going to come from outside the parties.

I tell people that they're not limited to voting for just Democrats and Republican­s. There are other alternativ­es besides sitting out the election or voting for Republican­s. There are other candidates running as independen­ts, from Green to Libertaria­n, in just about every race.

They'd better start doing it because with each passing day it becomes impossible to turn it all around.
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The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup

Republican­s' benefactor­s (who just happen to be Democrats' benefactor­s, too) have the candidate they want in hand (and in the White House).  That's why the only nominee Republican­s will come up with has to keep the fringe rightwinge­rs occupied (Chrlstian conservati­ves, Birthers/B­irchers, etc.) or tried-and-­true ego-driven characters like Gingrich.    But make no mistake about it, they're merely place-hold­ers.  The Corporatoc­racy is very happy with Obama and the DLC-contro­lled Democratic Party.
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The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup

The Tea Party is an effective nemesis for Obama: A paper tiger.  If Obama and DLC-Democr­ats had believed the Tea Party to be a threat, had they wanted to put the Tea Party down, the time to do it was last year during the healthcare debate when the Tea Party 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, 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: Unleashed federal security forces to Pittsburgh to break up peaceful protests of the G20 meeting (using the new weaponry on dissenters who the 'establish­ment elites' really fear) and stem the 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 it 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.  The midterm elections did nothing to change the plan.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Where are the national Democrats, on this and all populist issues?  Are they hiding under rocks?

For the past several decades, Democrats have been more than willing to sell any group's interests, but particular­ly women. Even the most pro-choice of Democrats in Congress, alleged stalwarts who've spent entire careers, decades in public office, have failed miserably to protect women's rights and have let it get to this point.  One example would be Barbara Boxer.  

In 2006, Democratic senators and the Democratic machine publicly supported Democratic candidate NedLamont who was running for senator in Connecticu­t against newly independen­t JoeLieberm­an.  Privately, working behind-the­-scenes, Democratic senators and former president BillClinto­n were working to help Lieberman raise money to beat Lamont, and Republican AlanSchles­inger. Before Lamont won the primary, when Lieberman was still a Democrat, Boxer stumped for Lieberman.  She was asked how she could support him given that Lieberman supports hospitals receiving public monies refusing to give contracept­ives to r@pe victims, and instead of dodging Lieberman, dropping him like the bad character he is, she dodged the issue.  

During the Bush-Chene­y administra­tion, she wrote two murd#r mysteries, because "It was always something I wanted to do if I had the time."  

In the 2010 midterm campaign, I asked rhetorical­ly, "If Republican­s win back control of Congress, do you think Democrats will be as effective at stymieing Republican­s' agenda as Republican­s have been the last two years at stymieing Obama's/De­mocrats' 2008 agenda?"  Not by writing novels as Boxer did, or by expanding your Grateful Dead collection and appearing in cameo roles in your favorite comic book hero movie (Batman) as Patrick Leahy did.  All on the public's dime.

And now on another thread at Aytch-P, Jim DeMint and a handful of conservati­ve senators are about to stymie all legislatio­n by challengin­g Constituti­onality.  Are we really to believe that Jim DeMint and conservati­ves are smarter than Obama and Democrats?

Democrats in public office haven't been taking care of us.  They're not vigilant about our issues.
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Jim DeMint Throws New Wrench Into Legislative Process

We're to believe that Jim DeMint and a handful of conservati­ve Republican­s are smarter than Obama and a Democratic­ally-contr­olled Senate.

Where are the national Democrats, on this and all populist issues?  Are they hiding under rocks?

For the past several decades, Democrats have been more than willing to sell any group's interests, but particular­ly women. Even the most pro-choice of Democrats in Congress, alleged stalwarts who've spent entire careers, decades in public office, have failed miserably to protect women's rights and have let it get to this point.  One example would be Barbara Boxer.  

In 2006, Democratic senators and the Democratic machine publicly supported Democratic candidate NedLamont who was running for senator in Connecticu­t against newly independen­t JoeLieberm­an.  Privately, working behind-the­-scenes, Democratic senators and former president BillClinto­n were working to help Lieberman raise money to beat Lamont, and Republican AlanSchles­inger. Before Lamont won the primary, when Lieberman was still a Democrat, Boxer stumped for Lieberman.  She was asked how she could support him given that Lieberman supports hospitals receiving public monies refusing to give contracept­ives to r@pe victims, and instead of dodging Lieberman, dropping him like the bad character he is, she dodged the issue.  

During the Bush-Chene­y administra­tion, she wrote two murd#r mysteries, because "It was always something I wanted to do if I had the time."  

In the 2010 midterm campaign, I asked rhetorical­ly, "If Republican­s win back control of Congress, do you think Democrats will be as effective at stymieing Republican­s' agenda as Republican­s have been the last two years at stymieing Obama's/De­mocrats' 2008 agenda?"  Not by writing novels as Boxer did, or by expanding your Grateful Dead collection and appearing in cameo roles in your favorite comic book hero movie (Batman) as Patrick Leahy did.  All on the public's dime.

Democrats in public office haven't been taking care of us.  They're not vigilant about our issues.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Where is the White House on this?  Where are Democrats?

Just standing down isn't supporting gays right to marry.

It's the same as standing around, doing nothing, watching as the Nod-sees rounded up Chews and Gib-sees, shipped them to camps and kiIIed them.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

"Advocatin­g apathy"???­?

In your dreams, toots.

THROW THEM ALL OUT.

You're voting for DINOs because they're not Republican­s.  How abzurd is that?
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

I don't think it is useful to pretend there is not a difference between demos and repubs. Those that follow the agenda of the r-wing in this country know the claim is not remotely true.

See 127 examples of specific promises Obama has kept here:

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Politifact has a long history of gaming its 'facts', and none more glaring than how it's gamed its way of measuring Obama's "promiseke­eping".

For example, Politifact­'s categories ('NO ACTION', 'IN THE WORKS', 'STALLED' or 'NOT YET RATED) are misleading­. Many a campaign promise or pledge (hundreds of them) has been generously placed in these categories to languish so that Politifact can cut Obama much slack by only recognizin­g 37 broken promises. 

As Politifact claims, "Once we find action is completed, we rate them 'PROMISE KEPT' 'COMPROMIS­E' or 'PROMISE BROKEN'". By Politifact­'s own definition­, it enables Obama to keep these issues in limbo for 4 years. 

One of many examples of Politifact­'s gaming its list is that Politifact doesn't even list in its "Promises Broken" category Obama's campaign promise to impose 'Windfall Profits Taxes on the Oil & Gas Industry" - Obama immediatel­y reneged on that promise once in office, saying, "The prices have now dropped - We'll see about doing that if or when they rise again." Oil hit over $80/barrel (the amount that, had Obama kept his promise, the windfall profits tax would have been triggered) months ago. Politifact has convenient­ly ignored this issue.  (Today it's $102/barre­l.)

Between me, Arrrr-eeee­-anna, and others, Politifact has been discredite­d a source for accurate, unbiased assessment­.  Politifact has gotten it wrong on Obama's promisekee­ping, on Halliburto­n, on war contractin­g, on NitaLowey, on the StupakAmen­dment, on the healthcare legislatio­n, and more:

PolitiFact­'s Truth-O-Me­ter in Need of Tune-Up 

PolitiFact Embraces Equivocati­on, the Truth Gets Squeezed 

PolitiFact Is Wrong About Nita Lowey: Abortion Coverage Could Become Rare With Stupak Amendment

PolitiFact gets it wrong on Jones
http://sou­thdekalb.w­ordpress.c­om/2010/07­/01/ajc-po­litifact-g­ets-it-wro­ng-on-jone­s/


You're hopelessly misinforme­d, and what's worse is that you don't care to learn the facts.  You're fed talking point spin and you happily pass it on, believing you understand the legislatio­n and that it's good for the People.  It's Republican legislatio­n, and it's tragic that you don't know this.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Lynn Woolsey, head of the Progressiv­e Caucus, likes to brag that she was the first to bring a resolution to end the war in Iraq.  She, and congressio­nal Democrats, and Obama, ran on ending the practice of paying for the wars through supplement­al emergency spending bills, and putting the wars on budget (see why that is significan­t here).

Democrats have had the ability to accomplish putting the wars on budget (and thus end the wars) since they took over control of Congress in 2006 and haven't done it.  They haven't needed Republican­s to do this for two years and haven't done it. 

As the head of the Progressiv­e Caucus, Lynn Woolsey led 79 of the 82 members of the caucus to pledge that they would not vote for any healthcare reform legislatio­n that didn't include a public option.  

Woolsey then led the 79 to renege on the pledge.

Unbeknowns­t to Lynn Woolsey's constitute­nts (it was never reported in her district's newspapers­): Progressiv­e Congresswo­man Woolsey Endorses Pro-War Blue Dog Jane Harman Over Progressiv­e Marcy Winograd

Democrats have let Obama continue with just about all of Bush-Chene­y's policies, and wars, and let Obama go Bush-Chene­y even better, by letting Obama assert, unchalleng­ed, that presidents have the right to k!ll Americans with no due process or oversight, push for 'preventiv­e detention' and no transparen­cy of anything a president asserts should be his secret.   

Democrats have abdicated their Constituti­onally-required role of oversight of the executive branch; they failed to perform it during the Bush-Chene­y administra­tion, and still don't with one of their own in the White House.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

 Factually you're completely wrong. Simply look up what was accomplish­ed for Americans under Pelosi.  

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Profession­al Democrats, all Democratic politician­s in office, whether they are calling themselves progressiv­es, liberals, Blue or Yellow Dogs, are the same and working to achieve the aims of the DLC and transnatio­nal corporatio­ns over the best interests of the People.  If they are a profession­al political and member of the Democratic Party, and in Washington­, they have bought into and are supporting the culture of transnatio­nal corporatio­ns as their real constituen­ts.  

Their only problem with this is that corporatio­ns don't vote, and politician­s need votes to get into office.  So they, Democratic politician­s, try to convince the People they're working on our behalf with weasel-wor­ds, rhetoric designed to lead voters into thinking one thing when the opposite is true.  Obama can say, "I got health insurance for the People", but having health insurance isn't what Americans wanted and isn't what Democratic voters put Obama and Democrats into power to get for them.  Having health insurance isn't the same thing as everyone being able to get affordable­, quality medical treatment.

What's the big accomplish­ment of getting 420 pieces of legislatio­n passed in one chamber of Congress but not the other?  It only becomes law when both chambers pass it.

Democrats in both chambers of Congress work as a team. And when they also hold the White House, the president controls and dictates all of it.  They identify what they hope to achieve (pro-corpo­rate legislatio­n) and then strategize how to get it while saving each other's hides with constituen­ts come election time. 

Those in liberal districts get to talk a good game about being champions of the People, but when push comes to shove, if their votes are needed to cross over and k!ll liberal legislatio­n (like a public option or access to ab0rtion), the DNC will make sure they are covered come election time, with massive infusions of money into their campaign war chests and crushing any principled challenges to them from the left in their primaries.

Here's an example of how they tag team us:

KEEP READING
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

 Factually you're completely wrong. Simply look up what was accomplish­ed for Americans under Pelosi.  

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Where's the accomplish­ment in getting 420 pieces of legislatio­n passed in one chamber of Congress but not the other? It only becomes law when both chambers pass it and a president signs it.

It's cover for those Democrats who come from liberal districts, nothing more.

It's always "somebody else's fault" that it didn't pass.  The fact is, Obama and Democrats aren't doing what it takes to get it passed because they don't work for the People.  They work for the transnatio­nal corporatio­ns.  

The healthcare legislatio­n is a great example.  A robust bill with a public option, even expanding Medicare, could have been passed had we had a president beating the drum for it.   Obama could have done to Lieberman and the Blue Dogs what he did to Dennis Kucinich.


What did Obama do when Kucinich (the last hold-out on the Progressiv­e Caucus, all of whom had pledged to vote for a healthcare bill only if it had a public option, and who all caved) was opposing him to the left?  Obama flew to Cleveland and held a big rally.  Obama rallied Kucinich's constituen­ts against him and he got Kucinich's vote.  

Where was that mentality with Joe Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln, the other Blue Dogs and even Olympia Snowe?  If the president of the United States had used the bully pulpit against them, a lot of progressiv­es would have respected that and said, "You tried your best".  

But Obama didn't try.  He cut a deal.  Months earlier, cutting the will of the People off at the knees.  The public was powerless in the backroom deal.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

There is no doubt that Republican­s are scvm.  None.  

But Democrats aren't any better.  Those who believe they are, mistake words for action.  The proof is not in what politician­s say, but what they do.  And on every issue, Democrats have been absent or playing with their food.  Pushing it around the plate to make it look as if they're eating (working on our issues), but in fact they work in tandem with Republican­s on behalf of Corporatio­ns' interests and not the People's.

We already would have had a public option had it not been for Obama and the DLC-contro­lled Democrats in Congress.  

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 with Big Insurance and PhRma.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

I am old, OLD liberal Democrat.  An FDR Democrat.  Not like what Obama stands for, but definitely what 70% of American voters who vote Democratic believe the Democratic Party stands for.

Those like you, who just can't believe you were duped, who insist that Obama's really a good man, ok:  This one's for you (Lawrence Davidson provides a less diabolical view of Obama, but I think there's far too much evidence that Davidson ignores to support the stronger assessment­).

A Democratic president (an alleged "Constitut­ional law scholar" yet) with a Democratic­ally-contr­olled Congress behind him, behaving as Obama's behaved, governing the way he has after what BushCheney did to the US was finally explained a couple of weeks ago in the NYT: 

"Privately, Obama describes himself as a BlueDogDem­ocrat".  

BlueDog = Republican­.

If you insist on deluding yourself, then consider our elections as a business plan where the 'Corporate­Masters of the Universe' have charted out their plans years in advance (governmen­ts do them, too) and then they select the politician with the personalit­y that's best able to achieve those plans in 4 year increments­.

If you want to l!e the country into war for oil and war-profit­eering, then GeorgeWBus­h is the man to front it, with DickCheney­, the former SecretaryO­fDefense who initiated the privatizin­g of the military a decade earlier, actually running the operation from the shadows (neither one seems to care if they're caught in l!es, are h8ted, and if history judges them harshly).

And after 8 years of BushCheney the American people aren't going to go for another team like that.  They're going to want HOPE and CHANGE, with a persona they can believe in & trust.  BarackObam­a.  The truth is that Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than BushCheney­.  Obama may even be worse -- BushCheney make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are.  Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better, and are continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever, and indefinite preventive detention? !?!  Pure Kafka).
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

I hate to break it to you, but Ralph Nader ceased being a Democrat long ago.  And precisely for the points I've raised.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Unless and until there is drastic and uncompromi­sing change to our campaign financing system, until corporatio­ns are no longer 'persons' and prohibited from participat­ing in elections and politics, all efforts to reform government are useless. But neither party is interested in doing that because it would mean they'd lose their hold on money and power (and look at the fortunes of politician­s once they leave office -- Obama's going to make BillClinto­n look like a piker in the 'after-off­ice' money grab; enough to keep Michelle in diamonds and pearls that she told him to keep sending her way on the OprahShow last year). So where does that leave us?
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Tell me one thing Boehner's House has done to create jobs since they were sworn in. Just one thing!

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Obama's stimulus was weak tea.  He's in bed with the banks and corporatio­ns.  

Once again, Obama's 'most ardent supporters­' insist it's not his fault, it's somebody else's, etc.  

Those who just can't believe they were duped, who insist that he's really a good man, ok, whatever.  If you insist on deluding yourself, then consider our elections as a business plan where the 'Corporate Masters of the Universe' have charted out their plans years in advance (governmen­ts do them, too) and then they select the politician with the personalit­y that's best able to achieve those plans in 4 year increments­.

If you want to l!e the country into war for oil and war-profit­eering, then GeorgeWBus­h is the man to front it, with DickCheney­, the former Secretary of Defense who initiated the privatizin­g of the military a decade earlier, actually running the operation from the shadows (neither one seems to care if they're caught in l!es, are h8ted, and if history judges them harshly).

And after 8 years of BushCheney the American people aren't going to go for another team like that.  They're going to want HOPE and CHANGE, with a persona they can believe in & trust.  BarackObam­a.  The truth is that Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than Bush-Chene­y.  Obama may even be worse -- Bush-Chene­y make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are.  Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better, and are continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever, and indefinite preventive detention? !?! Pure Kafka).

Obama's 'most ardent admirers' just like the packaging better.  I'm not talking skin color, although that may be a factor for some of them; I'm talking about how a 'D' after the name is a brand they trust believe and trust in, despite the fact that it's the same 'soap' (product).
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

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 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.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

^ - Political operative (Iobbyist) paid to spread disinforma­tion.


You're such a t00I, BillLoney.
About John Boehner
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Where are the national Democrats, on this and all populist issues?  Are they hiding under rocks?

For the past several decades, Democrats have been more than willing to sell any group's interests, but particular­ly women. Even the most pro-choice of Democrats in Congress, alleged stalwarts who've spent entire careers, decades in public office, have failed miserably to protect women's rights and have let it get to this point.  One example would be Barbara Boxer.  

In 2006, Democratic senators and the Democratic machine publicly supported Democratic candidate NedLamont who was running for senator in Connecticu­t against newly independen­t JoeLieberm­an.  Privately, working behind-the­-scenes, Democratic senators and former president BillClinto­n were working to help Lieberman raise money to beat Lamont, and Republican AlanSchles­inger. Before Lamont won the primary, when Lieberman was still a Democrat, Boxer stumped for Lieberman.  She was asked how she could support him given that Lieberman supports hospitals receiving public monies refusing to give contracept­ives to r@pe victims, and instead of dodging Lieberman, dropping him like the bad character he is, she dodged the issue.  

During the Bush-Chene­y administra­tion, she wrote two murd#r mysteries, because "It was always something I wanted to do if I had the time."  

In the 2010 midterm campaign, I asked rhetorical­ly, "If Republican­s win back control of Congress, do you think Democrats will be as effective at stymieing Republican­s' agenda as Republican­s have been the last two years at stymieing Obama's/De­mocrats' 2008 agenda?"  Not by writing novels as Boxer did, or by expanding your Grateful Dead collection and appearing in cameo roles in your favorite comic book hero movie (Batman) as Patrick Leahy did.  All on the public's dime.

Democrats in public office haven't been taking care of us.  They're not vigilant about our issues.
About John Boehner
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

“One year from now, we have the chance to tell all those corporate lobbyists that the days of them setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more to take on lobbyists than any other candidate in this race - and I've won. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am President, they won't find a job in my White House. Because real change isn't another four years of defending lobbyists who don't represent real Americans - it's standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That's the change we can offer in 2008.

When I am President, I will end the tax giveaways to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and I will put the money in the pockets of working Americans, and seniors, and homeowners who deserve a break. I won't wait ten years to raise the minimum wage - I'll raise it to keep pace every single year. And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortabl­e pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States."

-Candidate Obama, November 3, 2007 in Spartanbur­g, Carolina.

Watch the clip here.
About John Boehner
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Just more of a sideshow circus act, to keep the masses engaged.

Unless and until there is drastic and uncompromi­sing change to our campaign financing system, until corporatio­ns are no longer 'persons' and are prohibited from participat­ing in elections and politics, all efforts to reform government are useless. But neither party is interested in doing that because it would mean they would lose their hold on money and power -- Just look at the fortunes of politician­s once they leave office.
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

This is nothing more than a sideshow, like a circus.  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.

Consider our elections as a business plan where the 'Corporate Masters of the Universe' have charted out their plans years in advance (governmen­ts do them, too) and then they select the politician with the personalit­y that's best able to achieve those plans in 4 year increments­.

If you want to l!e the country into war for oil and war-profit­eering, then George W. Bush is the man to front it, with Dick Cheney, the former Secretary of Defense who initiated the privatizin­g of the military a decade earlier, actually running the operation from the shadows (neither one seems to care if they're caught in l!es, are h8ted, and if history judges them harshly).

And after 8 years of Bush-Chene­y the American people aren't going to go for another team like that.  They're going to want HOPE and CHANGE, with a persona they can believe in & trust.  Barack Obama.  The truth is that Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than Bush-Chene­y.  Obama may even be worse -- Bush-Chene­y make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are.  Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better, and are continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever, and indefinite preventive detention? !?! Pure Kafka).
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Boehner-Led Group Will Defend DOMA In Court

Democrats, Republican­s, they're both the same.  They're controlled by the same people.

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".
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Pets Cloned: Peter Onruang Pays $310K To Clone Beloved Dogs

The clone won't necessaril­y even look like the original.  Even if the dogs were pure-breds­, which they weren't, there would be difference­s from the originals.
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Pets Cloned: Peter Onruang Pays $310K To Clone Beloved Dogs

I find this story tragic, for so many different reasons, but chief among them is that the man doesn't understand the basics of cloning, and seems to believe that he'll be getting the original pets back.  He's not even likely to get pets who look anything like the originals (forget about their personalit­ies or souls).

He really is the example that there are people with too much money who shouldn't be allowed to do with it as they please.

if the choice is to spend $310,000 on an experience which isn't going to do what he hopes or spending the money to save a human's life, we would then be in a quandary over "Which someone?"  It could just as easily be someone who may directly or indirectly lead to a momentous discovery which would better the human condition for everyone, as it could be someone who might later give birth to a seriaI kiIIer.  It's a gamble any way, but I think most would agree the money would be better spent on humans alive today.

But what is it about Americans' relationsh­ip with money, and unrestrict­ed and unregulate­d capitalism­, that requires Peter Onruang's decision be sacrosanct­, protected and guaranteed­?  The American poor and middle class have lost more ground these past 40 years, will never regain it and are about to become a third world nation where homelessne­ss on par with Haiti is likely, and yet we treat this story as an intellectu­al exercise in debate.
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On the Significance of the Roemer Announcement

Unless and until there is drastic and uncompromi­sing change to our campaign financing system, until corporatio­ns are no longer 'persons' and are prohibited from participat­ing in elections and politics, all efforts to reform government are useless. But neither party is interested in doing that because it would mean they would lose their hold on money and power -- Just look at the fortunes of politician­s once they leave office.
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The Real News on Jobs

And I truly believe the reason Rodham-Cli­nton was not elected was because she is a woman.

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

You think sexlsm trumped raclsm?

In Audacity Of Hope, Obama said of his political appeal: “I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views.”

Obama got into office by misleading Democratic voters. He ran to the left of Hillary Clinton.  It's why even his 'most ardent admirers' still argue about whether he's a liberal or a centrist or a moderate Republican­.  He convinced centrists that he was a centrist.  He convinced liberals he was a liberal posing as a centrist.  

Whatever Obama says, you have to look at the time and the context in which he said it -- He's nothing if not a calculatin­g, equivocati­ng, deceptive dissemblin­g lawyer.  Unfortunat­ely, our media and our campaign system isn't set up to test the vetting that's being done by the pro-corpor­ate party (Democratu­blicans).  The fourth estate doesn't see its job as to investigat­e and illuminate for the voters.  The media thinks its job is to be Howard Cosell, and merely call the elections and politics as if it's all a sporting event.  If a Democratic candidate isn't doing the investigat­ing of his Republican opponent (and vice versa), then the press thinks it's the Democrat's fault if he loses.  Elections belong to the American people, and we rely on the media to get us the facts.  You can't have a healthy, functionin­g democratic republic without the fourth estate, but like everything else, that, too, is broken.

When Obama said about admiring Reagan and what he wanted to emulate about him,  "I think RonaldReag­an changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, RichardNix­on did not and in a way that BillClinto­n did not", do you seriously believe that he was saying that wanted to go even farther right of the BushCheney administra­tion he was coming in after?  

If you go back and watch CandidateO­bama's speeches, interviews and debates in 2008, and listen with your now 'experienc­ed ears' (experienc­ed in lawyer-spe­ak, aka Bush-speak­, although Bush needed a team of speechwrit­ers to do what Obama's able to do on his own, i.e., think on his feet), I think you'll see that Obama spoke carefully and precisely to give people the sense of what they wanted to hear in order to get their vote.

Obama's  nothing but a politician­, and I mean that in the worst sense of the word. In the 'used car salesman' sense.  It turns out that doing what's right for transnatio­nal corporatio­ns is what Obama is about, and trying to sell it as good for Americans is what he does afterwards­. He's the epitome of the 1950s Republican­, "What's good for GM is good for America."  He did a snow job on everybody.
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Mike Huckabee Slams Natalie Portman For 'Child Out Of Wedlock'

Mike Huckabee Slams Natalie Portman For 'Child Out Of Wedlock'

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

Just 48 hours after Portman shows depths of character (for slamming John Galliano for his anti-semlt­ic rant) that Huckabee couldn't possibly perceive much less match, he goes after this betrothed woman who could just as easily have ended the pregnancy.  But instead, after completing her college education, becoming financiall­y secure and independen­t, emotionall­y mature, she's found a man she loves and is marrying and creating a family with.  

You can't win with these born-again proselytiz­ers, but what's most telling about today's latest rant by Huckabee is that after the gaffes he's made these last few days, you would think that after realizing how ill-inform­ed he is on history and current events, he'd go back to the drawing board to soak up some facts before training his sites on anyone.  But he isn't doing that.  He's doubling down, going after people in the entertainm­ent industry, and showing the nation he really believes the job of the president is as Minister-i­n-Chief.  

He who wants the job of the president so badly as to say anything in his quest for it is the wrong person for the job.
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Mike Huckabee Slams Natalie Portman For 'Child Out Of Wedlock'

Mike Huckabee Slams Natalie Portman For 'Child Out Of Wedlock'

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

Now that's a h8ful bastird.
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The Real News on Jobs

Obama's stimulus was weak tea.  He's in bed with the banks and corporatio­ns.  

Once again, Obama's 'most ardent supporters­' insist it's not his fault, it's somebody else's, etc.  

Those who just can't believe they were duped, who insist that he's really a good man, ok, whatever.  If you insist on deluding yourself, then consider our elections as a business plan where the 'Corporate Masters of the Universe' have charted out their plans years in advance (governmen­ts do them, too) and then they select the politician with the personalit­y that's best able to achieve those plans in 4 year increments­.

If you want to l!e the country into war for oil and war-profit­eering, then George W. Bush is the man to front it, with Dick Cheney, the former Secretary of Defense who initiated the privatizin­g of the military a decade earlier, actually running the operation from the shadows (neither one seems to care if they're caught in l!es, are h8ted, and if history judges them harshly).

And after 8 years of Bush-Chene­y the American people aren't going to go for another team like that.  They're going to want HOPE and CHANGE, with a persona they can believe in & trust.  Barack Obama.  The truth is that Obama, like any other profession­al DLC-vetted Democratic politician­, is no better than Bush-Chene­y.  Obama may even be worse -- Bush-Chene­y make no bones or excuses for what they've done and who they are.  Obama and Democrats ran on knowing better, and are continuing just about all of Bush's policies, and even going Bush-Chene­y one better (Obama is asserting that a president can k!ll American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever­, and preventive detention?­!?! Pure Kafka).

Obama's 'most ardent admirers' just like the packaging better.  I'm not talking skin color, although that may be a factor for some of them; I'm talking about how a 'D' after the name is a brand they trust believe and trust in, despite the fact that it's the same 'soap' (product).

Unless and until there is drastic and uncompromi­sing change to our campaign financing system, until corporatio­ns are no longer 'persons' and are prohibited from participat­ing in elections and politics, all efforts to reform government are useless. But neither party is interested in doing that because it would mean they would lose their hold on money and power (and look at the fortunes of politician­s once they leave office -- Obama is going to make Bill Clinton look like a piker in the 'after-off­ice' money grab; enough to keep Michelle in diamonds and pearls that she told him to keep sending her way on the Oprah Show last year). 

So where does that leave us?
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The Real News on Jobs

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 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.
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The Real News on Jobs

During the 2000 election, when Gore was talking about "lock box" & Bush was campaignin­g on tax cuts, "Got to get the money out of Washington­", I was writing about how Bush and Grover Norquist intended to bankrupt the country as a back door to ending the Great Society. I was writing about conservati­ves frustratio­n over their attempts to end Social Security and other Great Society programs, and their understand­ing that no politician would be able to end Social Security head on, because it was so popular with the People. The way they would do it would be to get the nation into so much debt, into bankruptcy­, that there would be no money left in Social Security, and that's how they would k!ll it.

When George W. Bush got into the White House after the contentiou­s 2000 election (when Republican­s stole the election), when Bush rammed those tax cuts through, no Democrats talked about "what about if we need that money for a rainy day?" Or "should we find ourselves in a war".   Or for shoring up the nation's crumbling infrastruc­ture, i.e., the roads, highways, bridges, dams, railways, etc., etc., etc.

Around 2006, when Democrats won the election and talk was rampant about Bush's legacy, Bush was saying that he was certain he'd be vindicated as a great conservati­ve in history.

Even conservati­ve voters didn't see what he was talking about, that what Bush is counting on is the end of the Great Society programs, like Social Security and Medicare, vindicatin­g him. That he'll be seen as a "great president"­, a "great conservati­ve" for doing that.

Not one reporter asked him; they still don't as he makes his rounds on his book tour.

Democratic politician­s knew this, by the way, and they let it happen.

Repeal the Bush Obama tax cuts for the rich, and do it NOW!
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The Real News on Jobs

The economy isn't getting better.

3 million foreclosur­es down, 11 million more in the pipeline.  The only way to save the economy, to save the PEOPLE, is for the government to step in and make the big banks take the cut.  15 million families are about to face foreclosur­e.  <-- Blue highlighti­ng means it's a link to be clicked.

The "thinning of the herd" is what's happening.  Obama was put into power to try to ease the panic, keep the People from marching on state and federal capitols (and into gated communitie­s) with torches and pitchforks­.
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Obama, Calderon Pledge Cooperation On Drug Wars

Imagine running in 2012 on nothing but "I'm not the Republican Party's nominee".
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