new year; new direction

As you all may have noticed, I have not been updating my blog as regularly as I have been. A lot of this has to do with some life events. Some of it has to do with frustration. When I first started this blog, I just thought of it as an outlet to vent my feelings about the 2008 election. I then started to write about my interests: tennis, movies, and music. The thing was, there a million plus political blogs, and another million tennis, movie, and music blogs. What could I possibly say that was any different?

Soon I began to become dispirited with blogging. What was the purpose? What exactly was I trying to say? Was I writing for myself or for attention? These are questions that I have yet to answer. I haven’t decided to stop blogging, but I need to find my voice. 2010 is the time for me to really find my passion and to commit to it. I invite you to stay along as I embark on this journey. I want this to be fun instead of agonizing.

Wish me luck and stay tuned…

dashed hopes

The healthcare fight has been comprised lately of anger, lies, misdirection, and now appeasement. This weekend, President Obama and his top surrogates started to throw the Public Option under the bus and conservative Democrats have been touting the concept of co-op healthcare. It’s safe to say with the apparent waffling from the administration, those on the Right are delighted and those on the Left are befuddled.

At a town hall meeting in Colorado, the President asked healthcare reform supporters to knock on doors and get the message out. Huh? With all the confusion about what’s going to be reformed and what isn’t, how are they supposed to spread a message they don’t understand. To me, that’s the biggest reason why their hasn’t been a huge pushback against healthcare opposition. There simply isn’t much to support at this point.

On the one hand, you have the Republicans who are dead set against any kind of reform. Then you have the Conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats who come from swing districts are are afraid they will be booted out of office. Let’s not forget the Congressmen and women whose pockets are lined with health insurance money. Oh, and the Liberal Democrats who are pissed because the single payer option was never considered. Throw in lobbyists, pundits, conspiracy theorists, and ex-Presidents, and it’s just a big ol’ mess. The already complicated matter of changing the way Americans receive and pay for their health seems even more complicated.

I hate to do this but I gotta place a lot of the blame on PBO. In his desire to try to get the Republicans to hop aboard his Change train, he allowed the reins of the debate to be taken away from him. As a result, the townhall mobs got more media attention than he did. While his getting on the trail and holding townhalls of his own is appreciated, in order to satisfy his real base, he needs to declare what HIS vision of healthcare should be. He then needs to direct the Democrats to follow suit. If the Republicans are down it’s all good, if they aren’t then he needs to let them know that healthcare reform is going to pass with or without their help.

Finally, he needs to take into account of what Progressives want. Much of the spin coming from the White House involved placating the fears of seniors, on-the-fence Independents, and pharmaceutical companies. The Public Option must be included. Our voices must be heard, the real story of what this healthcare crisis entails must be told. Otherwise, what support he had counted on will be gone as well.

Real Talk.

captain chickenhawk

Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t John McCain lose the election last November? So why is he still running his mouth on the Sunday talk shows? I for one don’t care that he thinks President Obama hasn’t said enough about the Iranian elections disaster. I’m assuming that since PBO gets daily security briefings and McCain doesn’t, the Prez is more abreast of the situation than me or Senator “McCain’t Stop Talking”.

See, McCain’s brand of diplomacy involves hyping  up America’s reputation as the beacon of democracy, even if it means every other country in the world hates our guts. That glaring fact doesn’t matter to McCain because according to him, at least those countries are FREE to hate us with impunity. Too bad that really doesn’t work outside the world of neo-conservatism. What McCain fails to realize is that the Iranians have long memories. The last time we meddled in their Presidential elections, we got rid of their democratically elected President and installed the Shah. The Shah as it turned out was a big fan of American democracy, as long as it stayed in America.  Actually he was a brutal dictator who loved to lock up and kill his critics. And yet McCain the Pain wants the President to stick his nose in Iranian business again.

Can you just imagine what things would be like if McCain had actually won? No Gitmo closing, no end date for the conflict in Iraq, no resolution in Afghanistan, a possible strike against North Korea, and saber rattling in Iran. If he had his way, we’d be at war with damn near every nation in the world. Thank goodness the majority of Americans searched their conscience last year and decided McCan’ts way was not the path follow. In fact, even his fellow conservatives and other pundits are putting the brakes on his tough talk. Joe Scarborough feigned indignation at McCain’s criticism and Joe Klein from Time Magazine wrote that the Republican also ran should be quiet.

Unfortunately, I don’t think McCain will be zipping his lips soon. He’s enjoying the spotlight too much. It’s just good to have some real political wisdom in the White House to offset the clucking of Captain Chickenhawk.

prosecution complex

To prosecute or not to prosecute, that is the question that the Obama administration is facing this week.  I’m pretty confused by the answers to tell the truth.  While on the campaign trail, then Senator Obama did not show the slightest interest in broaching the subject in depth concerning the CIA torturing enemy combatants. He simply said he wanted to look forward. He hadn’t changed his answer much by the time he was elected and it looked as if his administration was going to fall in lockstep with his philosophy. Cheif  of Staff Rahm Emmanuel told George Stephanopulos that President Obama wasn’t the least bit interested in pursuing Bush Administration officials who devised and allowed torture tactics.

This statement was made after Attorney General Eric Holder on the orders of  President Obama, declared that immunity would be granted to those who carried the torture orders out. All this generated a swell of criticism from those who wanted to see justice FINALLY  served against the Bush torture contingent. And it grew after the release of its secret memos. The critics asked, “What could be the harm in making Bush officials and the CIA answer for obvious war crimes?” They were correct. How could America be the standard bearer for justice and democracy when our government utilizes the basest of tactics in order to deal with its enemies?

Then, the Obama administration threw a curveball today. AG Holder announced that he had not ruled out hiring a special prosecutor to investigate (and hopefully indict) the architects of Bush’s torture policy. The President himself chimed in later, “I would say that that it is going to be more of a [question] for the Attorney General, within the parameters of various laws. And I do not want to prejudge that”

In other words, The Prez is going to let  Holder do his thing. President Obama also stressed that if an investigation is going to forward, the Congress should be involved-but without the partisan politics. Okay, good luck with that. Hey, I can’t offer any suggestions as to how Obama & Co. should go about this. I’m still caught up in the “will they” or “wont they” parts. Being someone who doesn’t get caught up with a bunch of details, I’m not getting much from the apparent hemming and hawing that’s going on.

I do understand the President’s reluctance at possibly having to trot out Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the crew to testify on Capitol Hill. It’s rather distasteful business but then again, so is torture. In the face of the harsh criticism and the dubious history this government, it’s time for this President to finally set things right. No matter how bad he may feel, letting these crimes go unpunished will make us all feel worse.

are these people serious?

Asked President Obama during his speech this morning at the Energy Department. He asked this question in response to criticisms of the stimulus bill that involved spending money on weatherizing federal buildings and building fuel efficient cars for federal employees to use. He wondered how could these measures be labeled as “pork” when the intent is to eventually save money in heating and fuel costs. What he was really asking was, “were these people really trying to lay this line of bull that this was nothing more than wasteful spending ventures”?  He was really posing the  question of  whether or not our government will start looking ahead or stay stuck in the past.

I’m watching Rachel Maddow interview Will Bunch, the author of the book, “Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts Our Future”. I haven’t read the book yet, but I kind of know what Bunch has to say. I grew up poor in the Reagan era and my perspective is quite different than the one that has been pushed down our throats for a quarter of a century. The bowing at the altar of Reagan hasn’t resulted in smaller government or a stronger military. It hasn’t improved our standing in the world, and the gap between the rich and the poor is larger than it’s ever been. And still, you have conservatives invoking his name  at every turn and lamenting over the “good old days.”

This lamenting has cultivated an ideology that involves an absolute refusal to engage in any kind of forward thinking discussion. So mired are they in backward economic philosophies and revisionist history, they can’t even begin to take the first steps necessary to help our country get out of the mess that the policies they adhered to, got us in the first place . It’s just easier for them to bitch and complain because they honestly don’t know what else to do. The line between “Them” and “Us” is so deep that they can’t see fit to cross it. They live and breathe Reaganology- to their detriment.

Y’know Obama tried. He really did. He played nice for the media. He invited them to his big White House for drinks, but today everyone saw the exasperation in his tone. It wasn’t surprising, a lot of us are feeling the same. There can be no bi-partisanship if the partisans aren’t willing to play along.  It’s time for the President to move on.

H.R.N.C

So the Republicans finally chose someone to head the Republican National Committee and it’s former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Steele’s ascendancy to the head of the Republican Party could very well be seen as a step in the right direction in these days of post-racial politics. Yeah, right. Then again, it could be viewed as a pitiful attempt at “Oneupsmanship” by the Grand Ol’ Party. “See, you bleeping liberals! We can elect a Negro too! Nyah!” Did it take the election of a black man as President for the Republicans to figure out that  people of color possess the mental acuity to lead, raise funds, and drag the party out of the dark ages? Whodathunk?

Compared to the other candidates, Michael Steele was the best choice. There was the incumbent chairman who oversaw the Republican de-evolution and major election loses. And the other guy who belonged to an all white country club. Then there was the candidate who thought that “Barack the Magic Negro” should be  on everyone’s IPOD playlist. There was another black man who’s only claim to fame was that he was from Ohio and that he defended the other guy who distributed the Magic Negro song, and a Hispanic guy who came from the west-and probably should have stayed there. Steele was the only candidate who was willing to speak out and say that the Republican Party needed a new direction and a new focus. He advocated wresting control of the party from the evangelical wingnuts. He embraced technology AND he’s not adverse to pointing out that he is black from time to time. He’s bright, articulate, and nice looking.

So, what’s the problem? Well, those very attributes and attitudes could result in a very short tenure at the helm for Mr. Steele. Response to his election has ranged from derision to hysteria. To the Democrats, it was just a blip in the radar.  To the racists, it was a slap in the face. Steele looks to be taking it all in stride. He even ribbed President Obama by doing his best Kool Moe Dee imitation saying, “How you like me now?” Well, If he doesn’t raise a significant amount of money and help Republicans win some congressional seats, no one’s gonna like him much. Steele does not have a strong background in fund raising. Also, his more moderate leanings will no doubt cause problems for the Good Ol’ Boy wing of the party. Plus, did I mention he’s black? He will have to do that delicate minority dance of assuring the party faithful that he’s one of them all the while trying not to scare them to death.

Do I think he’ll be able to do it? Depends. Steele is an adept politician. He has no problem with unfair attacks, subterfuge, or hypocrisy. The question I have is can he take the heat when all of that will be directed at him? Republicans are known for eating their own kind. How will he defend the racism, the backwards thinking, the war-mongering, and the catering to the rich? Will he be content in being the party’s pet Negro, or will he be the Right’s answer to the call for change?

Time. Money. And an election cycle will tell.

welcome and so long…

The 44th President takes the oath.

He addresses the crowd.

 

He acknowledges his predecessor.

The President and the First Lady make their walk towards destiny.

 

The 43rd takes his leave.

And they along with the rest of us, say goodbye to childish things.

(photos via the AP)

power lunch

 In 1981, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Regan shared some laughs at the White House. 

 

And today it happened again. The Bushes, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama met the press in the Oval office. It was definitely something to see. So much has changed since 1981. Reagan, Ford, and Nixon have passed on. And in 2008, a black man was elected President of the United States. In the words of Obama, “It was extraordinary.”

Yes it was.

But really Bill, the only you could say was, ” I LOVE this rug!” ?

(images via rueters and whitehouse.gov)

no country for bitter old men

Defeated, convicted, and worn out Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska gave a farewell speech to his fellow Senators today on Capitol Hill. At the age of 85 and 7 felony charges looming over him, he finally conceded defeat and will finally leave Washington. There’s not much good I can say about Senator Stevens. I like my Senators younger, friendlier, and with no criminal record-but that’s just me. Obviously his Senate colleagues liked him enough because they gave him a standing ovation after he spoke. One could argue that it was a show of respect for 40 years of public service (or that folks should always clap after an old guy speaks). But the tone and the circumstances just didn’t seem to justify that kind of response. Ted Stevens is prime example of all that is wrong with Washington.  You know, those politicians who are so caught up with a sense of entitlement that they feel as if they can get away with any and everything-and Ted Stevens almost did. He thumbed his nose at the law and once he was caught, he bitterly refused to bow out of the limelight with grace and honor.

So we bid you adieu, Ted. Hopefully your successor will serve the state of Alaska better than you have.

To see Ted’s farewell:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/20/ted-stevens-farewell-spee_n_145202.html