The door is being slammed on the American dream and the politicians, including the president and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, seem not just helpless to deal with the crisis, but completely out of touch with the hardships that have fallen on so many.
So writes Bob Herbert in the 2nd graf his column, THey Still Don't Get it. It is a powerful and blunt piece of writing. You should read it. I will explore it, offering some thoughts of my own, but I am not going to cover every point Herbert makes. For me the column is a starting point, an occasion to share some additional thoughts of his own.
So read the Herbert. Then if you want, join me below the fold.
Having Thanksgiving Dinner with your relatives? If they are not all good Democrats it is inevitable that a diehard Republican lurks among them. Even if your hostess decrees that politics and religion are no-no's I can safely predict that that Republican will not be able to contain him/herself. Having listened to Fox, Rush, et al, and still basking in the warmth of winning in Virginia and New Jersey, they will be loaded for bear with mis-information and smugness.
So here is a cheat sheet to prepare you to answer (gracefully, in dulcet tones guaranteed to drive the Repub nuts, and to soothe your hostess). This comes to us from the DCCC. To download a fancy format, go to: http://www.dccc.org/page/invit... Or, check this below, same thing in plain dress:
1) These are not your father's Republicans. I remember the days when there used to be actual moderate Republicans, back before that species reached near-extinction. Pay attention to what's happening in upstate New York right now, where the full force of the Tea Bagger movement, along with Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, Michelle Bachman, etc. are all abandoning the Republican US House nominee, Dede Scozzafava, in favor of a third-party conservative - because Ms. Scozzafava is allegedly too moderate.
Are any conservatives anywhere fighting against Bob McDonnell being elected? Of course not! Because every conservative on earth knows that McDonnell's moderate disguise is just that, a ruse to get him elected.
McDonnell-Bolling-Cuccinelli would be the most regressive, right-wing administration in Virginia since the days of Massive Resistance. Don't fool yourself, as we fooled ourselves when George W. Bush was running for president as an alleged centrist, that they can't really do that much damage or get away with much of what they want to do.
The consequences of their election - particularly if the House stays under GOP control - would be severe for the state of health care, education, transportation and the environment in Virginia, for the safety and health of women who seek to terminate a pregnancy, for the environmental health of the Virginia coastline, for the rights of workers, for the civil rights of gays and others, for every cause for which we seek to finally move our state forward after seeing it lag behind for so many years. These are the Republicans of the Tea Bag Era we're talking about here, for whom government is the enemy, climate change is a myth, the market is always right, and workers are always wrong. If we let them get into office, we will be paying the price for years to come.
This devastating (for supporters of real reform) interview aired this morning on Democracy Now.
Jane Hamsher of Firedog Lake describes for Amy Goodman the problems with the bill passed yesterday. It is a chilling look at how we have been played.
We got virtually nothing from Baucus. What we did get is a Snowe job. We also got the bill that Rahm Emanuel preferred, according to Hamsher. Essentially more people can get and pay into the system. But we got little to no real reform. Those of us with insurance have zero choice. We cannot leave a punitive or disingenuous company. We cannot shop for a better deal. We are trapped. For most Americans, there is:
(Please follow for some of the ways we were had, below the fold.)
There's a lot of anger in America right now. Republicans are busy accusing our president of being a lying, un-American, baby-killing, grandma-slaughtering, gun-hating, illegal-immigrant-loving, socialist tax-and-spend commie pinko Bolshevik Trotskyite Maoist Everything-else-ist threat to life, liberty and our precious bodily fluids.
In response, furious progressives are rushing to the barricades to unload their full firepower on - the very same president!
What's wrong with this picture?
It's not unusual for a fired-up constituency, flush from a historic victory, to feel the letdown as the euphoria of campaigning gives way to the drudgery of governing. But I've been taken aback by the quickness and ferocity with which the same progressive blogosphere that boosted Obama into office has lately been pursuing him like Wiley Coyote after the Road Runner.
I do understand some of the frustration with his leadership. Obama needs to govern with a heavier hand, injecting a little more Lyndon Johnson into his dealings with Congress. (Isn't that what God created Rahm "F-bomb" Emmanuel for?)
But being pissed off, and venting about it, is not by itself a strategy. And politics is all about strategy. It's like chess - you make a move today in order to win three or four or twenty moves down the line. Although we have to constantly let politicians and the media and the public know how we feel, winning in politics is about a lot more than just expressing your frustrations. Sure, if you fire enough rounds into the air, you might eventually hit your target. But you might hit your friends too - or even yourself.
C'mon folks - take a deep breath, think, aim - and only then fire.
I know. You don't like anyone messing with your football loyalties. When you are "ready for some football," you can hardly root for a team you don't care about. Me either. BUT, when it comes to teams other than your very favorites, you might want to consider which teams donate Blue and which ones do not.
First, the absolutely worst teams to root for if you are a Democrat are the Houston Texans who give 99% to Republicans or the San Diego Chargers, which give 98% of their donations to Republicans. The Redskins are not far behind with 97% Sorry, everyone. Maybe if you are frustrated with your Skins you can use this as an added reason to go team shopping. Surprisingly, the Cowboys "only" gave 82% to Repubs.
What if we elected the most promising young leader of our era to be president - and then sat back and watched him fail?
This thought has been lingering in my mind ever since I saw Obama speak on Creigh Deeds' behalf in McLean two weeks ago. The president clearly knows what is at stake in this November's election in Virginia. After suffering a devastating defeat only nine months ago, the right has regrouped and is employing a familiar strategy to bring down the president it so hates and fears. The Bill Kristol-Newt Gingrich plan to defeat Bill Clinton in 1993 is back - whip up the base with outrageous rhetoric and conspiracy theories, use them to create the appearance that the public at large is opposed to reform, fight against 100% of the president's agenda and do everything possible to kill it.
The worst part of that bit of history was that it worked - leading to the 1994 "Republican Revolution" and a major brake on what could have been a much more successful and progressive Clinton presidency.
Are we going to let it happen again? Are we going to just stand back and watch as the same people who brought us Iraq, Katrina, Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, Terri Schiavo, climate change denial and subprime mortgages muscle their way back into power?
While we certainly deserved to pat ourselves on the back for electing Obama president, back-patting time is now officially over. Because if we allow this president to fail, we will have accomplished nothing.
This diary, authored by a Deeds supporter, responds to Deeds' recent attacks on McDonnell's abortion positions, as well as the comment made by Aznew (blogger for the The Virginia Democrat) below the break. The continued tolerance of the progressive Blue Commonwealth community for those who are not afraid to question the acts of our leadership, and the rare atmosphere of respectful discourse on this site, are greatly treasured and appreciated.
Part One: Introduction (We Hold These Truths: Reflections in the Aftermath of our Nation's Birthday and the Balance Between Independence and Interdependence and their Role in the Health Insurance Debate.)
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
The Fourth of July is always an emotional time, as it was last month once again. It's felt in the deepest part of our hearts, fed by yearly celebration and anticipation, and stirred anew each and every time the day gets close. We flew our flags in remembrance of the first Independence Day, which moved us toward freedom in 1776. We reflected upon the words which brought us here. Here they are from the National Archives. Each year as NPR reporters, anchors and other celebrities read the Declaration of Independence aloud, I get a lump in my throat. But not this year. I missed the morning news and do not know if history repeated this year. And so I re-read the document. It is a document of independence from the King. It states "unalienable' rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It focuses on consent of the governed. But what it does not do is sever the bond Americans have with each other. It is not a document of that kind of independence. Indeed it is we the governed who stand as the collective source of power. And by extension, it we ALL of us who are important, not just every man (or woman) for himself. The Constitution drafted later bears this out. This a country which celebrates its freedoms.
7th HoD District Democratic Candidate, Peggy Frank For the second time, Peggy Frank outraised Dave Nutter, according to newly released financial reports. According to her campaign, she raised $37,793 in total contributions contrasted to $22,455 for Nutter. The report was for the period from May 28 through June 30, 2009. Frank previously outraised her opponent in the period from April 1 through May 27, 2009 as well.
"I am humbled by the strong support my campaign is receiving. As a prosecutor I have represented the people of the New River Valley for over 18 years. In the House of Delegates I look forward to continuing to stand up for New River Valley families and working to create jobs and economic opportunity in our area," said Frank.
"The results of the last two reporting periods show Peggy Frank has the momentum in this race. The voters in the New River Valley are responding to Peggy Frank's message of standing up for middle class families and creating jobs," said Frank Campaign Manager Brandon Bull.
The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Sonia Sotomayor will start on Monday, and the Republicans still haven't figured out a strategy.
It seems pretty apparent that unless something shocking happens, Judge Sotomayor will become Justice Sotomayor. So the hearings are really going to be about bloodying Barack Obama. My prediction, based on nothing more precise than the reading of tea leaves, is that the Republicans are going to focus on the recent Ricci v. DeStefano case -- where the Second Circuit, including Sotomayor, voted against white firefighters who were alleging reverse discrimination, and the Supreme Court, 5-4, reversed the Second Circuit -- to persuade whites that Obama's nominee, and therefore Obama, wants to throw whites out of work in the middle of a bad economy. What put Obama over the top in 2008, and what keeps him with good approval ratings in 2009, is the support of an unusual number of whites -- including middle class and lower middle class whites -- and the Republicans' great hope is that they can use the Sotomayor nomination to break white voters away from the Obama coalition. If they can do that, then 2010 looks less bleak for them.
It's broken record time. And I won't stop until we win this fight against special interests. Things have changed little since I posted on the subject a week ago. Distraction predominates. The media is abuzz with tales of Mark Sanford's escapade and pitiful talk of "soul mates" (as if his romps had anything to do with "soul mates)." In addition, media outlets give up-to-the-minute updates on Michael Jackson, even though his very sad demise was last week. Time is not of the essence on the Michael Jackson story, but it is on health care. You would think that no one is threatening to flush health care reform into the bowels of the Senate. We don't need specials on MSNBC on "the will," as MSNBC is giving us (instead of Rachel Maddow) as I write this.
Howard Dean takes on the folly of bipartisanship when the other side is all about obstruction. You only win when you stand up to obstructionism," said Dean. Hear ! Hear!
(Author's note: The correct link has been substituted.)
We tend to hear the main nuggets from polls on network and cable "news" shows. For example, we've heard the fact that either 72% of 76% favor a public option. Indeed almost that munch a percentage of the population favors single payer. We know that President Obama's favorability ratings are 60% in the NBC poll and higher in others. In some polls, when asked whether the respondent "likes" the President affirmatives are in the eighties.
But what else are people saying to pollsters? Buried within the recent NBC poll were some gems. According to NBC only 30% have positive feelings toward Sonia Sotomayor. (The wrong-wing hit machine has done major damage.) Given that, it is ironically good news that 30% don't know what their feelings are. But that's a different question.
45% view the Democratic Party favorably. 25% view the GOP favorably. Rush Limbaugh garners 23%. Dick Cheney 26% and (sigh) Nancy Pelosi 24% (again the wrong-wing attack machine has done the damage). Only 1/3 think Ben Bernanke should be reappointed to the Fed.
I am on the lawn outside the alumni house at W&M. I am going to try to both live blog here and also periodically tweet. My updates will be below the fold, in a push down list, most recent entry on top.
To set the secene - the state Central Committee just broke from its meeting, and people are flowing in. Have already said Hi to Joe Abbey, Creigh's Campaign Manager, Roman, Ste ve Shannon's man ager, Steve and Abby Shannon and their kids, Levar Stony (exec Director of DPVA), Karen Schultz from Winchseter, Lloyd Snook from C'ville, Mike Signer, and a few others. This place is quickly filling up.
Sun directly overhead, so I may have some trouble seeing what I am typing. Be kind to my typos.
(We thank Patrick for crossposting this here. It shows the magnitude of the Deeds victory, and also makes clear his ability to run well anywhere in the state. - promoted by teacherken)
In the first Democratic primary for Virginia governor in ages, the boy from Bath County embarrassed the two guys from NoVA. Creigh Deeds won a strong 50% over Terry McAuliffe's 26% and Brian Moran's 24%. What's striking is that he won ten out of 11 congressional districts, even beating Moran 43-40% in his brother's district, the 8th, and losing only the majority black 3rd, held by Rep. Bobby Scott, to Terry.
Yes, Democrats eventually come together after all the dust from the primary battles has settled. But what if we came together to proclaim our unity BEFORE the primary?
That innovative idea is behind an event organized by House of Delegates candidate Mark Keam (HD-35) for this Saturday, June 6, 2009 at noon in Vienna. This "Pre-Election Unity" Rally is intended, Keam said in a mass email, to ensure that Democrats waste no time in reuniting to defend our values and prevent any Republican comeback in the Commonwealth:
[A]s soon as the polls close on June 9, and the results are announced, I believe it is critical that every Democrat in our Commonwealth quickly gather around our nominees and unite our Party as soon as possible. We simply cannot give the Republicans any sense of hope that our Party is in disarray while they are already rallying behind their extremely conservative statewide ticket after this weekend's GOP convention.
I want to do my part to help bring our Party together, but I don't want to wait until June 10. Instead, our campaign is urging every grassroots activist and volunteer who supports me to start talking about Party unity right now, and commit to supporting whoever comes out on top in our race.
With 18 new endorsements by elected officials, 52 endorsements by General Assembly members and hundreds of activists now supporting her, candidate for LG, Jody Wagner continues to build support as she moves toward the June 9th primary.
The new endorsements include Sen. Toddy Puller (36th), Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. (77th), Del. Jeion Ward (82nd), Mayor Jeanne Zeidler of Williamsburg, and Mayor Robin Gardner of Falls Church. Said the Wagner campaign:
"The endorsees mean Wagner now has support from 52 of the 66 Democratic members of the Virginia General Assembly, along with a majority of the Boards of Supervisors or City Councils in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax county, Falls Church, Loudoun, Montgomery, Norfolk and Roanoke city.
Said Sen. Toddy Puller: "I'm proud to stand with fifty-one of my colleagues in the House of Delegates and Senate in supporting Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor. Having worked with Jody during her time as Treasurer and Secretary of Finance, I know firsthand that Jody is the most qualified candidate in this race, and is best prepared to carry on the Warner-Kaine legacy of success. I'm looking forward to working with her in the future, as we confront the challenges facing Virginia to create new jobs, improve public education, and spread opportunity throughout the Commonwealth."
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1) These are not your father's Republicans. I remember the days when there used to be actual moderate Republicans, back before that species reached near-extinction. Pay attention to what's happening in upstate New York right now, where the full force of the Tea Bagger movement, along with Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, Michelle Bachman, etc. are all abandoning the Republican US House nominee, Dede Scozzafava, in favor of a third-party conservative - because Ms. Scozzafava is allegedly too moderate.
Yes, Democrats eventually come together after all the dust from the primary battles has settled. But what if we came together to proclaim our unity BEFORE the primary?