Obama Should Go Solar

 Politics
Feb 202012
 

I have been very encouraged by Barack Obama’s statements of support for green energy, but the time has come for him to act on that support.  Especially in the area of solar, we have a narrow window of opportunity to move forward in both the manufacture and the deployment of solar components.

20SolarPressure has begun to build for President Obama to make good on his State of the Union pledge to greenlight vast solar installations on public lands by year’s end, with supporters seemingly growing antsy that it’s either that or nothing in 2012.

On Monday, about 20 solar industry advocates, electric utilities and major environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, urged Obama to formally put into effect rules for the country’s first solar program on government-owned lands by this fall.

The national solar plan, unveiled by the Obama administration more than a year ago, would open 20 million acres of federal lands in six Western states to large-scale solar plants. The most essential part of the plan is to remove permitting roadblocks that have strangled renewable energy growth on public lands blessed with abundant sunshine and other green resources. Another part is to build transmission corridors to carry the sun-powered electricity to surrounding communities…

…Obama’s State of the Union last week gave advocates an opportunity to trumpet the Interior Department’s solar plan and urge quick action.

In his speech, the president said he was "directing" his administration to approve 10,000 megawatts of clean-electricity generation on public lands by the end of 2012, enough to power three million homes. (In total, solar power now provides about 30,000 megawatts, or roughly one-tenth of one percent of the nation’s electricity.)

If the Obama administration is to reach that goal, "it must move quickly to put in place a smart solar energy program that speeds up permitting of projects," said Jim Lyons, senior director for renewable energy for Defenders of Wildlife, a Washington-based conservation group, in a collective statement of the solar plan supporters…

Inserted from <Truth-Out>

I could not agree more with this author.

In addition the nascent US solar component industry is between a rock and a hard place.  On the one hand they have to compete with fossil fuels that come to market at far less cost than they would, were they not so heavily subsidized by the US government.  On the other hand they have to compete with Chinese solar components that are so heavily subsidized by the Chinese government that they cannot compete.

One of two things needs top happen.  We can move our fossil fuel subsidies to green energy, and subsidize our solar industry to the came extent that China does.  Or we can put a tariff on Chinese solar components until they are willing to trade fairly.  My preference is the former.  If we do nothing, the jobs will go elsewhere.

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:01 am  8 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,

Obama’s Policies Are Working

 Politics
Feb 202012
 

Early in the Obama administration, Republicans kept blaming him for the economy.  They called the recession that their policies had caused the Obama economy.  They called the job losses they had brought about Obama’s unemployment.  They promised new ideas to fix the economy, but never came up with anything more that more and bigger tax cuts for and less regulation on millionaires, billionaires and corporate criminals.  In short, they offered only more of what caused the mess.  Now they are talking less about the economy.  When they do mention it, they usually lie and say it’s getting worse.  When they cannot escape an improvement, they lie to try to take the credit for themselves.  But mostly, they are advancing their extreme social agenda out of desperation.  They will do anything keep people from realizing that Obama’s policies are working.

20bikiniPresident Obama had barely taken the oath of office when Republicans announced their highest priority was to make sure his presidency would fail. Nearly every day since, they’ve proclaimed his every policy move a failure. Whenever the news was bad, Republicans blame our president. For instance when the stock market fell below 700 points (on the S&P index), my conservative friends called it “Obama’s economy.” But now that his policies are working, and the market is flirting with 1,300 again, they ignore it.

And there are many more improvements documented at that link. The unemployment rate is dropping. Jobs are being created. The auto industry is making a comeback. Manufacturing is improving. The GDP has shown growth in numerous consecutive quarters. President Obama should be getting credit for it.

Instead, even today on the campaign trail, the Republican candidates repeat the same tired refrain. They tell the voters “Obama’s policies failed.” But is that true? The evidence suggests it is not. Despite the Republican party’s best efforts to thwart him, they were only able to slow the recovery down. So sure, the recovery is not as advanced as anyone would like, but the vast majority of economic experts agree, the Recovery Act worked… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Detroit News>

Sure, there are some things Obama had done that I have not liked, and there have been some things I consider necessary that Obama has not done. However, most fail to realize that he has done far more right than wrong, because only the problems get attention.  If it bleeds, it leads.

In January 2013 either Barack Obama or the Republican nominee will be President.  Wishing for 3rd party success will not make it happen.  No 3rd party candidate will exceed the 2.74% of Ralph Nader in 2000.  Nader had better ballot penetration then than any do today, Nader had better name recognition, and Nader was very well funded with Republican money.

But the old saw about this being a choice of the greater vs. the lesser evil is a non sequitur.  It is a choice of the greater evil vs. the imperfect but pretty good.

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:00 am  12 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , ,

Open Thread–2/20/2011

 Blog News, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 202012
 

Yesterday I rested as much as I could.  I’m current with replies.  I’m scheduled for a colonoscopy on Tuesday morning.  No worries.  It’s routine, because of my age.  Because of it, I’m likely to be gone for two days, so expect no more articles, until early Thursday morning.  This morning and early afternoon, I’ll sleep all I can.  This afternoon and tonight I’ll be taking the medications to purge me for the test.  I will not be able to sit on one place long enough to concentrate on anything, except for the place made of porcelain.  I’ll be up all night taking medicine.  During the test I’ll be under a twilight anesthetic, so I’m likely to he groggy afterwards, in addition to sleepy from being up all night.  By Wednesday I should be able to research again.  I am not looking forward to this at all.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:39 (average 4:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From CBS: Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum stood by comments he made Saturday opposing prenatal testing, saying it leads to selective abortions, and he said the president is "continuing" policies that encourage such abortions.

How much more invasive into privacy can these Republicans get?

From Minnesota Public Radio News: Mitt Romney returned to Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Games he helped lead, but the GOP presidential candidate has come under attack for urging the federal government to provide big bucks for Olympic expenses.

Republicans believe in limited government spending, but not on anything they want.

From Think Progress: During an appearance on Fox News Sunday this morning, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) couldn’t explain why the public rejects large parts of the Republican legislative agenda and instead blamed Democrats for opposing it.

 

Cantor is full of Santorum. This is why the public rejects their programs.  Republicans govern exclusively for the benefit of millionaires, billionaires and corporate criminals. They do NOT represent YOU!

Cartoon:

20Cartoon

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:00 am  10 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Romney Loses a Racist Hypocrite

 Politics
Feb 192012
 

Family Values Republicans have a way of proving that they believe their family values must be imposed by force on everyone else, but do not apply to their own behavior.  In the Totalitarian Corporate Plutocracy of Brewerstan, formerly Arizona, Romney had such a man as the co-chair of his campaign there.  Even before the scandal broke, Paul Babeu was problematic due to his extreme hatred of undocumented Latinos and his association with the White Supremacy movement.

19Babeau…Babeu comes with some serious baggage. Over the last two years, the federal government and local politicians have repeatedly chided Babeu for making sensationalist, unsubstantiated allegations about border violence. Babeu has called President Obama "the enemy" and said the president has come close to committing treason through his immigration policies. He has also come under criticism by for appearing on a white nationalist talk radio program that’s been a frequent platform for white supremacists.

Babeu is best known for his public advocacy on behalf of Arizona’s controversial 2010 immigration law, SB 1070. His tough talk on border crime has made him a high-profile figure on the right. He’s dubbed himself "Sheriff Paul"—a nod to fellow Arizonan "Sheriff Joe" Arpaio—and made frequent appearances on Fox News. In July 2010, in the midst of a media blitz to promote the bill, he appeared on a Memphis-based radio program called "The Political Cesspool." [Hate Group delinked] The show’s cohost, James Edwards, has been labeled a "white nationalist" by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Mother Jones>

You might consider a family values candidate a hypocrite, if he was also gay.  You might call a racist spokesman for the hatred of undocumented Latinos a hypocrite, if his gay boyfriend was an undocumented Latino.  And you light call a law-and-order sheriff a hypocrite, if he committed the felony of blackmail by threatening to deport his his gay, undocumented Latino boyfriend, if he did not cover up their relationship.  Ladies and gentlemen, we have a trifecta!

19Babeau2Embattled Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who is facing explosive allegations that he and his attorney tried to intimidate a former lover by threatening to have him deported, on Saturday quit his position as an Arizona co-chairman of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

“Sheriff Babeu has stepped down from his volunteer position with the campaign so he can focus on the allegations against him," Romney spokesman Ryan Williams told The Arizona Republic in a statement. "We support his decision."

Babeu, who also is running for the U.S. House in Arizona’s new 4th Congressional District, and his attorney, Chris DeRose, deny the accusations. But Babeu’s judgment also is coming under scrutiny for allegedly taking provocative photos of himself and sending them over the Internet. News of the accusations against Babeu first broke Friday in the Phoenix New Times, which also published the photos… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Arizona Central>

To be clear, I could not care less that Babeu is gay.  I support full equality for the LGBT community.  I object to Babeu’s hypocrisy.

We should not be surprised that Babeu is a complete hypocrite for three reasons.  First, he is a Republican politician.  Second, he was chosen by Multiple Mitt.  Third, he is a favored associate of the Brewerstan Death Angel, Jan Brewer.

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:03 am  19 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Christie’s Scheme

 Politics
Feb 192012
 

NJ Governor Christ Christie has vetoed the bill passed by the NJ legislature that would have observed the right of same sex couples to marry.  At the same time he referred the measure for voter review in November 2012.  Is this a move to respect democratic principles, or does Christie have an ulterior motive?

19Christie…As opposed to bloviating little bullies like Chris Christie, who like to talk big and pretend to be straight shooters, but are actually scared little boys who are afraid to cross their party’s right wing:

Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) — New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie fulfilled his pledge to veto a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage, setting up an override fight with a Legislature controlled by Democrats.

Christie, 49, announced the move in a statement issued late today from his Trenton office. Lawmakers sent the measure to him earlier in the day. Sponsors said they’ll work to assemble the two-thirds majority in each chamber needed to override the veto.

“For someone who has national aspirations in the Republican party right now, I think there’s not much choice but to take this position,” Ken Sherrill, who teaches politics at Hunter College in New York, said by telephone.

Christie has said he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman and that the issue should be decided by a statewide referendum. Democrats have countered that marriage is a civil right and shouldn’t be subjected to a popular vote. Legislative leaders have made the issue a priority, two years after failing to pass a similar bill supported by then-Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat.

“I am adhering to what I’ve said since this bill was first introduced — an issue of this magnitude and importance, which requires a constitutional amendment, should be left to the people of New Jersey to decide,” Christie said in his statement.

Now go listen to the stirring video, in which Newark Mayor Cory Booker puts Christie in his place… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>

 

Booker is spot on, and here is why. A Jew may not be deprived of equal protection under the law, as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. All but the most rabid Republicans agree with that. To put that to a popular vote would be unthinkable. In the exact same way, a gay person may not be deprived of equal protection under the law.

As for Christie, the reason why he wants this issue on the ballot could not be more obvious.  The Republican Party is demonstrating a singular lack of enthusiasm for all their candidates, and that portends a lackluster showing at the polls in November.  But having gay marriage on the ballot will draw on Republican hatred of gay people to get the base to the polls and improve the totals for Republicans.

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:03 am  13 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , ,

Bye Bye Buchanan!

 Politics
Feb 192012
 

On Thursday, MSNBC pulled the plug on Pat Buchanan, an anchor on Joe Scarborough’s three hour conservative commentary every weekday morning.  The rabid, racist Republican right, along with Buchanan himself, are claiming that the left silenced his freedom of speech.  Lets examine Buchanan’s history and character, and lets see why the Republican claims are lies.

19BuchananYesterday, Pat Buchanan announced [propaganda delinked] that his tenure as a commentator at MSNBC was finally over, ending months of speculation about his absence from his once-frequent perch aside morning anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

Calls for Buchanan’s firing by groups like Color of Change, Credo, and Media Matters had been loud and growing, following years of controversial, offensive and outright bigoted statements made by Buchanan without apology or remorse. Here is a look back at 10 of the most offensive and outrageous statements made by Pat Buchanan:

1. Wanted to close the borders to protect white dominance…

2. Blamed lower test scores on minorities…

3. Claimed Jerry Sandusky’s atrocities are because of “Homosexual marriage…

4. Said the Jewish population in the United States dropped in the 90s because Jews aborted all their babies…

5. Asserted Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 people including 69 teens in Norway, “may have been right.”…

… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Alternet>

Click through to review the documentation on the first five items and to see the other five, which are every bit as egregious, if not more so.

MSNBC fired Buchanan because he plugged his racist book on the air, on MSNBC’s time, without consent.  This led to a public outcry against him and boycotts of MSNBCs advertisers for the show.  Buchanan’s termination for just cause does not violate his right to free speech.  Nowhere does the First Amendment state that the right to free speech includes the right to a public microphone.  Concerned citizens exercised our right to free speech in voicing our objections to MSNBC and our intent to advertisers that we will not support them with our patronage, as long as they finance Buchanan’s microphone.  Buchanan still has the same right to free speech that you and I do.  What we took away was his microphone, and the US is better for it.

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:02 am  13 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,

Open Thread–2/19/2012

 Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 192012
 

Yesterday was restful.  I both slept and researched more hours than normal.  I’m current with replies.  Today I will have to make a store run.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:18 (average 4:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: If Mitt Romney’s Dog Could Write A Song, It Might Go Like This

 

Romney is just as oblivious to the needs of people too!

From Care2: Apparently, the Supreme Court is now in the business of forcing states to break their own laws as long as it benefits corporations and the politicians they control. On Wednesday, SCOTUS blocked a Montana court ruling that upheld the state’s century-old limit on corporate campaign spending. So much for state’s rights…

The author does not understand the ruling, which only stays the Montana court ruling until that ruling can be appealed, opening the door for a full review of Citizens United.

From Common Dreams: A clear message has been given to the United States through the tripartite summit of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan that Pakistan will support Iran in case of any possible aggression against it.

Moreover, Pakistan has clearly affirmed that the US will not be allowed to set up any airbases in Pakistan with the purpose of attacking Iran. The joint declaration says: "Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan will ensure respect of territorial sovereignty of each other and would not allow any threat emanating from their respective territories against each other".

What kind of insanity is it when our client, our so-called ally, and a state we oppose form a pact against this nation?  We need to pull the plug on funding Karzai, whose only qualification ever was his willingness to be a puppet for G.W. ChickenHawk and Big Oil, and get out troops out as soon as we can.  In addition we need to pull the plug on financing Pakistan.  With friends like that, who needs enemies.

From Washington Post: Ron Paul has gained 83 votes on Mitt Romney following a Republican presidential caucus in eastern Maine, where voting last week had been postponed due to bad weather. Romney still holds a 156-vote lead over Paul in statewide totals.

Thank goodness!  If Ron Paul had actually won one, the acolytes in his cult would be even more insufferable than they already are!

Cartoon:

19Cartoon

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 Posted by TomCat at 12:02 am  10 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,
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