Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Bizarre Arizona politics: State Sen. Russell Pearce afraid Olivia Cortes will rock the boat - Cortes forced to opt out of recall race

I know that many of you throughout the U.S. are hooked on Arizona politics.  After all, what better way to get a good laugh?  Today is no different. If you are following the recall election of the infamous State Sen. Russell Pearce, the first in Arizona’s history, you know there was a sham candidate by the name of Olivia Cortes.  I say “was” because she pulled out of the race Oct. 6, many say at the behest of Pearce and his gang of thugs.

If you haven’t been watching, Cortes was recruited by Greg Western of the Phoenix East Valley Tea Party to siphon off votes from Pearce’s only other opponent, Jerry Lewis.  Western, the EVTP chairman, has repeatedly said, as has Cortes, that he doesn’t know who is putting up the money for her candidacy.  Cortes had no organization and would not speak to the media.  This was all challenged in court recently by Phoenix attorney Tom Ryan who wanted her off the ballot.

But the ruling by Judge Edward Burke found Cortes did no wrong, thus, no reason to throw her off the ballot.  But when it came to the testimony of Greg Western, who just before backing Cortes professed to be an ardent supporter of Russell Pearce for years, Burke lowered the boom.  He said:

"His {Greg Western} testimony that he has no idea who designed, posted and paid for campaign signs supporting Cortes or who paid the professional circulators is too improbable to be believed.  The court finds that Pearce supporters recruited Cortes, a political neophyte, to run in the recall election to siphon Hispanic votes from Lewis to advance Pearce's recall-election bid."

An Arizona Republic newspaper opinion commented: “There can scarcely be a voter anywhere in the {Maricopa} county, much less {Pearce’s} District 18, who doesn't know that Cortes has been propped up by supporters of recalled Senate President Russell Pearce to draw votes away from his principal competitor, Jerry Lewis.”  Stephen Lemons, who writes the Feathered Bastard blog for the Phoenix New Times quoted Ryan as saying, "The Pearce forces did not want this hearing to go forward tomorrow…”



Lemons continues that Ryan’s co-counsel Micheal Wright said it was all part of a deal he and Ryan had offered Cortes' lawyer Anthony Tsontakis before the first hearing where she was forced to testify: i.e., Cortes pulls out and the lawsuit is dropped.  "This morning, they asked if the offer was still open," added Wright.  Of course there is still the question of whether laws were broken in Cortes’ candidacy and Pearce, his supporters and family will have to answer to this soon.

Laurie Roberts, an Arizona Republic columnist, had some interesting observations on the “Si se puede!” slogan that apparently originated with the mysterious crew that put up the Cortes candidacy signs.  The term is Spanish for “Yes it is possible or Yes it can be done.”  Apparently not in the case of Cortes.  For one thing, Roberts says Cortes didn’t even know what the word “incumbent” meant until last week.  Further, the columnist thinks Judge Burke basically called Greg Western a liar.  Her opinion is that after this fiasco, Jerry Lewis will probably get all the Hispanic vote.

The recall election date is November 8, and it is hard to imagine anything else as bizarre as the events that have already happened that could occur in the next four weeks.  But, then, this election is being held in Arizona and we all know that anything can happen—and usually does—there.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Is “Occupy Wall Street” the real revolution for the real people?


The “Occupy” movement has been called the progressives’ answer to the Tea Party.  There is no comparison between the two factions, obviously in philosophy, but also in substance and intellect.  From some of the TP videos I have witnessed, those poor clods are definitely dealing with double-digit IQs. 

Look at the Wall Street folks and then look at the gun totin’, dimwitted, racist bigots that have been captured on You Tube of the Tea Party demonstrations.  Although not universally representative, this bloc has not been officially rebuked by the organization.  The young, and older, people at Liberty Plaza in New York would make TPers look like boneheads. 

So now that we have this dissimilarity established, what do these people want?  They aren’t quite sure yet but then, the movement is only around a month old.  The one thing they are sure of is they want the power of Wall Street and the financial community diluted.  Some signs screamed "Less is More" and "Capitalism is evil."  Sounds like candidates for a Social Democracy.

But there is a clear-drawn comparison here, and it is with Independent voters.  Not in philosophy but rather in the momentum of the movement.  Independents don’t lay down a partisan creed, but rather stand for a multitude of ideologies.  Today they represent 40 percent of the voting population and they are growing on a daily basis with crossovers from Republicans and Democrats. 

“The group's lack of specificity serves a purpose because it invites outrage over a full spectrum of societal grievances,” says Bill Dobbs, another activist from the 2004 Republican National Convention demonstrations.  But “Occupy’s” thrust is without question directed at the greed of Wall Street and corporations and their accountability.  And they are willing to put their freedom on the line: 700 people were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Some did voice their specific concerns.  One said it was “corporate influence in politics;” another wants the money to be spent on “meeting people’s needs.”  Similar demonstrations have already been planned or carried out in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.  During the day Sunday, I heard one news report that shows the “Occupy” concept has gone worldwide.  It will be very hard to contain this movement if the White House and Congress don’t act quickly.


Friday, October 7, 2011

Model airplanes in the hands of terrorists?


Most guys remember building model airplanes, especially if you are in the Senior set.  Maybe even some gals.  It was fun seeing the model come to life as you added the pieces of balsa wood with pins to hold them in place.  You probably had a Xacto knife for the precision work of cutting the pieces.  And when the body was ready, it was time to apply the paper fuselage and administer a liquid covering that would both protect and make the paper taut. 

You were finished, and then many of us hung the plane somewhere in our room so that we could marvel over our accomplishment.  Others put together a rubber band mechanism during construction of the body that, when wound tightly, would keep the model airborne for a short period of time.  Never once did I think that in the later development of this concept, some deranged individual would come up with the idea to place explosives inside to make it a terrorist weapon.

Of course, in those days there was no terrorism, at least as we know it today.  We had wars but they were fought on the ground, in the air and at sea, away from America.  Terrorism has brought the war to the United States, and it is something we are finding hard to come to grips with.  In 2008, Time Magazine reported that George W. Bush had spent $1 trillion fighting terrorism.  I am sure President Obama is currently spending at least at a similar rate.

And then recently some unhinged guy from Boston was arrested and accused of plotting to bomb the U.S. Capitol and Pentagon with a remote-controlled model airplane loaded with explosives.  Just the latest Jihad against America, a mujahid bent on destruction.  These are not the same balsa wood models we’re used to building, according to the FBI.  These are “military-jet replicas, 5 feet to 7 1/2 feet long, guided by GPS devices and capable of speeds over 100 mph.”

The feds have known about this for a while and are keeping their eyes open, obviously.  And some counter-terrorism experts and model airplane hobbyists say it would be near-impossible for Rezwan Ferdaus, the culprit, to do serious damage.  Others say that serious damage is possible but that it would be difficult to achieve.  However, the flying of these models into federal buildings isn’t the only problem here.  The larger challenge is keeping up with the new methods used to wreak havoc by the terrorists.

 The two planes planned for use by Ferdaus were the F-4 Phantom and the F-86 Sabre ranging in price from $6,000 to $20,000.  This proves these people are backed financially, and the meticulous pre-planning using GPS for targeting shows the degree of their organization.  He had planned to stuff 24 pounds of C-4 explosive in the planes and was arrested when trying to buy it.  Explosives expert James Crippin says that much fire-power could do serious damage, but others commented it would have to be a direct hit, like through a window.



The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee says recent advances in model airplane technology could make this even more attractive to the terrorists.  Manufacturers will innocently continue to develop and upgrade their products, playing right into the hands of the radicals.  Just like the gun industry feeds the never-ending avidity for more dangerous weapons.  The only answer to this complex problem is more regulation.

It has been established that terrorists will take advantage of any new technological advances to kill Americans.  They have come up with so many new methods recently that the frightening thing at this point is when they decide to step back and look at their arsenal and determine just how to combine all these channels for maximum effect.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Will the NRA condone blasting human remains out of one of “their” guns?


Yeah, it’s true.  Two yokels from Alabama have come up with a way to stuff the human remains of your loved ones into the gun shells of everything from a handgun to a shotgun.  They say it is the “perfect way for avid hunters to honor their loved ones for eternity.”  These guys are Alabama game wardens, Thad Holmes and Clem Parnell, and Holmes said, "We know how strange it sounds to people who aren't comfortable around guns, but for those who are, it's not weird at all." 

Guns or no guns, this is weird.  It seems to me like you are adding violence to an already solemn situation.  The two men liken it to people who take loved ones’ ashes and spread them from planes or in areas favored by the deceased.  I’m afraid I do not agree with this comparison.  But, then, I am also an advocate of controlling guns and certainly at least partially biased in the matter.

The company started in July and just shipped its first two orders.  If you want to blow your beloved away in a hollow point, it will cost you $850.  There don’t appear to be many restrictions but you can’t use some National parks without a permit.  You can also read the rules of etiquette at this site.  If there are any loved-one-leftovers after loading the shells, the company, Holy Smoke, will return it with your order.  Then you can go on your merry way firing family all over town.

And speaking of stupid gun ideas, watch the following Rick Perry comment:


My intention here is not to dishonor the dead, rather, to point out the fact that the macabre love of guns has taken a new and hilarious turn that does seem to fit the personalities of some zealous gun nuts.  My question is how Wayne LaPierre, Exec. V.P. of the National Rifle Assn., will react to this move.  The NRA has had its share of ridicule and this seems to be just another of those good-ole-boy zany ideas.

Thad and Clem say they have interest from law enforcement, fire departments, the military, even those interested in memorializing their pets in this manner.  Far be it from me to put down a couple of ambitious entrepreneurs, especially when the economy is faltering the way it is.  Particularly when Alabama comes in 45th in the nation for average income.  Also, you might be interested that Daily Beast ranks the state 10th in the “most armed” classification.

It begins to look like there is no stopping the appalling love for guns, and the owners and their constant crutch, the NRA, from having them in all settings of our every day lives.  But it is also hard to understand how, with the daily reports of gun violence across the country, these self-centered, unconscious fakers can continue to spout…there aren’t too many guns out there.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Morgan Freeman attack of racism on Tea Party does raise some skeletons

Morgan Freeman was interviewed on the Piers Morgan TV Talk Show calling the Tea Party movement “a racist thing.”  He added, “Their stated policy, publicly stated, is to do whatever it takes to see to it that Obama only serves one term.  What underlines that?  Screw the country. We're going to {do} whatever we can to get this black man outta here.”  In the Huff Post he commented on how this group has illustrated there is still hate remaining in America.

To be fair, the racism aspect should only be attributed to a low-life faction of the Tea Party.  God knows, the group is already a bunch of certifiable wackos without adding the racial mix.  But it was apparently bad enough that the NAACP voted to repudiate the racist element of theparty in July of 2010.  They said, “We take no issue with the Tea Party movement. We believe in freedom of assembly and people raising their voices in a democracy. What we take issue with is the Tea Party’s continued tolerance for bigotry and bigoted statements…”

I did some research on signs carried by Tea Party racists in their demonstrations and it clearly fits the charge made by Morgan Freeman.  Slogans like, “Cap Congress and trade Obama back to Kenya,” “The zoo has an African and the White House has a lyin African,” and a picture of three monkeys, papa and mama with Obama’s face superimposed over the baby monkey.  I thought I had left this behind when I exited the South over four decades ago.

Ron Schiller, former executive with Nat’l Public Radio joined the melee against the Tea Party.  He was caught on ahidden camera by James O’Keefe, who brought down ACORN, saying the TPers were “scary” and “seriously racist.”  Schiller also called the GOP anti-intellectual saying, “…that America did not have enough "educated, so-called elite" citizens…”  Schiller added about tea partyers, "I mean, basically they ... believe in sort of white, middle-America, gun-toting. I mean, it's scary. They're seriously racist, racist people."



No Tea Party article would be complete without a mention of Arizona State Sen. Russell Pearce who is up for recall next month.  It seems that accused scam candidate Olivia Cortes, who was recruited and backed by Arizona TPers to run against Pearce just to dilute the vote against the other candidate, Jerry Lewis, and who was completely discredited under oath in court recently, is in trouble. 

According to a column by LaurieRoberts in the Arizona Republic, Cortes “doesn't know who's behind the "Sí, se puede!" campaign signs - the new slogan, apparently, of conservative Republicans everywhere.”  “She doesn't know who paid for the petition circulators who obtained most of the nominating signatures needed to get her onto the ballot.”  “She doesn't know who designed her website, the one that went up the day the lawsuit challenging her candidacy was filed.”  “She'd never seen one of her two news releases - the "racism is alive" piece, written by a tea-party activist and quoting Cortes as saying Latinos should be outraged at those who question the legitimacy of her campaign.”

There’s more you can read on the Roberts site, above.

The racism comment is completely laughable considering the source, but the whole Cortes affair just shows how far the Tea Party will go to fulfill their mission of bringing down the United States.  Pearce is, of course, an avid tea partyer, and dirty politics are something he thrives on.  Hopefully, Arizona will be getting rid of him in November.  Too bad we can’t do the same with the Tea Party.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Is there a conspiracy in the running and control of the state governments?

This is the first in a series of articles on two ultra-secret organizations that have been accused repeatedly of dictating the laws that govern the United States, the Illuminati and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Are there one or more secret organizations that exert control over business executives, politicians, state legislatures and governors, even the President, wielding enough power and domination by corporations, to literally run the United States?  A very credible organization, The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) says yes. 

For the last several months they have been reporting on an organization by the name of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and their findings are bone-chilling.  An ALEC whistleblower recently released records that included copies of 800 model bills approved by corporations you can see here.  You will be shocked at the amount of proposed anti-consumer legislation including things like eroding the rights of workers by limiting their union privileges.  Favoring banks and predatory lenders over what is good for the consumer.

There’s more.  Bills from ALEC corporations and their legislative partners that would privatize Medicare, deregulate health insurers, protect negligent doctors, and cut holes in the safety net.  Bills that would decrease the power of the American voter in favor of giving corporations even more power to use their vast financial resources to influence elections in our democracy. 

Bills that would have taxpayers subsidizing the profits of the private prison industry by putting more people in for-profit prisons and keeping them in jail for longer. The bills also would put more guns on streets and interfere with local law enforcement decisions about how best to interact with immigrant communities.  Bills that would privatize public education, crush teacher's unions, and push American universities to the right.

There’s much more and you can see it at ALECExposed.org.



Don’t make the mistake of thinking ALEC is a lobby or even a front group.  It is much more controlling and devious than either.  According to CMD, “Through ALEC, behind closed doors, corporations hand state legislators the changes to the law they desire that directly benefit their bottom line.”  To hell with the consumer.  ALEC has its own governing board but “says that corporations do not vote on the board.”  However, corporations do fund almost all of ALEC's operations. 

Legislators, a majority of which are conservative Republicans, birddog these proposals and introduce them to their state legislatures at home as their own dazzling ideas.  No mention is made that ALEC conceived and drafted these laws that are 100 percent pro-business.  The CMD says that there are some 1,000 of these bills introduced every year with one in five enacted into law.  This means that at least 200 laws are passed annually in this country that originate strictly from the viewpoint of big business.

Although ALEC describes itself as non-partisan, according to CMD, “The facts show that it currently has one Democrat out of 104 legislators in leadership positions. ALEC members, speakers, alumni, and award winners are a “who’s who” of the extreme right.”  The organization claims 2,000 legislative members and 300 or more corporate members.  Is it legal?  CMD says “ALEC’s operating model raises many ethical and legal concerns. Each state has a different set of ethics laws or rules.”

NEXT TIME: More about ALEC and CMD’s drive to dump the organization.

FUTURE POSTS: Is there a connection between ALEC and the Illuminati?

Monday, October 3, 2011

Frightening numbers from the U.S. Census on poverty

In 2010 the nation’s poverty rate was 15.1 percent or 46.2 million people doing without food, living on the streets or suffering a multitude of other challenges to their dignity.  That’s a 14.3 percent increase over 2009 and you can bet that this increase includes many of those who are out of work due to the recent economic crisis.  These are current figures from the Census Bureau

There are some that have been in poverty for years; a disgrace.  Others are simply homeless and happy on the street; also a disgrace that we allow it to happen.  Child poverty rose from 20.7 percent to 22 percent; clearly the worse disgrace of all.  For those age 65+ the numbers were basically unchanged at 9 percent, but also surging in 2009 during the economic downturn.

Median income was even down 2.3 percent to $49,445, and there are 49.9 million Americans without health insurance.  Health reform was passed by a mixed Congress in 2010 but the major aspects of the legislation don’t take effect until 2014.  One benefit was available last year and that allows young adults 26 and younger to obtain coverage from their parent’s health insurance.

There was some sunshine in media coverage from a local columnist, E.J. Montini, who writes for the Arizona Republic in Phoenix.  Montini met a panhandler called Mr. Lucky on the street who asked him for change and the reporter gave up 57 cents, including two pennies.

Mr. Lucky treasured the pennies because he would place them where others could find them and experience the old saying: “Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck.”  That’s why he was called Mr. Lucky.  This man’s generosity flies in the face of Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer and the state Legislature refusing to extend federal unemployment benefits to the unemployed.  On top of that, the Arizona Court of Appeals had to overturn a Phoenix ordnance prohibiting panhandling.

Crunching numbers in ethnic groups, Hispanics in poverty increased from 25.3 percent to 26.6 percent.  Blacks, from 25.8 to 27.4.  Whites from 9.4 to 9.9.  Asians were flat at 12.1 percent.  Mississippi had the highest rate of poor followed by Louisiana, D.C., Georgia, New Mexico and Arizona.  A public policy professor at the University of Chicago says the worst may be yet to come due to the increased demand for food stamps this year and the significant numbers of those unemployed more than 26 weeks.

If the American economy continues to spiral down, and unemployment remains high, those affected will eventually come to the conclusion that their future might well be better off in a Social Democracy.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Privacy lost…never regained

It was several years ago in 1999 when Scott McNealy, then CEO of Sun Microsystems, said: “You have zero privacyanyway.  Get over it.”  His comments were picked up by the media worldwide and drew gasps from privacy advocates in the U.S.  I was one of them, concentrating in those days on our loss of control over our names and personal data.  I had been a junk mail data broker. 

Appalled, I wrote several posts on my blog, The Dunning Letter, about how wrong he was and how individuals must work to protect their private information.  You can read some of them here. 

In the meantime, I haven’t given up my belief that people should be able to maintain their privacy.  What I have lost is my belief that we will ever be able to attain the necessary level of privacy needed to keep us safe.  And, much of the problem can be attributed to the apathy of the American public toward privacy.  They just don’t care so why should lawmakers who could pass federal legislation protecting these individuals.

Two of the largest warehouses of personal data are mortgage companies and medical offices.  Everything an ID thief needs to take everything you have is in those files, many of which have minimum security.  I was in a doctor’s office recently and my Social Security number appeared on three pages they asked me to check for accuracy.  To ask them to remove it is useless since it can still be found in other records in the same office and others.

So McNealy was right and Americans have once again proved the saying that, “Oh that’s a terrible thing that happened but it could never happen to me.”

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Enough is enough. It’s time to challenge the 2nd Amendment-Part 3

See Part 1 here, Part 2 here.

With overall crime rates still declining, shooting deaths continue to go on unabated.  Yes, this is true on both counts.  During 2009, the latest year available, violent crime declined an estimated 5.3 percent from 2008.  This was the third year in a row.  So why do we see so many daily reports of shootings, many of which result in death?  The answer is lax gun laws, and it is time to confront the National Rifle Assn. and its membership to relax their stronghold on Congress.  I can hear you now, “Yeah, that will be the day.”

The NRA might be wise to start cooperating with the gun control advocates since members of congress are already talking new legislation, and President Obama has said he will explore executive orders to get around certain gun laws.  But gun owners are so sure of their 2nd Amendment rights that this complacency might be just what is needed to develop the momentum for new gun control. 

It is time to challenge the 2nd amendment, not to repeal it, but to enact more reasonable federal legislation that would overrule the lunacy of states like Arizona where firearms can be had at the drop of a hat.  Things like banning AK47 weapons, closing the gun show loophole, limit concealed carrying to those in need, and establish a national registry for handguns.  We need to know where these “weapons of mass destruction” are going.

I did some analysis of handgun murders in the U.S. based on FBI data and came up with the following.  The density of a state (number of people per square mile) seems to have some effect on handgun murders per 100,000 populations.  They are raised for states with a higher density.  California, New York and Illinois, where gun laws are tighter, have above average per 100-thousand handgun murders; 3.70, 4.47 and 2.99 respectively.  But density levels for the three are 239, 411.2 and 231.

Now compare that with states like Arizona with a population density of only 56.3 but per 100-thousand handgun murders of 3.04.  Likewise Texas density is 96.3 with murders at 3.49 and Louisiana is 104.9 and a whopping 10.46.  All three states have loose gun laws.  Alabama leads the nation in per 100,000 pop. Deaths for all kinds of firearms, Alaska is second and Arizona is third. 

There is one bright spot on the horizon, due to the efforts of the Brady Campaign and other gun control advocates; legislation has been defeated 51 times in 27 states following the Virginia Tech massacre.  Arizona was inches away from allowing guns on campus recently when legislation by State Sen. Russell Pearce was stopped due to an uproar from local business leaders and state university and college heads.

Marc Victor, an Arizona State Bar certified specialist in criminal law, says “Don’t cherish the 2nd Amendment.”  He goes on to say, “Like everything else in the Constitution, the 2nd Amendment is subject to interpretation.”  Now Victor is a 2nd Amendment proponent so gun control advocates have nothing to shout about.  His statement is a reflection of later dialogue that ponders over the possibility of Supreme Court decisions which, of late, have been all in favor of the 2nd Amendment.  Or how this group of nine might interpret the 9th Amendment.

To end on a laugh, Presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry, was recently asked how he felt about gun control.  His answer: “I am actually for gun control.”  Pause.  “Use both hands.”  That ranks up there with this wacko’s statement on evolution.  “It’s a theory that’s out there.  It’s got some gaps in it.”  Pathetic.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The decline and fall of the American empire


It could happen but it won’t.  In comparison to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, the U.S. has several factors on its side that weren’t in place then.  As an example, a democracy that works and a constitution that was written by statesmen, not politicians.  Anyway, there are many scholars who are of the belief that there was no “fall” at all, rather a very intricate conversion that took place over several years.

Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, written in 1776, is the basis for any discussion on this subject.  Most scholars agree his facts are extremely accurate but many do not agree with his interpretations.  And it is in Gibbon’s findings that we can see comparisons between the Roman era and the United States today. 

He blamed Christianity for its promise of the after-life that made the problems of the Roman people irrelevant, much like the religious rights’ hold today on many conservatives.  Further, the conquests of the Roman Emperors that has a direct relationship to the Bush/Cheney invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.  And then there are the theories about the general apathy of the Roman population that can be compared to the low voting turnout in American elections and a general disinterest in politics.

More hypotheses include a decline in moral values, public health problems, political corruption and unemployment.  Sound familiar?  You’re surrounded by all four every day.  Although it is probably a stretch, the Romans experienced urban decay which today’s homeowner foreclosures could mirror.  Rome was almost completely abandoned in the 6th century in the wars between the East and West Roman Empires.  And then in the 7th century the East was invaded by Persia (now Iran) followed by Muslim conquests in Egypt.  An invasion by Iran not likely, but Islam is becoming more popular throughout the world

Historians Arnold J. Toynbee and James Burke believe that the Roman Empire was a “rotten system from its inception” and that because of the decay that ensued, Rome could not have lasted any longer because the people in power (the Emperors) were powerless to do anything about it.  This is not a reflection on the United States as a country but rather an image of a Congress and White House that is operating in complete confusion.

But the collapse of the Roman Empire wasn’t a catastrophe for everyone according to anthropologist Joseph Tainter, author of The Collapse of Complex Societies, published in 1988.  Archaeological evidence indicates that nutrition actually improved after the collapse of Rome.  And he points out that the average individual may have benefited because he or she no longer had to invest in the “burdensome complex of the empire.”

And the transformation or intricate conversion mentioned initially that occurred over several years includes all the advanced stages the United States has gone through in its development as a nation.  Although most of our progress has been attained through technology, this article is primarily concerned with political growth.  Is it possible that, with the current state of chaos between liberals and conservatives, and the total dysfunction between the White House and Congress, the benefits of a Social Democracy might just fix what is wrong?

You can read more here and here.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Tea Party can’t seem to shake racist image

Last May Brendan Steinhauser, campaign dir. for FreedomWorks, an organization that coordinates Tea Party activists, said: "We don't want the worst elements to take this over,” referring to racist that have popped up regularly throughout the Tea Party.  But without a central organization, there isn’t much to control this conglomeration of crackpots. There have been incidents of derision against Barack Obama with observers who say the president's skin color is a powerful reason behind the movement's existence.  Pathetic.

 

And then John White reared his ugly head in Arizona.  DA Morales did an excellent expose in the Tucson Citizen titled: “Profiles of the Tucsonright-wing: fearful Christian men with guns who are ready to kill.”  This is a must-read for any person who thinks these Tea Party nuts are just harmless political fanatics.  This is posted on Facebook for all to see but Morales has capsuled the most bigoted and erratic statements in his articles.

 

Things like, “Democrats are a cancer and you do not cure cancer you cut it out and kill it.”  In another post he says the Gabby Giffords shooting was only a training exercise put on by the Dept. of Homeland Security.  Another, “…If you vote Democrat, then you voted for hell.”  And then there is his neo-Nazi friend Harry Hughes who also hangs out with J.T. Ready who is of the same ilk.  John White is a dedicated Tea Party member who not only is a racist and neo-Nazi, but who also condones killing democrats.

 

There are more quotes from White.  “A civil war is near, a cleansing…perhaps an ethnic cleansing?  You are not taking a life…you are saving a nation.”  This is pretty heavy stuff when you consider that these maniacs can arm themselves to the hilt in the state of Arizona with some of the loosest gun laws in the nation.  There is a picture of Harry Hughes with his neo-Nazi friends, all of which look like they are holding AK47-like weapons.

 
According to Gallup and Pew Research Cos., Americans’ views of the TeaParty are at the “lowest ever.”  Gallup notes that in a drop from a support level of 30% to 25% in recent months, more Americans hold intensely negative feelings toward the movement.  Based on this one must assume that the U.S. public must be light years smarter than the morons in Congress that constantly cow tow to TPers.  More pathetic.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Are members of Congress descended from the caterpillar?


Science has discovered that caterpillars essentially talk with their butts.  That would certainly be an exact DNA match with Congress.  Apparently these creatures—the caterpillars, not Congress—scrape their rear ends on leaf surfaces to establish their territory.  Sort of like when the republicans took over the House in the last election.

It seems there’s a difference by age.  The old farts don’t scrape, they just push their opponents around.  Does that remind you of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell?  But here’s a surprise.  The young upstarts aren’t aggressive.  Looks like even the caterpillar doesn’t want to be associated with the Tea Party.  These little critters are also pests which fits the profile of most Republicans. 

A caterpillar is also on its way to being a beautiful thing…a butterfly.  You couldn’t attach that conversion to either side of the congressional aisle.  They also turn into moths that are naturally attracted to flame which would remind one of the suicidal tendencies of the GOP House that places partisan ideology over the good of the country and the American people.  These slinky insects also have poor vision, another perfect match with the Republican conservatives. 

I could go on forever.  Some caterpillars are targets of animal predators, but have learned to defend themselves with devious means.  The point is that we have a dysfunctional Congress, including Democrats and Republicans, that would rather argue between themselves rather than putting the U.S. on the road to recovery.  The GOP has been out to get President Obama from the day he took office, and they may very well succeed if he doesn’t stand firm on progressive issues.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Gun rights activists on the defense. Now is the time to strike


The National Assn. for Gun Rights says, “…the gun control lobbyists have their tentacles wrapped around scores of Congressional offices right now.”  It’s about time since President Obama has decided to soft-pedal the issue, even after a strong statement in favor after the Tucson, AZ, massacre by Jared Loughner.  Dudley Brown, exec. dir. of NAGR, is petitioning to stop Magazine Ban Bill H.R. 308, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D, N.Y., that would ban gun magazines of more than 10 rounds, retroactively.

 It completely escapes me how the gun nuts can rationalize that infringing on their rights with this kind of regulation is more important than taking away the ability from mental cases like Loughner to commit mass killings.  Gun rights advocates are the epitome of the “Me” generation, but it looks like cracks are occurring in the NRA armor.  Brown says that many House Republicans with “pro-gun” credentials are talking a deal on H.R. 308. 


 In this editorial that appears in AmmoLand Shooting Sports News, the author anguishes over prominent Republicans like U.S. Sen. Richard Luger and former V.P. Dick Cheney, as well as Homeland Security Chairman Peter King who believe more gun control is needed.  I am not a Cheney fan but here is a man who was immovable on the direction of the Iraq war, a professed gun enthusiast, who believes the lax gun issue is out of hand.

And here’s the best part, Dudley Brown’s sources tell him that once the bill passes the House and goes to the Senate, Amendments will be added like mandatory waiting periods, closing of gun-show loophole, new assault weapons ban and a national concealed carry standard.  How could anyone argue with these regulations other than a bunch of gun bubbas who constantly bemoan over the fact that we are trying to take away all of their gun rights.  Not so, just some. 

Read my earlier articles on challenging the 2nd Amendment here and here.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The epitome of no gun control


Joshua Seto, 27, from Chandler, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix, apparently lost control of his girlfriend’s pink handgun as he shoved it into the waistband of his pants.  The gun fired a bullet into Seto’s penis, and then meandered through his left thigh.  His girlfriend, Cara Christopher, reported “a lot of blood,” as she talked to the 911 operator.  Her comment after looking at the wound was that it was “pretty bad.”

Since it wasn’t Seto’s gun, the next question is why it was in his possession?  If Seto is a gun owner, and he took the education course on the safe handling of firearms, the man is simply a dope.  Chandler police commented that you should always use a holster for the weapon, not your waistband.  If Seto is a gun owner and didn’t take the education course, it is yet another example of the reckless way firearms are available and unregulated in Arizona.

This kind of irresponsible handling of a handgun is why gun control advocates are screaming that more regulation is necessary.  The owner, Cara Christopher, has responsibility in this also.  Why did she give up the gun, particularly if Seto was not an owner and familiar with firearms?  Was the gun registered at all? 

From Arizona State Sen. Lori Klein pointing a handgun at a reporter in the State Senate building, to some guy shooting his privates at the super market, these are the continuing examples of why Arizona is the butt of jokes that makes them the laughing stock of the country.

I would give anything to hear Wayne LaPierre, exec. vice president of the National Rifle Assoc., explain this.  He might say, “Guns don’t hurt people, people hurt people.”  Pathetic.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

If GWB caused the current economic problems, Obama still must fix them


Pres. Barack Obama
President Barack Obama inherited a $1.2 trillion budget deficit.  George W. Bush inherited a $300 billion budget surplus.  In the former President’s two terms, well-known economist Nouriel Roubini, a New York University professor, lists five components that tanked the fiscal condition of the U.S.

  •  A cut in taxes
  • GWB spent $2 trillion on Iraq and Afghan wars
  • Discretionary spending was doubled
  • Addition of entitlements like Medicare drug benefit
  • The bailing out of banks and financial institutions

Roubini said, “We destroyed our fiscal sustainability before President Obama came to power.”  He added, “We’re lucky that this Great Recession is not turning into another Great Depression.”  Roubini also talks of more recession in the next year or two.  The professor is distinguished for his warning in 2005 that the housing bubble would cause an economic crisis, which it did.

All this said, Barack Obama needs to start being a President.  Agreed, he has many accomplishments we can be thankful for, the most important of which is Health Care Reform.  You can see a list of 90 of his efforts since entering office here.  But the President must change the course of a spiraling-down economy, and that would be best served by standing up to a Republican House and holding his ground on issues he truly believes in.  Let the public decide who is wrong.

Things are not going well for Obama.  His approval rating now is the lowest of his presidency.  Many voters are tired of speeches that promise; they want results.  Some Democrats are even distancing themselves from him.  A rare positive sign is that Blacks are encouraged by his jobs plan, but some economists say it isn’t enough. 

But the one thread running through all this is a GOP battalion that is committed to making President Obama fail.  One major impetus behind this is the fanatical group, the Tea Party, which is loathed by most Americans but has some supernatural hold over Republican conservatives.  Bungling presidential candidates like Bachmann and Perry cater to these pathetic people who seem bent on bringing down the U.S.

All’s well that ends well, and the real hope of this progressive is that 2012 will see radical changes in Washington, maybe even the throwing out of some old hands on the left, but still with significant moves away from the right.

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