January 2012 – Page 6 – Politics Plus

America Opposes Key Republican Goal

Posted by TomCat at 12:05 am Politics

Jan 182012

When you come right down to it, Republicans are not hard to figure out, if you keep in mind that everything Republicans do is to further one of two key Republican goals. The first is to transfer wealth from the poor and middle classes to millionaires, billionaires and corporate criminals. The second is to establish a permanent, election proof, Republican one-party regime to last for 1,000 years. Republicans keep saying that American voters want to do away with excessive regulation. This lie serves the first goal. American voters do not agree.

The Post just released a new finding from its new poll that goes directly to the heart of the big argument over capitalism and economic unfairness that will decide Campaign 2012. It finds that a sizable majority sees the current economic system as inherently unfair in a way that favors the wealthy, and sees this as a more serious problem facing America than government regulation of the free market:

What do you think is the bigger problem in this country — unfairness in the economic system that favors the wealthy, or over-regulation of the free market that interferes with growth and prosperity?

Economic unfairness : 55

Market overregulation: 35

Among the 55 percent who see economic unfairness that favors the wealthy as the main problem say Obama is better equipped than a GOP candidate for president to deal with it, 35-15. Not surprisingly, those who see market regulation as the problem overwhelmingly see the GOP candidate as the best equipped to deal with it

The Post polling team gave me a partisan breakdown. Moderates see economic unfairness on behalf of the wealthy as a bigger problem than market overregulation by 59-29. And those who see unfairness as the problem break two to one in support for Obama over the GOPer as the one better positioned to handle it. Independents see economic unfairness as a bigger problem by 52-38 (though they split evenly between Obama and the Republican)… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Since a clear majority opposes the Republicans’ number one goal, the next step is to educate America that Republicans are responsible for the economic unfairness they oppose.

Open Thread–1/18/2012

Posted by TomCat at 12:04 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 182012

Yesterday I went out to run errands. The cold air set off my COPD. When I returned my research was repeatedly interrupted by four power failures, so I had a difficult day. I’m current with replies. Today I have some paperwork and bookkeeping to do.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:20 (average 6:13). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Chicago Tribune: Several hundred demonstrators with the Occupy movement rallied outside the U.S. Capitol building on Tuesday to denounce what they called the influence of money in Congress.

“It’s important to let people know we’re not going to take it anymore. People are really mad about the way things are going and we want Congress to understand that,” said protester James Cullen, 30, an unemployed social worker from Greenbelt, Maryland.

Bravo! I just hope they had to foresight to leave CPC members unoccupied.

From Think Progress: The date has been set — Monday, January 23rd – for a third round of demonstrations organized to put pressure on the Obama Administration. The White House is also getting pressure from Congressional Republicans, who slipped a provision into a last-minute tax cut package that forces the President to make a decision on Keystone XL by February 21st. An executive decision could come this week.

I have signed petitions, emailed the White House and called the White House several times to support the demonstrators. I hope those of you, who cannot demonstrate, do too.

From TPM: Rick Perry said in Monday’s South Carolina debate that Turkey may have been taken over by “Islamic terrorists” based on their ruling Islamic party. The answer came in response to a question over whether Turkey should remain a NATO ally, which Perry said was a conversation worth having.

Turkey is very irate over this and with good reason. Republican foreign policy is both obscene and insane.

From The Examiner: Jere Brower, his wife Clara, and his 4-year-old daughter Ana, have a very good reason to believe Texas Congressman Ron Paul when he said people view his supporters as “dangerous.”

The 38-year-old Atlanta man and his family have been targeted by militant Ron Paul supporters, one of whom threatened to “kneecap” him, then rape his wife and young daughter. Mr. Brower said he has also received death threats from supporters of Ron Paul.

Paul and his cult of crazed acolytes are beyond the pale!

Cartoon:

18Cartoon

Livid Theocons Claim Voter Fraud

Posted by TomCat at 12:03 am Politics, Religion

Jan 172012

Rick “Google Me” Santorum thought he had the unified endorsement of the Theocon and InsaniTEA wings of the Republican Party. However the endorsement is not so clear as it seemed when Tony Perkins lied to America, announcing a consensus of support for Santorum. This is the first time I have ever used the Washington Times, an extreme Republican paper, as a source. I am doing so now to avoid claims of bias.

A civil war is breaking out among evangelical leaders over allegations of a rigged election and ballot stuffing at a Saturday gathering of religious and social conservatives.

At the meeting about 150 religious conservative activists at the Benham, Texas, ranch of Nancy and Paul Pressler, Rick Santorum supporters claimed the former Pennsylvania senator was chosen on the third ballot as the consensus candidate to try to stop Mitt Romney’s march to the Republican presidential nomination.

The meeting was called to avoid a continued division within social conservatives’ ranks.

But in back-and-forth emails, Protestant fundamentalist leaders who attended – most of them backing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to be the anti-Romney candidate — are accusing Catholic participants of conniving to rig the vote.

They said they were conned into leaving after the second ballot on Saturday. They said pro-Santorum participants held a third ballot which Mr. Santorum won with more than 70 percent of the vote — far higher than the nine-vote margin he won on the first ballot.

“My view is that the vote was manipulated,” said a prominent social conservative who asked not to be named.

Now, a prominent evangelical political organizer is saying to others confidentially he has evidence that in a least one instance a participant was seen writing Mr. Santorum’s name on four separate ballots and putting them in the ballot box… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Times>

Neither claims of voter fraud and nor rigged elections represent anything new to the Republican party, but this has to hurt. Not only is it embarrassing for them to be seen as too contentious to function honorably, but also, it defeats their purpose, leaving support even more divided between Newter and the Frothmeister, thus helping Multiple Mitt.

Rachel Maddow fills in the details.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I bet vulture capitalists are partying down over this, especially the most multiple one.

Romney Celebrates MLK Day with White Supremacist

Posted by TomCat at 12:02 am Politics

Jan 172012

Multiple Mitt has certainly made his fair share of blunders so far in this campaign, such as “Corporations are people too” and “I like to fire people”, but yesterday he made a campaign stop to accept the endorsement of a white supremacist. I hope minority voters are taking note of how he spent MLK day!

On a day set aside to honor civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitt Romney plans to tout his extreme immigration positions during a campaign stop in South Carolina today — with Kris Kobach, the author of Arizona’s and Alabama’s immigration laws, at his side. He will attack his competitors Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry for their softer immigration stances, which could resonate with South Carolina voters who support that state’s harmful immigration law.

“Mitt Romney stands apart from the others. He’s the only one who’s taken a strong across-the-board position on immigration,” Kobach said, and he told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that Romney was much farther to the right on illegal immigration than his fellow presidential candidates. Watch:

Considering Kobach’s own opinions and associations, however, his endorsement may not be one Romney wants to tout.

Before he became Kansas’ secretary of state, Kobach worked for Immigration Reform Law Institute, the legal branch of Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled as a “nativist hate group.” One of FAIR’s main goals is to overturn the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which “ended a decades-long, racist quota system that limited immigration mostly to northern Europeans.” FAIR’s founder John Tanton has said that he wants the U.S. to remain a majority-white nation through limiting the number of non-whites who enter the U.S… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

Such complete lack of consideration for black people may go over well with SC Republicans, but anyone except the staunchest racists should be turned off by his willingness to associate himself with such bigotry.

Open Thread–1/17/2012

Posted by TomCat at 12:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 172012

Yesterday our heat was on the fritz so I spent most of the day snoozing in bed. Because the umpteenth Republican debate on Faux Noise was not worth watching, I didn’t watch it. I’m current with replies. Today I still have errands to run.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:05 (average 5:17). To do it click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From ABC: Supporters of a push to oust Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office are prepared to declare victory in their effort to force the Republican into a recall election. But a problem looms for Democrats: They still don’t know who would run against him.

Recall organizers say they have gathered far more than the 540,208 signatures required to force the election against both Walker and GOP Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and will submit their petitions Tuesday.

Come on people! Kudos for getting enough signatures. Now it’s time to make a choice!

From Reuters: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, appearing at a Martin Luther King holiday rally in South Carolina, warned on Monday that voting rights laws are still at risk and said aggressive enforcement of those laws is "a moral imperative."

Right on! I could not have described it better!

From The Statesman Journal: A former state penitentiary warden who oversaw the last two inmate executions in this state has joined an advocacy group determined to repeal Oregon’s death penalty.

In an interview Friday with the Statesman Journal, Frank Thompson described the death penalty as "a failed public policy."

"In my opinion, capital punishment fails terribly in meeting any evidence-based outcomes," he said.

Hew is certainly in a position to know. Kudos to Mr. Thompson!

From Raw Story: A speaker told a coalition of tea party groups in South Carolina on Monday that the U.S. could save $260 billion on the border fence if they “force these Mexicans to make $5 a day” to build it.

Here we have Republican support for slavery.

Cartoon:

17Cartoon

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted by TomCat at 12:11 am Holiday, Politics

Jan 162012

16king Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced my political thinking more than any other individual. I was fortunate to have worked under him on Vietnam Summer and to have been present at two of his greatest speeches, presented below. Many things have changed since those days. Northern Republicans were often progressive. Southern Democrats, aka Dixiecrats, were the biggest racists then, but they deserted the Democratic Party because of Dr. King’s successes and are now the Republican base. But both his Dream and the need for his opposition to wars of aggression remain. To celebrate his life, I have video of “I Have a Dream”, delivered in Washington Mall on August 28, 1963 and audio of “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”, delivered in New York on April 4, 1967.

I Have a Dream – Text

Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence – Text

The dream still lives. Keeping it alive is our responsibility.

A First Giant Step

Posted by TomCat at 12:10 am Personal, Plus, Politics

Jan 162012

On Thursday I published The Return of a Giant about Bill Moyers’ return to television with a new show, Moyers and Company. On Saturday, he aired the first installation of that show: Winner Take All Politics. It’s a long clip, taking almost an hour to watch, but if you missed this on Saturday, it’s well worth the time.

16Bill_Moyers

In its premiere episode, Moyers & Company dives into one of the most important and controversial issues of our time: How Washington and Big Business colluded to make the super-rich richer and turn their backs on the rest of us…

Inserted from <BillMoyers.com>

Moyers & Company 101: On Winner Take All Politics from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

One line in the video stood out to me so much that I have every intent of stealing it. 😉

If speech is money, than no money is no speech.

Poll Results–1/16/2012

Posted by TomCat at 12:09 am Blog News, Politics

Jan 162012

Here are the results of our Most Important Primary poll:

And here are your comments:

From Caitlin M. on January 13, 2012 at 5:21 pm.

Even though I’m originally from New Hampshire and choosing any other state’s caucus or primary as most important would be kin to heresy, I chose Florida because of its size, elder population (boomers are plentiful!), and history of malfeasance! It’s important because it seems to find a way to put in whoever it wants in spite of the vote. But I guess that’s more in the November vote. Never mind!

From SoINeedAName on January 4, 2012 at 5:14 am.

Florida – because of its size, and because its demographics more closely match the country’s.

From mamabear on January 3, 2012 at 4:17 pm.

South Carolina

From Cellophane on January 3, 2012 at 11:33 am.

I’m calling South Carolina because that will be the end of Newty. Even his own state won’t vote for him. Of course, he claims residence in every state, so it’s a tad confusing to voters.

From Rob on January 3, 2012 at 10:47 am.

Since 1980’s, the victor the SC GOP primary went on to get the nomination; for that reason do I vote South Carolina to be the most important.

From TWM in reply to Rob on January 6, 2012 at 5:23 am.

Then I hope Santorum carries it. But he’ll most likely make a greasy mess of his run there.

A plurality voted that none were important.

I voted for Florida, because it is the largest and most demographically balanced of the four.

There is a new poll up for the remainder of January.

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