If we could agree that our political process is broken perhaps we could agree that we have been under served for the past 10 – 20 years by our elected representatives. Looking at the debacles also called debates, it should give us a reason to think about who we really need to have running the country. No one person is going to be perfect however the onus of not being re-elected is a powerful incentive to try to get it right. If we could allow the evils of racism, religious intolerance and personal bias to race off into the sunset , we find that we are all facing the same issues on one level or another. Our common problem appears to be the people we elect to represent us. Each of us has an opinion on what we believe ( TRUE OR NOT) and that belief is changeable when all facts are known, but we must stay out of the tar pits of political rhetoric that is constantly in our ears and faces. Do you find it odd that so many are willing to lie to get elected and continue the lies once elected? The lies are no more than fairy tales with a supposed happy ending which is so far away that we forgot it was coming and accept what ever the ending is with relish. If we could, would we make the same election choices again? I hope not, yet we allow the political ads to sway us on voting much like the ads for the products we buy. The real story is the one we don’t want to hear because we have been advertised into believing what is wrong is right and vice versa. Why else would we be told to talk to our Doctors about medications when he should already know what we take and if this new medication is correct for us? This is advertising and it is the same as a political campaign. Would we really want to elect someone based on advertising?
This story is a few years old, but now that we’ve cleared the air over Hillary, maybe it finally deserves more attention.
Jason Chaffetz is on tape saying he “absolutely” voted with the GOP to cut $300 million for embassy security.
The article also quotes Washington Post reporting showing that the GOP embassy security cuts were part of a multi year effort, lead by Paul Ryan’s budget, to cut the following.
For fiscal 2013, the GOP-controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Department’s Worldwide Security Protection program — well below the $2.15 billion requested by the Obama administration. House Republicans cut the administration’s request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012….[In 2011] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Republicans’ proposed cuts to her department would be “detrimental to America’s national security” — a charge Republicans rejected.
[GOP vice presidential nominee Paul] Ryan, [Rep. Darrell] Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security.
Is pursuing Hillary Clinton on Benghazi worth 4.6 Million dollars? The Federal government is on a path of shutdown with just a temporary budget in place but our legislators are spending millions on an issue that has been (we thought) over. This money would be better spent on National infrastructure. These are the people we elected to take care of our business but as usual politics take over. Our legislators have taken leave of their senses in this matter while espousing this pursuit in our names. It does not matter what individual voters think of Hillary Clinton but it should matter what our legislators are doing with our tax money (supposedly on our behalf yet not asking us if we agree). There are American citizens on the brink of starvation and homeless but we can spend money on preventing the run of Hillary Clinton for the Presidency. If the Legislators believe this is the correct way to spend tax dollars then why is it that we can’t fund Planned Parenthood for the health of Women? This Planned Parenthood issue is based largely on fictionalized and invented information. It utterly amazing that we have continued to elect these clowns time after time when they have lied to us time after time. Shouldn’t we spend some money to get at the truth of what they are really doing for us or better said – to us?
Why would anyone vote Republican? Well, here are 10 reasons.
1. You are a bigot
It’s true that not all Republicans are bigots. But if you ARE a bigot, the Republican party will be much more your group than the Democratic party. Remember that there are lots of ways to be a bigot: You could be a racist, a homophobe, an Islamophobe, or lots of other things.
2. You like eating, drinking and breathing poison.
Many Republicans are calling for or voting for shrinking or eliminating agencies that protect us against poison. They seem to think that the corporations will do the right thing, without any pressure from the government. Uh huh. Read The Jungle. Look at the way Monsanto is hiding facts about Round Up. Look at food safety and outbreaks of E. Coli.
Corporations exist to make money. They will do so any way they can. The government needs to stop them from doing so in ways that hurt people.
3. You think the rich don’t have enough money
The idea that giving more money to rich people (via tax breaks) will help poor people is nonsensical and has been shown wrong time and again in history. Huge tax breaks for the rich (a la George Bush) don’t work.
4. You don’t support our veterans
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran’s Association (IAVA) rates every member of congress on how well they support our veterans. In the Senate, 9 people got A or A+: All were Democrats. 30 got D or F: 29 Republicans and one Democrat. More on this
5. You like big deficits
Since the end of WW II the ratio of debt to GDP for the nation has gone down in 9 administrations (3 Republican and 6 Democratic) and up in 7 administrations (6 Republican and 1 Democratic). The largest increases by this measure were GW Bush’s 2nd term; GHW Bush, and Reagan’s first term. The largest decreases were the three terms right after the end of WWII (Truman and Eisenhower). The last decrease under a Republican was in Eisenhower’s 2nd term
The American Civil Liberties Union is the premier defender of our civil liberties, including the right to free speech. That’s free speech for EVERYONE; from Nazis to Marxists to Fred Phelps to anyone else. They rate politicians, including governors, senators and representatives. 12 people got a 100 rating: All were Democrats. 65 people got a score of less than 10: All were Republicans. Only 6 Democrats got a score under 50 (Joe Donnelly, Michael Ross, Collin Peterson, Joseph Shuler, Mark Critz and David Boren). Only 2 Republicans got scores over 50 (Olympia Snowe and Mark Kirk) Full list
7. You like big government
The Republicans like to claim they are against big government. It’s a lie. They only object when government helps people. But they are supporters of the Patriot Act; they want the government to say who you can marry; they want the government to forbid abortion; they want the government to be able to spy on you without restraint. Unfortunately, many Democrats agree with them on some of these, but to find opposition to these big government ideas, you have to look to the Democrats.
8. You want government to hurt people, but not help them
This is really just a summation of some other points.
9. You are greedy, short sighted and rich
You really have to be all three for this to work.
If you’re rich but not short-sighted, you know that, in the long run, when there is huge income inequality, it leads to things like stock market crashes and revolution, and everyone loses. In a revolution, it is often the rich who lose most.
If you’re rich but not greedy, you recognize that helping others is a good thing, and that the government assuring that people have a safety net is a good thing as well.
10. You like torture
The Democrats don’t exactly shine here, but the Republicans are much worse. It was, after all, Dick Cheney who bragged in his memoir about being a war criminal. It was Don Rumsfeld who opined that a problem in Abu Ghraib was that they weren’t torturing prisoners enough. And it is mostly Democrats who have objected to torture.
Torture is wrong. It’s also stupid. It doesn’t work. People who are tortured will say ANYTHING (true or not) that they thing their torturers want to hear.
Originally posted to plf515 on Sun Sep 25, 2011 at 05:42 AM PDT.
With the recent spate of Racially based crimes on buildings and individuals it is not hard to connect the dots. Our Congress since the election of Barack Obama has tacitly condoned (renewed) Racism. The vitriol over most programs presented by the President have met more opposition than possibly any of his predecessors. What we have is big money powering the anti’s coupled with the innate racism of some members of Congress. While it is not necessarily quantifiable, it is feasible to imagine that some members of Congress while advocating for their districts have seeded their “home” speeches with racial epithets that serve to invigorate the supposed or perceived Racial differences in America. While are we giving so much attention to “old flags” the Oligarchs are pushing to enslave us all as they have enslaved our government ( Congress). Be aware that our Congress contrary to popular belief is not as independent as they would have us believe, they have all benefitted from the largesse offered from the Oligarchical coffers. Our political system is all about who can spend the most money while many voters are in dire need of healthcare, jobs and basic living standards all of which was promised by the people we elected to Congress to make this happen. The amount of funding provided by the oligarchs apparently is too tempting to ignore but comes with a price – “their Souls” . We have issues that should be clear to all Americans since this is the only country we have and it is just over 200 plus years in existence wouldn’t you think we should be more caring about it and our fellow Americans of all races (since these assorted Races are what make up America). From the beginning when the first landers on the shores of what is now the United States, they began to push the Real Americans (Natives) around and became upset when they fought back. From that point on it became open season on non whites (who had already been here for Eons), then there was the import of slaves , stolen from their home country because the New Americans wanted cheap (free) labor. It is small wonder that Americans as a whole have less respect around the world and that has translated into disrespect for our current President and his initiatives (which if he were White would be less of an issue). Our current and past Congress have all been at fault due to their short-sighted thinking and allowing “white Privilege ” to make a joke out of our Democracy. We have people who are aspiring to run for the Presidency who are advocating another round-up of “illegals” to provide jobs for Americans yet not many Americans want to do the jobs that these immigrants do which is why “Americans” hire them. Our Congress is more of a hindrance to better government than any of the left or right wing groups in combination. We voters (every multi-ethnic one of us) should pay careful attention to who we elect as bombastic speeches do not make a competent legislators. Indolence in our voting will be our downfall as history has shown in the past.
With a little bit of thought we could have better representation in Congress. Listening to the Presidential aspirants, the messages are essentially the same. They all want to repeal something, kill something or change something without offering any details as to how and what effect if any their actions will have. All of this in our names and without our consent tacit or written. What we have is a group of people who are looking for votes by creating headlines that get our attention but usually have no true viable substance. Unfortunately these messages appeal to some of us but could affect all of us if we are not prudent in thinking and voting. Keep in mind we already have a dysfunctional Congress and the candidates from one Major party are also following suit. The voting public as I see it should be living in this century and not the last, the time of mudslinging and innuendo is over yet too many of us still want that old-time method of politicking as a way of selecting a candidate. The real way to select is to increase your knowledge of the candidates beyond the “entertainment value” by looking and listening to their message then ask your self does this make sense? Some candidates have stated that they would defund or dismantle “Obama care” ( Affordable Care Act) but offering no alternative and not considering how many Americans would be left without any medical care. Then there are the ones who want to dismantle the recent Iran agreement (which was created with several other countries including Russia and China). The worst part is they have not read the agreement! If you are looking to be entertained then perhaps you should look and listen to the jokes and gags being bandied around as political truth(?). It is well to note that politics and truth are like oil and water they do not mix (even with the addition of detergent). We should be listening for what we need to hear rather than what want to hear (which is what is being espoused by the candidates) and if what we need is not being presented then consider giving your vote to someone else even if it is across party lines. Unfortunately we have the misfortune (or good fortune) to have witnessed the real Congress when President Obama was elected, these folks (some of them) showed their true “colors” but have done nothing related to the reasons we elected them in the first place. It notable that their messages to us have been essentially the same each time they are up for election but sprinkled with seeds of malcontent to keep the populace divided. When the people are united the politicians lose!
Did it occur to anyone to question the birth place of Ted Cruz? Mr. Cruz is a naturalized American citizen , born in Canada. He became a member of Congress but no one has ever questioned his birth credentials yet a Black man, campaigning for the Presidency and born in the United States was heavily questioned until his “long form” birth certificate was produced, if that’s not Racism-I don’t know what is! -My opinion, pundit 42. This posting from Meredith Shiner tells a lot.
Ted Cruz Lambastes Most Powerful Republican in Senate
During a speech on the floor, Republican Senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz took on one of the most powerful individuals in his own party, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Senator Cruz is incensed that Senator McConnell allegedly struck a deal to allow an amendment to a must-pass highway-funding bill. The amendment would pave the way for the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which Cruz and his colleagues recently blocked. This accusation by Senator Cruz is especially shocking because Senate rules state that no senator *quote* “shall impute to another senator… any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator.” Senator Cruz, who has had many public battles with Senator McConnell, chastised him, saying he’s more interested in listening to lobbyists than he is voters.
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, did his best Donald Trump impersonation Friday, dramatically calling out his own party leader as a “liar.”
It’s been almost impossible for most of the Republican presidential hopefuls to get any airtime since Donald Trump transformed the cable news networks into his latest unavoidable “Trump” billboard, so on Friday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, took an unusual step to bolster his conservative credentials and wrestle the spotlight back in his direction: He called his own party leader a “liar.”
Repeatedly.
Cruz’s message on the Senate floor was on a complicated topic of little interest except to the most hardened partisans: He accused Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky., of lying to him and other senators about offering an amendment on the controversial-among-conservatives Export-Import Bank, a government agency that provides financing to American companies trying to send goods abroad that might not get loans from private banks. The authorization for the bank has already expired, and Republicans would like to make sure it’s not renewed. But the Senate now is gearing up to vote Sunday on an amendment to revive the bank as part of its consideration of a long-term transportation bill currently before it.
If the actual issue is down in the legislative weeds, Cruz’s delivery and intention could not have been more geared to the broad media spotlight. Cruz dramatically accused McConnell of breaking a promise to him but also of being beholden to special interests and no better for conservative interests than his Democratic predecessor.
“Today is a sad day for this institution,” Cruz said, opening what would become a 20-minute tirade on the floor. “The Senate operates based on trust. Whether we are Democrats or Republicans, these 100 senators have to be able to trust that when a senator says something, he or she will do it. Even if we disagree on substance, that we don’t lie to each other.
“The majority leader looked me in the eye, and looked 54 Republicans in the eye. I cannot believe he would tell a flat-out lie. And I voted based on those assurances that he made to each and every single one of us,” he continued. “What we just saw today was an absolute demonstration that not only what he told every Republican senator but what he told the press over and over and over and over again was a simple lie.”
Of course, it has been long expected McConnell would offer a vote on Export-Import Bank reauthorization before August, and as recently as Tuesday the leader said he planned to allow a vote on the agency as part of the process of voting on the pending transportation legislation.
Just as striking is that Cruz recently said he’s “not interested in Republican-on-Republican violence,” when asked to condemn Trump’s remarks disparaging undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Yet he used the words “lie” and “lying” five times over the course of several minutes Friday — a once-verboten move in the staid institution of the Senate — about another Republican.
It revealed a truth about Cruz: He wasn’t interested in avoiding a confrontation wtih Trump just because Trump is a fellow Republican. Cruz was interested in defending a conservative whose supporters could be up for grabs later on in the campaign, because criticizing other GOP politicians is old hat.
Cruz, pictured earlier this week, at a protest in Washington. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
The attack on McConnell Friday is just the latest example of Cruz’s campaign against Republican authority, a campaign that has been successful for him at the grassroots level since he was elected to Congress in 2012 but that now sees a crowded field of other conservatives vying for the same space.
He would not endorse the 2014 reelection bid of the senior senator in his own state, No. 2 Senate Republican John Cornyn of Texas — a move that has closed off to him some of the bigger wallets in the traditional fundraising destination of Dallas. Earlier in that same election cycle, he helped a powerful conservative group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, run ads against incumbent GOP senators, including McConnell, by taping Obamacare-based ads that aired in primaries.
Now that an even more attention-grabbing critic than he has come on the playing field, the question is whether Cruz’s accusation of congressional double-crossing about a failed amendment can compete with Trump’s trips to the U.S.-Mexico border and near-constant cable news grandstanding.
Cruz tried to turn his complaint about the Export-Import Bank into a larger point about politics, saying that establishment Republicans like McConnell are no better than Democratic leaders like Harry Reid of Nevada.
“You know who doesn’t have lobbyists? A factory worker who just wants to work and provide for his or her children. They don’t have lobbyists. And so what happens? Career politicians in both parties gang up with giant corporations to loot their taxes and make it harder for people who are struggling to achieve the American dream,” Cruz said. “Coal miners … they don’t have lobbyists who are representing them here, the individual miners, while the majority leader teams up with the Democratic leader to take from their paychecks to fund giant corporations. It is wrong, and it is corrupt.”
He also claimed McConnell’s vote on repealing Obamacare, which is scheduled to happen with the bank vote, was an “empty” gesture because he would not allow a vote on a Cruz amendment that would take away employer contributions to congressional workers’ health care plans. McConnell “doesn’t want to end the cronyism for members of Congress any more than end the cronyism for giant corporations who enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.”
Cruz’s performance on Friday could be a preview for his plans this fall, however, as government funding is set to expire in September, and Cruz’s Senate incumbency provides him at least one advantage over other conservatives: He can literally threaten government shutdown in the name of his conservative bonafides and as a tool to fundraise. Which is what he did in 2013.
No matter how Cruz attempts to proceed, he’s certainly torched what remaining goodwill he had with his own leader — if there was any — and he’s unafraid to wage a personal “us versus them” war within the walls of the Senate chamber, when “them” is his own colleagues.
It makes for interesting political theater, but maybe still not as interesting as Trump’s.
It is really strange that the Israeli prime minister and our Congress are on the same side of the Iran issue. Both of them appear to have their heads in the Race barrel and are doing everything wrong to prevent the people of Iran (the ordinary people) from living a better life with sanctions lifted. We (America) early on created some of this with the ouster of an Anti American regime and installing a repressive Shah who we then sheltered when the Ayatollahs took power. These people are as bad as the previous regimes including the Shah since they have repressed free speech, women’s rights and other freedoms we enjoy. The Israeli’s would understand this since the Holocaust and the fight for a State of their own. It appears that the statement “lest we forget” means nothing these days. I would like to see politicians in office who are “Statesmen” instead of office holders attempting to remain in office. It would certainly be a breath of fresh air if our representatives actually represented us and did more than opposing the President on everything and using the media as their ally.
The Israeli Prime minister and the Dupublican house Speaker appear to be in lock step against the President of the United States. While the President and several other countries are attempting to put together a peaceful solution on Iran’s nuclear situation these two are coalescing for no other reason than to scuttle the negotiations. I believe neither of then has a clue as to the damage they are doing. Their actions only spurs the resolve of the hardliners in Iran and their terrorist allies (Issel, Boka Haram and others). It is odd that Israel is so against a Palestinian state when they had to fight for theirs. There are terrorists in every country in the world some less violent but they are still terror driven groups. These two have formed a coalition that is doomed to failure whatever their goal is. Their actions could have long and possibly disastrous consequences for all of us. The Dupublican party as I see them have the sole objective of reducing the neediest of us to abject poverty by any means possible while invoking what they say we want (or their constituents) but underneath are the huge money people who want their agendas to be in play with no regard for the people who buy their products or use their services. Our current Congress is shortsighted yet have convinced their followers and themselves that they can and are doing a better job. Which is it- serving the people or themselves?
My friend Martin again has offered a point that needs to be made Why would we trust any candidate or incumbent whose staffers spend more time looking for dirt on the opposition than offering the real agenda of their “boss”. These elections have come to be more of a mud slinging, name calling & yes Racially biased contest.
Presidential Candidates in Search of Scandals
Abel Oldsworth, my reticent friend, is intrigued by the presidential candidates’ staffs searching for scandals in the lives of opposing candidates. They want to uncover indiscretions such as excessive partying, skirt chasing philandering, drinking and snorting bouts, and general twisting of the Ten Commandments to show these office seekers are unfit to govern.
A strange penitent aura comes over candidates. They write books aimed at describing their political views, but they begin them with confessional prefaces acknowledging their errant ways. They rhetorically ask, “How could I have done such things?” They answer: “It was youthful immaturity. I am no better than others. But they make me a man of varied accomplishments. This is the truth.” And so it goes:
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