Sep 27 2008
Original article, by Lance Selfa and subtitled Both parties have honored Corporate America’s wish for eliminating government regulation, via Socialistworker.org:
LIKE EVERYTHING else in Washington–from the Iraq war to the USA PATRIOT Act–the financial crisis that has already brought down a host of blue-chip Wall Street firms is a bipartisan disaster.
Sep 26 2008
I’m with Kos:
The American people aren’t happy with this bailout. Democrats are giving McCain a gift by allowing him to be seen as its slayer. Yet Democrats sit there thinking that lining up behind Bush’s proposal will somehow be a political plus.
Yet every challenger across the nation, Democratic and Republican, is running against this thing to public cheers. The tone deafness on this is shocking.
At this point I really don’t know who is more incompetent, the Democratic Leadership or the Bush Administration.
All day Thursday – all frickin’ day – we were treated to one pic after another showing Democratic politicians working feverishly to pass a bailout plan that NOBODY WANTS – except Wall Street Fat Cats, Foreign Loan Sharks, and George W. Bush of course.
First, we had shots like this of Chris ‘Fred Flintstone’ Dodd and Barney ‘Rubble’ Frank in a desperate barefoot spin to get this 700 billion ton jalopy moving.
Next we had that uber-embarrassing White House meeting with Pelosi and Reid flanking George Bush like they were his guardian angels.
How bad does this look?
You’ve got polls showing an anemic 30% public support for the bailout, the AFL-CIO picketing Wall Street and Congressional mail coming in at 19 to 1 against, and yet the Dem Leadership somehow thinks it’s to their political advantage to be seen as large and in charge of this monstrosity?
Clueless.
Sep 26 2008
Just what was one method of forced removal McCain used to bring about this?
ACSA study reveals that after assembling a team of “pro-Peabody Western Coal” Indians and obtaining a false “Hopi-Navajo” Tribal Counsel designation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for these paid Tribal representatives, in the period 1974-1996, Senator McCain was able to get large bands of the Dineh-Navajo relocated off their lands, so that Peabody Western could mine the coal under their farms at nominal expense. Common Cause has suggested McCain was indirectly compensated by street name cash contributions to his Federal Election Fund during three Presidential runs, and through family business with Las Vegas Casinos who benefited from the coal driven power he supplied.
Let’s talk about the Bennet Freeze.
Sep 26 2008
Lots of people I greatly respect, from Glenn Greenwald to dday, are wondering aloud whether Sarah Palin is an ignoramus or whether she is carefully avoiding revealing her true beliefs. And while I do think there is plenty of the latter going on, it is also now terrifyingly obvious that the former is also true. So, I’ll say it: Sarah Palin is an idiot. Steve Soto was right when he immediately recognized her deer-in-the-headlights vacant stare. Because you can see it in her eyes. You can see it in how she struggles to come up with even the most basic evasive answers. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of watching her jaw-dropping interviews is that you can actually see her thinking. Or trying to think. And it is not pretty.
There is a pervasive myth in the corporate media that Bush is actually much smarter than he seems. The rationale, such as it is, insists that because he has clever Machiavellian political instincts, there’s something deeper and more sophisticated going on than most people realize. But what the purveyors of this drivel don’t realize is that they, themselves, are not particularly smart. At its most base level- which is the level on which Bush, McCain, Palin, and the entire ratfucking Rovian Republican paradigm operate- the level of a sewer- politics is actually pretty simple. It requires a fierce lust for power and attention, but no more intellectual nuance than does playground bullying. It’s not about issues or ideas, it’s about knocking heads against walls and making people bleed. And that’s what this brand of politics has given us- a president, and now a nominee for vice-president, with the intelligence, maturity, and capacity for greatness of generic playground bullies.
Sarah Palin is an idiot. It’s okay to say it. Because it’s true.
Sep 24 2008
Tonight was an eye-opening experience. Running behind all day long, Hubby and I decided to order a meat-lover’s stromboli for two, and I drove down the road to our local pizza place to pick it up.
There are some things you don’t do in life. You don’t start whistling in the check out line at the grocery store. You don’t give out your personal banking information to the Prince of Nigeria, regardless of how desperate that email sounds.
And, you don’t talk politics at the local pizza place.
All that changed tonight.
Sep 20 2008
Read dogemperor’s “Sarah Palin used AK tax dollars to fund dominionist churches”
Sarah Palin, who has attacked Alaska Native Languages and Alaska Tribal Sovereignty, gave a speech at the Master’s Commission on September 2nd, 2008,
It has only one mission, to throw defeat in the face of the Devil and see God’s people freed.
and the Master’s Commission has a branch that Christianizes Alaskan Natives.
Although the Native Reservations of the lower 48 states may be off the beaten path, these tribes are easily accessible compared to the Native tribes of bush Alaska. Forgotten? Not by God! But the reality is reaching the indigenous people of this state is very difficult and very expensive!
Let’s look at the speech and how she’s attacked Alaska Native Languages and Alaska Tribal Sovereignty after briefly looking at the history of Missionary work in Alaska. Then, we’ll look at “Palin’s Pipeline”the TransCanada gas pipeline.
Sep 18 2008
From Burning the Midnight Oil for a Green Keynesian Revolution (Midnight Thought First Draft posted on Agent Orange)
The thing about the New Deal … it provided a lot of “relief”(1) to a lot of people in desperate shape. But what cured the Great Depression was not the shock absorber of job guarantee programs like the two public works administrations and the Civilian Conservation Corps.
What cured the Great Depression was the massive Keynesian stimulus of World War II. Even before the US got into the war, armaments industries ramped up production in response to domestic re-armament and orders from overseas … including the gimmick of Lend-Lease to make sure that the UK had the money to buy the product of US arms factories.
We can do the exact same thing with the economic disruption that is coming, and if we learn the lessons of the Great Depression, we can do it again … with something far more useful than fighting another World War.
Sep 17 2008
New online tool to aid with overseas voting is launched
An online tool was launched this week that proponents say will make it easier for overseas Americans to vote if they have requested but not received their absentee ballot.
Sep 17 2008
We’re hurt. We’re struggling. We look at our children and our dwindling bank accounts and piling debt and wonder how we’re going to make it. Will my company be bought tomorrow? Will I have a job?
What will happen to my kids?
Barack, I love your intellect. I appreciate the fact that you’ve presented real, tangible plans to fix our economy.
But I need to know that you get me.
Sep 16 2008
In my neck of the woods, the local Republicans
are showing a real green thumb (actually, perhaps green hammer) as there is green sprouting all over. Green signs with a gas pump are appearing with the words “Drill Now! Pay Less! Vote GOP!”
Now, other than the direct linkage of a gas pump and the Republican Party (the Grand Oil Party), it is hard to see any honesty in this poster. It is a continuation of the concerted Republican efforts to mislead and lie to the American people about critical energy issues. It is, in fact, impressive that this sign can be deceptive and simply dishonest on so many levels at the same time.
Sep 16 2008
Midas Touch ©2008 Emily Duffy Photo by Sibila Savage
Dimensions: 42″ x 24″ x 8″
Description: A wedge-shaped wall hanging simulates a cliff. A toy gas tanker is about to topple off the edge while a chain of elephants (collaged in the U.S. Constitution, and GOP applique patches) march across it’s back. Oversized soldiers defend the tanker. The strata of the cliff is built up from a mound of soldiers, military equipment, then gas-guzzling automobiles.
Materials: Plastic toys, metal, paper, plaster, wood, gold metallic paint, reproductions of the U.S. Constitution, Republican Party logo patches.
Cross Posted at Elephant in the Room (Go there for larger views of images if you wish.)
Sep 15 2008
Alaskans recently had a charged public debate over whether mining companies should be able to discharge toxic waste into drinking water supplies. The issue was submitted to the voters with a ballot measure. Polling by supporters showed public strongly favored the measure, even obtaining the support of persons who never supported environmental measures because this issue also affected the livelihood of fishermen. The tide then quickly changed days before the election when Palin violated state law by advocating for the defeat of the measure. Working within the rules of the system, a complaint was filed, and a state agency found that both the state regulators and Palin had violated the law. However, the damage was already done and the measure was defeated. A win by any means at any cost. Is this what lies ahead for our presidential election?