This country is wonderful.... if you work hard you have a good chance of being successful. But many people work very, very hard and are not successful - and not because they are stupid, or lazy. The difference between Obama and his predecessors is that he realizes that the people who work hard and don't make a lot of money, or work hard and don't have health insurance, or who worked hard all their lives and now - in their golden years- have little to show for it also deserve some minimum level of dignity.
And yes, someone has to pay for it, and I'm happy for it to be me and people like me, because there for but for the grace of God. It's not punishing the successful, it's realizing that hard work is only part of the equation and we as a society need to recognize our obligations to those people who have held up their part of the bargain but didn't end up on the winning side (and children get an automatic pass).
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Why being a liberal is a good thing
From Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish - a reader comment and the best rationale for the liberal point of view, and indirect critique of the conservative point of view, I have read in a long time:
Friday, February 27, 2009
Me-tooism
Thirty years ago Ronald Reagan came along and was seen by a majority of the American people as an authentic and original politician (even though he was an actor). He won two presidential elections and is still revered by many on the right and a few in the center as being a decent and admirable president. To the right, he is the patron saint of conservatism, the icon every Republican bows down to, every right wing politician tries to imitate.
One thing that can be said of Reagan is that he was an original. That, more than anything is what captured the imagination of the American public.
Ever since then, however, much less original and less talented Republicans politicians have relied on tricks to stay in power. These tricks have included carefully crafted, focus group tested words and talking points, clever advertising, their own television network, and dominance of the talk radio market with propaganda.
For years, Democrats have been flustered with the success of politicians they consider wrong headed in terms of policies that are bad for the majority of Americans. And so Dems have tried to hire better advertising firms. They tried to jump ahead with technology. They started their own think tanks and tried to put together their own buzz words and talking points and they even ventured unsuccessfully into talk radio. None of this really worked. Even Bill Clinton wouldn't have been elected had it not been for the entrance of Ross Perot into the race and the recession that George H. W. Bush ignored. Bill Clinton may have been a good president, but he didn't interrupt the Republican machine.
Then along came Barack Obama, the most unique and original politician since Ronald Reagan, to capture the imagination and the trust of the American people. Sure he had good advertising companies making good commercials. And he had good speechwriters and good policy proposals. But more than anything else Barack Obama was a unique and new person on the political stage when the American people were ready for change. As for the Republicans - their old reliance on the ghost of Ronald Reagan to carry them to success one more time didn't work. The voters are younger now and many don't even remember Ronald Reagan, whose ghost has finally been exorcised.
So now the Republicans are humorously engaging in "me-tooism." Or at least some of them are. A group of them is engaging in wing-nuttery this weekend at the CPAC conference in Washington D.C., talking about revolution. But the mainstream of the Republican Party has, for the past year or so, engaged in "me-tooism," trying to imitate the appearance of the leaders of the Democratic Party.
Seeing the popularity of Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary, even though she lost, they decided to imitate the Dems by nominating a woman to be their vice presidential candidate. Somehow they thought this would woo over all the women in the Democratic Party, angry that their candidate lost. What it did instead, because Democratic women are smarter than that, was make them angry and determined to vote Democratic. Democratic women looked at Sarah Palin, and to paraphrase Lloyd Bentson, said "Governor, you're no Hillary Clinton."
Then Republicans elected Michael Steele to be their national chairman. Steele, a rare African American Republican, immediately said he was going to woo all those hip hop voters and prove to them how cool the GOP could be. Republicans not only think a woman is a woman is a woman, they also think a black man is a black man is a black man. Apparently they must believe the only reason people voted for Barack Obama is because of the color of his skin. That would be akin to saying the only reason people voted for Reagan was because he was an actor. It would be denying the talent of the politician and the message he represents.
Finally, me-tooism was evident in the response to the president's address to Congress by Bobby Jindal. The set imitated the White House press conference venue, and the choice of a dark-skinned speaker was their way of saying "See, we have a blackish guy too."
The Republicans are where the Democrats were for the past thirty years: in the wilderness, unable to compete. But the Dems were in the wilderness because they couldn't overcome the stagecraft, the talking points, the propaganda, the advertising slogans - the outward trickery - of the Republicans.
The Republicans, on the other hand, are in the wilderness because they have no ideas, because Ronald Reagan no longer captivates younger voters, and because they think all they have to do is imitate the outward appearances of the Democrats.
The difference, of course, is that the Democrats are sincere in their embrace of minorities and women for public office, and in their search for real ideas. Republican ideas, which once seemed fresh, have all failed.
All they can do now is play "me-too."
One thing that can be said of Reagan is that he was an original. That, more than anything is what captured the imagination of the American public.
Ever since then, however, much less original and less talented Republicans politicians have relied on tricks to stay in power. These tricks have included carefully crafted, focus group tested words and talking points, clever advertising, their own television network, and dominance of the talk radio market with propaganda.
For years, Democrats have been flustered with the success of politicians they consider wrong headed in terms of policies that are bad for the majority of Americans. And so Dems have tried to hire better advertising firms. They tried to jump ahead with technology. They started their own think tanks and tried to put together their own buzz words and talking points and they even ventured unsuccessfully into talk radio. None of this really worked. Even Bill Clinton wouldn't have been elected had it not been for the entrance of Ross Perot into the race and the recession that George H. W. Bush ignored. Bill Clinton may have been a good president, but he didn't interrupt the Republican machine.
Then along came Barack Obama, the most unique and original politician since Ronald Reagan, to capture the imagination and the trust of the American people. Sure he had good advertising companies making good commercials. And he had good speechwriters and good policy proposals. But more than anything else Barack Obama was a unique and new person on the political stage when the American people were ready for change. As for the Republicans - their old reliance on the ghost of Ronald Reagan to carry them to success one more time didn't work. The voters are younger now and many don't even remember Ronald Reagan, whose ghost has finally been exorcised.
So now the Republicans are humorously engaging in "me-tooism." Or at least some of them are. A group of them is engaging in wing-nuttery this weekend at the CPAC conference in Washington D.C., talking about revolution. But the mainstream of the Republican Party has, for the past year or so, engaged in "me-tooism," trying to imitate the appearance of the leaders of the Democratic Party.
Seeing the popularity of Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary, even though she lost, they decided to imitate the Dems by nominating a woman to be their vice presidential candidate. Somehow they thought this would woo over all the women in the Democratic Party, angry that their candidate lost. What it did instead, because Democratic women are smarter than that, was make them angry and determined to vote Democratic. Democratic women looked at Sarah Palin, and to paraphrase Lloyd Bentson, said "Governor, you're no Hillary Clinton."
Then Republicans elected Michael Steele to be their national chairman. Steele, a rare African American Republican, immediately said he was going to woo all those hip hop voters and prove to them how cool the GOP could be. Republicans not only think a woman is a woman is a woman, they also think a black man is a black man is a black man. Apparently they must believe the only reason people voted for Barack Obama is because of the color of his skin. That would be akin to saying the only reason people voted for Reagan was because he was an actor. It would be denying the talent of the politician and the message he represents.
Finally, me-tooism was evident in the response to the president's address to Congress by Bobby Jindal. The set imitated the White House press conference venue, and the choice of a dark-skinned speaker was their way of saying "See, we have a blackish guy too."
The Republicans are where the Democrats were for the past thirty years: in the wilderness, unable to compete. But the Dems were in the wilderness because they couldn't overcome the stagecraft, the talking points, the propaganda, the advertising slogans - the outward trickery - of the Republicans.
The Republicans, on the other hand, are in the wilderness because they have no ideas, because Ronald Reagan no longer captivates younger voters, and because they think all they have to do is imitate the outward appearances of the Democrats.
The difference, of course, is that the Democrats are sincere in their embrace of minorities and women for public office, and in their search for real ideas. Republican ideas, which once seemed fresh, have all failed.
All they can do now is play "me-too."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Creeps
There is a true story I like to tell that is a perfect metaphor for Republican behavior.
When I was a teenager we lived next door to a couple, their twelve year old son, and a grandmother. I often spent the afternoon in my bedroom doing homework, where my window looked out on the side yard of our neighbors.
One afternoon as I was struggling with some algebra equations, I heard a commotion next door. The grandmother was struggling with the side gate that had some off its hinges and was falling on her. She cried for help to her grandson whose bedroom also looked out on the yard, and he came to the window and yelled "You broke it, you fix it."
Ultimately, a neighbor helped, but I will never forget that little 12 year old creep of a grandson.
This is the story I thought of as I watched the Republican nonsense this week in refusing to support the president's stimulus bill. No Republican House members voted for it, and only three Senators crossed over to support it. Even with three Republicans supporting it in the Senate, however, the Dems were one short of the sixty they needed. Even though they should have 59 senators, meaning they would only need one Republican vote, when the vote was taken there were three senators absent. Al Franken is not yet seated as Norm Coleman continues to challenge an election he has lost, only to cripple the Democratic Party and the president's agenda. Ted Kennedy is in Florida, fighting brain cancer (he came back for the first vote but had to return for treatment), and Sherrod Brown was at his mother's funeral.
Ultimately, Sherrod Brown returned after the funeral, just to vote, then got on a plane and returned to be with his family, which is what people want to do when they are grieving.
Not one Republican senator offered to vote "yes" so Senator Brown could stay with his family and mourn. Not one offered to vote in Ted Kennedy's stead. Not one showed any compassion, when they knew they would lose anyway. Their actions were the equivalent of "you broke it, you fix it" except to be accurate they would have to say "we broke it, but you fix it."
Party before helping the American people.
Party before bipartisanship.
Party before humanity.
Every one of the Republican Senators who could have lent a hand and didn't, who forced Senator Brown to leave his family when he was in mourning, is in my opinion just as much a creep as that twelve year old former neighbor of mine.
May they all get what they deserve!
When I was a teenager we lived next door to a couple, their twelve year old son, and a grandmother. I often spent the afternoon in my bedroom doing homework, where my window looked out on the side yard of our neighbors.
One afternoon as I was struggling with some algebra equations, I heard a commotion next door. The grandmother was struggling with the side gate that had some off its hinges and was falling on her. She cried for help to her grandson whose bedroom also looked out on the yard, and he came to the window and yelled "You broke it, you fix it."
Ultimately, a neighbor helped, but I will never forget that little 12 year old creep of a grandson.
This is the story I thought of as I watched the Republican nonsense this week in refusing to support the president's stimulus bill. No Republican House members voted for it, and only three Senators crossed over to support it. Even with three Republicans supporting it in the Senate, however, the Dems were one short of the sixty they needed. Even though they should have 59 senators, meaning they would only need one Republican vote, when the vote was taken there were three senators absent. Al Franken is not yet seated as Norm Coleman continues to challenge an election he has lost, only to cripple the Democratic Party and the president's agenda. Ted Kennedy is in Florida, fighting brain cancer (he came back for the first vote but had to return for treatment), and Sherrod Brown was at his mother's funeral.
Ultimately, Sherrod Brown returned after the funeral, just to vote, then got on a plane and returned to be with his family, which is what people want to do when they are grieving.
Not one Republican senator offered to vote "yes" so Senator Brown could stay with his family and mourn. Not one offered to vote in Ted Kennedy's stead. Not one showed any compassion, when they knew they would lose anyway. Their actions were the equivalent of "you broke it, you fix it" except to be accurate they would have to say "we broke it, but you fix it."
Party before helping the American people.
Party before bipartisanship.
Party before humanity.
Every one of the Republican Senators who could have lent a hand and didn't, who forced Senator Brown to leave his family when he was in mourning, is in my opinion just as much a creep as that twelve year old former neighbor of mine.
May they all get what they deserve!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Republican Party: a party without a heart
Nobody says it better than Bob Herbert:
It’s been clear for years that the G.O.P. is a party without a heart. But its pointless obstructionism, its overall lack of any serious response to what is a clear national economic emergency, seems to indicate it’s also a party without a brain.
Republicans in Washington have behaved like a milling crowd standing in the way of firefighters trying to respond to a devastating blaze. The best that can be said for the party is that a few senators seem to have been able part the crowd enough to let the rescuers begin to inch forward.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Republican hypocrites
Why aren't those hypocritical republican lawmakers and party members screaming their heads off about this insane woman who just gave birth to octuplets?
First of all she's a single woman who had six children previously. Single pregnant woman are usually condemned by republicans.
Secondly, she had in vitro fertilization with all of her pregnancies. In vitro is very expensive. How did she pay for it? Is this part of why our health insurance premiums are so high?
Third, she claims she was implanted with six embryos each time she got pregnant. Either she is lying about that regarding this pregnancy or some embryos divided and she had some twins. Even so, leaving aside this pregnancy, she has had five other pregnancies (she previously had one set of twins) and that means thirty embryos were implanted in her. Obviously, twenty-four of them did not implant, so in her quest to be a mother, twenty-four embryos were lost, aborted, wasted, or "killed" in the words of anti-abortion fanatics. Why is this not considered wrong?
Why are republicans not opposed to in vitro fertilization, in which embryos are created but have no chance at life, but completely opposed to using other embryos, which also have no change at life, to find cures for devastating disease like diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, and other terrible illnesses?
First of all she's a single woman who had six children previously. Single pregnant woman are usually condemned by republicans.
Secondly, she had in vitro fertilization with all of her pregnancies. In vitro is very expensive. How did she pay for it? Is this part of why our health insurance premiums are so high?
Third, she claims she was implanted with six embryos each time she got pregnant. Either she is lying about that regarding this pregnancy or some embryos divided and she had some twins. Even so, leaving aside this pregnancy, she has had five other pregnancies (she previously had one set of twins) and that means thirty embryos were implanted in her. Obviously, twenty-four of them did not implant, so in her quest to be a mother, twenty-four embryos were lost, aborted, wasted, or "killed" in the words of anti-abortion fanatics. Why is this not considered wrong?
Why are republicans not opposed to in vitro fertilization, in which embryos are created but have no chance at life, but completely opposed to using other embryos, which also have no change at life, to find cures for devastating disease like diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, and other terrible illnesses?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Give him a chance for god's sake
This morning on Morning Joke they were doing it again - bashing Obama for not being able to get a (Republican approved) stimulus plan passed. Obama has been in office for just two weeks and already they are saying the honeymoon is over (except there really never was one from these folks) and that the Republican are re-moralized and the stimulus package from the House is nothing but pork.
Geez - these are the same people that attacked Obama every day of his campaign and now all of a sudden they are disappointed that he is not a miracle worker?
Here's how I see it:
1. The press - especially right wing nut jobs like Joke Scarborough - have been after Obama for two years. These are the same geniuses that spent weeks trashing Obama because of Jeremiah Wright, predicting it would lead to his political demise. Time after time they underestimated him. Time after time they didn't get how he operated. Time after time they predicted disaster only to have Obama prove them wrong. He will do it again this time because he moves forward towards his goal regardless of how the press reacts. When will they finally figure that out?
2. As the saying goes, legislation is like making sausage. You may like the end product, but you don't want to watch it being made. The legislative process is messy. The House usually provides a broad and often unwieldly partisan product but the Senate refines it and makes it more bipartisan. I expect the same to happen this time. The Senate hasn't even begun debating the bill and already the right wing press is pronouncing Obama's "honeymoon" over.
3. The right wing press really does not see that Obama is different. He is like a problem solver who thinks out loud and the press is like the listener who judges each thought as an independent thing. Obama, unlike Bush, learns from mistakes as well as successes and he makes adjutments. Bush thought compromise and adjustments were a sign of weakness and the press seemed to agree. But Obama truly does represent change. He is willing to admit mistakes, willing to learn and change as needed. The thing he keeps in mind always is that the American people need help and he is determined to bring it to them.
4. There will be a stimulus bill and it may or may not be successful in helping the American people. That's part of the problem. No one knows for sure what will help. But at least we have in the White House someone who is not so rigidly ideological that it has to be his way or the highway. I have no doubt that Obama will work this entire four years to improve things. If it doesn't happen with a first attempt, he will work to find another. That's the big difference he has with Bush. Bush made mistakes, refused to admit them, allowed them to be compounded by more mistakes, and then did nothing as he simply waited out the clock. Conservatives hate change. They will hold onto what they believe whether it works or not because they hold onto their beliefs regardless of the evidence that refutes those beliefs. Progressives like Obama, on the other hand, are not afraid to try new things, because they know if something doesn't work they can always try something else.
I'm hoping Obama's stimulus package makes things better, but I'm willing to give him several chances. I think we all should.
Geez - these are the same people that attacked Obama every day of his campaign and now all of a sudden they are disappointed that he is not a miracle worker?
Here's how I see it:
1. The press - especially right wing nut jobs like Joke Scarborough - have been after Obama for two years. These are the same geniuses that spent weeks trashing Obama because of Jeremiah Wright, predicting it would lead to his political demise. Time after time they underestimated him. Time after time they didn't get how he operated. Time after time they predicted disaster only to have Obama prove them wrong. He will do it again this time because he moves forward towards his goal regardless of how the press reacts. When will they finally figure that out?
2. As the saying goes, legislation is like making sausage. You may like the end product, but you don't want to watch it being made. The legislative process is messy. The House usually provides a broad and often unwieldly partisan product but the Senate refines it and makes it more bipartisan. I expect the same to happen this time. The Senate hasn't even begun debating the bill and already the right wing press is pronouncing Obama's "honeymoon" over.
3. The right wing press really does not see that Obama is different. He is like a problem solver who thinks out loud and the press is like the listener who judges each thought as an independent thing. Obama, unlike Bush, learns from mistakes as well as successes and he makes adjutments. Bush thought compromise and adjustments were a sign of weakness and the press seemed to agree. But Obama truly does represent change. He is willing to admit mistakes, willing to learn and change as needed. The thing he keeps in mind always is that the American people need help and he is determined to bring it to them.
4. There will be a stimulus bill and it may or may not be successful in helping the American people. That's part of the problem. No one knows for sure what will help. But at least we have in the White House someone who is not so rigidly ideological that it has to be his way or the highway. I have no doubt that Obama will work this entire four years to improve things. If it doesn't happen with a first attempt, he will work to find another. That's the big difference he has with Bush. Bush made mistakes, refused to admit them, allowed them to be compounded by more mistakes, and then did nothing as he simply waited out the clock. Conservatives hate change. They will hold onto what they believe whether it works or not because they hold onto their beliefs regardless of the evidence that refutes those beliefs. Progressives like Obama, on the other hand, are not afraid to try new things, because they know if something doesn't work they can always try something else.
I'm hoping Obama's stimulus package makes things better, but I'm willing to give him several chances. I think we all should.
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