Tags: obama
The GOP Banks on Stopping Health Care Reform
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are proving they are willing to gamble the well-being of American families for pure politics, and they are drawing the line in the sand over health care.
The Republicans are being blatant about their wish to not change a thing, by their failure to offer any alternative whatsoever to President Obama’s health care plan. Not only do they not have their own plan, they have shown their true political colors by coming right out and saying that this fight would be all about politics and what’s best for Republican incumbent politicians, with absolutely nothing to say about what’s best for the citizens of the United States.
Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC proved that this past week when he made the Republican goals public. "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him."
If Senator DeMint had said something like, “We don’t agree with President Obama on this point or that point, and feel it would be better if we did this or that.” American’s could feel better about the Republican agenda, and public opinion about the Republican party might not be so severe. Recent polls show the GOP declining so rapidly it's like rats jumping off a sinking ship.
Maybe if the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, could get beyond pointing out President Obama’s negative points from a conservative’s point of view, and actually tried to find someone in his party that does “do policy” people wouldn’t be able to accuse them of pure obstructionism, and might be less likely to label the GOP as “the Party of No.”
But since John McCain’s defeat in November, the Republican Party as a whole, its leaders in Congress, and in the RNC have been unable to do much more than shake their heads, stomp their feet, and get caught in sex scandals, and none of it has accomplished anything positive for the nation, or been any good for any Americans, except maybe for its comedians.
Is the Constitution ineffective in today’s world?
The United States Constitution is arguably one of the greatest instruments of governance ever written, yet more and more our government seems to be intimating that in today’s world, it just doesn’t work.
Our government, through its actions leads us to believe that the Constitution is ineffective against issues such as abortion, the freedom of religion, marriage, street violence, drug use and abuse, vehicles of communication such as the phone, television, radio and the internet, the economy, the banking system, and since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, it seems that the Constitution falls way short of fighting terrorism according to the rule of law.
First Bush and Cheney, (or was it really Cheney and Bush?), touted the Patriot Act on the heels of 9/11 and soon thereafter the Bush Administration developed the legal loophole that by keeping terrorists suspects and criminal captives outside of U.S. territory, we could hold them indefinitely without formal charges ever being brought. Then the Reign of Terror went even a step further, and they did all sorts of legal gymnastics to justify the use of terror in their own minds. Based on the documents which have recently been released and the post-administration speech campaign by former Vice President Dick Cheney, their legal gymnastics performance was nowhere near a 10. There were so many holes in the logic applied that the Constitutional judges of that performance would be hard-pressed score the Bush presidency higher than a 3.5 or a 4.
Europe says "Yes" to Obama, GOP says "No!"
The images that are coming out of Europe are no less than shocking. An American president being treated with enthusiasm abroad is something we have come to expect to be a thing of the past. Europe is treating the President and the First Lady like rock stars, sort of like the British Invasion of the 1960’s in reverse.
Yet while the rest of the world seems to be embracing a new America and its new president, back at home, it seems that little has changed. Yesterday while President Obama was building bridges with the leaders of the top 20 economic nations, including our so-called enemies China and Russia, the United States House of Representatives passed Obama’s budget strictly along party lines.
Each day the opposing party, the Republican Party, defines itself not only as the party of opposition but also the party of “No”. While Obama exudes positive energy, the Republicans search for a leader and exude nothing but negativity.
Leave Obama out of Governor-Gate
CNN, the other television news outlets, and Right-Wingers are trying desperately to link Barack Obama or anyone he’s ever talked with to the Governor Blagojevich criminal case, and they've clamped onto it like pit bulls at a Michael Vick dog fight.
Colin Powell: New Symbol of Unity?
On August 22nd, 2008, I purposely wrote a clairvoyantly incorrect piece on the eve of Barack Obama’s announcement that Senator Joe Biden was his choice for Vice President. As I wrote that Colin Powell would be Obama’s running mate, the newshounds were broadcasting live from in front of Biden’s home, waiting for the “breaking news” to be made official.
The piece entitled Breaking News: Obama chooses his VP, was written as a lampoon of the press coverage but also as a serious political opinion, because I've always felt strongly about the value of Colin Powell as one of the most intelligent, most respected, level-headed minds in America who is unique in his ability to appeal across party lines. I believed he would have been a game-changer as a running mate, as well as a powerful political ally who has the ability to turn heads and change minds. Of course, he was then and still is a registered Republican, which made the entire premise of my piece, if not impossible, highly unlikely, and tantamount to wishful thinking or idealistic dreaming.
McCain calls Obama a "Socialist"
On Saturday, John McCain said,
"Barack Obama's tax plan would convert the (Internal Revenue Service) into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth at the direction of politicians in Washington,"
"At least in Europe, the socialist leaders who so admire my opponent are upfront about their objectives. They use real numbers and honest language. And we should demand equal candor from Senator Obama."
I don’t know where John McCain has been over the last few weeks, but apparently he forgot that the Bush Administration has already done that, with its massive Federal deficit and now a trillion dollars in bailout money. The bottom line is that the government always pays when it is absolutely necessary to do so, and we as the taxpayers always foot the bill.
Pissed off at Joe the Plumber
Not only do I disagree with John McCain’s ideology and his vision for America, now I also get to be pissed at him for introducing me to Sarah the moose hunter, Joe Six-Pack, Sarah the Hockey Mom, and now, Joe the Plumber.
Reality Fiction: Preparing for the Debate, Part II
Barack sat on the wide porch of the leased East Hampton security compound the evening before his last debate with John McCain.
Two Secret Service agents were at the entrance gate opening to a quarter-mile cinder and packed dirt driveway, with two more agents patrolling on ATB’s out along the Long Island beachfront, one guarding the car, and two inside the house. Michelle was in the kitchen with the girls, cleaning up after making a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies. Through the open window Barack could smell the aroma of the melting chocolate and browning cookie dough, and he could hear her humming in a rich alto voice. Barack smiled when he recognized the song, and he mouthed the words in his mind.
“All we are say-ay-ing, is give peace a chance.”
Reality Fiction: McCain prepares for his final debate
John sat in his suite at the Montauk Yacht Club and thought about that old lady at his rally that had called that bastard Obama an “Arab”. He couldn’t let her say those filthy things about his opponent, hell no, no matter how much he hated his guts. He would stick up for that sonofabitch, he was a fighter against people calling other people Arabs when they were really Christians, at least on paper. And it didn't matter who said he was wrong, he fought tooth and nail, because he was the “Maverick”.
The crowd bursts into cheers, and then everybody pats him on the back, on the way into the White House.
John woke up with a start, and realized he had dozed off again. Those damn economics were so boring compared to war stories and military strategy. It took only about ten minutes, and he’d be out, dreaming about the glory, that eternal Parade Rest.
What's wrong with being a Muslim?
Barack Obama is accused of being a Muslim by his detractors, and I have to ask, what’s wrong with being a Muslim? As with any of the other world’s greatest religions in terms of followers, Islam promotes faith, belief, and condemns “sinful” behavior.
Michelle Obama: First Lady-like
Michelle Obama was interviewed on Larry King tonight, and essentially, she came off as First Lady-like. She is equally as eloquent as her husband, and an obviously intelligent, and focused young woman, who could prove to be a dynamic history-making First Lady. The United States, in a time of crisis needs more than a cupie doll to stand behind the person is holding the most demanding job in the world. Michelle Obama has proven over and over again that she is a person who has much to give to this country, and would be a valuable asset to our nation, if only the country will give her the chance.
Presidential Debate: McCain flat-lines it.
John McCain is talking in the second Presidential Debate, I'm watching it on CNN, and he's flat-lining it right now. CNN has these people in Columbus, Ohio watching the debate, twisting this knob to rate what the candidates say, and McCain is flat-lining it. Big time.
I know when you get older it's harder to get a rise, and over the course of the evening, McCain did get a few, but the problem was that he couldn’t sustain it, he couldn’t keep it up.
Obama being thrown to the lions
Desperation has set in for the John McCain campaign as judgment day approaches. They’ve been on their knees praying for a miracle, and not receiving any sign from above, have confirmed their pact with the devil.
Why does Bush hate the Constitution?
Since George W. Bush took office, in 2001, he and his Administration have launched an assault on the U.S. Constitution unlike any since the one-two punch of the Great Depression and World War II. There is a big difference though, the War in Iraq is not World War II, and the economic meltdown hasn’t reached the epic proportions of the meltdown in 1929 and into the 1930’s, at least, not yet.
Breaking News: Obama chooses his VP
12:27 a.m. Saturday
This weekend’s big story is Barack Obama’s announcement of who his Vice Presidential running mate will be in November. It’s scheduled to take place in a few hours on Saturday morning, and though the media are in their usual frantic speculation mode, I’m not privileged to have their sources, but despite my handicap, I’ve found the ideal VP for Obama, and it would be an incredibly historic ticket. It won't happen, but it would be great.
Bayh’s in Bayh’s out, Kaine’s in Kaine’s out. Hillary Clinton and her super-glue supporters, through their actions, have taken on an ever more, bitter and shrill tone of discord. Obama would have to be hard-pressed and desperate to choose Hillary. If I were him, I would offer her a seat on the Supreme Court as a pacifier (she actually would probably make an excellent Justice), and then hold her in a headlock until she accepted to send out a specially written letter calling for her supporters to campaign behind Obama, and against McCain.
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